Le Petit Cadeau

“Le Petit Cadeau” is French for “The Little Gift”.

A very similar sounding name is “Kado”, and it is believed that those with the name Kado have a pure, wild and fierce heart that is full of love.

Going about every day life, I believe it is not about grand gestures, but all the little things we do, no matter how small that truly makes the difference. Every little win in life should be celebrated, no matter how small. And the simple act of reaching out to a friend having a hard time should not be underestimated.

Just waking up to a new day might be an accomplishment for someone. Sometimes it’s okay if all you did today was breathe.

Technology has taken over our lives, and many of us have forgotten what it feels like to receive a handwritten note especially on a day when you’re feeling down. I hope to change that. Send physical cards instead of Whatsapp texts, they are two very different things. A WhatsApp text is but a text no matter how you word it, but putting in just a bit more effort to send a physical card says a lot more.

“You matter to me, You are worth it,

You are enough.”

I created Le Petit Cadeau with the hope to encourage you to reach out to your friends, even if it is just to let them know that you miss them, make someone’s day with a little gift filled with lots of love! :) ♡♡♡

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Sunflowers, the universal flower of happiness!

After much “battling” with technology, to be exact as an IT noob trying to configure name servers and what not, I decided to leave Jeanine Gabrielle as my blog page and rename the store “Le Petit Cadeau”. I think it makes sense since basically everything in the store makes a great little gift for a loved one. You will find my new paper flowers under the “Petite Fleur” tab in store. Of course, you can still shop crocheted items, accessories and quirky goods for your home.

Here are some ideals that this new collection revolves around.

1. They last FOREVER.

Paper flowers are by no means a replacement for real flowers, they are an alternative option. But the fact is that paper flowers are not going to die on you like real flowers do. I always feel reluctant to throw out flowers when they have withered, it just feels so painful to throw away something that was so beautiful just the day before! With paper flowers, you don’t have to worry about changing the water every day or leaving them in the office over the weekend. They’ll be fine on their own.

A custom order of Petit Pots for Teacher’s Day.

2. Highly customisable!

In the world of paper flowers, you are limited only by your own imagination. Green roses? Why not?

Petit bouquet customised according to recipient’s favourite colors!

It allows me to create pieces that are fun and unique in their own way. No two will ever be the same. Have fun! Mix and match flowers and colors or if you’re really have no idea how to go about picking a combination, just let me know what you need and consider it done. :)

3. They can be shipped very “discretely”.

This was one of the main consideration factors for me. Keeping them small means they can be delivered via normal mail which crosses out heavy shipping costs, and secondly, who would expect to receive flowers in an unsuspecting 15 x 15 box? SURPRISE!

Mini orchid and potted roses

4. Minimal Space.

On the topic of size, they also do not invade your space. The pots take up at most a 5cm square of space so they’re perfect for those empty corners too. I make them in such a way that they can stand on their own, of course you can put some double sided foam tape on the bottom to keep them in place as they are pretty weightless. (No they won’t double up as paper weights, unfortunately) I also have “hanging pot” options that you can hang up on your office desk board! Absolutely no vases required.

Petit Pots attached to kraft paper gift tags

5. Three Words, Handmade With LOVE.

Crafting is something that has been close to my heart for as long as I can remember. Like I said, it’s the accumulation of small things that people will remember in the long run. Handmade items just have that extra something, knowing that someone put time and effort into creating something just for you. If that doesn’t make you feel special I don’t know what will.

I always include handwritten notes in my orders, it just wouldn’t be complete otherwise!

If you managed to get to the end of this very long post, THANK YOU!

I hope “Le Petit Cadeau” brings you as much happiness and love as it does for me. :)

Earth laughs in flowers.

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Earth laughs in flowers. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am surrounded by flowers everyday. While they’re not real life living breathing flowers, they still make me happy all the same. It is no surprise I am so in love with what I do.. I’ve been trying to experiment with different types of flowers lately, so I thought I’d share some floral love!

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I tried making some really cute paper roses! I think these would be great for adding a pop of fun and color to a house party, you know, birthdays, baby showers.. or even a DIY wedding party! Strung together I think they would make some pretty rad rose garlands!

Would you use paper flowers around your home? Share your thoughts! :)

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Camellias… Made famous by Chanel no less! I started making these last month and I must say these are quite a popular pick for bridal hair accessories. I can’t wait to see the photos from the weddings, will definitely share them when I get my hands on them. :D

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A quick update!

If you missed the previous Black & Blue V3 remakes, good news! I’ve restocked the fabric and remakes are available, place your order {{ here }} or drop me an email at jeanine@jeaninegabrielle.com :)

Follow me on Instagram {{ @jeaninegabrielle }} for sneak peeks of the upcoming Carnival Collection!

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I’ll leave you with more flowers for now!

Have a great week everyone! xx

5 days into 2013.

Time flies really fast these days, too fast, perhaps?

It feels like just yesterday that we were preparing for Christmas, but the 12 days is almost over and we’re already 5 days in to the new year; not to mention it’s already the first weekend of 2013. Really?

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I’ve been trying to make the most out of everyday. I want to live in such a way that, if my life were a novel, there won’t be a single boring day. Saturdays are meant for sleeping in just a wee bit longer. :)

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“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.” Neil Gaiman, The Sandman vol.9: The Kindly Ones.

The transition from being in a hopeless holiday mood back to work is not an easy one, I’ve been trying to come up with new designs every day to beat the holiday bug. And if you haven’t heard, I’ll be launching The Perpetual Spring’s “Luxe Editions” next week! :)

My first paper flower bouquet is sitting pretty in my room, with a slight hint of Vera Wang’s “Princess” fragrance. Wouldn’t you want these in your home? They last a lot longer than fresh blooms, and have a softer, warmer feel than artificial flowers. Did I mention you can use them as fresheners with a tiny spritz of perfume? *grin

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“Someday”, she said. “Someday, I’ll meet you in a pretty white dress & a bouquet of pastel flowers in my hand.”

A league above paper bouquets, the satin blooms. I’ve wanted to go into weddings since like forever. It’d be great if I could use my own wedding as a try out but no, not anytime soon for me. If you know anyone who needs anything at all for a wedding, and would like to try something different from store bought bouquets, please feel free to drop me an email. (jeanine@jeaninegabrielle.com)

Corsages, bridal bouquets, money boxes, ring pillows, floral hair accessories for the bridesmaids, I’d love to try them all! Really!

Teal bouquets for a Tiffany-themed wedding, perhaps?

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We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved.” – Brandi Snyder

This week tons of stuff arrived for me! (Partly cos I’ve been OD-ing on retail therapy) My latest online order from Cotton On, sponsored products from Bioré and Organix, and then there was this mysterious package that was oddly light. To my absolute surprise, it was a bunny from one of my regular customers, Ronelle.

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The package arrived when I was working on this fabric flower, so naturally I had to pin it on the bunny for a snapshot!

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She even wrote me a thank you note; to be honest I was on the verge of tearing. It’s just the little things like these, you know? It makes you feel like you are actually appreciated for what you do, even if someone else doesn’t. There will always be people who will stand behind you and be that push you need sometimes, there are people who will always have faith in you even when you’re at your lowest. We just need to believe it, and more importantly, believe in ourselves.

To others it might be just a stuffed toy, but it’s really the thought and the effort that counts. I guess working doubly hard through the festive period to meet all those orders paid off after all. Which reminds me of another bunch of customers, but I’ll save that for later. I’m just thankful to have such warm customers to work with.

LOVE YOU ALL! And for that I promise even more awesome stuff in 2013! :)

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The harshness that is the reality of life. Admit it, we’ve all felt hopeless at some point. If you noticed, Snowy’s heavy paws actually do a pretty good job keeping the page down! Who said stuffed toys are only for kids, huh?

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And of course, Fifi. Resident cutie pie and my “in-house model”, occasionally. What a face, I still wish toys could come alive. Oh, imagine all the fun we’d have! Imaginary friends, they never leave.

2013 has been pretty good so far I reckon, apart from stabbing my finger yesterday and burning myself two days ago, everything else is looking rather peachy. I’ll be doing another post soon about how to get the most out of your shopping, DIY style. Now let me go hunt down some new shoes to match all my new threads! Later! xx