One thing, there is a company called Stamp' UP similar to scrapbook parties. Go on line if you do not have a consultant in your area. They have a large variety of stamps and they are not cheap, but good quality. Also Close to My Heart which is scrap booking but has an excellent selection of clear plastic stamps. Both can be bought on line. Do you have a large Walmart or Hobby Lobby?

I don't shop this facility but did have occasion where I was in one a few weeks ago. They've never gotten rid of their fabric department but when they moved where the departments are located, I noticed they certainly trimmed it to a shadow of its former self. Big box stores (regardless of what kind of boxes they are) would be better to regard that each area in which they sink a store has some unique needs and I think all boxes need to be more sensitive to address them and provide the inventory and services unique to that location. But their marketing presence allows them that prerogative, and they use it at both ends not only with the customers, but with the vendors. ;-) As far as I'm concerned they might as well forget about material at all and just concentrate on the ancillary products with predictable inventory skus and costs like battings, tools and threads and that seems to be what they decided too. It's all about reducing labour costs.....it's the variable over which they have the most control and that not only means goods from offshore sources, but their own staffing. Cutting bolts of cloth is like custom cutting venetian blinds or meat. It's a lot more cost effective to prepackage and make their own decisions as to what you want than to let you do it yourself. Now tell me honestly........for things you normally buy in your household don't you often get rankled by what is offered in your local area and end up just purchasing what they have rather than what you want? It works, so the practise is perpetuated. That's why I am so thankful for the internet as a marketing too and I use it often. It may be the salvation of smaller, independant businesses.

Time consuming...it all depends. You can scrap like me. LOTS of pics, very little design. 19 pages in 1 day is my current record. Or you can take your time and each page is a careful work of art. Or anywhere in between. It's fun to see the different 'personalities' of each scrappers book. You can get books at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Meijer, try another Wal-Mart. I'm sure there's a lot more I can't think of right now. But someone else will.:o)

Lots of good ideas guys! I'm cheap by nature and can't bring myself to spring for a lot of the pricey scrapbooking toys. That said, there are lots of ways to work around it. You can create your own supplies from non-traditional sources - as was suggested. You can share with friends - if you buys a big stack of papers or embellishments or whatever you can split 'em. You can go to crops at your local store - most of them have a work room of some kind and let you use their tools. A great way to olay with all of the fun die cuts and stuff without purchasing some of the big ticket items. You can swap the stuff you are bored with - online or in person. You can steal ideas from the pricey items and try to make your own. All of the precut chipboard embellishments are great, but they aren't anything you couldn't make yourself with some cardboard, and exacto knife and a little time. Lots of things outside of the scrapbooking aisle are acid free and archival quality. Check out your office supply store, Big Lots, the Dollar Store, etc... And never throw anything away :) Decorative scissors were all the rage a few years ago, then everyone seems to get sick of them, now people seem to be using them again - just in different ways. There was a ton of talk on another forum I read about the old kid's toy "Spirograph" and how it could be used for scrapping. What else is collecting dust in the basement that could be moved up to your craft room? Here is a link that might be useful: craftfetish blog