Traveling and Shopping

Travel and shopping…two aspects of one fabulous trip to Italy and Ireland. However, shopping on this trip was severely limited as I had one carry-on and one under-the-seat bag for two and a half months of travel. It was really fun choosing a few small items to bring back. Can’t wait to share them with you.

The first picture is a close-up of this fabulous necklace and earrings set that I found in Venice. The glass is made in Murano and you can see it is beautifully colored with hidden depths. The design is delicate and simply wraps around the neck. No clasps or fasteners to worry about.

Donà Maria Luisa of Vetri Artistic has been making unique pieces of jewelry for many years. It is her business but it is also her art. Her store is located in San Palo on the Calle die Saoneri 2738 and is filled with wonderful pieces crafted by hand. She uses glass from the glassblowers on the Island of Murano in her creations and each one is different. I had a lovely conversation with her about her life and work in Venice. Like many artisans she is intent on keeping artisan crafts alive and well in her beautiful city.

These gorgeous Murano glass earrings made with .925 silver and hand-crafted by Christian Tagliapietra are truly lovely. They are nice and weighty and hang beautifully, swinging as you walk. The colors are the colors of the Venetian waters and the Venetian sky.

Christian’s family have been in Venice for close to 1,000 years. Venice is deeply rooted in his blood and like all Venetians we met he has a close affinity to the waters surrounding the city of Venice. He has several shops in Venice and it is a pleasure to be able to view his lovely designs. Artisans are passionate about their work and about sharing it with others. it was wonderful to converse about the importance of Venice and the heart of this great and historic city. Venetians love their city and want it to thrive.

This is the Corte del Tagliapietra named for Christian’s family. It is quite a responsibility to carry forward.

I bought a few smaller pieces of jewelry mostly Murano glass and silver. They are all beautiful and I will enjoy wearing them and remembering my time in Venice and the lovely people we met.

It’s difficult to go to Venice and not visit a mask store. We were in several and really enjoyed talking with the makers. Many of the masks are made on the store premises and are made by hand from molds. The process is quite time-consuming and after the masks are molded and treated they are painstakingly hand-painted. They come in all shapes and sizes. This mask was a present for our daughter and we had it shipped directly to her. It arrived in perfect condition within a week. You can see that it is in the Art Nouveaux style.

This is a full-face mask but can also be used as decorative wall art. The colors are glorious and trimmed in gold. The woman faces Gemini, the twins, which is our daughter’s zodiac sign. She was thrilled and it hangs on her apartment wall.

You may think that this is an ordinary piece of wood but, in fact, it is a piece of the Venetian lagoon. It is called a “Briccola” and is from Lunardelli Venezia. This shop creates original wood pieces and combines with glass artisans to create pieces for your home. The wood comes from the pilings submerged in the Lagoon. The holes are designs created by small creatures in the water. It is then cut, treated and polished with wax before being ready to display in your home.

We were given a tour of the workshop and there is a display area with museum quality pieces. You can see in the pictures above some of their beautiful creations. The history of wood, glass and water is intricately woven into the lives of each of these artisans.

In Ireland I shopped very little but did run across this beautiful long shawl in the colors of the sea. It drapes beautifully and I was determined to get this home. It is made from 70% wool and was fashioned in West Cork by a local weaver. Loved chatting with the owner about all the different artisan goods in her shop. Such fun and I’ll be able to wear this with a sweater in the Fall and Winter months here in the South.

I always look for artwork to bring back from a trip. I found these small Giclee prints signed by the artist in a little gallery on the west coast. The artist lived near by and she had painted a series of lighthouses found in the area. We had actually seen several of them in our travels so they seemed a perfect group to bring back. I loved the vibrant colors and the inclusion of the sea in each of the paintings. A perfect ending to our holiday and small enough to fit in my carry-on which was now completely full. LOL

Traveling with carry-on only is a bit of a challenge, especially on a long trip, but I managed to find a few treasure to fit into small spaces in my luggage. It’s so nice to have a remembrance of a great journey.