Agent Violet

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Fashionable Friday : Vintage Violet and the Happiness Weed

21.7.16

Paris fashion illustration: Violet and Vintage Dior with Fluffballs © Shell-Sherree

{Fashion illustration: Violet and Vintage Dior in Paris © Shell-Sherree}

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. A purple weed foraged amongst foliage on my studio desk would not. Most unfortunate.

Regardless of its rejection from the perfumer's arsenal, it is cheerful, humble and really rather lovely. I'm sure the vase is at least half full. And our thought for the day, even more so. Always choose happiness.

Today's illustration rewinds us with a nod to vintage Dior and has me wondering where Agent Violet has got to. So come, let us scoop up our skirts, sip medicinal brandy from our gold monogrammed hip flasks and ...oh. Perhaps therein lies the problem. And on that note ...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you !

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Fashionable Friday : Agent Violet and the Powder Compact

12.2.16

{Fashion and Fluffballs illustration: Agent Violet and the Powder Compact © Shell-Sherree}

Agent Violet smoothed the skirts of her Dior and swirled her glass of Taittinger. The abandon of fine bubbles dancing in her champagne flute was a refreshing distraction from the potential gravity of her situation. She took another sip.

Having drawn a blank on The Gondolier's whereabouts, she was without a safe house in Venice. It was imperative that she find her way to Paris post-haste. Her passage on the Simplon-Orient-Express passed uneventfully aside from the somewhat delicate Chicken Incident between her feline and a nonna whose lack of humour was more than matched by her deft skills with an umbrella. Once fur and feathers were smoothed, Violet secured The Nonna's contact information. She would make a formidable ally to have on her side.

Her canine amused himself by changing breeds at every station. Her feline sharpened her claws. They were in unfamiliar territory in which a compass would be of little guidance even if they had one, but all was not lost. She still had The Harlequin Hat Box. Violet gathered her companions and they proceeded to stroll. She recalled the pretty gold compact The Antiquarian Book Seller had pressed into her hand with a knowing glance on her mention of The Gondolier. She removed it from her purse and decided to powder her nose.

What secrets had the shimmery light of Venice withheld? Would her apartment be occupied when she returned? Could she replicate the circumstances of her departure to cause an undoing of what had transpired? Let us graze on dark chocolate-shelled cherries and ponder from afar. And on that note ...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you !

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Fashionable Friday : Agent Violet and the Venetian Mirror

29.1.16

{Fashion and Fluffballs illustration: Pink & Gold Puppy Tales © Shell-Sherree}

Agent Violet checked the view and re-checked it twice. That made it a total of thrice ~ and it still looked the same. Venice.

It had been a breathtaking 24 hours since she opened the door to her apartment after Sir Percy's soirée and one of the secrets enclosed within the Harlequin Hat Box had revealed itself to her. 24 hours or more. Or less. It was dawning on her that perhaps it was irrelevant. Time as she knew it might never be the same again.

Venice. Mystery and romance shimmered in its incandescent light and her mind drifted back to the last time she had been there. Carnevale. Secrets exchanged with knowing glances. The heady fragrance of tobacco-fumed jasmine and nobility. Her canine looked at her enquiringly and her feline toyed with her ruffled silk skirt. She looked at the calling card still in her hand. Percy. Where are you now?

Did Violet's cape make the journey? Were her canine's favourite chew toys available here? And would The Gondolier recognise her or have they not even met yet? Let us gaze at the bubbles in our prosecco and wonder what they know that we do not. And on that note ...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you !

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Fashionable Friday : Agent Violet and the Tousled Tryst

8.11.15

{Fashion and fluffballs illustration : Tousled and Tempting © Shell-Sherree}

Agent Violet had her answer with regards to both Harlequin Hat Box and Sir Percy's response to her wardrobe choice for his soirée. And now, a hasty exit from his private wing was in order.

A visit from One Who Knows More was imminent. She needed to prepare and there was no time to waste. While she and Sir Percy conferred, her canine eavesdropped on glittering not-so-small talk from the camouflage of impeccably framed artworks. She hoped he had gleaned something useful and they needed to debrief.

As Violet turned the key in the lock of her apartment, she heard a humming sound and paused. Her feline's fur stood on end and her canine was alert. Confirmation enough. It was not the after-effects of Sir Percy's particularly fine Dom Perignon thrumming in her ears. It was something ominous, she was sure.

Would Violet have time to fix her hair? Was Sir Percy's calling card sufficient leverage with the One Who Knows More? Could her canine's Italian greyhound guise be useful if the meeting grew bleak? Let us hold our breath and ready the smelling-salts while we consider. And on that note ...

Happy Fashionable{-y late} Friday to you !

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Fashionable Friday : Agent Violet and the Curlicued Staircase

17.10.15

{Fashion and fluffballs illustration : Violet Ruffles at the Curlicued Staircase © Shell-Sherree}

Sir Percy's soirées were always scintillating, yet never without motive. In this instance, the timing for Agent Violet was extremely fortuitous.

After a stimulating game of table tennis during which her feline took no prisoners, her energy was reinvigorated and she narrowed her trains of thought to just three. As her assignation with The Groomer revealed no material contents within The Harlequin Hat Box and its lining, she weighed up the possibilities.

Could The Groomer have deftly sequestered a clue with his masterful slight of hand, acquired through a childhood apprenticeship with The Magician? Her eyes were sharp, but trust may have dulled them. More likely, however, The Harlequin Hat Box was carrying a cryptic clue rather than purveying a physical one. Crosswords taxed her patience so part of her hoped this was not the case. But the tedium of a puzzle would be preferable to the option tingling a chill up her spine in spite of her gossamer wrap. Could it be that the mere act of possessing it would attract contact in due course from One Who Knows More? History told her such a situation never came without peril. Sir Percy knew this full well and she sensed he was withholding something.

Is it possible for her canine to eat the canapés without revealing one of his secrets? Will Sir Percy divulge how The Harlequin Hat Box came into his possession? And will her plunging décolletage help or hinder in loosening his lips? Let us mingle and exchange knowing-unknowing glances over our glasses of Dom Perignon and citrus-cured ocean trout tartlets. And on that note ...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you !

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Fashionable Friday : Agent Violet and the Unyielding Assignation

10.10.15

{Fashion and fluffballs illustration : Hedging One's Fashion Bets © Shell-Sherree}

Agent Violet paced. It helped her sift through the infinite possibilities constantly flitting across both sides of her brain and secure the pertinent ones akin to Harry Potter capturing the Golden Snitch. Sometimes it worked, sometimes they eluded her and she had to hang onto her broomstick ~ or in her case, her spontaneous wardrobe-change abilities.

The meeting with The Groomer had been uneventful, aside from a moment of silent mutual discomfiture when he discovered her Eclair Contact had used Vegemite in lieu of his favourite aniseed and bourbon paste. Their rivalry was bitter, akin to the Seville orange from whose tree they fell out ~ and had a falling out ~ late one heady night in Andalucia several seasons ago. It's a long story for another time.

On the plus side, her assignation with The Groomer was fairly swift and free of obvious peril. On the minus side, it yielded nothing. The Groomer scanned The Harlequin Hat Box with every device in his impressive arsenal and came up blank. When they opened it according to Sir Percy's missive, armed with trepidation and shielded by her Ninja silkworm cape, they were met with an empty box and feelings to match. Pacing wasn't cutting the mustard. She would have to take to the ping pong table instead.

Will Agent Violet's feline beat her at table tennis? Must her canine change from French Bulldog to English in order to fetch the ping pong balls? And what strange secret is held by The Harlequin Hat Box in a mysterious Place Not Yet Found. Let us wince delicately as we sip on Chinotto and speculate. And on that note ...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you !

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Fashionable Friday : Agent Violet and the Chameleonic Canine

25.9.15

Fashion and fluffballs illustration : Agent Violet and the Chameleonic Canine © Shell-Sherree

{Fashion and fluffballs illustration : Vintage Glam, Classic Poochy © Shell-Sherree}

As Agent Violet anticipated, her canine opted for a wardrobe change of his own before their appointment with The Groomer. He had detected a tail as they were making swift their departure from the pâtisserie and when the opportunity presented itself, they took appropriate precautions.

Quite aside from the need for evasion, there had been an unhappy marriage between the croquembouche toffee and her canine's poodle curls, rendering them riddled somewhat ironically and most uncomfortably with sugared violets ~ and no time to lose. A switch in time saves nine.

What other mysterious powers does her canine possess? Will The Groomer have a matching collar to complement her hat? And does the lining of her black velvet cape have sufficient fortification in the event of complications and a good stiff breeze? Let us sip rose petal tea and contemplate. And on that note ...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you!

Today's illustration inspiration: Audrey Hepburn and Mr Famous photographed by Cecil Beaton 1960

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Fashionable Friday : Agent Violet and the Enigmatic Eclair

18.9.15

{Fashion and fluffballs illustration : Agent Violet and the Enigmatic Eclair © Shell-Sherree}

The desire for an éclair proved an urgent one. Agent Violet glanced again at her watch, assessing the volume of foot traffic and estimated travel time to The Groomer. Sir Percy had been somewhat tiresome in his insistence on punctuality, given she preferred the element of surprise and had significant skills in adapting time to suit herself. Her canine shifted from one paw to another and her feline hefted a bored sigh. It was time to move.

She left the harlequin hat box in The Place Most Secure as it would impede her movements in the pâtisserie, and performed a deft wardrobe change. Her Eclair Contact was particularly helpless to her charms when she wore a certain shade of red and she needed him to facilitate a delivery of The Drycleaner's favourites. It was a temporary pacifier but for now, it would have to do.

Will the tranquilliser dart mechanisms in her stilettos survive the Paris cobblestones if she takes the route of most direct trajectory? Will her canine keep his fur in order until she meets up with The Groomer? And can her contact be trusted to package the éclairs without tampering, given his unfortunate history with The Drycleaner? Let us lose ourselves in the gentle swirling of our snifters of brandy and ponder. And on that note ...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you !

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Fashionable Friday : Agent Violet and the Harlequin Hat Box

12.9.15

Fashion and fluffballs illustration : Agent Violet and the Harlequin Hat Box © Shell-Sherree

Having safely negotiated a glass of pink champagne and wardrobe change, Agent Violet left her 600 gsm luxe monogrammed calling card by the bed and and exited the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris. The harlequin hat box was secured. It must be an extremely valuable asset to have warranted Sir Percy's sudden request for a clandestine meeting under her Scarlet Pimpernel alias, thereby causing undue pressure on her dry cleaner. For this, she would have to pay, and quite probably at a most inconvenient time.

The afternoon had turned grey and her travelling companions were growing tetchy. And to worsen the situation, the parachute mechanism of her parasol was overdue for its safety check. This would never do. Violet gave the harlequin hat box another glance. It was light and made no sound when she gently shook it. Empty? Filled with fairy floss? Damn. Now she needed a pastry.

Will Violet succumb to a classic chocolate éclair and risk being late for her assignation with the poodle groomer? What's so fascinating about the hem of her coat. And why did Sir Percy caution her to make the appointment with The Groomer before picking the gold hat box lock? Let us ruminate and have another glass of Chambord muddled with organic single-origin cacao nibs. And on that note ...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you !

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Paris Daydreams : Agent Violet or the Scarlet Pimpernel ?

8.9.15

Fashion and fluffballs illustration : The Scarlet Pimpernel in Paris © Shell-Sherree

Could it be? Is Agent Violet disguised as the Scarlet Pimpernel at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris? Or is it the Scarlet Pimpernel herself. Or are they one and the same?

While kitty provides a convenient accomplice to lull any onlookers with pearl-encrusted opera glasses into thinking our heroine is merely captivated by the lavish panorama laid out before her, danger is approaching with suave stealth. As she elicits throaty purrs from the fluffy rumble machine beside her, Violet is assessing wind speed and calculating how far her gossamer cape made by her Ninja silkworms can carry her.

Will she vanish over the balcony or use her wiles to sashay out through the lobby? Can the pink champagne just delivered by room service be trusted? Do macarons have calories if they are consumed on the run? Let us contemplate these questions and more. And on that note ...

Happy Paris Daydreams to you !

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Paris Daydreams : Agent Violet at Le Meurice

9.3.15

paris illustration, fashion illustration, shell sherree illustration, violet rendezvous

Today's Paris fashion illustration is inspired by this image from the Le Meurice hotel to mark Paris fashion week.

Show me a trench coat and I see a detective ~ or a secret agent. I inevitably google up kickboxing and martial arts classes when I'm home after a night wearing one. Then the espresso wears off and I do yoga instead. Maybe I can catch a potential adversary off guard with a sudden Lord of the Dance pose in the meantime.

Agent Violet, on the other hand, has mastered the art of disarming with a glance instead. I like her style. She has some openings for apprentices ~ do we have any takers? And on that note ...

Happy Paris daydreams to you !

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