Thursday, 29 January 2009

Mini Mexican Saints Wallet - too cute!




Everyone could do with some saintly protection and a pocket full of blessings right? In Mexico these curiously appealing saint wallets are carried by those who believe they will bring blessings and protection.

I may not be Catholic, but I would never turn my nose up at the chance of a saint bestowing a blessing or two upon me. Besides, they are a mini work of art in themselves. I just can't resist them.

Wednesday, 28 January 2009

Valentine's Day Paper Cuts



I love these wonderful 'Amor' themed paper cut banners, known in their native Mexico as Papel Picado. If you have ever visited Mexico you may have noticed similar banners fluttering in front of churches for weddings, in courtyards for fiestas, in restaurants for ambiance and during the Day of the Dead celebrations you can find the most amazing designs decorating family altars and throughout graveyards. Paper cutting is a traditional Mexican folk art dating back to the 19th centry and is still deployed in the same way by using a very sharp chisel and hammer and tapping away at the design through 50 sheets of paper at a time. More on Papel Picado another time...

Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Virgin Blogger Coming Soon!

How exciting my first blog! Now all I have to do is think about how to lose my blogger's virginity and post something interesting..watch this space!