Where Do Your Craft Supplies Come From?

Where do you find your craft supplies? Do you go to chain stores like Michaels and AC Moore? Do you  find your supplies online, such as on Etsy? Perhaps you prefer small independently owned stores, or maybe conventions. I buy my craft supplies at all of these places, but my favorite place to search for supplies is at Leftover's Etc. They are a local nonprofit whose mission is to divert items heading for the landfill into the hands of scout leaders, teachers, artists, and anyone who likes to craft. I like to stop in a couple of times a month to see what new items have arrived. It's like a treasury hunt; you never know what you will find. Here are some of the items I found there, and some of the crafts I made from them:

Ceramic tiles: Often these are samples which have been retired from lineups at local stores. Sometimes they are leftover from homeowner or contractor projects. I use a lot of these in my Etsy store to make rubber stamped necklaces. Here I have made a mosaic fish:

Leather scraps: These are often samples from furniture stores. This Valentine's day ornament features a dog die cut from a leather scrap. The wood heart and yarn trim were also from Leftovers.

Metal samples: I'm not sure if these were for counter tops or some other application, but they work great for cutting jewelry pendants. My metal stamping needs some more practice:

 Here are some items I made from scrap acrylic:

Not only do I find supplies at Leftovers, I also donate items to them. I keep a separate box in my kitchen for items heading there, such as paper towel rolls, old light bulbs, yogurt containers, and anything else I don't need that someone else might be able to use. I love being able to keep things out of the landfill.