How To Fill A Lily Blanche Memory Keeper Locket With Photographs

You will need: A Lily Blanche Memory Keeper Locket Laptop; Printer; 15mm (0.6 inch) craft punch; 130gsm self adhesive photographic paper.

• First choose your images. Pick strong portrait shots which are clear and unfussy and where there is a bit of space around the head (ie the top of the head is not cut off or up against the edge of the photograph) Single headshots work best at this size.
• If they are not already uploaded to your computer, scan or upload the photos. (If you have physical photos you want to use you can skip this part but you should have copies made of them in case you make a mistake)
• Sign up or open up your favourite graphic design site or photo –editing app. We like http://www.canva.com because it is free and easy to use. We will assume you are using canva.com for this exercise.
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• In the “create a design” page choose the custom dimensions option. Enter 65 x 65 in the blank fields and make sure it is set to pixels (px). This will open a new page with a blank square “canvas”.
• Select “uploads” from the menu on the left hand side. Click on “upload your own images”. This will take you to the menu on your computer. Select the image you wish to use from the folder in which you stored it. This will return you to canva.com. Wait until the image is fully uploaded.
• Next select “elements” on the left hand menu. Click on “frames” and keep scrolling down until you find the simple circular frame with no extra border and no thick green band in the middle. Click on this. The circle frame will upload to the square white box.
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• Select “uploads” from the left hand menu and click on the locket image you recently uploaded. This should automatically pop into the circle frame. Use the crop button and the resize dots to manipulate the image until you have the desired effect. Click the tick sign in the white band at the top of the canvas when you are happy. Click the dustbin symbol to delete the image and start again.
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• When you are happy with your image, click “download” in the blue band at the top of the canvas. Click the green download button to save the image to your computer. Remember to name and store the image in a folder.
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• Repeat this process until you have all the images you require.
• Open a word document and copy the small circular images onto it. It is good to make a number of copies of each image in case you accidentally damage one or in case you require spares at a later date. Leave a bit of space around each image.
• Once you are happy with the images on the page, print a test page on ordinary paper to ensure you are happy with the results.
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• Practice punching out the images with the punch – we use the Hobbycraft 0.6 inch paper punch – and placing them on the locket to ensure you are happy with the order of the images etc.
• Once you are happy with the test images, choose your final paper, select “photographic paper” if you are using it and best quality print on you printer properties and print the images out. (Remember to reset the printer to normal print for the next time you use it).
• If you are using photographic paper please make sure it is lightweight. We use ICE 130 gsm self-adhesive photographic paper which you can buy in small quantities. Thick or heavy paper will jam the locket and is likely to damage it.
• Punch out the images with the punch. If you are using self-adhesive photographic paper, simply peel off the backs and stick them in place. If you are using ordinary paper, use the little sticker seals which come with the locket. Let it rest for ten minutes before closing the locket. Your highly personalised unique Memory Keeper Locket is now ready to wear.
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• If you need any help, please get in touch via the website www.lilyblanche.com

The Power Of Pearls

This week is the fourth anniversary of my mother’s death and I have been thinking about her and the legacy she left behind. We shared a love of interesting jewellery. She had an excellent eye and one of the pieces I inherited from her was her pearl necklace.

Lily Blanche Pearl Necklaces

Three strands of ivory cultured pearls with a pearl and sapphire clasp, they live in a slim, navy leather case nestled in a white silk lining.  I have only ever worn them once – to a very grand white tie dinner in Helsinki for the Millennium Technology Prize, Finland’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

These are special occasion pearls and I feel I am the custodian of them for my daughters and their cousins. My daughter has said she wants to wear them on their wedding day.

Pearls Are Always Appropriate

Jackie Kennedy Onassis in the White House with John Kennedy Jr

 

“Pearls are always appropriate,” said Jackie Onassis but they can be intimidating. Jackie O knew what countless women – from Elizabeth I and Coco Chanel to Princess Grace of Monaco and Angelina Jolie -have learned; pearls equal power. And if ever women were reclaiming or finding their power, it is now.

Angelina Jolie address G8 delegates

Pearls never really come into to fashion and they never really go out of it. They are the ultimate anti-trend jewellery. It is absolutely no coincidence that the women in the Royal Family who have access to some of the most sumptuous jewels ever made, opt time and time again for pearls. From the Duchess of Cambridge to the Queen – pearls and royalty are synonymous.

It is not just the fact that they go with everything, or that a single string of classic pearls boost confidence and signals that you mean business. It’s that the creamy or pale pink lustre of pearls reflects the light upwards to the skin bathing it in a lovely glow. If you are regularly photographed or in the public eye, pearls will soften harsh lighting and lead to more flattering images. This was one of the secrets the Queen Mother passed on to her daughters.

Coco Chanel in pearls

Pearls are often, paradoxically, understated but dramatic in their effect. If you have pierced ears and you don’t already own a pair of cultured pearl stud earrings – acquire some. You will be amazed at the effect two little pearls can have and you may never feel properly dressed without them again!

One thing is certain, invest in pearls now and you will still be wearing them decades later. To shop the Lily Blanche Pearl sale click here