Ignore the title, this post has nothing to do with nonsense or balderdash, I just like the sound of the word. This post has everything to do with The Poppies, a virtual awards ceremony to celebrate the handmade community, over at Poppytalk. Click here to nominate your favourites. I have voted in some of the categories but I am not finished yet, it is so hard to choose! Here are my nominations so far, do add your voice to mine if you agree.

Margie Oomen of Resurrection Fern
Nicole Licht of Astulabee
Jessica Marquez of Miniature Rhino
Belinda Kemp of Gretchenmist
Julia Pott
Lizzie Stewart

and the nominations continue:

Mathyld of Encore Petite
Diane of Hibou Caillou Chou
Maya of Designs Maya Made
Maria of Psarokokalo
Regina of Every Eskimo
Melissa of Acts of Kindness

There is just enough time left to nominate if you haven’t already, quick, quick!

Here is a peek at a bit of embroidery work, I have some others along similar lines in (slow) progress, I thought they might be nice for Valentine gifts but I’m not sure if they will make it into the shop in time.

I can’t stop looking at Elisabeth Dunker’s blog Fine little Day. I think it is the light.

Hello Polar Bear! I am working on a top secret project and immersing myself in the Arctic, really a boundless source of inspiration. I have been studying A Naturalist’s Guide to the Arctic written by the ecologist, E.C. Pielou, so that my fanciful imaginings and magical projections about the polar region are tempered with a dash of natural history. I have a head full of patterned ground, tundra polygons and ponds, not to mention the plants, birds, mammals, fish and insects.

Can it really be a year since I stitched my first Polar Fish Boy? I wonder where my armchair expedition will take me this time!

Continuing the polar theme I received two wonderful mini books for Christmas by the illustrator Jackie Bos, pop over to Jackie’s Etsy shop and marvel at I Heart The Arctic .

I like the collage above by Lizzy Janssen too, it is named Land of Shine.

Of course I couldn’t get away without including some work by Diane of Hibou Caillou Chou! Diane’s work is influenced by Inuit culture and the Great North, poetic lines indeed.

The Polar Bear Plate by One Blackbird caught my imagination as well.

Happy New Year everyone!

You must all have heard about the amazing craft market lovely Mathyld has organized. If you will be in Paris on Sundays the 6th or 13th of December get yourself along to Supervente. There are so many wonderful artists taking part including Encore Petite, Resurrection Fern, Hibou Caillou Chou. Check out the flyer above for some more names. Oh, did I forget to mention that I will be there too, well, my work will be! Supervente will be my first craft fair, I am nervous and excited all at the same time. You can check out some of the offerings in advance via the link above, Supervente also has its own Flickr group here. I would love to do all of my Christmas shopping at the event, here are a few of my picks from the show.

I was lucky enough to see some of the work in person when I visited Mathyld last week, photographs really can’t do it justice, stacks of beautifully made animal silhouette cushion covers like the one above, rows of pretty owlettes, necklaces, brooches, all manner of gorgeous things. If I had a pair of ruby slippers I would click my heels together and wish myself in Paris. Of course I am building up to blogging about my visit to the French capital, I have a weeks worth of hoops to make and then I am taking a little time off to prepare for Christmas, visit my lovely K and her new baby (who isn’t actually out in the world yet!) and, yes, get all of the Paris images off the camera and into the computer. Phew! There will be a few changes at Lou Lou & Oscar in the new year, including price rises, this makes me so sad, but I need to start charging more realistic prices and taking the exchange rate into account (come on dollar rise against the pound!). I feel that LL&O needs a little freshen up for 2010, new photos, a more coherent feel, the depth that comes with a little extra experience. My most recent work has streamed itself into two ‘collections’: Natural History and The Stars Down to Earth (thank you Mr.Adorno!). More about this tiny development soon I hope. Paris was so inspiring, I can’t wait to share it with you. I am going to leave you with a couple of images to whet your appetite, sources of inspiration for the Natural History collection.

My thoughts are turned towards all things Parisian today, with only a week and a bit to go until we fly off to one of my favourite cites, the H1N1 flu virus permitting of course. This is the perfect opportunity to indulge myself in some magical images from one of my favourite parisian bloggers, Diane of Hibou Caillou Chou. I wish I possessed Diane’s incredible sense of style, her images are so ‘cool’ and bewitchingly serene, frozen water droplets on a window pane.

I have some exciting news to share soon, it involves another sweet Parisian. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements!

We are off on a small aquatic journey tomorrow. I am obsessed with the sea and it’s mysterious inhabitants. I will be re-reading Moby Dick which always reminds me of Diane and her beautiful work (as above from Hibou Caillou Chou). When I return I have the most *amazing* book to share with you. Watch out also for my own take on the ‘Sea Ghost’, coming to my Etsy shop sometime soon (hmm, I hope!), all in a good cause too. Thank you so much for all of your lovely comments and words of support while I have been away, you lighten my days, truly. Oh, do have a little ghostly rumble of your own whilst enjoying The Unicorns. See you all soon.

A Quick hello from me today, really just to drop in with my Etsy picks this week. Enjoy! Coral 2 original (above) Walnut

The Little Key from BROOKLYNrehab, well of course!

Blue Artichokes Shirt from A Little Lark

Vintage Bowl from All Things White

LOVEBIRDS (3-Pack) Custom Color Wedding Papel Picado Banners from Ay Mujer

Acorn Pouch from Fun Is Cool

Spice Shakers from RouDesigns

German promotional cat scrap from Plundered

Vintage Imperial Mark XII Camera from Vintology

When the Wolf Rests – Original Drawing from Swan Bones

STOCKHOLM Everyday Purse Navy Blue from Ika Bags

Tea Cup and Saucer Pink Floral and Duck Head Plaque from Art School Girl

Rooster Dish Towel – Apron from Chakra Pennywhistle

Bright Ideas Notebooks from Albertine Press

A leg to stand on, three-legged deer from Every Eskimo

6 Brush Embroidery Cookies from Sweet Ambs

Pinstripe Button Down Shirt from Lamixx

Dancing octopus leggings from Hibou Caillou Chou

Russian Pin Pack from Nora Aoyagi

Lace Pottery Ornamental Porcelain Platter from Maggie Weldon

Vintage Ceramic Fawns from Baby Bomb

Modern Apothecary Jar from Modern Nest

Fox Mug from Genevieve Dionne

White Blossom corsage brooch from A Alicia Handmade Acessories

Hazel Atlas Red Candy Stripe Teacup and Saucer from Jadite Kate

Floral Studded Bracelet from Persephone Vintage

Big Plastic & Chain Necklace from Psarokokalo

‘ The Princess, my daughter’ – Kay Nielsen Illustration from Petit Poulailler

The Simplicity Sachet Keychain from Inklore

Greta is not amused- brooch from Mary’s Granddaughter

1/2 Ration Noir Dress from Artlab

One of the lovely things about extending my birthday week is that it gives me the perfect opportunity to share the handmade gifts I received with you. I am a lucky and extremely happy birthday girl!

First off is a gift I bought for myself (every birthday I choose a couple of meaningful items to mark the turn of another year). I ordered this a while ago, you may remember it from the Forget-Me Not show at Gallery Hanahou in February. How felicitous that it actually arrived the day after my birthday, just in time to appear in this post. You may have noticed that there is a very special someone missing from my birthday/spring extravaganza, where is Miss Nicole of Astulabee, surely you aren’t still honouring that admiration truce from way back? Everyone knows how important Nicole is to me, I adore her as an artist and as a person (who wouldn’t? Such beauty, intelligence and all round good-egg-ness!). I would have pestered for a little something but the lady has been so busy with the American Craft Council show and hot on its heels this amazing project, I didn’t want to add to the mix. Oh but be assured I will be badgering soon, very soon (sorry Nicole!).

The piece is called My Love For You Is A Roller Coaster and I love it more than I can say. As you can see from the detail above the stitch work is so very fine and delicate and yet so powerful at the same time. I was truly astounded when I took it out of its protective wrapping, thank you Nicole for being such a genius!

Who is that foxy fellow with the sly and cheeky countenance? Why it is Mr Arctic Dodger of course, I have been warned that he is little bit tricksy, he has behaved impeccably so far and keeps me company from his window sill vantage point. I see him silhouetted against the night sky and sometimes I swear he is waving at me. Dodger is a gift from the unbelievably amazing Margie of Resurrection Fern, he is so beautifully designed and realized, right down to his removable wool jumper. If you look carefully you can see Dodger’s companion Etienne the Merfish, who travelled with my foxy friend to keep a scaly eye on him! I was moved to tears by Margie’s beautiful gift, and though we have never met in person, I have some little pieces of Margie’s magical presence around me. Thank you so much Margie.

Hooray, someone must have read my birthday wishlist post! I received the loveliest bag of birthday goodies from my dear friend Karin, including these gems from Etsy. I have been drooling over the reading wolves print from Oh My Cavalier for ages and am so happy that it is mine, all mine!

So very precious. I am in love with these tiny little twig hairclips from The Sparrow’s Nest. They were packaged so beautifully in a hand stamped box filled with fairy-sized paper leaves. Perfect.

And, yes, yes, yes, do you remember the darling miniature plastic fawns from The Thin Veil, just crying out to sit on top of some pretty cupcakes? Well, I have some. They are so photogenic, I am going to have some fun with these. Thank you so much Karin and Evie for giving me the most wonderful gifts and thanks also to Mr Probert for flying the best presents of all over to me!

Do you recognize that exquisite style? No one illustrates vintage garments as beautifully as Diane. I knew that this had to be my birthday dress as soon as I saw it. My pictures don’t do it justice. You really need to feel the weight of this dress, examine the beautiful beadwork and explore the enchanted subaqueous garden Diane has created. I am becoming a bit of a collector of pieces from Hibou Caillou Chou, this is seriously desirable art work and you can wear it too! Diane is another wonderful person that I have *met* through Etsy and blogging, I am so happy and proud to be a part of such an amazing community. You are one of the coolest Diane!

I hope that you are feeling inspired by all of this handmade goodness? There is plenty more coming up this week. Don’t forget to pop back later for a very special announcement. Hmm, curious!

**Etsy is down at the moment for site maintenance so I can’t access the shop links, I will return and edit the post later with the appropriate contact information**
Done!

I realized this week that I have taken a trip in a time machine, sartorially speaking, back to 1986! Breton shirt, denim shorts, thick wool tights, oversize cardigan, dark blue Converse. I am wearing the same ‘uniform’ I rigged myself out in when I was 16 & it feels so very ‘me’! I just can’t do super groomed, elegant, ultra-feminine. If I could (and had a large trust fund or similar) I would be beating down the doors of Kenzo to get my paws on the Autumn/winter 09/10 collection.

Folkloric, flowers, foliage, babushka, cossack style. The most beautifully tailored coats, patchwork smocks. Ok, I need the smelling salts, swoon!

Antonio Marras’ collection reminded me of an illustration I saw a while ago over at Flickr by Kitty Vane.

Just gorgeous! I am sending out a plea for an Astulabee, Kitty Vane, Le Train Fantome adult apparel line with knitwear and jewelry by Resurrection Fern, styling and illustrated detailing by Hibou Caillou Chou, so very ‘now’ kittens!

I snuck out of the tipi for this one, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to put together my fantasy fashion ‘A-Team’! Who would feature in your fantasy collaboration?

I am lacking in eloquence today and struggling to describe how I felt the first time I saw Diane Bénézech-Schuh’s exquisite work. A sharp intake of breath, a feeling of connection with something timeless and poetic. Swimming in another realm with the mysterious giants of the sea, ancient, ancient life forms. Sirens, sea chanties, myths and storytelling. We are going on a little voyage with Diane, let’s meet at the oldest tree in Paris and see where the tide takes us!

Tell us a little about yourself, the media you work with and your creative process.

“I am a landscape-architect, or rather, one thing to another I became a landscape architect. In my work, I draw a lot and I think it is this aspect that I like the most. 
With a few friends, we founded La Quincaillerie, a way to escape from the routine of work.”

“
I tried to retrain as an illustrator, but it is a very difficult world to enter I guess. 
So, I thought why not draw on other media than paper.”

” It is the work of the designer of Mociun and especially the fall 2007 collection that made me want to draw on clothes. 
Right now I work with three different types of media: leather to make jewelry, wool with which I make spool knitting scarves and I paint on clothes. I cannot afford to screen-print my drawings, so it’s the best solution I have found so far. I like to spent time on painting though.”

From where do you draw your inspiration: music, books, people, nature etc?

“I am like a sponge, I’m inspired by everything that happens around me and with the proliferation of blogs and Etsy that I have just discovered there are so many sources of inspiration! 
My two strong influences are nature and the Native American and Inuit cultures. ”

“I like the idea that we could be strongly linked to nature and animals. The music of Joanna Newsom, Mariee Sioux and Animal Collective also inspire me at the moment. Whether the lyrics or the strong rhythms, close to shamanism (for animal collective I think) give me much energy.”

If you could talk briefly about the background to one of your pieces which would you choose and why? Tell us the story behind the piece.

“The Ancient seas blouse. I spent a lot of time on this blouse. I’ve always been fascinated by octopus and horseshoe crabs, these ancient animals that are mysterious and more intelligent than we want to believe.”

” I started to draw, and for no apparent reason I didn’t stop until the blouse was completely covered with drawings. I wanted to do a sort of “all-over”. I’d really like to repeat this kind of experience, but it takes a considerable amount of time. I guess I should really consider the screen-printing option…”

Hibou Caillou Chou blog
Hibou Caillou Chou at Etsy
La Quincaillerie
Diane’s Flickr

Thank you so much Diane for sharing a little piece of your world and inspiration with us. I really can’t begin to tell you just how much I love every single piece in the Hibou Caillou Chou collection. Diane is so supremely talented and has such an enviable sense of style. I am hoping that some of these attributes will rub off on me when I pull on my La Baleine Blouse or Oceans & Mermaids leggings. Diane has been invited to collaborate on some very exciting projects this year, I am very much looking forward to seeing the fruits of this work, I know that it will be outstanding. Thank you so much again Diane, I wish you and your soon to be expanded family so much joy and happiness.

Thanks to Diane and her work I have been inspired to begin re-re-reading Moby Dick. I read Melville’s masterpiece for a second time whilst I was pregnant with Ishi, for some reason it possessed a special resonance at that time. Just for the sake of it, there follows a passage from Moby Dick that Diane appended to her Etsy listing for La Baleine:

“On each soft side — coincident with the parted swell, that but once leaving him, then flowed so wide away — on each bright side, the whale shed off enticings. No wonder there had been some among the hunters who namelessly transported and allured by all this serenity, had ventured to assail it; but had fatally found that quietude but the vesture of tornadoes. Yet calm, enticing calm, oh, whale! thou glidest on, to all who for the first time eye thee, no matter how many in that same way thou may’st have bejuggled and destroyed before.”

I have the feeling that this won’t be the last time I feature a vintage camera from Thrush.

Is it my imagination or are these Etsy round up posts getting longer and longer every week? I wonder if I will ever exhaust all of the goodness to be found on my favourite shopping site. I haven’t taken a considered look at Etsy’s competitors in Europe. Dawanda is growing quickly and Folksy (British) is still in Beta mode. I would be interested to hear if any of you have experience of either sites as a seller or buyer. I have been considering opening a second Lou Lou & Oscar online shop based in Europe. I am probably not ready for this step yet but would be interested to hear any views you may have, my wise little owls.

Oh how I love these hand illustrated Ocean and Mermaid leggings from Hibou Caillou Chou. They make me believe that spring is on the way, the most poetic leggings I have ever seen!

Amazing illustrator and designer Cecilia Levy opened her Etsy shop this week, hooray! Sweet and tender Save The Fish print available from Cecilia Levy

Queen Robin from The Runny Bunny.

Linen Fawn and Lace Pouch from Track & Field Designs.

Fantastic Owlos from Holli.

Medium Raymor Ceramic House Container from Ladies & Gentlemen.

Bird Emperors cushion/pillow cover from Ellie Curtis.

Leaf Magnet from SkinnylaMinx.

Candy Canisters from The Collector’s Shoppe.

Set of Plastic Trees from Brooklyn Rehab.

Super fantastic Foks available from Celapiu .

Block No.4 from Mimidoodles.

I have fallen in love with this little fox called Paolo, original illustration in ink and pencil from Ashley G and Drew.

Deer Figures from Pinkflor.

Such love for The jumblies and for this stunning book designed and hand-bound by Angela Liguori and Silvana Amato. More on The Jumblies coming up soon!

Colour Letter Card from Aviewto. More on collections coming up here soon I hope, so many plans, never enough time!