overthehildablog@gmail.com

Over The Hilda

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Lifestyle & Leisure
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Style & Beauty
  • Rants & Random Thoughts

Christmas sorted at The National Crafts and Design Fair

0
Hilda
Wednesday, 30 November 2016 / Published in Friends and Family, Home, Lifestyle & Leisure, News

Christmas sorted at The National Crafts and Design Fair

I haven’t been to The National Crafts & Design Fair for a few years and boy was I impressed by both the entrepreneurship and creativity when I visited today. There are over 500 of Ireland’s top craftspeople showcasing their handcrafted wares, everything from pendants to pieces of furniture, all together under one roof. The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland is represented and it is wonderful to see Guaranteed Irish with an even bigger presence than usual, supporting a number of diverse exhibitors from beauty and jewellery to fashion and textiles. If you want a unique gift for a loved one, or you want to treat yourself to something special, then this is the place for you.

Here, I hope to give you a flavour of what’s on offer, in my National Craft & Design Fair edit.

JEWELLERY

I am always drawn to the jewellery…well, I am a woman! There are many of Ireland’s top designers here and you can find something to suit every price range.

Chupi’s pieces will appeal to all ages and in her collection you see her celebrate Ireland’s heritage. Her aesthetic is influenced by the imperfect natural beauty of feathers, twigs and leaves complemented by gemstones. I Iove her tiny swan feather necklace in silver, gold and rose gold. Prices €139 to €159 or her gold initial necklace with one disc and birthstone €99. Her jewellery is made for your inner magpie, with delicate pieces in sparkling gold and the shiniest semi-precious gems. I know many a young or not-so-young lady who would be delighted with a Chupi creation!

chupi

Laragh McMonagle www.bylaragh.com has some dramatic necklaces, combining silver with rough nuggets of stone such as aquamarine and amethyst. Sculpted silver shells, pods and flowers, all inspired by nature, are unusual and reasonably priced.

necklace

CERAMICS, WOOD and HOUSE AND HOME

Ceramics feature strongly at the Fair. Edyta’s pieces www.edytaart.ie  (below) are immediately recognisable. From Poland originally, she has settled here and works from Stradbally in Laois, from where she sells to clients worldwide.

ceramic-figures

Grainne Watts www.grainnewattsceramic.com is also worth a walk upstairs.

fish

If you are looking for something different in the way of lamps, tables or wooden bowls for your home, you will find plenty to tempt you, all made in Ireland by some of our top craftspeople. There are large pieces from www.mangocrafts.com and also a clever chair that turns into a step-ladder.

What about this stained glass lamp, below, made from 1,500 pieces by Agnes Preece in Dublin. For more information see www.stainedglasslamps.ie

lampshades

There are many talented wood-turners at the Fair but Roger Bennett is a craftsman like no other. His inverted cone-shaped bowls (below) are incredibly delicate, coloured with wood dyes and inlayed with precious metal. Look here for something truly different.

 

blue-dish

 

QUIRKY GIFTS

At ‘Forgotten China’ (38), I was tempted by soy wax candles in vintage china tea cups and teacup lights. There were earrings, cufflinks and pendants upcycled from old broken china and they even offer a bespoke service. For example, if you have your granny’s favourite chipped tea cup, it can be transferred into some pieces of jewellery to keep forever. How clever is that!

 

three-pendants

 

Last year, a Waterford teacher Angela Mc Carthy developed a board game “Chase Across The Square”, an action-packed game of speed and calculation to help children develop confidence with numbers in a fun way which has already received accolades from educationalists and can be bought in a number of toy stores.

 

kids-games

 

You won’t be able to pass by Avokado and Co (64) fun Irish Signs and Irish Gifts without indulging. My favourite are the ‘Irish Mammy Sayings’ and prices start at around €13. These are perfect if you need to send some gifts overseas that are not too expensive to post either.

 

sign

The Irish Telephone Box (A 72 ) brought me back in time and I wondered if I would have space in my home for the large one. Of course, they have a full range of accessories such as key rings, Christmas decorations and fridge magnets. Go on line to read their story www.irishtelephonebox.com

 

BEAUTY

Anneco Beauty (www.annecobeauty.com) (IR10) has natural mineral make-up and wonderful make-up remover that is high in antioxidants and omega-rich plant oils, that I am assured will even deal with waterproof mascara. Green Angel (www.GreenAngel.com), also nearby, has beautiful products and I was impressed with their hand and body scrub which has won numerous awards.

green-angel

 

TEXTILES & FASHION ACCESSORIES

Textiles and Fashion Accessories are well represented. If you want a nice cosy gift for the man in your life, there’s an extensive – and very colourful – array of warm woollen socks on display at the Donegal Socks stand.

Below you can see a selection of scarves produced from a combination of felt and wool and hand-dyed by Kate Ramsey www.fabulousfelt.ie

kate-ramsey

FOOD HALL

And if you have worn yourself out with all the crafts then you can visit the Food Hall and indulge in some of the best artisan foods Ireland and Europe have to offer. I was particularly taken with the tempting array of produce from The Country Kitchen in Nenagh, below, and the chocolate chip and honeycomb sausages from Barry Johns Sausages were surprisingly delicious. Encouraged to try out Ginos Gelato by a lady called Siobhan, I am now a convert. I didn’t realise that it is a franchise owned by two Irishmen who trained in Italy and have been in the business for over twenty years. Delicious and kind of healthy!

country-kitchen

DETAILS

Venue: RDS Main Hall, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

Parking: Simmonscourt Car Park (free shuttle bus to RDS)

Dart:  IO-minute walk from Sandymount Station

Tickets €10 (accompanied under 16 free) at the door or online www.nationalcraftsfair.ie

Dates

Thurs 1st Dec       10am-10 pm

Fri 2nd Dec           10am-10pm

Sat 3rd Dec           10am-7pm

Sun 4th Dec          10 am-7pm

Complimentary gift wrapping is worth using and also a complimentary cloakroom service is a nice touch. Go early as there is a lot to see.  I will be posting one or two more photos a day of my top picks until Sunday.  Please sign up with your email for future posts so you don’t miss anything exciting and feel free to share if you like this post. Choose your platform below. Follow me on Instagram for updates on overthehilda and Twitter on @overthehilda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tagged under: beauty products, ceramics, christmas gifts, crafts, guaranteed irish, hand-crafted creations, irish design, jewellery, national crafts & design fair, quirky gifts, wood products

What you can read next

Wrinkles, wrinkles everywhere and not a cure in sight!
The Coffee Fix
Drink Lemon, Water and Ginger to stay Healthy

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sign up here to receive updates straight to your mailbox
Loading

DELIGHTED TO BE IN THE TOP 15!

Fashion Over 50

overthehilda

overthehilda
Celebrated St Brigid's Day with @irelandseyeknitwe Celebrated St Brigid's Day with @irelandseyeknitwear yesterday. Their new Solstice collection (launching in March) is colourful, vibrant and contemporary, but still rooted in tradition. Check out stories for more pics.
Pic @kieranharnett

Wearing my cosy @selectedireland coat

#irelandseyeknitwear
#irishdesign
#sustainablefashion
#knitwear
#over60style
#stylishatanyage
#instagramover60
#irishknitwear
#bevisible
January Blues with my gang from 'Style Not Age'. January Blues with my gang from 'Style Not Age'.

So glad we are nearly finished with the month and can look forward to Spring and brighter days. 
Dress @lkbennettlondon @kildarevillage
Shopped my wardrobe for the rest.

Check out my post on the blog and see if my friends are as 'blue' as I am! 

@mummabstylish, @is_this_mutton_ , @thestylesplash and @annasislandstyle 

#stylesisters #stayingstylish #stylenotage 
#januaryblues #over60irishblogger #dressup #nevertooold
#instagramover60 #over60style 
#agelessstyle #ageisjustanumber
I know I have too many coats but I could not resis I know I have too many coats but I could not resist this gem bought @primark a few weeks before Xmas. I have no will power🙈!
 But it has been worn constantly during the cold spell. So cost per wear pretty good. Shopped my wardrobe for the rest. Boots @marksandspencerireland
and hat @mango. At least we have said goodbye to the rain for the moment!

#newcoat #over60style #nevertooold
#over50fashion #ageismisneverinstyle
#bevisible #ageisjustanumber 
#agelessstyle #styayingstylish #ageisjustanumber #fauxfurcoat
#instagramover50 #overthehilda
Sparkle and shine with 'Style Not Age'! I borrowed Sparkle and shine with 'Style Not Age'! I borrowed my jacket and shirt from my very sparkly sister @gannonrosie. There is a dearth of glitter in my closet😪 You can see more pics on stories and a close-up of my sparkly bag @shopfolkster. Check out my blog and see my glittering friends @annasislandstyle
@mummabstylish
@is_this_mutton_
@thestylesplash 

I hope you are all enjoying the festive season.....chat soon.

#sparkleandshine #stylenotage
#stylesisters #festivefinery #sparkle
#over50style #nevertooold #newyearsparkle #over60style #stylishatanyage #agelessstyle #irishblogger #fashionchallenge #fashionforall #stayingstylish
Instagram post 17879024813784694 Instagram post 17879024813784694
New post up on the blog with my friends from 'Styl New post up on the blog with my friends from 'Style Not Age'! And this month we are mixing stripes and spots. I went for a casual, cosy outfit. Shopped my wardrobe for most of it.

Trousers an hat are  new @primark.
Jumper @thisiswhistles 
Boots @marksandspencer 
Bag @lula_belle_malahide_ 
Scarf present from @nelly_approved 

Check out my friends' outfits
@thestylesplash 
@mummabstylish 
@is_this_mutton_ 
@annasislandstyle 

#stylesisters #stylenotage #over50style 
#casualoutfit #stripesanddots #stripesandspots #stylishatanyage 
#bevisible #nevertooold #fashionover50 
#agelessstyle #stylishsisters #wearwhatyoulove #fashionchallenge #ootd #jumperweather #over60irishblogger
Instagram post 17910884708590326 Instagram post 17910884708590326
Glowing skin just after my final @ultraceuticals_i Glowing skin just after my final @ultraceuticals_ire treatment. You can read all about my 90 day journey using at home potent products and in-salon treatments over on the blog. Particularly happy with my skin tone which is brighter and less blotchy. And the lines and wrinkles are less obvious too...plus the jaw area seems tighter. 

#ultraceuticals #realvisibleresults #skincare #cosmeceutical #over60skincare #myskin #myskinjourney 
#glowingskin #faceproducts #realdifference  #skincarethatworks
Had a wonderful stay at The Killarney Royal Hotel Had a wonderful stay at The Killarney Royal Hotel and a trip on a jaunting car in Killarney National Park.  Lovely to visit when it is not high season. Killarney is charming and the people friendly. New blog post up with all the details. Highly recommend. More pics up on stories. 

Wearing my new cosy hat @peruzzi.official @choiceboutiques.Shopped my wardrobe for the rest. 

#hotelreview #killarneyhotels #kerryhotels #irishhotels #irishboutiquehotels #midweekbreak #kerry #over60blogger
#travelgram #travelblogger #visitireland
#visitkerry #midlifeblogger #livelife
'Orange you glad it's Halloween?' is our Style Not 'Orange you glad it's Halloween?' is our Style Not Age prompt this month. And  I am always happy to wear orange no matter what the season/occasion.
My coat is over 25 years old and I still love it. Have you heard of the label Oui? I never see it in the shops now. And I loved the brand. 

Boots @paulasmalahide 
Hat @anthonypetodublin
Bag @kildare_mk 

Check out my friends  @mummabstylish @annasislandstyle @thestylesplash 
@is_this_mutton_ 

Happy Halloween!

#over50fashion  #over60blogger #orangelove #coatlove #over60style #agelessstyle
#ageisjustanumber #stylenotage #nevertooold 
stylishatanyage #over60fashion
Coat weather has arrived and this beauty is last y Coat weather has arrived and this beauty is last year's @selectedireland and they have some very like it this year too. Check stories. Love the fact that it is oversized so it is easy to layer up. 

#coatweather #autumnvibes #over50style 
#60plusstyle #agelessstyle #midlifestyle #autumncolours #over60blogger
#coatlover #coatseason #cosycoats 
#nevertooold #autumnstyle
New post up on the blog featuring where we stopped New post up on the blog featuring where we stopped off on our Danube River Cruise. Love looking back on the photos which bring back great memories of our trip. We stopped off somewhere different every day. Our final stop was Budapest. We arrived during the day, but the trip up and down the river at night with the city lit up was magical. The Parliament Buildings were particularly spectacular.
*press trip

#traveldepartment #travelcompany #guidedtravel #over60blogger #travelblogger #rivercruise #budapesthungary #travelsafely #over60travel#citylights #cityexplore
Load More… Follow on Instagram
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Style & Beauty
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Lifestyle & Leisure
  • Rants & Random Thoughts

Recent Posts

  • January Blues

    January Blues with ‘Style Not Age’

    ‘January Blues’ seemed an apt promp...
  • A different Kind of Daughter

    Books to Inspire and Educate

    I have three rather exceptional books to recomm...
  • Beauty-Spotlight-Team

    My New Prai Beauty Products and The Beauty Spotlight Team Returns

    I am eager to tell you about Prai Beauty 24K Go...

OVER THE HILDA

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Lifestyle & Leisure
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Style & Beauty
  • Rants & Random Thoughts

Copyright © 2021 overthehilda.ie | web by cloud nine

TOP
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT