First of all, these past couple months offering live workshops at the Lily & Val Flagship Store in Pittsburgh has been such a joy! I’ve loved sharing my passion for chalk lettering with you in person and I’m excited to continue that with… Chalk Project Nights!

The first one will be held on Monday, August 7th from 6:30 – 8:30!

What Are Chalk Project Nights?

These special workshops will walk you through a chalk art sign from start to finish! I will teach you all the steps for creating the sign in our intimate workshop space, and you will have a new sign at the end to proudly display!

The August 7th class will feature this hand-lettered quote – “Nothing is worth more than this day” – amidst chalk flower illustrations.

More Details…

Beginners are welcome although some previous lettering or drawing experience would be helpful.

All supplies will be provided for the project. We will utilize a combination of my favorite Crayola chalk and a smudge-free product called, Butterstix. You will want to make appropriate arrangements for transporting your sign home as some portions of the sign will smudge!

I’m also really excited about the chalkboards we will be using! Everyone will receive a handmade 12″ x 15″ chalkboard sign made exclusively for us by Scott at Rivet Design Co. Scott built so many pieces for our store and he is just the best!

After we complete our signs, there will be time for private shopping in the Flagship Store with a special discount! I hope to see you there!!

Reserve Your Seat Here

Hey, friends! Today we started a big Summer Retirement Sale on lilyandval.com and I’m feeling all the nostalgic feels! On one hand, I am thrilled because we are cleaning our shelves to make room for all the new we have planned, but on the other hand, I am sad because we are saying goodbye to some beloved favorites!

Many of these designs are classic best-sellers and some of my first drawings.  Some items have little inventory, so if you see something be sure to grab it! Once these things are gone they’re gone for good!

Here are a few of my favorites included in the retirement sale:

This “Love you to the moon & back” print and card was one of the reasons I fell in love with chalk art. The textured nature of the moon created in chalk made it one of our all-time best-selling designs!

Black and white designs will always have my heart! This black and white version of “You are my sunshine” fits into all types of decor.

I created this “perpetual fall” design for the ultimate lover of the season! It was one of my first non-chalk designs and it hangs proudly in my own studio!

Our traditional, classic “Merry Christmas” sign will always be speci00al to me because Mak and I used it as our Christmas card photo one year!

Out of all of our designs, I’ve probably heard the most stories from customers about the “Friends Become Our Chosen Family” design. You’ve told me how it made you friends cry and how it provided the perfect sentiment for those very special people that feel like family. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.

Many of my first designs still revolved around the kitchen! That hasn’t changed. I am particularly sentimental toward the “Cooking with love provides food for the soul” print because it was a phrase I wrote myself and has since turned into a mantra. It also led to the creation of the L&V “Cooking with Love Provides Food for the Soul” Recipe Calendars and was featured in Good Housekeeping Magazine!

This French Macaron drawing is another favorite because I drew it right before a much-anticipated trip to Paris! I also loved experimenting with the colors on this one.

These are just a fraction of the retiring designs that hold a special place in my heart. There are over 100 items as part of the sale! I hope you find something that is special to you too!

Shop the sale here!

For this week’s Pretty Ordinary Friday #60, we’re documenting snapshots of our week. While our pictures may not be the prettiest or the most interesting, we enjoyed each instance and want to remember them! These are the behind-the-scenes, in-between moments – the small peeks that would otherwise be forgotten. Join us as we use this series to scrapbook the unedited, memorable happenings at Lily & Val and what is inspiring our team!

The team says:

1. “This week I spent a lot of time here at this bench in my favorite park. I usually stick to my studio for drawing, but the change of scenery was so welcome and I felt inspired.” – Valerie

2. “Micron pens, a notebook, and iced coffee. My outdoor office essentials.” – Valerie

3. “It felt appropriate to draw botanical sketches while outside! This “Chinese lantern” drawing is making me really excited for fall.” – Valerie 

4. “Drawing from real-life subjects in nature is just the best. I must do this more often.” – Valerie

5. “This week, Lily & Val STENCILS released!!! I immediately ran to my local Michaels to find them! Read more about the stencils here.” – Valerie

6. “A gorgeous bouquet of flowers arrived at my doorstep from FTD Flowers. Certainly brightened my day!” – Valerie

7. “I spent 5 days in New Orleans and Cafe du Monde was one of the places everyone said was a must-see. The beignets were amazing! I may have gone back for a second time the next day.” – Nicole

8. “One of my favorite things about New Orleans was the architecture and gorgeous rod iron railings. I captured this while on a historical ghost tour through the French Quarter. I was more wowed by the size of these ferns though!” – Nicole

9. “Probably the most amazing meal I had the entire trip was the Polpetta from Red Gravy. I ate every single bite!” – Nicole

Friends, did you hear the news? Two days ago we released brand new Lily & Val and Plaid stencils. Read all about them here. In this post, I want to share a step-by-step on how to use Lily & Val stencils to create this modern chalkboard sign! The design is very simple, subtle, and a new take on chalkboard art.

One of my favorite reasons to use stencils is to create a repetitive pattern. It does take some patience, but the result is worth it! Also, how nice and relaxing is it to slow down and work on something repetitive? I thought using the words “slow down” on the sign was very appropriate for that reason.

To create this sign you will need:

A set of L&V stencils in this pattern
A set of L&V stencils in this pattern
A small, blank chalkboard
Folk Art paints in Thicket, Citrus Green, Ink Spot, and White.
Small stenciling brushes
Scissors for cutting out the stencils
Also helpful to have on hand: water to wash your brushes & stencils and paper towels

Step 1: Cut Your Stencils

After experimenting with the stencils, I found it easier to cut out the portions I wanted to use. Be aware though, you don’t want to get too close to the edge. You will need some “extra” space in order to push your brush into the stencil and not bleed off the edge. You will need both leaf patterns,

I used both leaf patterns, but cutting them out would have compromised using the rose for a later time, so I cut out both leaves as well as the rose.

Step 2: Mix your paints.

For the bottom layer of my chalkboard, I wanted the pattern to be very dark and subtle. This will give the chalkboard an interesting and unique effect and make the white letters really pop on top of it! Mix “thicket – a dark green” with “Ink spot- a deep shade of blue” and add just a hint of “citrus green”.

Step 3: Load your brush and begin stenciling!

When using the stencils, you will want to be sure your brush has just enough paint but is mostly dry. Too much paint on your brush could cause the color to bleed. Swirl your brush in the paint then dab a bit of it off onto your palette before moving to the stencil.

Holding down your stencil, dab the brush into the open spaces. You will want to use a blotting motion as opposed to swiping the brush back and forth (this could cause the stencil to lift.) When the spaces are covered in paint, lift up the stencil and you have your first mark!

Step 4: Repeat to create the pattern

Create the dark leaf pattern by alternating your stencil from corner to corner. If you’re a bit impatient like me, this helps each portion dry without disturbing it. Fill in any gaps and turn your stencil as needed.

Step 5: Create balance

Once you have the larger leaves covering most of the board, fill in any awkward, small, unbalanced spaces with the smaller set of branches and leaves. Keep in mind, you do not have to use the entire stencil. Sometimes only using a part of it will do the trick!

Our first layer is done! Now we let it dry (don’t worry, it does dry quickly!)

Step 6: Add a second, lighter layer of details

Mix up the second batch of paint using white to create a lighter shade of sage green. Using the smaller branches and a smaller brush, go back into your design and add some small, lighter leaves to contrast the first dark, leafy layer. The spacing does not need to be perfect just so it feels balanced.

Step 7: Plan your lettering

Since we are working on a chalkboard, you can use a piece of real chalk to draw guides. I drew from corner to corner to find the center point, then lightly drew through the stencils to mark where the letters should go and how closely they should be spaced. I liked the idea of using the simple, bold hand lettering style to contrast the pattern.

Step 8: Stencil your letters on top

Lining the stencil up with your guides and using white paint, stencil your letters right on top of the guides. As we did with the leaves, you can alternate which letters you paint first so as to let the others dry.

Step 9: Erase your guide and display your new sign!

I think this sign is so unique and such a fun take on chalkboard art stenciling. It truly was fun to slow down and create the repetitive pattern especially. Now, the sign can serve as a reminder to slow down more often, something I do need to hear.

I hope you enjoyed this stencil project and would love to hear what you think in the comments! I am thrilled to have these stencils now available at Michaels both in-store and online. Be sure to grab yours and also take some time to slow down today. 🙂

Hi Friends!  I would be so grateful if you could take a moment to fill out our annual customer survey!

We rely on the opinions of our amazing customers in order to continue making great products and create helpful content for you here on the blog! Your feedback helps us so much.

To say thank you, if you submit your feedback by July 31st 2017, you will be entered to win a $100 shopping spree to the Lily & Val shop! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. xoxo, Val

Begin Survey Here >>

Friends, I’m so excited to announce this news I could burst! Hand lettered stencils have been a few years in the making and Lily & Val for Plaid stencils are HERE and available at Michaels!

When Plaid and FolkArt first contacted me about the possibility of stencils, I was overjoyed because this has been one of my most requested items of all time. Not to mention, to have the chance to work with such a well-respected company in the craft world like Plaid is surreal. It’s honestly humbling and another one of those moments when I think back to how I got started accidentally into this chalk art journey. The opportunities I’ve been given still make me pinch myself. I’m incredibly grateful.

Annnnd…. here they are! 4 sets of stencils each with a different feel and aesthetic, but what I love about them is that they are all coordinated. To make the chalkboard sign above, I used a combination of elements from all 4!

About the Stencils:

Each stencil set contains a full alphabet of my hand lettering and one of the sets contains two! In addition to the lettering, each one has a plethora of banners, embellishments, swirls, flowers, borders, and flourishes! I love using all of these things in my chalkboard designs and I love that they are available here in the stencils.

I’ve been having a blast experimenting with each style and embellishments and putting together different combinations! I was a bit intimidated at first by the layering of stencils to create the finished letters, but they’re super simple to use once I got started.

In the coming days and weeks, you can expect to see some stencil projects here on the blog! I can’t wait to show you how I’ve been using the stencils and some fun tips I have for making them look like chalk.

Even beyond chalkboard stenciling, they also work beautifully for wood and many other surfaces. When I say the possibilities are endless, it’s really true!

I will also be holding in-person stencil workshops at the Lily & Val Flagship Store so stayed tuned for those!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this video of the creation of the above chalkboard sign!

You can find the stencils at a Michaels Store near you or on michaels.com!

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For this week’s Pretty Ordinary Friday #60, we’re documenting snapshots of our week. While our pictures may not be the prettiest or the most interesting, we enjoyed each instance and want to remember them! These are the behind-the-scenes, in-between moments – the small peeks that would otherwise be forgotten. Join us as we use this series to scrapbook the unedited, memorable happenings at Lily & Val and what is inspiring our team!

The team says:

1. “My little niece loves the pool! There is nothing better than being exhausted after a day of swimming.” – Emily

2. “Over the weekend, my Dad showed me this book from my great, great Aunt from the 1920’s! Look at her beautiful handwriting!” – Valerie

3. “An in-process shot of the chalk design that we’ll be creating for my first Chalk Project Night on August 7th! You can get your ticket here.” – Valerie 

4. “Pretty flowers on my walk home! I can never resist a good flower photo-opp!” – Valerie

5. “We served Arnold Palmers all day in the Lily & Val Flagship Store to celebrate the launch of our Summer Recipe Collection! This is one of the new recipe prints.” – Valerie

6. “More new products in the Flagship Store! I love how our new loose recipe card packs are displayed with our Stak Ceramics kitchen docks. Emily does such a great job coming up with creative ways to display things.” – Valerie

7. “We had a “card sleeving party” in the office this week! 6500 cards done in approximately 5 hours. It was all-hands-on-deck!” – Valerie

8. “So many Lily & Val cards needing to be sleeved this week! I actually enjoyed the repetitive task. It was a nice break from my usual day.” – Valerie

9. “A peek at something else new – Lily & Val stencils! I had such a fun time playing around with them this week and will be sharing more on Facebook live and the blog next week. I hope you guys love them as much as I do!” – Valerie

This just in: new kitchen-themed lovelies from Lily & Val! A slew of recipe cards, tote bags, and new prints hit the shelves and we are beyond pumped to share them all with you. You can read more about the heart behind the collection here. With that and the idea in mind that great recipes are meant to be shared, we brainstormed 7 ways to use our new recipe cards and spread the love!

1) Hand-Deliver a Dish

Know a friend who could use a little pick-me-up? Bake a decadent dish and hand-deliver it to their door with the hand-written recipe in tow! They’ll appreciate the indulgence, the company, and the possibility of making it for themselves while following the instructions you included. Our “Butter Makes Everything Better” card is a great accompaniment to a sweet treat.

2) Send a Surprise Snail Mail Recipe

Recently, my good friend Virginia sent me a card with a joke and a smiley face written inside. The gesture was simple, but it has been providing me with an endless amount of joy this week. Taking a page out of Virginia’s book, we recommend mailing a hand-written recipe card to a friend! Our chalk-illustrated recipe cards pair perfectly with this classic “Celebrate” card.  Add a few mini party hats to the package and you have a sweet birthday surprise. (PS: you might need a bigger envelope to comfortably fit the recipe card plus the note card.)

3) Host a Bridal Shower Recipe Party

Bridal showers inspire the exchange of well-wishes, advice, and especially recipes! Bring a package or two of our Floral Recipe Cards to a bridal shower. Then, encourage guests to share their culinary secrets with the bride-to-be. Another idea is to send a recipe card with the bridal shower invitations and ask guests to bring their hand-written recipe with them to the shower! We think our Floral Recipe Card design is perfect for a bridal party!

4) Reminisce with a Family Member

We all know the dishes that cause our families to enter into a sort of Battle Royale for the final bite. Pick one of these favorites and ask the top chef in your family to memorialize it with their own hand-writing on recipe cards. This is a favor I’m sure they will be honored to accommodate, especially if you emphasize their skills in the kitchen when asking. Each person in the family can then have that special recipe card to keep and remind them about past family gatherings.

5) Inspire An Office Lunch Party

A good luncheon doesn’t need an occasion – inspire a recipe exchange for the office! Have coworkers sign up for a dish to bring. Each person can accompany the dish with a stack of recipe cards with instructions on how to make it! As we believe every recipe stirs up a memory, sharing dishes is a way to spark up a conversation and learn something new about your fellow coworkers.

6) Give A Thoughtful Housewarming Gift

After a long day of moving and preparing the house for guests, it’s always nice to have a ready-made meal at your fingertips the next day. As a housewarming gift, we recommend a homemade meal complete with the recipe! Get a pack of our Kitchen Mixer cards, fill out the first one for your pal, and tie the remaining empty cards together with a bow.

7) Have a Potluck

Every Monday night, my friends and I get together to shamelessly watch reality shows on television. Sometimes there is a theme for bringing food and sometimes there isn’t – but I can guarantee, every single time recipe exchanges occur. Host a little potluck of your own! Ask guests to bring a dish and have an assortment of recipe cards ready on the “buffet” table. Guests can easily swap recipes as they nibble. The party doesn’t need to be fancy, decorated, or even well-planned! Simply invite a handful of friends and watch the fun happen. The “Watch Me Whip” cards will be well-loved in my circle.

What are your ideas for spreading the love with recipe cards? Comment below and let us know!

Shop all of our new recipe cards here.

Don’t miss our last post – we have a huge giveaway going on over there!

See them all below and let us know which one is your favorite! 

Summer is in full swing and I don’t know about you, but I cannot get enough tropical designs lately! Palm leaves, ferns, monstera, hibiscus – I am loving ALL of it. This is the inspiration behind the modern wreath at our upcoming July 28th Faux Floral Skills Workshop at the Lily & Val Flagship Store in Pittsburgh!

Join us on Friday, July 28th, 2017 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm for a fun night of wreath-making plus learning all the skills for modern faux floral arrangements. We’re big fans of faux florals here at Lily & Val especially when they are done in fresh, modern ways!

Our Merchandising Director and Stylist, Emily, will be leading the class. She is responsible for the amazing custom arrangements you see throughout the store! Her eye for arranging plus her vast knowledge of faux blooms makes this a fascinating class. I learned SO much during the first one. You can read that re-cap and see the workshop in action here.

Emily will be sharing her expertise for choosing faux blooms, what pairs well with what, and when to go faux. Her techniques are so valuable and everyone will be equipped to even tackle future arrangements on their own!

Plus, you get to take home this STUNNING summer wreath with a tropical feel. I love the handmade copper frame – it’s handmade specifically for our store and class.

All materials needed for the workshop will be provided. The workshop also includes a special 20% discount to the Flagship Store and light refreshments and snacks.

Our workshop space is small and intimate so seats are limited! Be sure to get yours! Hope to see you there! 

Grab your seat here. 

P.S. If you’re looking for more tropical vibes, we just released this Aloha print in the shop yesterday!

Friends, I’ve been bursting with excitement to share this Summer Recipe Collection with you and today is the day!!

Recipes are a big part of the heart behind what we do at Lily & Val. They always have been – even back in the beginning days when I was hand painting custom recipes signs. I always loved hearing the stories behind your most precious recipes because so many of my own favorite memories involve food.

I think it all goes back to the simple, ordinary things in life and how these things become big things when we look back. One of our mantras is “the fondest memories are made when gathered around the table.” I truly believe this!

I present to you, The L&V Summer Recipe Collection:

Recipe Card Packs

You guys! Loose recipe cards are something I’ve wanted to create for the longest time! Each card features hand-drawn and hand-lettered elements. There are 7 designs to choose from and they come in packs of 15.

Summer Prints

We added 4 new prints to our library today! The Old Fashioned and Pimm’s Cup recipe illustrations are two of my most requested cocktails and I’m thrilled to offer them! The Arnold Palmer is not only the perfect summertime drink but also a nod to our neighbors in Latrobe, PA where Arnold Palmer himself was from.

The “Aloha” print is a bright, cheerful addition that reminds us of time spent relaxing poolside with a drink in hand, of course.

Grocery Totes

Another brand new product- cotton totes! These quirky, punny phrases are sure to get some smiles as you carry your grocery or farmers market finds.

The Baker’s Bundle

We’ve also put together our favorites from the collection plus our best-selling Keepsake Kitchen Diary to bring you… the Baker’s Bundle!

The bundle includes our “Watch Me Whip” tote, Butter recipe card pack and Kitchen Diary for a savings of 20% off!*

* We only set aside a limited number of bundles, so when they’re gone, they’re gone! 

Get your bundle here!

Shop the full recipe collection here!

Enter the Giveaway:

AND, because we’re just too excited about our recipe collection launch, we also decided to put together some favorite kitchen goodies and give away over $200 in prizes to one lucky winner!!

The winner will receive:

Floral Pink Cotton Canvas Kitchen Apron and two matching Quilted Oven Mitts  |   3 packs of brand new Lily & Val recipe cards   |   A Keepsake Kitchen Diary   | Floral Butter Dish   |   Butter Makes Everything Better Tote Bag   |   The Paleo Chocolate Lovers’ Cookbook by Kelly Brozyna   |   Set of 4 cute Nesting Measuring Cups   |   Set of 3 Silicone & Stainless Steel Whisks   |   Lick the Bowl Cotton Tea Towel 

To enter: Follow the instructions below! Winner will be announced on July 26th. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway