olala design

Hibernation...

2012-01-24T23:56:00.000-08:00

I wish...

The art of wrapping...

2011-12-24T02:32:00.000-08:00

anthropologie.com

I don't know about you but for me, wrapping a present is a special moment and I always enjoy being creative.... So here is some inspiration if you are getting short of ideas!

With yarn :
MarthaStewart.com

With a branch :
Gennine's Art Blog

With lots of ribbons :
Marie-Claire Idées

Joyeux Noël!

It's that time again!?!

2011-12-04T00:03:00.001-08:00

Anthropologie Christmas ornaments

Wow, I told you it was going to be fast... and here we are, Christmas is just a few weeks away and the "Christmas spirit" is everywhere!

I thought it would be fun to do a little game like last year so... my "Advent Calendar Sale" is on again! The rule is simple : every day, I will post on my Facebook page one item from my shop that will be 15% off for one day only... and this, until December 24th!

Let's play : )

Quick, it's almost over!

2011-11-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

How gorgeous it is to walk back from school with my kids on a sunny day and look at these autumnal colors! Of course, they are more into playing in the dead leaves and picking up branches to make "swords" and "lightsabers" but well... that's another way to enjoy Fall ; )

Inspired by the beauty around me : "L comme Libellule" earrings featuring golden copper Swarovski crystal dragonfly wings and golden chains...With their iridescent finish and asymmetrical facets, these crystal wings reflect the light in a beautiful golden rainbow of sparkles. They are absolutely stunning in real life : )

And here is a little something I am completely smitten with : my "Cubes" pendant necklace... This necklace features a gorgeous 20mm Klimt style Venetian cube with an opaque red base and a layer of 24kt gold foil. Pressed onto the bead, a mosaic of millefiori glass creates texture and an abstract pattern. This technique makes every bead absolutely unique in color and shape! I.LOVE.IT.

October

2011-10-03T09:57:00.001-07:00

September went by without notice...

Suddenly, the days are getting shorter and leaves are turning yellow, sweaters and scarves are out, and it's time for pumpkin pies! I love Fall!

Here's to celebrate Fall : "Petite Noisette" (little hazelnut) bracelet and earrings mixing picasso jasper stones with tiger ebony wood, fireopal Swarovski crystals and copper.

And my "Couleurs d'automne" (autumn colors) necklace, also with picasso jasper, tiger ebony wood, fireopal Swarovski crystals and copper.

Happy Fall : )

Blanc d'ivoire

2011-08-20T16:54:00.001-07:00

Something I have had in mind for a while was to make a version of my "Macadam" necklace all in white... First, because I love all-white accessories, especially in summer, and second, because I fell in love with these off-white wool felt balls : )

Now, the question was to find what combination of white beads could work with my off-white felt balls... I thought about it, looked around, tried a few combinations and finally decided to work with... porcelain!

So, let me introduce you to my "Blanc d'ivoire" collection : wool felt balls, porcelain and magnesite beads for the necklace and wool felt balls, magnesite and sterling silver for the earrings... I am thinking of making a matching bracelet but I am concerned the white wool felt balls might get dirty if worn on the wrist...

(that's me modelling my "Blanc d'ivoire" necklace and showing off my super cool All Saints Spitafields bleached zebra shirt! Note to myself : next time, wear a touch of make-up before taking pictures...)

Feria

2011-07-25T00:04:00.000-07:00

"Feria", Japanese raw silk carnation brooches

It all started last year with a collection of colorful Japanese raw silk ribbons... then I had the idea of making pompons and sew them on a pin to make brooches.... then it literally took me a year to put my idea into practice... and then, my pompons looked like carnations! So I started having fun with the colors and bought more ribbons....

And, as my colorful collection of carnation brooches was getting bigger, it made me think of a name : "feria"... because carnations remind me of the South of France, the cities of Nîmes or Arles, where ladies would wear red carnations in their hair, where people would throw carnations into the arena during bullfights...

And the man who used carnations as his signature was Christian Lacroix, one of my favorite French designers (we're talking Haute Couture here... ) who was actually born in Arles and who used his "provençal" roots as an inspiration. His creations were always bold, bright, theatrical, feminine, adorned with flowers (lots of them!) and gold embroidery...

just like this :

and this :

and, at the end of a "défilé", the audience would applaude and throw red carnations on the catwalk... of course : )

Il m'aime un peu, beaucoup....

2011-07-18T00:37:00.001-07:00

If there's a flower that really epitomizes summer for me, it's the daisy or la marguerite as we say in French....

This white and yellow flower is like a drop of sunshine in the garden, bright, warm, happy... and romantic : "il m'aime un peu, beaucoup, passionnément, à la folie... pas du tout!" (Yes, in French, it's a bit more complex than the English "he loves me, he loves me not"...)

So, here's to my favorite summer flower :

"Marguerite" , earrings composed of mother of pearl, copper, teal blue Czech glass and topaz Swarovski crystals

PS : he loves me, of course!....

Voilà l'été!

2011-07-03T23:31:00.001-07:00

Ok, ok, it finally did stop raining a couple of weeks ago - actually, just on the Spring Fab Fair weekend and consequently, all of Vancouver was on the beach, not at the Fab Fair!... and then, things went fast : end of the school year, school fair, school shows, gifts for the teachers and suddenly, that was it, the summer holidays!!!

So, it's official, summer is here... kind of... still not that warm and sunny in Vancouver... but it's ok, at least it stopped raining!

But, just in case, I thought that it would be nice to add a bit of sunshine to our uncertain summer, so here's my contribution : "Au soleil", a bracelet composed of 20mm magnesite oval beads (sometimes known as “white turquoise”), light topaz Swarovski crystals and red branch coral nuggets. The sun rays come from a precious 15mm golden bead made of Venetian glass. This style of Venetian glass is called “Klimt” and you can see here a few pieces I had already done with these wonderful beads.

And this is the matching necklace, "Renaissance", with a lovely red cinnabar carved cherry blossom blooming among the white magnesite...

Now, put your sunglasses and your flip-flops on and enjoy the sun : )

Rain, rain, rain ...

2011-05-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is the worst Spring ever!!! It's cold, and it rains and it rains and it rains... and when I talk on the phone to my family in France, they tell me it's 27 degrees there and they are too hot!?!

What's wrong??? Yes, I know, there's a scientific explanation called La Nina but I don't care, I want some sun and enough heat to take my winter jacket off!

"Deluge" by Golly Bard

At least, all this rain gives us our beautiful rainforest which inspired me to work with moss agate and tiger ebony wood and create this set called "Mousse" :

"Mousse" (moss) necklace and bracelet - moss agate squares, tiger ebony wood, Swarovski crystals and "Tout simplement" earrings - tiger ebony flat circles, AB Swarovski crystals

Mother's Day : )

2011-05-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I hope you had a nice day : )

Mine was filled with hugs and kisses, good food and flowers, friends and family... and a little "surprise" that I got for myself and wrapped up nicely... just in case ; )

PS : this adorable gift box comes from my favorite stationary shop in Vancouver, Paper-Ya, on Granville Island. Definitely a place to check out if you visit our beautiful city!

Spring cleaning and Tea Party...

2011-04-26T13:31:00.001-07:00

Clothespins by Quotes & Notes

I am happy to announce that I am finally done with my classes, exams and marking! Yesssss : )

Now it's time to do a bit of Spring cleaning (actually, "a lot" would be more appropriate...) hoping that Spring will eventually come to our part of the globe as we've been under grey and rainy skies for weeks now while I heard that Europe is enjoying sunny days and temperatures over 20 degrees : (

This time of the year is also when I usually throw my "Olala Tea and Jewelry Party" at my house, a little private gathering with friends, friends of friends, daughters of friends and occasionally, mothers of friends (but very rarely husbands of friends as they tend to avoid these kinds of parties...) to celebrate Mother's Day and the arrival of Spring.

As a gift for those of you who won't be with us, I am offering FREE shipping worldwide in my shop until May 8th for orders over $40, and I have put a few items on sale in order to do a bit of "Spring cleaning".... Enjoy : )

"Napolitain" , a necklace composed of delicious multicolor quartz nuggets, a golden Venetian bead, purple lepidolite round beads and lilac Swarovski crystals.

Pompon-mania!

2011-04-08T19:16:00.001-07:00

I've always liked things that dangle and move with the wind, like kites with long tails, wind chimes, flags, banners, lanterns... I've always liked long earrings too, and scarves, and fringes and tassels (or pompons as we call them in French..) that seem to dance with your every step...

So you can imagine how happy I was when, one day, a friend of mine gave me a bag full of colorful tassels he had brought back from Morrocco for me! A bag full of pompons... How exciting! So I put a little pompon here, a little pompon there... and then, I forgot about my bag of pompons...

...until I started making these new pieces with turquoise and branch coral and a Japanese tensha bead with pink cherry blossoms... suddenly, I remembered my pompons and it was obvious that I needed to add pompons to my "Folklore" collection! Aren't these pretty?

Mmmm, I can predict more pompons to come in the near future......

And just because, I'll leave you with this gorgeous picture of a Odd Molly shirt from the new Spring/Summer collection... Oh, how much I love this Swedish brand, where every piece of clothing is embroidered, crocheted, adorned with fringes and tassels and ribbons and lace and.... I love it : )

Bloom?

2011-03-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

Spring is coming.... finally!

The last few weeks of winter have been depressing and tiring, full of rainy days and kids being sick.... But now it's time to think of the new season, sunny days, fresh and happy colors!

I must say that I needed a bit of a kick in the butt to get my creativity going as I had been quite uninspired since January... The fact that I didn't have any sales on my Etsy site in February obviously did not give me a boost but I guess it was partly my fault as I didn't feel like playing the game of the daily listings and frequent Treasury-making anymore...

Anyway, it's always good to take a little break when things get too tedious and repetitive... and, in my case, it looks like it was beneficial as I've been super inspired and productive since last week : )

Oh, and by the way, the "kick is the butt" was the Bloom Art, Craft and Design Market where I'll be on Sunday, March 20th... right on time for Spring!

New York in a bag...

2011-02-26T23:40:00.001-08:00

I'm back!...

And I brought back New York in a bag... well, a mini version of it! I found these lovely wooden miniature buildings, monuments and cars at the MoMA shop among other goodies that I couldn't resist bringing back in my suitcase (like the matryoshka measuring cups... so cute!).

I had a wonderful time in the Big Apple and, even though it was a short trip, I did and saw almost everything I really wanted to do/see for my first "adventure" in the big city... I came back home content and full of energy!

Some beautiful felt I bought at Purl Soho, a paradise for those who like needlework...

A cute picture of my friends and me after my shopping spree at Alexis Bittar's on my birthday... Too bad the stuffed zebra wasn't there anymore but it had been replaced by a hybrid warthog/bear and a stylish fox ; )

Now, let's get back to work!

New York, New York!!!

2011-02-14T10:32:00.000-08:00

"First, we take Manhattan" by Irene Suchocki

Big news : this week, it's my birthday (a big, ugly one with a zero at the end...) and I'm going to celebrate in style! Ten years ago, I promised myself that for my **th birthday, I'll do something super cool like going to New York with a bunch of girlfriends to go shopping, visit museums, see a Broadway show, eat in hip restaurants and giggle all day long....

Well, here we are : )

First stop on Feb. 17th, Alexis Bittar's Soho shop! It's going to be very difficult to pick something among so many beautiful pieces..... I will probably have to buy a few ; )

Ok, in my fantasy world, this is ME on my birthday looking fabulous in my long, long, long Anthropologie dress.... definitely another shop I want to check out!

Hellooo Manhattan!!!

The Kiss...

2011-01-31T00:03:00.001-08:00

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt

Valentine's Day is in two weeks so we've been seeing lots, and lots, and lots of hearts on Etsy since the beginning of January....

Of course, after a while, I got into the "mood for love" myself and, looking for some inspiration for my jewelry, I came across some beautiful Venetian glass beads that immediately caught my eye : this style of Venetian glass is called “Klimt” because there is a multitude of colorful dots and a gold foil inside the beads which are reminiscent of Klimt’s Art Nouveau paintings! J'adore!!!

So I bought this magnificent 35 mm golden heart that I attached to a trio of chains with different shapes and colors in order to create a lace effect that is both sexy and mysterious : )

Weekend à Venise - Venetian glass heart pendant, Siam red Swarovski crystal, Czech glass flowers, trio of gunmetal and gold plated chains

The matching earrings...

For this bracelet, I combined two different shapes of Klimt Venetian glass, a flat square and a cube, with beautiful tiger’s eye square beads spaced with light topaz Swarovski crystals. With its rich yellow and golden brown stripes, Tiger’s eye is an amazing and mesmerizing stone... that's why I named this bracelet "Hypnose" ...

Macadam memories...

2011-01-19T23:47:00.001-08:00

I received a pretty cool dish for Christmas, it was a present from a friend who lives in France... It looks like a cake stand but it is made of grey steel with a white patina.

The first thing I thought when I opened the box was : "Wow, this is going to be fabulous to take pictures of my jewelry!"... (I can't help it!) And indeed, I think my new "Macadam" necklace and earrings with black lava and purple wool felt balls are really looking good with Le dish in the background : )

(There is also a charcoal grey and a teal blue version of these in my Etsy shop.)

I must say that this dish brings back a lot of childhood memories because its style and material make me think of Parisian galvanized steel fountains, shop displays and café chairs just like the Tolix "Marais" chair that has been on my wishlist for the longest time...

(I love this chair!)

Coeurs de fleur...

2011-01-12T23:25:00.001-08:00

There's something I have been wanting to do for a while : a year and a half ago, at the Fab Fair, I had bought some pretty ceramic buttons handmade by a local artist, Eikcam, who became a good friend of mine soon afterwards...

At first, I thought I would use these flower buttons for necklaces but there was also the option of using them for brooches...

A year and a half later, I finally took my sewing kit out... and I am really happy to introduce my new "Coeurs de fleur" brooches : )

The idea here was to keep the design simple to emphasize the details of the buttons.

I chose to use two layers of felt of the same color to make a flower around the "flower heart" but, as I love to play with colors, I decided to introduce bright colored embroidery threads to sew the button to the felt flower... and then, I let the threads loose to give a poetic touch to the composition : )

Et voilà!

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-02T02:05:00.001-08:00

In case you are wondering what I've been up to for the last 4 weeks, well.... let's see : there was basically a lot of rushing - rushing to finish my classes and then, rushing to mark exams, rushing to buy Christmas presents, wrap Christmas presents, mail Christmas presents (to my family and friends in France.... of course, they all arrived AFTER Christmas, darn!), rushing to attend Christmas markets with my Olala jewelry, rushing to finish custom orders, pack orders, mail orders, all of these before December 23rd............... oh, and I forgot to mention my son's 6th birthday party!

So, right now, I'm enjoying a little break : )

As well as a box of Lego Star Wars, Santa brought a little kitten to my youngest son this year (the cat's name is JoJo... what else could you expect from a 6-year-old?... come one, at least it's not Buttcheek or Fartflake!!!) and here's what I was doing on the 1st day of January 2011 : building Darth Vador's space ship with JoJo taking a nap on the empty box!... Life is good!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU and try to take it easy : )

The Advent Calendar Sale Game...

2010-12-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

Advent calendar kit by Hello Magpie

Incredible : today, it's December 1st!!! The golden colors of autumn are long gone, the days are getting shorter, darker and colder (it even snowed last week!) and everybody is already thinking about Christmas.... Christmas!... can you believe it?!?

So, in order to make this hectic season a bit more fun, I've decided to launch a little game : the Advent Calendar Sale game!
The rules are simple : every day until Christmas, I will select ONE item from my shop and put it on sale (10% off) until the end of the day... There will be a total of 24 items selected every day among earrings, bracelets, necklaces and brooches : )

Today's item is my "Lampions jaunes" earrings :

What will it be tomorrow?...

PS : Look at my Facebook Fan Page to see which items have already been selected.

Macadam

2010-11-07T15:15:00.001-08:00

Last winter, I discovered black lava and in no time, black lava beads had become really hot (good one!) in jewelry... I did a bit of research on the symbolism of black lava and I liked what I found : a stone of strength and fertility. It is said to provide stability in times of change and to help dissipate anger. Exactly what I need!

As lava beads are porous and not very shiny, I thought that their "roughness" would be perfectly complemented by the softness of wool felt. So... I came up with my "Macadam" collection that I personally find very urban chic and comfortably feminine : )

"Macadam" necklace with black lava round beads, charcoal grey wool felt balls and shiny grey Czech glass seed beads

"Macadam" bracelet with black lava beads, wool felt balls and Czech glass mounted on an elastic and finished with a sexy bow of black satin ruffled ribbon

"Macadam" earrings with black lava and charcoal grey wool felt balls hanging from lovely sterling silver flower earwires

Soon, I'll have a teal blue version of my Macadam collection... of course, black and blue, I couldn't resist!
To be continued...

Spice Market

2010-10-30T15:02:00.001-07:00

Already the end of October... The kids are decorating the house for Halloween tomorrow and I am preparing for Portobello West Market that will also be tomorrow... Yes, it sucks, I'll have to pack up and rush back home at the end of the day to be there for "trick or treat"... Can't miss that!

Here's a little sneak peek at what I'll be having on my table at the Market : some new "One thousand and One Nights" necklaces and earrings in spicy colors : paprika, saffron, cinnamon, curry and thyme...

"Mille et une nuits" necklaces and earrings - Swarovski crystal baroque pendants, Moroccan silk beads in paprika, saffron, cinnamon, curry and thyme

J'aime les feuilles d'automne!

2010-10-25T01:45:00.001-07:00

The other day, I walked out of my house and I saw this :

The early evening sun made the autumn foliage look so bright, so golden, it was purely delightful!

The next day, I went on a special hunt : I had to find some leaves, some autumn leaves, to use to give a "fall mood" to my Etsy pictures...
You would think that this is easy enough, that anybody can do that but hey, I live in a city and in a city, you look kind of weird when you stare at the trees, when you observe branches and the shape of leaves, and really you feel like you are stealing something when you pick a few leaves and a branch or two!... that's why I took my little boy with me, just to pretend I was doing it for him in case I would get "caught" stealing some dead leaves on the street... shameless mom I tell you!

Here's a deluxe pair of earrings featuring beautiful Swarovski crystal branches and small baroque pendants that play the part of the leaves in this "autumn garden" composition... Believe me, these ones are striking in real life! And they glow almost as much as the early evening sun on the autumn foliage : )

Bleu et Noir

2010-10-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

I think my obsession for combining blue and black together started in Paris, this summer, when I went to one of my favorite shops, Crea Concept : I love their designs, often asymmetrical and a bit quirky but always beautiful and elegant. I indulged in a couple of irresistible pieces (I could have bought the whole shop, of course...) and retrospectively, I realized that what I chose was... black and blue!

Here's a little snapshot of my lovely Crea scarf, in blue wool and black tulle (did you notice the blue polka dots?.... soooo pretty!). This scarf is so soft and beautiful that I wear it over my black sweaters, like a piece of jewelry...

And talking about jewelry, here's a captivating piece that I named "Nuit de Chine" because the dark blue stone makes me think of Chinese blue:

This necklace features two dreamy blue azurite beads paired with cloisonné beads, and plum jasper stones spaced with Swarovski crystals in indicolite blue.

I also made the matching bracelet but I might have to keep it for myself since it goes so well with my new Crea outfit ; )

Bold and beautiful!

2010-09-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's funny, lately, I am fascinated by bold colors like fuchsia and bright yellow and I am obsessed with mixing blue and black... really, obsessed!

So, this month, I came up with a few new pieces for the fall and I must say that they are quite striking like my "Marquise" necklace for which I combined hot pink Brazilian agate and black onyx spaced with fuchsia Swarovski crystals and some vintage (and authentic!) Venetian beads.

"Marquise" earrings - fuchsia Brazilian agate barrels, jet black Swarovski crystals, Venetian glass

And here's a little composition I am really proud of : instead of making pompon brooches with my beautiful Japanese silk, I had the vision of a mosaic of little silk squares that together would become a bouquet of flowers sewn on black felt... Of course, it takes me forever to sew (I'm so slow!) but it is so much fun to play with colors : )

A Sunday Afternoon in September...

2010-09-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Even if I'm still in denial, the holidays are officially over! The kids and I are back to school, we've put our beach towels and flip-flops away and we are slowly getting re-accustomed to the wet and chilly Vancouver weather : (

We actually just came back from our holidays last week and I must say that it was quite funny to unpack from my suitcase my pretty Oilily carry-on that I had stuffed with colorful silk ribbons and my sewing kit... untouched!
Yes, I had big plans of making silk pompons brooches while I was away but, of course, I never managed to find the time!

Hopefully, I will have something new to show you next week as I have to prepare for my next show : I will be at Portobello West, in Vancouver, on Sunday September 26th. This fashion and art market is very famous in Vancouver and I am pretty excited to be one of the exhibitors for the September and October shows : )

Now, let's get to work!

Olala part en vacances!

2010-08-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

No, this is not me!..... (I wish...)

These are pictures I found on Kenzo's website today while I was browsing and dreaming about all the beautiful shops I'd love to visit when I'm in Paris this month... Yes! I'm going away for a few weeks : my husband has always wanted to take all of us to Croatia, where his family is from, so we're going this year! And... as I'll be soooo close to France and my family, I'll take off on my own for a few days at the end of the trip to go see my papa and my maman in Paris : )

Oh, I can hardly wait.....

Trois couleurs : rouge...

2010-07-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

And now, here's the last part of my trilogy of summer colors with red.

"Sur la route de Kalamata" (the roads to Kalamata) necklace

Despite of the controversy about the use of coral in jewelry, I love to work with sponge coral (which is not endangered). I personally like the organic feel and orangey red color of this material that can be combined with so many different other colors.

Here is one of my favorite pieces from this summer, "Sur la route de Kalamata", a necklace that combines sponge coral beads, ceramic beads in blue and red, and dark chocolate tiger ebony wood with touches of brass and Swarovski crystals. Even though I’ve never been to Kalamata, the inspiration for this necklace was definitely Greece!

And "Guirlande de corail" (coral garland), a very feminine necklace that features a garland of honey jade carved flowers, combined with red sponge coral rectangle beads and topaz Swarovski crystals.

Enjoy the summer holidays in Bleu, Blanc, Rouge : )

Trois couleurs : blanc...

2010-07-18T11:47:00.001-07:00

Second part of my trilogy of summer colors, here's white : I came across these amazing ice flake crystal quartz nuggets a couple of months ago and I immediately fell in love with these! This stone looks like ice or snow, I don't know, but it is absolutely unique. I combined this crystal quartz with faceted rock crystal, white rabbit jade, AB translucent Swarovski crystals and some carved silver beads to obtain a pure, all-white effect.

My "cristalline" collection is perfect for the summer, paired with white linen clothes and... a margarita in hand ; )

Trois couleurs : Bleu...

2010-07-08T14:30:00.001-07:00

It may be because I grew up not too far away from the Mediterranean sea but if I had to choose two materials that would epitomize summer, it would definitely be silver and lapis lazuli...

These pieces are called "Ciels d'azur" (azure skies) and they are composed of lapis lazuli, natural aquamarine (for the necklace) and gorgeous silver and enamel cloisonne flowers that emphasize the dark color of the lapis lazuli beads.

Tiny silver Czech glass beads punctuate the dark blue lapis lazuli and accentuate the golden glow of the pyrite dust present in the gemstone.

Eikcam

2010-07-01T00:52:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was super busy, there was the Greek Festival on Sunday (10 hours of selling my stuff on the street, no thank you, I don't think I will ever do it again!) and the "Studio warming" of my friend Grace, aka Eikcam, on Saturday. Grace's work is so beautiful and colorful that it makes her white studio look like the coziest place in town!

Grace and me, wearing my freshly acquired "Baroque" pendant by Eikcam : )

I'm busy!

2010-06-25T23:45:00.001-07:00

Two big shows in the same month is a lot of work! I didn't realize that when I said "yes!" to the Greek Festival that is taking place this Sunday (June 27th) in Vancouver, hardly 3 weeks after the two-day Fab Fair... I'm a bit freaked out because the organizers of the Festival are expecting 90,000 visitors during the day!!! Is it possible? That sounds like a lot... I will never have enough jewelry, I should make moooooore..... Au secours!!!

Greek Day, Sunday June 27th, West Broadway Street (@McDonald) in Vancouver, from 11.00am to 9.00pm.

Multicolor

2010-06-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

The Spring Fab Fair? It went well, very well, thank you! I had a good time, I met lots of nice people, saw some friends, couldn't resist to buy a few things (look at this beauties by Eikcam) and I had a very emotional moment the first time I used my new Visa card machine and saw the little "Olala design" receipt coming out : )

Now, I am preparing for another fair that will take place next Sunday (June 27th) in Vancouver. Here's the info if you live in the area. I am working on summery items using different shades of blue (turquoise, aquamarine, lapis), white (rock crystals, freshwater pearls, mother of pearl) and some fresh greens, pinks and purples like in these quartz nuggets bracelets :

"Weekend napolitain", a bracelet made of multicolor quartz nuggets, one golden Venetian bead, 2 lepidolite beads and light peach Swarovski crystals.

A very summery version of "Fleurs des bois".

One of my personal favorite color combination for "Frou-frou de fleurs".

Now, let's hope for summer to finally come, it's been so grey and chilly lately... Brrrr...

Bientôt l'été!

2010-06-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

I almost fell off my chair this morning when I saw the date on my computer : June 1st... June 1st?... It means that the Spring Fab Fair is at the end of this week, summer is just to follow (we NEED sunshine here... badly!) and school is going to be finished soon... so the kids are going to be on holidays... so it's going to be chaos here every day...

After a few minutes of total panic and a cup of strong tea, I decided that everything was fine and I "regrouped " (as hockey players say on TV... yes, I am becoming more and more Canadian!) while taking a few pictures of my newest creations, some long and funky necklaces called "Guirlandes estivales" (summer garlands).

I must say that I am really excited to present these necklaces at the Fair this weekend because I think that they absolutely ROCK! I love the cheerfulness of the bright jade flowers, the warmth of the wood beads, the elegance of the Swarovski crystals, the softness of the silk string around the neck and the whimsicality of the little charms : )

And if I don't sell them this weekend, it's ok, I'll wear them all at the same time this summer and I'll look super cool : )

Pretty things...

2010-05-22T16:29:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, I was looking at Gennine's blog and I saw that she had carved a doily stamp in a rubber block... This was so pretty that I immediately decided that I needed a doily stamp too!... but there was no way I was going to carve it myself, of course! Searching on Etsy, I found my treasure : a box of cute stamps including 2 doilies, a bird cage, an antique key and some other goodies... I also bought some Japanese washi tape with a brown lace print that I'm now using when I gift wrap my jewelry. This is much prettier than regular tape!

Et voilà!

"Cristalline" earrings - ice flake crystal quartz nuggets and rock crystal faceted coin beads on silver earwires

Here are my "Cristalline" earrings presented on a doily stamped card : )

Check out this shop for pretty stuff : www.PrettyTape.etsy.com

Midnight Garden

2010-05-16T00:51:00.000-07:00

I went to drop off some new pieces at Eclektica Art Gallery* this week and one of them was my chef d'oeuvre, the mesmerizing "Midnight Garden" necklace... I love this piece, I hope it finds a proud owner : )

"Midnight Garden", a necklace featuring a suede butterfly fluttering among gorgeous dark blue azurite beads (the night) and grey freshwater pearls (the stars).

And talking about gardens, I have to show you the poster for the Spring Fab Fair that will be held on June 5th and 6th at the Heritage Hall, in Vancouver. This dreamy picture was done by my friend Grace, the talented designer and ceramist from Eikcam. We will both attend the Fab Fair as well as Shibang designs who makes colorful felted accessories and whom I am very impatient to meet!

* Eclektica Art Gallery
#102 - 1118 Homer Street, Vancouver (Yaletown)

A Jar of Love...

2010-05-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here's an original watercolor I bought a few weeks ago from the artist Golly Bard. I am very fond of her art that I find colorful and refreshing.
I thought I would share my "Jar of Love" with you to say Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there : )

Summer mood...

2010-05-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I hosted my annual "Mother's Day Tea and Jewelry Party" at my house.

This year again, it was very pleasant to receive some friends and some Olala fans, being able to chat with everyone while drinking tea and trying on jewelry : )
Unfortunately, I was so busy being a good host that I totally forgot to take pictures...

I was also happy to see that some of my Summer 2010 creations were well received and I got some enthusiastic "ooohs" and "aaahs" with these pieces :

"Chant du désert", a necklace featuring a beautiful 45mm turquoise donut pendant that has the shape of a flower, honey bayong oval beads spaced with topaz Swarovski crystals, and two turquoise oval beads embellished with copper filigree caps.

I made a "Chant du désert" matching bracelet and also some earrings with honey bayong oval beads, turquoise and topaz Swarovski crystals...

I am personally very fond of these pieces because I love the warm tones of the wood and the bright color of the stones... It's so summery!

I Heart Earth!

2010-04-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

I've been very busy lately at work (rushing to wrap up my classes at the end of the semester and now, giving and marking exams) but I couldn't resist saying "Bonjour!" and showing off my son's art : with his school, he participated in a project where kids were drawing on grocery paper bags that were then distributed to customers at the supermarket on April 22nd! I thought his "earth" was very pretty even though he apparently did not have the time to color the seas and oceans.... ; )

Tea time in an English garden....

2010-04-08T01:34:00.000-07:00

... that's the name I wanted to give to this collection but it might be a bit too long! Maybe it will only be "Tea time"... or "English garden"... I'm still thinking...

Jade flowers, soochow jade beads, peach Swarovski crystals... and Vintaj natural brass for the earrings... perfect for tea in the garden, right?

Birdies

2010-04-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

It's pretty chilly outside but it's officially springtime and little birdies are tweeting and flying around everywhere...

Little birdies are also back into my Etsy shop in lots of colors (light yellow, teal blue, sweet lavender, warm red...) with one of my favorite designs : my "Dans les bois" necklaces, featuring adorable handmade polymer clay birds and beautiful wood beads (dark tiger ebony or warm honey-colored bayong).

Swarovski crystals give a sparkly touch to the composition.

A cute little canary...

The Spring version of "Le jardin du peintre" featuring Czech glass flowers and a silver sparrow framed in a tiger ebony rectangle and hanging from a black leather cord and a very pastoral brown leaf ribbon...

Tweet, tweet...

Cherry Blossoms

2010-03-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a tree full of cherry blossoms to celebrate the arrival of Spring! Doesn't the world look more beautiful under a cherry tree in bloom? Suddenly, the sky becomes pink and life seems as light and sweet as cotton candy... well, at least, for a moment...

"Fleurs d'agate", a necklace with cream and beige felt flowers, peach freshwater pearls and orange bamboo leaf agate...

Some new "Frou-frou de fleurs" earrings with springy colors : )

Celebration!

2010-03-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

"Special", sculpture by ArtMind.

Time flies, my friends... I realized the other day that I opened my little Etsy shop TWO years ago and I can say, without exaggeration, that it has changed my life!

First, because discovering Etsy was such an exhilarating experience : I remember like yesterday the pleasure of being able to see, admire and buy the work of so many crafters, artisans and artists from all around the world, and being inspired to express my own creativity. And second, of course, because having my own little corner on the Internet and putting my creations for sale gave me a new focus, a new artistic medium and also, a new identity...

Looking back at my very first listings, I thought that showing some of my first necklaces would be a nice way to celebrate this anniversary : )

"Chic coquelicot" necklace, purple felt poppy with a beaded centre, and light blue freshwater pearls.
"Bouquet de violettes" necklace, a bouquet of purple and red felt flowers, with freshwater pearls and frosted Czech glass.
"Bouquet d'amour", a Mini Olala necklace with pink and red flowers, bright lampwork glass beads and sparkly Czech glass.

And during the whole month of March, I am offering FREE SHIPPING worlwide in my shop.
Enjoy : )

I'm back!

2010-03-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

Wow, I'm exhausted!!! I haven't done anything for the last 2 weeks apart from watching TV, cheering for short-track speed skaters and hockey players, crying on my sofa watching the figure skating (Gosh, that Swiss guy skating on Jacques Brel's "Ne me quitte pas" almost made me sob!!!) and faithfully counting every day the number of medals Canada had won (yes, I also checked the results for the French team...).

I'm glad this is over so we can go back to our daily lives because I was getting headaches and watery eyes...

In the mist of the Olympic frenzy, I still managed to do a few things for Olala, the most important one being to figure out whether or not I should order another 200 Olala engraved charms... Yes, I had already run out of the first 200 charms I had ordered last year and it made me realize how many necklaces and bracelets I had actually made in 12 months! Did it make sense to order another 200???

Well, I guess it did because I did place the order and I am now committed to make another 200 necklaces and bracelets...

Here are my little silver and brass charms with a few handmade tags that I use to put earrings on or to write the composition of my necklaces and bracelets before shipping.

One of my latest creations : "Guirlande d'azur", a necklace composed of lovely honey jade flowers, topaz Swarovski crystals and dreamy larimar blue crazy lace agate.

This asymmetrical design is one of my favorites and I have already made a few versions of this necklace : with ebony wood, bayong wood or sponge coral...

The bracelet version of "Guirlande d'azur"...

Olympic fever!

2010-02-20T13:12:00.001-08:00

Ok, I'm one year older and I'm fine with it! I had a nice birthday week and some lovely girlfriends who spoiled me (yes, the spoiling part is always coming from my friends, not my sons and my husband...) and I really enjoyed the fact that I am on holidays : )

Unfortunately, all my fabulous plans of making some new jewelry, repainting my bathroom and purging the main floor closet that scares me each time I open it (!) kind of fell apart as we all caught the Olympic fever! Yes, Vancouver is hosting the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and I must say that the vibe in the city is amazing! I have never seen so many cheerful people in Vancouver and I love the fact that there are so many signs of culture all over the place.

So here are a few pictures from my personal Olympic Games album :

The Olympic Cauldron is lightening up the bay and the mountains... unfortunately, we can only see it behind fences...

The boys and I in front of the fence in front of the Cauldron...

A giant Canadian flag on Georgia street... Go Canada!

My son trying to build a inukshuk at the Northern House...

This is my all-time favorite : the Vancouver Art Gallery is hosting the BC Pavilion and has been beautifully "dressed" by Michael Lin...

A lot of fun on Robson Square with an outdoors ice rink and a ziptrek! Of course, my son wanted to try to zip above the street but the line-up was huuuuuge... Anyway, I'm not sure I would have let him go!

The weather has been wonderful so far and we went to Granville Island the other day where we enjoyed the smell of melted cheese and the nice "view" of the Alps in front of the House of Switzerland.

One more week to go... Yippee!!!

Pre-birthday blues...

2010-02-13T19:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not feeling too good today... First, it's my birthday in a few days and I always feel a bit down around that time of the year (but I magically feel fine just after!), second I have a cold that is really taking all my energy away and third, I had a killer toothache 3 days ago that concluded in a root canal this afternoon : (

Not good, not good...

So, I'm searching comfort looking at Alexis Bittar's website and dreaming in front of his beautiful lucite jewelry collection... Yes, I am a big fan of Alexis's art and I am deeply in love with his "Secret Garden" bracelets (and, by the way, each of them costs the same as my root canal!... *sigh*). Look at the glow, look at the details, look at the beauty!

If you want to see more of Alexis Bittar's Spring 2010 collection, check his website : www.alexisbittar.com

Early Spring?

2010-02-06T12:51:00.001-08:00

Isn't it ironic? We are just 6 days away from the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the olympic torch is getting closer and closer to my house (coming by on Thursday at noon... the kids are excited!), the city center is buzzing with tourists, journalists and policemen (lots of them!), I am receiving emails from my friends in France telling me that they are stuck in the snow and I say : snow? what snow???

Yes, here in Vancouver, it's SPRING!

As you can see, the lilac tree in front of my house is already budding... The weather and temperature have been really mild lately and we haven't seen any snowflakes since December : ) What sucks for the Vancouver Olympic Committee is actually great for me as I hate snow and I am always much happier when I have flowers around me...

So here's a new version of my "Papillon" bracelets to celebrate an early Spring : this one features a purple felt butterfly with a pink and copper lampwork glass bead, purple crazy lace agate coin beads mounted on an elastic and finished with a burgundy picot satin ribbon.

And here's a nice bouquet of felt flower brooches that I bought from one of my favorite Etsy sellers : Vaivanat. I absolutely adore these flower brooches and I could have them in all the colors of the rainbow! I actually bought another two but I intend to give them as presents to some of my friends so I don't want to show them here ; )

Vaiva is from Lithuania and she is the sweetest Etsy seller I have "met" so far.... You can visit her shop at : www.vaivanat.etsy.com

(but be careful, these flower brooches are addictive!).

More love...

2010-01-30T15:33:00.001-08:00

I told you last weekend that it was my older son's birthday (the party went smoothly, the boys really had a blast at laser tag!) but this weekend, my husband and I are celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary.... Incroyable!!! Eleven years!?!? It seems long and short at the same time : long because it's crazy to think that 11 years went by without us noticing, and short because it feels like we've been together forever...

Anyway, as promised last week, here are a few of my newer, sexier and REDer creations to celebrate life and love :

A new version of my "Première" necklace from the Fall, now with a bright red carved cinnabar butterfly, white rabbit jade, onyx and Japanese tensha beads. I kept the original "opera" length - 26.5 inches.

Obviously, this bracelet is NOT red but I find it very sexy : it's called "Mélodie nocturne" and is composed of black onyx, crystal, Murano style lampwork glass and silver rosebuds...

One of my very first designs is back in the shop : "Carmen", my flamenco-inspired lariat necklace, is now featuring a red felt poppy with a French metal button, red glass beads, black and sparkly Czech glass seed beads and two lovely silver tassels.

And last but not least, here's "Carnaval rouge", a bracelet with red, purple and orange Italian resin beads and one copper-coated resin bead mounted on an elastic and finished with a trio of ribbons... This one is guaranteed to make you smile all day long : )

Have a lovely weekend!

With love...

2010-01-23T05:11:00.001-08:00

While I am getting ready to spend my Saturday afternoon with a bunch of 9-year-old boys who are going to chase each other in the dark with laser guns (that's called "laser tag" and it's apparently really cool...!?) for my older son's birthday, my head is full of red hearts and flowers as everybody on Etsy is thinking about Valentine's Day...

Red is one of my favorite colors! I love red because it's warm, it's bright and cheerful, full of life and possibilities... it's also very elegant, powerful, sexy, mysterious... Rouge... Oh, I love it!!! It's definitely a color that inspires me...

So, for now, here's a sample of my cute-bright-and-cheerful collection of jewelry for little girls *Mini Olala* and I'll show you later the feminine-elegant-mysterious part of my collection for women...

"Bouquet de coquelicots", a necklace with red felt flowers, lovely glass beads and green frosted Czech glass beads

"Bouquet de douceur", a necklace with ivory cream felt flowers, mother of pearl beads and cherry red frosted Czech glass beads

And something new in the shop, some earrings called "Petites fleurs" with cute cherry red enamel daisy charms on Bali silver earstuds... I am personnally really fond of these : )

You'll find my Mini Olala shop there : www.MiniOlala.etsy.com

Fresh beginnings...

2010-01-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2010 to all of you!!!

So, that's it, we're starting a new year... and a new decade! I hope this year (and the next ones) is going to be fun, exciting, rewarding, surprising, fulfilling and inspiring for all of us...

So far, I have been inspired a lot : I want to repaint my house, change some furniture, take a pottery class, register for yoga class, take a trip to Hawaii and ... make more jewelry! But to be honest, apart from a few pieces of jewelry, I don't think I'll do half of this, at least, not in January!

Here are a few of my "fresh" creations :

"Fleurs des bois", a necklace composed of bayong wood twisted beads, topaz Swarovski crystals and a bouquet of green and purple felt flowers.

"Papillons du jour", earrings with light amethyst Swarovski crystal butterflies, olivine green Swarovski crystals and copper chains.

Bracelet "Rendez-vous à Hyde Park" with tiger ebony wood squares, olivine Swarovski crystals and a lovely green and purple Liberty of London ribbon.

Festival of Lights

2009-12-29T00:09:00.000-08:00

I remember that the first year I spent Christmas in Canada, I was amazed at discovering how much people loved to decorate their houses and front yards with Christmas lights! Entire houses shining with hundreds of lights, front yards visited by inflatable Santas and flashing reindeers... Even if it's not always of the best taste, it is fun and quite magical!

In Vancouver, every year for Christmas, the beautiful Van Dusen botanical garden transforms into a world of sugar plum fairies and ginger bread men during the "Festival of Lights" :

Blue trees and pink flowers in the middle of winter...

One of the many magical sights at the "Festival of Lights"...

After some hot chocolate and a bag of sweet and salty popcorn (it's good, I tried!), my two "angels" were becoming quite silly...

One Thousand and One Nights...

2009-12-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

Phew... I'm done! I am officially on holidays : I'm done with my marking, my craft fairs, my Christmas shopping... and I even hosted a home birthday party for my "baby" who turned 5 last weekend! Let me pat myself on the back : )

As a few of my friends have been suggesting it for a while, I have decided to create a *Olala* design Fan Page on Facebook! I am really proud of myself because I am usually a bit scared of anything too "technical" (you should see me with my cellphone... I still don't know how to text!?!)

Anyway, here it is :

My first announcement was to give the new address of Eclektica art gallery which is now located in Yaletown, a chic and hip neighborhood in Vancouver. The gallery carries a few of my pieces, for example, these sets I made with the holidays in mind :

"Mille et une nuits" necklace - Moroccan silk beads, Swarovski crystal baroque pendant, pewter beads.

The matching earrings...

Elegant and colorful, these necklaces will make any lady shine for "One Thousand and One nights"...

Eclektica art gallery
The Empress Galleria #112 - 1118 Homer Street, Vancouver

Christmas madness...

2009-12-09T23:03:00.001-08:00

Holiday cards by Rubypress (Etsy)

I don't know about you but I am NOT in the mood for Christmas yet!

First of all, I can't believe we are in December when yesterday we were in September.... weren't we? And, quite frankly, I am way too busy at the moment to even think about Christmas! Actually, I have to force myself to think about it : I am trying to list new items in my Etsy shop almost every day because I know that by the end of the weekend, people are not going to buy Christmas presents anymore due to shipping...

So here is a bit of inspiration that I have listed in my shop recently :

"Fleurs du soir", a bracelet composed of red carved cinnabar, plum jasper and jet black Swarovski crystals

Here's "Fleurs du soir" with my new ring by Spark, a designer I met at the Fab Fair. Check out her cool jewelry at : www.spark-girl.com

And here is my latest Treasury, "So chic!", that made the Front Page yesterday : )

Now, if you excuse me, I have to get ready for the TWO Christmas Markets I have registered for this weekend (what was I thinking about?....)

Fun Fab Fair : )

2009-11-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, it was the Winter Fab Fair... and it was fun! Lots of people came on Saturday, a bit less on Sunday but there were lots of fairs and cultural events happening in Vancouver that weekend.

I thought I would share with you a few pictures of my display and jewelry, for which I received lots of compliments : )

My bird cage with my "Dans les bois" necklaces and earrings are always a big hit!

This "Feuillage d'or" necklace was bought by a lovely daddy for his daughter : )

My collection of "Goutte d'automne" necklaces featuring Brazilian agates attracted lots of compliments...

People always love touching and trying these ebony wood bracelets on! They are sooooo smooth...

And here's myself and my dear friend Andrea who always comes to help me when I have a craft fair : )

Of course, I met some super nice vendors and I could not resist buying a few pieces from them... I am especially fond of my new ring by Spark design but I'll write a special post about it soon...

(Thank you Elvira for these nice pictures of my display : )

Oh la la!!!

2009-11-20T00:26:00.000-08:00

I have been extremely busy for the last few weeks and I have neglected my blog... I have noticed though that some lovely ladies have left some nice comments about my previous posts and this is very flattering to see that some strangers actually take the time to read my blog! Thank you : )

So, what have I been up to??? Well... I've been doing lots and lots of marking for the French courses I teach, I've been taking care of my kids, of course (my little one even had a project to do... in kindergarten!?!) and last but not least, I've been preparing for the Winter Fab Fair (this coming weekend) and another Christmas Market (in December).

One thing I really wanted to have for the craft fairs was a nice poster with *Olala* design on it to display on my table so people could see my name and, hopefully, would stop to look at my jewelry... I wanted it to look professional so I asked a friend of mine, Elvira, who is a photographer and graphic designer. And look at what she came up with :

Isn't it beautiful???? I love the atmosphere she has created in this picture, it's romantic, feminine, magical, mysterious, colorful, original.... It looks like a Renaissance painting! I think it's absolutely "oh la la!!!". I am soooo pleased with it, this is exactly what I wanted even though I didn't really know what I wanted : )

Elvira also did this one for me and I really, really like it too! I think I will have this picture printed as postcards that shopkeepers can display with my jewelry when I put some of my items in their shops... I can also use them as "Thank You" cards for my Etsy customers. As a matter of fact, I didn't have any of these "Feuillage d'or" necklaces in stock, so I made three today to take with me to the Fab Fair... I'll tell you very soon if they sold...

Winter Fab Fair, here I come!!!

Check out Elvira's website at : www.elvirayebes.com

Coup de coeur : Anna Maria Horner

2009-10-26T19:17:00.001-07:00

I have been following Anna Maria Horner's blog for a while : this very talented lady designs the most amazing fabrics that she uses for quilts, cushions, bags, clothes and interior decoration. I have absolutely NO skills in sewing but seeing all the bright colors and lovely patterns, I'm in awe!!!

I live in a place where everything is "tan", "chocolate" and "off-white" and it really makes me sad : (

I wish I could live in Anna Maria's colorful world! Look at her booth at a recent Quilt Market and tell me if it doesn't make you smile :

If you are lucky enough to be good at sewing, check out her new collection of fabrics called "Little Folks" : http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/

Maybe I can start with cushions... cushions should be easy to make...?

It's blue!

2009-10-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

The new Winter Fab Fair poster is out and it is blue!... It is very nice and quite frankly, I think it goes very well with some of the latest items I have listed in my shop :

"Fleur de coton" necklace - white carved cinnabar flower, blue sponge coral, bronzite, cloisonne beads and brass

This necklace is also part of my "Opera collection" as it is 26.5 inches long and it is versatile : it can be worn with a sweater and a pair of jeans or an elegant dress : )

Another version of my "Frou-frou de fleurs" earrings but this time, in green, blue, grey and cream with gunmetal chains....

Ok, now look at the dates : November 21st and 22nd.... in 4 weeks.... Gosh, I've got some work to do! See ya!

A perfect day!

2009-10-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

One of the disadvantages of living on the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada is that it rains a lot!... One of the disadvantages of having 2 little boys who love soccer here, on the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada, is that you often have to watch their soccer games under the rain... : (
But I have found a way to make these rainy soccer games much more comfortable and pleasurable for me : I bought myself this adorable pair of red rubber boots with polka dots! Aren't they looooovely???

And, believe me, today was a perfect day to take my rubber boots out : )

Inspired!

2009-10-10T16:52:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful day, today! The trees have gorgeous red-orange-yellow colors, the sun is out, it's chilly but not cold... Vive l'automne!

Inspired by these colors I love, I made a new bunch of "Frou-frou de fleurs" earrings that I hope to sell at the Winter Fab Fair on the weekend of November 21st-22nd and a more autumnal version of my "Fleurs des bois" necklace with red and chartreuse green felt flowers and olivine Swarovski crystals.

"Fleurs des bois" necklace - red and green felt flowers, freshwater pearls, tiger ebony wood, olivine Swarovski crystals

"Frou-frou de fleurs" earrings - Czech glass flowers (red, purple, mocha, green) on oxydized silver chains

My colorful "Frou-frou de fleurs" earrings collection...

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my Canadian friends : )

Tea time

2009-10-02T00:11:00.000-07:00

I was really pleased to see that my "Afternoon Tea" Treasury made it to the Front Page yesterday!

This list was inspired by the fact that I am organizing a "Tea and Jewelry Party" at my house this weekend to introduce my new pieces to some lovely ladies who live in Vancouver and are members of the unofficial Olala design fan club : )

Autumn is here!

2009-09-30T00:29:00.000-07:00

Even though Autumn officially begun last week, we had such a warm and sunny weather in Vancouver that we kept on wearing our summer clothes and sunglasses...... until today!
Yes, today was rainy, grey and chilly - we even had to turn the heat on!

So I am working on some new Fall designs using wood, copper, leather and Japanese silk to give darker and warmer tones to my creations.

Here is the Fall version of "Le jardin du peintre" pendant necklace - now featuring a copper swallow and a trio of cream, topaz and brown Czech glass flowers framed by a tiger ebony wood rectangle.

The maching earrings called "Vol d'automne" - copper swallows, tiger ebony wood squares, copper earwires

"Goutte de soie" necklace - Brazilian agate faceted briolette, Swarovski crystal, Japanese silk ribbon knotted on the side.... I am mesmerized by the beauty of this gemstone and I love the smoothness and rough texture of this Japanese silk ribbon :)

Enjoy the new season!

A Midsummer Dream

2009-09-19T17:55:00.001-07:00

It's been months now that I have been looking for a color to repaint my bedroom walls - the color we had was called "nude" so it was light, peachy, very dull... I had visions of dark purples or sexy plums but wasn't too sure it wouldn't be too dark... So I kept on searching...

...until a few weeks ago, when I went to see my friend Grace from Eikcam who was attending the Portobello West fashion and art Market (held in Vancouver on the last Sunday of every month) and spotted on her display table THE color I wanted in a beautiful little purple-glazed Korean Dasik salt and pepper dish with a tiny flower motif! It was love at first sight and I took my little dish to the paint store to find a color that would go well with it : )

After deliberating with my husband (he was the one who was going to paint...), we decided to go for "A Midsummer Dream".... and it looks WOW on our bedroom walls!!!!

You can visit Eikcam at : www.eikcam.etsy.com

Behind the scene

2009-09-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

The problem when you have a shop on Etsy is that you have to be good at multitasking (is that a word???). First, there is your handmade product of course but then, you have to take beautiful pictures that can attract potential buyers and, considering that there are thousands of sellers who make jewelry on Etsy, it is not an easy thing to be noticed...

What I find difficult when I photograph my jewelry is that I want to show the details and textures of the materials I used, try to capture the actual colors and also give an idea of the product when it is worn... I usually ask my friend Anne to model for me (she has a beautiful long neck that is perfect for modelling necklaces!) but lately, it has been impossible for us to organize a photo session so I have been compelled to model my necklaces myself... which is not an easy task when you are also the photographer!!!

So, the other day, I asked my 8-year-old son to help me.... and I absolutely love this picture he took of me - even though this is not the one I eventually used in my listing. I love it because I like the colors of the picture but also, the angle is sooo cute : you can definitely see that he is smaller than me : )

Première (Opening night) necklace - carved white cinnabar flower, onyx, coral, Japanese tensha beads

This necklace is part of my "Opera collection" because it measures 26.5 inches and this length for a necklace is called "opera". I like the fact that this necklace can easily and elegantly transform from day to evening wear...

September rain...

2009-09-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

Rain, rain, rain... and more rain...

This weekend is Labor Day weekend in Canada, we have Monday off and on Tuesday, the kids go back to school... but it's been raining all weekend long : (
So, while the boys are playing video games, I'm cleaning the house and taking pictures of my jewelry...

Here are two bracelets that have fresh autumnal colors :

"Rendez-vous à Hyde Park" bracelet - 35mm tiger ebony wood squares, peridot Swarovski crystals, Liberty of London ribbon bow.

This bracelet can be worn with the bow on top of the wrist or the tiger ebony wood squares...

"Carnaval citron" bracelet - Italian resin beads on elastic string, trio of ribbons.

These sparkles and citrus colors can brighten up any rainy day!

Indian summer

2009-08-29T16:56:00.001-07:00

I went to buy school supplies and a couple of pairs of jeans for my older son this week... yes, the summer holidays are almost over and we are getting ready for school! I'll be going back to school soon too (teaching!) so I have been quite busy working on my Olala Fall 09 collection lately.

Here are a few pieces I will be listing in my Etsy shop next week :

"Noisettes" earrings - tiger ebony squares, Indian red Swarovski crystals, copper and bronzite hazelnuts

"Eté indien" necklace - amazonite nuggets, carnelian, Indian red Swarovski crystals, tiger ebony carved leaf, copper and bronzite hazelnut

Mini Olala is going solo!

2009-08-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I should open another shop on Etsy to separate my Mini Olala jewelry for little girls from my "grown-up" jewelry.

The thought behind this decision was that it might be a little confusing for the viewers and customers of Olala design to find some items for children listed in the same shop. Creating a shop only dedicated to children would also give me the opportunity to list more items like hair clips and small brooches for instance...

So, you are invited to visit my new shop : www.MiniOlala.etsy.com

This mini butterfly bracelet was the 1st sale of my new shop this week : )

Mini Olala's pink and sparkly packaging - of course!

1000 Hearts : )

2009-08-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

So the 1000th Etsian who added my shop in her favorites was.... Evelda's Neverland! As a matter of fact, Evelda lives in Canada - in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She designs crocheted and handknit items like scarves, chockers, handbags, baby sweaters and hats...

I featured one of her chockers in my latest Treasury, "Autumnal Bouquet" :

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6813724

Who's next???

2009-08-18T00:58:00.000-07:00

Some of my creations have been featured in some beautiful Treasuries this week and they made the Front Page of Etsy today!!! Yes, three times, Olala design was on the Front Page today!!! .... Hundreds of viewers visited my "shop" but, well, I cannot really say that my sales exploded... no....

But on the other hand, I have noticed that I now have 999 Etsians who "heart" my shop! Isn't it cute????

I really wonder who is going to be number 1000 : )

Days are getting shorter...

2009-08-14T23:40:00.001-07:00

Days are getting shorter and cooler, the sky is heavy with clouds and it's been raining on and off for the last few days... it seems like the summer holidays are already over... So it's time to start preparing for the Fall!

"Nuit Magique" bracelet - onyx, Murano style lampwork glass, Swarovski crystals

"Rose passion" bracelet - hot pink turquoise nuggets, silver glass, Moroccan tassels

And much more to come....

Coup de coeur

2009-08-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

And now, for inspiration and to please your eyes, here's my new "coup de coeur": I have discovered a new brand from Italy, Tricot Chic, and I'm in loooove....
And look! they used Liberty ribbons and trims in their beautiful (and sexy!) clothes this summer and even, for their jewelry! ... "Liberty Revival", remember?

http://www.tricotchic.it/

The Liberty Revival

2009-08-07T17:52:00.001-07:00

Something else that I found shopping around and reading fashion magazines during my holidays in France was that, this Spring, there was a real Liberty Revival in Europe!... to be more precise, when I say "Liberty", I am not talking about "Freedom" but about the classic "Liberty of London Cotton Lawns" fabrics that usually feature multitudes of little flowers and that are an old-time favorite for mums and grandmas when sewing pretty dresses to their well-mannered daughters and grand-daughters ... (I'm sure I have a picture of myself somewhere wearing a Liberty dress when I was 6 or 7 years old!)

Shopping for supplies at Aniline, I couldn't leave the shop without a few meters of Liberty ribbons, they were so fresh and colorful... I still haven't decided what I am going to do with my ribbons but so far, I can tell you that there will be some Liberty bows in my Olala design Fall 2009 collection : )

Mmm, can't wait for the Fall!...

Absolutely Fabulous!

2009-08-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

I could not go to France and not go hunting for ideas and supplies... Impossible when you have designer clothes and jewelry in every shop and magazine, and delicious little boutiques just dedicated to crafts!

One of my favorite shops for supplies (buttons, beads, ribbons...) and ideas is a cute shop in the city where my mum lives, Clermont-Ferrand. The shop used to be called "La Droguerie" but it changed its name to "Aniline" a few years ago. The ladies who work there are very nice and helpful, and the shelves of the shop are covered with jars full of the most gorgeous and original beads you can dream of.... My kind of heaven!
http://www.aniline.fr/

Even though I was tempted to buy the whole shop, I had to restrain myself a little and mostly focused on beads... but oh my, I am soooo fond of these beads : they are Italian resin beads, they come in the most amazing colors, some have sparkles, others have a magical glow (I swear, they glow even more when they are worn!) and they are just a concentrate of sheer Happiness!!!

"Carnaval bleu" listed in my Etsy shop - one of a kind

I have made a few bracelets mixing these beads with some other funky beads I had, I added a few ribbons and women around me have been unanimous : FA-BU-LOUS!!!! That's what I thought too : )

A beautiful mix of colors for my coming Fall 2009 collection...

If you ever go to Clermont-Ferrand, you can visit Aniline :
15 rue Terrasse
63000 Clermont-Ferrand (France)

Sand garden

2009-07-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

After the excitement of our trip to France, my husband decided to take the boys and me to Qualicum Beach, on Vancouver Island, for a few relaxing days of playing in the sand, beachcombing, bird-watching and snorkeling in the (cold!) Pacific ocean...

The sand and all the drift wood on the beach inspired me and I made these pieces that I find very elegant and natural with their subtle tones :

"Jardin de sable" necklace - white cinnabar, natural mother of pearl, fossil coral, Swarovski crystals

The matching earrings - gold vermeil carved earwires, white cinnabar, Swarovski crystals

I also came up with a "whitish" Treasury today : )

Window shopping in Paris...

2009-07-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

A few more pictures from my recent trip to France : last weekend, I had a fun time taking a walk in the wonderful (and very chic!) area called Le Marais (4th arrondissement) where the famous Place des Vosges is located.

Apart from restaurants and lovely tea rooms, this area counts many fabulous shops - opened on Sundays which is pretty rare in France! Of course, I would have liked to go shopping in each of them but, well, most prices were too high for my budget... so I just enjoyed the creative window displays that delighted my eyes and put a happy smile on my face!

I really fell for this window display, I'd totally use a display like this one for my next craft fair : )

Design plastic dinnerware.... love it!

A beautiful shop in la Gallerie Vivienne : every item is made out of paper!

Guerlain : sooo chic!

Paris, je t'aime!

2009-07-15T22:54:00.001-07:00

I just came back from a trip to France where I spent 3 weeks visiting my family and friends with my sons.

We spent a couple of days in Paris at the beginning of our vacation and our first touristic stop was -of course- at the Eiffel Tower! I must say that I was almost as excited as my kids to have a close look at "la Grande Dame" as I think the last time I went in the Tour Eiffel was when I was 7 or 8 years old!

Oh, c'est si beau!

After 1 hour and a half-long line up to take the elevator, we finally reached the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.... how exciting! how beautiful! and ... how scary!!! In the excitement of taking my kids to the Eiffel Tower, I had totally forgotten that I was afraid of heights!?! So here I was, the only tourist who was doing her best NOT to look at the view : )

Eclektica : art for everyone

2009-06-19T00:27:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I met two special ladies at the Spring Fab Fair : one was Grace/Eikcam and the other one was... Kim.

Kim is the owner of Eclektica, an art gallery located in a small terracotta-faced heritage building on Seymour Street, in downtown Vancouver. In this unique and friendly store, you can find an eclectic collection of paintings, prints, ceramics and jewellery by local artists and designers.

And guess what?... Kim has asked me to carry some of my creations in her gallery : )

So, I am really proud to announce that Olala design is now sold at Eclektica!

Here's Kim wearing my Madama Butterfly necklace

Some of Olala creations sold at Eclektica

http://www.eclektica.ca/

568 Seymour Street, Vancouver, B.C.

778 330 6610

A Front Page day!

2009-06-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Today, Olala design was on Etsy's Front Page twice!

First, it was my newest Treasury "Sweet Nothing" that made the FP and later, it was Rafya's "B.B.O" (blue brown and olive) that featured my "Ronde d'ebene" bracelet... Rafya is a jeweller from Israel and she is one of my favorite sellers : )

http://www.rafya.etsy.com/

Meeting Grace

2009-06-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

So, as I was saying earlier, I met two special ladies at the Spring Fab Fair last weekend and one of them was Grace, alias Eikcam...

First, I saw her display -empty because it was Saturday at 5.30pm and she had packed up her pieces and left- but I had to stop to get her card when I saw that she had moss on her table... well... fake moss! I've been looking for fake moss for a while because I thought it would look great with my "welcome to my garden" theme to display my jewelry.... I have to ask her where she found that...

On Sunday, one of my friends was helping me at the Fab Fair so I quickly ran to Eikcam's table and oooooh!, everything was soooo lovely!!!! You see, I've been into porcelain and ceramic jewelry lately and guess what, Grace makes very pretty ceramic jewelry and dishes!!! She had pendants, earrings, rings, barrettes, all representing leaves or flowers... it was heaven for me!

I couldn't resist : I bought a pair of earrings and these gorgeous ceramic buttons that I want to use in future Olala creations - of course, I asked for Grace's permission : )

We chatted a little and discovered that we were almost next door neighbors! Grace is a lovely person and since I met her, my head has been bubbling with new ideas so, I'll keep you posted but there will certainly be some ceramic pieces in my Fall 2009 collection.......................

http://www.eikcam.com/

So...? How was the Fab Fair?... How did it go?...

2009-06-12T23:43:00.001-07:00

I received a few emails from my friends last Monday : "So...? How was the Fab Fair?... How did it go?..."

Well...

Quite frankly, it wasn't as good as in November : it was probably due to the hot weather we had had all week, and certainly because we are all being very careful with our money lately but there were not a lot of people, and not too many sales...

There were a few moments when it was actually quite boring so I was really happy to chit-chat with my fellow vendors like Josee Glass Art who is from Montreal but lives in Maple Ridge, B.C...

I also had the time to sew three brooches that I'm very happy with : )

They are composed of 3 layers of felt leaves which all have different shapes and colors, and gorgeous poppy buttons that come from France... Aren't they amazing?

Of course, I had a few friends who came to support me, help me, and feed me (!) and I love them all because they are so nice and supportive (thanks guys!).

I had also two encounters which definitely made this weekend very special but wait, these two ladies deserve a full post each...

Mini Olala for girls

2009-05-31T02:39:00.000-07:00

Along with my *olala* design jewelry shop, I make jewelry for little girls - mostly necklaces and bracelets, but also some hair pins and a few brooches. As usual, my creations feature felt flowers and butterflies with fun colors or very girly pinks...

I have called this juvenile section of my shop, "Mini Olala for girls". While preparing for the Spring Fab Fair (it's next weekend... already!!!), I've decided that I needed some sort of logo for Mini Olala so I contacted Craftpudding on Etsy to ask if she could make a custom rubber stamp with a picture of a little girl and the name of my brand.... Well, look at what she came up with : isn't it sweet??? I absolutely LOVE my stamp! I can't wait to receive it to start stamping tags and labels : )

http://craftpudding.etsy.com/

Preparing for the Spring Fab Fair

2009-05-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

I am pretty excited to announce that *Olala* design will be back at the Fab Fair for the Spring Show on June 6th and 7th in the Heritage Hall on Main Street in Vancouver.

I participated in the Winter Fab Fair last November and I really enjoyed the experience : the Fab Fair is a pretty hip and cool craft fair gathering local jewelry and fashion accessory designers... that's why it's also called "the Bags & Bling Show"!

Imagine, a room full of jewelry and accessory!!!! Mmmmmmm.....

http://www.fabfair.ca/

Rockin' at the Children's Festival

2009-05-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

Vancouver is a really nice city for kids, there's always a place to discover, a show to see, a class to take... and every year, there's the Children's Festival! The Festival is a week of fun and activities in Vanier Park, in beautiful Kitsilano. There are lots of artists coming from different parts of the world to sing, play or dance in front of cheerful audiences aged 3 and up...

http://www.childrensfestival.ca/

This year, we went on Thursday which was a Francophone Day (with francophone shows from France and Quebec). My little guy and his cousin had a blast making drums out of aluminium plates and cardboard, having their face painted and taking a lesson of African "flee dance" in the storytelling tent...

Cherry blossoms

2009-05-07T02:20:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help smiling as I was driving the other day seeing all the cherry blossom petals swirling on the road... These pink blossoms make the city look sooo pretty!

The combination of pink and grey inspired me to compose a new "Fleurs des bois " necklace (felt, freshwater pearls, ebony wood and Swarovski crystals) and a Treasury - that made it to the Front Page : )

Olala Tea and Jewelry Party

2009-05-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I hosted a Tea and Jewelry Party at my house in order to celebrate Spring and Mother's Day.

Quite a few ladies came - some came alone, some brought a friend, others came with their daughters and even their mom! They all seemed to have a blast trying on jewelry, giving their opinion to each other and, of course, having tea and chocolate brownies!

It's always a real pleasure for me to see a creation of mine worn by a woman : she gives warmth and personality to it and the piece of jewelry enhances her femininity and her personality. It's a perfect combination, a real union! For me, seeing these ladies leaving my house wearing their new necklaces with pride was the most sincere compliment they could pay me and my work...

They also left with a small bouquet of lily of the valley as it is a tradition in France to offer lily of the valley to one's friends on May 1st for good luck : )

You've got Mail!

2009-04-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

Oh, I'm so happy! This morning, the postman delivered a little package I was very impatient to receive : it contained 2 pairs of earrings I bought from Suuskeramiek, a Deutsch Etsy seller who makes lovely porcelain earrings... unfortunately, looks like the mail between the Netherlands and Canada is pretty slow and my package took a month to arrive!.... Anyway, it was worth the wait and I'm very happy : )

As I had been checking my mailbox with excitement for the last 2 weeks, it inspired a "You've got Mail!" theme for the Treasury list I made this weekend... Oh, what a pleasure it is to receive a package through the mail!!!

Jars of Cute

2009-04-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

Look what I've found on the internet : a design blog called "Jars of Cute" that featured my Carmen and Madama Butterfly necklaces in January under the title "sexy necklaces".... oh, I'm soooo flattered!!!

http://www.jarsofcute.com/

Madama Butterfly was also featured in March in Lillyella's blog in the category "Sunday splurges". Lillyella is a successful Etsy seller who makes lovely jewelry. Her blog is in my favorites, check it out at the bottom of the page.

Drawing a bean sprout on Earth Day

2009-04-25T13:43:00.001-07:00

I cannot resist showing these 2 pictures of my younger son drawing on a supermarket paper bag on Earth Day... This was a project done in my older son's class in order to encourage people to use recyclable grocery bags instead of plastic ones. As we had an extra paper bag, I gave it to my little one and told him to draw a tree or some flowers or birds... but he said that he didn't know how to draw a tree : (

Fortunately enough, he had just come back from preschool with 2 little sprouts that his teacher identified as "red beans" so we gave him one for inspiration and it worked!

Front Page!

2009-04-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Yes!!! My Treasury made it to the Front Page today! A few items sold, congratulations to these talented sellers : )

I knew it!

2009-04-23T00:06:00.000-07:00

I knew it! I told you Betsy3's Treasury was worth being on the Front Page and sure enough, "Primavera" was proudly showing its lovely colors this afternoon on Etsy's Front Page! Thank you Betsy and Etsy : )

Now, here is my latest list : it's called "Naturally" and I'm pretty happy with it...

Here's also a sneak peak of a necklace I'll be listing this weekend. I've named it "Ma douce" because it has very soft colors. This gorgeous button comes from France, it was part of another "treasury" : one that I received through the mail and that had been curated by my aunt who lives in Paris... She had gone shopping for me in a few of these wonderful craft shops where I would spend all my savings - if I had any!

Blossoms

2009-04-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy making lists for the Treasury on Etsy : every Etsy user can become a "curator" by choosing 12 items featured in her "favorites" and arrange them according to colors or themes. Then, the big game is to look at each other's lists and comment : "oh, this is so lovely!", "what a stunner!", "I really love this color palette!", etc... and avidly scroll down the Treasury to see if your own items are featured somewhere... Ultimately, your talents as a curator might be recognized by the Etsy administration who will put your list on the Front Page of the web site for up to an hour! This is very rewarding for the "curator" and a fantastic promotional tool for the sellers.

Anyway, I just wanted to show you a list created by Betsy3, a seller from Italy, who featured my "Blossoms" earrings in her latest Treasury. I really like this list and I hope it will make the Front Page : )

So lovely...

2009-04-20T01:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, it was sunny in Vancouver. I met for brunch with a friend I had not seen in a long time; she took me to an art gallery that serves brunch on the weekends... it was lovely!http://www.autumnbrook.ca/

As this gallery is just a few steps away from my favorite place in Vancouver, Granville Island, I went there to buy some fish at the market, look at the flower displays, enjoy a short stroll along the water, the artisans'studios and the charming shops... it's always so inspiring! http://www.granvilleisland.com/

Flowers and Butterflies

2009-04-17T02:34:00.000-07:00

My husband makes fun of me : "Let's see your blog! Is there something new?"... and of course, he knows I haven't really posted anything yet : (

I'm actually a little bit intimidated - what should I write about?

Mmmm.... what about posting a nice picture of a bouquet I made the other day to celebrate Spring? I like this picture because I love flowers, I love bright colors and also, I love these paper butterflies I made a few months ago with pretty papers!

Flowers, colors, butterflies, paper : the core inspiration for *olala* design...

Well, well, well...

2009-03-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are, I'm starting a blog!