COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS 4

 

Here are some new ideas to try (if I find a way to put them into 3cm/3cm)  :

bretzel, snowflake, North pole sign, holly, elf, candle, mug, ice cream

fox, skates, drinks...

and as I'm looking for 2026 special : I selected Sophie Adenot ISS visit

(but I doubt I'll find a way to put an astronaut on such a small sweater)

heatwaves should take part too but probably more our visit to the farm to discover Sandrine's sheeps and goats.

Last year sketches and some new ones...

No need for more new ideas but... that was before I watched the London shops videos! Too late, now I want a Rudolph graffiti, a Champagne fountain, a Harry Potter owl and a Mona Lisa.

Saturday afternoon, I opened my fashion designer's studio.

My spationaute in already in space delivering a Christmas tree.

except the helmet visor

I want to add tiny stars (I have temporarily "lost" my file with my sequins tree wip with the stars). I have worked on it a few days ago and pouf... missing. I lost my glasses too on Thursday and found them back Friday morning in my sewing bag.

But very late on Saturday evening I found my opening door project I was looking for since we came back, far too neatly filed away in a folder.

And what on Earth might these little things covered in nail varnish make you think of?

Maybe this can help you?

Rudolph graffiti is almost finished

Hedwig shape is cut and sewed

and I have started what could become a sheep

It was fun to be back on sewing the tiny sweaters and with five projects well under way I think it was a productive afternoon.

Quelques heures cet après-midi dans l'atelier de confection de mes pulls pas si moches. Cinq projets en bonne voie : une spationaute en pleine livraison de sapin, un feu de camp, le graffiti Rudolph, Hedwige et le mouton bien commencés. 

LET THE SHOW BEGIN

 

At the end of the Tour de France 7th edition I told you that I would like to use some of my sketches in an escape game book to make something like a treasure hunt. I thought I could use this idea for a gift to Soline i'll visit soon.

Since that GG 09/26 post I have let my little grey cells work then rest then suggest ideas then gathered them.

And early October I had my project clear...

Soline is now in "classe de 6ème" in French college which seems to be the Year 7 in GB and 6th grade in US.

She has entered a special class with drama option for the next 4 years. 

I knew then I'll have to use this fact in my project, what about something with links to authors, playwriters. And I remembered the sentence we learned in school in the 60ies.

"Corneille  assis sur la   Racine   de  La Bruyère   Boileau  à  La Fontaine   Molière".

In French it means something like "A crow sat on the root of an heather drinks water from a fountain named Molière".

Because corneille means crow, racine : roots, la bruyère : heather, la fontaine : fountain and boileau sounds like boit l'eau meaning drink water, Molière is used for the fountain name. It's a clever way to remember sixth of the famous 17th century writers.

This will be my story, make guess each name with some clues.

I made researches to find birth towns, names of plays, stories of their lifes and collect illustrations and which TdF drawings I could use in it.

I decided each author will write a letter to Soline to make her guess + 2 more clues to help. 

Adresses, stamps, maps, banknote will give more clues.

Corneille banknote in franc

La Bruyère  street in Paris 

tortoise stamp and hare street for fable by La Fontaine

6 chapters with an introduction and a conclusion.

Minions (tdf 7) were chosen to introduce the game (as it sound like her name) and I found a drawing of the Muppets Show from (tdf 6) to close the book.

Cyrano's profile (tdf 2) for a page about authors and characters, the portrait of La Fontaine who has shared a stage with Harry Potter friends (tdf 2) and the embroiderers from Montaut les Créneaux (tdf 7) to illustrate a quotation of Nicolas Boileau.

I cut pages and a cover from Canson paper and coloured paper, used envelopes and coffee dyed paper, wax seals for the letters. I closed the book with a ribbon.

I made a theatre opening card

I added some details about special names of rehearsals and phrases used by actors for a good pronunciation.

There are papers for her to write on names of the characters she'll play,

links to some texts and adaptations, anything she wants to keep a record of.

Even this old Barbie writing paper set was useful to add a place for notes. 

We had a lot of fun together during a few days, me watching her making her enquiries and her doing researchs, writing clues and discovering the names of the authors.

"Que le spectacle commence !"

J'espérais trouver un projet dans lequel réutiliser un jour certains dessins réalisés pour mes Tours de France. Puis ayant vu une vidéo sur un genre d'escape book j'ai eu envie de fabriquer quelque chose dans ce style pour Soline. Sous quelle forme confectionner un livre d'enquêtes et surtout avec quel thème ? Elle vient de rentrer au collège en sixième avec option théâtre ! Voilà ma solution.

Donc confection d'un livret en six chapîtres pour faire deviner six grands dramaturges français du XVII ème siècle grace à la phrase mnémotechnique de mon enfance "Corneille assis sur la Racine de La Bruyère Boileau à La Fontaine Molière".

Couverture et pages découpées dans du Canson, pochettes contenant les indices décorées avec du washi tape, lettres de chaque auteur écrites sur du papier vieilli au café.

Présentation de l'ensemble par nos amis les Minions, puis chacun des six dossiers est composé d'une lettre, de deux cartonnettes avec des indices et de quelques aides supplémentaires à découvrir parfois sur les timbres, les adresses, sur des plan et cartes ou même un billet de banque.

Ajout d'autres dessins, d'une carte théâtre, de papiers pour prise de notes.

J'ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à la regarder enquêter, noter ses indices, avancer dans ses déductions et trouver les six noms.

J'espère qu'elle aura l'occasion de compléter son petit livret et d'y inscrire sa propre histoire.