A Flourishing Garden

"The gardens that make us

happiest flourish because

we have taken the time

to make sure they feed our souls and fill a special place 

in our lives."

"Sometimes you have

to really think about

what you want in your

garden... once the beds

are laid out and the 

rose bushes planted."

~ Lindley Karstens ~


I combined 3 elements to

create these garden-themed,

printable tags. Two feature an

old-fashioned, white rose.

I kept the others simple with

portions of an ornament.
The ornament reminded me 

of both stylized branches

and metalwork from

something like a garden

gate. The background is

a receipt from Berry Seed

 Company.


Thank you for stopping by!

Those Who Bring Sunshine...

"Those who bring sunshine
into the lives of others cannot
keep it from themselves."

~ James M. Barrie ~

I made these tags to price late summer & fall items
in my booth. It's nice to have a few different sizes...
Enjoy!

Here are the free graphics
& sources used in my artwork:

*Internet Archive*
Silver-leaved sunflower

*TuckDB*
Scalloped border

*Lilac & Lavender*
Fabric texture


Thanks for stopping by!

Pitcher & Simple Country Bouquet

I love enamelware pitchers.

Add a simple country bouquet,

and you have a real thing of beauty.

I'm patiently waiting for the perfect pitcher,

so I can have a bouquet like this on my kitchen

table. Until then, milk glass vases and mason jars will do just fine.

Here are the free graphics
& sources used in my artwork:

*Antique Images*
Enamelware pitcher

*Flickr: perpetualplum*
Umbel illustration, 1917

*Shadowhouse Creations*
Softly aged sepia texture

*Lilac & Lavender*
Berry Seed Co. ephemera

Thanks for stopping by!

Queen Anne's Lace

"The great lesson is
that the sacred is in the

ordinary, that it is to be

found in one's daily life..."

~ Abraham Maslow ~

Printable sets of large and small tags, featuring
my favorite wildflower. Click here to read
a little more about the Berry Seed Company.

Printable Queen Anne's lace stationery (8.5 x 11").

I love Queen Anne's lace. At first glance,

it looks simple... but when you really look,

you notice all the beautiful, intricate patterns. I 

wonder how anyone could call it a weed. It's

welcome in all my flower beds, and makes itself

at home right next to irises, daylilies, and roses.

I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing it bobbing in 

the breeze... whether it's along a country road,

or outside my kitchen window.

Here are the free graphics
& sources used in my artwork:

*Antique Images*
Queen Anne's lace

*Old Design Shop*
Aged paper texture

*Vintage Feedsacks*
Label ~ "lace" pattern

*TuckDB*
Scalloped border

*The Sum of All Crafts*
Delicate rectangular label

*Lilac & Lavender*
Berry Seed Co. ephemera
 

"The whole world is a series

of miracles, but we're so used to

them we call them ordinary things."

~ Hans Christian Anderson ~


Thank you for stopping by!

Filled With Possibility

"Aaah, summer...

that long anticipated 

stretch of lazy, lingering days,

free of responsibility and

rife with possibility..."

~ Darell Hammond ~

"Time to rise and shine and get ready for school you two!" My son popped right out of bed, while my daughter needed a little more encouragement. Without opening her eyes, she groaned, "How many more days?" I said, "Oh, summer will be here soon enough." I then kissed her forehead, and lovingly whisked away the covers. They went through the routine of eating breakfast, getting dressed, brushing hair and teeth. My son was excited about going to the zoo, and produced a zoo-themed art project to praise. My daughter reminisced about her own 1st grade zoo trip and summed it up with, "You're pretty much gonna love it." We prayed together, then they ran to the end of our driveway to chat and wait. I poured a cup of coffee and heard the bus slow and stop. I waved and they waved back as I lost sight of them down the road.

Where just minutes before there was hustle and bustle, now there was only silence. I looked down and noticed the wisps of steam rolling off my coffee. I admired them while appreciating how the pretty blue and white mug warmed my hands. Glancing out front at the garden, I noticed more purple blooms than yesterday, as well as more green. Note to self: pick flowers and pull weeds... after finishing coffee.

This morning routine will only last for a few more days, then we'll be on to summer vacation. I'm relieved. Although I appreciate the quiet and regained sense of independence when they're in school, it'll be nice to have the kids back home in the nest. There's another kind of freedom and peace in that. Most days we'll have nowhere to be. When we stay home, we'll have a picnic lunch or go for a nature hike in the woods. We might take a bouquet of flowers to the neighbors and return with a bag of green beans or a carton of eggs. Other days, we'll go swimming with friends, go to a 4-H meeting, or a learning activity at the library.

Aaah, summer - that season when I am reminded of the younger years: younger kids, a younger me. It'll be good to slow down and savor these: the long, lazy days, childhood, and motherhood. All filled with possibility. 

Flag of the Free

"Flag of the free,

fairest to see! Borne

thro' the strife and the

thunder of war; Banner

so bright with starry light,

float ever proudly from

mountain to shore."

~ Unknown Author ~

Printable set of patriotic gift tags

or bookmarks, and printable sheet

of 10 tags, 2 x 4" each, below.

Printable sheet of tags featuring lyrics to

"America the Beautiful," and 8.5 x 11" sheet

music I've scanned and partially restored,

from my personal collection of ephemera.

Here are the free graphics
& sources used in my artwork:

*clkr.com Free Clipart*
United States flag
 
*imagesbykim*
Flag of the Free sheet music
 
*The Vintage Moth*
America the Beautiful sheet music 

*Lilac & Lavender*
Fabric texture


Thanks for stopping by!
Have a safe & fun holiday weekend!

In Full Bloom

"Life and love are

very precious when both

are in full bloom."

~ Louisa May Alcott ~

Blue hydrangea tags approx. 2.5" x 4" each.
Postcard graphic approx. 3.5" x 5.3"

Printable sheet of 4 notepapers, 4" x 5" each.
Vintage blue hydrangea stationery 8.5" x 11"

Printable vintage music & hydrangea tags:

Here are the free graphics
& sources used in my artwork:

*The Graphics Fairy*
Blue hydrangea
Round frame

*TucksDB*
Postcard border

*Lost & Taken*
Grungy wallpaper texture

*Carol Anne's Boutique*
1908 French letter

*Shadowhouse Creations*
Softly aged sepia texture

*Lilac & Lavender*
Postcard back

The sheet music used in the last set of tags
is from my personal collection, c. 1940.


Thank you  for stopping by!

We Bring Roses...

"We bring roses,

beautiful fresh roses,

dewy as the morning, and

coloured like the dawn."

~ Thomas Buchanan Read ~

 Gift tags printable ~ note the intertwining

roses. Printable 8.5" x 11" stationery

with roses and handwriting, below.

I couldn't decide between postcard borders,

so here are both versions. The first postcard

is approx. 5.3" x 3.5" and the second approx. 5.5" x 3.5"

Printable sheet of 4 notepapers or

journal cards, 4" x 5" each.

Printable vintage roses ~ 8.5" x 11" image.

Printable featuring 2.7" x 3.2" notecards and approx. 2" x 3" tags.

Printable sheet of 12 tags, each approx. 2" x 3".

Here are the free graphics
& sources used in my artwork:

*TuckDB*
Bouquet of roses

*Carol Anne's Boutique*
1908 French letter

*Lost and Taken*
Grungy wallpaper texture

*Lilac & Lavender*
Postcard back
Postcard back, scalloped border


I also created a Facebook cover photo
which you are free to use.  It's available
on Lilac & Lavender's FB page.


Thank you for stopping by!

Garden of the Heart

"Let us, then, plant

with diligence and care
the garden of the soil,

but let us, with far deeper
earnestness, tend the

garden of our hearts."

~ from The Cottage Gardener, 1849 ~

Here are the original

postcard images from

a set, Floral Favors,
found on TuckDB:


Carnations
Fruit blossoms
Violets
Roses & forget-me-nots
Primrose
Roses


Thank you for stopping by!

Eternal Summer ~ Daisies

"There shall be

eternal summer in

the grateful heart."

~ Celia Thaxter ~

Yellow daisy tag

Printable daisy tags, bookmark, journal card

Facebook cover photo

Printable stationery ~ vintage wooden chalkboard frame

Printable journal cards or labels with

vintage wooden chalkboard frame


Thanks to those of you who asked

about me... just took a summer break

Here are the free graphics & font
sources used in my artwork:

*TuckDB*
Yellow daisies
Art Deco birthday postcard

*Flickr*
Cracked grunge texture

*Shadowhouse Creations*
Softly aged sepia texture

*Lilac & Lavender*
"Antiqued" lined paper

*dafont.com*
Jugend WF

*Font Squirrel*
CAC Champagne


Note... the wooden frame

is my original scanned image

of a child's chalkboard

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Vintage Strawberry Tags

"Note on Kitchen Table"

I will be back soon to bake some bread,
But now I'm picking wild berries instead,
Out in the meadows, under the sun.
I know I'm leaving my work undone,
But the wind was soft on summer grass;
The trees stood up tall for me to pass;
And the blue sky smiled and bent down low.
So what could I do but laugh and go?
 
~ Mary Martin Palma ~

   
"Wild Strawberries"

Heavy the air with a fragrance rare,
Strawberries ripe in the meadow,
Luscious & red where the vines are spread
Thickly in sun and shadow.

~ Jean Blewett ~


Here are the free graphics
& sources used in my artwork:

*Vintage Images*
Strawberries

*Lilac & Lavender*
Vintage recipe card


Hope you enjoy these cute
Vintage Strawberry Tags!
Thanks for stopping by!

Victorian "Calender Girls"

"And in the end, it's not

the years in your life that count.

It's the life in your years."

 

~ Abraham Lincoln ~

I came up with this set

of images with the intention of

creating a journal around them.

 

Here are the free graphics &

sources used in my artwork: 

*The Vintage Moth*

 Antique letter

*Rose Angel's Album*

January

December

*Magic Moonlight Studio*

March

*Magic Moonlight*  

February 

April

May

June

August

November

*Vintage Images*

October

*bumble button*

September

*World of Art*

July

 

Thanks for stopping by!