The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition may be over, but if you missed it you can still find some great art and décor items right in your own backyard.

I met with east-end resident and coordinator of the year-old Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Association, Cynthia Speranza, who gives me a tour of some new crafty shops.

In RedSable, we meet manager and artist Julie Glick. RedSable is a tiny but mighty gallery that sells one-of-a-kind fine arts and crafts.

One wall showcases hanging art, while the rest of the space features pottery, fashion accessories and sculpture — most handmade by GTA artists, with about 20 from the immediate area.

The framed ink drawings by east-ender Silvia Cocolo are divine and you won’t see her anywhere else as Julie ‘discovered’ her. Stay tuned for a solo exhibit of Cocolo’s work in September.

Julie is a painter herself and though her website, www.julieglick.com, showcases recent figurative works, she’s showing some older floral pieces here. One painting, $825, I vow to save for.

I’m thrilled to see handmade cards by another local acquaintance of mine Diana Symonds. At $8 a pop they’re beautifully wrought and whimsical.

Bright leather bags by Lori Bentley are gorgeous, starting at about $45 for small pouches and $185 for a zippered handbag that’s pretty fab.

Crocheted sterling silver jewellery with Swarovski crystals by Heather Bell Denison at ultra reasonable prices ($25 for the ring I see); and reversible belts made of recycled ties by local Krista Nauman, $35 each, are also faves.

The gallery shop is open Thursdays to Sundays.

1765 Danforth Ave., 647-436-3733, www.redsable.ca

Speaking of mosaic, nearby Tanya MacFarlane of Mosaic Beach Studio is putting the final touches on her humungous mosaic sign that will soon be hanging over her new storefront.

Tanya moved into the new space June 1 from her old home on Gerrard St. East, and she tells me she’s had her eye on it for years now.

A self-taught mosaicist, Tanya sells all the mosaic fixings for people who practise the craft at home. She also offers a range of project-based workshops. Once you master a project you can simply rent the space to work on whatever mosaic piece you want.

The wrought iron bistro table is popular and you can make one in about eight classes for $350. If you’re a lazy decorator like me you can buy one that’s made by someone else. Tanya does custom work and an absolutely beautiful red stained-glass bistro table she recently made, $495, glistens in the afternoon sunlight the day I pop in.

If you’d like to learn about all the mosaic techniques, the “Everything But the Kitchen Sink” seminar is Aug. 23. Apparently people from overseas book their travel plans around this event, held four times a year.

What’s new: monthly exhibitions featuring a different mosaic artist.

1374 Danforth Ave., 416-915-1627 www.mosaicbeach.com

A reader sent me a tip about Inspire and I’m so glad Cynthia and I stop in this gift and décor shop. Owner Laura Ansari has just erected a lovely purple awning and it’s a pretty harbinger of what’s inside.

True to its name, the shop does indeed inspire with its sheer breadth — and beauty — of product selection.

I haven’t seen the handpainted glass pieces by Quebec artist Caroline Bousquet anywhere else. A long platter with squares of bright pinks and purples is $24.99 while smaller dishes are $15.99 and $6.49.

For the budding outdoor decorator, the metal bird sculptures with hand-blown glass bellies holding tea lights are, again, like nothing I’ve ever seen. A cocky rooster is $34.99.

I’m bedazzled by the solar light, $24.99 — a garden stake with a colourful ball on the end that lights up once the teeny solar panel is charged. But I also dig the old-World gifts like sachets, $1.29, and scented drawer liners, $9.99 for six.

On the décor side, a jaunty purple silky ottoman-stool is $79.99.

The Fair Trade table runners made of old saris are sparkly chic, and decorative wood boxes — $6.99–14.99 for teak ones — are the best prices I’ve seen.

928 Danforth Ave., 416-466-1095 www.inspirehomedecor.com

Danforth Mosaic BIA: www.danforthmosaicbia.com