Nikolai 2.5

I've been wanting to do a silhouette of Nikolai for a while. I love when people have old family silhouettes hanging on their walls. A little research led me to the history of silhouettes...as far back as the early 1700's this was a popular form of art among the rich in Europe. In the 1760's, the Finance Minister of France - Etienne de Silhouette was known for his terrible tax policies...with disastrous effects on the financial well being of the average citizen. The art form of paper cutting was very popular at the time and a pass time of Silhouette himself. Many peasants of the time would dress only in black as a form of protest and would describe themselves as "Silhouettes". I love a little bit of history...

So, here is my dear Nikolai in silhouette. As it is quite difficult to get a 2.5 year old to stand still, I took a profile photograph and then traced his silhouette in Adobe Illustrator.

Petticoat Notecards

Can I tell you how much I am loving my new stash of wool felt? I am having fun creating these little Petticoat Notecards. The notecards themselves measure 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". The dresses are cut from a sketch I made after seeing a cute vintage dress in a magazine. The wool part of each dress is cut from the pattern and then I sit down with a pile of my vintage trims and bits and baubles and make that dress unique. All of the beads and trims are sewn on by hand and each wire hanger is shaped around a bead to coordinate with the dress. These cards are not yet available in our SimplyJune store, but will debut at our Open Studio on November 11th! Each will come in a cello sleeve with a coordinating envelope and the back of each card is stamped with our SimplyJune logo. They make a great notecard for any occasion and are cute enough to frame!

Its All In The Details

One of the goals I have for Simply June is to keep things personal...to relish in the details...to make every product with the attention, love and sincerity I would when making a gift for a friend. I want those details to show and I continue to strive to put more of myself in everything I create. Perhaps this is a lofty goal as I try to grow a business. There was a time when I would be afraid to acknowledge these words, much less write them to the masses. I have always been terrible at keeping a journal of any kind. Even starting this blog was intimidating to me as a journal makes thoughts so permanent. What will I think when I look back on my thoughts, dreams and aspirations? Will I be embarassed or disspointed in how things have turned out? Somewhere along the line I realized that it is looking back on our thoughts and ideas that we learn and grow the most. I have also found the magic and accountability in letting others know my goals so that they will happen. So, this is my wish as I grow Simply June. I can't wait to read these thoughts in a year...

The little purse card is being included with a recently purchased birthday present (handmade to match the purse being shipped). If you would like us to include a card along with any gift, just make a note in the "Shipping Instructions" comment box when you are checking out in our online shop.