“Undergarments converse in silence with the women who wear them; women confide in them, hidden, invisible beneath their clothes, as if in some guardian angel of their femininity.” — Farid Chenoune
Whether dressing to impress or adorned in garments that are “barely” there, underneath it all, beauty still remains in the eye of the beholder — and I hope you’ll agree, these ladies are just stunning!
Click here to download these two lovely vintage ephemera pieces from the early 1900’s to use in your paper crafting or digital projects, for free!
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“Undergarments converse in silence with the women who wear them; women confide in them, hidden, invisible beneath their clothes, as if in some guardian angel of their femininity.” — Farid Chenoune Whether dressing to impress or adorned in garments that are “barely” there, underneath it all, beauty still remains in the eye of the beholder — and […]
We are joined today by a remarkably talented duo: Stampington’s Director of Photography, Johanna Love, and her mother-in-law Linda Wissler. They’re here to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the stunning photography found in a Stampington staple, Somerset Home.
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Photography and Artist Credit: Johanna Love and Trina Lucido
While browsing through the pages of Somerset Home, it’s nearly impossible not to be mesmerized by the enticing display of lovely décor. When a beautiful artist submission of a ruffled tablecloth by Trina Lucido came through our Stampington doors, we knew our office lighting would not do it justice and capture its rustic, country elegance. Of course Johanna knew of the perfect place to highlight the floor length layers of lace and cream – her mother-in-law Linda’s California Salt Creek Beach cottage.
A go-to spot to capture images for many of our beloved Stampington magazines, Linda’s quaint cottage is the perfect place to stage props and set the scene with impeccable lighting, colorful nature, and quintessential countryside ambiance.
Thank you Linda for opening up your home, and helping Stampington create the perfect atmosphere to showcase our readers’ stunning submissions!
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Are you fresh on the photography scene or perhaps a seasoned pro? We want to know: what are some special spots/props you’d choose to accent home décor pieces like these? Share your vision in the “comments” section below!
We are joined today by a remarkably talented duo: Stampington’s Director of Photography, Johanna Love, and her mother-in-law Linda Wissler. They’re here to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the stunning photography found in a Stampington staple, Somerset Home. *** Photography and Artist Credit: Johanna Love and Trina Lucido While browsing through the pages of Somerset […]
I’m so excited to welcome Matt Farci, the remarkably talented color enthusiast and incredible crafter, to our blog Somerset Place! Recently published in one of our most aesthetically appealing publications Artful Blogging, Matt’s crocheting techniques are unbelievably gorgeous in style and simple in creation. Today he shares with us a bright fabricated flower project, created specially for Stampington. Please join me in a warm welcome, and indulge in Matt’s easy faux flower tutorial to add a pop of color to your living space without the expense or time it takes to care for freshly picked flora.
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Hi Somerset Place readers! How are you all? I’ve been working on a rather jolly little project and thought I’d come on by and share it with you.
Let me explain how this project started…..
I have a not so secret love for flowers!!! I ADORE THEM!! There is nothing that makes me happier than coming home from work and seeing a beautifully bright jug of fresh flowers shining magic across my apartment.
Having a bunch of fresh flowers is a bit of a treat for me; it lifts my mood and adds a special touch to my home. Having a constant supply of fresh flowers is not only rather lovely, but, lets face it, can be rather expensive! So I decided to work on a quick project and make me some inexpensive crafty flowers for those times when the budget is a little tight, but I still want my fix of color about the apartment.
Heres what I came up with, a bright bouquet of crafty flowers to brighten up any home!
It was a really simple project and would be perfect for a spare afternoon or evening.
I started this project with a collection of various lengths of dowel:
With a raid of my crafting box I found my supply of acrylic paint. I painted each of the dowel sticks a luscious shade of green. These are going to be the stems to our crafty flowers.
I left my green stems to dry and got to work cutting various shaped leaves out of felt.
Once I had my collection of leaves all cut out and ready, I began to glue them to my green stems. First I made sure the paint was totally dry and then added a dollop of glue.
I positioned my leaves onto each stem and made sure that the leaves were firmly attached and let the glue dry.
I then added some green yarn to the stems to cover up the join of the leaves to the dowel stems. I did this by simply adding another lashing of glue to the stem and winding the yarn around and around until I was satisfied with the join.
Finally as a finishing touch I decided to add a colorful flower! This time around I created a selection of bright pompoms to act as flowers using my trusty pompom maker:
A final blob of glue to the top of the stem and I was ready to place the pompom in its final resting place as a beautiful blooming FLOWER!
Isn’t that pretty!!!
As for the other flowers in my bouquet, they were also just as simple.
The reeds consisted simply of a piece of dowel painted green and then some left over pieces of yarn wrapped around and around untill the shape of the reed was created. How simple is that!!!
My final flowers were a selection of sunflowers and daisies. These were made by using cut outs of felt and a selection of buttons.
I started these flowers in the same way as the previous two, a piece of dowel painted green.
I then went on to make the flowers by drawing a petal design onto some felt with the help of my compass.
Then I selected some of my favorite bright colored buttons and sewed them onto the top of the felt flowers to contrast with the white.
Last but not least I adhered a big gob of glue from my glue gun to the underside of the flower and then attached to one of the stems. SO SIMPLE!!
Bright and cheery flowers that keep the happiness shining through my home!
What an easy way to add color to a blank wall without the need for a watering can or flower food! I’m rather happy with the end result and hope these vibrant faux flowers inspire you to create some of your own crafty versions.
~ Matt xxx
“Real” job: Professional dancer in the Disney musical, Tarzan
Dwellings: A Bristol, England native and relatively new Hamburg, Germany resident
I’m so excited to welcome Matt Farci, the remarkably talented color enthusiast and incredible crafter, to our blog Somerset Place! Recently published in one of our most aesthetically appealing publications Artful Blogging, Matt’s crocheting techniques are unbelievably gorgeous in style and simple in creation. Today he shares with us a bright fabricated flower project, created […]
Do you jump for joy to celebrate a victory or are you more inclined to jump in quick reaction to fear? From the new Autumn 2013 issue of Artful Blogging, Rosie from Simply Rosie captures the epic moment of a child leaping to pinnacle height with a single shot in this stunning image.
Let us know, why you think he’s jumping: Did someone scare him or is he jubilant about some news he just received? Comment below with your most creative caption for a chance to win in our giveaway!
Giveaway*
[This giveaway has ended.]
1) Click the “like” button below to share this post.
2) Comment below with your most creative caption to let us know you shared.
The person with most spectacular caption will receive a free copy of the 2013 Autumn issue ofArtful Blogging to inspire your bright ideas. See if you can reach your creative peak and soar above the rest with the catchiest caption. We can’t wait to read your responses!
*Contest is open to US residents only, and expires September 5th, 2013.
Do you jump for joy to celebrate a victory or are you more inclined to jump in quick reaction to fear? From the new Autumn 2013 issue of Artful Blogging, Rosie from Simply Rosie captures the epic moment of a child leaping to pinnacle height with a single shot in this stunning image. Let […]
One of my favorite art journaling motifs is a whimsical silhouetted woman. Rich in decadent color or dainty and sweet in design, it’s impossible not to be mesmerized by each artist’s take on the portrait of a lady. To explore the many imaginative ways women can be represented in art, we’ve compiled a collection of some of our most artistic and treasured pieces, created with beautiful, independent flair.
“…in this universe that is flawed and sometimes oh-so-rough, the great thing about the art I make is that it allows me to cast the brightest and most colorful attention to the most deserving innocent creatures of the universe.”
Tip: “Allow your materials, such as old books and photographs, to inspire the images you choose to journal. Also, having a theme allows you to collect images and ephemera appropriate to that theme and helps get a page started.”
Tip: “A journal is a great visualization tool If there’s something new and brave you want to do – like teaching a class or self-publishing a book – create a journal page announcing it. Then you’ll be motivated to really make it happen!”
Tip: “If you don’t like a page, don’t give up on it…some of my favorite pages are ones that have been painted and worked over many times. The layers will make it more interesting.”
If you’re interested in learning how to incorporate the feminine grace from these beauties into your artwork, why not enter to win one of the magazines that they were originally featured in? We will pick 3 random winners to receive your choice of our favorite titles: Artist’s Café 2011, Somerset Studio 2012, or Artful Blogging Autumn 2011.
To Enter:
From the grid of images above, pick your favorite painted, mixed-media, or other artful woman and explain why by commenting below!
Deadline to enter: Monday, Sept. 9th
*Winners will be contacted via email
Quick Reader Poll:
What is your favorite theme to experiment with and incorporate into your artwork? Do tell!
