Colleen's Tips

In this time of globalization, it is possible to find souvenirs made locally. It does offer some comfort knowing that some things are still made in France or for that matter in Paris. The items are all around us.

While at the department store, BHV, looking for a sign I came across key chains with Paris street names.

Playing cards about Paris and France? Decorative? Unusual? Yes, yes and yes.

Where can one find them? BHV, the department store across the street from l'Hôtel de Ville on rue de Rivoli. Made where? in France.

In addition to finding places on my own, the world's best form of advertising is word of mouth.

One of the colleensparis.com readers told me about l'Artisanat Monastique. She saw this recommended in Jeanne Feldman's shopping guide. The products are made at one of the 250 monasteries in France.

This same reader told me about another shop, la Tuile à Loup where you can find "arts de la table" made in France. When I went to visit la Tuile à Loup, I experienced the popularity of this shop.

While flying across the Atlantic, a passenger said that I had to visit a special shop for clothes, Misia, over by le Bon Marché on rue du Bac.

What follows is a collection of small shops, individuals with a message or the unusual of items that are still made in Paris or made in France.

Mosaics is an active art form in Paris. Some artists have been featured in Maison Française, others are featured on Colleen's Paris! For a look at mosaic art made in Paris, visit Dominique's website.

Made in Paris

Misia Rêve

Often when passing by small shops, you might see a patron browsing; not at Misia. People come in and walk out with one of her brilliantly animated and colored shopping bags or shirts or accessories..

Her thoughts of Misia's fantasies are inscribed on her shirts and accessories and the inspiration usually comes while she is out jogging. Meet the real Amélie Poulain.

One of her characters is Huguette who Misia's cousin. In reality she is Claudine's aunt. Her nephew is another character that comes to life; but mostly all of the figures are cousins and friends of Misia's.

Claudine has had her boutique for the last two years at this location. She has been creating these inspired serigraphs for the last ten years.

She paints her inspired family portraits in her studio on canvas. William cuts the fabrics and a local studio does the sewing.

The sleeves might be one fabric, perhaps transparent with flowers, the solid color front has a story to tell and the back might be completely different, with a pattern of flowers, or plain, or match the sleeves. But everything is carefully coordinated.

A finished product generally takes two weeks.

The long-sleeved shirts are one size (about 25 euros), soft to the touch, and comfortable to wear. The short-sleeve tee shirts come in various sizes.

Claudine's shirts, blouses, and accessories are sold in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Spain, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand. When she asked a distributor in Spain about putting her sayings in Spanish, the response was absolutely not, they had to remain in French.

Claudine's Misia Rêve reputation finds the rest of the world who then find her fun shop by word of mouth.

Even shoppers offer practical fantasies. One shopper picked up the key holder (20 euros) and decided it would be the perfect gift as a portable telephone case. 

Examples of Misia's expressions in French (I have translated some in with the photos):

"Berthe et Simone -- Elles aimaient les radis et les bonbons à la menthe" (Berthe and Simone -- They love radishes and mint candies)

"Amoureuse d'un cosmonaute Ouzbek" (In love with an Ouzbek astronaut)

"Misia est prête à tout" (Misia is ready for anything)

"Amandine lit l'avenir dans la crème patissière" (Amandine reads the future in a cream puff)

My tee shirt reads: Amélie & Roseline -- Rêvent d'un autre monde òu les tartines naissent déjà beurrées.... (Amélie and Roseline -- They dream of another world where bread slices are born already buttered....
 

Misia Rêve

87, rue de Bac, Paris  75007

Metro: Sèvres Babylone (closest to le Bon Marché)

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Telephone: 01 42 84 20 52

Claudine Couppé (Conceptor/Designer)

Telephone: 06 10 63 63 29

info@misia.net

Claudine Couppé (designer and creator of Misia Rêve

"Misia's family is a lovely bouquet of flowers"

"After her triumph on Broadway, to her standing ovation in Berlin, to a sold-out house in St. Plouec-les-Bains, Misia will present 50 shows at the Eglantines Theatre of Raoul Buffet's comedy: "Make me laugh, Emile" -- Misia Paris"

My name is Bond

Ginette Bond (passport holder)

Made in Paris - chocolate

Jadis et Gourmande

While walking past their window, we had to back up because it was the first time that I had seen a box of chocolates say "Paris" and beckon me within.

When not preparing for the holidays, Easter and Christmas, you will probably find cute little gifts to take back home or give as gifts while staying in Paris.

Their pencil box or reed containers, bottles or large crayons can be filled with balls of chocolate candy . Or you can find them already made up.

The Jadis et Gourmande print shop is located behind the desk and the staff speak English. If you would like something spelled out in English, beware! The "w" and "y" letters are more rare since they are are not as widely used as in French.

The letters are composed of Gianduja Ivoire (Ivory Coast) chocolate (72%), grilled and crushed hazelnuts and praline (a mix of hazelnuts and almonds, caramelized sugar and chocolate).

During the Easter holidays, the worded souvenirs are largely displaced by the bells, chickens and eggs -- no bunnies. If you wish to have a souvenir during this period, make a "command" (place an order)  which allows them to prepare it for you within 24 hours.

It is a fun and busy shop -- be sure to "die and go to heaven" with the ganache nature (chocolate covered chocolate).

Jadis et Gourmande

39 rue des Archives, 75004 Paris

Metro: Hôtel de Ville

Open: Monday 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday to Friday: 10 a.m. to to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday: 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and soon Sunday: 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Telephone: 01 48 04 08 03

Additional Jadis et Gourmande are located at:

88 boulevard Port-Royal 75005 Paris

49 bis avenue Franklin Roosevelt 75008

27 rue Boissy d'Anglas 75008

Eiffel Tower

"The printing press"

Made in Paris

Paris style key chains and signs

I decided at the last moment to add these little tidbits of information -- hand made key chains made in the Saint-Ouen area in the suburbs of Paris and playing cards made in Lorraine and Bordeaux.

The key chain company, Codifa Diffusion, also makes house signs, enamel street signs and house numbers.

If you a have a special memory, where you stayed while in Paris, you can order a Paris style street sign or other sign in the Paris style from their website; prices include freight and priority registered airmail. If the 16"x10" size is too large, they have the more manageable size of 6"x4" which you can also find at BHV.

The key chains are in the BHV basement in the shoe repair and signs department.

BHV Rivoli

14 rue du Temple 75004 Paris

Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Telephone: 01 42 74 90 00

Coda Diffusion

Enamel signs factory

14 bis rue du Maréchal Leclerc

93400 Saint-Ouen France

(0033) 1 40 10 82 73

codifa.diffusion@wanadoo.fr

Go downstairs to the basement of BHV and look over by the shoe repair section.

Made in Paris in front of your eyes

à la Petite Fabrique

This is the chocolate shop where I always pick up my thank or thinking of you tablets of chocolate. Although their wares might not literally say "Paris",  just knowing that anyone can watch them making the goodies behind the glass makes it a Paris specialty.

Over forty years ago, in the early 1960s, when à la Petite Fabrique was located on rue Daval, a block away, the chocolate factory was simply known as that. It had no formal name. The residents of the neighborhood or quartier always referred to it as "à la Petite Fabrique" to buy their chocolate.

Jean-Claude and Bruno apprenticed under the previous owners and now along with David are creating and continuing to prepare the classics. When you are giving a gift, ask Vivian to wrap it or them as a gift.

My souvenir presents and thank you gifts are usually their famous "orangettes" in a small plastic bag, noir/noisette (72% dark chocolate and whole roasted hazelnuts), noir éclats (72%) or orange fondant (51%) -- actually all of their dark chocolate tablets are mouth wateringly good to give.

à la Petite Fabrique

12, rue Saint-Sabin 75011 Paris

Metro: Bastille or Bréquet-Sabin

Telephone: 01 48 05 82 02

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

La Tuile à Loup

When I walked into La Tuile à Loup, I didn't know if it was an antique store, a pottery shop or someone's home -- yes, it was very homey in a cluttered sort of way. It matched the warm reception I received from Marie-France and Michel Joblin and Maguy.

The colorful shop is full of curiosities and useful hand-crafted products from all over France. Tourists and locals both come here searching for something that Marie-France and Michel have personally chosen for their shop.

One couple from the States had come back to buy a tablecloth to fit in with the decor of other items that they had purchased at La Tuile à Loup in the past.

You will find  a specialized library --  and hand made French traditional objects: made from the wood of Savoie and Normandy, pottery from Dauphiné, wool products, etc.

Their baskets are not just baskets but have names. So if you are looking for something to carry your groceries or decorate your table, ask for: corbeille, nichoir, bouquet de moisson, etc. Find more on La Tuile à Loup's website. www.latuilealoup.com -

Marie-France and Michel will ship any of their lovely selection of tablecloths and napkins and placemats, terrines, cookware, pottery, paintings anywhere in the world.

La Tuile à Loup

35, rue Daubenton 75005 Paris

Metro: Censier-Daubenton

Telephone: 01 47 07 28 90

Hours: Monday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

www.latuilealoup.com

Made in France

Artisanat Monastique

The Artisanat Monastique store located on Denfert-Rochereau is one of eight located in France.

Within the walls of the Hôpital Saint-Vincent de Paul you enter into a cave of confection -- a mini department store manned by volunteers.

At Artisanat Monastique you can find hand-made products in eight or more rooms religious art, liturgical vestments, lingerie, children's clothes, perfumes, leather purses and wallets, old fashioned "linge" (table cloths, doilies, etc.), table accessories, honey, wines and liquors, charcuterie (meats) and dietary products; house cleaning products and pottery; cider cakes chartreuse, hand painted greeting cards, soft shawls, aromatherapies, face creams and soaps, etc.

One of the products  L'Eau d'Emeraude is a natural, organic lotion (from plants) with beneficial properties that purify and calm.

The hand crafted products at Artisanat Monastique come from over 250 French monasteries. Following certain guidelines, some of them may rightly claim the title "Monastic."

Communities of monks created the Monastic association in 1989 to coordinate the commercialization of and guarantee the origin of their products.

The other Artisanat Monastique are located in Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes and Toulouse.

They do not sell on line or by correspondence, but suggest that you visit their website for a good idea of their products when you pay them a visit.

Artisanat Monastique

68 bis, av. Denfert-Rochereau 75014 Paris

Hours: Monday to Friday noon to 6:30 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Telephone: 01 43 35 15 76

Metro: Denfert-Rochereau - RER: Port Royal

Bus: 38, 68, 83, 88, 91

Photos: www.artisanat-monastique.com ;Tous droits réservés ." 

Made in France

Playing cards

The playing cards of France Cartes are made in France. In any case, they are very colorful and fun to look at. Some of the themes are Versailles, Vieux metiers of France, Les cris de Paris (the chants of Paris by the flower ladies, tile men, window repairers, water carriers, etc.), Jeu Louis XV, Napoléon, monarchs of Paris, etc.

BHV carries a large selection of tarot ,bridge and playing cards on the same floor as stationery, DVDs and books.

If you are like me, I want a variety of images on the face cards, something out of the ordinary. If you want a story, buy the "Les cris de Paris". These reflect a time only now fading away.

"Les cris de Paris was a card game, popular between 1830 and 1840. One is the "vitrier". The "vitrier" is being faded out by double-glazed windows. When he walked along our street, he carried the glass on his back shouting his melody announcing his presence.

A Little History - Parisian

The first workshop to produce playing cares was set up in 1750. Baptiste Paul Grimaud set up the first factory to manufacture playing cards in 1848.  

The reversible portrait (showing two heads) was one of the innovations by Grimaud, others were the round corners in 1865, golden corners and opaque cards in 1885.

France Cartes produces over 30 million packs of cards per year.

A Little History - Worldwide

What are the origins of card playing? Their French website page suggests China in the 12th century as a diversion for the concubines of the emperor Houeï Tsong; or India the wife of a maharajah invented the first games to keep his mind of his many manias; or Persia where there is a similarity between a game of chess and a card game using dice. Their fourth suggestion is Egypt.

What is known is that playing cards were introduced to Europe by explorers and merchants of the 13th and 14th centuries. Their first appearance was in Venice, because Venice was the world center of commerce and industry.

BHV Rivoli

14 rue du Temple 75004 Paris

Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Telephone: 01 42 74 90 00

France Cartes

49, rue Alexandre 1er

B.P. 49

54130 Saint Max

contact@france-cartes.fr or laboutique@france-cartes.fr

"Les Cris de Paris"

Jules Verne collection