Craft online

It's tricky for craft workers to find suitable outlets for their handiwork, but increasingly the Internet is helping small suppliers of handmade items to find a wider audience. The ultimate marriage of opposites - the coldly efficient Web and the tactile craft world - works particularly well if the goods on offer are photogenic and easily shipped. Irish illustrator/artist Carla Daly's work falls into such a category and she has established a website to market her brashly colourful painted objects. Called www.carladaly.com, the well-designed site showcases her work, including mugs at £7.50 (€9.52), candles for £6.50 (€8.25), and even toilet seats for £120 (€152). Her work is humorous, loud and a cheery antidote to minimalist restraint.

You can't actually purchase online - but there are contact directions which make buying easy. Personal favourites include these ceramic painted doorknobs that would be ideal for a children's room or a country-style kitchen. They sell for £9 (€11.43) each and measure 50 mm by 50 mm.