The Beauty in your Hands
Jolie Vintage Atelier
What is it about living in Provence that conjures a sense of an easier and simpler life? A life where more things were made by hand, where more food was locally grown and where more time was spent with family and friends. Provence makes one feel as if they have been transported back in time to the last “slow” decade of the 1970’s – a time before the internet and all its associated electronic devices that absorb too much of our day; a time before 24 hour news and the anxiety that it produces; and a time before money mattered more than meaning.
These days, it seems more important than ever to hold on to arts that connect us to the past, that bring beauty into our everyday lives and that help us express ourselves as creative beings. As humans we are all creative, we just sometimes lock that part of ourselves away, fearing that we are not good enough or that it takes special talent. That is where crafting comes in. Crafting is the perfect solution for helping unlock the creativity within you. Crafting is all about fun. You are using your own good taste and your own eye for detail to create something pleasing to you. Nobody is there to judge and nobody is there to keep score. It is your “creative date,” as Julia Cameron would say, and we need at least one per week for ourselves.
Jolie Vintage Atelier’s mission is to provide a supportive environment in an inspirational space hosted by an enthusiastic and engaged teacher. During workshops we create in a fun relaxing atmosphere while at the same time learning something new, or perhaps more accurately, rediscovering something old – one of the Atelier’s key techniques, decoupage, can be traced back to 12th century China and was popularised in France and Italy during the 17th century. If you like brocante, romantic, vintage, floral, rococo, purple, old gold, or the “distressed-look” themes that this era evokes, then you will love crafting sessions at Jolie Vintage Atelier.
Jolie Vintage Atelier is in the village of Goult, in the heart of the Luberon, in the locally well known “La Maison Rouge,” at the top of la Rue de la Republique (Goult’s main street) behind the olive tree. Your host at Jolie Vintage Atelier is Mimi Pillsbury. Mimi has been learning and teaching the crafting techniques offered by the Atelier for 9 years now. She has also been selling her creations in galleries and bazars in Serbia and Jordan where the Pillsbury family lived and worked before moving to Provence in January 2017.
Crafting workshops typically last 2 and ½ hours and are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (10:00 – 12:30). Every workshop covers a different technique (decoupage, crackling, stencilling (2D and 3D), stamping, and fabric decoupage among others) and focuses on different objects each time (glass plates, wooden boxes, particle boards, cardboard boxes and even found / up-cycled objects). At the end of each session, you take home with you a finished decorated object (serving plate, clock, jewellery / gift box). All the materials, motives, protective tools (gloves), and unadorned objects are provided. All the mediums used during the workshops are acrylic-water based and safe / non-toxic.
Jolie Vintage Atelier workshops are affordable lovely opportunities to create lasting memories with your own hands and to do something different and fun in Provence – as a treat for yourself or with guests, friends or family – when your feet hurt from exploring but you still cannot stop yourself from being inspired by all the beauty around us.
Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jolie-Vintage-Atelier-604109283047257/ and Instagram http://www.pictaram.com/user/author_vintage/1686988298 . Call for more information on 064 099 9301 (best on Viber or WhatsApp) or just come and stop by on the Atelier’s open-house days noted above. Jolie Vintage Atelier can also organise workshops at your place if you are thinking about hosting a “crafting party” for kids or adults.
We are looking forward to fun creative times ahead of us!
Jolie Vintage Atelier
Meet Lynne who will explain in her own words why she created Aixcentric her super-informative, popular blog all about Aix en Provence and the surrounding area.
Meet Carolyne Kauser-Abbott whose company Edible Heritage Technologies she explains is where I focus on freelance writing (Ginger and Nutmeg and Perfectly Provence ), e-commerce (Atelier) and social media consulting.