This shop specialises in greetings cards but also has a small selection of gifts such as soft toys…read moreas well as wrapping paper and accessories. As it sells so many cards there is a wide variety of styles to choose from. Befitting its location in the Victoria Quarter it doesn't stock many of those cheap, tacky cards featuring naff cartoons and 'hilarious' lewd jokes. Expect more of a refined selection, several featuring vintage photographs or interesting stylised illustrations. I wouldn't say it's the best card shop I've ever been to but it definitely tops the offerings of most high street card shops with many more unusual finds than say, Clinton Cards and it should have something to suit everyone.

This is an exquisite gift card shop. If I ever have a birthday or occasion I will come here rather…read morethan use a Clintons or similar, as they are just not as special as this shop. Bayliffe and Lupton house a whole variety of specialist gift cards from a variety of designers, from beautifully painted prints, to exquisite photography to humourous vintage photograph and caption cards. It has a huge range of different gift cards and will cover all the standard areas, but makes the difference by really finding some special designers. As well as this they sell other related goods, wrapping, canvas prints and the odd trinket or gift item, but the main reason for visiting is the quality of the gift cards. I can always choose a special card that really says something about who I am buying for, which makes all the difference when you are sending to someone special. You might pay a little more than usual, but in my book it's worth it.

The quintessential place to buy an elderly relative a card that would receive appreciative sighs. A…read morelarge quantity of twee sentimentality has been injected into this shop and although the style does not comply with my own, The Card Room does provide a more intimate, local setting in which to purchase this style of card. Alongside the vast array of aforementioned cards, there is a random miscellany of gifts. Ranging from handmade jewellery to calendars, umbrellas to clocks, and photo frames to keepsakes, The Card Room has the bagatelle market covered. There is an entire baby section at the rear of the shop, and whilst I was there recently, a staff member was expertly guiding a gentleman around the selection of photo memory books for babies. The man in question did not take much encouragement to proudly announce that he had just become a Grandfather for the first time, regaling his assistant with her name and weight. It was a touching moment to overhear! If you were wondering, the baby was called Amber. The Card Room is a perfectly adequate shop in which to purchase a fairly conservative range of cards and knickknacks. Although I doubt I would make the detour from the city centre to visit the shop, for certain recipients, I would consider the trek.

The Card Room is a pretty standard gift shop selling a huge range of reasonably expensive cards,…read moreand loads of gifts. Gifts include rather cute sort toys to mugs, drinking glasses, picture frames, decorations, hand bags, umbrellas, clocks and placemats. The shop is quite large with products well-displayed and the staff are friendly and helpful. Like most gift shops, the majority of items are quite expensive, but if you like gifty paraphernalia you're likely to find something to fork out for.

The best thing about this place is the owner, Chloe. Sure the things she sells are amazing...where…read moreelse can you buy earrings with crayons on them or a hot dog necklace? But you can also while away the day talking to Chloe, who is interested in EVERYTHING. She handmakes all her items, and is happy to explain the process, she would always try her best to find something if you requested it, children love her, and you'll come away clutching your purchases thinking of martians and bubblegum. Everyone needs to go see Chloe, buy her things and enjoy a little slice of happy heaven in Leeds.

Chloe McGenn is my favourite Artist EVER. Based (amongst other outlets in Leeds) Chloe McGenn's…read moregorgeous merchandise can be found on the ground floor of Birds Yard. Chloe makes creatures out of old socks (clean ones!!) that are available for adoption. She adores buttons, cakes, monster type creatures and anything unusual. Chloe makes the most amazing Greeting Cards from Vintage Bits and Bobs. Quirky, Trendy, Unusual and Rare Jewellery pieces. Gosh the list is endless. Please do drop by to see Chloe's gorgeous treats at Birds Yard. Great for all types of occasions, wedding fun, Christmas, Birthdays, Party Bags, Sentimental/Thoughtful Gifts. Fads, Collectables, Stationery and more. Prices start from just £1.00. You may even find Chloe behind the counter tidying up the clutter. She is FAB

Wow. I hadn't even realised somewhere like Clintons would be getting in on the idea of some outlet…read moreaction, but there it was in all it's glory. I must admit, I sneered at the idea. I mean, I'm not bowled over by Clintons as a card company as it is, so a store with all the cheap reject cards was more than likely going to be useless. Giving them a chance, I wandered in. Having seen how busy Card Factory was in Crossgates Shopping Centre, this place was surprisingly empty - a sign perhaps? In I plunged, and had a scan around. Sure enough the selection of cards left little to be desired. I saw all the standard 'funny' (not funny) cards, the simply bland ones, a few nice-ish ones and more all on display. But they were cheap, man, they were cheap. And to be fair, the shop was laid out really well. Usually finding a specific card can be hellish, from what I browsed everything was in a reasonable order. Happy days. They had the usual obligatory gift items too, the forever friends toys and such, but these were the non-half-price items unfortunately. To make up for that though there was a decent selection of gift wrap retailing at 29p per sheet so all's not lost. I think overall I was underwhelmed. The choice, in spite of outlet status, was as predictable as any other Clintons. Some awful cards, some not so bad, but nothing I'd consider to be extra special. One big bonus? Uber cheap. Aw yeah.

Paperchase is a large chain of stationary stores, with over 130 stores in the UK alone, but sadly…read moreother than their 3 flagship stores in Manchester, Glasgow and London, the others lack the excitement, good feel and funding and sadly this store is an example of that. Having visited Paperchase three times now, including one of three flagship stores in Manchester I feel this branch stocks the essentials you would associate with Paperchase, but still it is of course a smaller selection. There store was a little small compared to what I would have liked, but still an average / decent size, but when compared to the Manchester branch for example, it is dwarfed by that. There was a small and decent range of most items, I mainly came in to pick up a lever arch file as I find Paperchase's lever arches are better quality, I \was pleased to see them all in one place with some of the basics stocked, but still they did miss out some of the files I was looking for, which are sold in other branches and online. The staff seemed a little slow and not really friendly, they did eventually check the price of an item from me, which was not discounted despite being on the reduced shelf, which still only was a 30% saving, which didn't seem to be worth paying, as the item was heavily overpriced as it is. The store does seem a little darker in terms of decor than other stores, despite having a glass enterence, in a way this store is easy enough to forget due to its' size and location in Leeds city centre, and only deserves a generous two stars I'm sorry to report.

The slow demise of Borders on Briggate was a deplorable occurrence for me. On the last day of its…read moreexistence when the stock was exceptionally reduced, people crowded into the shop and behaved like looters, or flies feeding on a dead animal. I concede, that may be slightly too dramatic, but nonetheless I was saddened by its disappearance. As well as losing a fantastic book shop with an impressive selection of magazines, the departure of the in store Paperchase was inevitable. I sense a slight degree of a moral dilemma when it comes to Paperchase. Although I am aware that I should be channelling my entire cards and stationary budget into independent shops, I have an obsession with the Paperchase brand. I do support the smaller businesses in countless other ways however, helping the local economy much to the dismay of my bank! Everything about the shop is stylish. For somebody who has a similar passion for gift wrap as myself, it is a veritable haven. During more financially unstable periods, I have been known to lavish more money on the presentation of the birthday present, than its actual contents! The different ranges of cards that are designed by Paperchase never have any excruciatingly cringe worthy poems in them, they are never sweet to the extent of prematurely inducing diabetes, and do not have generic phrasing on them. Instead, I consider them to be original, vividly colourful and are always well received. The wrapping paper and stationary are also of a fantastic quality. There are various miscellaneous items for sale at Paperchase. I have often solved the riddle of what to buy a difficult relative by presenting them with a funky teapot or retro cake stand. If I am buying a gift for a friend or loved one, I feel proud to present them with a beautifully wrapped creation, courtesy of Paperchase.

It's a funny thing to write a review of a shopping centre, but since my last visit to The Light, I…read morerealised I was indeed a fan. Whilst it's of course handy to review the individual shops, giving an overview of these places is not without use. It's not large, it's not bustling per se, but it's got some real gems within and for that it deserves a mention. One of my favourite indie coffee shops, La Bottega Milanese, is housed inside and it's well worth stopping by for a pick me up. Not only do they have great coffee, but plentiful and delicious bites too. You'll also find some lovely shops, including Fabrication and Joy, both of which are fab for a browse. (More on those individually.) As far as shopping centres go, I do enjoy the fact it has a pleasant mix of independents and chains, although I can't say I visit for Cafe Rouge or Starbucks all that often. I've long intended upon eating at Franco's, since trying a bite of their pizza at Epernay some time ago, so expect some words on there soon. I'm sad that Salt's had to leave the place, but I hear they're still online if you're hankering for some of their delicious fare. All in all, it'll take you perhaps a few minutes to wander through, but it's a gorgeous building and well worth investigating. They've some kind of discount club, sometimes do events, and are yet another location in Leeds that gives us the shopping prowess we have.

As shopping centres go, an amble through The Light is a considerably pleasant experience. The very…read morehigh glass ceiling makes for a very light and airy space (hence the name), with an almost monumental feel when descending the escalator onto the ground floor. The Light doesn't boast a huge range of shops, but is does manage to fit in a cinema, hotel and gym. Like most shopping centres, the shops are all chain stores, though of a more up market ilk that those of nearby St. John's or the Merrion Centre. Due to the lack of independent retailers, bars and eateries the Light definitely lacks character in its offering, but its character lies in the huge towering space within, and the use of what were once exterior walls and windows of neighbouring buildings in its slick interior. If you seek a tranquil shopping experience, fancy a Nando's, a trip to Vue, or simply want to take a short cut slicing off the corner between Albion Street and the Headrow, a walk through The Light can bring a moment of calm amongst the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Cheap and cheerful, Card Factory is my default option when I have birthday cards to buy…read more There is a wide selection of cards and the quality is ok, although I will admit, if I have a really special card to buy, I'd be more likely to go somewhere else. But for the other 95% of the time, I'm likely to find what I need in here. They have fantastic promotions on too - there's usually a selection of cards where you can choose any 7 for £1 - absolutely perfect for all of Mini MacDoo #1's classmates when their birthdays come up! As well as the cards, you'll also find a wide selection of trinkety gifts (mostly fairly tacky) plus wrapping paper, balloons and all the other paraphernalia that tends to go along with greetings cards. Stars are lost on two fronts - firstly as mentioned the bulk of the cards stocked are of simply 'ok' quality, secondly, it can get totally packed at peak times eg Xmas, Mother's Day, Valentines day etc. which can be a bit hellish. But with prices of the cards so low, you can't really grumble to be fair. I'll certainly be back in there again before my Nan's birthday next week!

The card factory is always so busy! It can be quite stressful to just get around and view the cards…read more(especially if it's the day before father's day!) But they do sell a really good range of good quality and cheap cards. The prices just can't be beaten and that's obviously why it is so busy. They sell nice gifts too.