Many of you know and love collage on NE Alberta. Well, as of now, there's more collage to love - proprietress Maria Raleigh has just opened a second location at 4429 SE Woodstock!

Now, I know what you're thinking: "BATTLE GROUND?! What?"

Fair enough - Country Manor Fabrics is a little off the beaten path. Okay, a lot off the beaten path. But I'll tell you what: getting there is a nice drive in the country, and this is one amazing fabric store.

The outside is pretty unassuming . . .

. . . But inside, fabric bolts pack every available space. The shelves are full, so they're stacked along the floor. Aisle after aisle.

I've been hearing it around town lately: "Have you been to that new store where you can make your own yarn?" You bet I have! And, like its famous namesake, Yarnia is something of a magical land.

The first thing you see upon entering is color. There are shelves lined with cones and cones of gorgeous, saturated color.

Gossamer is a beautiful, serene craft store at 24th and East Burnside, devoted to fiber arts and Waldorf learning and creativity supplies.

Let's start with the Waldorf school, in case you're not familiar. It's a system of education that dates back to 1919.

Let's continue our exploration of Crafty in the 'Couv with a great yarn store: Unraveled Fine Yarns. You can plan an afternoon for Unraveled, Main Street Bead Connection, and maybe take in the Vancouver Farmer's Market.

I know, I know, there's a whole mythology involving sales tax and driving distance that keeps some of you from venturing into "The Couv." But there are fantastic crafty resources up there! Make an afternoon of it, bring friends, visit Unraveled, and have lunch.

If you're one of those people who collects and hoards beautiful fabrics, well . . . there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. But you could use another place to get your cloth fix, so check out cool cottons, at 24th and SE Hawthorne.

Cool cottons, as the name implies, is all about woven cottons in an astonishing rainbow array of prints.

Let's do the acronym first: IPRC stands for Independent Publishing Resource Center. I think the IPRC is one of Portland's great creative resources. It's a space dedicated to self-publishing, art-making, and expression.

The IPRC has been around since 1998, offering the use of copiers, typewriters, computers, and more to creative Portlanders.

A really cool art show has just opened at Central Library in downtown Portland. It's a Mail Art show. What is Mail Art, you ask? Well . . . .

Mail Art is any piece of art that uses the Postal Service as part of its creation. It can take lots of forms - postcards, zines, letters, artistamps and more. The artist then mails these pieces of art to other artists, and the postage and Post Office markings become part of the piece.

DIY Lounge has always been a wonderful place. Imagine a room filled with all kinds of craft supplies, where on any given day, people are learning to embroider, crochet, make bath salts, or paint with wax. The creative energy is just amazing!

Jen Neitzel, herself an avid maker, started the DIY Lounge in 2005.