Neck of the Woods sittings in the busy row of shops at the Southern end of Manly. It's a shop…read morefull of beautiful curiosities and giftware that is hard to go past without a browse or purchase. For the bicycle fashionista they stock beautiful Dutch vintage bicycles which have the quirky cane baskets. I imagine seeing myself riding one through cobbled streets in Europe. However my reality would be sweating and spluttering up Kurraba Road and being abused by city traffic who just want to get home. Neck of the Woods can order Papillionaire bikes to be customised and the colours you can select from are Ferst, Milk, Latte, Maya and Boston like a whole range of gelato. Other products they stock and I will rave about are the Muskhane felt cushions and oddities such as felt birdhouses. There is also ceramics, salt and pepper shakers, babushka dolls and quirky stationery. Neck of the Woods is a nice break from the 'daily grind' to shop, browse and admire. Take advantage of the sales in between seasons at this amazing little store.

I reckon if you took your kids to Riot when they were say, 4, and they reacted by running around…read morelike mad wizards not knowing which magical potion to create first, then you've got an artist on your hand. If they turn around and see the coin operated animal ride in the shopping centre then perhaps you've got a jockey or a car racer on your hands. Riot is a riot if you like getting your hands messy and your creative juices flowing. I'm 30 and not an artist but it got my creative wizard juices flowing. They've got all the art and craft bits and pieces you could possibly want. Canvases, glitter, needle work, stamps, stationary, pastels, papers, beads, glue, colourful take out noodle boxes, blank masks, party decorations, science kits, paints... it's good place to buy Christmas presents for kids who like to make stuff. This store specifically had loads of large coloured wheel flowers that turn in the wind - exactly what I wanted to decorate my daughters 1st birthday party at the beach.

They sent me the wrong item It cost me more money to send…read moreit back to them Do not trust their photos online or their return policy

The remit for Mosman market appears to be handmade and beautiful - we don't really care if it's…read moreorganic or not. It is definitely the place to head to if you're looking for a gift. Priority is given to hand crafted and home produced goods and this ensures that the goods on sale are unique and usually of a high quality. This arts and crafts market suits the affluent demographic of the area perfectly and there is always a lot of foot traffic; though how many are actually buying is another matte,r as the stall holders tend to remain constant, so once you've seen the offerings it can get a little tiresome. Many stalls focus on children's clothing, accessories and toys -think Cath Kidson/Penny Scanlan - lots of flowery bonnets, retro cowboy/spaceman designs and wooden toys. There's jewellery in a range of price brackets and styles: from dainty silver earrings to chunky resin necklaces. I once bought the most delightful butterfly wing earrings that had been 'frozen' in resin (not good for ones Karma though I'm pretty sure). Artists that display here tend to be pretty conservative or focus on photography of the local area. There's clothing, leather goods, soy candles as well as food stalls selling pretty cupcakes, chutneys and relishes, olive oils from the Hunter and organic honey. There are a small number of fast food outlets one selling Dutch Pancakes that are just sensational. Mosman Markets occur on the Mosman Square and Village Green on the first Saturday of every month, pretty much come rain hail or shine; they're a hardy bunch the Mosman Marketers though they didn't have it too touch today, in beautiful 26 degree autumn day. Nice to kick back and relax to the jazz band that play around mid-morning.

I used Fabric Gardens to buy a Christmas present.The passion of the owner (Sue) & her attention to…read moredetail was very good. I recommend this company.

From the owner: Fabric Garden is an online business supplying modern quilting and patchwork fabric and is located…read moreon the lower north shore in Sydney, Australia.

Amazing range of art supplies of all kind, wether you are looking for oils, acrylic, watercolour,…read morepastels or surfaces, paper, canvas and a huge range of brushes of any quality you like. If you can't find what you are after, it will be ordered in for you. Same goes for framing. Service is always friendly and helpful. Easy parking up the ramp to pack in your supplies. My favourite shop on the Northern Beaches for art supplies and framing!

This is a niche business that's tricky to find, but worth pursuing for its abundance of purist art…read moresupplies - some high-end stuff, but also bits and pieces for the dabbler. I found it confusing because it is multi-faceted. Downstairs you enter off Ethel Street to an art gallery. If you weren't determinedly seeking it out, you could easily miss the fact that a back staircase leads to a large and densely packed store full of papers and presentation folders and easels and paint brushes and a kaleidoscope of coloured paint. In fact they encourage you to use the back entrance, which involves turning up a ramp off Ethel Street that appears to lead to either a roof terrace or a carpark - not an art supply store. Staff are passionate about what they sell - no doubt most of them are working there to supplement their own creative efforts. Not so sure about the art in the gallery, but can't leave the store without the weapons to tackle some new project myself.