Here's a Fairy to lighten the day.

Love wee folk, fairies, elves and all kinds of imaginary beings.

I occasionally make one and keep it till it flies away.

Others I catch in a butterfly net, then let go.

Faye always likes to sit on an upturned cup thinks it is a fairy throne.

Have a great weekend everyone.

More images from France.

Doors intrigue me. If they are closed I want to know what lies behind them. If they are open I want to peak inside.
Windows are different. I like to see them as a frame around an image and am always looking for just the right view. I like to be inside looking out.
The upper left picture is in lovely rustic French farmhouse I visited for tea. The lace curtains looking onto the courtyard and ancient stone buildings were totally appealing.
On the right I photographed the door leading into an old cathedral in Vernon in Normandy.
Bottom left is in Strasbourg, France.
The lace curtained window on the bottom right was in a lane.

Gypsy doll

The doll is carrying a secret wish in her scroll.

She is about 12" long and has a long tassel skirt.
Maria represents the Carmague in the South of France.

I created her after my vacation there.

Enjoy all the give aways on the hundreds of wonderful sites listed on OHOW giveaways.

Maria is unfortunately not a giveaway, do enjoy.

One World-one Heart Give Away

Here are three different give aways. I will draw each seperately.
First item is a 6x6" collage for the wall and 2 pieces of vintage wallpaper. Very charming pieces to frame or cover a book.
Next is a booklet I made of Frida Kahlo and a brooch to go with it. Booklet has about 20 pages and is really cool. Brooch is an image on metal, mounted on a hand made fabric background.
Booklet is 3x5"
Last offering but no means least is a decorated envelope with 5 Paris tags inside.
The tags are all sepia tinted and are contained in a manila 3x5 coin envelope decorated both sides.

Hop aboard the Gypsy caravan, if you are an active Blogger.

I will have three items for you to maybe win. Listed on my Blog right here.

The lovely hostess is Lisa "Oceandreamer" Swifka. I did participate last year and it was such fun.

Leave a comment here to join in and a random winner will be chosen on 12th Feb.

Leave one comment only please, must be on this post.

Let us have some New Year excitement.

Along the Silk road, bags.

When I go searching for Emeralds in my Camel train along the Silk road, I take one of these bags for Gathering.

I wish! Well dreams are cheap!

These are new on my Etsy site.

Craft Project for a Valentine

Something to hold a Valentine gift can be mundane red or pink. A little of that goes far with me.

I really prefer a more natural look and one that is easy to make if I need a lot for club gifts or even for school.

Change the picture for any occasion. The monochrome look seems to be in vogue at present.

To make the gift bag glue on a background text or music page. Mine is French.

Add a word phrase and a picture of vintage cherubs or whatever.

Create a tag with same feel and tie to one handle of the purchased brown paper bag with a scrap of lace.

Tie some ragged gauze to same handle and add a little clear glitter if you like.

Another version has a vintage photo added.

French Doll

I thought it would be nice to create a doll to remind me of Paris.
She is Miss Moulin Rouge

and has an embroidered and flounced outfit. With lots of vintage trims.
She wears a banner with the words printed on it.
You can find her in my Etsy shop.

Statue of Liberty

One of the original statues of Liberty in France. This is smaller and is in the Seine near a bridge where our barge was moored. It sits on a small mound with a tree nearby.
Lady liberty is looking toward the right bank.
A fitting image for today. A beacon of pride and hope.

here is your little Tour

Take the Metro with me.
Here you go, got the ticket?
I thought the station would look good in sepia so I did a little editing.
Hurry, we are off!

France at Christmas time

Right picture is in the village of Vernon in Normandy where I captured the poor old Santa hanging on for dear life.

The lower pic. is part of the program when I attended midnight mass in Paris in a marvellous Cathedral .

It was packed with people and the rituals and bells and incense and singing in French of course, charmed us greatly. My Christmas eve. J'adore.
Saint Christophe de Javel is the name of the ancient Cathedral in the area called Javel, and near the Eiffel tower.
There is a metro station and transfer place there where I got on the wrong line twice.
Soon realised and jumped of at the next station and went back in the other way. Such is my sense of direction when I live on a small island.

Christmas scenes in Paris

Took lots of photos in France and will have wonderful memories. Hope to use some in my collages and art.
My Hotel was a barge on the Seine, so I either walked everywhere or took the RER or the Metro.
Pretty proud of myself there!
The big pic is Montmartre on Christmas day. This was near the market.
Top smaller pic is a street on the left bank. Dusk.
Lower is Notre Dame cathedral.

Shabby and chic

Magazine hanger in daughters home. Cool idea.

Shelves with crafty bits in same home.

I made the medicine box for her.

New Year, give away

I will give away something I have made, from time to time. Probably once a month. I have minimal storage and have lots of samples and gift items to find a home for.

Leave me a comment and I will give this brooch to some lucky visitor to my site. A motive not withstanding. ( traffic again after my absence) Brooch is metal collage with a portrait and some beads. Has 1865 on the hat. Love that number.

Clipped to a card of with the Eiffel tower on it.

On a re-cycling kick . Again!

I grew up this way in remote NZ and so happy to see it back with the economy adding energy to the look.

Junk is beautiful, like shabby chic with a bit more oomph!

Have you seen the CD my kids gave me. A freebee in a magazine of the same name.

Full of the neatest ideas.

I received the item from my son in law, (company give away) so created a holder for travel pictures.

The card is a sketch of Vernon, a place I loved.

My fave purchase in Paris

I love the freshness of Cologne, 1902 is the best.

On a freezing day I slipped into Galleries Lafayette to warm up, and it was right in front of me with its clean freshness.

The fragrance I love is Vetiver.

Another version is available at L'Occitane here in the US.

Who on earth?

Freezing cold. Wearing 5 layers at the Tower. Could hardly move.
Borrowed a daughter's hat and scarf.
Feet froze then became numb.
Living in the tropics did not help prepare me for Europe in Winter.
Kept me moving for sure.
This area is where Marie Antoinette lost her lovely head.

Feeling hungry in France

We had a little competition to see how many different loaves of bread we could buy and display artfully.
This was my effort.
I used some of the paper bags from the bread to hold baguettes, sliced some loaves and had fun.
Of course got to eat it later with local cheeses. Yum!

Here I am again.

Happy New Year.

Missed everyone, hope it is all going well in the good old USA. No place on earth like it.

France is great to 'visit', I will post more soon. Arrived home last night.