Hobby/Craft shop - Ideas requested

In twelve years here I've not come across a true craft shop - unfortunately.

There's the odd shop that does knitting/crochet/cross stitch, and others for card making (which I don't regard as a true craft, as it's mainly assembly of pre-made kits).

From a personal point of view, I find that I have to order most of my scroll saw blades from the USA, and go all the way up to Ontinyent to find a supplier of quality hardwood. My wife's even come back from the UK with Baltic birch plywood in her suitcase, and on her next trip in December will be coming back with sanding mops, re-positionable spray adhesive, diamond needle files, silver earring hooks, brass sheets, pour-on epoxy coating, etc).

I'm currently about to try cutting slices of tiger's eye, snowflake obsidian, malachite, etc, but doubt I'll succeed. Like most crafts, lapidary seems to be a dying art, with the few sources only supplying finished stones for self-assembly.

Even do it yourself seems to be largely dead or dying. I remember that in the UK, you can't even buy a DIY magazine these days.

Whilst I'd love to see a true crafts supply shop, supplying materials for a wide variety of crafts, I very much doubt if it would be financially viable. There just aren't enough people interested, and those of us who are will probably find it cheaper to order through the likes of Amazon and Ebay.

I have found some of the Chinese shops sell some craft bits but they can be a bit ‘hit and miss’.    A few weeks ago I was looking for Mod Podge and couldn’t find it anywhere, even though I am positive I have seen it in a Chinese shop but can’t remember which one !    I gave up in the end.

If anyone knows of a good source, I too would be interested to know.

That's a blast from the past! You can get it from Amazon ES, but postage for a small order probably makes it too expensive.

I used to use it years ago, but didn't like it for thin materials as I got some bleed through to the surface. Perhaps I was just too heavy handed.

Elipacrafts in quesada sells all the modge podge ranges and loads of other craft supplies from art to wools