thelavenderwhim

Whimsically illustrated stationery and home goods.

Ellicott City, Maryland On Etsy since 2013

892 Sales | 5 out of 5 stars

Buyers are raving!

This shop got multiple 5-star reviews in the past 7 days.

thelavenderwhim

Whimsically illustrated stationery and home goods.

Ellicott City, Maryland | 892 Sales

5 out of 5 stars

Shop owner

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Announcement    USPS deliveries have been moving much more slowly than usual. Please order as far in advance as possible. I am shipping on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and will do everything I can to help expedite the processing of your envelope or package!

Announcement

Last updated on Aug 27, 2020

USPS deliveries have been moving much more slowly than usual. Please order as far in advance as possible. I am shipping on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and will do everything I can to help expedite the processing of your envelope or package!

Items

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892 Sales
213 Admirers
 
Jill-Ann

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Jill-Ann

Reviews

Average item review
5 out of 5 stars
(220)
See reviews that mention:
quality 32 shipping 37 customer service 11

About thelavenderwhim

Sales 892
On Etsy since 2013

A Lavender Room, A Dreamer's Whim

How this came to be:

There's a little lavender studio in a little mid-century house in a little suburban Maryland town. This is where I go to work, but work is really play. My "work" is the mingling of imagination and observation. It is color. It is whimsy and dreams. My "work" is this thing called art and The Lavender Whim came to be so that I could do more of it.

I was five when my neighbor, a professional painter, pulled a little easel up next to his in our shared midwestern driveway and handed me a paintbrush. I was 16 when I founded the art club at my high school. I was 19 when I left art school to marry a soldier and travel the world. I was 30 when I received my degree in creative writing and spent my time painting with words, which turned out to only be part of the equation for my creative soul. It was a few years after that when I realized that an authentic life...one filled with the kind of moments that I wanted to be remembered for and that would breathe richness into my time on earth, was a life where I was making art. I left my office job...my 8x8 plot in cubicle land. I set out to live to the tips of my fingers, not just the tops of my shoulders. This means nurturing the heirloom tomatoes that vine and ripen in my garden, raising the fluffy little chicks that grow up to be my backyard laying hens, encouraging the two children that bring me laughter and much of the inspiration for my art. It means adventures and travel with my best friend (aka husband) and culinary experimentation in my cozy little kitchen. It means indulging in the writing of other poets and stringing words to make my own. It means sunny trail rides with my retired racehorse and games of fetch with a sprightly red-and-white spaniel.

How I work:

Every item that you purchase from The Lavender Whim is born in my imagination. I am a the curious sort and I love to explore, travel and take in all of the many inspirations that the world provides. When I get an idea for a card or other product, I start with a sketch. Sometimes it takes several versions of that sketch before I am satisfied. The sketch then goes to my light box, where I transfer the drawing to hot-press watercolor paper. I then begin to add color. I love layering watercolor and oftentimes my paintings will have very vibrant color built up over many dozens of layers. Depending on the vision that I have in my head, I sometimes add shading and/or detail with watercolor pencil and gouache. Once a painting is completed I scan it with a very sensitive home scanner and bring it into Adobe Photoshop. I touch up any artifacts that appear on the scan and then format the painting for print. After I have meticulously set-up the print file for whatever product I am creating, I send the file digitally to my preferred digital printing partner, who prints my product onto the type of high-quality paper that I have selected for the project. Upon delivery of my products, I check the print for color vibrancy and proper alignment. After this quality control check, I carefully fold greeting cards, pair them with an envelope and package them. Any item with a rounded corner is cut here in the studio. Egg carton and canning jar labels are also cut here in the studio prior to packaging. Your item is then packaged (by me!) for shipment and delivered (by me!) to my local post office. From its very conception to the arrival of a The Lavender Whim package in your mailbox, each product is created with the care that you expect of artisanal goods.

As a freelance illustrator it is my joy to let some of my imagination out to roam the world via the stationery, home goods and custom artwork that I offer here on Etsy. Thank you for stopping in!

Shop members

  • Jill-Ann Mark

    Owner, Designer, Daydreamer, Thinker-upper, Sketcher, Painter

    I'm a girl who loves much. Making art, writing poems, travel, thrift store treasure-hunting, cats-eye glasses, suburban farming....just the tip of the iceberg.

Production partners

  • digital press partner

    United States

    I am pleased to partner with a family-owned American press operation to bring my artwork to life on the paper products I offer in my store.

Shop policies

Last updated on January 14, 2014
Welcome to The Lavender Whim! My stationery and home items are digital or offset prints printed in the U.S.A. on a variety of high-quality heavyweight cardstocks. Each item description has details as to the texture/finish that the print has been made on. Custom paintings are created with professional-grade watercolor pigments on fine watercolor papers. Some paintings are detailed with professional-grade watercolor pencil.

Accepted payment methods

Paypal Mastercard Visa American Express Discover Apple Pay Klarna Giftcard
Accepts Etsy Gift Cards and Etsy Credits
Returns and exchanges
All sales are final. If you are unhappy with your order for any reason, please contact me via the "Contact" tab here at Etsy, or by e-mailing me at hallo(at)thelavenderwhim.com
Payment
I accept credit cards, Paypal, Etsy gift cards or money orders. Money orders will incur a 5 business day hold prior to shipping.
Shipping
All paper items are shipped in protective sleeves; original artwork is shipped with an acid-free backing board for stability. Paper goods are shipped in rigid cardboard mailers.

My preferred method of shipment is USPS First Class mail or, when package size or expedience dictates, USPS Priority Mail.

Turnaround: Your in-stock order will ship within three business days. I am sometimes able to accommodate rush orders; please convo me prior to placing your order so that I can ensure my ability to meet your request. Please see information below regarding the turnaround for custom orders.

International orders: I am thrilled when my products are enjoyed by Etsyians in other countries and am happy to ship internationally. Please be aware that international customers are responsible for their own customs duty and taxes.

If your order arrives damaged or fails to arrive in a reasonable time frame, please contact me as soon as possible so that I can rectify the situation. You may contact me through the "contact" tab here on Etsy or by e-mailing hallo(at)thelavenderwhim.com.
Additional policies and FAQs
Custom paintings and illustration design: The turnaround time for custom work will vary depending on the project. Please see the item description (when applicable) or contact me to get an idea of the timeline for the work you have in mind. I love to work with my clients to create one-of-a-kind wedding invitations, wedding programs, baby shower invitations and pretty much any paper item that you can imagine. If there's something you're dreaming of for your own event and don't see it listed in my shop, please convo me. In most cases, I can make it happen!