This is one of my favourite independent craft shops, I like it because its like an Alladins Cave…read moreinside with lots of interesting items to browse through. Everytime I visit I always find something I didnt know I needed! The shop itself is clean and bright and the stock is new and continually stocked up. The staff are helpful and you get the impression they are passionate about their trade and know what they are talking about which is an added bonus! Ive bought things from them in the past and they have always asked me if I knew how to use it. This is the kind of service you dont get in the larger stores. Its the kind of shop I look forward to visiting and am happy to part with my money in!

This is a brill crafts shop, they have almost everything you could want, if they have'nt they will…read moretell you and try to find you an alternative or order what you need. The staff are very knowledgeable and keen to help, dont be frightend of asking there advise, they always want to help. Lots of starter kits especially at this time of year and there not bad prices, great for stocken fillers.

I popped into Stockport Art Gallery on Sunday, having always thought I'd like to pop in and check…read moreit out - it's such a grand imposing building that I thought it must be worth visiting. First off it's cool but seriously feels like it could do with a bit more funding, it looks quite tired inside and is staffed by volunteers. I don't want to make too many comparisons with Manchester art gallery but it does seem like it hasn't had much attention for a while. There's currently a couple of good looking exhibits on at the moment, 'the abandoned world' on all sorts of venues that have been left to rot and one abstract one upstairs from Barry White (the painter, not the walrus of love!) I'd definitely come here again to check it out but it could do with a bit of attention and some love to bring it up to the standard of some of the galleries I've visited around the world.

It's a very small shop but they have lovely little gifts and it's all fair trade…read more Just what you need to both assuage your guilt and your sugar craving mid-afternoon: you can satisfy your coco habit with fair trade mostly 'divine chocolate'. It's a great place for little nik-naks too, inexpensive stocking fillers, tiny treats and other cute bits and bobs. Love the place. Need to go more often really!

A very useful shop to know about!…read more Justicia is a fairtrade shop, meaning they only sell fairtrade produce -- stuff which guarantees a better deal for producers in less developed countries. They boast the widest selection of fairly traded goods in Bolton, which is quite an achievement as there are no small number of places in Bolton that have committed themselves to fairtrade principles. Although specialising in craft, they also sell other fairtrade goods such as some food and stationery. The prices they charge are quite reasonable (I understand they are a non-profit organisation) and the staff are amongst the friendliest I have ever come across. There are some Council car parks near by, but you will have to pay to park there. All in all, however, this shop is definitely worth a visit -- particularly in the run-up to Christmas if you're short of gift ideas.

A design studio, gallery and furniture studio based in Manchester's Northern Quarter, is exactly…read morewhat you'll expect in terms of style and products in this trendy, creative part of the city. Choose to provide your own canvas to be stretched onto board, or alternatively you can provide image files or negatives to be turned into works of art for a unique gift idea - either as a canvas or as part of a photo book. Next door to the studio where all the technical business goes on, there is a small showroom full of art, furniture and home accessories to really inspire you to get something that noone else will have!

I have a lot of mates in Chorlton and I always make a beeline for this shop when I visit. Ine of my…read morefavourite things in the world is shopping for second hand books and this shop has them in abundance. If your not a book lover, maybe you're more of a vintage fashionista or a budding photographer, you will find something that you love in this shop. Unlike most charity shops this one is staffed with people who are passionate about what they sell and who can hold a conversation about subjects more riveting than the weather.

World famous artist specialising in paintings which capture the beauty of the Pennine countryside…read more I'm not clever enough to give an artistic review other than to say his work to this layman is stunning, exciting, unique and full of meaning. For me, he reflects the spirit of the Pennine landscape. If you're in Holmfirth you must go see -- and if you want to make an investment his work always seems to appreciate in value very healthily.

Ahsley as some people may remember was on the TV on a programme called 'A brush with Ashley' where…read morehe taught celebraties to paint. He teaches aboard the QE2 as well. The studio has some beautiful yorkshire hill scenes, quite moody and dark, also some lighter pieces. The prices are out of my league but there are prints available. He is often around to chat to and is still the same Barnsley man he always was.

Upper Space art gallery is quite new to Manchester and is in Sunshine Studios, a smaller version of…read moreAfflecks palace and much better. The gallery is small but well laid out and concentrates on street/subversive/underground art. They have prints, canvasses and small sculptures on show and the art is of an excellent quality and from emerging Manc artists. It is great to have a gallery dedicated to street art and not just Banksy rip-offs, and the fact that the artists are Manchester based is fantastic. The prices of art are affordable too. It is a great place to dicover new art and buy art that is truly unkown. Recommended.

Ryman in the Manchester Arndale is A-OK, specialising in stationary, they have a great deal of…read moreofficey items (pens, lever arch files, printers, USB sticks), some of their prices are a little higher than average but this is eased slightly by their Student discount. The selection is pretty good, the selection of printers is smaller but with Currys PC World, nearby, no longer stocking them in-store, it is one of the few bricks and mortar stores nearby with physical stock. I find some of the staff to be a little rude, and sometimes I just wish I'd have ordered on Amazon at a cheaper price, that being said the store is easier on the eye than other stationery stores which I find to be often a little messy, and the selection is good, so if you do need stationery in a hurry, this store isn't too bad and the location is convenient being on the upper floor of the Manchester Arndale, next to the old Specsavers unit, which was taken over by Foot Locker. 3*

Isn't it funny how so many people claim to love stationery but hardly anyone can spell it? Even…read moreotherwise flawless spellers seem to confuse stationery and stationary. I was always taught the spelling by the rule, 'e' is for envelope. Alongside envelopes expect to find diaries, calendars, folders, paper, printer cartridges, pens, highlighters, Tippex, Post It notes, blank CDs and pretty much every other item of stationery you'd need in the office or at university. They don't sell larger objects such as office furniture and printers, as it is really only a tiny little shop.