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April 29, 2015

Salley Mavor’s Beautifully Detailed Fabric Relief

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Birds of Beebe Woods is what first attracted me to Salley Mavor.
And I'm talking about a magnetic attraction.
Not just because I'm a lover of birds,
but because of her meticulous focus on fine details!
Millions of tiny little embroidery stitches - all done by hand!


Here's a close-up of her cardinal to show you what I mean:

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Sewing since childhood, Salley creates collages using what she calls "fabric relief," 
a type of bas relief. (I had to look that one up.) 
According to arthistory.about.combas relief is 
"a sculpture technique in which figures and/or other design elements are 
just barely more prominent than the (overall flat) background.
It is created either by carving away material or 
adding material to the top of an otherwise smooth surface,
a technique as old as humankind's artistic explorations."


In this miniature scene, she incorporates driftwood.
Just look at those beautifully stitched branches!

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While the original fiber art creations are displayed in shadowbox frames for public exhibition,
photographs of them are used to make prints, posters and notecards.
They've also been featured as illustrations for 12 books.

This one, Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes,
is a winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for picture book and the
Golden Kite Award for picture book illustration 
from the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators.


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A love for wee little things drew Salley to make wee little dolls,
fully outfitted with adorable clothing and accessories made from wool felt.
She calls them wee folk and therefore, Wee Folk Studios.


Her latest book is titled Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures,
a how-to book to follow up the great success of Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects.

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Here's the YouTube video of its book trailer:






This fabric relief project, Self Portrait: A Personal History of Fashion,
documents a timeline of Salley through the years.

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Oh, the details! How about that poncho?

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Face Time is a tree of wreathed cameos of people who represent
the cultures of the world and the changes in them through the years.

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It really is "all in the details!"

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Where to find Salley Mavor and her Wee Folk:


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Images used with direct permission from Salley Mavor.

April 20, 2015

Nora Butler’s Whimsical Seaside Illustrations

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 I found some delightful prints online done by Nora Butler
and knew right away that I'd have to include them in my blog.
Wait - it gets better.
I discovered that Nora has a shop - in Naples, Florida, 
of all places, where we'd soon be vacationing!
The coincidence was too cool to ignore.

Sure enough, we found Nora Butler Designs
in Naples' Crayton Cove, at 800 12th Avenue South.
Total beach charm, the shop was stuffed to the gills with
Nora's prints, figurines, clothing and note cards.
And as a bonus - I got to meet the artist herself.

Nora was blessed to grow up with Florida sand between her toes.
She developed both a talent for drawing and a love for the shore at a young age.
Her illustrations invite us to pause and look closer at what's within,
to take time to appreciate the details.


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"Fantasy Fish"

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"Palm Party"

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"Tropicool Crab"

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"A Night on the Town"

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"Dolphin Dream II"

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"Reef Rider"

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"Mermaid Music"

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Visit Nora Butler Designs in Naples,
or at her website here.


Also in Crayton Cove,
Lunch at Bleu Provence.



Images used with direct permission from Nora Butler.

April 16, 2015

Vintage Travel Posters by BLivingstons

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I love travel posters - vintage ones in particular.
Bold pieces of art, they'd be a fun addition to any modern decor.
Just perfect to conjure up memories of past travels,
or to keep those dreams of future destinations alive!

These are courtesy of BLivingstons. Take a look!


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Even one for our own City of Brotherly Love~

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Find lots more at BLivingstons on Etsy.




Images used with direct permission from Robert Livingston.

April 13, 2015

Lunch at Bleu Provence ~ Naples, FL

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Bonjour, mes amis!
Join me for an amazing Naples, Florida lunch at Bleu Provence!
Located in Crayton Cove, this charming French restaurant is owned by
Lysielle & Jacques Cariot, originally from Provence, France.
Sons Clement and Kevin join in the family business as managers.
The fare is prepared with in-season, organic, locally-sourced ingredients.
If you love wine, this is the place for you;
sommeliers are ready to help you select from a impressive list.
A pleasant, relaxing ambiance with a meal that was light and fresh,
absolutely delicious and very healthy!
Merci, beaucoup, Bleu Provence!


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Asparagus soup. Wow.

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The Superfood Salad was are-you-kidding-me delicious!
Quinoa, green beans, snow peas, mango,
green onion, aged Cabichou goat cheese, mint.

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Visit Bleu Provence at
1234 8th Street South
Naples, Florida 34102



April 10, 2015

Laura Frisk’s Woodblock Printed Animal Pillows

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Laura Frisk is the talented creator -through each step of the way- of these fun pillows!
She comes up with a drawing and carves it into wood.
Using eco-friendly ink (of course), she transfers the design onto fabric,
then sews it into a quirky pillow that's totally stuffed with charm!
Ready to add a pop of whimsy to your decor?


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How cool is this?
You can order your pillow to suit your fancy-
choose from dozens of colors of ink,
as well as the color of the fabric on the back!

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Laura also makes really big pillows...

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...and little ones with loops for hanging!

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Not only animals - here's a cute cactus!

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Here are the 2 ornaments that I ordered for my sweet niece!




Find Laura Frisk on Etsy and Facebook!



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Images used with direct permission from Laura Frisk.