Flora Douville

web

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000+01:00

Things going here. Have I told you there is a lovely, lovely sale going on right now in my shop? Subscribe to my newsletter and I'll send you the details. Happy Wednesday!

golden

2012-01-24T10:30:00.000+01:00

Someone likes to wear the crown here. Let's all be kings and queens! Happy Tuesday!

dye

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000+01:00

I have been dying some yarn recently. There are so many colours I want to try! And then mix together to make new ones! Sigh.

What have you done colourful this week-end? Hope your week sparkles.

I see stars

2012-01-20T11:59:00.000+01:00

This is what my days are filled with at the moment: I'm working on some logos, I'll show you what I'm up to when it's time. I am also currently dealing with an ear infection, and it's annoying.

If you are not in my mailing list, I'd say it's time because there is quite a lovely sale going on. Subscribe here & now and I'll send you the details :)

magical tree

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000+01:00

I am working on many things at the same time these days, which is quite exciting. I hope you are all well!

triangular

2012-01-16T15:09:00.003+01:00

I am currently playing with shapes, this is how my week is starting. How are you doing?

Don't forget to enter JANUARYROCKS when checking out in my shop to get 15% off on any 2 items (or more). See you there :)

Newsletter matters

2012-01-12T13:00:00.000+01:00

Inspiration, little bits of my life, shop info + special deals is what my newsletter includes. I have recently changed mail provider and am very happy about my brand new and shiny newsletter. I'm learning to use Mailchimp and look forward to more beautiful letters sending. Want to be part of it?

Subscribe right here

Please note: if you were previously in and your email address start with 'contact' or 'info' or even 'mail', you will need to subscribe again, as Mailchimp does not accept bulk import of such addresses, so I was not able to keep you in. They think I could have stolen your address from a list.

And also, if, like me, you want to keep your inbox clean and fresh, but still want to get news about your favourite people/shops, here is a tip for all gmail users: I created a folder named "promo + shops info" and everytime I receive a newsletter I'd like to keep, I filter all the similar conversations and set up the following: as soon as I receive them, they are archived and jump directly into my "promo + shops info" folder. This way they don't clutter my inbox, but I have them and can read them when I decide it! Now that you know what to do with newsletters,

Subscribe right here
Have a lovely day friends!

Hello January, hello shop sale!

2012-01-11T11:23:00.000+01:00

And the shop is...

right here!

Now have a lovely day :)

ongoing small projects

2012-01-10T13:44:00.000+01:00

First picture: a skirt I crocheted for LM over the holidays. It's funny as it's very thick, and a lovely bright blue. I'm waiting for colder days to photograph it on her.

Second picture: a scarf I'm crocheting for her too.

Any ongoing project on your side?

party leftovers + life habits

2012-01-09T13:31:00.000+01:00

Dark taupe + emerald glitter -loosing its colour.

I am very conscious about the products I use on/in my body but am not completely aligned with what I think would be the best for me, and nail polish is one of the things I still apply although I know it's only made with products that don't bring anything good to me. I have bought many different colours recently as I only wear few + resembling coloured clothes at a time and love to add some peps with polish. I hope to be able to replace this with cool jewelry some day, but for now I'm happy to wear coloured fingernails.

This leads me to talk about life habits and things we would/might like to change for the better. For those looking for tips in this beginning of a new year, here is a good post about 7 ingredients to ban from your bathroom. And another one asking an important question before thinking about changing food habits. Please read it and tell me: are you a moderator or an abstainer? I'm an abstainer :)

snail mail

2012-01-06T14:00:00.000+01:00

There is nothing like snail mail. These are 2 things I received yesterday. I was going to say "in my mailbox" but it would not be true, in fact our caretaker puts our mail on our doormat everyday. Which is awesome. I love ordering things on the internet, so it's like magic: come to me, little lovely things, come to me! and here they are. it often happens that I place an order for something I really want, then forget about it. And then it arrives, surprise! My husband mocks me but I find it's wonderful to be surprised like that on a weekly/monthly basis.

So, the Fleet Foxes' last disc arrived (this I knew, although I had forgotten) + this beautiful card from a friend (merci Catherine !). Snail mail is great. What cool things have you received recently?

Have a golden and lucky day!

social media decluttering

2012-01-05T11:40:00.001+01:00

Hello people, I hope the new year is starting well for everyone! Some pictures from last year (taken with a camera that's not mine) to get back in touch with you. There might be less posts these days/weeks as I am trying to define who I am, why I blog and what I want to say in this space. I am also working on the design of my website. This is big, and I feel like I have been there for months, or even years. But, I haven't got an answer yet, so I persist. I hope to be able to show you something soon, and hope I'll be able to find what I'm looking for. Might talk about it later again.

On my quest to find what I want, I have found what I don't want: clutter + too much social media crap (am I allowed to say 'crap' here? yes). So, I have deleted my Facebook account. Completely. It's gone. Poof. The layout and overall design of this website hurt my eyes, and I feel completely overwhelmed with all the actions/apps you can have there, it is too much for me. I feel relieved. I'll now stick with Twitter, which is so light and simple in comparison. And you can customise colours and background for God's sake.

So now the 2 places to find me at are this blog (hello!) and Twitter.

I'm curious: how do you feel about social media websites? Which one(s) do you use mostly?

(Have a great day!)

yay!

2012-01-01T09:30:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-25T09:00:00.000+01:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, whatever your plans are. I am spending some time with family and friends and will stay away from the internet until the new year. The shop is not closed while I'm away, but all orders will ship from 3rd January now.

Thank you very much to each and everyone of you

for reading, commenting, or not, for supporting me, for your kind messages, for sending good vibes towards me, for doing your best everyday, for showing up, for linking back, and for everything else. I hope 2011 brought you lots of ideas, projects, answers and other great things that will make 2012 rock. Rest, walk, travel, stay, celebrate, sleep, party and all that, and see you in 2012!

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2011-12-24T11:05:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-23T10:30:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-22T11:05:00.000+01:00

yay!

2011-12-21T11:23:00.000+01:00

A short Saturday moment by the Eiffel tower, which we all love here.

I'm very sorry my advent calendar has been everything but a regular event to expect, this Christmas seems to be the worst in terms of organisation so far. Luckily the lack of organisation doesn't deprive me of excitement. How is it going for you now? Are you excited with the new year coming? Anything you are expecting with joy/excitement/enthusiasm/optimism?

Have a great day!

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2011-12-21T11:04:00.003+01:00

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2011-12-20T11:02:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-19T11:02:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-18T11:01:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-17T11:00:00.000+01:00

my winter is up for sale!

2011-12-16T12:11:00.000+01:00

My first book 'my winter' is up for sale today. I love everything about it, and if you like the photographs I regularly post on this blog, you should like it too! There are 4 copies in the shop now, each one will be signed and adressed to you, or anyone you want to give it to.

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2011-12-16T12:02:00.001+01:00

winter colours

2011-12-15T17:54:00.000+01:00

A productive day in terms of drawing, drawing for my new website. And thinking of drawing more animals in the future. I hope everything is working well for you, wherever you are.

Today is the last day to order something and get it before Christmas, for people living in France.

my winter will be available starting tomorrow! Yay!

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2011-12-15T17:42:00.000+01:00

hanging

2011-12-14T21:30:00.000+01:00

I spent the last days working, in Paris and in Nantes. I need to do some research on the topic, but I might be able to work with my own business when in the US, so the only one who needs to find a job there is J. He might spend some time there in January, how exciting! 2012, watch out. Many great things will happen.

Today I had an answer to some deep personal troubles I've had for years. Nothing is solved yet, but I know why things are as they are, and I know what to do to make it change for the better. I feel so released! And so connected to who I really am.

I hope you're all well, people! See you tomorrow :)

PS: yes I cheated and just added all the images for my illustrated calendar since last week, all at once. Doesn't it feel good to leave without your advent calendar for a few days and then eat all the chocolates at once when you come back? Mmh?

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2011-12-14T18:40:00.002+01:00

Make yourself at home

2011-12-14T12:07:00.000+01:00

Hello hello, I am dealing with personal matters + a lot of work at the moment, and will be back soon! While I'm away, please make yourself comfortable and let me know in the comments how you landed here :) Thank you!

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2011-12-13T10:00:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-12T10:00:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-11T10:00:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-10T10:00:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-09T18:31:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-08T10:00:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-07T10:00:00.000+01:00

my winter - coming soon

2011-12-06T14:39:00.001+01:00

Here is my first real book, my winter.

This book is about everything I like when Winter comes. Simplicity, decadence, beauty, sobriety, striking contrast, minimal details, cold, mist, and all the ways nature creates to cooperate during this deep transition time.

I'm pleased with everything about this book. I made a first version a couple of weeks ago and made the necessary amendments, and now it's all perfect. I love each and every picture and love the way each communicates with the other on the spreads. It will soon be availabe right here in the shop, there will be 4 copies for sale only, each one will be signed. I'll let you know.

time

2011-12-06T14:07:00.001+01:00

I have just found these again, I made them at Spring, might use them as Christmas gift wrapping.

These days I just feel overwhelmed with the workload. It's not necessary things I have to do and get paid for, it's just everything I would like to do in order to feel satisfied with myself, and it's very hard to just let go and accept I am no wonderwoman and will probably not be able to do everything I had planned before the end of the year, or even after. This makes me feel anxious. There is a gap between where I am now and where I wish I was, and the more I do/make/create things, the bigger the gap is, it seems. I guess when I decide to make something I just think it will take a couple hours when it's a real project I'm thinking of and I should probably estimate the time to complete it in days/weeks. Uh oh, feels like I have already written something similar not so long ago... I guess I'm not done with that kind of trouble :)

How do you cope with everything you have/want to do? I'm curious and would love to get some tips to stop messing around with my precious time!

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2011-12-06T11:18:00.001+01:00

Christmas shipping dates + shop sale :)

2011-12-05T23:47:00.001+01:00

I spent the entire day in Rennes but had forgotten my camera. Busy busy times, but tomorrow is another day.

So, in case you haven't seen in my shop, the deadlines to place an order that you wish to receive before Christmas are as follows:
- France: 15th December
- Europe: 12th December
- Rest of the world: 5th December -now! I guess tomorrow will be fine too :)

And, to make your Christmas shopping a little easier, I am offering 20% off on everything in my 2 shops!Just use coupon code XMAS11 at the checkout. This offer is valid until the 15th December midnight GMT.

>> art prints, calendars, originals, etc. <<

>> same + necklaces <<

Off to bed now, good night everyone and see you tomorrow!

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2011-12-05T23:44:00.001+01:00

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2011-12-04T09:30:00.000+01:00

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2011-12-03T09:30:00.000+01:00

is it Winter yet?

2011-12-02T17:04:00.001+01:00

If I judge by the (lack of) light, yes. If I judge by the outside temperature, nope.

Anyway, I am so happy as I have just received copies of this book I made! The pictures don't do it justice (at all -it's so dark right now!), I'll try to take more soon to show you. There will be 4 signed copies on sale only.

Now have a lovely week-end!

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2011-12-02T09:00:00.000+01:00

shipping dates

2011-12-01T11:59:00.003+01:00

picture from Call me bubbles 2012 calendar

Hello December, please don't go by too quickly, I have too much to do.

If you would like to purchase gifts in my shop and need to receive your order before December 24th, please place your order before:

- France: 15th December
- Europe: 12th December
- Rest of the world: 5th December

If you place your order afterwards, although I'll do my best to ship it as soon as possible, it might get to you after Christmas, which is probably something you will not be happy about. So be quick :)

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2011-12-01T11:45:00.000+01:00

* * *
So this is the start of a special 2011 advent calendar I'm doing here. Everyday until 24th December at least, I'll post an illustration experiment, so expect anything :)

Happy December!

today in 3 (dark) pictures

2011-11-30T16:57:00.001+01:00

(yes, it's getting quite dark here)

picture 1: last batch of orders to be shipped today -thank you so very much for your orders, people! All of this makes me so happy.

picture 2: a present hiding under a pillow in the couch, I found it this morning! A friend left it discreetly yesterday at our housewarming party. She screenprinted it herself. I love it! Yay for surprises :)

picture 3: some small posters I'm working on...

I am also working on an advent calendar to be posted everyday, starting tomorrow. See you here tomorrow :)

work in progress

2011-11-29T10:06:00.001+01:00

Haven't touched these for a few days, but this is where we are. See, even my creatures don't like mornings and sleep in :) (and another one here)

'morning (2)

2011-11-29T09:59:00.001+01:00

A lot to do this morning, but just wanted to let you know about our plans. So, we are planning on another move, this time a big one. Thinking of going to live and work in the US! That's an all-time dream, we are so excited about it and really want things to happen. It looks quite hard from here with all the administrative stuff you need to do to get there, and I'm not talking about the jobs you need to have beforehand, but boy, we are motivated. Tips, anyone? If you know anything, hear anything that can help us in any way -info or job offer :), please get in touch! It will be greatly appreciated.

'morning

2011-11-29T09:30:00.001+01:00

Guess what? I'm not a morning person. I sleep very well every night, but could sleep more every night. I love mornings for the light, for the feeling everything is possible, for the energy, for sky colours, for the memories of getting up early to drive South with my parents for holidays, for the smell of my daughter when kissing her, for feeling cozy in pyjamas, but I hate mornings for having to wake up from dreams, for hurrying, for making choices quickly, for clumsiness, for bleary eyes, for feeling cold when getting out of bed, for having to leave the bed, for time running fast, for the to-do list, for having to start, for the need to get ready, for the possible appointments, for the deadlines, for the morning food, for the lack of energy, for the everyday acknowledgement that I'm not a morning person. Evenings are so much better.

Happy morning everyone :)

Monday

2011-11-28T17:36:00.001+01:00

Hello Monday! I can't believe you are already almost over. Where have you gone? I think you're in love with Tuesday and already embracing him. So, just crossed off stupid items on my to-do list and worked a little bit, side-by-side with one great friend staying with us for a few days. Her stay will include a small party to celebrate us living here (although we are now thinking of moving... more on this later), work on my website, fun & talking. Exciting!

On another note, don't forget there is free shipping on everything (art + necklaces) until tonight 11:59 ~~GMT~~ EST! Use coupon code THANKS11 to get everything you need now. From tomorrow, prices will rise so now is the best time to place your order and save :)

We spent the week-end with family, some more pictures to come. Heard some difficult news on family members recently, wishing for the best. The hardest is to remain silent, as you can not act in someone's name, you can not do the work in the place of someone else. I wish people were open to the idea that everything is connected and would be willing to work on themselves in order to understand what their children live and deeply help them, instead of accepting the consensual 'it's just bad luck' and trying to go on with their slowly destroying habit and avoinding to think that there is something wrong. We have a responsibility in what happens to us. Things do not happen by chance, I believe. We so need to wake up and clean our own mess, if we want the world to change!

I hope your week started well, I wish you a wonderful one and a happy cleaning :)

hello free shipping!

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000+01:00

Hello! This is the right time of year to thank you for your support, your kindness and for just being there. So, I offer free shipping in my shops until Monday evening! The more you buy, the more you save :)
This offer is valid on all orders and on both shops:

>> calendars, prints, originals <<

>> necklaces <<

Important note: right after the offer, on Tuesday, I will be re-organising my shops and prices will rise. So basically, now is the best time to get everything you want :)

Thank you!

painting in progress

2011-11-23T16:23:00.001+01:00

This is how it goes. I find it very nice to have a few paintings going at the same time, it allows me to work on one, then leave it to dry while I'm on another one. It started with a cat today. My former cat is whispering things in my ear, but I'm not quite sure I hear them well. Will listen better.

On a completely different note, J is not satisfied with his new job, so he's looking for something else. Who knows what's going to happen next, and where...

I'm off to run some errands now, have a lovely evening friends!

a sale coming soon...

2011-11-22T18:26:00.001+01:00

Thursday is Thanksgiving in the US, and then come Blackfriday and Cyber Monday. So, in honour of all my US friends (hello!), there will be free shipping in the whole shop from Friday morning to Monday evening. This will work for everyone, everywhere. The more items you buy, the more you save :)

If you want to be notified on Friday morning when the sale starts and get the coupon code, subscribe to the newsletter.

PS: Thanks everyone for your orders!

questions

2011-11-22T13:31:00.001+01:00

I'm painting. I haven't painted with acrylics for a long long time, and felt the urge to do it again a week ago or so. I felt so attracted by painting works by people on the web and on my walks in galleries, I realise I want to do it but do not authorise myself. So many questions come to my head about it, and the judge I know so well inside of me comes right away with his "you're not an artist", "what do you think you're doing?", "who do you think you are?" "and you think someone will be interested?", bla bla bla... I find it hard to find my way hearing this sometimes. I will have to put these questions aside and listen better to hear my inner voice saying wise and encouraging words. Mantras may give me some help.

I hope your week started well! Went to Rennes yesterday and back. I (re)discovered the state of happiness and peace I am in when listening to music while walking/driving/taking a bus/train/plane. I used to have some music on me all the times a few years ago, and then totally stopped. I need more music in my everyday life. Currently painting with Angus & Julia Stone.

sunny Saturday (2)

2011-11-19T17:33:00.001+01:00

Off to buy some flowers now. Night is already here. Have a great week-end friends!

sunny Saturday (1)

2011-11-19T17:24:00.001+01:00

A great walk along the Seine. I realise while posting these that I haven't bought flowers as I wanted to. But the day is not over. The words 'être libre de temps en temps' mean 'be(ing) free from time to time'. This cat lives on a houseboat, how nice is that?

face

2011-11-19T17:01:00.001+01:00

Hello, this is me :) I'm spending the week-end on my own, husband + daughter have left Paris as I'm giving a workshop tomorrow. So, today I put some lipstick and tied my hair as I often do, and went for a long walk. But this time my hair did not look as classical as it does sometimes. Just used 4 pins and did it quickly, and here it is, my best hairdo for a long time. That one is on my list, but for now this one will be very fine.

And also, yes I like making faces in the mirror. It's a way to study my face, and try to domesticate it. It's strange if you think about it, to have a face, and it'll stay the same for a whole life (well age will have a certain power on it, but still). I try to see what mine says, what it means. My face is also full of family traits: I find resemblances to my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grand parents... This is what I find fascinating. I am carrying everyone with me, whatever happens. Which is quite reassuring, in a way.

A note for the future: find a home with lots of natural light.

3 new prints

2011-11-17T18:30:00.000+01:00

There are 3 new prints available in the shop. Red & blue lights, The cave and Blue field. The shop sale is still on until Sunday night: buy at least 2 items (from all categories) and get 40% off on all illustration prints! Enter coupon code YAYFORILLUSTRATIONS - only 3 days left!

Call me bubbles - illustrated calendar

2011-11-17T15:49:00.001+01:00

Some more pictures of my other 2012 illustrated calendar 'call me bubbles'.

February is one of my favourite illustration: all blurry but full of subtle colours variations. I love how they blended together.

You can buy this calendar here.

Now, off to the post office to ship all your packages. Thank you so much to everyone who placed an order :)

Happy shapes - illustrated calendar

2011-11-17T15:41:00.001+01:00

Some more images of one of my 2012 illustrated calendars, here 'happy shapes'.

Every year I love sitting at my desk and think 'that's calendar time, now let's paint'. I just paint random things on little cards, tons of them. Then put them on the floor and pick the ones I like the most, and make a calendar out of this selection. This is the way I work, and it's what I like the most: go freely and do the tight selection afterwards.

You can buy this calendar here.

Calm & quiet - photo calendar

2011-11-17T15:23:00.001+01:00

Some more pictures of my 2012 photo calendar 'calm & quiet'. I love each photo I used in it.

Every year my mum buys one for my dad, and I love seeing it over his desk, over the months. My dad is in another world, he will probably never read this :) But I love that we share these images throughout the year. Most of them come from my parents' house and garden.

You can buy this calendar here.

right now

2011-11-16T13:48:00.001+01:00

Right now I like parsley. I discovered parsley a few weeks ago: has that ever happened to you? I knew it for ever, but never tasted it properly. Then I consciously took a leaf and ate it. And loved it. So now every meal has a handful of parsley leaves :)

Yesterday I talked about shoes. I bought a pair of shoes last week and really, really like them. Or thought so. Then I received a pair of shoes I had ordered the week before, in a crazy attempt to get a pair of shoes that actually suits me -I've been looking for weeks. And the pair I received suits me much better than the one I bought, which leaves me with the uncomfortable feeling of going too fast in choices and regret it afterwards. And the feeling of forcing myself into something ('yes you like these, they are perfect!') when a little part of me is actually saying 'no, it's not perfect, so just leave this and something better will show up'. This happens sometimes and feels awkward for me and the people around as I tend to tell them quickly how happy I am in the first place (but in retrospect I think that what I tell them is how happy I would love to be...) and totally change my mind the moment after, when I accept things as they are.
It looks like I am being capricious, but I think I'm not. I mislead myself and then find the right thing to do, but the problem is I tell everyone on the way, too quickly, which is very confusing. It's hard to accept things as they are and accept the feelings you find in yourself. It would be so easy to find love and happiness all the time. But I found something interesting: when I accept my feelings, whatever they might be, what comes next is peace... which is good, yes?

And this is what bring me those new shoes, peace. So, I'm selling this pair of shoes, bought last week, worn once. Please email me for more details.

paintings + shop sale

2011-11-16T00:17:00.001+01:00

I painted these yesterday.

Today I received shoes I ordered last week before finding these, and they are even better for me... I'll tell you more about it tomorrow.

For now, I would like to thank Chelsea for a lovely post about my calendars. Have you seen my Facebook page? It's sale time:

> buy at least 2 items and use discount code YAYFORWATERCOLOURS to get €10 off on all original watercolours,

> or buy at least 2 items and use discount code YAYFORILLUSTRATIONS to get 40% off on all illustration prints!

Off to bed now, have a good evening/night :)

happy feet

2011-11-14T11:26:00.001+01:00

I found a pair of shoes! I love them. I could love them even more if the toe was thinner, but they're lovely anyway. It's always difficult for me to find shoes that match my personal colours, the shape I need and the simplicity I look for. Last week I found 2! A pair of shoes and a pair of boots which I need to remove a metallic thing off. I know exactly what suits me and what makes me feel good when wearing it -it's my job :)- so I take time to look for (and find!) the right things. I am happy my feet now have lots of cool stuff to wear for the winter, as these and these are still in good working conditions :)

I left my camera in Paris last week while in the West, and so had nothing to post-sorry! I hope your week-end was good, mine was full of work (students meetings and a workshop). Now that I'm back home I can get back to a quieter kind of work and rest. I hope your week starts well!

Oh, and if you haven't yet, I invite you to check my facebook page for some sales going on this week :)

intense activity

2011-11-09T01:12:00.001+01:00

I'm in the middle of a race to cross off as many items as possible from my to-do-before-I-leave list, and I just thought 'let's post something', you know. So here we go.
LM in an intense activity back on Sunday, drawing on a fish. The only thing she is interested in these days is outlining her hand. I am (or should be) in an intense activity right now: driving to Nantes tomorrow morning and still got some laundry folding and packing -and manicuring? wish I had time but my guess is sleeping will easily win the battle.
This week is a full one with a gap in the middle: Friday is a bank holiday and I have decided not to work. At all. I am curious to see how things will go, as I will have no control over them -it's like that when the schedule is just full.

And, being away also means I will not be able to deal with your orders before next Monday. By the way, thank you very much for all your recent comments and orders! I'm so happy about them, and happy to know you're happy -let's all weep together now.

I hope your week is good so far, I shall post again before it's over :)

calendar time!

2011-11-07T18:12:00.000+01:00

They are here! Finally, my three 2012 calendars are ready for you. You can find them in the shop in the calendars section. Thank you for your patience, and for all the nice words you sent about the calendars from the previous years, quietly hanging in your homes/offices/studios :)

2012, here we come!

coming soon...

2011-11-07T12:56:00.000+01:00

I picked the calendars at the printer on Friday, and am so happy with how they turn! I had them printed this year as doing it by myself was too much time consuming the previous years. Also, the calendars will look a tiny bit different this year as they're printed on recycled paper, yay! The paper colour is not white but a very light grey-white, it looks beautiful.

This morning I got some ribbon. Picking the colours to go with the calendars is a short part of the process that I love. I was not going for these at the beginning, I wanted at least some electric blue, but the shop did not have it. So I took these, and especially fell in love with the mint green and the deep purple.

I have just taken some pictures of the 3 calendars (will show you later) and must say these are my favourites. I sometimes worry about being able to create something I will like as much as the previous ones, but this year I can say I'm happy :)

changing habits

2011-11-07T12:31:00.000+01:00

I am not someone who likes to stay outside too much, so I spend much of my time inside, as I like staying cosy, listening to music and have quiet activities. But our little LM demands that I change this habit, at least when she's with me.
It is sometimes hard and we have had some bad week-ends where we have no energy to leave the house and she gets over excited and hard to deal with. I feel guilty when this happens: why did I go to bed so late the night before? Why have I still some work to do? Why haven't I taken an hour or two during the week to clean the flat and be chores-free on the week-end?
The past week-end was different, as we had friends (incuding a little girl LM got friend with) over for a goûter de crêpes on Saturday, and on Sunday we went out in a park, then painted together.

As a freelance artist/practitioner I find it hard to set myself a working schedule and stick to it, there are so many things I want to do in a day! Basically, if I could do in one day what is on my creative projects list, I would be satisfied, but the time needed to complete them should be counted in weeks and not hours. I feel so frustrated, and at the same time I need to slow down to enjoy each moment of the day, be it working on a project of mine, doing some household stuff or being with my dear little family. I know I can. I need some mantras to help, but will talk about this later :)

For now, a sentence that made me smile the other day: The difference between try and triumph is a little umph.

Happy Monday, happy new week!

see you on Monday

2011-11-04T17:40:00.000+01:00

A picture of me (or my scarf) and one of a drawing I made today, to use my pencils again.

Tonight I'm picking up my 2012 calendars at the printer! Hope they'll look good, hope you'll like them. I will show you on Monday. Have a great week-end, folks :)

on my desk

2011-11-04T11:39:00.000+01:00

There's a cruel lack of light here, no decent picture possible in the flat, although the weather's great today. But, as the quote says: "If a problem is fixable, then there is no need to worry. If it is not fixable, then there is no need to worry."

There is a permanent state of anxiety in this body these days, and I might write myself some good mantras to hang right above the screen :)

blues and browns

2011-11-04T10:00:00.000+01:00

Bretagne is my favourite French coast. It's long, there are many different places to see, and all of them are beautiful. I hope you enjoy these, have a happy day!

and, another shop update

2011-11-03T17:40:00.001+01:00

A few illustration prints have been added to the shop :)

"Pour vous"

2011-11-03T17:15:00.000+01:00

Some lettering in the neighbourhood.These days I'm working like crazy and have the feeling not to do much. I am most of the time comfortably sitting there, listening to a working playlist (incl. Fleet Foxes, Agnes Obel, Angus & Julia Stone and Bat for Lashes) but still, I hope it gets better soon. By the way, the layout of this blog has changed a little :) There's another shop update coming, and another one early next week, with my 2012 calendars! Have a nice evening people, we might go to the movies!

a silent feast

2011-11-03T11:30:00.000+01:00

a second book: skins

2011-11-03T01:16:00.000+01:00

I like everything about this one, except that I would like it to be ten times bigger :)

shop update: the 'many paths' series

2011-11-02T11:30:00.000+01:00

The 'Many paths' series is now in the shop!

I called this small series 'Many paths' as I see ways to go forward in them: mountains to climb, grass to walk in, ponds to walk by, villages to go through...

I took a great pleasure printing them and drawing onto them. The printing process is quite experimental as I have a rough idea of what I'm going to print and what colours, but I often change my mind after a few tests (colours do not work the way I hoped on the coloured paper, etc.). Here some designs did not feel right to me, so I looked for a way to change them just a little... and after a few hand-drawn details they are my favourites! Which one(s) do you like the most?

details

2011-11-02T09:17:00.000+01:00

The light and weather were perfect. We spent 2 days with our sister-in-law's parents who are Polish. They don't really speak French but know how to cook: no need for words! We had amazing food.

a first book: my winter

2011-11-02T01:11:00.000+01:00

This is my first attempt at doing a 'real' book, I made it via Blurb. The prints are great, I am so happy to see my photos like that. I am not completely satisfied with my design, I am going to take off the white border on top of the photos, but I will definitely order again from them. I have received 2 other books I made, will show you later!

November!

2011-11-02T00:31:00.000+01:00

J's parents took us 3 to a little road trip towards Bretagne over the week-end, we came back tonight. It felt good to breathe some fresh air and see Fall in action.

Happy November everyone! It's always a bit too short for me, but I still like this month a lot.

on my desk

2011-10-28T14:43:00.000+02:00

I have been working on the screen prints I showed you earlier. Now I'm getting those ready for the shop, but it will not be available until next week. And, as we're off for a long week-end, there will be more pictures and less shop related stuff in the next days, which sounds good, doesn't it?

Have a good week-end!

twit twit

2011-10-28T10:08:00.003+02:00

Oh by the way, I am now on Twitter! You can find me right there: @floradouville - I am on Facebook too :)

neighbourhood

2011-10-28T10:04:00.001+02:00

Every morning I put LM on my back and take her to her nanny. It's a 15 minutes walk, part of it through a beautiful park. These are on the way. Wouldn't you like to have a big window like that (last picture)? I would.

People, thank you for your comments and for still being there after some chaotic blogging times :) Have a lovely day!

shop update

2011-10-26T13:00:00.000+02:00

New prints in the shop!

screen printing

2011-10-26T12:24:00.000+02:00

Here are some images of the screen prints I have made these days. I love screen printing!

another one

2011-10-25T18:12:00.001+02:00

Another picture of one of my 2012 calendars.

There has been some Gocco action here yesterday. I wanted to take pictures today but I've been "put out of the house" by the workers who came here today change the windows, so I'll show you tomorrow :)

shops open!

2011-10-24T16:11:00.001+02:00

Hello there, my illustration + necklaces shops are officially open again! One was still a bit open, but not officially. Also, contrarywise to what I said earlier -a few months ago- I have decided to list everything back in the shop: illustrations, photos, necklaces and such. Everything that has not been sold, that is. I have even listed illustrations I had stop selling, and might list some more + in the next days/weeks. So, there you go:

>> originals, illustration + photo prints <<

>> necklaces <<

And, if you are interested in items from both shops, contact me to make sure you only pay shipping once!

2012 photo calendar sneak peek

2011-10-24T13:28:00.000+02:00

It's almost ready to be printed!

workspace

2011-10-24T13:23:00.002+02:00

Right now, I'm sitting on this little white chair :)

2012 calendars sneak peek

2011-10-20T11:14:00.000+02:00

My 2012 calendars are ready to be printed! This little calendars are always a joy to work on. They have been a great success for me the past years, so I have decided to have them professionaly printed now. They should be available in a week or 2... I'll keep you posted!

garden wonders

2011-10-19T18:12:00.000+02:00

LM

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000+02:00

By the way, this little one turned 2 at the end of September, and she's wonderful! Such a sweet and lively girl. And for some who might wonder, she's totally vegan from birth and is doing great :)

fresh herbs

2011-10-19T00:12:00.001+02:00

I spent last week away from home at my parents' house. So much work I haven't taken any picture. Just caught these yesterday evening, a very late end of Summer. Days should be slower from now, I'm happy the busy busy weeks are behind me!

And how are you?

guess what?

2011-10-07T12:52:00.003+02:00

Yes, I have finally found some time to work on my 2012 calendars :)

the rabbit and the wolf

2011-10-06T11:13:00.002+02:00

A dear friend sent this lovely puppet to LM who got 2 last week. We all love it!

bits of home

2011-10-06T11:10:00.001+02:00

Things are slowly getting organised. We are tired and would like to be settled now, but it takes time. I hope you are all well! I miss blogging.

new links!

2011-09-26T13:31:00.004+02:00

Here is a glimpse of our new home. And, some updated links:

> my activities as a practitioner and trainer: Mind-Appearance (EN) - Vêtement de Lumière (FR)
> my portfolio (English - French)
> my activities as an illustrator/artist Florateliers (in French only)

Things I (will) miss in Paris (3)

2011-09-26T12:26:00.000+02:00

Oh hello hello! And happy Fall! I'm behind everything, but soon back.

I spent the last week in our former city to work mainly, while LM was enjoying her grandmother. Now we're all back in Paris, LM spending her first day with her little friend and new nanny, which means I have now time for myself! And the flat! And work! Hurray!

There will soon be pictures of the flat + exciting news.

***
Avis aux Parisiennes : je serai au salon ZEN à partir de jeudi pour présenter mes activités de praticienne et formatrice en Méthode des Psycho-Apparences. Je peux vous envoyer une invitation gratuite, il suffit de demander. Venez me rencontrer :)