A little bit of everything but not enough of anything - quite proud of that succint review but er,…read morewhat? more specific? oh, right well err... There are some cards but well only a small selection that will cover the broadest spectrum of events and celebrations but on the other hand many are made by local designers and artists so you wont feel like you're just handing over conveyor belt message. Some art supplies but well yes only the basic oil and acrylic paints but then you're not getting a Rennie's city centre style supplier here this is a local neighbourhood art supplier-cum-stationary shop that will, I'm sure order anything vital at your convenience whilst providing the basics on your doorstep. Gallery? Well there are a few pictures but, well yes this part is a bit pony...I think the owner just wanted somewhere to exhibit her stuff.

This place is great a real little art haven for the more creative student types situated right in…read morethe heart of student central Smithdown. They have a bit of everything here, arts and crafts paints ect and even a small selection of cards. This is a great place for people of any age, if you are a serious artists then they should have most of the specialist equipment you need and for children there is plenty available also. The staff are helpful and happily spend time with you catering to your needs and supplying you with all that you need to either get started in the art world or continue a passion you may have held for years. This place really put a smile on my face as it is in the middle of pubs' bars fast food restaurants and really stuck out as a good quality alternative shop which indulges the passions of the people.

What a delightful establishment this is! I might even go as far as to say delectable!…read more Nook & Cranny stocks a veritable cornucopia of gorgeous gifts, stationery and homewares, all utterly charming. The first thing that caught my eye (and drew me in from my journey up Bold Street) were the beautiful Cable & Cotton fairy lights displayed in the window - these stunning textured, multi coloured, orb fairy lights are just magical and certainly set the scene for the rest of the shop. There is so much to gaze or chuckle at and drool over in Nook & Cranny that I just wouldn't know where to start telling you all about it but other highlights include the bear paw oven mitts, the 'My Cuppa Tea' colour matching guide mug and the Knit Your Own Zoo kit. I was in seventh heaven. Imagine my delight when I discovered that the back of the shop (which used to be storage space) has now been turned into a cosy little cafe called Quills & Coffee. Sadly I couldn't stay to sample any of the beautiful looking cakes but I vowed there and then to visit again as soon as possible. Yet more delight...Nook & Cranny and Quills & Coffee put on occasional film screenings at the back of the store!! The next one is American Beauty on Saturday 28th March at 7pm - tickets are £10 and include free drinks and pizza and available from www.nookandcrannyshop.co.uk. Magic

This is a fantastic independent biz that I ventured into when in Liverpool a couple of weeks back…read more We actually held an event in the back part of the business and I didn't realise it existed until Liverpool CA Gemma A introduced me to it - but the space is really cavernous and it was great to temporarily see Quills coffee set up in the back. Very very cool cards and gifts throughout, I was especially impressed with the awesome range of band music posters in the back - everything from Queens of the stone age to classic hiphop ones - really worth a look if you're nearby and fancy some colourful artwork to brighten up your walls. Very friendly staff, they hopefully will do well in this prime location in Liverpool.

This particular Wizzard Cards & Gifts shop in St. Helen's sells a terrific variety of bits and…read morepieces which are ideal for small presents and special celebratory occasions. In addition to offering a selection of ornaments, scary and cute looking toys as well as holographic artwork, they also have a small fancy dress section towards the rear of the shop and sell a range of cheeky adult toys. So, if you pop into Wizzard, you might be in for more than what you bargained for after a wonderous browse! Expect a contrasting variety of cards and gifts from the innocent and cute to the downwright naughty and scary! Overall, the shop has friendly staff as they kindly helped me look for the card I was searching for and at affordable prices, you can't really go wrong.

This has to be the ultimate gift shop! If you need a present…read morefor someone, special or otherwise, you are most likely to find something here. they have gifts from mugs to t-shirts to jewellery.the list seems to be endless, but probably isn't. They even have the cards, tags and wrapping paper to finish off your present.

This little shop, otherwise known locally as 13, is situated at the start of Lark Lane. It is an…read moreamazing little shop, with a definite tardis effect apparent as soon as you walk in. The shop is filled with cards, postcards, jewellery, wrapping paper, stationary, lighting, novelties, books, artwork, watches, bags, clothes, toys, ceramics, cosmetics and much much more. The shop is cluttered with hundreds of different items but at the same time it is tidy, clean and well organised. Whenever I have to buy a present or a card this is my first stop. There are gifts suitable for people of all ages and appropriate for all occasions. There is a huge range of cards available for all occasions. From the cute handmade cards to give to your mum, to the hilariously offence cards to give to friends, there is something here for everyone. My favourite part of the shop is the jewellery cabinets by the windows. The stock in here is changed and updated regularly and there is always something in the cabinets that catches my eye when I feel like treating myself to something sparkly.

A fantastic little shop that seems crammed from floor to ceiling with all things kitsch and…read moredesirable. From jokey Jesus statues to gorgeous mirror compacts, beautifully delicate jewellery and quirky cookie jars, this shop has it all. Similar to Utility in town, this has a more homey feel about it, and the staff are very nice. The only problem I found is that because it is so small I was scared to turn around in case I knocked something over and had to pay for it. Prices range from inexpensive to a raised eyebrow, as, for example, the compact mirror I was gushing overturned out to be £8. For a bit of plastic? I gasped. Yes, we all know I'm a miser. However, there are some truly hilarious bits and bobs in here, and it is hard not to buy anything. I especially loved the Carry on Camping plates that were on display in the window - imagine serving dinner on them and seeing Babs pertly staring at you...

What a gorgeous little place! I popped in here to buy a birthday card and could have stayed for…read moreHOURS and bought EVERYTHING!!! The downstairs of this fabulous establishment is full of the most adorable trinkets, gifts, jewellery, stationery, homewares and toiletries - almost too much to take in and very dangerous if one is feeling in a spending mood. I actually ended up buying *myself* a gift instead of the person I was buying the card for! Upstairs there is an interesting collection of vintage furniture and bric-a-brac but it is the cornucopia of delectable gifts and bibelots downstairs that has captured my heart. The gorgeous broaches, scarves and handbags, knitted baby clothing, mugs, keyrings, dinner mats and coasters (I bought myself a rather fabulous 'Liverpool's Most Iconic Sights' coaster set - photo below!), fridge magnets and ornaments. I was extremely tempted by the 'retro bunny with a baby's face' lamp but managed to restrain myself. The best thing about Larks is that you don't actually NEED stuff from there...you just WANT it. Because having a cubic zirconia broach shaped like the Eiffel Tower makes you feel happy doesn't it? And that's near enough to needing for me.

Definitely not a shop which was set up to appeal to boys, with a cute selection of all things…read moregirlie, this is a little dolls house style affair with lots of little knick-knacks on sale, from kitsch household items, to some really dainty, bright jewellery and a lot of Alice in Wonderland-esque tea party set porcelain cups and saucers. It's very pink in here and slightly overwhelming but you can't help but have a bit of a root around the little dressing-tables which are crammed with goodies. The kind of stuff you wouldn't buy for yourself but might appreciate as a gift, even if it is slightly tacky. They also have vintage stuff available upstairs and fun cards, it's slightly overpriced for what it is really but worth a look if you have a bit of time on your hands.

This branch of Clintons Cards has a fancy dress and party shop amalgamated into it which can only…read morebe a good thing as the actual selection of cards here is pretty awful. With row upon row of 'funny' cards filled with nob gag after nob gag there is almost nothing to please your friends or the joker in your family. The traditional cards are so sentimental they border on plain maudlin (I was going to get my Grandma a card from here but I couldn't seem to find one for a grandmother that didn't seem to imply they were about to leave this world for good). The best bet are the plain awful 'value range' with animals stuck with googly eyes, wearing stupid hats at least these are actually a bit so-bad-they're-good funny. The party shop, Pure Party, is full of all the sort of absolutely useless stuff that you had no idea you needed to throw a party until you came here and found it. It's expensive (as you might expect for party supplies which have the lowest value-for-money standing of almost anything you could want to buy) but the staff are cheerful and helpful and the inflatable palm trees did turn a standard BBQ into...well, a BBQ with some inflatable palm trees.

Clinton's Cards in Liverpool One is a place that leaves you with a smile on your face as it is a…read morecelebration of special occasions. I often find these kinds of places to be tacky and annoying as they push needless tat in your face and although there is evidence of that here this place seems to handle itself with a touch more class than some establishments. The prices here are still too high and it is a little annoying to see that establishments can play on special occasions in order to make people part with extortionate amounts of their hard earned money. On the whole this is a well run store which does a better job than many I have seen and this is in no small part due to their plush surroundings in the wonderful Liverpool One.

If you're looking for somewhere to buy an unusual and beautiful gift for someone then Made-Here is…read morewhere you should head. Offering a huge array of delightful and quirky hand made items from greetings cards to jewellery to toiletries to art, this shop has the added bonus of only stocking goods that are made by local practitioners. Everything in this shop is literally made here in Merseyside. This means that when you browse around this very cool place (and invariably buy something - I challenge you to walk out of there without even a pencil or a keyring) you have the pleasure of looking at truly unique creations that you won't find anywhere on the high street plus an additional slight feeling of smugness knowing that you're supporting local, independent business. One of my favourite things about Made-here is the stunning hand made jewellery and the extremely affordable but often original and limited edition art works. Buy a piece of art from Made-here, pop it on your wall and you'll automatically feel like a art collector. Well, it worked for me. So if you're a fan of the unusual, the individual, the quirky, the cool and the beautiful then get yourself to the Met Quarter and have a look round - you won't be disappointed.