Yes, yes Post Offices are the same old, same old everywhere but this one just seemed like a magical…read moreworld of toyshop mayhem, madness. The shop window is full of toys like a really ancient toy shop in my old town, although no-one ever seemed to go in and the window display never, ever changed in 15 years of living there. So this Post Office then, crammed full of toys, a small section for stationary but loads of crafty bits and bobs geared towards kiddie winks. There was, of course, a sections for cards in there thousands as well as calendars and party accessories, no wonder it was such a hive of activity.

Good all round post office with friendly helpful staff…read more Don't go on pension day though unless you want to be in a long queue, same for all post offices i guess.

This shop specialises in greetings cards but also has a small selection of gifts such as soft toys…read moreas well as wrapping paper and accessories. As it sells so many cards there is a wide variety of styles to choose from. Befitting its location in the Victoria Quarter it doesn't stock many of those cheap, tacky cards featuring naff cartoons and 'hilarious' lewd jokes. Expect more of a refined selection, several featuring vintage photographs or interesting stylised illustrations. I wouldn't say it's the best card shop I've ever been to but it definitely tops the offerings of most high street card shops with many more unusual finds than say, Clinton Cards and it should have something to suit everyone.

This is an exquisite gift card shop. If I ever have a birthday or occasion I will come here rather…read morethan use a Clintons or similar, as they are just not as special as this shop. Bayliffe and Lupton house a whole variety of specialist gift cards from a variety of designers, from beautifully painted prints, to exquisite photography to humourous vintage photograph and caption cards. It has a huge range of different gift cards and will cover all the standard areas, but makes the difference by really finding some special designers. As well as this they sell other related goods, wrapping, canvas prints and the odd trinket or gift item, but the main reason for visiting is the quality of the gift cards. I can always choose a special card that really says something about who I am buying for, which makes all the difference when you are sending to someone special. You might pay a little more than usual, but in my book it's worth it.

I came here to pick up a few bits for my sketchbook after hearing about it from a friend who's…read morepretty arty. I can't say I found anything completely inspiring or unusual but the basics of the kit you need were there. Brushes, Pencils, Card, Crafty bits and bobs....etc. The shop is reasonably priced and does have some nice quality materials.

Headingley don't have many arts and craft focussed shops around, but tucked up a back road,…read moreDisdale's is a resource for the artier of Headingley's residents. It is a traditional arts and crafts shops, selling quality materials in the way of fine paint brushes, drawing pencils of many kinds, quality paper meant for certain tasks etc. As I say in many other of my reviews, I prefer a more creative way of finding imaginative materials in unexpected places, rather than conforming to these sorts of traditional (overpriced) shops, but for what it is, it is a great thing to have in Headingley, away from the busy pub ridden road.

Wow. I hadn't even realised somewhere like Clintons would be getting in on the idea of some outlet…read moreaction, but there it was in all it's glory. I must admit, I sneered at the idea. I mean, I'm not bowled over by Clintons as a card company as it is, so a store with all the cheap reject cards was more than likely going to be useless. Giving them a chance, I wandered in. Having seen how busy Card Factory was in Crossgates Shopping Centre, this place was surprisingly empty - a sign perhaps? In I plunged, and had a scan around. Sure enough the selection of cards left little to be desired. I saw all the standard 'funny' (not funny) cards, the simply bland ones, a few nice-ish ones and more all on display. But they were cheap, man, they were cheap. And to be fair, the shop was laid out really well. Usually finding a specific card can be hellish, from what I browsed everything was in a reasonable order. Happy days. They had the usual obligatory gift items too, the forever friends toys and such, but these were the non-half-price items unfortunately. To make up for that though there was a decent selection of gift wrap retailing at 29p per sheet so all's not lost. I think overall I was underwhelmed. The choice, in spite of outlet status, was as predictable as any other Clintons. Some awful cards, some not so bad, but nothing I'd consider to be extra special. One big bonus? Uber cheap. Aw yeah.

This stationers is conveniently located in Hyde Park, the student centre so now if any student…read morerequires a pen or post-it note they don't have to make the effort of dragging themselves to town or even the University. It must be new as I hadn't spotted it before and the inside seemed a little sparse. It would fulfill most peoples basic stationary needs with staplers, pens, paper and even pushes the boat out by offering sketch pads and what I think WH Smiths terms 'fashion stationary'. But its probably cheaper than Smiths.

The quintessential place to buy an elderly relative a card that would receive appreciative sighs. A…read morelarge quantity of twee sentimentality has been injected into this shop and although the style does not comply with my own, The Card Room does provide a more intimate, local setting in which to purchase this style of card. Alongside the vast array of aforementioned cards, there is a random miscellany of gifts. Ranging from handmade jewellery to calendars, umbrellas to clocks, and photo frames to keepsakes, The Card Room has the bagatelle market covered. There is an entire baby section at the rear of the shop, and whilst I was there recently, a staff member was expertly guiding a gentleman around the selection of photo memory books for babies. The man in question did not take much encouragement to proudly announce that he had just become a Grandfather for the first time, regaling his assistant with her name and weight. It was a touching moment to overhear! If you were wondering, the baby was called Amber. The Card Room is a perfectly adequate shop in which to purchase a fairly conservative range of cards and knickknacks. Although I doubt I would make the detour from the city centre to visit the shop, for certain recipients, I would consider the trek.

The Card Room is a pretty standard gift shop selling a huge range of reasonably expensive cards,…read moreand loads of gifts. Gifts include rather cute sort toys to mugs, drinking glasses, picture frames, decorations, hand bags, umbrellas, clocks and placemats. The shop is quite large with products well-displayed and the staff are friendly and helpful. Like most gift shops, the majority of items are quite expensive, but if you like gifty paraphernalia you're likely to find something to fork out for.

This cute little shop is primarily card shop. Situated on the main high street of Chapel Allerton…read moreit certainly stands out from the plethora of other gift-style shops that surround it. In the window there is usually a selection of fine art paintings. On entering there are a a number of card stands with beautiful individual cards on sale, from hand made to equisite prints and more. There are a few gift items too, including some hand made jewellery, which must be made in store as when I was browsing I managed to sneak a peak at the workshop area since the curtain was open! As a fellow crafter I can certainly vouch for the quality of the materials and the items - very nice! All in all this shop is one of the nicer places for cards and gifts in Chapel Allerton. If you're in the vicinity go and take a browse!

There are a few of these independent gift/card shops in Chapel Allerton that always have more…read moreoriginal things on offer than chains like Clintons you will find in town. This one has a real personal feel - when I asked what time they were open on the weekend the lady behind the till light heartedly said they didn't believe in opening on a Sunday and mentioned there was another 'Angel' shop up the road, with Radio 2 playing unobtrusively in the background Whilst the other sells wrapping paper, this one sells mostly cards but also jewelry that looked unique and hand made. Some of it that I really liked looked well made and of good quality whilst other pieces were not so interesting. There were a couple of very large teddy bears, possibly the largest I have ever seen! I'm not sure if they are hugely tasteful but someone must buy them. Perhaps for people with children? More unusually, this gift shop sells paintings - not just bog standard wall-covering ones but some that I could really imagine having in my home for aesthetic pleasure! I also noticed some ceramic figures, which aren't really my thing but these were lovely, very sensitively made.

This is a large card shop for the market, and I imagine it may tend to out-card the comparatively…read morepetite Wilde About Cards nearby. The outer walls of the shop are covered in cards and giant gift bags and the bright yellow pink and blue signage is cheerful and welcoming. There are many more cards to be found inside. They do sell a few little gifts and a range of wrapping paper but mainly cards, cards, cards! The cards are generally of high quality but mostly quite average in style. However, the huge amount means you are likely to find something you like...I found a cute decoupage flower fairy card that I know would appeal to a few of my friends when their birthdays come around!

The best thing about this place is the owner, Chloe. Sure the things she sells are amazing...where…read moreelse can you buy earrings with crayons on them or a hot dog necklace? But you can also while away the day talking to Chloe, who is interested in EVERYTHING. She handmakes all her items, and is happy to explain the process, she would always try her best to find something if you requested it, children love her, and you'll come away clutching your purchases thinking of martians and bubblegum. Everyone needs to go see Chloe, buy her things and enjoy a little slice of happy heaven in Leeds.

Chloe McGenn is my favourite Artist EVER. Based (amongst other outlets in Leeds) Chloe McGenn's…read moregorgeous merchandise can be found on the ground floor of Birds Yard. Chloe makes creatures out of old socks (clean ones!!) that are available for adoption. She adores buttons, cakes, monster type creatures and anything unusual. Chloe makes the most amazing Greeting Cards from Vintage Bits and Bobs. Quirky, Trendy, Unusual and Rare Jewellery pieces. Gosh the list is endless. Please do drop by to see Chloe's gorgeous treats at Birds Yard. Great for all types of occasions, wedding fun, Christmas, Birthdays, Party Bags, Sentimental/Thoughtful Gifts. Fads, Collectables, Stationery and more. Prices start from just £1.00. You may even find Chloe behind the counter tidying up the clutter. She is FAB