Noël Nordique..."French-Nordic"

"click on photos to enlarge details"

All chandeliers and ornaments hand created by "Dore" Burlap Luxe.

The sway of winter branches and the beauty of bare wooded trees where the frost of grey rest on its limbs lit up from unexpected chandeliers that celebrate a Nordic-French Noël.

This winters branches has become the quintessential tree of Noël inspiring French Nordic with rural rustic charm few can resist.


The character in this tree has been carefully preserved by nature and its beauty enhanced with original pieces of artful ornaments and garland all created with salvage by "Dore" Burlap Luxe. Silver beads from an old necklace and wire for the making of the crusty painted with age chandeliers and crystal prisms that originally hung from a vintage chandelier now coated with handmade old a patina used throughout the rooms grayish and dull.


I share an endearing passion for living small with my daughter Hannah finding joy with the simple things of the season creating handmade and working on projects that include unfinished pieces adding weathered Nordic and living comfortable with French collective soul.


This tree has been fashioned with formal elements, but created informally giving it a sense of peace on earth.

Adding Nordic serenity to our home for the holidays.

Noël et le Théâtre français...Christmas

Le musée de l'opéra de jute Luxe.
I have tickets for front row seating...Tickets sold at the door for each and everyone of you.

(All Théâtres Built By Dore Callaway, Burlap Luxe)

"Click on photos to enlarge details"

I am taking to the stage as the artist director with an entertainment venue of unforgettable dance and song.



In the quiet I have been creating theatres like a French toy maker in Paris and it's here where magical French opera and theatres come to life with salvaged vintage woods, fragments of old, along with wire and paints inspiring imaginative artful play in a "Joyeux Noël" production.

Wire Chandeliers created by me, "Dore" adds aged glamour to their stages, with a little bending, twisting and stringing of mini pearls, this is one of the many I have created.





So many ideas swirl around my desk where scraps of papers host plans and measurements in all I create. It's a place that inspires the magic of the stage and the art it performs.

I look at each one carefully...listening to what it wants to become. By adding architectural salvage, the small, impressive facade and columns create grand enchantment. Handmade wire chandeliers with layers of old light up on aged, grey wood floors where paper doll mice and snow angels take to the stage. I love the snow-filled trees and the tiny flurries that cling to the bare branches determined to stay, making for merriment and wonder in a performance.






A paper cut-out of the snow angel shadow dances her reflection on the stage wall.




Inspired by all things French with history, toy opera theatres appeared in Paris department store Etrennes catalog, "Christmas Catalog", circa 1875. They were created to entertain a child's imagination where children can write and produce their own stage play or a performance of the opera. These small wonders were intended for children but adults enjoyed them as well. Early 1800's toy theatres are rare and if found they carry a pricey tag.



Linking holiday theatres with my dear friend "Anita Rivera" at http://wwwcastlescrownscottages.blogspot.com About a year ago I was taken with the charm of her opera theatre. I knew halfway through her performance that I had to have one. Anita's opera theatre was full of wonderment where little mice appeared in a shadow performance behind a curtain; it was a performance that touched the edges of my heart. Anita inspired my first building of one. I knew then I had to create more, ones with historical French charm that fuse the romance of a decayed opera theatre with a stage where one creates.


Inspired by knowing that a 100+ years from now my theatres will still be part of someones play in a theatre performance. Size: 19" height 12" depth 21" length.

Théâtres to appear in my "etsy shop" this week.

Grandpas Old Door

"Click on photo to enlarge detail"

Inspiring the connection this door made with me.

This is a how the side table looked before I placed my grandparents 200 year old dinning room door behind it as a back drop to recycled finds adding a perfectly pale pallette of grey.

As a child I remember opening this door often on my visits to there desert home in Action California. It was a door that opened to the history of there weekend home allowing them to find peace and calm from the busyness of Hollywood where my grandfather was an "art producer" for "Paramount Movie Picture Studios" It was a home that at times was used for filming movies in, but most important a home where we enjoyed the holidays and the quiet it whispered.
I think I am the only family member since the passing of my grandparents that understood the story this door had and I made sure that it came home with me as if it were more than what it is rather than less than what it is paying close attention to it's life. A door now that leads nowhere other than the memories it holds, memories that all things have a story and a place in the journey.

I am giving this door space to show off its beautiful imperfections and the soul it has acquired. The beauty of using these treasure in our homes is you don't have to be picky in what you have acquired, the history in themselves set a tone for story telling and the story in this door is mine.

Inspiring the connection this door made with me.

Holiday Old

Tucked away in a dusty shed is a rocking chair with peeling holiday red. It has no obvious value but beyond what it looks like it has my immediate feelings provoking me to love it while begging for attention reminding me of the young soul within. Age just shows up by itself when grace and beauty departs, this chair is the precise age for something important it has inspired me with creating for the holidays.

"I know not how it may be with others
Who sit amid relics of householdry that
date from the days of their mothers' mothers,
But well I know how it is with me
Continually."

"Click on photos to enlarge"


I want to thank "Anita Crisp" of Redding California for custom ordering one of my signs with her phrase "It's A Wonderful Life" she wanted a holiday sign to last year around that inspires a wonderful life and it was a joy to create it.

A sled my daughter Hannah and I came across while out of town on business, it inspires a winter sleigh ride and the sounds of jingle bells. Inspiring a holiday, creating with holiday old.

Solstice Of Darkening Nights And Creating

via Pale and Interesting

Looking forward to the turn of winter and the darkening nights creating in solstice with the holidays in mind, it’s also a time to sit in the early darkness handwriting a personal message, a note of appreciation, friendship and love conveying what joy someone has added to your life, receiving a note card is a timeless delight.

"Click on photos to enlarge details"

While I was resting my artful thoughts on this new piece that I was working on and also thinking about what the holidays will inspire for my art this season I took a break setting aside my paint brushes and made my way to my post box to find a hand written envelope from Kerrie and her SeaWashed studio of art, the note card was in between circulars of junk mail and it instantly added a calm to my evening.




My latest Piece created by me (Dore) the art is painted on layers of distressed paints I created so it would have a Nordic feel on a vintage French table leaf, you will find this peaceful piece perfect for a holiday gift in my peaceful etsy shop.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/burlapluxe
Merry Christmas signs, one of a few of my hand painted signs and are signed by artist Dore (me) they can also be found in my etsy.

Kerrie’s Nordic grey pine tree note cards add to a perfect greeting for a Nordic holiday fondly, peacefully and sincerely. Perhaps you will visit her artist signed etsy shop taking notice of her tags and note cards adding peace on earth.

Kerrie at SeaCottage.blogspot.com hand created note card sent to me is sea washed in Nordic grey, it spoke of making contact and appreciation for friendship, its personal content addressed to me brought joy to my night, Kerrie's new Nordic grey pine tree note card art showed how personal she wanted her note to be received. It was a note of wellness, a note of cheer, a note of sharing with a friend, her note card was the perfect tonic I needed on that very ending to that day. I was a recipient of Kerrie Sanderson’s hand written note card that she so passionately sketches and water colors for her SeaWashed studio etsy shop. Please visit Kerrie's beautiful calming art where her works of art will add a Joyeux Noel to your holiday greetings and gifting.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/seawashed