During the Michael years (as I call my time with the phenomenal artist Michael Gretch), I humbly learned under his tutelage how to dye raw wool and how to felt it - an intricate process at best - which then led to baby steps of creating jewelry. I designed earrings, necklaces, cuff bracelets, combining them with hand-varnished beads, Czech crystals, Venetian and Indian hand-blown glass beads, filigree findings, gold leaf - and dared myself to make them bold and unique.

I was fortunate to photograph my collection on a beautiful model. With her regal elegance, my sari collection from Benares, and a amazing backdrop - that day is forever etched in my mind.

Then a bead addiction kicked in....

Michael Gretch - a true genius. His mastery of the world of hand felted creations combined with a raw talent for body painting; is simply pure magic. How lucky I was to have worked with him. We plotted our photo excursions for hours; then into the wind of imagination we went.

Learning Michael's technique was a humbling feat no less. I spun beads for hours on end in his apartment surrounded by his murals on every wall; I stomped and felted the basted layers of dyed wool in his tub stained by a rainbow of years of dyes. Michael is an artist like no other. I cherish those days.

Paper dolls! Remember those from childhood? Where one would cut out the figure very carefully, then the colorful paper outfits, making sure not to mess up the little square corners that fold over the doll. Mix and match at its best. Andy Warhol might disagree. And at times I would agree with him.

Years later I stumbled upon a class - a 'grown-up' version of paper doll making. Rubber stamps of beautiful faces, fanciful figures, colorful paper, muted inks, old tulle and ribbons, filigree leaves, a little ephemera, old buttons and odd findings - a hand on the hip, a flourish in a hairdo - and voilà - pure childhood joy revisited!

Over two centuries after the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette continues to inspire in countless ways - in cinema, in art, in haute couture, in literature, in multi-media to name a few.

She is all over my art room; imagined and re-invented, crowned and rubber-stamped, découpage and collaged; most definitely all gilded up.

Tags and more tags, découpage and collage- give me rubber stamps, vintage ephemera, old ribbons and twine, Dresden trim, German glass glitter, Victorian cut-outs, embossing powders, vintage paper scripts, distressed scrapbook paper scraps - and it's a happy me!

From outdoor brocantes of southern France to California. Vendors with their simpatico disposition shield themselves from the blazing sun under their wide parasols. Locals and connoisseurs stroll about, eager to find vintage bargains and new-found antique treasures. There are troves of French inspired vintage trinkets, collectibles of bygone times, estate jewelry and china, vintage toys aplenty, shabby chic finds and antique furniture.

 I stroll lazily. I listen to the French accordionist, bask in the heat, think of my ancestral home in the south of France; and what pure joy to find it right here in Marin County as well.

My mother and I are the same. We wish we could decorate one house after the next as soon as we feel content with our styling. But with only one house each, what we do is constantly change up the decor, the color theme, the placement of objects we love, and bounce around our endless trove of throw pillows. 

For me, the colors often gravitate to pink and chartreuse green; actually slightly obsessed is the truth. When I inherited the turquoise Portieux Vallerysthal milk glass collection from my grandmother... and kept adding to the collection; I soon realized that I had another color to love. 

The lavender fields of Provence have always awed me in their beauty. The field go on ad infinitum -  the purple buds reaching for the sun and so intensely fragrant.

With a comparable climate here in northern California, I decided to plant some in my front garden - especially the variety known for its long stems. With time, I started filling Toile de Jouy sachets I sewed, and filling bowls with these wands I painstakingly wove with brocade and jacquard ribbons.

Any time I see  beautiful ribbons, I think lavender and everytime I think lavender, I think, let me check if I have enough ribbon.