One of the lucky few places that stocks Hello Kitty and all of the above. If you're into your…read moremanga, your anime and your sanrio products, this shop is one of the few that I would consider to be your personal mecca. It's not the biggest store I've seen, but it's one of the only ones that exist (surprise surprise it's in Sunnybank!) and although small in size, is pack stacked and filled to the brim with all the things I find cute. Cuteness galore and I don't mean puppies. To the passer by, you may think, oh it's another weird ass trinket store with asian things in it and funny looking cats. But to really appreciate what is the 'Hello Kitty' phenomenon you need to google it or educate yourself first. Don't go in store and learn about it, it wouldn't work. If manga, anime and sanrio mean anything to you, you will walk in and fully appreciate the clutter, appreciate the hello kitty in the dinosaur suit. Appreciate the hello kitty earrings, and all the accessories related to the cat. She deserves respect. Get a tissue box cover with some kero kero keroppi or some little pichu dolls. It's crazy, and it makes sense. I love this place.

I wonder if the Sanrio crew are still as treasured in Japan (and elsewhere) as they once were. I'm…read morenot sure if Hello Kitty and her friends are quite as popular with the Australian youth of today, but when I was a teenager they underwent a huge surge in popularity, with every girl desperate for her own cute little pencil case starring these characters, or stationary to write useless notes to their friends. As far as I know, this is one of the few places in Brisbane left as a shrine to these adorable cartoon characters. It's a pretty big shop too, with any object you can imagine available with a Hello Kitty's of My Melody's mug stamped on it. Some of the items looked a little cheap to me, but maybe I've just outgrown it and can finally understand why the stuff is not universally popular.

Is this the last Morning Glory left in Brisbane? Oh dear, I…read morestill remember when I visited my first Morning Glory about fifteen years ago at Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast. Here at last was a place where I could get all my Asian pop culture paraphernalia - it was finally becoming main stream. Fifteen years later, this Morning Glory could be the final resting place for Hello Kitty, Keropi and many other celebrity plushies that have risen to stardom and died in ignominy. I like to think that there's still a viable market in Brisbane for Morning Glory. Surely, there are more little girls in want of a Hello Kitty apron. How about a giant Totoro plushie for your dashboard or a matching Blue Bear/ Pink Bear set to consolidate your relationship? While it's glory days are probably gone forever, I wager there's life in this shop yet. So get shopping! Hello Kitty says so.

When I was about fourteen, Hello Kitty and those other sickeningly cute Japanese animal characters…read morewere all the rage. Morning Glory was known as heaven for every girl in love with the characters and the insane amounts of stationary their button-nosed faces were plastered on. It's been a long time since I've seen a Morning Glory, I thought they'd faded into extinction, but here is proof at least one has survived. It's former, forgive me, glory has lessened somewhat and the store looks a little more tacky, a little less wonderland than it once did, but there's still a lot here. It's the perfect place to get a gift for any young girl, or to stick them for free babysitting while you do the groceries (I kid, of course).

Being a fan of art and illustration, I find framing stores really appealing. Usually they are too…read moreexpensive to warrant the money for the 5 minute scribble I come up with as an illustration but I like them anyway. The Framing Corner has a great range of frames. The sample board across the back of the store showcases a range of materials, cuts and colours for frames so you can mix and match with what you need. I also like the prints they have on display of different posters and artwork. It is a nice place to browse and to keep in mind for your next potential masterpiece.

Now I haven't exactly frequented many framing shops, but maybe that's just because most of them…read moredon't place themselves as strategically as this place - in a busy shopping centre with an open store for everyone walking past to be able to get a good look inside and see exactly what they do. While I may not be an expert, these guys sure are. Every inch of the shop is covered with framed pictures showcasing the work they do, while half of one wall has a closely packed display of all the different types of frames on offer here. When I visited there were two people working, which might seem like an extravagance for this type of shop, but I guess that indicates just how busy they are.

I thought this was the bee's knees when it opened at Garden City about ten years ago. Their range…read moreof pretty paper, beads, colours and paints appealed to my imagination and I pictured crafty homemade activities every weekend. Unfortunately, over the years Riot Art and Craft has gotten more expensive and exclusive. Awhile ago, my sister was stuck in hospital for a month and made it my responsibility to buy craft supplies to keep my nephew quietly amused indoors. I gulped when the shop assistant added up my purchase of crayons, a sheet of stickers, two stamps, a glue stick and a mixed bag of craft paper. My $40 budget was blown. I paid for the stamps (they were very cute unicorn and dragon stamps) but returned everything else. I ended up buying all my craft supplies from Stacks (a cheap, $2 thrift shop at Garden City) for under half the price. Although Riot is no longer bargain hunting ground, they still have some great craft activity packs as presents for young people. Look out for the specials at the front of the shop. This week they had pony decorating kits and building a wooden boat kits for $10.

I'm surprised how many stores like this I've come across recently. Until a couple of months ago I'd…read morenever heard of the concept and it seemed like such a genius idea when I encountered the first one. For those who don't know, the idea behind cube shops is that individual artists, craftsmen or anyone at all really, can rent a cube in which to display their products. This results in a shop full of such a huge variety of styles and goods that it proves to be a very interesting shopping experience. This store is a little less exciting than others I've come across. The setup is not very inviting; it's located in a pretty dingy little alley and it's quite dark so it seems to barely draw any customers. The products at the time of my visit were a lot less handcrafted by local artists, a lot more imported electrical products. It's still a great concept and if you've never seen one before it's worth a look, but it's not a place I will be recommending with gusto.

Im not entirely sure that i would have ever gone to spotlight on my own accord because as far as i…read morewas concerned it was a shop that sold cloth and sewing gear and that is something i have no interest in. I was however dragged their to buy bedding and pillows and was actually surprised at the size of the place. If you are looking for bedding towels and like me are impartial to designs and thread count then you cant go wrong with Spotlight. As well as all this they do have a party section which is something I am definitely taking advantage of for those fun but some times annoying dress up parties. All you need is a bit of creativity and with the huge amount of party supplies that they have. Its also fairly inexpensive and will be allot cheaper than buying or hiring a costume. I would just advise that when you go with your spouse you know what you are looking for because through personal experience you can end up staying there allot longer and buying allot of things you don't really need for the house.

Day time designers, night time crafters, do-it-yourself renovators and home decorators. If you're…read moreafter inspiration and ideas, give yourself about an hour to browse through Spotlight. While I love home decorations, I admit I'm a terrible DIY renovator. I hate sandpapering surfaces, painting walls, sewing curtains, in short anything that may cause perspiration. What I do like to do is buy cushions, candles and any sort of furnishings that may transform the room without any effort on my part. This is where Spotlight comes in. They have the A-Z of home decorations from already made curtains to cute toothbrush holders. For crafters, the Mt Gravatt Spotlight has a huge selection of supplies for quilting, embroidery, jewellery making, knitting and scrapbooking. It's bigger than Lincraft and Riots Art Supplies put together. Unfortunately, this has been at the expense of their sewing section which has been dramatically downsized in the past few years. They still stock a decent range of fabrics but only the most popular silks and satins are making the cut. If you can't nip down to Spotlight without the kids and hubby, never fear. There is an awesome helium balloon counter at the back of Spotlight. Just pick their favourite balloon design, the lovely staff on duty will fill it up with helium and you can shop in peace while your kids are entertained by shiny, nylon sharks, tigers and seahorses. The bonus is that these bobbing creatures act as beacons so that you don't have to worry about losing your kid in the maze which is Spotlight.

It doesn't matter how cheap or stylish things are, sometimes you just want to make it yourself. A…read morephotoframe with a ribbon glued on to it, or a crocheted rug make much more personalised gifts than something bought. Also, kids of all ages seem genetically drawn to glitter, poster paint and the glorious mess that only an intensive crafting session can create. Unfortunately proper art supplies are damned expensive, and no matter how much you love your little tyke you probably shouldn't be letting them loose with your $40 guache. This is where Riot Art and Craft comes in. Sure, not everything is of the best quality, but let's face it you're probably no artist so does it really matter? There's a massive range, it's all well priced, and you'll walk out with the materials to occupy every rainy afternoon from now till next Christmas.

Whoever created Reverse Garbage is a genius and should be given a medal for helping to solve the…read moreworld's waste problems. Don't get me started on my overconsumption rant! Reverse Garbage is a not-for-profit that accepts donations of industrial scraps or pays a small fee for them, organises them in a way that is consumer-friendly and sells them, saving "rubbish" from going into landfill. As a sewer, I love their fabric scraps. Most of it's off-cuts of pretty odd shapes but there are some small rolls of fabric too. Selling truly random things like bottle caps, brochures, long tubes of mesh-like fabric--things that would otherwise be considered junk--this is a great place for creative souls, kindergarten teachers in search of craft material and anyone who wants to look first for second-hand materials before buying something new and contributing to the cycle of consumption! Uh-oh, I feel that rant coming on again...

Full of bits of wood, mannequins, plastic, rope, fabric and thousands of other bits and bobs that…read morewere going to be thrown out by various industrial places. In this way, they are stopping waste and allowing things to have a second chance at life. They are always getting new things in and the best way to hear about their latest bargain is to keep an eye on their facebook page. They are a not-for-profit organisation that goes to schools to do workshops and have a small shop that sells upcycled handmade goodies from local craftspeople. If you love craft and DIY (or you're renovating your house), this is the place for you. Everything is priced reasonably. I have used some of their things for my own crafting projects. Perhaps the only problem is their location; they can be a bit hard to get to. I catch the bus and jump off at the P.A. Hospital. From there it's about a 15 minute walk.

I have been emailing Selective Fine Fabrics to track down a certain style of lace for my wedding…read moredress. I sent them a photo of the dress I am trying to recreate, and they emailed me photos of similar exquisite laces that they had in store. One was just perfect, so I paid for a sample to be posted to me. I loved the sample, so I went ahead and ordered the full amount. Communication was swift and easy and the lace was posted quickly. If you're in Brisbane or even in another city and looking for a spectacular fabric I highly recommend trying Selective Fine Fabrics.

Staff is very helpful, the quality of fabrics is high. This is not the place to come looking for…read morecheap fabric this is where you'd come to find fabric for a wedding dress and Chantilly lace to match. The range is beautiful and shopping here is addictive.

Kath Chownston, one of three brains behind Handmade High Street, said that she wanted to provide a…read morespace for artists and craftspeople to easily sell their wares. Markets are often exhausting, subject to the elements, and aren't a very reliable way to get the money coming in if you're selling your goods in this fashion. The internet is a great way to get your stuff out there, but still, she went one further and opened a store- for the good of everyone! For her, for the people who rent space in her store, for the person who happens to pop in for a look and take away something local and unique. For the interested artist or craftsperson- the way the rent system works at Handmade High Street works is that there are small 'cubes' (shelving space) that are $20 per month. If you do larger scale work, clothing for example, and you have a rack that you'd like to have in store, it might cost you around $200 per month. The rental price is subject to how big and how much of the work there is, and whereabouts you want it placed in the store. There's some great stuff there too. The beads by Patti Pennisi made me want for the ocean, the glass work of Cairo Made That was gorgeous, and I couldn't help but want to take home some scented soy wax melts by Lisa Macnab. There's not the tired repeat of like works in there either; there's great diversity. Go in and support a new local business that supports it's locals. Handmade High Street. Remember that name.

Handmade High St is a store with a mighty good message…read morebehind it. One of the owners was so exasperated with the retail scene and the numerous corporations gulping down the majority market share, they created a space to support that struggling artist or crafter. And Handmade high st was born. Unlike other stores that charge extortionate commission rates, Handmade high st keep the rent low which enables the artist to make a good return on their pieces. Having opened in december the business is just starting out so may appear a bit barebones at times, But it is well worth a dig around. All tastes are catered to with this store selling wares that range from delicious teas, bows and teeshirts to pretty dresses, stuffed toys, baby clothes and delightful jewellery. Support local and check out Handmade High St.