Feature of the Day #46: Boitifole

Greetings!

Beautiful Helena Pears

Today's feature goes to Boitifole and her jewelry, secret books, and recipes.
Hailing from Normandy France, Boitifole is a lover of nature, the wind in the trees, birds, insects and flowers. Because of this love of life, she donates portions of all of her sales to various charities that help animals such as "The Injured Cats" and "The League of Birds Protection". The Injured Cats is, "a shelter that is specialized in the rescue of cats with injuries and wounds such as amputations, burns, stonings, etc.) The League of Birds Protection has been working since 1912 to help, rescue and preserve birds and their areas of life. (Links to their respective sites will be placed at the bottom of this article.)
The first medium I'll cover are Boitifole's recipes. This is the first time I've covered food in our weekday features and it was chosen because we at Squirrel Creek Creations believe in art in all its forms. A well crafted recipe with blends of seasons, layers of flavor, and carefully perfected is as much of an artistic expression as a painting. Each artist has their own canvas upon which they create; from painters to architects, engineers to dancers and everything in between. In Boitifole's recipe, Gluten Free French Eclairs (left), Boitifole shares a new take on a classic recipe by making it accessible to those with gluten allergies. A chocolate eclair is a traditional pastry composed with cream inside, pastry shell outside, and a fondant on the top. As Boitfole describes:

Gluten Free French Eclair

This is not a recipe from a Great Chief with lots of implement, expensive ingredients and difficult explanation...no...this recipie is from my family heritage and cooked at home with simple, every day materials. You can cook it for celebrations, friends, or like in France...just for pleasure!
The photography involved with the capturing of Boitifole's recipes was what first drew me in. The textures are captured beautifully, and point of focus is utilized to create an interesting image. If I didn't know Boitifole was selling recipes, I would have assumed she was selling photographs.

Renaissance Earrings

Boitifole is also a creator of fine jewelry. For her piece, Renaissance Earrings (right), she used, "two pendants, with two fish hooks, all in oxidized copper plated brass, lovely detailed setting two jewelry faceted stones which have iris blue color, a very rich and deep color jet with flashes of blue, purple and ruby." Her inspiration came from the French Baroque era, in the time with King Louis XIV offered some jewels of the same style to the most beautiful women of the Court in the gardens of Versailles. The earrings are simple but glamorous, with just enough color to really make them shine. The deep blue blends perfectly into the pendants making them appears as they were always meant to be together. The facets on the jewels face catch just enough light to make them 'pop' without becoming gaudy. Perhaps not for everyday wear, but certainly perfect for anytime you want to add a little class and glamour to your outfit. Boitifole wants her jewels to be a reflection of what nature means to her: morning sunshine, the first flower of spring, sea breath, or a bird upon a tree. It's her desire to try to capture this essence and share it with you.

Dragon Leather Hollow Book

The third medium I'll be covering is also covers the explanation of the artist's name. According to Boitifole, "Boitifole is the result of a word game, combining "Boites = boxes" and "Batifoler = to frolic". To her, boxes are not only practical, but a carrier of love and memories. For example, the more a box is used time and time again as a gift carrier, the more special it becomes every time its pulled out. Boitifole combines this charming nature of boxes with the classic form of a hard cover book to create her secret books.
Her creations are made from recycled paperboard, acid free adhesive, and rescued paper goods. Here's what she say about what the books mean to her:
In the past, knife sharpening and poison making were done in private, and my secret books are mementoes of these acts. I love creating my secret books from these inspirations, and also for a customer's special request, to house great and small secrets and priceless treasures. 

Her book, Dragon Leather Hollow Book (above left) was crafted with real dragon's leather paper. Its interior and sides laid with cream parchment made with similiar techniques as those used in the 18th century. The latch is held from top to bottom with a honey satin ribbon. The brass pieces around the edges of the book are reminiscent of a time when a hard covered book was a rare item so was embelleshed and treated with great regard. Not whipped off a printing press one after another, but hand crafted with care and detail. 
To see many more examples of Boitifole's work, visit her store on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Boitifole
Like her Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bo%C3%AEtifole/151326954931707

The Injured Cats Website: http://auxchatseclopes.canalblog.com
The League of Birds Protection: http://www.lpo.fr/

Be Creative today!

~Squirrel Creek Creations

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