La Belle Brocante

Scene & Société

 

xoxo

 

In Black & White

 

 

I'm working on rubber stamp designs, teeny tiny ones to use in journalling.

I've had polymer stamps made before but these will be laser cut rubber to preserve the fine lines and details.

Most exciting!

 

xoxo

 

Saintly Toes

Her feet are beautiful too.

 

At the End of the Day {giveaway winner}

She survived.

Centuries past.

Decades spent exposed to the elements.

Her ears have been nibbled, plants and snails grew in the dirt inside her head.

Her eyes are perhaps not as clear as they once were.

But the end of the day she is beautiful. Graceful. 

And at peace.

 

Thank you to everyone who played along with our Guessing Game. Congratulations to Margie, whose name was drawn as our winner! Please email your address and your Ephemera parcel will be in the mail shortly.

 

xoxo

 

 

Guessing Game {a satisfying conclusion}

A vintage optician's tool - with the different lenses that are moved up and down until the correct prescription is determined? No, too much metal.

Stained glass window? No.

Puppet or marionette with glass eyes? Nope.

A jack-in-the- box with glass eyes? Cute but no. 

Old horse hair stuffed pull toy with glass eyes? No.

Abstract oil painting using glass eyes? Yikes - no!

Cane or walking stick with animal head and glass eyes? No.

A vintage bakelite fishing lure with glass eyes? Very clever, but no.

Is it a vintage doll head or doll with glass eyes? Getting warmer.

Could it be a carved wood figurine of an animal or person with glass eyes? No wood.

A duck decoy made from cork, plastic or canvas with glass eyes? Also very clever, but no.

Is it a mannequin/head with glass eyes for medical teaching/display? Close. So close.

Human wax head with glass eyes? Yes!

A bee's wax figurine with glass eyes? Yes.

Is it still available today in a new form? Or is strictly vintage? Is it a wax effigy of a famous Saint? Is it a reliquary? YES!

Still my favorite beautiful Santos with glass eyes? YES!!!

 

She is a truly special find, a beeswax (hence the animal classification) bust of a Saint from the 1700s. Pale blue glass eyes. A stunningly beautiful piece that I will now unwrap and photograph, ready to share with you tomorrow.

And why several items rather than one? Unfortunately her hands did not survive the past few centuries, but her feet did. 

Photos and our giveaway winner tomorrow!

 

xoxo

 

 

Almost There {a guessing game update}

No Fabric. No Thread. No Lace. No Ribbon.

 

No Paper. No Books. 

No Metal. 

Also no Fur. No Feathers. No Taxidermy. Though Yes to glass eyes.

So ... optical lenses, opera glasses, microscopes, telescopes, and magnifying glasses are all out of the question.

A well loved doll or bear with glass eyes? No.

Do the glass eyes belong to a vintage Steiff or other manufacturer's cat? No, though a vintage Charlie would be lovely.

A giant glass eye from an optician's window display? I would loooove one of these, but haven't found one for my collection yet.

Pair of glass eyes for teddy bear or taxidermist? No, though I have lots of those, and love them.

Stereoscope card viewer? No.

So ... we are back to glass eyes, but they are not on their own. 

We also have some sort of animal connection or classification, but not an animal part or part of an animal.

Think outside the box. Animal-related but not an animal ...

And we are missing some materials ...

That's enough hints for this morning - next update in the evening!

 

xoxo

 

Evening Light {yet another guessing game update}

Thinking of a collection of glass eyes? Yes. Sortakinda.

Or perhaps wonderful ink bottles of all colors? No.

Glass sutures ampules with suture intact? Sounds lovely, but no.

Apothecary or specimen bottles ? Love them, but still, no.

A glass jar with a wasp nest? Clever. But no.

Can you wear it? No. 

 

This one is proving to be trickier than I'd anticipated, but you're making progress!

 

xoxo

 

Update on the Update

If not glass eyes then optical lenses? No.

French opera glasses? No.

Telescope? No.

Microscope? No.

Yes to glass eyes, though not exactly a collection. But you're not finished yet ...

 

 

Through the Garden Gate {a guessing game update}

Good Morning!

A little roundup of today's questions ...

Is it a fossil? No.

Some sea shells or dried butterflies? No.

A collection of dried bugs? No.

A collection of preserved butterflies? Or beetles? No and no.

A collection of French cicadas? No.

Remember, it is NOT an animal part, but it IS animal versus vegetable or mineral.

Is it made from glass? Is it used for drinks or food? Yes. No.

Was it alive at one time? No.

You said, "think mustier." Could it be a first edition tome? No - but this is a reasonable question, Christina, as books can be made of things other than paper :)

Is it bone? Or shell? No. No.

What's left in the world?

 

Be brave! Keep going! Put the pieces together!

xoxo

 

 

 

Encore {another guessing game update}

Is it a part of an animal or is it made from a part of an animal? No.

Does it include porcelain? No.

Is it made of metal? No.

Is it made of fabric? Or thread? No. And no.

Next question- has it been featurd on your Instagram feed? No. This isn't Where's Waldo, it's something new :)

Is it animal, vegetable or mineral? Animal. An answer which appears to contradict the answer to the first question, but I believe I've answered both correctly ....

 

Great questions all round, and we're a smidgen closer than we were this morning. Don't give up!

 

xoxo 

 

p.s. Is it a taxidermy piece? Does it include feathers? No. And no.

 

 

Is It Bigger Than A Birdcage? {a guessing game update}

Is it just one piece or does the treasure consists of several pieces? Yes. Several pieces.

est ce que le trésor est -en bois ? -en papier ? -en tissus ? - en métal ? -en cuir ? Non. Non. Non. Non. Et non.

It is a "paper" treasure? No.

Is it bigger than a birdcage? Not bigger than my Napoleon III birdcage, no.

Is it utilitarian? No.