Opening soon is a new art space in Bedminster/Southville in the space which used to be a…read morehairdressers. Basically if you are arty you can rent desk space with free wi-fi and it has room for exhibitions as well. At the moment the idea is very fluid and may also include night events, parties and hair cutting! Keep an eye on it and see how it evolves. At the moment there is some super spooky sculpture in the window which I adore. Can't wait to find out more. My first proper visit will be a market shop on the first saturday of the month - starting in December 2009. I will report back!

Here we have a shop that sells, well, cards. Cards and party supplies that is…read more It's not quite Clintons in terms of quality or range but then also in terms of price, which is nice. It's much more of an independent store here but essentially the same sort of deal. If you're after a card for any occasion then you'll probably nip in here. If you're not after a card I doubt you'll be going to the Card Factory. They also have a range in small presents and accessories which are again not big in quality or price the same.

i have always found this store to be rather magical. You get to choose and personalise your very…read moreown bear, give it a heart, certificate and can even specify how much stuffing you want in it!! If you are going to buy someone a cuddly toy this christmas this is a greay way of making it that little bit more personal and special to the individual! You can also buy little outfits including shoes for your ted!! The staff are friendly and very helpful when it comes to building your bear. slightly more expensive than a plain old ted but its worth the little extra.

This is a good sized store with a wide range of products…read more They sell a good selection of DVD's and CD's, and quite have good offers on cheap DVD's. There is a brilliant selection of books, although unless on offer these can quite often be found cheaper else where. There is some gorgeous stationary ranges for both adults and children, loads of cards, giftwrap, magazines, sweets, printer consumables etc. Pretty much anything you might need stationary wise could probably be found in here with friendly and helpful staff if you need them.

This Wh Smiths is on the ground floor of the Mall. It is a…read moreone of their large stores and all on one level At the weekend it can get vey busy though and there are long queues at the check out. Its stocks a wide range of Dvds, Magazine, Games and many of the promotional Hardback best sellars at very good discountsIt does not have a huge stock of just easy read paperbacks unless they are on the recent published list. I find Waterstone has a lot better stock.

Toyzone in my opinion is not the best toy shop. The outlet village is exactly that, an outlet for…read morelast seasons stock. As a result what you get in toyzone is pretty hit or miss. You can get some really great brand toys at a good price but most of the time the kind of toys you find in there are not the latest thing and vary in quality. The shop itself is a decent size but it always feel really overcrowded, like they're trying to cram as many toys as possible in there and aren't taking into account how difficult mothers with prams or wheelchair users may find getting round the shop.

I don't know what it is about art shops that make me want to spend all my money, sack off my job,…read moregrow a goatee and start painting again! Do one rent, sod you bills, who needs money! And this shop is no exception. I went in today for some more practical bits & pieces and didn't think I would find anything useful at a reasonable price (for some reason this shop has a reputation for being quite pricey) but I was very pleasantly surprised, not only did I find a great selection of the sketch books I was looking for, but the prices were very reasonable and I bought a pen. If it is possible the man who served me was too helpful. I mean as I walked in the front door the sales assistant was stood right in front of it and asked if he could help, which is fine, I said I was just looking, then he asked again and sometimes, especially in lovely little art shops, you just want to potter around looking at all the bits & bobs. Nevertheless he was very friendly and being helpful isn't a crime.

Bristol Fine Art is a one of those really good shops that i probably have walked past a hundred…read moretimes without realising it was there. I first noticed it when we were in the 2 hour queue for the Banksy Exhibition . We were feeling creative and wanted to try out our graffiti skills so went in search of somewhere that sold Spray Paint. Weirdly Bristol Fine Art didn't sell any which was disappointing, nonetheless we had a snoop around and they sold some really great arty stuff. Prices were pretty reasonable and I have since noticed that they have started to stock spray paint. A great shop to pop into for any arty things, but also for some great gifts as they sell crafts too.

Unfortunatley Poppers seems to take over the party market on Gloucester road, but if your looking…read morefor a card or little gift... or bit of tat... then it's probably worth popping in here. The title of the shop suggests a more regal and elitist brand of card shop (if that as a type does exist!?!) but inside it's just your usual shop. An impressivly wide selection of cards (and a good 'humour' section which is always a bonus) so you can find the right card for the right occation. Happy hunting!

This is possibly the worst named shop in Bristol. It strike up ideas of romantic literature or soft…read morecore porn! But really, it's nothing more than a greetings card emporium. Handily placed in the middle of Gloucester Road, opposite the Post Office, it's great for last minute buys. There's nothing particularly special about this shop. You won't find a side-splittingly funny card, or something so sentimental it'll move you to tears. But it's full of great standards, so you're bound to find something to suit your nearest and dearest.

There are much worse things one could be hooked on than crafts, but nonetheless it can be an…read moreaddiction and this shop is here to work with that addiction. Should you be unable to resist taking a pair of scissors to some material and fashioning a purse, for instance, or sticking some fake eyes to a pillow - I don't know - for all your crafts needs these guys can help. From basics like scissors and glues to advanced kits for dressmakers it' all down here for the taking. A wonderful little shop that takes me back to school.