I came here to pick up a few bits for my sketchbook after hearing about it from a friend who's…read morepretty arty. I can't say I found anything completely inspiring or unusual but the basics of the kit you need were there. Brushes, Pencils, Card, Crafty bits and bobs....etc. The shop is reasonably priced and does have some nice quality materials.

Headingley don't have many arts and craft focussed shops around, but tucked up a back road,…read moreDisdale's is a resource for the artier of Headingley's residents. It is a traditional arts and crafts shops, selling quality materials in the way of fine paint brushes, drawing pencils of many kinds, quality paper meant for certain tasks etc. As I say in many other of my reviews, I prefer a more creative way of finding imaginative materials in unexpected places, rather than conforming to these sorts of traditional (overpriced) shops, but for what it is, it is a great thing to have in Headingley, away from the busy pub ridden road.

I visited Art of Gold whilst I was strolling around the shops on a lazy day and was quite amazed at…read morewhat they did. Amongst the paintings and art prints was a Jewellery section. After speaking to the lady in the shop, I found that her son designs and makes his own jewellery in a workshop based inside the shop. he'd trained in Italy for around 5 years before he came back to England to start his own business. All of the jewellery is bespoke and 18 carat. Amongst other jewellery designers, you will find the likes of; Deborah Kelly, Shona Carnegie, Iain Henderson & Lora Leedham. The shop also intends to stock Pandora in the future which I suspect will be extremely popular with the younger crowd. The lady who runs the shop is polite and passionate about the work they display and spent ages chatting over the background behind the art to me. Go speak her, she's got some very funny stories to tell!

I can tell you one thing that I really didn't expect - to find an excellent art gallery within the…read moreheart of Horsforth. It came as no surprise, to me, to find an art gallery in Otley and an art gallery in Leeds city centre - but Horsforth? What a fabulous surprise! So what do they have on offer? A range of arts, in different media and styles, jewellery and gift cards. The limited edition gift cards are of a particularly high quality, not the kind of thing you'll find anywhere else, and just that little bit more expensive - but worth the gesture in my opinion! The jewellery on offer is beautifully made, contemporary and appeared to me to be inspired by the natural world (lots of leafy shapes and such). A lot of the pendents seemed to be detailed in such a way that gave the impression it was pressed silver and certainly hand made. The artwork on show was a fantastic range too. There were some 'fusion glass' pieces which appeared to be photographs detailed with a sort of embossed piece of glass over the top, bringing out details like traffic lights and such. They were particularly interesting. As well as that there were some amazingly simplistic and sometimes textured sunset scenes by Barker, some amusing and poignant pieces by Todd White, some beautiful oriental ink nude prints by Qu Lei Lei (which were only £20!) and my absolute favourite (and stupidly, I did not note the artist) a sunburstingly orange horizon scene with a sort of marbled gold leaf effect and central silhouetted tree. I found the art work varied, challenging, decorative and inspiring. The lady who owned/managed the gallery was polite and thankfully did not try to go in for the hard sell either, which was much appreciated. I can imagine it is frustrating for them to receive browser upon browser, but I am sure if I ever manage to save I will be visiting this place for a central piece! Well worth the visit.

This new entry to Albion Street in the centre of town is truly a breath of fresh air. This…read moreparticular street is quite clogged with coffee shops and eateries as it is and so the addition of an art gallery shop is the perfect answer for diversity. The store itself is laid out like an art gallery with relaxing white space with which to adorn the artwork - perfect for maintaining an uncluttered feel with such a variety of artists on show. There is the main space on the ground floor and a further gallery down the narrow stairs. The lady who was working when I popped in was absolutely lovely, she was really friendly and talkative about the shop, but didn't push to sell me anything which I always appreciate. The art itself was wonderful and diverse, from the kitsch cutesy cow art by Caroline Shotten, to the modern pop-art stark portraits of Simon Claridge, to the bold graffiti art of Ge Feng there was something for everyone. My difficulty is that I could have purchased all of their pieces, since diversity is what I like best, however at around £400+ per painting I simply couldn't afford to be impulsive. I certainly don't think that it is overly expensive - art is quite often underpriced and undervalued, but in my current state of pauperdom I would have to really fall in love to make such a spend. If you are lucky enough to have that kind of cash to spend, I suggest you search for a gift in this gallery. You will find something unique and delightful herein.

I couldn't agree more with the first review. This is such a wonderful place to step into and at the…read moremoment they have a sale on so there are loads of completely juxtaposing pieces. From cartoon like paintings to classical fine art portraits of bare ladies. Rather scruffy looking as I was at the time I was pleased coercive such a warm welcome from the lady, Angela, who was working at the time I entered. Some truly breathtaking art work on display and ready for someone to buy and proudly display, unfortunately I need a new par of climbing boots before I buy anything else.

This is an average sized branch of The Works complete with more or less everything you'd expect…read morefrom the discount book store. There's a good section for kids, not only books but fun activity boxes and games. The art supplies section is also pretty good and is somewhere that I do think The Works does tend to shine, as a company. There wasn't much to tempt me in terms of fiction, although if you're a big fan of romance or crime novels there's probably something here for you. The sections about gardening and cookery are a little more extensive. Really, though, I suspect the best way to shop her is to go in with an open mind rather than looking for a specific book.

As I run a business providing arts workshops I spend a lot of time in here, seeking out the newest…read moredeals and stocking up on things like sequins and glue. Part book shop, part toy shop and part craft supplies store, the Works is cheaper than many of its rivals but rather haphazardly stocked, so there's no guarantee of an item that was there last week being there again. Because of this, however, there's always something new to look at, and you can never predict what you might find. Some of the books are great value for money too, with mind and body items like tarot card sets and hot stone massage kits being popular, so its a good place to come for presents, and the art supplies section is particularly good for beginners. Prices are bargain basement, so if you fancy trying your hand at watercolour or oil painting this is the place to start.

This place is great there's a big range squeezed into the space without being cluttered…read more There's rings, ceramics, paintings and much more Pricewise I really don't know if I got a bargain or paid over the odds however I'm very happy with what I've got. The staff are friendly and have no issues with getting the items out so you can have a look. Definitely worth a visit

My most favourite browse in Leeds ! I love going to see the…read moredifferently themed displays though out the year and rarely leave without adding something to add to my various collections. Jewellery, ceramics, prints,Sculpture, mixed media.....This gallery has something for everyone and prices from a few pounds up. You can also use the interest free art loan if you want to make a bigger purchase and spread the cost over 10 months. The collections are attractively displayed and the staff leave you to browse in peace but are happy help/inform on request.

You know what, just for the odd bit of banter I can really warm to a place. It's the little moments…read moreof humour which really make an impression to last a day - it's something which can keep you smiling and all that. That's my impression of this place, little bits of friendly chat and humour that kept a smile on my face for that day. Nothing too amazing, not enough to go home and talk about or anything, but the over all feeling was that the guys in here are really nice and down to earth. Inside this little indie treasure of Leeds you can find all kinds of different arty bits and pieces, from amusing photo gift cards (I have purchased one of a rather large lady sitting on a pole, which looks as though ... you know what - I'll leave it there), to cool rock posters, to canvas prints and more. Although all of that seems fairly standard they do also have a sort of 'gallery' section which has some much more edgy and specially picked pieces on show which were particularly cool to browse. They also sell a number of other collectable items, such as belt buckles and the ever cool zippo lighters. Whilst it may be that the shop holds a lot of stock which has become rather popularised over time, Andy Warhol prints spring to mind, that shouldn't be considered as a bad thing per se, since that's the point isn't it? These things are still popular and people still want to buy them. I know this for sure, I'm going to be popping back in here next time a birthday comes up! For some friendly banter and a great place to browse some more male orientated gifts come and see what On The Wall has to offer!

I'm really not sure about these shops. Alright, some of the stuff (think posters, canvasses, signed…read morephotos, rock 'n' roll memorabilia) is absolutely brilliant. I'd have it on the walls of my front room. But there's just something about buying a big canvas of the Sex Pistols, or Jimi Hendrix, or The Who, that doesn't quite work for me? But if it is your thing, then you can't really go wrong taking a wander in here. There is an impressive selection of music biz canvasses, to suit a variety of tastes. It's the sort of place you'd go for a present for your dad. Or if you owned a music-themed pub - On the Wall would certainly be able to do the décor. As well as the music stuff, there's a lot of 'funny' cards and drinking memorabilia. Like Jack Daniels? Why don't you get yourself an A3-sized aluminium version of the logo? Like that idea? Go here.

My dream job would be working in Hobbycraft. Just walking in fills me with inspiration…read more Their range is second to none, covering every craft you could imagine, as well as some you've never heard of. Whilst the prices can seem a little high, they do good 3 for 2 deals, and if you spend enough time there, you can sniff out real bargains. Always tidy, helpful staff, and well stocked.

I came here to pick up some clothes dye and the staff were very helpful and knowledgable. If I'd…read morehad more time I'd have had a proper mooch about for glittery sparkly things and pipe cleaners to make me nostalgic about my childhood.

I love looking in art galleries, as I'm sure you'll agree, there is always something interesting…read moregoing on. I'm one of those hellish customers who never intends to purchase the art work - I simply can't afford to - but likes to spend a good hour browsing anyway. In theory I'll be able to purchase...one day! Anyway, I was about Otley town and noticed Browns so went in for a good perusal. I was greeted instantly by a lovely lady who asked me how I was, which was very welcoming. This place is really nicely laid out and certainly has a high end feel about the artwork within. They had a number of different artists' work on display in a range of different styles and media. The first pictures by J Lagadec, which struck me on entering, were these female silhouettes, black lines on a cream embossed background, and one with a distinct red 'v' at her nether area. Nearby there were some exquisite watercolour landscapes by Graham Carver and some humorous paintings by Mackenzie Thorpe - including what I assumed was Death holding a sunflower over his shoulder. So there was quite a variety of styles on show. Overall I think my favourite artist was Todd White - his collection was a humorous lot with undertones of a darker nature. My favourite was just called 'Caffeine' and depicted a series of caffeinated wide-eyed people, all in business attire, sporting bloodshot, toothy and forced smiles. It was full of detail, skill, character and was just really quite fun. He also had a series of cartoonish clocks for sale, splatted cows and ice creams, all for about £44 which was really not too bad a price given the expense of the rest of the art work. That's not to say I thought the art on show was over-priced, I am more than aware of how long those pieces must have taken, and how much skill was required to create them in the first place. On a separate note, Browns also does picture frame fittings too! Essentially, this beautiful gallery is a must-see if you are having a casual day in Otley. Beautiful.