Starting my travel notes for my upcoming trip to Venice and right there after "Restaurants" and "Gelato", is a place for "Shopping". Would love your ideas, please.

I have a few pieces of Murano glass, several Carnevale masks, some brass fittings from gondolas.

There is a very good spice shop near the Rialto where I get saffron. It's about the same price as at home, but lasts 3-4 times as long.

We have a couple of Venetian lace curtains, but they were verrrrrrry expensive.

Small pieces of Murano glass and wonderful little sketches / watercolor paintings of the city.

My favorite souvenir of all my travels is a carnival mask shaped like an autumn leaf. It's remarkably lightweight (has to be held all night, the artist said!) and hangs right where I can see it as soon as I enter my home.

I adore San Marco but found the best shopping treats in the other neighborhoods. Have a wonderful, wonderful time.

I wish I'd bought more Murano glass jewelry. It's reasonably priced if you look elsewhere than the main streets. And easy to pack in your luggage. A pretty set of necklace and earrings can be found for only about 30EUR. My daughter bought a set I wish I'd bought for myself, too, because it has tiny glass beads on the 'chain', too. Makes it really look special.

I collect Authentic Venetian masks, made of paper mache. I have 6 now, and always buy from the same studio,

La Bottega dei Mascareri
S. Polo 80
Venezia

I also always get sealing wax and calligraphy ink, and usually get some hand made paper.

Murano glass jewelry is something I also generally get, though not every trip.

I was watching Rudy Maxa yesterday and he was in Venice. He visited a mask maker and I wish I had written it down. It was of course in the "back alleys" of Venice, not in the tourist areas. These were the "real deal" and just fabulous. I'm sure they are NOT cheap but if I ever make it back to Venice, I'm going to get one of those. I saw a lot of masks when I was there, but I didn't have the exploring time I would need, and the masks I saw were just cheap and horrible. A lot of the glass is that way too. Some of it is just awful, but find the right place and it is gorgous.

Here is one link to the Bottega for the masks, to give you some info about the shop...

http://members.aol.com/nonstopny/2000howl/boldrin.htm

I didn't shop for, but the one thing I would have wanted had I been able... was beautiful silk lamp shades/hanging lamp fixtures.

Thanks Wanderlust. Yup..you sure can tell the difference. Beautiful.

I am NOT a shopper...BUT I can't help myself when I'm in Venice!!!
Here are some of my favorite:

Speziaria de Venezia...for soaps & fragrances.
wwwspeziariadevenezia.com

Ottica Vascellari....for reading glasses...they have a wonderful line of their own...and of course all of the top brands of eyewear.
(San Polo 1030...San Silvestro Vaporetto)

Antigiancarta...for wonderful paper..stationery...cards.
Frezzeria 1795

Scriba.....Fabulous leather journals...and unique line of cards....and a teriffic gallery.
www.scriba-net.com
near Frari

Nicola Tenderini ...an annual pilgrimage to his atelier to buy his calendar...my sister has to have one!!
Campo Bella Vienna-Erberia, San Polo

And if you are in Campo S. Margherita check out the woodwork of artist Loris Marazzi
www.lorismarazzi.it

Sweets/pasteries/goodies:
Marchini....two of my favorite cookies...Basi de Dama...Nicciolini. Or anything that has just come out of the ovens.

Wine shop...wonderful staff... great hand-picked selection.
Bottiglieria Colonna
Calle della Fava 5595, Castello
Hours...4-8pm

You'll have a blast and a long list of your own favorites when you return!!

opps...forgot the .

www.speziariadevenezia.com

Chandeliers .........

We've got three gorgeous glass ones from Murano. One 'traditional', one with glass fruit, and one that looks as if it has silk, conical shades, that are also made from glass.

Another vote for glass:
http://www.davidesalvadore.com/works.html#
Check out the shields!

Bailey, where is the Speziaria de Venezia located? I didn't see an address or map on the website.

Holly,
Speziaria de Venezia is located at the end of Fondamenta Magazen & the beginning of Fondamenta d. Gaffaro.
On one of my first trips to Venice, my Venetian friend had prepared a basket with wonderful things from Speziaria...I return every year to stock up!!
Call ahead to make sure they are open...last time I arrived & the door was locked but the sign said 'aperto'..so I went to the side door & tapped. Opps..they forgot to unlock the door...they had been open for hours...they wondered why it wasn't busy.

I shop little in Venice, just happy being there EXCEPT I'm a fan of glass paper weights made only by 3 Fiori. I look for particular types like these.

http://tinyurl.com/h6juj

Sadly, 3 Fiori stopped pruducing 2 years ago.

Oh, yes for eye glasses. I got a pair of frames in Venice in March. They are fabulous. Venice seems to have the greatest eye glass frames in the world... or at least the parts of it that I've visited. My friend in OZ says that she knows someone who travels from OZ to Venice for glasses!

Bailey, need more clues! Sestiere?

Fabric, either antique fortuny or contemporary at Venezia Studium.

Glass candies -- have quite a bowl full now!

handmade paper--always, every trip -- I buy it at the campos toward the Accademia, like S. Stefano.

Holly...
It's near Piazzale Roma....it's inland so it is either San Polo or Santa Croce. The most direct way from Piazzale Roma is facing the landing at Piazzale Roma...turn left follow Fondamente Chiara it turns into Fondamente del Croce turn right onto Fondamente Papadopoll...at Fondamente Magazen turn left. It is on the right.