Good selection of items, always find what I'm looking for. Staff nice and helpful. Can get single…read moreitems when needed and not have to buy in bulk.

Crafty Sew and Sew has the dubious pleasure of being located directly next to the ultra pink adult…read moreshop Passion Online at the Newport Road end of City Road. Whilst this business has opted to carry a cheeky little name that may occasionally raise an eyebrow or two, they have definitely been upstaged, in the controversy stakes, by their immediate neighbours! In many other ways this is the ideal location for this old-style craft shop. It is surrounded by fabric stores, many of which are within a minutes walk from Crafty Sew and Sew, and with companies like Calico selling sewing machines, and Butterfly Fabrics carrying some fabulous materials, as well as some really large fabric stores with phenomenally extensive stock ranges like Fusion, Crafty Sew and Sew couldn't be in better company. All of these businesses support the fundamental drive behind Crafty Sew and Sew, offering patrons of the shop plentiful choice where fabrics are concerned. Crafty Sew and Sew offer a good range of craft items and ready-to-make kits of all descriptions. A visit to the shop is an inspiring experience, and the people that work there are only willing to help. If you are looking to take up a hobby, but are not sure of which direction to go in, I advise a trip to this little Pandora's Box of delights. The advice you will get will be invaluable, and the choices available are impressive, and cater to everyone's budgets.

A knitters paradise! This lovely little wool store is quietly tucked in on cornerswell road and is…read morea godsend to anyone looking to buy quality wool and other haberdashery items. From Sirdar to Debbie Bliss, this shop has it all and more. The staff are very friendly and always have time for a chat as well as ready with an answer to any queries you may have! They aslo stock a lovely range of unique and designer buttons as well as lots of handmade and dyed unusual yarns. I believe they also run a knitting circle and certainly, there is always time to have a sit down round the table in the shop and have a natter and a knit!

Craft in the Bay really is a beautiful shop that encompasses all that has changed in the Bay…read more I often wonder around in the brightly lit, all glass store as it is almost a gallery rather than a shop. There is some fantastic sculptures on display is well worth a visit just for that alone. There is also a more traditional part of the shop that sells vases and smaller items, all seemingly hand made as far as my uneducated eyes can tell. Staff are also very friendly here and are always willing to detail a sculpture for you and help in any way they can. Always a pleasant experience upon visiting here.

This modern glass and wood building housing an art and craft gallery showcases contemporary work by…read moremembers of The Makers Guild in Wales, and also hosts a changing programme of national and international exhibitions. Only the best Welsh talent can become members of the Guild, as membership is by rigorous selection - so the work on display is of a very high standard. All of the exhibitions are free to explore, and you can also buy pieces of art and craft, ranging from ceramics to bags and even furniture. Kemi' s Café is housed next door to the gallery, overlooking the Millennium Centre, and is open from 8.30am-4.30pm serving up quality, wholesome food.

This is one of the smaller Shaws shops in the South Wales area, and because of this it…read moreunfortunately doens't have the best range of products to offer. Instead of being a neatly presently space like many of the others, this shop is busy and cluttered. Shaws sells a wide variety of soft furnishings, such as duvet covers, sheets, cushions, blankets and curtains. Although their products are not exactly up to the minute on the style front, they are usually pretty decent for the price. They have a good selection of children's duvet covers and fabrics. This is a good place to go if you're in need of well priced linen, but not somewhere you might think of when looking for that ultimate piece that will really set off months of hard laborious redecorating. Perhaps worth a look at least. You might well be surprised.

Okay it is a little old and dated but you can still buy wool, knitting needles and crochet hooks…read morehere. Also I bought 4 face cloths for £1.99 - good deal. It is cosy and the staff are most helpful.

Great staff - when they know something, they really know it, and even better - when they don't,…read morethey admit it! It's so refreshing to talk to salesmen that treat you like a human being, and that act like human beings themselves. I never feel like I'm being ridiculous when I ask about strange art supplies, even when I probably am, and whilst it's not always possible to fill those odd requests, I never feel stupid for making them. The selection on offer is enormous and wide-ranging, and pretty good for it's cost - I never feel like I'm being sold the cheap stuff at bargain prices, it's all at a quality that matches the asking price.

A good place to go for all your basic stationary needs. They sell your usual pens, envelopes,…read morepaper, diaries, rubbers etc... Be warned though, most of the items here are pretty basic, if you fancy a cute, or quirky notebook, I'd recommend heading over to Paperchase instead. Another thing to watch out for is that this store can be a bit pricey in comparison to places like Staples, and your local supermarket. Where Pen and Paper excels however, is in its art materials. If you're studying art in school, University, or even if you're a professional, this is definitely the place to go. The supplies are all of the best quality, and what's more the staff really know their product, and can advise you on what would suit your particular need (which you really wouldn't get at the large chain stores). Perhaps a little randomly, Pen and Paper also has a fantastic selection of jigsaws! Now personally I'm not particularly in to jigsaws, but if they are your thing, you'll just love this store!

Shima Beads is a quaint little craft store off Cowbridge Road East that specialises in beads and…read moredelicate handmade jewellery, as well as items like yarn, stringing wire and anything else you'd need to whip up a bespoke trinket. Shima's shop reminds me of a country kitchen, with its pale blue walls and stocky wooden table and chairs positioned in the floor's centre, making it a welcomed detour before a lengthy walk in nearby Victoria Park. Their wide range of sparkly and colourful beads offer enough options to get the creative juices flowing, but if you're still having trouble, Shima Beads holds evening jewellery-making classes for only £10 per session (check out their website for an up-to-date calendar). Even if you're not the crafty type, Shima offers a range of gifts, including hand-painted animal figurines crafted out of stone.

Quaint and kitschy - that's how I'd sum up Polka Dot…read more Much to my surprise, the shop, which appears diminutive from the outside, is actually situated on three floors and filled with crafts, stationery and other goodies like vintage-style home goods (I nearly bought the "My farts hospitalise small children" magnet but decided against it). I'd say this kind of shop caters mostly to tourists looking for a creative souvenir to bring back for their female friends, but that didn't stop me from eying up several items worthy of birthday gifts for my girls here in Cardiff - I dare you to walk in here and not find something you like! Polka Dot is definitely one of the better shops in Mermaid Quay, and a perfect place to buy a knick-knack that you admittedly may not need, but would be a sweet addition to your home or office.

Pop your head in an feel very uncomfortable. Half the stuff and I literally mean stuff, as in…read moreuseless tat, is everywhere. I read the previous reviews and so it seemed odd that it was popular, well at least to me. Yes if your a bloke and your other half drags you in kicking and screaming, your alternative is to check out a bar or pub for 30minutes while she looses all common sense. I couldn't see any real use for a lot of it, unless you want to live in la la land and pretend to have tea parties with your friends or should I say your stuffed teddies etc. Oh and please don't expect you can explain to me why it's so great. I'm sure for the girly girls out there you might enjoy this oddball shop, but for me I'm out! I ridicule in jest, but seriously there are limits.

Knitting is sexy, did you get the memo? I did. I got it the first time round when I was living in…read moreLondon and the V&A were holding knitting-related parties. I bought Stitch & Bitch and got some needles and red wool and tried to knit. I was rubbish. You Tube didn't exist in my world back then. In the last year, thanks to You Tube video lessons and some real knitters I can knit. Not brilliantly. Not fast. But I'm on my way. Knitting is cool for the second time. Just google Yarnachy Swansea if you don't believe me. All ubercool knitwits need to buy, beg, borrow or steal wool. Charity shops are good for getting odd balls for stripy things but for bigger projects you need to head to a specialist shop. The Wool Pack can help you, they sell a myriad of wool types as well as patterns, needles and other useful knitting get up. Get sexy, learn to knit.

I word of recommendation about going in to Hobbycraft. Please don't go in if you don't know what…read moreyou want to buy beforehand. You need a plan of attack. Head straight to the help desk and then to where they send you with blinkers on. Hobbycraft is a massive warehouse of, well, everything that you could possibly need to any hobby ever. Their problem is certainly not being able to supply us with our needs, but rather, they over supply. You stand in the middle of this store and want to scream: Argh! I know I should be using all these creativity to make something, but I don't know what! It's all on overload. That being said, I know people who live in these stores. And yes, their houses are full to bursting with ribbons and gibbons and squibbons and such, but they're always prepared and kinda nifty with a needle. So, in short. Get in. Get out. Or pay the price. Dun dun duuun.

So this Hobbycraft gives you two floors of everything arty you can think of from standard drawing…read morematerials, to specialist model making materials, framing equipment, soft furnishing stuff and lots, lots more. It is a bit of a maze and they really don't make it easy for you to navigate this store. Apart from one sign by the stairs, they is no signage through the shop and that really annoys me. They obviously want to tempt you to buy other stuff but its so frustrating when your just after something specific. I spend a good 5 minutes walking around the upstairs with no sign of any staff members to help guide me. Eventually I found the section I was after but I was disappointed by how expensive everything was. I took myself to the checkout to pay and the checkout staff were busy chatting so I was barely acknowledged. Good selection but i'd rather get what I need online for cheaper.