This lovely little shop is yet another gem in the crown of Horsforth. The sign says "Card" the shop…read morewindow says "gifts" and the open door leads one to a "chocolatiers". It may or it may not be confusing, but does any of that matter, since the effect is that you simply must venture inside. And you won't regret having done so, either, oh no. The instant that I wandered in my eyes were drawn to the stacks of old school sweeties and goodies that were piled upon the sweet laden shelving to the left of the entrance. Blackberries and rasberries (the little chewy ones), jazzies, jelly buttons, pink and white mice, black jacks, cola pips, lemon bon bons, jelly babies - and more than I could possibly list. Heavenly. And if that wasn't enough, they sell belgian chocolates too, as the lovely assistant was pleased to inform me! The chocolates come in a number of pre-packed varieties, from specially selected packs and best seller trays. Alternatively you can pick your own - 100g for £3.95 (I think) which amounts to about 7. 9 for £4.95 and there were also 12 and 24 selections, though I've forgotten how much those came to! I went for 9, I couldn't not buy some, and they were delicious. My favourites were the white chocolate pistachio ones and the little noisette. Yum! As for the cards selection, they have them all nicely arranged so that it's easy to find what you want, and they've a really nice set to choose from. The gifts are varied and thoughtful too, ranging from some deliciously scented fragrance candles, bath sets, quirky lamps, a range of really cool wine and beer glasses (decorated in glass paints with various phrases and such) and my favourite, the quirky mugs with curious sayings such as "Camp Coffee! Daddy likes it full." This strange mug had a picture of a little girl carrying an overfull mug of coffee, presumably for her father. I did not understand the joke, but it was certainly amusing! With clearly passionate owners, a fantastically tempting range of stock, and helpful friendly assistants you can't go wrong for gifts in this lovely store. I highly recommend!

Again the name of this shop is slightly misleading because this shop is an absolute hotchpotch of…read morenovelty gifts. If you are lacking inspiration for a gift then this shop should help you out loads. Immaculately ordered and neat shelves house large T-Rex size egg lamps, decorated martini glasses, bath bomb gift boxes, varied and interesting jewellery, pots by Terramund for storing and containing various things and somewhere inside are some cards.

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.

With such beautiful and exquisite gift items it is difficult to see where else you would want to go…read morein Horsforth for that special present. It might be that you start at the bottom of the street and have to work your way to the top to discover Ideas, but you'll be glad you did once you've made it up here. They've a number of different items, all beautifully made and pristine, to satisfy most of your standard gift ideas. Unless you really want to personalise a gift or make it creative this shop is a fantastic place to go to find something as it has that little bit extra compared to your average card and gift store. Any old Clintons has a stuffed bear that your Mum will know in an instant where you purchased it from and didn't really make an effort. If you bought an item from Ideas, for a bit of a price granted, you will find something unique with the longevity to give a lasting impression. From jewellery, toys, frames (which you can personalise with a photograph, of course), ornaments, perfume bottles, clocks - you get the idea. Everything within is graceful, delicate and a delight to browse.

This place is my idea (no pun intended) of a proper gift store…read more Ideas Unlimited offers such a vast array of presents that it is almost impossible to walk out of here without finding something for someone - believe me when I say the range is huge: ornaments, souvenirs, stationery, jewellery, toys, photo frames - you name it, they've probably got it. It's the sort of place that takes the hassle out of getting a little 'thoughtful' present or two for someone, and the quality of the products is a lot higher than what you'll find in most gift shops - this place has an air of class about it. Unfortunately, this is reflected in the rather steep prices.

I travel through Otley on business on a regular basis, and often pop in to Mounseys for a magazine…read more- I've never seen such a wide range of magazines on offer! They also stock lots of greetings cards and other gifts, and the staff are both knowledgeable and friendly.

Mounsey's is a huge stationary and gift card store situated in the heart of Otely. To find it all…read moreyou need do is hop off the bus, go past Savers Fashion Nett and head up onto Market Street - should be easy to spot from there as it has a huge glass window and big signage with the name branded over! There are all sorts of cards in here, you will be truly spoiled for choice, as there are rows and rows of them! Obviously Mounsey's wouldn't survive on card sales alone and so there are a number of other related items for sale here. You can purchase a wide selection of books although there doesn't appear to be any order or theme to the titles stocked - which include British Wildlife and Stephen Fry in America for example. There are also plenty of magazines, Lottery and tons of puzzle books and calendars! As it has been established since 1859 I think it's only right that should you be in need of a birthday card, or indeed a crossword book, that your purchase be made in Mounsey's. After all, Clinton's are two a penny and will almost certainly cost you more.

This is a delightfully full gift shop in the heart of Otley, with all kinds of treats and…read moresurprises. The shop indeed has a large number of china gifts, including pig shaped piggy banks, crockery sets, figurines and more. They also had a number of pewter items, including pewter keyrings in all kinds of designs - cats, cars etc. I don't think you could find a more specialist gift shop with such thoughtful items. They have special VW gifts, including mini camper vans and VW mugs - the sad thing is I know people who like these things! They also have a really special range of gift cards, which isn't something most actual card shops can boast, including 'swinging greetings cards' and 'wheel' cards! The owners are clearly dedicated to finding the best gifts with the most personal touch. Stop by next time you are in Otley, if only to gaze upon their hoards of pretties.

A quaint gift shop in the Market Square of Otley there is an abnormal amount of china and…read morekitchenware, a rather country set with a cock and hen as the feature is proudly displayed in the window when I was browsing for Christmas cards, I found a very apt, large card for my Nanna completely with all the sentimentality that I could never muster by myself. There are gifts for children such as wooden toys, pencil cases and games and very gentile owners happy to help.

I have no idea what a Zebrit is. Nor does Google, and Google knows everything. So kudos must go to…read morethe owners of this store (which sells, amongst other things, toys, cards, arts and crafts materials, and fancy dress) for naming a store after an animal that doesn't exist. It exemplifies the shameless childishness and wackiness of this store as a whole. Come here with your children to buy them all manner of unique toys, or on your own to admit to the fact that you never really grew up. Indulge your most childish desires as you wander round with a stupid grin on your face, buying bouncy balls, silly string and water-bombs. Then feel like an idiot when you meet your friends and they ask you what's in the bag.

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.

Lidgett hill stationers is situated within a small row of shops just approaching the main shopping…read morearea of Pudsey. Being only a small town I am sure that many make use of this handy stationers. It's always nicer to go indie than big chain, and there is a Cartridge World about 10 minutes or so away, but I would choose Lidgett Hill every time. Why? The extra mile an indie store will always go to for their customers, there's always the personal touch! It's got all the usual things that you would hope for in a stationers, hoards of pens and such, papers of all varieties, folders and office supplies - no stone unturned they've pretty much covered everything. However, as you'll notice by their notices, they do offer more than the things you might expect as well! Given our recent bout of snow, which did seem relentless, they have compiled a special collection of 'snow day activities' for the children stuck at home during the impossible snow days! I realise that it's a bit of cheeky marketing, but it was pretty cute and innovative! Essentially, these kits were made up of colouring books, crayons, puzzles and so on. Still, better than the idiot box, right? All in all, it's a ok with me!

Having visited many craft shops, I have to say, I wasn't sure what to make of Lidget Hill…read moreStationers. I think I've mentioned before what a fan on stationary I am. This place was a bit of a mixed bag. There are 2 aisles to the shop, (the divider dedicated to dated greetings cards), On the left, there is everything you'd expect from a stationers: pens, pencils, pads of paper, folders and display folders, pencil cases selotape etc. On the right of the counter , tucked in the corner is acryllics, sketch pads and paintbrushes. I have to be honest, and say that I thought their arts materials were pretty overpriced. The quality of the paint was a mid-range brand, but I felt they were asking for much more than it is worth, and indeed is priced in competing city centre shops and also student unions. They do have an interesting supply of goods though. They sell many different childrens colouring books, party bags, stamps, stickers of all sorts, and card making kits, but I did get a niggling feeling that perhaps the local community was not making the most of its stationers, but instead, opting for cheaper well-known establishments.

This place sure knows how to grab your attention! I'll give them that for free. I was only having a…read moresmall wander around Pudsey, merely checking out the scene, and then I came across this place. Man, it forced it's way into my eyeline with all their spangly displays and balloons! I guess it was coming up to Valentine's day, so they've every excuse to make a fanfare, as they are in fact a greetings card shop. To be fair to them, they are packed with gift related items. Whether you wish to say it simply with a car, or a little more ostentatiously with balloons, shiny wrapping, teddies, key rings and trinkets, they have the power to help you out here! There is so much choice within that it's a great place to nip in if the office is having a busy birthday month and you don't want to be the only one without a card - there are loads of pleasant and inoffensive choices for just that. For the more special card I like to go further afield, or even take the time to make my own, but hey - I know you're busy. So you can try here instead!