SILK CLOUD

SILK CLOUD Juliet V Silks

publication ~

For centuries, the Provencal region of France, has cultivated aromatic lavender fields over stony hillsides. Image Juliet V. 1997

1st Edition Celestial Mapmakers | Provence Colour Story | Enlightenment Energy

‘Joy cometh in the morning’ Psalm 30:5

Letter from Juliet

With agility and curiosity, I see people learning to leap from one stone to another in this epic unfolding of the globe’s enlightenment. I believe this is a strong invitation for us all to focus on the essentials that matter most ~ relationships, enjoyable simplicity, the kind luxuries of life. To discover more of the lingering quality infused in interesting flavours, the touch of beauty, the breath of joy, the laughter of loved ones, the glory of the sky, the movement of wisdom from heartbeat to thought to blossom. Record the treasured spaces between lyrical lines of music, poetry, textiles, artwork and cooking. Turn towards the righteous desires of your soul and lean into the receptive arms of heaven. The LORD is with you.

You are always seen, known, appreciated and beloved. I generously acknowledge all of you who give, serve, uplift and work ~ those who may never be flung across the pages of any media or interviewed by anyone. Your strength and magnanimity is felt and weaves an unseen tapestry that holds the world together. You are the silken filaments of our beautiful story. Thank you for showing up with all of who you are during the glorious years of your life here.

I felt inspired to start editions highlighting geographical colour stories, Silk qualities from ancient to modern, Christian virtues, movement & gesture ideas, Supper salon menus and interviews about creative transformation.

May SILK CLOUD come as a joyful guest to your desk and home and fly forward to your golden circle of loved ones.

xoxoxoxoxo Lady Juliet V

Geographical colour story ~ Provence

My virgin travel to Europe in the summer of 1997 came on the wings of a life full of dreams. I’d spent years burning film the old fashioned way in learning the way light, lens and layers of Fuji and Kodak created interesting textural colour compositions. This first foray to France was in the company of a Maine Photographic Workshop luxuriating in St. Remy de Provence and nearby areas then along the Mediterranean coast to Italy.

My first whiff of the sunlit sea coast with its symphony of blues from lapis lazuli to jade to sapphire to robin’s egg blue is unforgettable.

Provence is home to an ancient landscape of the mistral, olives, lavender and stalwart villages flung over verdant, weathered hillsides. My youthful anticipation came mostly from books and movies like ‘Sabrina’ with Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford and the hilarious Peter Mayle stories of remodeling his country home.

Reading became my first travel style, absorbing experiences via descriptions of velvety soups, mountain herbs, architectural styles and historical influences. Now far from home and family, my senses immersed in Provence, I walked listening and looking at the nuances of evening light in long rows of lavender, this is where the richly hued blue violet appears in our colour palette. You can almost feel the singing hum of the bee’s in the fragrant well-ordered fields roaming over the rocky terrain. The lavender loves its roots moist not soaked, hence the light coloured rocks strewn along the pathways. In some wild and unseen way since then I know this colour is the one my soul looks like to heaven. It runs in the energy of my body with every breath and tastes like joy in my heart.

Whenever I see this elegant, sophisticated French blue grey in silks and artwork, it’s instant surreal attraction.

Limestone houses, plane trees and wrought iron balconies resonate in an ethereal mix of tarragon and peaches. Wild mint and honeysuckle flow over the terraces of boutiques full of beeswax candles and Figuier de Bastide scented room sprays. While outdoors for lunch, the long wooden tables were graced with beautiful printed linen tablecloths. In the very structure of the buildings, the faded patina glow of the villages gives us our next colour.

Creamy stone

heralds the quarry, artisanal masonry and centuries of useful lifestyle. Cool to warm, rough to

smooth, hewn to polished, cathedrals to cobble stones worn from mankind’s working movements. The plaster walls washed with with pale grey open like atmospheres of cloud and sky paintings.

Provence is in the French Southeast region bordered by the Alps to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Anciently the Ligures, Celtics and Greeks took turns imprinting their culture on the landscape and details of life, becoming part of the region’s rich history for millennia.

The Celto Ligures used the French Rhone River to trade iron, silver, alabaster, marble, gold, resin, wax, honey and cheese. The spectacular golden light of the Provence-Alps-Cote d’Azur stretches over many beautiful towns ~ Sault and Valensole with lavender hills, Carpentras, Monieux, Forcalquier and the top of Mont Ventoux overlooking the Nesque Valley.

This is the gold translucent quality of light permeating robust textured hay fields and copper pans full of orange marmalade cooking in the lengthy heat, soft vintage linens folded in cupboards and lovely tall billowing curtains.

Valensolais, people living in Valensole, the Valley of the Sun, heralds an insignia of cerulean blue decorative V with a gold sunstar and capitol letter within.

My soul’s longing for a taste of the fragrant melons and inky paintings known only from afar became surfeited only by acknowledging and immersing myself in travel, colours and silks of all kinds.

One dawn morning following the scent of the bakery through the grey misted town, I viewed the flaky buttery croissants piped full of decadent warm chocolate being taken from the oven. These battle ship sized pastries with fragrant chocolate oozing from every mouthful is the barometer by which I gauge every pain au chocolat since and none has ever matched those for epic generosity.

In St. Remy de Provence where we began our workshop, a day was spent photographing the chocolatier of JoÍl Durand, a master craftsman with an artisanal boutique. Its cool wooden interior with marble slabs showcased all the tastes he infused into different shapes and dessert offerings. Ever since, I’ve had a penchant for elegant chocolate emporiums.

Violet brown

of the chocolate and the chalky brown soil and the shadows of the evening and the

meaty broth of myriad dishes. One melt in your tastebuds memory is the Sisteron lamb. Tender, succulent braised in olive oil and herbs, mixtures known and refined for centuries in this cuisine du soleil.

Exploring antique markets for interesting images and returning with gifts of nougat and tapenade for home, especially carefully wrapped parcels of calissons, cookies of crushed almonds and candied melons. My favorite al fresco breakfast still beckons ~ omelette aux truffes ~ the woodland flavour piqued with a side of mustard aioli vegetables.

A grace of our summer days, the ever present pale blue sky overhead. This colour appears in pale blue silken blouses, fine linen skirts, the calm pale blue of living rooms, silk sheets, watercolour paintings and books.

I adore the French language with its intoxicating romance and the flourishing script of textiles and vellum folios.

www.Alexandre-Turpault.com French linens of clean textural minimalism

Silk lesson ~ antique Lyon, France silk designs, looms & blossoms

Walking through the Museé des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs is like voyaging amid ancient rooms of tapestry, textiles, fragments of touchable history where inspiration is gleaned for modern designs. One of my favorite books when my children were growing up was based in Lyons about a silk maker and the introduction of the Jacquard loom. An invention of blessed height to the weavers, and with its punched cards organizing design elements inspired early computers. Its interchangeable cards fed numbers and instructions into the loom, like binary code does for computing’s automated process. Indeed mathematician Ada Lovelace said, ‘The Analytical Engine weaves algebraic patterns, just as the Jacquard loom weaves flowers and leaves.’ (1843) In the 15th century, silk weavers established guilds in Nimes, Tours and near Paris and the royal court. Situated on the Saone River, the Croix-Rousse district of Lyon began developing its textile strength. In the surrounding region, white mulberry orchards called the Tree of Gold were planted, since it nourished the apparent wealth of the bombyx mori moth. The pale cocoons held its transformation in a gossamer, nearly unbreakable, glowing fiber.

Earlier the Romans thought silk grew on trees in mysterious Seres, ‘land of the silk people.’ Once Constantinople of the Byzantine Empire wove vibrantly fine silks reserved for the ruling elite. Later imperial workshops of the Ottomans made remarkably complex patterns in blossoms like stylized tulips and ceremonial robes for the nobility. In every culture and age, silk attained the legend of luxury.

Gainsborough Weaving blue blossom ~ Jacquard archive

Patterned silk velvet became the most expensive and prestigious of all woven textiles. Talents for spinning, colouring with botanical sources and printing of special paper for textile design drawings were all present in Lyon. With entrepreneurial ingenuity, most of the population became involved in making silks which required three things: artisan skill, looms, and raw material.

Lyon’s silk weaving legacy began in 1466, when Louis XI granted a charter to the city with its proximity to the Mediterranean. Establishing its geographical trading relationships with renowned Italian silk-trading centres of Lucca, Genoa, Venice, Florence and Valencia, Lyon could now flourish to greater heights.

Ancient pegasus copper leaf silkscreen motif on pure silk velvet

link to fabulous essay ~

‘the

extravagantly lovely silks of Lyon’

By the 17th century, Lyon overtook Valencia as the European capital of silk. The intense 10,000 loom filled city encouraged talented silk workers who inspired new French fashions which emphasized landscapes and showed greater intricacy than ever before. Many of my decorative motifs come from ancestral French lines and travels soaking up the rich palette of lyrical elements.

Through the years of turbulent history the silk industry had its ups and downs to secure commissions and healthier working conditions. Silk today still flourishes since many silk makers do restoration of historic fabrics or design for haute-couture creators like Chanel and Hermes who both hold court in Lyon for its stellar archive of famed weavers. To find lovely examples of silks, visit L’Atelier de Soierie, in the Croix-Rousse.

Lyon’s reputation shines as a destination for designers seeking beautifully made silks.

Interviews with Creatives ~ Allison ~ enlightenment energy I first spoke with Allison in March of 2016 and she instantly became my closest, most intimate soul confidant. She has extraordinary gifts of being able to see you with clarity and celestial understanding. Whenever situations trouble my mind, I can always ask her and she shines light with keen honesty.

1st tell us about yourself, your interests and enjoyments, learning experiences I am a full time energy medicine practitioner, specializing in trauma, chronic illness, and transformation. I enjoy learning new things, and do so as much as I can. :-) I also enjoy spending time with my family, backpacking with my husband, and spending time outside as much as possible. Along with reading and playing outside, I have been a musician for almost as long as these other things. I am a classically trained pianist and singer. I taught piano and voice for many years. My formal education is a degree in microbiology and chemistry from Brigham Young University, and certifications in Eden Energy Medicine and The Body Code. I'm currently working on my yoga teacher certification :-) How did you come to do energy work?

Ever since I was little, I had a strong intuition. I didn't know what that was at the time, nor how to use it, but as I grew, I would often just know things about people and situations that I had no explanation of how I knew them, or I would see patterns in the energy around me. No one in my family could explain this, and it was often dismissed. So I kept it to myself. As I went through college, got married, had kids and all of the craziness of life that comes with that, this 'knowing' ability stayed with me. I began helping family and friends here and there, but I never thought about the possibility that it could be my work in the world until I went through a painful divorce in 2010. I began re-evaluating my life and assessing my options - from going back to school, to continuing to teach music, to doing something else entirely. As I weighed these options, a voice kept coming through it all to 'use my gifts'. Help others. This wasn't the answer I wanted - this was far out of my comfort zone, and was scary to me :-). I didn't know how to start. Pieces started falling into place as I was directed to learn about 'energy medicine' - as a framework to understand my own intuition and things that I knew and saw. I was directed to specific learning, certifications and programs that would best help me develop my intuition. Even my education in college became useful as I further learned the anatomy and chemistry of the body as well as the spirit, or energy system. As I started working with many people, my skills and confidence grew and I began to trust that this was my work in the world. It has been a joy working with and learning from so many wonderful people.

What do you find most satisfying with your gifts?

Connection with the divine, and service to others. Whether one believes in God, or a higher power, or even an interconnectedness with all that is, it is all bigger than us. Knowing that I am a part of something bigger than me, whose foundation is love, makes all the difference. When I can connect into someone else's energy and see what is blocking progress, physically or spiritually, as well as what that person's gifts and talents are, and their personality and true self, it never ceases to amaze me. It feels like a miracle every time.

Share your thoughts on creative transformation Everyone is creative, whether they believe they are or not. Someone who comes up with an innovative engineering design, as well as the visual artist, or a mom solving a problem with her child, or a person growing plants and flowers, to an executive who must organize people and systems a certain way all display creativity. It is up to us to recognize where creativity resides in us - it is the spark of God in all of us. As we access this universal human trait, we set a template to become, to grow, to change in a myriad number of ways - as many ways as there are people. As we are all part of different communities, our contributions affect and can lift others as well as ourselves, contributing to the advancement of everyone.

We’d love to hear your ideas and encouragement on trusting intuition and clearing energy Trust is always a choice. When I have that fleeting thought that speaks instantly to my soul, I have a choice. I can give energy to that thought, and see where it goes - even if I don't know or am uncertain. Or - I can allow fears and doubts to squash that thought. Intuitive thoughts have a different quality to them - they come with an energy of certainty, peace and Truth (with a capital T) - sometimes only for a moment - for a moment is all we get before our conscious fears start to push in and change the thought. Maybe you have received and intuition to go back to school, or try something new, or to take a chance - and for an instance, your soul resonates with this Truth and then all the 'what ifs' start to come in, and worst case scenario imaginings, and fears of failure or of what others will think or doubt in your own ability. It is only practice in the choice to trust these intuitive thoughts that we make them stronger, and the doubts and fears weaker.

Intention is very powerful. Anyone can, with intention and connection to the divine or interconnectedness of all that is, clear energy - whether it is a blocked meridian, a limiting belief (a belief that our subconscious thinks is true, but it is not), a slow chakra, a negative emotional pattern, or a struggling organ or body system. It takes stillness of mind to listen to what your body and/or your energy is telling you. It takes emotional honesty and personal responsibility to recognize that all of your energy is yours - your emotions, your triggers, your fears are all yours - and do not belong to anyone else to fix. This realization allows power to have different perceptions about our situation, to have correct intentions, and this will always result in healing.

How do you see clarity and agency empowering lives?

Clarity of perception, of thinking, of intention is what powers your choices, and your interpretation of your experience.

Everyone has difficult experiences in their lives. Take any one of them, and whether one is able to see this experience through the lens of gratitude and hope, while still acknowledging the difficulty, the reality, and the discomfort of the experience is going to be much different than that same experience seen through the lens of despair, entitlement, and fear. We always choose our responses. Our experiences, nor other people, dictate our responses. We can practice the lens we want, and make it a lens we choose. This in no way invalidates difficult experiences nor is a 'pollyanna' way of looking at the world - it is acknowledging that happiness doesn't come from circumstances, it is a state of mind and a lens with which we look through the world, while still acknowledging the reality of the discomfort of the world.

To sum up, what character traits do you most value?

I value honesty, willingness to see what is true, and a kind heart :-). These things will never steer you wrong :-) How can our readers get in touch with you?

Through my website - https://allison-hauley.squarespace.com/

Movement & dance gesture ~ Magnolia floral expression One wonderful way to orient your life to the music of eternity is dancing to express your favorite blossom. Tracing your arms into sky patterns of the soft petals. A form of meditation and energy uplifting the heart and opening the mind to a new flow of thought. In one of my sweetest dreams, I’m walking into a line of magnolia trees all full of glorious golden lit blossoms and the intense joy I felt made me fall to my knees looking up into this heavenly beauty.

Practice your own kind of flower dance, imagining your body as a branch rising from the ground or up from a tree and creating with your movements the barest shimmer of a flower bud opening to enjoy its full glory then wilting lovingly into the earth, replete, happily finished with its day in the sun.

Share the benefit of your dance practice & ideas for upcoming editions ~ emmasilkwedding@gmail.com

Vendome Press

Family Home Ideas ~ Christian virtue Purity Our minds and souls can become spiritually illuminated. Our misty understanding given clarity by the Spirit of God so that we can see and touch the things of God. Ephesians 1:18, 2 Cor 4:6, 3:18, Col 3:10, 2 Peter 1:4, Rom 12:2 ‘Touchstone’ by Elder Howard W. Hunter. Where do the streams of our thoughts flow? What fills and colours our minds shapes character and hence destiny. Choices to absorb wisdom and knowledge through music, scripture, beauty, nature, and memory nourish our lives with peace, contentment, enjoyment and comfort. Matthew 5:8, 1 John 3:2,3 Alfred Lord Tennyson has Sir Galahad saying, ‘My strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure.’

In our ancestry and inspiration from heaven, we believe in the eternal beauty of our familial relationships, such as celestial marriage, which when sealed by the power of God and our faith to covenants, can secure the incandescent joy of forever. This is the purpose of a chaste lifestyle ~ the power of purity is intelligent, wholesome, elevating.

Our temples built around the world invite the souls of mankind to contemplate eternity amidst the brevity of mortal distortion. This life isn’t the dream, it’s a test of character wherein we learn to choose light not darkness ~ our treasure is above.

Psalm 19:8

ThirdHour.org

Supper Salon

featured menu ~

Once infused with the taste of French dishes, I traveled for work quite frequently for both inspiration and relief. Often to be away from husbands who I never seemed to get along with very well. My children know that mom’s modus operandi to trouble is to catch a flight overseas. From historical and biographical novels surrounding the characters enlivening the top literary salons of Paris, the idea came to form our family version of a Supper Salon. Talk about a super charged master mind in the atmosphere of your own home! Refresh your style.

White figs/honey/pecorino One afternoon in the delightful French countryside, we gather figs fresh from an epic tree just over a stone wall. The plump fruit sings with a touch of honey, paired with an abundant cheese plate. Magnifico ~ A favorite cookbook author, Mimi Thorisson, is a lady I absolutely adore for her authentic passion for flavour and family lifestyle. Her most recent offering is ‘Old World Italian ~ Recipes and Secrets from our Travels in Italy.’

Baked salted fish On an unforgettable world travel school with my daughter and three grand-children in Costa Rica, we enjoyed coastal adventures family style. Near the place we stayed, an open air eatery served the dishes of the garden and sea. I ordered the baked salted red snapper served with rice and a pungent sauce. Here’s a Thomas Keller recipe.

My chosen Blueberry tart Thanksgiving in Centennial CO at my daughter’s home searching for recipes to wow my family, I happily find Julia’s Album Blueberry Tart. This one’s a gem both in cooking and sharing the ooh la la taste of the layering of blueberry and lemon in a fragrant crust. Even my son who prefers raspberries responded with enthusiasm.

Our intimately edited Silk Dove Wedding Directory ~ Venues

Chateau de Villette

Image by Audrey Paris

Syon Park

Image by The Rollinson London

Chateau Vaux le Vicomte

Image by NoĂŠmie Watel

Cakes Zoe Clark

Jasmine Rae

Fleur de lys Atelier

Gowns

Paperie Emily Riggs

beautiful letters

Luxury Event Planner Federica Beni Cinematographer ~ Matteo Castelluccia

honeymoon film

Resource favs ~ The Lane marble film

MET

Selvedge

Opificio delle Pietre Dure

Casa dei Tessuti

Historic Decorative Materials

Ralph Lauren Spring film

Frette

Brunello Cucinelli Museo del Tessuto ~ Prato Musée des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs

Interested in learning more about style & transformation? Here’s a peak into our boutique & publications ~ Heroic Silk Soul Session

Sunstar

&

Gaze

Atelier ~ Silk Sea coast