Sail & Swan

Join us on the Sail and Swan Website

2015-09-30T15:23:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone!

I think it is time that I announce I am moving my little blog completely over to my website at Sail and Swan.

I would love to keep this one going but have simply run out of time in my day to keep both of them going!

Thanks so much to all my readers and followers, I appreciate all your support and hope that you will enjoy following my blog on the Sail and Swan website.

x Lauren

Free Desktop Background for September

2015-08-31T22:26:00.000-07:00

Eeeek it is SPRING!!!! I don't know about you but I am quite happily welcoming some sunshine and warmer weather back! Here is this month's free desktop background for you to enjoy, featuring my happy 'picnic hare' on the way to visit with his friends and have a picnic!

Simply click here to download and enjoy!

Illustration for the Pipsqueak Market

2015-08-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

Here is some recent illustration work for the Pipsqueak Market featuring their upcoming event, Market at the Movies!

As always the illustration brief was incredibly creative and featured the chipmunk family of 'Pipsqueaks' out and about at the movies.

I've included some details below as it's not too late to get tickets for the event! Featuring 'Ricki and the Flash', a glass of champagne or wine, and of course a market with lots of stalls, it promises to be a fun night. It is coming up on Saturday August 29th from 5-10pm at the Capri Theatre, Goodwood. Tickets can be purchased beforehand or on the night. See details below to find out more.

Bay Bridal Fair 2015

2015-08-03T21:23:00.002-07:00

Ok so get ready all you Brides-to-Be out there because the Bay Bridal Fair is just around the corner and you won't want to miss out!

It is on August 16th from 10am - 4pm at the Endeavour Homes Pavilion at the Morphettville Racecourse and there is free entry & car parking too! There will plenty to see and do on the day with fashion shows, food and loads of inspiration for your wedding day - and of course, Sail and Swan will be there too!

I'd love to meet you and chat about any ideas you have for your wedding invitations. We will have plenty on display for you to see too :)

See you then!

Free Wallpaper for August

2015-08-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Happy August everyone!

Here is this month's free wallpaper for you to enjoy and hopefully it will brighten up your office :)

Simply click the link to download and enjoy!

In other news there has been lots going on around here but I must apologize for my absence during July. I couldn't seem to dodge this year's rounds of colds and bugs and have had to try and take things a bit easier :) I will try and write about everything soon and fill you in with what's been happening!

x Lauren

Wedding Tea Towels

2015-06-17T21:50:00.001-07:00

I just want to send out a massive thank you to One Fab Day for featuring our lovely Sail and Swan Tea Towels on their gorgeous website! One Fab Day help brides, grooms and wedding guests navigate their way through the production of a wedding by providing inspiration and information! I would defintely recommend checking them out for some great ideas but also some really useful suggestions and info! These girls are thorough!

So what’s the big deal about Tea Towels? Tea Towel Invitations or Bonbonnieres are absolutely charming and make for a memorable way to share the joy of your wedding day! Not only do they make for a wonderful memory of your wedding, they are also a long-lasting gift that your guests will be able to use on a daily basis – super handy if they are a Save the Date!

Contact us if you would like to find out more!

Mid North Coast Weddings Magazine Feature

2015-06-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

How lucky was Sail and Swan to get featured in the current issue of Mid North Coast Weddings Magazine?!! Each page features stylish inspiration for your wedding, with beautifully and professionally taken photos. Mid North Coast Weddings Website is the home of the Mid North Coast Weddings Magazine, the Mid North Coast Weddings Expo & the Happily Ever After Bridal Fair. Their website will assist you with locating the best Wedding Ceremony Locations, Wedding Reception Venues in the Mid North Coast, including Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Taree, Coffs Harbour & Surrounding Areas.

Here is a sneak peek for you to see online - although I would definitely recommend getting yourself a hard copy too! Below I have included a few snap shots for you to see which I hope you will enjoy but you can see the full article on their blog here.

Stationery: Sail and Swan Studio
Location: Pillar Rock Farmstay, Guesthouse and Weddings – Located Pillar Valley near Wooli
Cakes & Biscuits - Pomp Cakes – Located Coffs Harbour servicing Mid North Coast Region
Hair – Macy J Hair – Located Coffs Harbour (salon and mobile) servicing Mid North Coast Region
Make Up – The Makeup Box by Carmel Kestles - Located Coffs Harbour (Macy J Hair salon and mobile) servicing Mid North Coast Region
Flowers - Flowers by Bonnie – Located near Coffs Harbour servicing Mid North Coast Region
Photography – Leeboo Photography – Located in Coffs Harbour servicing all over the Mid North Coast Region

It's June!

2015-05-31T18:23:00.001-07:00

Happy June everyone! Here is this month's free wallpaper for you to enjoy featuring a cute illustrated bird and a blue watercolour background! I hope it will brighten up your office and that the calendar will keep you organised too.

Simply click here to download it and enjoy!

Branding and Logo Designs

2015-05-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

So much has been happening around here lately and I've been wanting to post about our Logo Designs for a while. Branding is one of the most important steps when you first start a business, and I am passionate about working with business owners to create memorable and effective logo design that reflects your goals, values and the heart of your business.

The branding of your business is so much more than just a logo or flyer. It is about you – who you are and what you stand for. What message do you want your business to speak to clients? What are your values, hopes and goals? These are part of what your branding is all about. I specialize in branding, logos and stationery for small to medium businesses, and am passionate about helping those businesses achieve their goals.

The process begins with a Logo Design Brief that I will send to you. This helps me understand your business goals, values, likes, dislikes and more. We can also arrange a phone consultation or meet in person to discuss your brief. I then develop several concepts and drafts based on what we have discussed, and from there we work together toward refining your Logo Design and applying it in a variety of uses.

Here are a few logo designs for you to see below. Most of these are local businesses in or around Adelaide. If you would like to see more of my portfolio, then you can click here, or if you would like to find out more about our branding packages and pricing feel free to get in touch. I would love to work with you. Below you will see Bridget Quain Photographer, Hot Yoga Life, Baby By Co-op, Mobi Business Solutions and Bella in Bloom.

Vintage Botanical Wedding Invitations

2015-05-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

So much has been going on around here and I just wanted to share these new and exciting vintage botanical wedding invitations with you! This suite is called 'Clover' and features a collection of pretty vintage flowers and botanicals. Pink, peach, green and white roses, soft petals and clovers are beautifully balanced with clean and elegant writing.

These invitations can suit a variety of weddings from vintage and rustic to something more glam and chic. They would also suit an Autumn or Spring wedding perfectly with their pink and peach colour scheme!

If you would like to find out more about them, you view our pricing here or get in touch with us to receive a quote.

Colourful Original Paintings

2015-05-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

I am extremely excited to release some new and colourful original paintings!! I decided to extend my Flourish Series and create a few more artworks in this range. They are all for sale and are being offered at a great price. They feature different animals (deer, horses and an elephant) in bright colours and metallic gold. Below are some photos and more information for you to see.

Please contact me if you would like to purchase some or find out more. There is nothing quite like having an original painting in your home, and this colourful range will brighten up any room.

Flourish 4

75x100cm – $290

Acrylic and Ink on Canvas

Flourish 5

75x100cm – $290

Acrylic and Ink on Canvas

Flourish 6

75x100cm – $290

Acrylic and Ink on Canvas

Flourish 7

75x100cm – $290

Acrylic and Ink on Canvas

Flourish 8

50x70cm – $120

Acrylic and Ink on Canvas

Flourish 9

50x70cm – $120

Acrylic and Ink on Canvas

Navy Blue Watercolour Wedding Invitations

2015-05-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share some of our new Watercolour Wedding Invitations with you!

These invitations are not only oh-so-pretty, but they are super versatile and can work with nearly any wedding theme! They are also popular with grooms, who prefer a navy blue colour scheme to something more girly like pink tones or florals. This suite features splashes of navy ink on the page, varying from from very deep blue to softer sections of watercolours that seem to fade away. A stylish yet not too formal calligraphy is featured as the main font, and is balanced with an italic style of old typewriter font.

These watercolour wedding invitations can be used for a beach or nautical themed wedding, but also lend themselves to anything vintage or rustic themed.

If you would like to find out more about them, you view our pricing here or get in touch with us to receive a quote.

Hope you enjoy!

Chateau Tanunda Wedding Open Day

2015-05-01T00:10:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who came along to the Chateau Tanunda Wedding Open Day!

It was a great day and I enjoyed getting to meet you all in person, as well as all the other suppliers who were there on the day too. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Chateau Tanunda, it is definitely a wedding venue that you should check out (or even just go for a nice drive and wine tasting)! It is set in the amazing Barossa Valley and has surrounding views of vineyards and hills. The rustic interior is gorgeous too (my personal favourite is the old wooden floors).

Here are some photos of the day for you to see below. I hope you enjoy! Ps – if you would like to see our full range of Wedding Stationery, you can head here to have a look.

Rabbit Wallpaper - Hello May!

2015-05-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

Here is our May Rabbit Wallpaper for you to enjoy! It features our ever adorable Explorer Rabbit, sailing the skies in his hot air balloon. I hope this cute fellow will brighten up your office space as well as your day :)

Simply click the link to download and enjoy!

As an update, April has gone past as a busy blur of wedding fairs and new designs (which I must show you soon and although you can also view them here)! It's all been very exciting but my plans for May are to slow down slightly and work on some new PAINTINGS - yay(!) and to also keep developing my upcoming card range. More on that later! For now, I hope you enjoy this lovely rabbit wallpaper :)

Free Brush Script Desktop Background

2015-03-31T17:48:00.003-07:00

Happy April!! Here is our Free Brush Script Desktop Background for you to enjoy, featuring a lovely Coco Chanel quote. It is simple, inspiring and will hopefully brighten up your office! Not to mention it may force you to clean up all those messy files on your computer...or am I the only one who leaves my desktop looking cluttered at the end of every month?! Simply click here to download it and enjoy :)

In other news we are still working on our upcoming online shop. I have had a few issues to overcome along the way, and am still sorting through a few problems at the moment. I absolutely can't wait to get it up and running, so please hang in there with me! Good things come to those who wait :)

And on one final note..if you like this month's Free Brush Script Desktop Background, we have a whole range of inspirational quotes in our Etsy shop which you can view here. They feature my free style brush script hand lettering in beautiful blacks and whites.

Whimsical Baby Nurseries

2015-03-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Decorating a nursery can be tough! Where to start? What colours should I use? Do you want to keep using the room as a nursery in future? With our new range of Nursery Prints here at Sail and Swan, we thought it would be good to show off some of the cutest nursery set ups we have come across! Hopefully these Whimsical Baby Nurseries will give you some ideas for what colours to use, how to display artworks, and even how you can theme your baby’s nursery! There are so many different themes you can use in a nursery, and many are good for both boys and girls!

The first two images below were found at littlehandsillustration.com. The rest were found at Style Me Pretty Living. If you would like to see our Sail and Swan range of nursery prints, then simply click here.

I hope you enjoy!

Chateau Tanunda Wedding Open Day

2015-03-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

Ladies, get ready for the Chateau Tanunda Wedding Open Day this April! Come along to see their gorgeous wedding venue, set in the Barossa Valley. Vineyards, a gorgeous garden and the beautiful old building make for a lovely wedding location! There will also be a selection of beautiful suppliers and on the day for you to see, as well as wedding set ups so you can get ideas for your own wedding! The Chateau Tanunda team will also be there on the day so that you can ask lots of questions and get helpful advice.

The event will take place on Sunday April 26th from 11am to 4pm. Free entry and refreshments on arrival.

Here is some more information below or you can check out the event on Facebook here.

Magazine Feature - Tickle the Imagination

2015-03-23T15:38:00.001-07:00

Today we are sending a huge THANK YOU to Tickle the Imagination Magazine for featuring one of our pretty Sail and Swan products in their current issue!! We feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a special and beautiful magazine!!!

Tickle the Imagination celebrates all things handmade and creative in Australia. Their issues are full of inspiration and ideas, and showcase talented artists, designers and stylists. It is published quarterly, and you can find their stockists here or you can subscribe here online! You can also check out their online directory here.

I was completely drawn in by the DIY projects (make your own handmade paper???!!!! Ah-maz-ing!) not to mention the gorgeous styled shoots and products/styling. I found the content very inspiring, and was completely drawn in by the beautiful photos. In fact, I can’t wait for the next issue already!

Here are a couple of sneak peek images for you to see, but I would highly recommend getting yourself a hard copy :)

Love Cherish Adore - Adelaide Wedding Fair

2015-03-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Woohoo I am super excited because Love Cherish Adore is here again! Get ready ladies because this April and May we have a gorgeous and vintage(!) Adelaide wedding fair that I’m sure you will love :) Sail and Swan will be there among many other great businesses and product on the day. This isn’t just any wedding fair..Love Cherish Adore is unique, vintage and will leave you feeling inspired for your wedding day. Bring some friends along and we would love to see you there! Here are some pics from last year’s event!

Artworks with Autumn Colours

2015-03-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

I’m currently still in the process of working on some designs for my card collection, and thought I would it would be nice to get some illustration inspiration with lovely Autumn colours! Autumn colours can be bright and vibrant but also toned down and understated..they're incredibly interesting I find! And came across this quote which I love:

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
Albert Camus

So I hope you enjoy these images below and feel as inspired as I do!

In order from top to botton is: Fruit Illustration by Marisa Seguin, Children's Book Illustration by Migy, Watercolour Artwork by Grow Creative Shop, Animals Illustration by Greg Abbott, and Leaves Pattern by Carin Berger.

Lion Wallpaper

2015-03-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Autumn everyone! I must admit that I'm a bit devastated to be saying farewell to summer but I certainly enjoyed it while it lasted. Nevertheless Autumn is also a great season filled with crunchy leaves, hot cross buns, warm sunny days and even some rain too. Well it's time to celebrate bringing our scarves out again, so here is a great way to start off your month with our free Lion Wallpaper and calendar for you to enjoy!

This month we have featured our lovely lion friend with his vibrant orange mane. He is also available for purchase in our online shop as an art print. Simply click the link here to download and enjoy this free wallpaper!

Custom Nursery Art

2015-02-11T16:29:00.001-08:00

Sail and Swan now offer custom nursery art! These are a lovely decor touch for any baby's nursery or child's bedroom. I'm super excited because although these prints are just the start of our new line, I'm already in love with these cute as a button designs! Featuring adorable animals in a variety of colour choices, you just can't go wrong with these and they make for cute gifts too! Some of our designs also allow for date, weight and other custom details. Contact us to find out more or check them out in our Etsy shop. Our own Sail and Swan online shop is coming soon too!

Sail and Swan Feature - Beach Wedding Collaboration

2015-02-09T23:26:00.000-08:00

I'm super excited to show these photos from a joint effort with Daniel from Keepsake Photography!! If you are a bride planning a beach or nautical wedding day then this photo shoot collaboration is just for you! It took place at Mollymook and has both a rustic and timeless feel to it, keeping the lovely bright florals as the main part of the theme. Often couples can get carried away with choosing typical 'nautical' items for their beach wedding, and they forget that they can include some of the more feminine details. This photo shoot proves that you can combine both beautifully!

Lilygrace Flowers created the floral arrangements and Style My Aisle took care fo teh styling for the photo shoot as well as the Teepee and rustic table. The makeup was by Sophie Rogers Makeup Artist and Percy Handmade let us use some of their gorgeous gowns and hair pieces. To finish it up we used some of our own Sail and Swan product to tie the theme together. Our relaxed, rustic and feminine style matched perfectly!

A massive thanks goes to everyone for taking part, and especially to Daniel for inviting Sail and Swan to be part of the project!

Brush Script Art Prints with Inspirational Quotes

2015-02-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

I am incredibly excited to share our new range of art prints with you! These are from our inspirations range and feature everything that I absolutely love - hand lettering brush script writing and beautiful quotes. Every girl needs something to keep her motivated, inspired and help her to remember how beautiful she is. It's easy to feel down and doubt ourselves, and that's why I decided to create these so that we can spread some positivity around the place and even encourage a friend or two. These prints are based from my original artworks and include all of my favorite quotes, sayings and Bible verses - plus a couple of my own. They are available for purchase in our online shop.

Valentine's Desktop Background

2015-02-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

Happy February everyone! Here is a cute valentine's desktop background to brighten up your office! Simply click the link to download and enjoy. Honestly I don't know where all the time goes! One minute it was Christmas and all of a sudden Valentine’s Day is around the corner eeek! I have been busy working on new designs for our up and coming extended stationery range, plus still in the process of setting up our own online shop. It’s lots of hard work but hopefully soon it will be well worth the effort soon! For now I am in this intense bubble of busyness and creativity!