You can pretty much guarantee that once I enter this place, I'm going to be in here for some time!…read more This haven is perfect for creative types and for those who want to get creative with everything housed under one roof. There is cake baking utensils and ingredients, decorations, rubber ink stamping, card making kits, jewellery making the list goes on! The staff in here are friendly and helpful and the prices are reasonable (depending on what you are looking for) with bargain bins located near the tills. The quality of the items are good and there is something for everyone including young children. No excuse to not get creative with these kind of shops around!

This is a lovely new shop located within Great Western Arcade. It was originally a Pop-up Shop…read morebased in the Mailbox, but due to their refurbishment - it could no longer remain in this location. It's probably the best thing that has happened to the little store, as it now has a permanent base in a very cool location. Everything on sale is handmade in Birmingham, which means it's full of lovely original pieces dripping with character. All of the items are priced sensibly, meaning you can grab a cute notebook for around £2, whilst the handmade children's clothes price around £22 - £25 (very reasonable when you see the quality). This is their first opening week, but they are already doing a great trade - so ensure you pop in regularly to see the swiftly changing stock (as one artist sells out and another one moves in).

We visited last week and found lovely staff and an unbelievable range of cards. We'll go again.read more

A great shop with great prices. Lots of lovely childrens book and colouring sets. Also some really…read morenice painting equipment. I would of given this a 5 but the access isn't very good for those with pushchairs or in a wheelchair.

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.

This is a really lovely space…read more Free in, and just off the town square. Unfortunately a lot of stafford has closed down over the past few years, but this has stayed. Every time I've popped in, the little local exhibitions have been great, and always stuff that's really beautiful and has taken time and talent to produce- not any ridiculous ponce that's no more than a BS concept (sorry, not my taste). In the back left corner, there's a little shop of handmade goods, pottery, ornaments, jewellery, textiles, all local and beautifully made, they also have some lovely cards about too. Whether you just want a look around before you head for a burger in the market vaults, or you need to buy something for someone arty or awkward, this may well be the place for you!

Its always worth having a quick look around the Shire Hall Gallery. Its really tiny, but free to…read moreget in. I think the exhibition changes every month and theres usually some kind of interactive thing for kids to do with the art. There is also a small shop that sells greetings cards, jewellery and other hand made bits and bobs. The gallery also leads through to the library, a coffee shop and tourist information.

Puzzles, fluffy toys, bouncy balls and board games; this is surely any kid's dream shop,…read moreencapsulated from a time when every toy store would've been buzzing with children. Sadly, Louise's is always very quiet on the occasions that I've gone in, which is a real shame because there's so many unusual gifts for young'ns of all ages. There's also a stock of more geeky games such as 'Maths Magic' and science-type solar system building kits, which would be perfect for the clever kids to sink their teeth into. In fact, there's a very large section of educational games - that you just don't usually see in a lot of shops nowadays - they're definitely worth a look! As well as a toy shop, Louise's doubles up as a greetings cards shop, so adults can have a mooch around and buy some unusual and quirky cards, while their children are let loose to explore the depths of the toy sections. I've purchased some unique animal cards from here before (including cute hamster ones) which have been sent out to many of my friends on their birthdays. These selections of cards aren't usually found in most chain card shops, so it's a real treat to find something different.

This is a really unique and wonderful children's toy shop. It is full of lovely toys and also has a…read morenice selection of cards for all occasions too. This makes is perfect for buying something for your children, or indeed for someone else's children, especially if you are like me and have no idea where to start with toys and children's stuff! In here it seems like they have something for every child, from cuddle toys to interesting games. It is definitely worth a visit if you are after some children's stuff. The staff have always been friendly and welcoming when I have been in too, but it has been fairly quiet when I have been in and I'm not sure whether this is because I have visited during the week rather than at the weekend, which I assume would be busy. Overall, it is a lovely toy store.

Now, I don't know about you... But I don't normally go through the Pavillions Shopping Centre…read more Apart from the fabulous Char Wallah, I have very little cool to pop through there (as there aren't many shops I use in the building). This is my failing, as we (me and Dan G) stopped through the Pavillions recently as a shortcut to the car park on Dale End (top tip - £1 an hour) and realised that it can be a much more "happening place" than we realised. Firstly, there is a little market which I believe occurs on a weekend (with fantastic local crafts on sale), but secondly; I hadn't realised that Bert's and Gert's had set up their own shop in the centre. For those of you who aren't familiar with B&G's, they have run regular markets across the Midlands (and further afield) for many a year. The shop is a fantastic way to buy craft and food stuff handmade as gifts for others (and yourself, obviously) when you can't get down to a local market. On my second visit I spotted various cake decorating paraphernalia, decorative art pieces, small items of furniture and accessories and great items that would be fantastic presents for your nearest and dearest. As you can imagine, it's quite "twee" (being decorated in pastel colours and offering lots of items with animals and things on them), but that's what you would expect at a craft market also! Obviously, due to the nature of the stock; this shop isn't "cheap". That doesn't mean it's expensive though, I think they charge a fair price for the time, materials and quality of the items they sell. I mooched around the shop for a few minutes and spotted a mixed clientele of people perusing and gift hunting (with some people looking for the ideal Valentines present, I imagine). In summary, this shop is located at the centre of town and is a bit of a "must visit". It's on the fourth floor of the Pavillions (next to M&S), so easy to get to and it has a range of stock - so is definitely worth a quick peruse next time you're looking for a fantastic unique present or decorative item for your home.