A selection of images from Claires beautiful Paris instagram gallery

 “I have walked through many lives, some of them my own.”

This line from the poet Stanley Kunitz resonates for me each time I reach into one of my collections.

I grew up in San Francisco. I studied art history and design at the University of California in Berkeley and traveled a lot in my younger days. My father worked for an airline and family members were allowed to travel anywhere on the world-wide routes on a stand-by basis. I went around the world at least twice, stopping in Europe, India, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong and China. I lived in Paris for 17 years and during that time traveled to Guatemala, Columbia, Mexico, Turkey,  Tunisia, Morocco, Afghanistan, Egypt and the French Antilles. My accumulations reflect those interests…textiles, books, antiques, postcards, ephemera, songs, vases, ceramics, plants, yarn…

My husband and I have made our home in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 28 years now.  Together we have raised five children in a blended family. They are now all grown, and my husband and I are retired. We spend time in Paris at least once or twice a year.”

Ruth: When are you happiest?

“I am an artist and a maker. I am happiest when I work with my hands, be it drawing, collage, knitting, gardening, cooking, floristry, sewing. I have several art tables and this is part of my favorite one. It is in the kitchen, my favorite room in the house. Like Maira Kalman who I greatly admire, I feel life is better with snacks. I love a cup of tea nearby.”

“Here are the front and back of a cover for a classical music mix I just made for a very close friend of mine.”

Ruth: Do you have a favorite source for your materials?

“Art magazines, museum publications and promotional materials for art exhibits are probably my favorites. Friends and family have also given me interesting paper and even vintage ephemera. Corey Amaro has kindly gifted me French material from her Tongue in Cheek brocante. I love the vintage treasures you sent me recently!”

Ruth: Do you have other collections you would be willing to share?

“From a month-long trip to Afghanistan in the ’70’s before the Soviet war in 1979 and long before the present one began in 2001, I have some much treasured objects. They are eloquent of the beautiful places I visited and the deeply hospitable people I crossed paths with. I cannot pick these up without great sadness over these devastating decades of war. These small intricately worked purses are from the ancient covered market that once existed in Mazar-I-Sharif, none more than 4 inches in length by 3 inches in width. Have I saved these items from destruction? It is a minor comfort to think so.”

“”More currently I have been collecting small vases…from brocante, thrift stores, sidewalk sales, gifts, potters’ studios. I love flowers and have done arrangements for a number of weddings of friends and acquaintances. I started out looking for small containers to put the less than perfect or broken flowers in. At this point, I have a growing population of small vases and here are just some of them.”

Ruth: Is there anything you cannot part with?

“Well, eventually one parts with everything and at this stage of my life, I try to be more modest in my collecting. I have many things from France, both old and new. Here is one thing I have always really enjoyed: My “Plan de Paris A Vol d’Oiseau” dated 1959. It is a 5ft by 8ft map of the kind that used to hang in the Paris subways. I can see every street and building. Life before GPS. Here is a small corner of my map.”

  

Les Petits Bonheurs series is back for 2015 and appropriately this weeks artist, Christine Kelly of ‘Gentlework‘, is someone who I discovered thanks to Johanna Flanagan of The Pale Rook who I interviewed in November. What a wonderful gift it has been to meet so many wonderful makers, you are truly inspiring me.

I completly lost track of time the morning I stumbled into Christines blog, each image more beautiful than the next. Her handstitched treasures whisper to you, they soothe and comfort.

One image in particular touched me deeply, a photograph of antique jewel boxes inside which, Christine has hand stitched words of hope, “let go”; “have hope”, “courage dear heart”. She describes making “a collection of tiny tokens, to be called upon in times of need, slipped into a pocket, closing fingers around them, a comfort“.

I feel Christines work on a very personal level, it moves and nourishes me and right now, with events of recent days her work and stitched words have taken on a special importance.

I am so grateful to Christine for opening up her creative process and home here for Les Petits Bonheurs and know that you will enjoy discovering her work.

“I’ve always loved vintage textiles and I suppose I’ve been collecting for about 20 years or so. I use them because I prefer them to ‘new’ fabrics. I like the fact that they have a narrative, they are often soft or faded from years of washing and handling or there may be a stain, a mend or a tear which hints at their former use. The use of these materials in my work, especially in more personal pieces, means that their story and my story become intertwined.”

“I can get very attached to little scraps of fabric, even little plain pieces that may not seem very precious. I can’t remember the first piece of vintage textile that I fell in love with, and I get new favourites all the time, but one piece in particular is a small piece of broderie anglaise lace picked up at a Paris flea market, it’s old and hand worked with tiny pintucks along the bottom. It’s humble and stained and nothing special, but it has a little mend on it and it’s those tiny stitches that melt my heart….thinking how much it must have meant to someone for them to mend it with such care. I’ve used it in a piece of work, but it’s one I’m going to keep…”

“I pick up vintage pieces from all sorts of places, but mainly local antique fairs, some of the stall holders know me now! I don’t buy online much as I like to see and handle things.

When I buy vintage materials I don’t buy expensive or precious items, or anything too perfect. I’m often more attracted to something that’s a bit tatty or worn, also that way I don’t feel bad about cutting them up and re-using them.”

“My work is characterised by it’s subtle colour palette and that’s what I’m drawn to when looking for materials to use. I like the gentle variations in tone that vintage linens and lace provide and exploit this in my work by patching together differing shades. I also like to use old mending threads to embroider with rather than modern embroidery silks as I prefer their soft and subtle colours. I especially look for interesting edges or details on textiles or bits of embroidery and lace with motifs that I can cut out and use for appliqué. I don’t set out to look for materials with a particular project in mind, rather I like things to just find me….”

“In my workroom I’m surrounded by the materials I use and new acquisitions are kept out on display for some time before they are used, to be considered and to provoke thought. Seeing materials side by side often inspires me and happy accidents can happen through a combination of untidiness and serendipity.”

“My favourite place to be is at my desk in my workroom, surrounded by all the things that inspire me and looking out onto trees, fields, sky and birds. I’m at my happiest when quietly hand stitching, listening to the radio or gentle music. In the past I worked predominantly with machine embroidery but now, stitching by hand has taken over. I find hand stitching more tactile and immediate, it also fits well with the vintage materials I use which have often been handled and hand stitched themselves over many hours, many years ago. The other thing about stitching by hand is that it can be very calming and meditative. I find stitching a great comfort in times of stress and some of the work I’ve made has been in direct response to difficult times in my life.”

Do you have an absolute favourite material that you love working with?

 “I love using vintage buttons, especially really tiny mother of pearl ones that are quite hard to come by, but some of my favourite items to use have been some vintage bone buttons and some beautiful buff coloured heavy French linen, which is lovely to stitch into.”

What is your background and how did you find your way as a textile artist?

 “I don’t have a formal education in textiles, I’ve taught myself and learned along the way over the years. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t making things. I used to regret not having studied art or textiles, feeling that it put me at a disadvantage, but I don’t anymore. A lot of my work is very personal and draws on my experience of life and I don’t think I’d be making the work I do now without having been on a personal and creative journey.”

“I’d always shoehorned my creativity around work but in 2005, myself and my husband took a ‘year out’ from full time work to concentrate on our creative selves, after the sale of a home and a business and a long period of stress. It was during this year, and having this time to devote to my art that marked a turning point in the work I was making, when lots of different elements came together, my ideas and experience, the vintage fabrics and ephemera I’d been collecting for so long and all of the creative skills I’d learned over the years. We rented a house in a rural location, the first time I’d experienced living in the countryside, something which was to have a profound effect on my work and my creative process. The house was called Trevethoe House and inspired a piece of work of the same name.”

Who inspires you?

“Like most creative people, inspiration comes from everything and everywhere. The influence of nature is something that permeates a lot of my work. I live just next to woods and fields where I walk my dog each day and it’s often when I’m out walking that ideas come to me.”

“There is also a connection for me between the peace and calm of experiencing nature and the contemplative aspect of slow hand stitching, the two seem to go hand in hand and this is reflected in my work. Inspiration often comes from the vintage textiles I find (a little detail may spark off an idea of where I want a piece of work to go) but mostly my work stems from personal experiences and my inner landscape, thoughts and emotional states. You asked whether I get creative block, and the answer is I don’t really. Quite the opposite, in terms of ideas I have a backlog of things I’m longing to make. Of course, sometimes, it’s harder to work at something than at other times, if you don’t feel so great or things aren’t really flowing or working out as you had planned them in your head. At times like this I try to just go with it and if all else fails, have a break, do something else and come back to it.”

Is there anything that you can not imagine parting with?

“There are lots of things that are special to me but they are just things at the end of the day. I would struggle to part with some of my work, though. Stitching a piece of work by hand over many hours results in a real connection to the piece you are working on, often making a piece very difficult or impossible to part with (or to put a price on). Also, much of my work is inspired by my feelings and experiences, like a journal really, they contain a part of me, so it would be very hard to let them go.”

I find your work so moving, especially the hope tokens in antique boxes and the fabric tokens where you have woven beautiful comforting words on inside. I understand that you create these not for sale but as personal talismans – could you talk about these pieces and their meaning for you?

“The use of stitched text plays quite a big role in my work. I keep a little notebook of words, phrases and quotes that are meaningful to me. I’m interested in the power of words, to comfort and inspire and remind us of things which are important. This is something I’ve explored in the form of portable little fabric tokens to act as reminders and tiny boxed stitcheries that can be kept in a pocket and looked at in times of need. I’ve made these pieces for myself over time in response to various emotional states, the act of making them is reassuring in itself and then you have them as a keepsake. I’d been reluctant to share personal items like this on my blog in the past, but when I did, particularly in the case of the fabric tokens, the response was overwhelming. I think people really connected with them, after all we all have difficult feelings to deal with from time to time, I just tend to deal with mine through stitch.”

How do you sell your work?

“I sell my work mainly at fairs, exhibitions and at workshops I teach and occasionally to people who contact me directly. Generally, I prefer not to work to commission, which people find unusual. I have tried in the past but I find it stressful and it makes me feel constrained, and this takes some of the enjoyment out of creating and means I can’t really put my heart into it. My work means so much to me that I wouldn’t be happy to sell a piece that didn’t have my heart and soul in it.”

Please visit her wonderful blog here  to view more of her work.

Oh the wonders of Instagram, one day you scroll down through your feed, fall down a wonderful rabbit hole of inspiration and come out the other end buzzing with the discovery of exciting talent. This is what happened when I discovered the work of Danish mixed media artist, Tina Jensen who creates under the name, Tiny Bear Studios

Tina loves to work with “everything worn and faded – vintage lace, rusty bits and pieces, vintage photo albums, old stuff with a history.”   I love how she combines all her finds, transforming the smallest, torn and discarded morsels of old textiles to create something that will be treasured and loved once more. I wanted to find out more about what how she brings her creations together and of course take a snoop in her studio to see what treasures it holds – the stacks of old books, albums and layers of antique textiles do not disappoint – I want to reach out and leaf through the books, touch the soft, timeworn stacks of lace… dive in with me and meet Tina!

When did you start collecting?

“I’m not quite sure when it all started actually. I´ve always had a passion for the old and worn stuff and have spent lots of time at the flea markets. I´m drawn to the faded old worn look and to all things old. Vintage lace, old photos, old buttons and sewing suppliers, worn old paper, old books – you get the idea. I started buying these things thinking they could be used for something, not knowing what exactly. I just thought it was too pretty to be thrown out. Now I use all my finds in my creations and love the idea of giving old stuff a new life in a new way.”

What was the first piece of history that made your heart sing?

“Small pieces of worn vintage lace – I loved the look. That was my first passion. Shortly after I started finding beautiful old worn books and couldn´t let them go. Old photo albums with faded photos inside too.

Is there anything that you can not imagine parting with, a piece of jewellery, a painting, a photograph?

“Old photos from my own family – I need to keep them and some vintage textile pieces too. I´m having a hard time using stuff from my own family, but everything I find at fleas I use.”

What do you look for when you are sourcing materials? Do you have a colour scheme in mind or is it random and it comes together back in the atelier?

“I look for old faded stuff. I fall for the stuff that no one wants. Books that are torn, fabric and lace with rusty marks, everything faded, worn and miserable – that´s for me. I don´t look for a specific color theme, but always ends up with dusty faded colors. There´s no bright colors in my studio.”

How long do you ‘live’ with your finds before you start working with them?

“I buy the stuff when I see it, to make sure it’s going to be mine. Sometimes I know what I want to do with it and I start creating very shortly after bringing it home, but as often I have it for a very long time in my studio. I don´t always know what it’s for – it’s kind of difficult to explain, but I don’t go hunting for stuff for specific creations. I hunt for that special look/feel and later on I know what i’m going to use it for.”

Where do you do your making?

“I have a tiny little room in our apartment that I use for my studio. I have all my supplies gathered here on open shelves. It inspires me to see all my stuff and that´s how new creations are born.”

Who inspires you?

“I do have a few artists I have found online whose work inspires me, but most of my inspiration comes from the stuff I have in my studio and definitely from visiting flea markets, which I do almost every weekend during summer time.”

Do you listen to music when you work or do you prefer the quiet?

“Sometimes I listen to music and sometimes I prefer the quiet. Depending on what I´m working on.”

Do you ever get creative block?

“It’s very rare that I get a creative block, but when it happens I take a break for a few days, go out on walks and then start organizing my studio. Going through stuff – cleaning out. And then the inspiration comes back. This would be my best advice. Don’t force it, let the mind flow and it will come back again.”

Where is your favourite place for sourcing materials?

“Flea markets – definitely”

Where are you happiest?

“I’m happiest when I can get some creative time in my studio”

Do you sell in any other way that on etsy/your blog? How has e-commerce and social media changed the way you do business ; the human experience of salons/markets vs. the International global marketplace of Etsy.

“I’m doing a Christmas Craft Fair here in Denmark once a year. I would love to do more, but we don’t have many options here. I would love to find a little gallery who would display my work.
Social media has changed my creative life. Being able to connect with mind liked people from all over the world and being able to sell my creations all over the world too – I wouldn’t change that for anything. That´s such a big part of my creative life.”

What is your favourite corner in your house?

“My work table in my studio”

Do you have any collections you would like to share – vignette photographs?

“I’m not a collector as such, but have only collections of what I use in my creations”

You can visit Tinas beautiful blog to find out more about her world and her etsy shop is filled with wonders

Merci Tina!

One of my most dog eared, overflowing with post-its, favourite creative books is Rejuvenating Jewels: New Designs from Vintage Treasures by Jeweler Amy Hanna. Its pages are filled with sumptious images, the most unexpected items are transformed into beautiful heirloom jewellery.  I have followed Amy over the years, admiring from a distance her wonderful way of combining old with new; her fantastic sense of colour and her love for the hunt, be it rummaging through flea markets or antique stores, it’s always an adventure to see one of her pieces coming together.

So I reached out to Amy, one of my jewelery making heroes and she generously agreed to share her creative process and her love of the hunt for Les Petits Bonheurs. I hope you enjoy discovering more about Amy as much as I have!

“I started collecting when I was a child. I have always had a fascination with history.” Amy Hanna

What was the first piece of textile that made your heart sing?

“When I was a little girl the house I lived in was built on top of a lot that use to have one of the oldest houses in town on it. The contents of the house are actually kept in our town museum. I use to dig around in the yard to try to find some kind of piece from the original home. One day I was so excited to find a piece of broken china you would have thought I had found a pot of gold. I guess I was always an old soul. While traveling I think Paris really blew my mind with all the attention to detail, the colors, the casual perfection of imperfection.

I fell in love with the grey beauty of it.”

Is there anything that you can not imagine parting with?

“There are a few pieces of jewelry that I can’t imagine parting with. One being my Great Grandmother’s rhinestone brooch of a crown that I treasure not because it is so valuable and beautiful but because I loved her so much. Whenever I see it, it reminds me of her long long hair that she always wore up in a bun and her warm sweet smile. I also treasure a small cameo of a man and a women that is actually a tiny music box.”

Can you talk to us a little about your creative process: how long do you live with your found treasures before you start working with them?

“Sometimes I find myself keeping certain pieces and then one day I feel like it is ok to let it go. There are a few pieces that I wish I would have kept.

One that comes to mind is a vintage French hand painted portrait of a white haired lady that was painted on to Mother of pearl. I sold the piece a very long time ago but her face was so dreamy I still think of her. But I can’t have everything and I want the pieces that I create to be loved as much as I Ioved putting them together and using unusual special things is what makes them treasured.”

What do you look for when you are sourcing materials?

“I look for things that strike up curiosity in me. For example where did this come from, what was it used for how can I make the piece hold something or will it add humor.

I love dingy, sparkly, delicate, industrial, velvet, religious, souvenirs, mementos and playful things.

Although I am very excited to find a very old locket containing photos of a special someone inside it also makes me sad to think someone meant so much to someone at one time and somewhere this special memento got left to the world but how wonderful that someone else can appreciate and enjoy the captured moment in time.”

Do you listen to music while you work or do you prefer to create without distractions?

“Funny but I am usually in silence when I work. I like to be open to hearing my mind talk to me. When I do listen to music for some reason I find myself listening to the Cure, their music makes my mind dance around with crazy ideas which makes me more creative.”

Where is your favourite place for sourcing materials?

“I try to pick up interesting pieces from all over the place. I love to hunt for things while traveling to different countries, flea markets are the best.”

“I’m always excited to find a good antique store and I love to support other etsy shops as well. There are so many interesting things you can find on line.”

How and where do you sell your finished creations?

“I have had my things in upscale boutiques and I sell on etsy. I also sell while teaching classes. It sometimes blows my mind to think that I have sold pieces that I have made to people around the world.”

“I feel very blessed to have been given such wonderful opportunities to teach classes and sell my pieces. I never take that for-granted it is a true gift to be able to share your passion with other women. ”

You can read more about Amys work and inspiration on her wonderful blog

And see more of her beautiful jewels in her Etsy Shop

]]> http://lepetitcoquin.ie/admin/les-petits-bonheurs-amy-hanna-rejuvenated-jewels/feed/ 0 http://lepetitcoquin.ie/admin/les-petits-bonheurs-lucie-tales/ http://lepetitcoquin.ie/admin/les-petits-bonheurs-lucie-tales/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:19:14 +0000 http://lepetitcoquin.ie/admin/?p=8532

“Once upon a time a little girl was crying and as her tears fell they turned into precious stones.?”

Welcome to the wonderful world of Lucie Tales, where French jeweller Lucie, weaves wondrous tales through her jewelery creations from found objects.  I love how she describes the “highly emotional experience” of discovering these found treasures and how she is drawn to the link between “past and present, between craftsmanship and the story of an era”. I also adore how she disagrees with collecting for the sake of collecting, but to strive to transform and make these old things live and be loved again.

Her pieces are so unique, she majestically transforms the old and “used, tumbled by the sea, painted, rusted, scratched” into contemporary jewellery and yet always retains the beautiful soul of the piece, a “trace from their previous lives”.

An upcycled aluminum and antique rhinestones necklace

When did you start collecting?

“I might say it started as a little girl. I couldn’t return home without something I had picked up along the way to school : a nice pebble, a beautiful leaf or seed. Pebbles were the most cherished treasures and my mother was careful emptying my pockets before putting my clothes in the washing machine.”

“I don’t consider myself as a true collector. When I go to the flea market I don’t look for something special to complete my collections. My purchases are spontaneous and made on the spot, I don’t track down a particular item, I love hasard. And the worth of an object is so subjective! I remember the day I found a box full of new old stock brass eyelets, it was like I struck gold!!! I saw all the possibilities, the variations it would enable me to design.

For me, collections are kind of dead things, objects lined up in a show case are crying to get out. I don’t like objects sitting on a shelf without any use. They seem dead, abandoned and forgotten, they have lost their worth. I think my taste for repurposing comes from there, I want to give things a second life, rescue them from death.”

Is there anything that you can not imagine parting with?

“I think that stories, tales are what make my heart sing. My mother used to tell me about the gorgeous treasures her grand-mother Blanche had stored in trunks in the attic where my mother as a child would play. Clothes, feathers, hats, gloves, exquisite laces, jewelry, beaded accessories, ivory and silver handles… These trunks have disappeared in a bonfire in 1950s made by an unscrupulous stepdaughter for which all these things were a heap of rubbish. All that escaped are some Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette 1920s catalogues that I still have. From time to time I sell extra supplies from my flea market visits, but these 1920s catalogues I will never part from.”

On her creative process:

“The elements I bring back from flea markets can sit for several months or even years in my studio before they find their place in a jewelry composition. When I’m in love with something, I have to look at it often, to feast over it and even if I try I can’t do anything with it because I’m overwhelmed by its beauty. So I admire it until I come full of it, then I can play and work with it. Or sometimes I decide to include it in a piece that I will keep for myself but then it always end that during the process I come to terms with it and then I can sell it.

One important thing for me is to avoid making something which would have the look of a vintage jewelry. I don’t make fakes or vintage style jewelry. It must have and show a contemporary twist.  I often transform a finding or hammer a part or add an element entirely made from scratch or add some contemporary artisan made parts for balance .

I store my supplies in small storage boxes on the wall but I usually work elbows deep in them all over my table and trays. I always work on different projects at the same time. Some assemblages are waiting on a tray because they’re not ”right” yet. The process is a continuous one, I may complete a piece while walking on the beach or having my coffee, or best of times, daydreaming.”

  Vintage burnishers tools on my new soldering table

“Having worked several years in open space offices, it is very important for me to have my own space, I need to be in my bubble, completely isolated from the outer world. In the different flats we have rented, I always had a room of my own for my different creative urges. When we bought our house, I invested a small part of the library that we parted with an antique reclaimed wooden panel, it is situated in the heart of the house and felt like a cocoon. But it is rather small and moreover it is dark. We’re renovating slowly our 1920s house and there was a kind of office separated from the house very damp and containing a disused water tank in its wall. When I received from my father, my grand-parents’ inheritance, we decided to make my dream studio come true and transformed this damp room into an airy atelier overlooking the garden. That what we’ve been working on for more than a year now. First the design and then the heavy work.”

“Just the other day, we were fitting the last missing piece of the jigsaw : an antique metallic atelier door with glass panels. Most of my furniture in my atelier is vintage. Except the metallic storage boxes. Most of my tools are vintage too! Reclaiming, repurposing is a way of life for me and has always been. As a teenager and long before it was trending, I was scouring flea markets and second-hand shops to dress myself and buy some furniture. Not for lack of money, even if it does matter, but because I’ve never seen the point in buying something new, something soul-less that everybody can have, when I can dig some treasures of much better quality both in material and craft to which I give a new life.”

On inspiration:

“I graduated in Arts studies and definitely, my imagination is built on all the works of art I’ve seen and studied. Then I’ve worked in a Contemporary Art Center so I had the opportunity to work with several talented artists, and the chance to have a glimpse of their own world. .

I’m living in a world of images, from what I access via the Internet to my everyday environment. I’m lucky to live in a beautiful and varied area, my everyday walks lead me on the sea shore and Loire estuary. I live in an industrial town which is also an harbour. I really have a thing for industrial buildings and devices.

My father was a botanist and designed his own garden and I did design my own small garden as well which is a source of everyday inspiration. All this is my soul food.

Concerning jewellery I admire Renaissance and Art Nouveau jewellery, English Victorian jewelry, Tribal jewellery and Modern Jewellery and most of all the work of Alexander Calder in which the structure is everything.”

 Earrings with tiny vintage matte glass seed beads and glass daggers

Do you listen to music when you work or do you prefer quiet?

“I usually work in silence so I can stay tuned with my inner self. I listen to music when I’m packaging my orders, then I need to keep a certain rhythm so I found music is helping a lot in order to be fast and efficient.”

Do you ever get creative block?

“Each time it happens, it is always difficult to deal with my frustration. I’ve found that the best way is to let it go. So I start working on something else, taking pictures of the finished pieces or list an item in my Etsy shop. Some other time, I need to get out of the atelier, go for a walk, go to see beautiful things, visit an exhibition, go to the movies or when I’ve a creative block because I’m tired, the best way is to have a rest, reading but still in the atelier so when I look up and see the work in progress I realize that I see it differently and I can go on. This is my favorite corner in my house!”

Blue drop earrings with artisan porcelain drops,  brass ring vintage brass hoops

I love reading about your vide grenier finds on your blog and then seeing how you transform them, where is your favourite place  for sourcing materials?

“I have some favorite dealers online but I prefer to scour flea markets and vide-greniers in my local area. The wonderful pleasure of the hunt, to discover a box full of knick-knacks pêle-mêle and at the bottom finding a full card of Victorian buttons!”

Where are you happiest?

“In my new atelier of course, I still can’t realize it’s there! It’’s not ready yet, I still have to find the right place for all my stuff, to make this new place really mine. I’ve planned a cosy corner where to I want to put my sofa where I read, but it need times to hang my frames and mirrors. This new place is a dream, it overlooks my little garden, with big windows offering some new points of view. And the amount of light is mesmerizing!

It’s situation with its own door over the garden will allow me to receive visitors and customers more easily. Before, I did receive visitors in the kitchen and display my jewelry over the mantelpiece, not very professional.”

If you weren’t creating jewellery what might you be doing?

“Something, that’s for sure, I’m definitely a maker! Before jewelry, I had a go at sewing and the last recent years I’m always knitting something”

Antique pewter rank button

You can visit Lucies website, read about her process on her blog and buy her beautiful jewellery on etsy.

This weeks muse, Johanna Flanagan of The Pale Rook is a very special textile artist whose work I discovered via Mister Finch. He shared a delicious photograph of one of Johannas unique doll creations.

Ever since I have been utterly hypnotised by her exquisite, magical, soulful creatures – truly unlike anything you have ever seen and I really wanted to share her work and story here.

Enjoy discovering the world of The Pale Rook!

Self Portrait

The first piece of textile that made her heart soar….

“The first piece of fabric that I remember being fascinated by was a small, woven indigo bag, no bigger than a coin purse that my aunt gave me to hold one day at an auction house. I couldn’t have been more than four or maybe five years old. I traced the threads with my fingers, trying to follow a single one up and down and over and under the warp. I wasn’t happy just to use it or look at it, I wanted to know how it had become what it was. I held it all the way home in the car and I remember someone laughing at me for staring so hard at that little blue bag. I remember that same fascination with threads and patterns throughout my childhood. I would stare at the swirls and dashes on my duvet cover and matching curtains, working out the pattern repeat. Lace socks and tights were a whole world of twists and tucks and spaces that could hold my attention for hours. I don’t remember being attracted to the colours and patterns as such, it was always the story behind the cloth. I needed to work out how it had been constructed. When I was seven I found a ball of dark red yarn and worked out a way to loop and hook it around my fingers to make chains. It turns out what I was actually doing was crochet, but it took another twenty years for me to realise it. I covered the house and garden in crochet chains until I ran out of yarn, again it wasn’t the end result that I was interested in, I just wanted to keep transforming the yarn into something else.”

On parting with her creations:

“I find it easier to part with my work than a lot of people expect, because I am still more attached to the process of making the work than the work itself. Again, it’s the construction, the creation of something from nothing that fascinates me rather than having something to keep.   I own just a few pieces of my work and all of them were firsts of some kind of another. There are very few things I could not imagine being parted from. I almost always wear a silver ankh necklace that I was given for my nineteenth birthday. I couldn’t imagine ever parting with that. It’s battered and scratched but it’s so precious to me. In fact, most of things I could not let go of are pieces of jewellery that have a connection to someone important to me.   I love my home made quilts, because each one has been made from old clothes and fabrics that have their own story. Apart from these though, I don’t think there is anything I couldn’t part with for the right reason at the right time. That said, I do hold on to fabrics and threads for a very long time, some have been on my shelves for close to twenty years, but there are none that I could never part with, just some that will not be parted with until absolutely the right project comes to mind.”

On her creative process:

“I honestly can’t remember the last time I went out specifically to buy threads or fabrics, they tend to just show up in charity shops or markets or other peoples’ attics. The base of my work is usually very plain cotton, linen and silk. I do buy unused calico and white thread from regular fabric stores but the rest all just turn up in one way or another or have been given to me.   When I do come across fabrics and threads at markets or in charity shops I only buy very specific things. I have a deep aversion to all things synthetic. The texture of polyester and nylon really bothers me, and I find that the colours just don’t have the same quality as natural fibres.   I’m very sensitive to the feel of fabric and yarn on my skin and I just can’t stand sewing unnatural fabrics so I only usually work with natural fibres and dyes. I am particularly drawn to fabrics and trims from the 18th Century and the 1930s, although the 18th Century ones are pretty much impossible to get hold of! Most of my textile supplies are from the 1880s to the 1930s. I think what fascinates me now is what fascinated me as a child – the process of construction, how each thread weaves or wraps around another, and I love to look at the back of the work, where you can see the knots and tucks and all the signs that this was really made by a human being who lived in another time and place.”

“My colour palette tends to come from the colours I can make from plants, nuts and berries – greens, oranges, pinks and browns with the odd sky blue. Very occasionally I get a real hankering for red silk. I don’t know where it comes from or what triggers it, but I swing from natural, muted colours to scarlet every so often.”

“My alpaca fleece comes from my friend’s farm in Sigdal in Norway. She has a flock of around fifty animals, all of them have names and I even have my own little alpaca god daughter called Caroline, she’s black with little white toes. I love knowing where the fleece has come from and that the animals are so well taken care of.”

“The same applies to my dyes. I love to know what part of the forest they came from or what tree they fell off of. Each dye batch is different so the result can be unpredictable. That’s a really important part of my process though as I am so so precise with so much of my work, I need an element of it that I don’t have full control over. My favourite dye is nettle. There are so many beautiful shades of green and nettles from different parts of the forest have different shades. Some are almost blue while others are warm and golden. I love that once I have dipped a doll in the dye bath, the dye takes over some of the design decisions for me.”

On inspiration…

I find that I am most inspired by the forest – the colours, changes, textures, sounds. I’m always collecting nuts and leaves and twigs and things and they tend to build up to a colour and texture palette that will then appear in a doll.   I am happiest when I’m near trees and water. I never feel alone in a forest, there is always so much life around. I used to be terrified of snakes and then just a few months ago, I was walking along a trail with my greyhound and this huge long black snake crossed the path in front of me, right in front of my feet. She was so languid and beautiful and so much a part of the place that I completely lost my life long fear of snakes. I’m using black silk a lot more in my work now and I think it’s probably because of seeing that snake in the woods.

In the studio:

“My studio wall is covered in bits of fabric, fleece, yarn, twigs, lichen and moss rather than images. I rarely plan a colour or texture palette, they tend to evolve as I sew. The fact that the dolls are characters who develop as they are made is a real motivator to keep working on them until they are finished. Just the slightest change in the shape of a doll’s nose or hands can alter her whole look, which then changes the colours and textures I’m drawn to for the rest of her. One of the things I love about hand sewing is how slow and steady it can be, you have so much time to get to know the piece you’re working on that you can steadily work out where it wants to go.   It’s usually only when a piece of work is finished that I can follow the thread back to what inspired it in the first place.”

On her creative process:

“I tend to become completely engrossed in a piece then there is usually a day or two after it’s finished when I decide that there is no way at all that this one is going to be sold, then very quickly it stops being mine and it comes time for it to move on to somewhere else. I love that once my work goes to it’s new home, it begins a whole new story that has nothing whatsoever to do with me. There is always a moment when I wrap the work in tissue before packing it to send it off to it’s new home where I think about how much work and time and dedication has been put into making it, but by that point it really doesn’t feel like it belongs to me anymore.”

On her favourite places…

“My favourite place in the house is usually the staircase. I tend to plonk myself down on the stairs when I need to think. I’ve always been a fan of in-between places that are neither one place or the other. I kind of feel the same way about airports. I also love museums. I work with Glasgow’s museums as a costume designer and textile tutor. All of my work with the museums has to connect with something within their collections, the costumes are maybe a recreation of an outfit in a painting or a replica of a piece in the collection, once I even had the unbelievable privilege of working directly from five thousand year old Egyptian artefacts from the British Museum! I felt like Indiana Jones, although I had a massive security guard with me the whole time, just in case. I teach museum visitors the techniques that have been used to create some of the textile pieces within the collections – embroidery, sewing, toy making, and it is incredibly rewarding. The visitors don’t just view at a piece in the collection – they leave the museum knowing how to make it themselves. It gives them a direct connection to the piece and the people who made it. Every time I go to work at the museums I have to pinch myself. I suppose a museum is an in-between place too.”

“I am incredibly lucky to have a dedicated work room. It’s tiny but has lots of cupboards and a window looking out on to the garden. In the past my work space has sometimes been nothing more than a box, a note book, or a chair or a corner. As long as it is kept specifically and solely for the purpose of making your work, then I think it can do the job just as well as anywhere else. I prefer to work in small places with lots of shelves and drawers to keep things in. I don’t think my desk has ever been tidy, it’s buried in about 10 centimetres of fabric, thread, fleece and who knows what else. I have to keep other artist’s work to a minimum on my walls as it just takes over my thinking and without knowing it I end up absorbing it and copying it, but I do have a couple of pieces of work that have been given to me and a few antique postcards. There are stacks of seashells and jars of acorns and all sorts of bits that I’ve picked up. It’s hard to tell if my desk looks the way it does because of the work I make on it or if its’ the other way around.   Sometimes I’ll see a bit of something sitting on top of a piece of something else and decide that it needs to become a bird or a doll or a fish.  ”

“I am very fussy about the music I play in my little studio, I love listening to movie soundtracks, my two favourites are Labyrinth and Twin Peaks. Kate Bush, David Bowie, The Cocteau Twins, Anthony and Johnsons all get played regularly too. I get a bit lost in what I’m doing if I don’t have music playing and have a habit of losing track of time, then realising that it’s two hours after I said I’d be somewhere else. If things ever start to feel stale or dull, I listen to some Amanda Palmer or Har Mar Superstar to wake me up a bit.”

On working through creative block:

“The only solution I have for creative block is to keep a space and keep showing up. Even if you end up sitting in your chair screwing up crappy drawings and tearing your hair out, keep showing up. I used to get crippling creative block, which, in my experience is usually the result of two things – focusing too much on what other people are doing and achieving, or worrying too much about other peoples expectations of you. I find that creative block has little to do with a lack of ideas and more to do with too much noise and clutter in your head.   The great thing about craft is that if you’re blocked creatively, you can spend your time learning something practical and technical.   Get online, find a tutorial on youtube or where ever and just show up and do something. Get into the habit of showing up and eventually you’ll realise that you’re doing it for yourself and the ideas that need to come to you will.   It might take weeks, months or even years, but if you continue to set aside time and space for yourself, you tend to find out what you need.

I don’t suffer from creative block so much anymore, but I do sometimes feel like I’m bored with what I’m doing . I find the solution to that is to either do some grunt work – cut out some fabric, mix some dye, card some wool OR to completely step out of your field of interest entirely and do something you’ve never done before. I took up playing the ukulele last year and it was changed my whole life for the better! I used to think it was a little hobby that had nothing to do with my textile work, but it’s become a really important part of how I work now. If sewing is driving me mad, or I’m not sure what direction to take it in next, I just go play my uke for a couple of hours and it all just seems to work itself out.”

On creating and selling online:

“I had a real fear of putting my work online to begin with. The internet can be brutal and I didn’t expect to have such a warm response. The textile artist Mr Finch shared just a few images of my work and suddenly I had thousands of people, literally thousands of people following what I do and contacting me. I could never have reached that number of people just ten years ago when I graduated from Art School.”

“I think the danger for a lot of artists is that the aim of social media is to keep you using their service. The more you use it, the more you’re rewarded with “likes”, a greater “reach” and more “shares” and some people get caught up in achieving that as an end in itself. Some fall into the trap of making work specifically to get a reaction on social media, which can be damaging and reductive. I think there needs to be a balance between being savvy enough to know how to get noticed and to create work that would be precious to you regardless of who gets to see it.”

“When I think about when I graduated, I would have had no idea how to start a shop online or how to reach a worldwide audience.   Websites like Facebook and Etsy have been able to take out the middle man, take out the large commissions and connect artists directly with their buyers.”

“I’ve also met some incredible artists that I would have missed completely if I wasn’t part of an online community, because this time last year I didn’t even know that art dolls were a genre. The big wide world of the internet has given me a way of indulging in my own little world of threads and scraps and twigs and stitches because it’s connected me with people who appreciate what I do.”

Please discover the wonderful world of The Pale Rook on Etsy and read more about Johannas beautiful work on her blog.

This week I am really very excited to introduce a very special artist, someone who has inspired me immensely since I took the plunge into creating with textiles.

I don’t think I have ever seen an image of Emmas work, home and art that I haven’t loved and desired. Everything that Emma puts her hand to is incredibly beautiful and personal, delicate and feminine, she combines found objects, antique lace, vintage sequins and lace to make something very contemporary and utterly gorgeous to behold. My husband surprised me with one of her necklaces for my birthday and I have worn it ever since for any occasion where I want to feel special. Literally I attempt to put on a different necklace but always revert to her piece, it is a love affair!

When I started this series I always wanted to ask Emma to participate. I was fascinated to find out how she started working with textiles, how she went about creating her collections (was it the lace that found Emma or Emma who sought out a specific lace?), what inspired her, how did she manage to make so much beauty (in her home and work) with two young children (I’m still struggling) and was she actually human because seriously how can one woman be this talented (okay so I didn’t ask this question specifically but really!).

All I can say is that when Emma responded and said she would love to participate – I think I might have squealed and perhaps even performed a little happy dance around the living room – but of course I did.

Emma has shared some really wonderful insights and snapshots into her life, her inspiration and her creative business and even glimpses into her jewellery sketchbooks. I hope you love discovering more about Emma as much as I did.

On the first piece of textile that made her heart sing:

 “As a kid, I used to keep in my pocket my grannys embroidered  handkerchief or my grandpas traditional “mouchoir a carreaux”  but my first real textile love was the Dries Van Noten embroidered scarf from the 1998-99 collection” (see photograph above)

On her creative process:

“I use the pieces I have found quite quickly, just after 2 weeks, if I am not in a middle of a big order. I am very free, I will choose anything I think is unusual and interesting and I am not tight to a theme. I get help sometimes for embroidery when I have got lots of orders. For the past few month, I have been working with an art director, Audrey Bozetto and it is so refreshing…I use to be a stylist so it handy for photography. I know some amazing photographers too such as Kristin Perers. “

“Each season, it will be something different, from Hmong textiles to Bauhaus paintings… This season it was the exuberance of the Great Gatsby meet the craft and face paint of the tribes (Jimmy Nelson photography)”

“It changes…the mantel piece in the living room, black and white display with jet bead vintage necklaces, lots of silver mirrors and sequins vintage ribbons…”

 On her Spring Summer 2015 collection:

“My theme was dance: Lil buck, ballet and opera costume, Chanel iridescent embroidery and Rochas spring-summer 2014 collection (the brocade fabric and feather shoes)”

Lil Buck

I am a little obsessed with Emmas weavings – if anyone is reading – this is on my Christmas wishlist – pretty pretty please!

On juggling a successful creative business & motherhood:

“For the moment, it is easy because the school is five minutes from home and food markets as well.  My work is very relaxed, I know the buyers of the shops that I have stocked for 10 years, I am never late and always so thankful so keeping a good relationship is my motto. My kids are very independent so they play and create next to my desk. We have time together from 4pm to 8pm time to play, to cook, be together…”

“I love the idea to be free from belongings… But from travelling around I have accumulated pieces like paintings, books or fabrics and I treasure them.”

Some of Emmas favourite treasures including a vintage linen sake bag from Kyoto

Interior » Kristin Perers | Photographer – Interior, Still life, Food, Fashion & Portraits

I urge you to check out Emmas beautiful jewellery on her website and for daily inspiration you can follow her instagram here.

I am so so happy to introduce this weeks inspiration for ‘Les Petits Bonheurs’, textile artist, April Rivers Locke.

Just as the summer was winding down, I invited a friend over for a long overdue aperitif in our home, she asked if it would be okay to bring a friend, and this friend was April, by the end of the night I never wanted her to leave Lacoste – ever!

April is someone who is so incredibly generous of spirit and open and honest that it must be impossible not to fall in love with her. I had one of the most fun days in a very long time when I took her and her husband Taylor out treasure hunting for bits of lace and antique treasures. April was searching for black lace and textiles for a new piece she was working on and Taylor was attracted to anything and everything brown – he took home two beautiful old leather bags. Every few metres they would stop and admire different objects – always thinking of a friend back home in the U.S. who would love this as a present. I think it said a lot about them when they bought more presents for friends than they did for themselves. This is a couple that loves and are loved!

April is a textile artist and Taylor a writer and together they also run a beautiful natural cosmetics company called Humble Love.

This is just the most perfect photograph of this beautiful couple (with Louis)

 What was the first piece of history  that made your heart sing?

“The FIRST piece?!?! Oh Goodness, my heart has been singing for longer than I can remember! If I had to dig, go way back and really dig, I would say my heart first sang its love of vintage when I was a little girl, maybe in 1^st grade or so. I would walk home with my best friend, Jeanette, and as soon as we got home we would promptly change into dress up clothes. These ‘dress up clothes’ were vintage slips and nightgowns with their chiffon capes and silky long robes, complete with gloves, hats and shoes.

We became women in those moments, we were whoever we wanted to be in those moments. The silky texture, the fit of the glove, the way you could totally transform yourself with just the tilt of a hat. It was magical. Vintage transformed my imagination, it sculpted my dreams. Since then I have loved the nostalgia you find in collecting vintage. It questions your subconscious. Why do I have a connection to this? Where does it come from? Why did it choose me?”

What do you look for when you are sourcing materials? 

“I seem to always work in shades of creamy whites. I am always looking for lace and embroidered textiles. I love finding pieces with tears or rips, with stains and moth bites – they have the most story, the most character. I look for unusual shapes and unique patterns in lacemaking. Florals are so predominant in lace and I appreciate them very much, but when you find a piece of lace that has a more tribal or masculine feel, that’s a great find.”

Is there anything that you can not imagine parting with?

“There are a few things; some of my grandmothers clothes, some family quilts. I can’t part with my collection of art from my friends and travels. I love seeing the pieces around the house because it reminds me of them and the experiences we’ve had growing and learning together. One time I was rummaging through a shop in Savannah, Ga and found an old sewing box full of all white and cream colored materials! It was like I found a sewing box belonging to one of my past lives. I displayed the content of the sewing box in this old coca cola crate.”

How long do you ‘live’ with your lace pieces before you start working with them?

“I store all the lace that I am ‘actively’ using in an old 2×3 foot cardboard box that is covered in beautiful paper covered with orange and yellow Indian-esque patterns. The box was given to me years and years ago from a dear friend who filled it with birthday gifts. I carry it with me wherever I travel to or wherever I decide to work. The edges are beautifully torn up and one side is peeling back. It is glorious. Inside the box I have wrapped my ribbon lace around old tarot cards that file in a perfect fit of 4 rows across the bottom. I then layered an old ‘Trader Joes’ brown paper bag on top to create a second layer. This layer is piled with folded pieces of lace, like scraps from an old dress or veil and larger pieces of ribbon lace, like chunky crochet pieces.

Sometimes these pieces sit in this box for months being untouched, I just haven’t come across the perfect shape for it to lend its curves too, and sometimes I quickly use up a specific kind really quick! Sometimes I just can’t bare to use up all of one kind of lace I have because I love it so much, so I use it, but very sparingly and you can see it linger from bone to bone. Sometimes I use up all of one kind of lace on a bone because the bone was made for this lace and there is no better way to celebrate its beauty that right here, right now. Some pieces stay with me for years, others get used up faster than I can keep up with. I tend to use the more common pieces more generously, sort of knowing I will be able to attain them again.

This box is everything to me, it is my heart and soul. “

Where do you do your making? 

“Currently I work in a corner of our living room, I have my desk and big red book shelf that holds all I need. My husband shares this space with me, he has his own desk with his books, pens, and computers, he is a writer.”

Photographs of Aprils studio desk as she works on new pieces

“We live in a happy little home but really the whole thing is a working studio. Our kitchen is completely taken over by our business, HumbleLove. We make all natural soaps, sprays and candles and other body products using essential oils and natural vegetable oils. So really our ‘house’ is a studio, in all forms. With two desks in the living room we only have room for two old chairs given to me by my grandparents, a little settee and a coffee table. We don’t have a couch, or a TV or even a dining room table.

We love it this way! We are always creating or working towards a goal.”

Making soap in the kitchen. Image courtesy of Love Savannah

Who inspires you?

“Other artists really inspire me. I love talking with them about how their brains work and why they do things the way they do, it fascinates me. Once you learn about how and why a piece was created you can form such a deeper connection with it. Everyone is always working through something, it’s usually deeper than we think. This helps me develop techniques too; emotions can drive you to figuring out all kinds of new ways to create/convey a feeling. Music is a big part of our lives too, there is always something playing in the back ground.”

Do you ever get creative block, what are your tips on moving through it ?

“Yes, but I have learned the best thing to do is to just keep going. You have to push through and keep moving forward with some part of your piece. If you don’t, you could be stuck in your block forever waiting for that oh-so-perfect next move. I feel like a bit of a perfectionist at times and so this is a good way for me to release my precise expectations and let the piece be what it wants to be. This allows more room for chance to lead the way and beautiful things begin to happen, things I never would have thought of. It’s really important for an artist to be in their studio space every day.

Making studio hours for yourself is a good way to stay on track and keep pushing forward. Even if you simply go to your studio and just sit there, that’s the best thing you can do. It’s only a matter of time before you start moving things around or pick something up and start creating with it. Maybe you just sit there and make a list of things you need to do, or maybe you end up cleaning up your whole space, whatever you do, at least you were productive in your studio.”

Where is your favourite place for sourcing materials?

“I love going to antique shops and markets. I live in a part of Texas where there are a ton of great antique shops and there is nothing better than wandering around and stumbling upon someone’s old sewing basket or pile of discarded lace remnants. I also enjoy going online and searching through etsy. I have found wonderful little pieces from people putting together grab bags. This is also another way for me to ‘lose control’ and allow new shapes to leak into my collection. I may buy a grab bag for one or two specific pieces of lace I see but I get the whole thing and most of the time there are pieces included I never would have purchased on their own but now am using all the time or have found a perfect curve to rest on.”

Where are you happiest?

“I am happiest in two places and they are complete opposites of each other. Sometimes I am happiest sitting in my home, at my desk or on the porch working on a project being silent and thoughtful. Other times I am happiest exploring a new part of the world, or just our backyard, with my husband, Taylor. Adventures are the best way for me to rejuvenate my creative soul. Seeing something new, experiencing new feelings, talking about new ideas, it’s all so revitalizing. I love getting out with him, I love the way he thinks and I love the way he makes me think about the world and that is what keeps my art interesting. I keep wanting to show people new ways of looking at things, take the old and discarded and celebrate it, see it in a new way, the unobvious.”

How do you sell your work?

“Right now, I am mostly a free-lance artist for the Savannah College of Art and Design, the university my husband and I graduated from. This opportunity to work with them has opened up many pathways (like meeting you!) and has lead me on a creative journey I never would have dreamed of going. They have pushed me in ways that have made me a more confident and a professional artist. They have helped teach me my self-worth and that I too can make a difference in this world with my art.

Now, with HumbleLove, we do have an etsy shop and we do sell in market place. We attend a farmers market or craft show here or there, we sell at various shops around the states and we sell online. We love working markets because we get to meet and engage with the people. Our packaging only has to do half the work, because we are there to smile and chat with you about how important you are and how much your body deserves to be taken care of! We get to give people an experience and we get to learn from them too. When selling online, you have to explain everything with written word and image. You can’t touch the materials, you can’t ask questions and get immediate answers, and most of all, you can’t engage with the maker and form a bond with their product. Tricky stuff.

On the other hand, the best part of selling online is that you reach people from all over the world, not just the little town you live in. You never know who is going to see your product and pass it along or share your link, you never know where you will end up.”

On their beautiful natural cosmetics company called Humble Love.

“When I am not working on Lacebones or other installations, I am working with my husband at HumbleLove. As I mentioned before we focus on all natural, mostly all organic body products. Taylor and I have always been passionate about health and wellness and he has become an expert on the properties of essential oils and so we were looking for a way to spread the knowledge and passion that we both share. We quickly learned that we craved a natural way to take care of ourselves and so we started making products we needed, like shampoo, deodorant and bug spray. Soap was a great way to get out on the market place because well, everyone needs soap! He started making salves, sprays, perfumes, candles and really, whatever you need, he’s on it! I work mostly on the presentation and packaging of the product even though we both contribute to both sides of the business.”

April working away on making candles for Humble Love in Lacoste, in a beautiful atelier on the SCAD Lacoste campus

What is your favourite corner in your house?

“As much as I love our studio/living room, I really love the wall behind my dresser in our bedroom. I have a collection of vintage women and my old ballet shoes hanging, my grandmothers mirror with some other sweet memories hanging around it. It’s the space that is completely feminine and serene. ”

Do you collect anything other than antique textiles?

“I collect so many things. Vintage fans, vintage books, vintage clothes just to name a few. I love collecting original art and old blue bottles but my favorite thing to collect is handwriting. Whether it is old postcards or letters, even old school books, I am so fascinated with handwriting, especially cursive. I think it is so beautiful and such a true expression of self.”

What is your favorite place to seek inspiration? 

“Nature! A beach, a mountain, a lake, the woods, anywhere outside where I can breathe the fresh air and experience natural pattern making and texture. I love collecting beautiful sticks, leaves and whatever you come across, you never know how they will make it into your work or inspire you later.”

You can check out HumbleLoves facebook page here and buy their wonderful natural products here on ShopScad

I am so happy to share with you the vision and story of one of my favourite jewellery makers, Robyn Parrish of The French Circus.  I discovered Robyn a few years ago as I went in search of fellow makers who incorporated found objects, buttons, buckles and antique jewellery findings into their work. At the time, I was completely oblivious that there was even a term for it, for those uninitiated with this glorious world, it’s called ‘assembly’ jewellery. Over the last two years, Robyn has been someone whose vision has opened up so many ideas and possibilities for me and my work.

Anyone can have a few found objects and throw them together but it usually spells utter ugly disaster. I am in awe of how Robyn uses colour and elements from very different epoques, her ability to create wonderful textures using antique chain and notions and every small detail is exquisitively executed. Her impeccable taste and incredible collection (years in the making) of antique and vintage jewellery findings feeds into a body of beautiful jewellery which is simulatenously  graceful and yet a little bit cheeky (I think this is where the ‘Circus’ of ‘French Circus’ comes into play).

I was beyond thrilled when Robyn agreed to answer my many many questions and allow us a little insight into her home and creativity so without further ado I’ll let Robyn lead the way:

“Bonjour! My name is Robyn and I’ve been in love with antiques and vintage items for as long as I can remember. Though my parents are not aficionados by any stretch of the imagination, my first taste of antiques came when I was just five years old. We had dinner at an eclectic restaurant set in a Victorian house. It had exposed brick walls, old advertising signs, mis-matched wooden chairs, and different patterns of cutlery and china, all living happily side by side. I decided right then and there that this was what my house was going to look like when I grew up!”

One of my assembled necklace designs featuring a vintage cameo and mother of pearl rosary

“I don’t consider myself a ‘collector’ in the true sense of the word because I don’t really amass any one type of thing. Rather, I like to simply live with antiques and vintage items in an organic way that imparts a unique decorating style or aesthetic to my home. I’m mostly drawn to creamy whites and neutral colours, though I’ll add a bit of pink or blue when the mood strikes. My tastes have evolved over the years, and continue to do so. Right now I’m in what I call a ‘Shabby French Country’ phase, and am finding myself leaning more and more toward the rustic and away from the frilly fussy styles I enjoyed before.”

French-themed knick knacks on a dining room display shelf

“I try to enforce discipline on myself when shopping for furnishings or accessories because I know once I get the item home, I will only love it for a long time if it is white or cream. I have learned over time how to bypass a whim that doesn’t fit my particular aesthetic, no matter how exciting it may seem at the moment. I try to ask myself the following questions: Does this item make my heart skip a beat? Is this unlike anything I already have? Will it contribute to the overall look I’m trying to achieve? If the answer is ‘yes’, it’s a keeper!”

Fresh flowers on the kitchen table

“My assembled jewelry business and designs are another story, however. For this, I seek out pieces that have history, fine detailing, just the right patina and a subject matter that I think will resonate with my customers, not necessarily just me. For this business, I need variety. I scour local flea markets (we’re lucky to have some very good ones in California!), as well as the internet for unique pendants, rhinestone bracelets, Art Deco dress clips, old buckles, brooches, rosaries… the list goes on. French souvenirs and European religious items seem to be the most popular, but they’re hard to find in the states, so that’s when I turn to some trusted dealers I met through the internet.”

“I keep my vintage jewelry supplies in wooden utensil trays on my desk so everything is neatly contained and in easy view.”

“Once I get the pieces in my studio, I may work with some immediately if I have a good idea for a design, while others may sit in a tray on my desk for a couple of years before I’m able to part with them. If a piece is very rare, I may wait until I can find another similar example before using the first, taking comfort in knowing that I’ll still have one more at my fingertips. I also tend to use certain items seasonally, according to color or theme (birds and butterflies in spring and summer, leaves or more religious imagery in fall and winter, for example), so some things simply have to wait their turn until the timing is right.”

work-in-progress earrings

“When I’m ready to design a piece of assembled jewelry, I usually start with the pendant or focal piece first and let it kind of speak to me. Its color, scale, patina and theme all send cues as to what it wants to be paired with. I usually start laying various pieces on a bit of muslin on my desk, moving them around like a puzzle until they all just seem to ‘click’ into place. This can take minutes or hours, and I sometimes have to walk away overnight before coming up with the perfect combination the next day. As an assemblage artist, it’s important to always have a large collection of vintage jewelry on hand from which to choose. Unlike a painter, for example, who can mix her own custom palette, we assemblage artists are limited to the pieces’ static forms in terms of size, shape and color, so the more we have to draw upon, the better we can design. (An expensive endeavor!)”

Another necklace design using a mid-century rhinestone brooch and Joan of Arc medal

“I can usually just get inspired by the vintage jewelry itself, and feel most excited to sit down at my studio desk right after a trip to the flea market or a new arrival in the mail! Other influences, however, include old architecture, colors and textures found in nature, textiles, even baking a bread! Right now I’m very interested in simple, rustic surfaces, so I imagine that will come out in my jewelry designs somehow.”

“I like to keep my studio and desk simple and uncluttered. Looking out the window at the trees and birds helps me relax when I’m having a creative block.”

“I’m happiest when I’m at home in the evening, and I can sit down with a cup of coffee and a favorite TV show! I like to just look around the room and admire some of the things I’ve collected over the years, particularly those that belonged to a member of my family. Some of my most prized possessions include my grandmother’s ironstone, her silhouette drawings, and an old German bread board that hung over her sofa and used to frighten me as a child!”

In the living room,  two of my favourite things in my home, my grandmothers ironstone and my prized 18th century reproduction sofa

The beautiful & talented Robyn

“After years of working in boring offices and feeling trapped in a world that didn’t understand me, I’m so grateful that I’ve finally found an art form, business and community that I love and which supports me. If I weren’t making and selling vintage jewelry, I’d probably have to run off and join the circus.”

A glimpse into Robyns atelier….

Jewelry supplies that Robyn sells to the public are stored in this white chest of drawers. Beads are organized by type and color. A vintage dress mannequin serves as a photo prop to showcase necklaces for sale.

Finished jewelry, stones and chains are stored in boxes in white cabinet from IKEA.

 You can visit Robyns personal blog here and her etsy shop is filled with beautiful treasures

Wow I just caught up with one of my favourite blogs, The Design Files, who post the most inspiring and visually stunning articles on the Australian creative & design community.  They have posted two recent articles which I can’t stop thinking about and revisiting including an interview with  jewelers Rachel Gorman and Emily Green.

Yesterday they featured a home tour of the extraordinary kind, one which allowed us a glimpse into the wonderful home and world of artist and passionate collector Greg Irvine. I LOVED discovering him and his infectious laugh and spirit in the accompanying video (which I’ve shared here).

“Greg’s collections are tightly controlled.  The rule is ‘if I can’t display it, I don’t own it’ – he’s not interested in simply amassing things and squirrelling them away.  Each collection is carefully considered, and artfully displayed.  To Greg, they are installations – curated, and meticulously well kept.  There is not a skerrick of dust to be seen, either, which I know seems unfathomable, but it’s true.  Greg takes ‘house proud’ to new heights.”

“Kitchen details.  The kitchen sink is a large antique enamel sink from a junk shop, whilst a blue enamel wash tub sits alongside on the bench. Shelving above houses a collection of Victorian canisters and Victorian doll stoves.  Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.”

“Master bedroom looking out to hallway.  Greg’s collections of fabrics, hats, vintage suitcases, decorative boxes and accessories are neatly displayed in open shelving.  As he says in the video below ‘My rule is if I can’t display it, I don’t own it.  I’m not interested in hoarding’.  Greg’s collection of vintage fabrics informs many of the patterns in his paintings. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.”

Greg’s remarkable collection of antique tortoiseshell haircombs. Greg has been collecting these treasured pieces since the 60’s, when he says he would pick them up secondhand for $5.00 a piece.  ‘Shardware’ mosaic-encrusted dressing table created by Greg. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.