Small, independent craft shops are hard to find, so I'm always happy to promote one when I find…read moreone. For one thing, I think it's important for small businesses to keep pressing on despite the recession, because these are the shops that build our economy and make them better. And besides, you never know what you will find in a small shop like this. And Cat's Crafty Cabin inside Birkenhead Market is no exception. This little shop is a studio as well. The lady (Cat?) who runs it makes greeting cards on the spot and then offers them for sale. She also sells card making and scrap booking supplies such as stickers, stamps, and decoupage.

For a split second, when I saw the name of this shop online, I thought Michaels had come to…read moreEngland. (Michaels is a fabulous, huge craft store chain in the USA.) But no such luck. This little place simply happens to be called Michael's and happens to sell a few art related items. It's mostly stationary and cards, though, and it's more of a newsagents than anything else. Nothing special here, I'm sorry to say.

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.

If you love art, steer clear of Art @ Home…read more I haven't been to any of the company's other stores but can tell you their Bold Street branch is one of the most depressing shops I've visited. Following in the footsteps of companies like Ikea and John Lewis, they sell generic art prints that are produced on a massive scale. Whilst Ikea and John Lewis actually stock some pretty good photographic prints of New York and Tokyo, Art @ Home specialise in mainstream and unimaginative prints of sunflowers, roses, landscapes, portraits and abstract paintings. In short, Art @ Home sell framed and unframed prints for property developers, corporate offices and coffee chains!

One of the most thoughtful, and coincidentally cheapest, presents you can get somebody is a framed…read morepicture. To find a nice photograph of a happy moment or a poster and pair tickets from a concert you really enjoyed and stick it behind some glass in a black metal or wooden frame is both simple and effective. Art at Home is the ideal place to get hold of straightforward frames at reasonable prices. The staff are chatty, helpful and if you bring with you what you're trying to frame they will try their hardest to find a good frame to fit your needs. The art for sale in the shop itself is a little hit and miss, for every Gauguin print there are three or four 'pop art' silhouette canvases of Audrey Hepburn or John Lennon. They do carry an excellent selection of cards here though, blank on the inside with art and photographic prints on the front - perfect for any occasion - especially if you don't fancy giving your nan that card with the fart joke in that you've been keeping in your bottom drawer.

You're not likely to find a copy of The Protestor's Handbook or The Rough Guide to The Universe in…read moreThe Works. You might however, find something you like if you're into baking, cooking, biographies, art, film or crime. A discount shop specialising in books, stationary and art supplies, The Works sells a wide range of hardback and paperback books at bargain basement prices. Most of the stock looks brand new and they seem to get a lot from certain publishers. The fiction section isn't a patch on Oxfam or any of the bookstores in the area but they do get some decent art, true crime and crime noir, travel, gardening and food and drink books. Last week I spotted copies of The Polaroid Book and Green and Blacks Chocolate Recipes for £7.99 each (RRP £15.99).

The Works is the perfect place to find stationery, small gifts, hobby and children's books because…read moreit is a compact store serving two floors where you can easily seek what you're looking for. It is ideal for kids to browse as items are cheap too, so it's a great place to spend some of their pocket money. I always go here to buy my annual calendar (that's what I remember The Works most for). Other than that, I recall that I used to buy all my art equipment from here for my school art lessons, which was my favourite subject so I ended up buying nearly all their pencils, charcoal, chalk pastilles and paint brushes! Above all, a brilliant shop to spend your time.