This will probably be my last post for this year and so first of all, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Now since Christmas is soon over most people , including me, think about New Year’s Resolutions! Oh i know, it’s mostly a mess! It always starts nice and ends up in a mess by March! Oh well this might help you out! Click HERE and grab your freebie!
Thank you all for being with me and for taking an interest in RPL , art and Prints and everything that is surrounding INK & LACE!
Love, XO,
Lorena
PS: Head over to my YouTube, I uploaded a video, on how to actually make a pattern for your RPL design! Click HERE and watch!
There is always something to be grateful for…. Yes, I know we all are kinda grateful but these days in a Me Me Me culture, where only artificial intelligence counts, the likes and followers matter most, I think it’s good to step back each day and be grateful.
You don’t need to make it big and difficult.. How about being grateful for coffee… ?! Crazy, you say? Not at all!
Think about, just for a minute!
You wake up and there is no coffee!? Panic, stress and your day is already messed up! Right?
It goes deep, the coffee farmer, the coffee picker, the coffee company , the store where you purchase it, etc…. See it;s a long chain and this is just scratching the surface! So, be grateful even for coffee!
So, how can we feel better on a day to day level? Simple! Have an open mind, smile more, be grateful even for the small things. For the small items, moments and people that surround us.
Once grateful your lifestyle will change. You will feel refreshed full of energy and hope. To celebrate, I created a little print. It can be a little reminder how being grateful makes you better, nicer, and attract more good vibes.
To purchase this print, that ca be a fantastic gift, click HERE.
Are you grateful of small stuff as well? If yes, I am would love to hear about!
Comment below and let me know! Have a gorgeous day!
I actually like masks, I have to say I can’t wear them coz I am wearing glasses and absolutely failing on putting contacts on. With this said, I can show you how I made a mask of course in RPL for the first time! Now the image above is not your usual mask, but I think you know by now, that I never pick your usual designs! Image -Guo Pei Haute Couture Gilded Mask.
The Idea…..
I was asking in a really gorgeous FB group what else I could create in RPL , next to my jewellery and pattern. Now one lady suggested, that I create lace masks, and so I did a lot of research and gave it a long thought. If you would like to check out her amazing Etsy store, check it out HERE. She does gorgeous items! Thank you Karen, you made me think about mask lace idea! I had many questions, that I needed to answer, before even embarking such project. A large project because, masks are different. You put it around your face, so it has to mould easy and stay ok….
So I checked Pinterest. Here you can visit our our boards!
And the cords is on!
Above, you can see the beginning of the mask idea…. Raw, easy and still a virgin….. LOL! I had no particular fillings in mind, no ideas, where it will take me and if it would be larger or smaller. Quickly after the base idea was shaped in my mind, colours and netting were picked. I ended up adding tulips to it.
It was important to me to combine, greens and vibrant colours to make it all come together. And like I said, I wanted to say away from black and classic red or white. Anyways, this is where it went…
A mask is an ancient form of a facial disguise, it was used to frighten enemies and contain identity. In modern day the mask is generally known to be a symbol of the concealment of the ego behind an artificial mask. In ancient Greece the mask was very common, and used for actors on stage. But do you know, where that mask comes from? Actually mask exist from 7000BC and were used in theatre ( Greece) but they became very popular in ancient China and in the 13th century they very introduced in Italy, specific in Venice…. The rest is history and the mask dominated and fascinated Europe since then… The Carnival was born and the Masquerade…. was a new idea… But back to this project…
The Sketch….
Before starting the lace on calico and having enough cord, I always sketch and draw the idea of the mask. This sketch was the start and birth of the mask. Even though I sketch the mask with an adult woman in mind, I wanted the mask to be wearable for my little girl in mind.. I wanted to make it fun and here came the idea of adding flowers and so to add colour – in this case vibrant emerald. She is born in May so emerald is her gemstone. It was falling into place just fine.
I also introduce into the mask, the traditional crochet rings, as seen above. I loved the idea of recreating a web like design….. I will elaborate the sketch into a watercolour print as soon as possible….
The designs in the mask are a mix of netting and fillings. I am also using different type of cords like you see in the image above. A simple cord in the dark / emerald green and a fan cord in the lighter green.
The Illustration…
So, now let me show you how it looks on her…. coz voila it;s ready! And If you are interested in having a mask done in this style or similar, get in touch! Also if you like the illustrations, you can check out the Etsy Store HERE. I am very exited about this piece, not only because it;s the first time I made, it, but also because it made my little one so happy and she felt exited about wearing something so different!
When I was creating these cute little gift tags, this song was playing in the background.
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
‘Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la ( from the song Deck the Halls)
Now I am not known for using a lot of Rhinestones, or even any… but in this case I make an exception! I love these cute Coco Chanel Inspired Gift tags. I was always wondering as s child why is it always a Snowman and not a Snow-Woman?! No copyright infringement intended – I simply love Chanel and always wondered how a Chanel Snow Woman would look like!
So I created a few sets in classic black and white and a few colourful sets ready for Christmas. They are handmade, fabulous on high quality watercolour paper and are perfect to style every gift. Check them out HERE!
Don;t wait till Christmas, these goodies might be gone!
I know, Self Love is a big deal these last years, and I am still not sure if people really understand it or acknowledge how important it is and because we are all different, it will mean something different to all of us.
Sometimes we are so busy with our lives that we do not see outside the box… We drown in guilt, pain, sorrow, stress and so much more….. Stress is today such a big factor that we literary forget about our self.
I wan to share with you how I build up Self Love…..and what I do to take care of my mental state, my body and personal growth.
Step One
Find your happy place.….Yes, find your happy place… This could be your walk in closet, or a place at the beach, even your special place in the garden…. wherever it might be, make it yours. Sit there and do not think about tomorrow, or the bills you need to pay. You need to connect with yourself and bills, worries, stress are not welcome in your happy place!
My happy place is the bathtub. I know how that sounds, but it;s true. It;s simple, available and comfortable at home. From the economic point of view it;s great as well. So this is what I do. My happy place starts with a hot bath, where I add bath salts, some with lavender infuse, fresh herbs like sage from the garden, lemons and orange slices if I have in the house as well as flowers…. Now to this I add crystals, like Agate, Rose Quartz and Amethyst, Himalayan salt.
Step Two- No Comparisons
It is very important that we stop to compare our self with others. This goes for your work, your marriage, your parent style, everything you can think of. Once you let go of this, you will feel much better, not only for yourself, but you will discover that the freedom to create, the freedom to think free is back in your life.
I have done this and so have you! It’s just inviting bad energy in your life. Get rid of it, now!
Step Three- Do something you are good at!
You need to find something you are good at. For me, it’s ART. It boosts the self -esteem and makes you feel great, productive and you gain a lot of positive energy when you do something you love. You are building self -love! If you are interested in this particular print to remind you the Self-Love is important click here. So if my thing is art, your might be pilates, cooking, or gardening. etc….
Step Four- Self Love Ritual
Yes, I know how that sounds, so do not roll your eyes , yet. This is what I do. It;s simple, and you might even laugh now. I give myself a hand / feet massage. It takes me about 20 minutes, where I unplug from social media, form radio, tv, etc… In total silence, I massage my hands and feet with oil or lotion. Once done, I treat myself to a spiky ball therapy. You can purchase them on ebay or in any sports store. I got mine from Aldi.
Step Five- Tackle your closet!
Yes, a clean self -love mind, starts with a clean organised closet. I am not the clean freak for sure, but I like my closet to be clean and organised so I can Organise and get rid off all the stuff that you do not need. Let go of it! It helps your closet and your mind. It will make you feel light and fresh. Shoes, Jewellery, clothes, etc… that reminds you of bad events or brings negative memories into your life, need to go!
I know we do not all have a Carry Bradshaw Closet, but we can make it all work with accessories and a good clean out! Make it work! You will see, how it will make you breath easy as soon as you are done!
I hope this helped you out that way it helps me to practice Self Love! How do you practice Self Love?
XO,
Lorena
All Images from Pinterest. Print image from the Etsy shop.
I would like to introduce you to this gorgeous lady, Black Splash Boho Earring… She is in the Etsy shop…. but this is not the main thing!
I want you to discover, this fantastic Jewellery shop on Etsy from Australia. Vanessa creates gorgeous Jewellery and I think it;s worth your time to check her shop out HERE.
Now, another thing about Etsy and I will shut up about! I am having a Sale in my jewellery Lace store and maybe you find some Christmas gifts! I feel it;s never enough time to shop for XMas!
So check out the lace shop HERE, and get 30%off all jewellery! Use the Coupon code Use Coupon: JEWEL30OFF It starts today 2 Oct and last till 6th Oct! Happy Shopping!
And now, to Welcome October, I want to give you a FREEBIE! Check it out HERE! Enjoy!
Sign Up Now and you will receive 15% OFF your first order PLUS grab 4 FREEBIE including My morning routine Reiki principles, Palm Chakras Activation, Thread_Yarn Cheat Sheet and a print and art journal mood trackers.
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