Paintbox Addict

Tiny Daler-Rowney watercolor box

Some people can't live without Louboutins. I can't live without paintboxes. I'm a 'pan' person  more than a paint tube person. The formula is different. Paint comes up on your brush more easily from a pan than from dried tube paint. Europe is more pan-oriented so I came to the right place. 

Not just because of the Victorians took paintboxes with them as they crossed the Sahara 🌴 In the US art stores can't be bothered with tiny pans. Tubes are an easier sell. But enough paintbox trivia.

Someone sent me this book thinking I'd be interested, but its the cover that enthralled me.

This what my Kremer Pigment box looked like when it was new.

The before and after.

If you love watercolor paintboxes you start seeing them everywhere...like stacked Popsicles in a store window.

Or brilliantly colored dragée...

L'Eclair de Genie is pure watercolor beauty. Miam miam.

Fun matching icing colors with paintbox colors. More yum.

It must be what drives me nuts about macarons - the round disks of pure color look like they popped out of a kid's paintbox.

L'Occitane's sign is out in the street at Opera. If they just sold a product with this on it I'd buy it in a flash, but they don't. Dommage ;((

What's not to love? Slabs of color by Fabrice Moireau in his Giverny book. Drool-worthy definitely.

*Here's a hot watercolor tip! All new boxes come 'unseasoned'. When you try to mix colors they'll bead up in a most unsatisfactory way. The cure? Rub toothpaste on the surface.  Then wash off and do again several times. NEVER take Brillo or scouring powder to your box. You'll ruin the finish.

At the SIMP salon of miniatures show on Sunday, this dreamy set of paintboxes make any addict's heart beat faster.

I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. 

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Thanks for reading PB ❤️

☕️ If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a KO-FI here  ☕️  ❤️ Thank you so much!

Darling N. wants to fix me up with a nice Frenchman. But she's too late! Walking round her neighborhood I fell deeply and madly for this Daler-Rowney box(its British). What Frenchman stands a chance against this?

Marché Gastronomique

I was sitting on the #42 bus Saturday coming from the pool when we passed a bunch of red and white striped awning food stands.  Marche gastronomique Popup Alert! Bells went off and I jumped off the bus.

I've yet to figure out when and where these regional marches will be. They aren't announced in the free Metro papers. If you know do please tell dear PBers. This gent from the Haute Alpes was at Pasteur last winter.
Chef Marthe whispered to me,
 

"This guy could sell milk to a cow".
 

He did sell us great hunks of pricey but very delicious Beaufort plus elegant dried beef from his region. This time I kept my purse well hidden.
 

Specialties from so many regions and it's a chance to get fresh artisanal products. Plus the venders are awfully charming to boot.
 

Tasting/goute is expected/de rigueur. Their feelings are hurt if you don't taste and voice an opinion. No wonder French kids love cheese early and everything else.
 

There is always at least one stand with Corsican products if not more.
 

I bought picholine olives from the Provencal seller. I would have bought these sun-dried tomatoes but I still have the ones I bought  in Aix a week or so ago.
 

Organic caramels from Baramel in Brittany, a co-op.
 

Wine is always flowing at the marche gastronomique. Alsace had a several stands.
 

Plus gastronome Alsatian Daniel Zenner was making choucroute crue with caraway seeds/carvi and miel de Sapin, recipe included.
 

Since no one was demonstrating any kitchen gadgets I walked away with a big kilo bucket of raw sauerkraut. Later on I had no trouble finding caraways seeds at Franprix.
 

But the miel/honey de Sapin/pine is still eluding me. And I just noticed the bucket says it must be eaten by 19-07-13. That's a lot of sauerkraut for just one person to wolf down...uh oh
 

I went back Sunday for another look but they were closing down. Just the Basques were still standing. I stood there eyeballing the saucisson. The seller (wearing a black beret) took one look at me, grabbed the six sampling sausages, tossed them in a bag and handed them to me. I said,

"How much?

"It's a cadeaux!" he said.

That's what happens at a French popup marche gastronomique.
I didn't notice any dogs but today this saucisson pup reminded me of my good fortune.
 

Salon International de la Poupée, SIMP, International Dollhouse Show,

Are you obsessed with dollhouse things? Who buys a miniature radish at a dollhouse show? 👋

Then you should have been at Espace Champeret today for the 1-day only Salon International de la Maison Poupee. 

Bear was insistent we go. After all there were 100 dealers from all over the world present. Including PBer Marie-Paule who made these exquisite woven straw bits and pieces.

Isn't it fun pretending Summer has arrived? Miam miam

So many miniature-smitten, obsessed visitors.

One obsessed visitor couldn't take her eyes off this jam jar cupboard.

Look! French cheese-making was going on onsite.

Brit craftswoman, Angie Scarr gives classes in Andalucia (where Summer has arrived by the way, a very good reason to go).

A perfect miniature of a patisserie tradionnelle with glass paintings.

Many amazingly detailed miniatures I've never seen before.

Teeny, tiny hand-cut silhouette pictures to hang behind your spinet while you pound out Mozart.

I fell head over heels for these little puppet theatres.

They look just like this real one in the Butte Chaumont park.

These were brought to the Salon by Argentinian Reina Mab.

Bear fell head over paws for these handsome mini bear musicians.

You could so easily break the bank at the miniature salon. At least no calorie counting.

Wouldn't it be nice to pack up all your things in mini Vuitton trunks? 

Tiny green Luxembourg garden chairs.
I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. Sign up to receive these whimsical treasures in the mail.

Thanks for reading PB ❤️

☕️ If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a KO-FI here  ☕️  ❤️ Thank you so much!❤️

Fauchon Attraction Soirée

*Fabulous soirée alert for Fauchon Attraction - their newest collection of divine goodies available starting today through 10 september.

It was last night. I'm still recovering.