LouLouBell Handmade

In my Studio

2012-02-02T10:08:00.001-08:00

It's been a little bit in the making, but my studio space is finally just about completed. Just waiting to put some final wallpaper up and the doorknob on the door. And all the while I've been working in here, so I'm yet to actually 'tidy up' and take some good shots to share, but I thought I'd give you a little taste, and show you one of my favourite parts. I had been collecting artwork for a little while so I was so happy when the day came that the walls were painted and I could finally hang these up! All courtesy of our favourite handmade community etsy!

Top Left: Sew in Love Silkscreen by HowToUseArt

Top Right: Make Something Good Today by pleasebestill

Bottom Left: Blue Bird Art Print by ChasingtheCrayon

Bottom Right: Scissor Print by Rufflewood

Before, just concrete and little gyp-roc. And a two year old making himself at home to watch Daddy hard at work. He did take the opportunity to learn how to use the hammer, Daddy's drill and a measuring tape. Maybe he can help out with the next reno project.

And before my eyes, it had electricity, lighting, paint, floor, custom work desk, cabinets. All kinds of goodness to finally get my work stuff out of my living room and into a home of it's own! Yay! (Another favourite part is that picture of Taylor hanging on the wall above my desk so I can see him when he's out at daycare). I'll post some more when I actually get the time to clean up a bit (I'm a messy worker :)

Do you have time for hobbies?

2012-01-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well see my hobby has turned into a full blown business (which I love and am completely grateful for!) But sometimes, I miss making something by hand, just to make it, out of nothingness, from start to finish, with no other creative persuasion but my own!

I am blessed to work with so many lovely customers and brides, but the nature of the majority of that work is custom (which is super fun and challenging sometimes!). So you get what I'm saying? I just every now and again want to create something out of my head with no direction.... until I'm happy I've produced something pretty. That's all.

You may want to sneak a peek over at my baby shop for some of my latest creations (I'm considering this my new 'hobby') ♥

Calling all 2012 brides!

2012-01-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

Announcing the 2nd Annual 'Petals & Pearls' Bridal Accessory Showcase! This is a one-day event with myself and Vive Jewelry (amazing pearls!), hosted by Boutique Joliette on Hollis Street, Halifax. Sneak a peek here... Please see the invite with details and RSVP info. One stop shopping for all your bridal accessory needs!

Extra Show added for the Season!

2011-11-30T05:19:00.001-08:00

We just added one more show for the Holiday Season, this will be the last one, December 8 - 11 at the Piazza at Bishop's Landing on Lower Water Street. Think old fashioned euro style outdoor market with lit up tents, a carousel, and even a visit from the Jolly fellow himself! waterfrontchristmas.ca

One down, Two to go!

2011-11-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to visit at the Halifax Forum show last weekend. It was a great time, nice to see familiar faces and catch up with some old (and new!) friends :)

This weekend I can be found at the Dalplex Christmas show, November 25, 26 & 27.

And then to wrap up the holiday season, I'll be at the Halifax Crafters' Yuletide Cheer show Dec. 3 & 4. Both great places to find that perfect, (one-of-a-kind) handmade gift!

Upcoming Halifax Shows!

2011-10-11T17:29:00.001-07:00

Christmas season is soon going to be upon us, I can hardly believe it!

LouLouBell will be exhibiting at the following shows and hope you can join us there!

November 4 - 6, 2011
Christmas at the Forum
Halifax Forum
Halifax, Nova Scotia

November 25-27, 2011
Dalplex Christmas Craft Market
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia

December 3 & 4, 2011
Halifax Crafters Yuletide Cheer
Olympic Centre, Cunard Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia

My Big Day Downtown: Trying Something New

2011-10-03T04:24:00.000-07:00

So you remember last year, I wrote this post about my big day downtown? It was part of an initiative of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission. Local bloggers were recruited to have some fun downtown Halifax and then come back and tell all you lovelies about our day.

This year, I was lucky enough to do this again, only with the stipulation that I try something new. And that's exactly what I did!

I've been living in Halifax for just about 10 years now. I spent the better part of that time actually working in downtown Halifax. And I would walk by Petrie's Halifax Feast Dinner Theatre just about every other day. I always saw the sign out on Salter Street and had always heard about it through friends and co-workers. So I thought, 'This is my big chance!'. I've always wanted to go and this was a great opportunity to check it out.

I called up the box office and explained it was my first show. The lady on the other end of the phone was super friendly and took my reservation quickly and easily. I thought I would bring my husband and make a date night out of it, to say thank you for all the hard work he's been doing building my new sewing studio! (More on that soon, very exciting!) So we were booked in for Saturday night. When I told my Mom we were going, besides being jealous, she asked "Is Darren going to be into that sort of thing?" Well, yes. Because the show that's currently playing is called 'Spree'. Like 'Glee', only different. And let's face it, Darren is a complete Gleek!

There's a parking lot conveniently just across the street, so no need to fuss around trying to get a decent park space. And I was happy for that because we were having typical Halifax rainy, blustery weather.

When we got inside, we were greeted by a friendly gal who took our names and then had 'Skin Mudson' show us to our table. I later started piecing it together that these nice people were actually the cast who were doubling as the wait staff. I'm still sort of in shock at this. Because they're singing their hearts out, dancing their pants off, acting and bobbing around, and then swiftly jump off the stage to the kitchen where they then switch to server mode. Unbelievable! And throughout the night it became apparent that we would meet every single one of the cast members as they keep trading up tables to serve food and drinks. Pretty cool.

So not only was I completely astounded at that, but to top it off, I noticed that they kept taking turns playing the backup music for all the musical numbers. Sometimes it was 'Mercedes Johnson' played by the very talented Sarah Richardson at the keyboards (and this girl can sing!), and then you'd see Skin Mudson (Sean O'Brien) or Bill Schuman (Stephane Gaudet) over at the drum set. Amazing. Singing. Dancing. Serving. Playing instruments. That's some crazy talent. And above all, you can tell they are enjoying every minute of it and are loving what they do. The show was fast paced and seriously funny (my cheeks were numb from smiling and laughing!). The music was awesome and the harmonies were really great. We were impressed!

This is me and my new friend 'Burt Bummel' (Kurt Hummel's counterpart), played by Vianney Aubrecht. Burt claimed he wasn't trying to steal Darren, but he was awfully friendly with him ;)

Amazing singer, amazing dancer!

We also got to meet 'Dru Sylibble' played by Bev Butler and 'Fay Ray' played by Hannah King. These ladies will make you laugh! Belly laughs. Other talented cast members included Joshua Law and Victoria Ryan.

Let's talk food! I have to say, for the price of our tickets, you really get a great deal. If you were to go out for dinner and drinks for the night, you would spend the same amount, minus the entertainment. So for the price of our tickets, we got a starter salad and fresh baked bread, a choice of 6 entrees, so there's something for everyone (we had the steak which was really yummy but my favorite part of the meal was the garlic mashed potatoes prepared by Chef Joel Estabrooks), and then a triple brownie dessert with raspberry sauce, whipped cream and berries (drool!). And the show!

I cannot say enough about how friendly and accommodating these folks were. Even though they were bouncing in and out of the kitchen directly from the stage (and in character all the while!), they were happy and the service was excellent!

The space is a perfect size so it's an intimate atmosphere and everyone is relatively close to the action. They even had a few audience members up on stage at one point dancing, that's fun. As long as it's not me! (shy). But everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Overall, our Big Day Downtown to see 'Spree' at the Halifax Feast Dinner Theatre was a success and I would certainly go back to see another show. You can see 'Spree' until November 2011. There's a complete calender for the 2011 season here. This would be something ideal to take your folks to when they're in town for the holiday season too.

It's so nice to see people are working hard in Halifax to contribute to the arts and keep live, interactive entertainment alive. Jim Petrie's Dinner Theatre is celebrating a milestone this year. 25 years in theatre! Congratulations and I hope they will continue to make great entertainment for many years to come!

Thanks again to the DHBC for the opportunity to review a little piece of what Downtown Halifax has to offer! You can see a complete directory on their website. So if you're looking, check out Downtown Halifax, they're sure to have a little bit of everything.

We're in Weddingbells Magazine!

2011-08-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

So a few months back, my little etsy shop was discovered by one of the editors at Weddingbells Magazine who contacted me about having my stuff in their next issue! I was a loyal reader of Weddingbells while planning my own wedding, and especially their website weddingbells.ca.

Their forums are such a great place to find information and see what other brides are doing and gather some good inspiration.

So I was completely thrilled when they asked me, so up to Toronto went some of my accessories for a big photo shoot. And then in July, there it was on news stands! The Fall/Winter Weddingbells Magazine, with little LouLouBell from Upper Tantallon in their pages! And in three different places throughout, including the Table of Contents! Awesome! Thank you Weddingbells, this was LouLouBell's first magazine appearance, and I couldn't be more happy for it to be one of my own favorite wedding magazines!

LouLouBell Clutches on the big day

2011-07-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Heather! Your wedding looked like it was a beautiful day! And thanks for sharing these photos. It's always so nice to see my creations in use....

Tookey

2011-06-16T04:29:00.000-07:00

Well it's been raining ALL week long here again in Nova Scotia, but we did manage to have a really great, sunny weekend and we took advantage with a trip to the Wildlife Park. Darren and I had taken Taylor last summer and it was such an amazing change this time around, to see him able to get excited about all the animals, try calling them by name, and hoot and hollering when he wanted their attention. Mr. Turkey (or 'Tookey' as little man called him) here was by far his favorite. I felt bad because I couldn't stop my imagination from thinking about how many fascinators I could have made with those gorgeous turkey flat feathers :)

And I had to share this one, T (nice face) and his little cousin B.

Tied up with a Bow

2011-05-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

So I noticed my little sisters have been tending towards bows and ribbons lately, and if your a 'Gleek' (like myself) you would have noticed the ladies wearing black bows in their hair at Nationals. So I made some bows out of double-face satin ribbon, added some feathers and netting and attached them to a hairband. What could be easier than that? Voila! No-fuss, toss my hair in a headband fascinator! I'll be adding more to the shop soon!

Updates

2011-05-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

Update Number 1:

Here's a little preview of some work I packaged up and am sending off to the Cannes Film Festival this week to be gifted to the stars! I wish I could fit in the box and and be fedexed there too...someday :) I'm just grateful that the organizers of the gifting suite at the festival are kind enough to host my designs for me, I'll keep you posted later if I get some good celeb photos back!

Update Number 2:

My Morning Glories are sprouting! Yay!

Muffins & Seedlings

2011-04-27T05:35:00.001-07:00

It's a rainy day here in Halifax and it's just me and my Taylor hanging out.

So I thought i'd start by bringing the outdoors in today. I've been carrying around these seeds that my Nan took from her gorgeous garden in Mull River, Cape Breton. And finally got them in some soil. Now let's hope that I've inherited her green thumb. There's Morning Glories, Hollyhocks, Cosmos, Climbing Nastursions, Purple Corn Flower and Poppies. Now I'll wait patiently and hope to see some sprouts.

Someone who's not waiting patiently? Taylor, anxiously wishing for the chocolate chip muffins to come out of the oven!

Spring has Sprung!

2011-04-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

And the proof? Well it's the Halifax Crafters Annual Spring Flight! Hope you can join us for lots of great shopping and eating :)

Calling all Halifax Brides!

2011-04-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder I'll be at a special Bridal accessory Trunk show this weekend and hope you can stop by! If you're a bride looking for finishing touches, a friend looking for a special gift, or need to decide on bridesmaid gifts for your special girls - this will be the place to be on Saturday!

See all the details here....

Sneak Peek

2011-03-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Petals & Pearls Bridal Accessory Trunk Show! April 16, Boutique Joliette, downtown Halifax.

If you're a bride, if you're the friend of, mother of, sister to, sister-in-law-to-be, or bridesmaid. Come take a peek, bring a friend, we'd love to see you! Details seen here.

Cutie Patootie

2011-03-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

Introducing my newest model for LouLouBell Baby! This is my lovely niece Brynn modeling a LouLouBell Baby headband, she was pretty much the entire inspiration for my baby line. She just took her first steps yesterday and her Mom said she's walking a bunch!

I should also mention that she thinks she's a puppy. Hence the thing hanging out of her mouth. She's being raised with a brown Boxer and a Boston Terrier so she has learned that she should carry things with her mouth instead of her paws :)

Wedding Cake Blossoms

2011-02-28T16:59:00.000-08:00

Wedding Cake Provided by Layers Wedding Cakes

Handmade Flower Cake Embellishments by LouLouBell Handmade

Hi friends, I'm so super excited to share my latest project with you!

I recently visited the delightful bakery shop of Jennifer Harris, cake baker extraordinaire of Layers Wedding Cakes. She and I collaborated to design a wedding cake with a new idea of using my fabric flowers as cake embellishments! Cool right? I think it turned out really pretty if I do say so myself :) So basically, the idea is that you can have flowers made to coordinate with your wedding theme and colors, and they are ready for you to bring to your cake decorator. Made from satin, chiffon and organza, they won't wilt, and you can use them later in other applications as a reminder of your special day! Or bring them back to me and have them made into hairpins or sewn onto a special clutch. Sold in set of one dozen in varying sizes, in any colors you'd like. See them in my Etsy Shop.

If you're local, Layers Wedding Cakes is the leading bakery here, your senses are awakened when you walk in the darling Layers kitchen to the sights and smells of gorgeous cakes and cupcakes in every possible flavor you can think of. It's pretty amazing. (and I used Jen for our own wedding cake too a few years back). Whatever you have in mind for your big day, this is the lady to see!

World's Oldest Wedding Cake

2011-02-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this article yesterday and had to share, it's just so strange. This cake was made in 1898 making it 113 years old! mmmmyuck! I guess it was once white but turned this brown color over the years. It's even survived a Second World War bomb blast! I'm sure it was a lovely little thing in it's day.

Fit for a Princess

2011-02-15T13:43:00.001-08:00

If I could pick out the colors for William and Kate Middleton's special day, it would certainly be this deep, rich eggplant, paired with gold and white accents. These colors together just scream regal to me. The inspiration for this set came from the lovely bride-to-be Rachel. I was really happy with the outcome of this set, I'd never paired these colors together before.

Best wishes Rachel :)

Handmade Valentines

2011-02-10T03:42:00.001-08:00

I find it's hard to make time to do a lot of the fun, crafty things that I have floating around in my brain, but now that Taylor is here, I want to make more of an effort to make a big deal about holidays. Even mushy, gushy ones like Valentines Day. After all, this is the day for hearts and love, and for putting up little love reminders. I believe in saying I love you. I tell my family everyday. I don't think you need to have a certain day designated to do this. But I do like pretty pink hearts so it's a good excuse for decorating!

Little cupcake toppers, printed on pink paper, cut into tiny flags and wrapped around toothpicks. Stuck into the fluffy, delicious pink icing to say 'love you!'

Banner made from various scrappy bits in my sewing room. White and red gingham fabric cut into flags, embellished with red and pink felt hearts, then I used a wide piece of double face satin ribbon, folded in two and stitched to hang the flags.

Decorating for a Pink & Proper Bachelorette

2011-01-31T17:24:00.000-08:00

Yeah, by proper, I mean no peckers! I'm just not that kind of girl. I'm aiming for more of a pretty and classy bachelorette party. I'm in the process right now of gathering some decorations and plans for my little sister's bachelorette party, and although the one I am planning will have a yellow and gray theme, I couldn't help but get lost in the sea of pink decorations that are available for such an event.

I wanted to share these gorgeous HANDMADE finds from Etsy.

From left to right:

Corset Invitation from Embellished by Tiffany

Striped (do-it-yourself) Printable Favor box by The Posh Event (PS: I love this shop, I've purchased here before, they're awesome!)

Engagement ring punches in black and pink by Little Speedster (You could use these as confetti on tables and such)

Bridal party sash by Have2HaveIT (I actually already placed my order for one of these!)

Cupcake Bath Bombs by Simply Tempted (These would be cute done up in gift bags for the attendees, along with other smelly, girly stuff that we can never have enough of)

'Love is Sweet' cupcake toppers by Vintage Twee

Planning Your Engagement Party

2011-01-29T17:45:00.000-08:00

Image Credit Tiffany & Co.

I am trying to think if my husband and I even had an 'engagement party'. I suppose if I have to think about it, that means that we didn't really do anything formal. I think we got together with some friends and co-workers at our friendly, neighborhood pub. Yup, that sounds like us! I did, however, plan one for my sister who is getting married this coming April.

We had it at a nice, private, restaurant downtown where they play live jazz music on Saturday nights. It wasn't anything over the top. Just her closest friends invited, maybe a party of 12. We had a nice meal, ordered champagne for the table, and had some cake. As far as wedding touches, I had designed some little place holders with pictures of her and her fiance on the table to make it a little personal, added some flowers, and there were a few gifts given (ours was a wedding album for the couple to be).

If you are tasked with planning an engagement party, I would first recommend to be realistic, and not blow the budget! After all, this isn't the actual wedding - and if ever there's a time for a party, it's the wedding!

Start by picking your venue. While halls and hotel banquets are normally reserved for receptions, an engagement party can be somewhere more intimate, such as a restaurant, a family home, or even a picnic park or somewhere that may have special meaning for the couple.

No worry about hiring a band, or fancy decorations. An engagement party is meant to be an informal, casual event to congratulate the couple as they enter on their new journey to marriage. It has become popular in recent years to associate a theme with engagement parties, but in a way that doesn't 'over do it'. For instance, if you were to have the engagement party at a family bungalow, you could go for a backyard barbecue theme. Simply add some red-checked table cloths, daisies and a game of horseshoes (or washers, or croquet, or whatever the family favorite is!) If you were to have it at the beach, you could bring some large, colorful beach umbrellas to stick in the sand, plan for a bonfire and maybe a few fireworks that your brother can set off! Maybe you could go to the restaurant where the couple had their first date!

In any event, you don't need to go overboard for this one. If you know what the wedding theme colors will be, simple decor in their chosen colors would work. A few meaningful touches, such as pictures or favorite quotes printed and displayed, will add to the party and make it memorable for the newly engaged couple and guests.

For food, again, simple is best. Maybe appetizers and drinks. Make a special punch. Buffets will always lend to a casual atmosphere. Potlucks are also a great way to keep costs to a minimum and get everyone involved in the occasion.

Don't fret about organizing any big 'games' or activities. Easy, fun things to do at an engagement party can include:
-Having the couple's engagement shots done (for their announcement in the paper?)
-Admire the bride-to-be's gorgeous new ring! (she'll love this! She loves it, and loves it even more to know it is the envy of every girl there!)
-Informal toasts by the Maid of Honor/Best Man and/or family
-Announcing any small tidbits about the wedding itself (where will it be held? Is there a date set? What will the bridesmaids wear? Colors?)
-Tell guests the story of the proposal and how he got you to say yes!

Gifts are certainly not a mandatory thing for an engagement party, if you want to, do. If you don't, that's okay too. Small gestures, such as a photo album, card, or maybe a nice bottle of wine will be most appreciated, but not expected.

No matter the venue, the food or the decor, having your closest family and friends to mark this milestone with you is most important. Take it easy, relax, and enjoy! (and drink Champagne! Congratulations!)

Always a Bridesmaid.......

2011-01-29T03:50:00.000-08:00

In the last year, I've made quite a lot of sets of clutches for bridesmaids. Sometimes a set of 3, sometimes 6, and in one case 14! So it got me to thinking, where did this tradition of having maids come from? I learned that in today's world, they don't really serve the same purposes they have in the past (but it's still fun to share your big day with your nearest and dearest)! It would seem that in the past, your BFFs would serve to more of a supernatural nature, so here's some of the tidbits of lore I found interesting:

- Early Greek maidens would wed escorted by a train of happily married, fertile women to serve the dual purpose of protecting the bride from spirits and to also have their own good fortune rub off on her.

-Ancient belief was that surrounding the bride by bridesmaids would ward off evil spirits that might cast spells against the bride and groom's happiness.

-Some maids were expected to wear white, the same as the bride, so as to confuse any earlier rejected suitors who may attempt a kidnapping of the bride on her way to the ceremony.

-Colorful bridesmaid's dresses were meant to distract these ill-spirits from the bride....

-Roman law once required that female wedding attendants would arrive dressed alike to that of the bride, also in attempt to throw off any 'bad spirits' and deflect from the bride and groom.

-In the past, males could act as attendants to the bride and were known as bridesmen.

So not exactly what we have come to know of the roles of modern day bridesmaids (dress shopping, spa appointments, etc...) But no matter where the tradition started, it sure is fun to have your girls to celebrate your engagement and journey down the aisle!

Baby Head bands finally in the shop!

2011-01-23T03:40:00.000-08:00

I've been struggling to give some attention to my baby line since the Christmas shows, but have finally had a chance to post some new head bands in the shop. I always welcome custom orders too, if you're in need of a special color to match a certain outfit - please send me a message! I made this blossom above with Valentine's day in mind....