Sweet Dreams (Willow & Sage)

Hello
One of the surprises in 2016 was being published in Stampington & Co’s Willow and Sage, a magazine devoted to homemade bath/beauty products.
Before I began stamping, I enjoyed blending my own aromatherapy essential oils and one day, I would really like to try making lip balms, soaps, etc but that time isn’t for now so imagine my delight when opportunity knocked on my door (actually, my laptop!) when I was approached to create packaging idea for this magazine which they, thankfully liked and published (posts can be seen HERE and HERE).  In the Winter 2017 issue  I was once again grateful to find myself published, this time taking the packaging idea further by making lavender sachets.
The springboard for this idea was, believe it or not, packaging!  When my friend Vickie mailed a gift to me, inside the box was some interesting white fabric style paper, I can only describe it as not dissimilar to tumble dryer laundry sheets but firmer and a generous size.  I was sure it would contain lavender buds but also allow the scent to emit.  I managed to make five sachets in total.
First, the bundle of three, tied together with re-cycled sari silk chiffon ribbon.  Maybe I am easily pleased but there is so much joy in knowing you have the most perfect stamp for an occasion.  I remembered the Lavender stamp from Character Constructions Mad Tea Party No. 8, it could not be more perfect to stamp onto the re-cycled tag which I painted with Gessso, with a small sprig of lavender as a sweet detail.

This is the trio of sachets.

Willow and Sage is not a stamping magazine but I knew the sachets needed something, the fabric paper was too plain and yet I didn’t want to stamp anything too dominant.  It suddenly dawned on me, I had Stampington & Co stamps designed by Christine Adolph.  I used Trims 4 images


For one of the sachets, a lovely scrap of grosgrain ribbon stitched to the sachet, allowing the lavender sprig to be held in place.

All the stamping was done before filling the sachets with the dried lavender buds.

I wanted a subtle effect to the stamping and the timing was just right as my ink pad was becoming dry and ordinarily I would have re-inked but it gave me the subtle effect i wanted.

This sachet could be presented in the white paper pocket and when removed, it can be suspended from the loop, formed from grosgrain ribbon.

Thank you so much for your visits. With struggling to keep up with blog visits and Facebook, I did consider if I should put my blog posts on hold. It seems cheeky to try and schedule blog posts when I am struggling so much to keep up with all of you wonderful people. My concern is, if I step away for a designated period of time, that time will lengthen and then I would probably never return to keeping the blog active.
Your words of support mean a great deal to me.
Wishes
Lynne

Nature’s Retreat (Willow and Sage)

Hello
Amongst all the amazing art adventures in 2016, one would have to be articles I had in Willow and Sage.
Although I would love to dabble with bath and body products (before I discovered rubber stamps, I enjoyed blending aromatherapy oils) and I was obviously aware of Stampington & Co’s Willow and Sage magazine, it wasn’t one I was ever considering submitting to until an invitation was handed to me to submit. To have an article in the Summer 2016 issue was momentous enough but to follow that with an article in Autumn and then Winter issues, no wonder I felt overwhelmed!
In the Autumn issue of Willow and Sage, my article centres around presentation with a rustic appearance with two pockets/pouches and soap bar wraps.
I worked with:-
Zen – Character Constructions Theatre of Dreams Plate No. 8
Wellbeing Word Block – Darkroom Door
PaperArtsy Crunchy Wax Paper was exactly what I needed for this rustic quality I was aiming for.
The packaging was split into two themes, one which was all about calm, relaxing, being zen,while, in contrast, words such as energy and renew were stamped to form tags for two of the soap bar wraps.Embellishments were quite minimal, any incorporated were wood, such as this peg and wooden leaf
with jute twine enhancing the theme.
I have so much catching-up to do that I might not achieve it all but every now and then I am going to try and post a project which is new to the blog but old in terms of when it was made or published.
I really want to get back on track with keeping my blog active and as importantly, visiting your blogs on a regular basis.
Thank you for your visit and thank you to Christen Hammons at Stampington & Co Willow and Sage for this opportunity.
Wishes
Lynne

Hanging Around The Christmas Tree

Hello
A quick post to share two ornaments featuring Character Constructions stamps and Sandra Evertson Relics & Artifacts.
Some weeks ago I received Character Constructions Christmas Vintage Christmas Plate No. 6  which has wonderful festive sentiments and I thought it would be fun to use them on ornaments. The second ornament has a sentiment from the Bird and Bee No. 14 set.
I have been drawn to tartan this year, do not ask me why!At this time of the year, a dash of glitter is acceptable, just a light sprinkle as the ICE Resin magnifies it.Simply stamped muslin bags again featuring Character Constructions stampsHope you are all whizzing though your Christmas preparations!
Wishes
Lynne

The Gift of Giving (Somerset Life)

Hello
In the latest issue of Somerset Life, one of my articles features festive packaging.  Although Somerset Life is not a dedicated stamping magazine, it is a lifestyle magazine the tags in the article all feature Crafty Individuals Festive Curly Sentiments, generous sized sentiments which can be the focal on festive cards or tags.All the cardstock and papers were painted/stained, also utilising mop up/under paper.
I mixed a variety of metallics:- brass, gold, copper, platinum.
Tiny accents of pearl stickers, rhinestones and tiny pieces of lovely crushed velvet ribbon with the gorgeous copper fabric gifted from my dear friend Dorthe.So, even though this post relates to the festivities, I am still not convinced that Christmas is galloping towards us. Where has this year gone?!!!
Wishes
Lynne

The Wisdom of Jane (Somerset Life)

Hello Everyone
Many of you will know that I regularly submit/contribute to Stampington & Company magazines.  One of my all time favourite titles is Somerset Life. Although I’ve read Somerset Life for many years and even though I submit regularly to other titles, I have only, previously, submitted once. They have a category in the magazine for various ideas surrounding creative living. Back in 2012 I submitted a shopping list pad and was astonished to discover it published (HERE). You would imagine that would have spurred me on to submit more but I didn’t. All that time passed and then, all because of a bookmark I was making to pop in with a birthday card for an art friend, I remembered reading of a bookmark Challenge Call. I had nothing to lose, so continued to make more of the bookmarks, mailed them off, with no hope of them being printed but still feeling good that I had submitted something after all that time and had finally submitted to one of their Challenge Calls.
Imagine my shock on receiving an email from the Editor requesting me to write an article for the bookmarks. This was so huge for me that I knew I wouldn’t believe it until I was actually holding the magazine in my hands. Even when that day arrived it still didn’t seem real. For me to have an article in Somerset Life, I cannot really articulate the significance for me (I’ve since had my second article published in Somerset Life which I will share with you soon).
The article appears in the Jan/Feb/March issue, seven pages with lots of detail photographs of the bookmarks.  I’m sure you understand, with this being an actual article, it would not be fair to share any of the written article.
Each bookmark has a quote on one side with an image on the rear and for each bookmark, I created simple but I hope. elegant presentation pockets.
There were five bookmarks and pockets in total but I am just sharing a few here.
All stamps are from Oxford Impressions and in the U.K. from That’s Crafty.I worked with colours which to me, conjure up all things Jane Austen – duck egg blue and cream (excuse the photographs – I couldn’t get rid of the grey tone unless I brightened them which resulted in bleached out photos!)with beaded dangles
Thank you for your visit to this post.
Will return soon with a sample relating to Crafty Individuals.
Wishes
Lynne