Pretty things

Some days, you just need pretty things. I had such a day on Saturday, so I caught the bus and took myself off in search of them. First stop was the Craft 2.0 fair, where lots of vendors were selling lovely handmade goodies. It's fantastic to see such an event, and such a lot of support for the handmade, but I felt the same way I did last year after visiting: get a bigger location! It was held at the Our City gallery, the same place Gothic Punk was held, and it was packed to the gills. Hot, stuffy, barely room to move, let alone browse the stalls. With a determined effort I pushed my way through, and came away with a couple of lovelies: a handmade porcelain doll, and a sweet printed bird pin. After that I bolted for the door and fresh air, and felt as though I had been through a bit of an ordeal.

As I was walking through Cashel Mall I passed a cute little shabby chic shop that I had visited before, and saw to my dismay a big CLOSING DOWN sign in the window. The silver lining was that everything was on sale, and I found a string of wooden hearts, and a metal bird ornament - which is actually a bell. Would you like a closer look?

I think he is daydreaming of metal trees.

The string of hearts makes a pretty silhouette in the window.

Dancing ballerina dolly from The Busy Finch.

Hand printed bird pin from In My Backyard.