THE thought of weekend Christmas shopping and the prospect of a rain-sodden experience worsened by the inevitable struggle with an inside-out umbrella, makes me want to take to the sofa with the remote control and a pot of tea — and stay there.

Collaborating to achieve economies of scale and to target international markets, a group of craft makers have created the brand Handmade in Cork.

This month, artisans, from potters to jewellers, are opening their workshops to tea ch their traditional skills, says Colette Sheridan

Pic 1: Mary Jane chairs by Fergal O'Leary of Horizon Furniture which will be on show at the Locus Exhibition on Cornmarket Street and at the pop-up shop on Opera Lane for Cork Craft Month.

LIFTING our heads above the drizzle and grey clouds becomes more challenging as our so-called summer progresses towards darker evenings, leaving us with the feeling summer has by-passed us altogether.