This is a cute little gift shop in a sea of gift shops on the Chapel Allerton high street. At…read morepresent the store has a lovely christmas display in their window, which caught my eye, so I went in to have a look. The first thing to hit me was the lovely cinnamon smell as I entered. On browsing I discovered all kinds of different items for sale, ceramics, cards, hello kitty brand items and many other knick-knack type items. On deeper investigation I noticed that the prices weren't as competitive as their neighbours'. The glassware was quite expensive for what it was and they had some button earrings on sale - which were literally buttons attached to earrings - that cost £10, which i thought was pretty high for what they were. Still, it's always worth having a look in these shops as everyone has different taste, and invariably there will be some little treat that you might find. All in all a nice little shop with a few cool things to see.

This gift and card shop is similar to the second Angels shop down the road 'Angels Too'. I had…read morepopped into this one for a card and decided to check out the other one, mentioned to me as I was making my purchase. They both sell cards and gifts but the range here seems to aimed at different customers. There are gifts and stationary items from the Hello Kitty brand and a range I had not come across before - Momiji dolls. They seem quite a cult thing when I looked them up on the internet later on but something that might appeal to teenage girls. There was also a 'Top Model' range. Something else I hadn't come across before either, probably due to my age (mid-twenties, too old to be interested but to young to have children that are). So you can find many gift items here and will probably be drawn in by the colourful window display that currently involves a gothic christmas tree.

This shop is filled with knick-knacks and bits. A large proportion of their stock is food related -…read moremugs for £8 and up, various crockery items and tea coasters. There are plenty of other purchases in store though from lampshades, to hand creams, fridge magnets, candles, glassware, velvet scarves and a myriad of other 'girly' items. Although all of their items are predictably priced - in that I mean that they are rather expensive gifts considering that they mostly fall into a rather useless category - they do have quite a few reductions and offers which may make it rather more worth paying them a visit. The few jewellery items that caught my eye are a little cheaper than their neighbours' too, but for that I must say I thought that the quality reflected that - the items just weren't quite as special. All in all, good for a gander, but not necessarily much else.

If you have dreams of being a Martha Stewart type with a kitchen filled with retro cake stands and…read morenovelty jelly moulds, this is the shop for you. It's filled with quirky gifts for gourmets, and has everything you always wanted for your kitchen but could never afford to actually buy, from cute matching eggcups to picnic sets and crockery printed with a photo of your choice. There's some other stuff here too, including a more run-of-the-mill selection of gifts, but this place is really all about the kitchen accessories. A place to treat yourself or buy presents for friends, but be preapred to pay for it - eggcups alone come in at a hefty £8.

I have to say, although having only been the once, I was instantly a fan of this fabulous shop…read more Along every wall you'll spot home made trinkets, specially crafted delights, and lovingly crafted goodies that appeal to a wide range of tastes. It's a pure treasure trove of locally crafted art work, paintings, crochet, knitting, jewellery, decorative pieces, hand bags, furniture and more. Each section has its own personality, and the shop shines as a haven of talent, made up of the various creative items displayed within. I realise this perhaps speaks to those who enjoy pretty things a little more than those who don't, but I'd whole heartedly recommend anyone wander in and take a good long browes - be it for gift shopping, inspiration, or simply to marvel at what can be created by our local talent. What's more, Fabrication hold regular classes, including sewing lessons, crochet and more. I've intended upon taking a class for some time, but haven't found the time, although I've heard some very good reports from folks I know who've partaken. Essentially, I've wanted to learn how to sew for a while, since it's one of the many talents my mother has that I didn't take advantage of whilst at home, and would love to see if I can continue the trend. I won't make a promise here in writing, but watch this space. I may be a dressmaker yet! The real lesson here? Visit this place now. Visit, get your creativity flowing, and support the local scene!

What great shop. Selling goods from local artists. I bought several cards from the hilarious…read moreRubbish Seaside section as well as a few Leeds Brudenell Social Club cards by Richard Heald. The Brudenell is one of the best music venues I have ever been to. Nice way to commemorate my love of it by framing these cards. Staff were very friendly as well. A must visit each time I am in Leeds.

This beautifully laid out shop is another wonderful and unique gift store in Otley. With so many…read moreindependent shops offering one-off gifts, special presents and individual ideas it is difficult to choose between them. So I'll try to explain what this one is all about. The last time I paid them a visit they had some beautiful items on offer. One such gift was a delightful illuminated lamp vase item, which had fibre optic branches erupting from the base. It was like a beautiful fibre optic houseplant, and retailed at £99. Phew! But if you want the perfect item to offset that modern fireplace... In amongst a variety of gifts, jewellery, cocktail glasses with dappled patterns, glassware, porcelain statues of lovers and more you will find any number of trinkets and treats that are bound to please the eye. For my money, there wasn't quite a find unique enough to warrant its price, but I am sure that this is just an opinion. Seems to me, in amongst some standard gift choices, there are plenty of decorative and homely gifts that are a little bit different. Contemporary - but just not my style.

The Beehive is an adorable little fair trade shop on Potternewton Lane. It is a somewhat petite…read moreshop and it sells a range of fair trade products. Products include kitchen cupboard bits and bobs such as coffee and tea, honey, jam, peanut butter, chutney, nuts, rice, pasta and chocolate. They also sell a variety of intricate hand-made greetings cards which are very pretty and unusual. Their range of gift items includes some very cute wooden toys, pottery, candles, stationery and jewellery. They also try to order in any product you'd like that they don't have in. They used to have a tiny café in the adjacent room, which sadly is no more...but if you have seen how tiny the room really is you can probably imagine why! The fact that all the products at The Beehive are fairly traded is a breath of fresh air when so many shops have murky supply chains and questionable ethics. But it is not the defining feature, because as well as having ethics the wares on sale would stand out in any gift shop or grocers for their careful design , high quality or scrumptious taste! When I popped in for a browse around the Beehive the two women running the shop were absolutely lovely - so welcoming and friendly! A shop with ethics, top notch products and perfect customer service - what more could you want?...It must be said though that their opening hours are a little sparse so you have to be sure to catch them at the right time!

This small shop has a great range of all things fair-trade. There are greetings cards crafted by…read morepeople in Bangladesh that are so much nicer than generic mass-produced cards for only £2.50, a good price for such quality. A few wooden toys are for sale and fair-trade chocolate, tea, jam, honey, coffee. Some really nice pieces of jewelry are for sale also, which makes it a great place to pick up a present with your mind at ease that a minimum amount of exploitation has taken place for the sake of your purchase. The ladies in there were really sweet and friendly saying hello, thank you and goodbye numerous times. They even apologised for the state of the shop that day as they had just had a delivery of food goods. Its a bit out of the way but I will be purposely passing by to buy my fair-trade Easter eggs this year.

A shop full of things you never knew you needed until you went in!…read more It can be a little expensive, but everthing is so nicely designed you can't complain at that! They have a nice range of homewares and tablewear, smaller novelities, such as hairbrushes and tape measures, and even handbags. Always a good place to go for gift ideas.

yeah, they openned one in york! the 1st octopus i've been to was in leeds. this store has the same…read morelines on sale. every item has a novelty value, so its fun just going in to have a look about. as its a bright, colourful shop! from babies rattles to nutmeg graters and dancing timers! them cute little piu piu birds that chirp when you pick them up! they have L.E.D. T-shirts. collectable handbags, funky toasters and kettles, furniture that looks like its strait from a fantasy cartoon! every inch of space is used to display its wares, it never looks jumbled, but can get packed out with shoppers! so if your buying for someone that has everything? (don't give them, penicillin again! sorry old joke couldn't resist!) this is the shop to go to! though some of the things are pricey, but these are very collectable gifts, and they seem to have the same lines in as the year before? i'm sure any gift from this store will get the 0ohi love it from the lucky receiver!

With such beautiful and exquisite gift items it is difficult to see where else you would want to go…read morein Horsforth for that special present. It might be that you start at the bottom of the street and have to work your way to the top to discover Ideas, but you'll be glad you did once you've made it up here. They've a number of different items, all beautifully made and pristine, to satisfy most of your standard gift ideas. Unless you really want to personalise a gift or make it creative this shop is a fantastic place to go to find something as it has that little bit extra compared to your average card and gift store. Any old Clintons has a stuffed bear that your Mum will know in an instant where you purchased it from and didn't really make an effort. If you bought an item from Ideas, for a bit of a price granted, you will find something unique with the longevity to give a lasting impression. From jewellery, toys, frames (which you can personalise with a photograph, of course), ornaments, perfume bottles, clocks - you get the idea. Everything within is graceful, delicate and a delight to browse.

This place is my idea (no pun intended) of a proper gift store…read more Ideas Unlimited offers such a vast array of presents that it is almost impossible to walk out of here without finding something for someone - believe me when I say the range is huge: ornaments, souvenirs, stationery, jewellery, toys, photo frames - you name it, they've probably got it. It's the sort of place that takes the hassle out of getting a little 'thoughtful' present or two for someone, and the quality of the products is a lot higher than what you'll find in most gift shops - this place has an air of class about it. Unfortunately, this is reflected in the rather steep prices.

Sometimes I like the story to be all about me. That may happen more often than it should. So it is…read moreme I'm looking after again and I feel the need of some shopping and jewellery splurging. You better be ready Share. Share is a jewellery and giftware boutique run by two brothers. They claim to have over 50 years of jewellery experience between them so all that time must count for something. And it does. It's a lovely unit on Street Lane and my purse is itching to be opened. Now I'm a sucker for charm bracelets and they do some real alternative options to places like Links. The Molly Brown ones are irresistible and are just undercutting the prices of some of the other places. I mean who doesn't want a jelly bean on a bracelet? Okay maybe it's just me then. So the jewellery is done now to fancy pants my house up and with the array of clocks and furnishings it is easy to do that. They've even got fancy ashtrays! I know! Perfect stop off for gift ideas as long as the budget will stretch.

Having seen the large glass windows and doors I could tell in an instant that this place held shiny…read moregoodies within. My magpie instincts drew me in and I made a beeline for their front door, only to practically walk into it as you have to ring the bell to enter. Nearly having left a face-smudge on the glass I almost didn't go in, for shame, but wanted to check it out having gotten this far! Inside there are hoards of shiny high-end ultra expensive jewellery and ceramics items. It was a bit of a duplicitous visit, in terms of my enjoyment, since I really had fun looking at the quirky and beautiful items but simultaneously didn't enjoy the slight feeling of being monitored - perhaps it was my cumbersome rucksack which put the fear of breakages within the staff? Nevertheless I felt a little ill at ease with my reception. Things got better later however, since I got a nice smile as I was leaving! My favourite piece of crockery was this sort of ergonomic cup, teaspoon and saucer set by Villeroy Boch - the teaspoon balances/hooks on the cup with a specific divet in its stem. Pretty cool, though I didn't dare look at the price. They also had a really sweet cupcake stand and tea set which I'd have absolutely no use for but I liked the idea of having one day! In terms of jewellery there were many exquisite contemporary silver items on offer, a cabinet dedicated to those very fashionable charms, many many shiny watches for him and some very expensive jewellery specifically for young girls - pearls and such. So there was rather a large range to choose from! However, the essential theme here is pack your wallet, we're not talking monopoly money. Should you wish to purchase this place is way more of an investment buy than an impulse buy, unless of course, you're loaded!