Swoon with me now...

Le Petit Atelier de Paris

...the absolute highlight of my trip this year! I have wanted to visit here for so long...this intreaguing, beautiful little shop nestled in the Marais, and finally, the stars aligned and I made it. I was not disappointed....everwhere you turn, beauty lives. A simple, pared down, pure beauty that cuts through all the noise and bustle of the city and makes you feel like you can live your life more simply.... 

I was very lucky to meet and chat to the lovely owners {makers of the lovely things}...as always, I am left wishing I was more fluent in French {one day, I promise I will be!}...but so nice to see and hear what it is like for artisans living and working in a different place from me. 

I will be bringing a good selection of their beautiful wares home with me...divine vases, little dishes, a porcelain platter inprinted with tiny stars...fleurs de printemps...I can't wait to find places for them in my home. le sigh.

...if you are the kind of soul who loves nothing better than brown paper packages, tied up with string {topped off with a hand pressed porcelain button no less!} and a place where white stars are inlaid into a polished concrete floor....this will be your true North.

Enjoy, and Merci Le Petit Atelier de Paris....I am so glad you do what you do!

xo

Bon Soir...

Hello from a very damp and yet, still very beautiful Paris...having a heap of fun wandering around the streets and soaking in every sight, sound, taste and smell. 

I have already spent a good amount of time in my favourite {big} store, Le Bon Marche...bought some gorgeous ribbons and threads {ready for bedecking out all my new bijoux en route to their new homes!} in their amazing haberdashery dept and tomorrow {my Mums birthday} is already set out to be another day full of all good things as well!

I am hoping for a break in the rain so my camera can come out some more...but either way, my head and heart are busy working away, plotting and thinking how I can turn all this beauty and inspiration into something. Tis always the way of the maker, yes?

Bon Soiree to you all, more soon!

xo

Hello from the Marais...

Bonjour from Paris...I hope you are having a lovely Sunday afternoon! I am currently lounging in our little white apartment {'ours' for the week} with the huge full height windows open to allow the warm breeze, and the sound of the rustling leaves from the trees outside the window and the chattering passers by float in...

Not had much time out with my camera yet having just arrived yesterday, but these two fab cats caught my eye whilst wandering in the Marais some hours ago...I love trying to spot these artists series paste-ons here!

Thanks so much for all the kind comments about the new work on Friday! I have managed to upload all the new designs to my shop - you can see them {and buy them, should you wish ;)} right HERE :) 

{Do forgive the slightly odd sizing of the images though, I don't have the right photo-editing software here in Paris and only now realise i-photo won't quite do for everything...so I will fix the format later on...}

Have a lovely Sunday afternoon wherever you are - more shots from Paris really soon!

xo

New Bijoux...

Finally! I finished up the new pieces today...and managed to use the slightly dull light to my advantage and get them photographed...

Planning to get these uploaded to the shop in the next few days {whilst in Paris}, so stay tuned for that. If you can't wait, feel free to email me in the meantime if you want any more info about any of the bijoux :)

...still quite a bit to do today, including picking up my currency! So, I shall leave you with these shots {hope you like them} and will write to you again next from France {yay!},

Have a wonderful weekend all...

xo

{from the top :: Hollyhock Bud Hoop Earrings, Budding Leaf Cluster Necklace, Eucalyptus Necklace, Buttercup Necklace, Buttercup Pearl Hoop Earrings, Hawthorne Necklace, Hawthorne Stud Earrings.}

Solder On...

After many a cup of tea today, I actually got through quite a bit - the new pieces are getting closer to completion {in need of a dip in the gold-plating tank and the odd bedecking out with pearls}...

My mind however, is also firmly on Paris - where I will be by the end of the week!! I plan to blog daily from the City of Light...{internet connections being possible and laptop playing along} - so I am very excited about that! Planning on digging out some Paris based DVD's this evening to get me in the mood {really not that hard}...Paris Je T'aime  anyone? ;)

Good eve to all, 

xo

light on wood...

Is there anything better than sunlight streaming into a room with wooden floors....? I don't know that there is...

...this past weekend I was given an amazing coffee table by my aunt - she bought it in Bristol in the very early sixties and it has the most amazing inlay in the top...so retro and beautiful. It has two little square tables that fit underneath as well, so it makes the perfect addition to my living room. It needs restoring, so that will be a good little project for me to get my teeth into...can't wait to see it back to it's former glory!

From the top :: Singer sewing machine shadows  // Coffee table et sandals // leather lovers delight...

Now - if you want to feel full to the brim with beauty and wanderlust - check out Kat Heyes stunning photos from her recent travels ::click to go wow:: ...I have lost count how many have made it into my favourites already!

Good Monday to you all, 

xo

Perfect day off...

Starting with a very long lie...followed by coffees and lunch [ahem, breakfast] at Tinderbox and shopping at the wonderful Hitherto - then even more shopping and browsing at Jigsaw, makes for a very happy Abigail...

With a busy week ahead, this was exactly what I needed! Hope your Sunday was equally lovely...

xo

pinks and purples...

This week has flown by! Time is speeding up, I am sure of it.

From the top...a gift of Tulips // this morning // Orchid in dimly lit hall // last week with the blossom.

Links for a Friday afternoon... Nicholas Lorden / Defyra  - can't recall where I found them, but thank you to whoever passed them on ;)

What are your plans for the weekend? I am going to be going to Edinburgh tomorrow afternoon to wish my Great Auntie a belated Happy 80th Birthday...and apart from that, I have not yet decided! A little bit of wandering outside with my camera to see what I can see? A little bit of wine and cooking of good food with family? A little bit of sleeping, and a little bit of TV, perhaps? mmm. roll on.

Have a good one all. Oh, and - that new work really IS coming along, I promise...next week, for sure ;)

xoxo

A

Lucky me...

This amazing photograph arrived with me this morning - taken by none other than the gorgeous Maria on her trip to the UK earlier this year ...I am so smitten now it is here, even moreso than I was when I first spied the image if that is at all possible...the colours and grain in person are spectacular! {I will show it in situ very soon}... 

I knew I wanted some more photography for my place, so contacted Mav to arrange a big print of one of her shots, featured in the last issue of her book Lines and Shapes ...it's the first BIG photo I have ever owned and am so in love....thank you again mav, dear, for making the experience a dream!

Speaking of Lines and Shapes - Volume Two is out today! Eagerly anticipating my copy on this side of the Ocean...

The week is off to a busy and slightly tender start {due to dropping a sofa on my foot during the final removals and clearing of the old place}...but it should be a good one. Sun is out, good memories from the weekend are still here....talking of which, I was given a stunning piece of Claire Ferguson Ceramics as a gift {I will share a photo later...but must gush about this link for now!}....so I am feeling rather spoiled indeed, and very, very happy.

Post up on Ship too if you are reading along!

Happy Monday all, 

xo

Grey and Glorious...

I think the sun has been scared off - it's more grey again today. Suits me fine I guess...in working all day anyway - and grey is my theme, so there you go. Launching some of my most popular designs in silver and glossy black oxidised finishes for those that prefer their bijoux sans gold....I get asked for these Sweet Horse Chestnut Hoops quite often - so you will find them in my Etsy shop this weekend....

The Three Incestuous Sisters is amazing...the illustrations are beautiful in their grey palette. Earrings photographed on some of the pages...will share more next week.

Happy weekend to you.

xo

The Glorious...

I can't get over how good the weather is - here suddenly, and oh-so welcome. I hit up the Botanics today with Mhari and we brought our cameras along for the ride...trees laden with heavy blossoms of every shade, everything sprouting and growing and putting on it's best show. We finished up with iced drinks at Tinderbox. A pretty good Wednesday afternoon if you ask me....

When I got in a little later this evening {about 9.30} after being out for Tapas, I thought how different if felt to be full of the feeling of fresh air and warm breezes. That way when you get home at night in the summer, you want to just open the windows...pull your hair up off your face and neck, get into something light and comfy and just be for a while. I like the way the time seems to hang a little more in the summer, slows down around dusk....

I think I just really like my new place as well...it feels good to come home. 

Happy Wednesday all, 

xo