Amour: 2011 Valentines

My Paris-loving friends! You will be so proud of me. I kept the Italian French poodle card that said "Amore" and made a special "Amour" heart card.

Here is the completed set of 10 Valentines for Valerie's Diamond Lady in Washington state. I decided to keep the purple Louvre Valentine for myself, and made another Louvre card for this order with a photo I took while walking through one of the museum's many rooms.

You may recognize the statue of the lady from my previous post about my trip to the Louvre.

It's been very cold and snowy here in Pennsylvania where I live, and these "warm and fuzzy" cards have added some magic and sparkle to toast the cockles of my soul - along with several cups of piping hot tea. 

Restez au chaud mon amour!

And now ... here are the wedding cards. Because what comes first? First comes love, then comes marriage!

No more card posts for a while. I have a delightful cooking related post to share with you next time. Until then ... have a wonderful rest of the week!

The Louvre Valentine

Don't you just love the Louvre? How about a Louvre Valentine's Day card? It's one of my latest creations for an upcoming special order. This card features a photograph I took when I visited the Louvre with my tour group in September of 2010. 

During my visit at the world-renowned museum, we were treated to a private tour by an astute gentleman who had worked there for 12 years and then started his own business. How wonderful to experience the Louvre with an expert by your side to make the visit more "interactive."

As we walked through the grand halls and exhibits, I was remembering things from Art History and Art Appreciation classes and was able to ask questions. For instance, I asked, "What does the name 'Louvre' mean?" I was told it might have evolved from a slang/colloquial way of referring to the area that was used before the museum was in place, when it may have been more fortress than castle, and people would say, "Let's go down to the 'lower.'" Lower/Louvre - think how words evolve from Latin and break down, build up. Which brings me to the photo below.

In this photo, look closely at stone blocks. They are on exhibit when you first enter the museum and were unearthed when builders were working on the land where the exhibit stands. Do you see the hearts engraved on the stone (upper right side of the photo and bottom center)? That's a "brand" mark. Back in olden times, the suppliers of the block bricks would carve a simple symbol - in this case, a heart - into the stone, as a way of identifying their business.

 I loved being able to take photos in the Louvre...

I wish I could have taken more!

One of the most interesting things was not just seeing the Mona Lisa on exhibit at the Louvre, but also see all the people trying to take a photograph of that great painting!

So I took a picture of people taking a picture of the Mona Lisa! This was when I officially got separated from my group and almost began to cry like a five-year-old! Thankfully, my tour guide came back and found me.

But what if I were left behind at the Louvre? I wouldn't have minded sleeping under the Mona Lisa and staying another day ...

J'aime Caniches Français

Caniches Français is French Poodle. And if you read my earlier post, you know - I'm back to making handmade cards. Just for a special order. And so I had to show you the new French Poodle card I made last night ...

My Bichon Frise, Chloe Honeygo Beasley thinks they're divine (of, course - they're her kind) but not exactly. So she's asking, "Where's mine?"

P.S. As you'll see, the poodle may be French, but the heart ornament has the word "Love" in Italian - "Amore" (in French it's "Amour"). I got my romance languages confused! I am going to fix it ... right now. Or do you think it's okay to have a French poodle that speaks Italian? : )

Card Couture

My Bichon Frise, Chloe Honeygo Beasley now has a line of handmade cards named after her. As some of you may know, I used to make handmade cards that sold on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA. At that time, the line was simply called "Card Art by Cynthia." When a previous client contacted me to "come out of retirement" and make some cards for an upcoming Valentine/Wedding event, I decided to rename the cards. Viola - here they are! These are just the first few of the work in progress - a sneak peak for my blog friends. Of course, I had to include a little Paris charm into the whole business.

Travel+Leisure+Paris=Ahhhhhh!

Take me away, Calgon! Today, the latest issue of Travel+Leisure arrived, featuring "25 Romantic Dream Trips." The woman on the cover is standing on a private balcony of a room at the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris, France - where half of the rooms have Eiffel Tower views.

Chloe - my Bichon Frise - is wondering if I'm thinking - or rather day-dreaming - about going to Paris again. (It's only been four months since my first trip there.)

"Of course! Once," I say to Chloe, "is definitely NOT enough!"

Paris is the City of Light, and I enjoy reading my Travel+Leisure magazine next to a dish filled with glittery and glimmering Christmas tree ornaments. I'm reluctant to put them away just yet; I like the way they look.

Is it me or do the colors just meld into Valentine's Day? xoxoxoxox

Who Wants To Go To Paris This April?

Doris Day did it.

Now you can too!

More to come from my friend, Cheryl - an expert tour guide who specializes in small group tours for women to Paris.