Nancy and Stephen

On Saturday September 17th, my friends Nancy and Stephen got married.

Back in August, Nancy showed me a photo of a Mexican Fiesta-style cake with papel-picado out of icing. There was also a photo of the cake topper that was pretty cool. She wasn't sure how to find one like it.........

I offered to make her one as a gift.

I sat at Oolie's dining room table and made the above couple - Nancy and Stephen!

They are both made of pipe cleaners and dressed in silk (!)

The arbor was the part I really spent the most time on. Wrapping the wire and adding the beads and flowers - fun! I am so happy with how it turned out.... and so was Nancy. (note the beaded "N" and "S")

Here it is - the final piece. (click on it to enlarge)

It makes me smile and Nancy said that it was the most photographed thing at the wedding (ha!) I bet it was the Bride, don't you?

A long and happy life to Nancy and Stephen! xoxo

All Dressed Up!!!!!!!!

I am really on a "posting roll" here!!!!!! This little flat 12 inch papier mache creature was given by Julie Arkell to all the participants at her recent stitching workshop at Briancon. They arrived in a clear cellophane bag labeled "Le Lapin de Briancon", along with scraps of fabric & felt that we could use to dress them up and personalize them......in our spare time....HA! Everyone else's got fully clothed, many with hand-knitted "itchy trousers" and bunny ears. Mine sadly entered the workshop-ending fashion show naked as I was barely able to get my "wild flower" bouquet finished in time!!!! She is now "fashion ready" in a vintage doll dress and hat and seems to be quite content with this "look"! Hopefully the other "Lapins" will make their blog debut soon.....keep checking! LOVE- Oolie

Oolie's "wild flower" bouquet stitched at Briancon

Please bear with me (this is probably out of focus!!!) as I have not posted a photo on our blog in forever......but I am so anxious to show everyone the stitching project that Julie Arkell designed for us to make at Briancon! I was still finishing the "embroidered tag" as Julie A. began the Show & Tell the last day!!! It was like I had 10 thumbs all week long! We had a fantastic time as you can tell from Becky's travel-log of the "Flats"! More stories and photos will continue to dribble in so please be patient and stay tuned. LOVE to all- Oolie

I Will Tell You A Little Story About Flat Sue And Flat Jone

Once upon a time,

Flat Sue And Flat Jone went together with their Pantry Violet sisters to Paris.

They had to pay a visit at Le Bon Marche´....

Sam and Oolie went a bit crazy and bought a lot of fabrics, buttons and you name it.

Becky was overwhelmed and didn´t even buy the tiniest button.

(Or maybe she had spent all her money buying too many things at Rue St Paul, the day before?)

PAUL was one of our favorite cafés and we did actually meet the crabby waitress

that Sue became such a "good friend" with, from the year before:)

Becky wanted her to hold flat Sue and Jone but she didn´t have the guts to ask her.

"Au Gare Montparnasse,"

we met the always so lovely Clare.

Clare was very trendy with a suit case from Orla Kiely.

Way too early we had to leave Paris

BUT thank heavens, the Julie Arkell workshop was waiting for us in Briancon!

Oolie was very concentrated and worked so hard with a flower bouquet

(all week long).

She was probably a bit disturbed by two flat women who were talking

tous le temps.

The inch project had a major breakthrough.

Clare had brought the inches, and Julie A and Jodie made their inches in less than a second.

Clare said:

-Sorry darling but I can´t inch tonight....

Well, she had an excuse because she played the drums in Dave´s band.

Jone was particularly happy when she had a sweet reunion with the inch project.

Julie enjoyed seeing her old friends again!

Jone made a new friend among the participants in the course.

....and so did Sue.

In Riberac Jone and Sue met some handsome guys on the food market.

Oh la la!

(He wouldn´t let her go)

Sue and Jone were hungry at the yearly picnic,

they brought some nice chèvre they bought from "the guys".

When Dave and his brilliant boys entered the scene,

the boys from Riberac were forgotten easily.

Fin de l´histoire

Vintage Fairy Tales Rebecka

OMG

Oolie, isn't this the most delightful toadstool?

Dear, wonderful Julie Whitmore sent this magical little "fungus" to me just before I left for all of my travels in September. I did not have a chance to take a picture of it before, so I am sharing it now. Isn't it sweet?

And, here is the "honey spoon" that I purchased from her. We have used it every day since it arrived. Isn't it charming? I think it makes the tea taste better.....

Please click on her blog and see her amazing creative projects.

I love making new friends.

HUT UPDATE ......

Here is a guided tour of my Beach Hut - most of the pictures are from when it was just finished!



the door is to the left .......

 




round the corner to the sink ...

 











here is the kitchen bit ....









and round to the window .....



my desk now looking less tidy by the minute .....

•  

And the view to the right of the desk!


Thats the full tour!  Bijou (9' by 11') my little peace of heaven!

Love to all ...   xxDi






hello Violets. Just a short note to say have fun those of you going to Julie's workshop in France - wish I was there. Take a look at what I'm doing lately, have started my own blog to log some stuff.

My blog: www.jogrant.wordpress.com

Give my love to Julie and all at Les Souers and have a lovely time!

September

Since there are no Violet Birthdays in September (unless someone is keeping a very big secret) I thought I would share photos of the amazing Charm Bracelet that Oolie finished when I was with her last weekend......FaBuLoUsLy deee-licious!

The charms are absolutely gorgeous...and perfectly PERFECT! Her choices of fabrics to cover each charm are so lovely and the bracelet is a delight!

Oolie, I thought about you today, as you left for Paris this morning. It is now 11:30 pm here, which would make it around 7:30 am for you in Paris - have you landed?

Have a wonderful time at Briancon, all you returning Violets!!

true love

Next weekend, on the 17th, my friends Nancy and Stephen are getting married - at Los Poblanos!

It is going to be an extraordinary wedding - filled with incredible handmade things that Nancy has created with her friends. She told me today that a wonderful surprise out of this was spending that quality time with so many of her close buddies - making special things for everyone attending and she is soooooo excited about ALL of it!

Here is my contribution to their day - the topper for the cake:

Bride & Groom

the Mexican-themed arch

Bride & Groom under the arch

- front view -

....and back!

I had such fun creating this little doo-dah at Oolie's house on Sunday. We were laughing and enjoying the whole process. Seeing Nancy's (and Stephen's!) reaction today was worth each minute of working on it. I am so glad they like it!!

Happy Wedding to Nancy and Stephen! All the best to you in your future together.....

I love you dearly!

xo