October 2016 / Shell Sherree

Venerdi in Venice : If the Boater Fits

28.10.16

Venice illustration: Venice Boaters and Kitty Gondolier © Shell-Sherree

I've been slow to hop on board the boater hat trend. In fact, I haven't. Being five foot two, I don't need to plant a bottle cap on my head thusly and thereby verily taking another couple of inches off the overall demeanour of my height. No, thank ye.

But ~ today's illustrated tour of Venice called for it, and while I don't believe in air-brushing, I'm not averse to adding a foot to my stature when paint-brushing. Boater Hat Crisis: averted.

So come, let us hitch a ride with yonder kitty gondolier who happens to be moonlighting as a florist. Or is he daylighting? No matter. I have it on good authority there's a galvanised bucket of ice with a bottle of Prosecco that has our name on it. And a few spare armfuls of blooms that fell off the back of another gondola. Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more. And on that note ...

Happy Venerdi in Venice to you !

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Francophile Friday : Merci, Mercy

21.10.16

Merci Paris illustration © Shell-Sherree

Take your pick this week as to Francophile Friday or Flashback Friday. This illustration of the gorgeous Merci store in Paris goes back quite a ways! So far back, it pre-dates my signature inclusion of a kitty mascot. I wondered why it felt like something was missing.

I love that the French word for 'thank you' is similar to the English word 'mercy'. So in a manner most unlike me, I did some research. {Don't be alarmed... it will pass.}

According to ye olde Online Etymology Dictionary, 'Mercy' is derived from Old French mercit, merci "reward, gift, kindness, grace, pity," which came in turn from the Latin mercedem "reward, wages, pay hire". Que?

Thankfully ~ mercifully ~ when we head even further back to 6th century Church Latin, mercedem meant "applied to the heavenly reward of those who show kindness to the helpless." Ahh. And we're kind of back where we started. I knew research was a waste of time. And on that note ...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

PS: You'll find Merci in the 3rd arrondissement: 111 boulevard Beaumarchais 95003.

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Fashion and Fluffballs Friday : Kitty Marchesa

14.10.16

Kitty Cat illustration Fashion Faux Pas No.23 © Shell-Sherree

Short and sweet, I'll let today's illustration do the talking.

Well, aside from saying that unlike kitty, I've never worn a Marchesa gown backwards. But if I actually possessed a Marchesa gown, who's to say. And on that note ...

Happy Fluffballs Friday to you!

PS: You'll find a new series of original artworks of cats and dogs here in my store. I call them Petal Pies. Drawn with brush, inks and watercolour and sprinkles of gold, minimal and sweet, these make gorgeous gifts for your favourite animal lovers. Please go check them out. Cute as !

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Furry Friends Friday : Under the Tuscan Sun

7.10.16

Pink Fiat and Kitty Cat Pup Fluffballs illustration © Shell-Sherree

Today's pink Fiat and fluffballs illustration tootles us off under the Tuscan sun.

Or it could easily be poot-pootling us off under the Provençal sun. Take your pick of tootling or poot-pootling and we're all happy, even without a bottle of raffia clad-Chianti or rosé.

Speaking of wine, the sauvignon blanc of C'est La Vie french wine ~ the one with my illustration planted on it ~ is still available here in Australia through Dan Murphy's. Please drink responsibly and if you're so inclined while you're at it, go pick up a bottle. It's as cheekily delightful as the label implies. As a bonus, you get a tiny Shell Sherree illustration to keep if you're the bottle-keeping kind! Sweet. And on that note ...

Happy Fluffballs Friday to you!

C'est La Vie french wine label illustration by Shell-Sherree

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