What a delightful establishment this is! I might even go as far as to say delectable!…read more Nook & Cranny stocks a veritable cornucopia of gorgeous gifts, stationery and homewares, all utterly charming. The first thing that caught my eye (and drew me in from my journey up Bold Street) were the beautiful Cable & Cotton fairy lights displayed in the window - these stunning textured, multi coloured, orb fairy lights are just magical and certainly set the scene for the rest of the shop. There is so much to gaze or chuckle at and drool over in Nook & Cranny that I just wouldn't know where to start telling you all about it but other highlights include the bear paw oven mitts, the 'My Cuppa Tea' colour matching guide mug and the Knit Your Own Zoo kit. I was in seventh heaven. Imagine my delight when I discovered that the back of the shop (which used to be storage space) has now been turned into a cosy little cafe called Quills & Coffee. Sadly I couldn't stay to sample any of the beautiful looking cakes but I vowed there and then to visit again as soon as possible. Yet more delight...Nook & Cranny and Quills & Coffee put on occasional film screenings at the back of the store!! The next one is American Beauty on Saturday 28th March at 7pm - tickets are £10 and include free drinks and pizza and available from www.nookandcrannyshop.co.uk. Magic

This is a fantastic independent biz that I ventured into when in Liverpool a couple of weeks back…read more We actually held an event in the back part of the business and I didn't realise it existed until Liverpool CA Gemma A introduced me to it - but the space is really cavernous and it was great to temporarily see Quills coffee set up in the back. Very very cool cards and gifts throughout, I was especially impressed with the awesome range of band music posters in the back - everything from Queens of the stone age to classic hiphop ones - really worth a look if you're nearby and fancy some colourful artwork to brighten up your walls. Very friendly staff, they hopefully will do well in this prime location in Liverpool.

Pillar Box Cards which is based along Allerton Road, is an ideal spot for locals to purchase cards…read moreand gifts. There is an abundant variety of items such as shiny glass ornaments, luxury cards and much more decorations to add to your mantlepiece or windowed cabinet. It all makes good browsing. So, if you're lucky enough to bump into something you like, it definitely isn't shy of quality hence providing a perfect gift or individual treat (why not). In addition, there is a small post office at the rear of the shop which is convenient for a busy area like Allerton. As a whole, the shop combined with post office is quite small and stuffy but is far from doom and gloom.

Pillar Box Cards is an excellent little independent card shop. Although it is small it has an…read moreexcellent range of cards and gifts for all occasions and budgets. They have a great range of toys, ornaments, balloons, mugs, picture frames and much more. The prices are reasonable, certainly cheaper than some other branded card shops in the area. There is also a post office counter within the shop which is very useful. The staff are very friendly and helpful and always greet you with a smile.

This branch of Clintons Cards has a fancy dress and party shop amalgamated into it which can only…read morebe a good thing as the actual selection of cards here is pretty awful. With row upon row of 'funny' cards filled with nob gag after nob gag there is almost nothing to please your friends or the joker in your family. The traditional cards are so sentimental they border on plain maudlin (I was going to get my Grandma a card from here but I couldn't seem to find one for a grandmother that didn't seem to imply they were about to leave this world for good). The best bet are the plain awful 'value range' with animals stuck with googly eyes, wearing stupid hats at least these are actually a bit so-bad-they're-good funny. The party shop, Pure Party, is full of all the sort of absolutely useless stuff that you had no idea you needed to throw a party until you came here and found it. It's expensive (as you might expect for party supplies which have the lowest value-for-money standing of almost anything you could want to buy) but the staff are cheerful and helpful and the inflatable palm trees did turn a standard BBQ into...well, a BBQ with some inflatable palm trees.

Clinton's Cards in Liverpool One is a place that leaves you with a smile on your face as it is a…read morecelebration of special occasions. I often find these kinds of places to be tacky and annoying as they push needless tat in your face and although there is evidence of that here this place seems to handle itself with a touch more class than some establishments. The prices here are still too high and it is a little annoying to see that establishments can play on special occasions in order to make people part with extortionate amounts of their hard earned money. On the whole this is a well run store which does a better job than many I have seen and this is in no small part due to their plush surroundings in the wonderful Liverpool One.

Fantastic card Shop, They stock all different companies and…read moreso many obscure titles. the Girls are always very helpful and friendly. Well done Girls.

Mixed review, alot of this shop's items are overpriced for what they are, £2 for a cheap card!…read morePrams and shopping trolleys are not allowed in which alienates half the local population. On the plus side it is a clean and tidy shop.

If you're looking for somewhere to buy an unusual and beautiful gift for someone then Made-Here is…read morewhere you should head. Offering a huge array of delightful and quirky hand made items from greetings cards to jewellery to toiletries to art, this shop has the added bonus of only stocking goods that are made by local practitioners. Everything in this shop is literally made here in Merseyside. This means that when you browse around this very cool place (and invariably buy something - I challenge you to walk out of there without even a pencil or a keyring) you have the pleasure of looking at truly unique creations that you won't find anywhere on the high street plus an additional slight feeling of smugness knowing that you're supporting local, independent business. One of my favourite things about Made-here is the stunning hand made jewellery and the extremely affordable but often original and limited edition art works. Buy a piece of art from Made-here, pop it on your wall and you'll automatically feel like a art collector. Well, it worked for me. So if you're a fan of the unusual, the individual, the quirky, the cool and the beautiful then get yourself to the Met Quarter and have a look round - you won't be disappointed.

For the creative minds out there, head to Green Lane where you'll find the perfect place for you…read more It's a big, green craft palace called Craftys. Whatever your talent or hobby I'm sure that you're every requirement can be met here; Craftys stock allsorts from card making to flower arranging. There are two sections within the shop, the main being crammed with stickers, decoupage sheets, ribbon, and beads to name a few. Towards the back there is a room dedicated to paper and card, shelves stretching from floor to ceiling, neatly displaying all different types and colours. We've bought the paper for our wedding stationary from here, so I should know. We've also bought some of their decoupage sheets for my Fiancée's card making Nan and not only did she love them but they also look great on her cards. The staffs are friendly and are more than happy to help you in any way they can. It's definitely worth a visit.

If you are into Arts & Crafts this is the place for you. From top to bottom this store is crammed…read morefull of goodies. Believe me if they haven't got it then it possibly isn't available and they have some great bargains. They have an on line store if you are to far away but try to visit as the fun is in touching. A brilliant shop and great staff too!!

Crown Cards and Gifts is a below par card shop which hardly deserved its grandiose title which of…read morecourse is self appointed. I ventured into this store hoping to find a special card for a friend's birthday but what I found left me feeling less than impressed. The array of cards was small and the quality was not of a very high calibre at all meaning that it was hardly the kind of place capable of providing you with a special message for a special someone. The cards were cheap and that applies to both the price tag and the quality of them and it was certainly well short of Hallmark standard. The staff were not great either and I found their attitude to be poor and the service they provided to be less than helpful. Essentially this place is somewhere to be avoided unless you are solely interested in keeping an eye on the pennies.