Back to the Future

When I started RELICS & ARTIFACTS ® it all began with just a few simple pieces. I have always been a collector of well, just about everything, from rocks, shells and porcelain to jewelry, pottery and ephemera. I still have lots of things from when I was a really young kid. Fast forward to today and while those collections have grown in size I’m still searching out much the same kinds of things. One of the first resin craft blank castings I made were from a group of antique milagros and ex votos. I paired them up with 18th century hand carved angel wings that were actually attached to large figures. Making the molds was tricky it was hard wrangling the pieces and not damaging them in the process. Those first hearts sets turned out to be some of our best sellers and when my original molds bit the dust I didn’t want to risk it again so we discontinued those sets. I finally worked up the nerve to take molds from the antiques again and here we are with several reissued set and some new pieces as well. Hope you love them as much as we do!

Psychedelic ArtFoamies- Projects by Jenn Pipe

I had so much fun working with the stamps in Sandra Evertson’s new Psychedelic line for Art Foamies!

When I first saw the stamps, they immediately served up 1970’s vibes for me. The “Fierce, Fly, Fabulous” project is a tri-fold 70’s-inspired piece. I kept it pretty simple with some stenciled elements, collaged sheet music, doodles, and some fun rhinestones and butterflies nested in their hair. I pulled out the gel plate in order to ink the stamps. The stamps were dipped in the painted plate and stamped directly onto cardstock, creating the two women on the right. The woman on the left was created by pulling the image directly off of the gel plate. Truth be told, she’s my favorite. I love the inverse effect of the white flowers and the darker background colors.

My second project, “The Bee Keepers,” was created on a wooden substrate. I used modeling paste to create the honeycomb pattern and once dried, I painted it with a light coat of yellow and gold paints. I used the new face stamps to create my three beekeepers. Their dresses were cut from an old alcohol ink print, fern stamps became their head dresses, and some stamped bee images finished off the piece. The quote was from a ledger sheet and seemed like the perfect complement to the rest of the project.

The versatility of these stamps is unparalleled! If you let your imagination guide you, you’ll end up with endless project ideas.

(Jenn Pipe is the owner of Self Esteem Through Art, an art-based empowerment and self-discovery studio located in Rhode Island.)


Spring Fairy Frames & Fairy Eggs by Relics & Artifact MUSE Jenn White

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Springtime is my favorite season. I am so grateful for every single one I have been privileged to witness.

The knowledge that Spring is almost here thrills & excites me.

Every day I watch & listen for the signs. Wild bird & animal behaviors. New leaves unfurling from budding branches. An awakening. Newborns & Reborns.I love watching it all slowly green, & bloom.

It is magic.

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Some of the best & most memorable days of my life are celebrated in the Spring.
My daughters were born in April & May. The anniversary of my dream fairy themed wedding to my beloved best friend heralds the Spring Equinox in March.

I delight in painting, decorating & embellishing eggs, arranging bouquets of the Spring flower blooms I grow in my gardens & filling colorful surprise baskets for my daughters & grandchildren.

I incorporate my love of nature & fairies in everything I do.

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I have been fascinated by fairies my entire life. I surround myself with them. They are everywhere at my home. Inside & outside.

You have no idea how thrilled & excited I was when Sandra Evertson released & listed her new DIGITAL DOWNLOADS.

They are from a priceless treasured 1840s book full of French fairy prints by artist J.J. Grandville. They are over 170 years old. If you love antique ephemera like I do you will adore them.

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I had never seen many of these particular images before so I was squealing with delight & so tickled when I saw them for the very first time! Gasping at their whimsical & delightful gorgeousness.

So many ideas of how I wanted to use them immediately filled & danced through my imagination.

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My first thoughts were of framing the images with Sandra's exquisite ITALIAN BAROQUE FRAMES & CATHEDRAL WINDOW FRAMES. Displaying them throughout my home to admire & bring joyful smiles to everyone's faces as they gaze upon them. Happy fantasy daydreams for one & all!

My second thought was to use them in varied sizes on & within Sandra's IMPERIAL EGGS SET & EGG SHRINE. The great thing about digital downloads is you can size them as large or as small as you wish to fit anywhere. Sandra's digital downloads are a fantasy dream come true for me! How about you?

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While playing with Sandra's EGG SHRINE I was reminded of my favorite Russian Imperial Egg created by Carl Faberge "Lilies Of The Valley". I created my own fairy themed version of it using Sandra's NOUVEAU SET.

I even made some fairy themed pendant ornaments using Sandra's IMPERIAL EGG SET.

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Feel free to be inspired by my creations & create some for yourself & your loved ones too!

Enjoy this Spring!

HUGS! YOU ARE LOVED!

- Jenn White

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An Ode To The Forest Floor by Muse Jenn Pipe

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My internal GPS is normally set to the ocean, but today I want to pay homage to the restorative powers of the forest floor. A few years ago, I was feeling burnt out by the fast and furious pace of my 21st century life. The nonstop responsibilities of being a business owner were wearing me down. My husband and I were having a difficult time connecting due to our opposite schedules. And my daughters were involved with multiple activities that had us playing “divide and conquer” most weekends.

I joked one particularly stressful night that I needed some Calgon to literally take me away. Alone. For at least two uninterrupted days. I put out feelers on Facebook to see if anyone had any tips for a peaceful, remote location I could explore. My criteria included no chain hotels, no bed and breakfasts, and bonus points for no TVs or wifi. I was hoping to not see a single soul or feel pressure to remain plugged in.

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A friend suggested the Getaway cabins in New Hampshire (they have outposts scattered all over the country), and I was sold! I booked a midweek trip, packed a bunch of art supplies and reading material, and told my family it was my goal to be completely unplugged (i.e. “Don’t call me, I’ll call you”).

When I tell you it was absolute nirvana, I am not exaggerating! Each cabin was perfectly distanced from the others and nestled among canopies of trees. They were also outfitted with all the modern amenities you could want (including the comfiest beds and linens, cooktop, dishes, bathrooms with running water, firepits, and picnic tables)! I was in heaven! That single getaway was a commitment to both myself and my creative process. I drew, wrote, mapped out content for new classes and workshops, and took the most delicious naps after exploring the area on foot. I left feeling more recharged and relaxed than I had in years and I vowed to give myself a gift of at least two of these trips per year (which I was able to do until covid hit).

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With this MUSE project, I wanted to pay homage to that forest, those cabins, and the forest floor that cradled and restored me over and over again. 

I started with both colors of Apoxie Sculpt and I sculpted a variety of mushrooms, adding little details as I went. Once the Apoxie Sculpt was dry (*note: the black clay takes longer to cure than the white clay), I coated the mushrooms with clear gesso. Once primed, they were ready for multiple coats of VerDay finish to give them that earthy, mossy vibe. 

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I then gathered up some moss and tree bark and got to assembling my “forest floor.” I used a tree slice with a raw edge as my substrate. The moss was adhered with a hot glue gun, and then I arranged my fungi just so and used the hot glue gun to adhere that as well. The final touch was a few adorable little metal acorn embellishments that were also finished with VerDay. I scattered those on the forest floor as well. 

This is different than the work I usually create, but I love how it came out. Just looking at it transports me back to those sublime weekends by the forest floor. I’m going to display it in a place where it will continue to ground me on a daily basis until I can return to my cherished nirvana. 

Thanks for reading! I hope this inspires you to both create AND escape! 

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A Wonderful Way To Connect

The R&A Mail Art Swap

We are all feeling the isolation of being in Quarantine, we are all feeling unsure about the future. 

So what could be nicer in this time of stress to receive beautiful works of art through the mail. 

Presenting the 2020  mail art swap swap

Rules and parameters:

*If you haven’t already, become a member of our R&A Tribe on Facebook.

* Themed, HOPE, LOVE  and JOY. 

*must utilize R&A stamps on either postcards or envelopes. 

*You will send one postcard or envelope to each person in the swap group and you will receive lots of lovely mail back. 

* A postcard is a rectangular mailer sent without an envelope. Sending a postcard is an extremely affordable way to communicate when you’re using the U.S Postal Service—regular postcards cost only $0.35 to mail!

To qualify for postcard pricing, your mailer must be at least 3 ½” high, 5” long and 0.007” thick (approximately the thickness of an index card), but no more than 4 ¼” high, 6” long, or 0.016” thick. To qualify for the base rate, postcards cannot be folded. Large postcards can measure up to 6 ⅛” high, 11 ½” long and ¼” thick, but they cost as much as a First-Class Letter ($0.50 and up) to send.To be eligible for mailing at the price for letters, a piece must be: Rectangular. At least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inch thick. No more than 6-1/8 inches high x 11-1/2 inches long x 1/4 inch thick.

Taken from 

United States Postal Service 

*Sign  - up closes June 1st

*last day for mailing is July 1st 2020.

*Please add your mailing address to THIS sigh up thread so to group can Utilize the list.

*Sign up and post questions here.

and above all have fun

Wendy 

Special Thanks to Jenn White for looking up all the mailing information 

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Mother Nature's Heart- Lanette Erickson

Hello Everyone, Lanette here. With all the craziness in the world right now I find myself trying to take a moment to enjoy the little things that so often go unnoticed. For example Hostas, Hydrangeas and Lilies emerging from their winter sleep. It happens so quickly every year, one day its gray and gloomy, the next the yard is green.  Normally I miss it, I'm busy with the end of school year activities. But this year I haven't, I saw glimpses of the quick change from gray and gloomy to alive and green. 

So with the wonder of Mother Nature on my mind I picked up Sandra's Vessel Heart and went to work.  This is what I ended up with: 

I truly enjoyed creating this little heart. I started by cutting a wooden block for the base and attaching a piece from a wire hanger to the back of the heart with a bit of Apoxie Sculpt.

Next I went to work on decorating  my block base with just a bit of tissue paper, watercolors  and Sandra's Beautiful stamps. (Oculus Stamp & Elements Set of 4 Collection)

Next it was on to Sandra's Vessel Heart , I opened up my New Dina Wakley Gloss Sprays and sprayed my heart out. I know this heart was indented for Halloween. But with a mix of ribbon and bright colors I think it found another use.  

Thank you so much for stopping by today I truly appreciate it! I hope that I have inspired you in some tiny way. 


Until Next Time,


-Lanette