Listed in the official store directory of New Street Station for quite some time now, Moleskine's…read morefirst fully fledged Birmingham store has quietly opened on the station's concourse. I'll start out by saying that I've been a fan of the brand and their simple notebooks since the early noughties, when they were still relatively unknown by the general public and surprisingly hard to find outside of very large cities. Now, Moleskine has grown significantly as a very successful company that places their product in virtually any store that sells paper products or travel accessories. Until this week, your best bet was to stop in a Paperchase or Waterstones to pick up a journal, but now their full line of products and accessories is conveniently located in a prime retail spot in New Street Station. The story starts out simple, where a small Milanese paper products company reads about old-world style notebooks that were produced and sold on the streets of Paris but becoming increasingly rare in the late twentieth century. Seeing a market for the literati, they start reproducing the high-quality notebooks in the 90's and spinning a questionable historical narrative connected to Picasso. By 2006 they were bought out by a private equity firm and turned into the corporate monolith you see today. What started out as a simple notebook and journal company has now exploded into dozens of product lines. At this official Moleskine store you can not only find the original style notebooks, but branded journals as well, including their limited edition line (Toy Story, Game of Thrones, etc), and many accessories not limited to pens, bags, and more. I enjoy using the Moleskine products for several reasons, foremost is the quality of the paper used. Not only is the paper sustainable in its sourcing, but all of their paper is acid free, meaning any random doodles or masterpieces you create will last a long time. The now iconic original style notebooks feature a hard cardboard cover wrapped in synthetic fabric. A black fabric band holds the cover in place, a sewn spine allows the notebook to lie flat, and an expandable rear pocket in the back is available for storage. These notebooks have even entered the digital age, with partnered Evernote notebooks available that provide an easy method to upload your notebook into the app. The cheapest notebooks on offer are great for quickly writing notes, although you'll pay a bit more for a more archival quality notebook. Currently in their first week there are special offers for certain spend amounts. If you've never given thought to taking your writing habits back to analog, I suggest giving Moleskine a try for a quality but affordable notebook, journal, or diary.

This small shop on the Grand Central concourse has a good little selection of Moleskine goodies. I…read morelike to stop by from time to time to browse the stationery in the rather satisfying neat rows. I like a Moleskine notebook as they are good quality. This store doesn't let me down as you can find the classic notebooks as well as pens, bags, accessories and some of the limited edition releases. There are display notebooks and pens so you can try things out and see how they feel. This includes the Smart Writing Set and the other digital-able books that Moleskine sell. All rather pricey but that is what I have come to expect from Moleskine. A few offers do pop up from time to time though so worth a glance here if you're after something anyway.

A great little stationers and whilst the stock in store isn't exhaustive, if there is something you…read moreare looking for then they can usually order it in the very next day for no extra cost. Brilliant service and competitive prices. They have a good range of pens, some office furniture and single paper stick to chose from. They have some essential craft stock from spray mount to inks, as well as staplers and bull dog clips. Delta Pi doesn't have a car park and on street parking can be difficult unless you leave one in the car with the engine running whilst the other hops out.

I love Delta Pi - the shop isn't massive, but they pack a wide range in - with a leaning towards…read moreart supplies rather than endless stacks of A4 notepads. The staff are knowledgeable and keen to help - I've been trying to source a particular type of ceramic blade, and whilst the man in the shop had never heard of it he took down all the details and is going to enquire with his suppliers to see if he can help. It's this kind of level of service that you would never EVER get in a big chain like WH Smiths!

I love small independent gift shops simply because they stock everything the chain gift shops…read moredon't. I mean unique gifts, wrapping paper, cards and party ware. I'm talking about Daisey Chain in Boldmere. It's a great find, I now get all my greetings cards and little thoughtful gifts from this shop. The staff care about what they're doing and are extremely polite and professional and for blokes, they're a God send when it comes to helping to choose a gift or the right type of paper, Apparently that's important? Prices are a fraction of the chain stores although some stuff I considered to be a little on the expensive side for what they are but then what do I know I'm only just learning about Hello Kitty Boutique! Daisey Chain is a little gem in Boldmere and is popular with people who care enough about their friends or loved ones to find something different in a gift.

The locality of Lisa's Crafts is perfect for me. Sometimes if I'm cutting it fine and accidently…read moreforget to buy someone a greetings card, it's easy just to run here and purchase one quickly. There's always a great card selection too, and I've never been stuck to find the right one. The store itself is very homely, rustic and warms the cockles of your heart. Especially the staff, who are very inviting and chatty. Lisa's is also great to purchase wrapping paper and other tools to make your presents look prettier. I also find that products sold here are much cheaper than most chain card shops. One thing I will say is that the size of the shop is not ideal. It's fine if there are only a couple of people browsing the shelves, but if a hoard of people suddenly turn up, you find yourself waiting quite sometime to get to the card section that you need.

Great shop for all things crafty. Its not very often that I go in here and cant find what I want…read more There is a great range of papers, pens, beads and stickers. It caters for stationary, jewellery making, card making needs

Fantastic smaller shop selling a good range of stationery and arts & crafts materials especially…read morecard making and scrapbooking supplies. Staff are helpful and knowledgeable and have access to an additional range of items from a catalogue if they don't have it in stock. They sell a good range of mounting board and single sheets of coloured paper and cardboard; great if you only need a small amount. A good place to go for great customer service.

This shop definitely had the wow factor for me. Back when I lived in Sheffield there was a gift…read moreshop my friend and I used to obsess over and for 3 years our family got all birthday and Christmas presents from this shop. Maddison immediately reminded me of this Sheffield gift shop and I was so happy to find a Brum counterpart! They have those good-enough-to-eat Yankee candles when you first walk in and as you go round there are just more and more wonderful gift ideas. I loved the cake stands and the cardboard versions that come as a flat pack. They have an extensive section of cards for all different occasions. The tea sets were so cute, especially the kids Hungry Caterpillar collection. Prices are a little steep however it's the perfect place to buy something special for a family member or a beautiful frame for your favourite photograph.

Maddison Avenue is a card and gift shop just next door to the rather forlorn looking Clock Tower…read more(more on that later) that has recently relocated - I rather suspect they haven't quite got the shop layout sorted because whilst it stocks a nice enough range of cards and bags (mostly Radley) I have mixed feelings about the place. The combination of fragile looking vases and densely packed aisles means that I am constantly on edge - convinced I will break items or get told off by staff for messing up their display of scented candles. This is definitely the place to go if you need a smelly candle or a nice box of chocolates - up until very recently they stocked Thornton's but I'm not sure they still do - as I've hinted the layout is a bit confusing so they may well have been hidden behind a set of Monet table mats. Staff are pleasant even if they do seem to be on constant guard against shop-lifters. One of the better places to get a decent birthday card in Harborne though.

A good range of stationery, more geared towards the home or very small business, including lots of…read morefunky fashionable school stationery. Occasionally they have mega-bargains, and they have started selling a lot of Rymans products, which is handy as we don't have one. The store is well laid-out and the staff are extremely helpful should you ever need help finding something (particularly printer cartridges). This is also the only place that sells stationery exclusively in the whole of the city centre - some places such as Woolworths have a limited range, but nothing as good as this.

I love staionery and being a student, the stationery box is always really good value for whatever…read moreyou need whether it's a highlighter, or some paper. The staff are always happy to help and there is always a discount for students and some offers as well. I really enjoy going in and having a look although sometimes I have to leave before I buy loads of things.