Turning a Memory into a piece of Art is easy with Paint a Moment, I found my moment of calm during this collaboration

This October I have been gifted an opportunity, to make a photograph of mine into a piece of art. The photograph I chose was a macro image of some forget-me-not flowers that I had taken. I planted these flowers in my garden after I lost my final grandparent in tribute to her memory. The flowers mean a lot to me, and when the kind founder of Paint a Moment contacted me about a product review, I knew I wanted to turn something significant in my life into a painted piece of art.

Do you know what’s incredible? Watching your memory, and in my case my photographic art, take shape by my own hands, with every brush stroke and every paint pot change. Let me tell you why these pieces make the most incredible gifts, either for people in your life or as a present to yourself. Because making art is always calming and gratifying, but to watch your important things; such as your pets or people in your world come to life on the canvas, that is something else entirely. It is a wonderful feeling to watch the art develop over the days in which you paint it, you are giving a moment life, to keep it forever once you’re done.

Here is a photograph showing my original flowers image side by side with the canvas that I have received from Paint A Moment. As you can see it is intricate with many different shades and it will have areas that will require a delicate hand and a gentle touch. I recall saying to myself “I am sure this will keep me busy during my baby’s nap times for the coming weeks”. And boy did it! It took me roughly 30 hours to complete over the course of ten days. I will show you the finished canvas at the end of this article so please keep reading, let’s hear more about Paint A Moment now before I give my review.

Once you have chosen your picture Paint a Moment provide every paint that you will need, and also stickers so that you can label the paint pots according to the numbers on your printed picture. I received 3 brushes as well, different thicknesses so that I can tackle every aspect of my canvas. As you can see in my image below the pots have come in an awesome tray to keep things neat and tidy as well as the various stickers and a reference image of my photograph.

I found the painting was easy, by following the lines and the numbers. Not having to mix any paints was also a blessing, all the things that I needed were included, and I could just pick up the paintbrush when my baby was napping and paint a little. I would usually choose the largest amount of colour from the numbers I had remaining. So that way I could watch the painting come to life, one colour at a time. As I said above it took me ten days, roughly 30 hours. That was because it was very stop start, looking after my children between painting moments.

Speaking of moments, I wanted to include a quote from Paint A Moment founder Marcus in my review, here is what he has said about his business and the art they create.

“I wanted to make something that gets people off their phones for an evening (or longer) and leaves them with a painting of something they actually love: their dog, their nan’s house, a place they have been to. You don’t need to be able to paint, you just need a photo, a bit of patience and a moment to yourself”.

If you or someone you know could do with some grounding and relaxing artwork to complete, perhaps for someone too invested in their phone, then why not consider a piece as a gift. I think it’s the perfect thing for all because you don’t need to be able to paint to do paint by numbers work. When I agreed to this collaboration I checked out the shop on the Paint a Moment website, and they have three stages for painters of all levels and difficulties. It can be for anyone to enjoy.

A paint kit starts from £21.99 and you can choose if you want to add any additional things to that which incur costs such as a frame and extra paints. Paint a Moment have Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced kits available. As well as the custom kits of your own images too which is what mine has been.

Paint a Moment use stock images so that people can buy some of the art that is ready to paint in the levels of difficulty that I have mentioned above. I do feel the custom pieces that are available should be shouted about due to the quality they are able to achieve from someone’s photography, like my own. Their pictures are all stunning, ready to go and custom – because I checked out the reviews too. So many satisfied customers just like me. Why not check it out for yourself – once you have finished reading my article though! I’m sure you want to see how my canvas turned out don’t you… let’s continue…

The link to the Paint A Moment Shop is HERE

During the time I have spent painting my canvas, I have felt calmer than usual, and I have been able to reflect on my thoughts more whilst painting, more than I have ever been able to do while using some sort of a screen. I class myself as a creative person, mainly as a photographer, but I have painted many things over the years. To pick up some brushes again for the first time in a number of years was both satisfying and compelling, it has made me want to paint more. I am sad my canvas is complete, now I need another project to do. And you know what? The best thing about a hobby like this is that you can take your time, it isn’t a race or a necessity to complete it immediately after starting.

Here is my final finished canvas, are you ready? I am really happy with how it has turned out.

Overall I have been hugely impressed by this product, the company and the entire experience, and I rate this product a 5 stars across the board. I will now elaborate on each score below.

Product Quality 5✩
Delivery 5✩
Product Design 5✩
Ease of Use 5✩

Unique Value 5✩
Professionalism 5✩

Product Quality is hugely important when creating something yourself at home, from the paints and the individual pots, to the brushes and the canvas. I have been impressed by all of it. The paint pots come with stickers and are labelled too so there is no guesswork, you have absolutely everything you require in order to complete your art work and it’s laid out simply enough to follow.
Delivery was great, the canvas comes rolled, and you have all the items you need in one box, no messing around with multiple deliveries. I was impressed also by the timeframe of ordering with my own photograph, within a few days the printed canvas arrived with all I needed to get started.
The Product Design for this kit was excellent, even the foam that the paints arrive in means you don’t need any other products or art supplies, all that you need from start to finish is provided. The canvas itself is high quality and printed very clearly so that you can see the numbers you need and match them with the paint pots. For anyone new to a paint-by-numbers type of art, you would not feel any anxiety because you have everything you need plus its all simple to follow.
Leading on to Ease of Use now, as I just stated you have everything, all you need now is a flat surface and some free time in which to paint. Because the colours are made up specifically for your artwork, you do not need to go hunting for other colours, it’s all there ready for whenever you have a spare minute to do some painting. I worked by doing the larger areas first and then moved on to the more intricate parts of my photo which worked well for me.
The Unique Value of having a custom image created into art is excellent, and you cannot put a price on somebody’s memories and important imagery, so to immortalise that in canvas art to such a high standard is exceptional.
Finally the Professionalism of the website, the team and especially the founder of this company, proves why it is a good idea to support small UK business when you can. They make sure that you have the best experience and receive the best quality of product so that you can turn your art into a memory in itself, the experience of watching it come to life by your own hands is something that cannot be replicated by simply buying a ready made piece. By creating your own art work from a photograph, you are getting a unique item made for you and then completed by you.

Here is a triptych showing my photograph, the canvas plain ready for painting, and the finished piece when I had completed painting it. Other than perhaps learning to blend the edges of the colours more for the background, I am pleased with how this turned out.

As a keen creative I have been really excited by this collaboration and have thoroughly enjoyed painting my very own canvas, I would love to do another one someday soon.

I really appreciate you coming to my website today, thank you for visiting and reading this piece, and I hope you have a great day and come back again soon.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Please check out my social media for more product reviews and follow me for more content! Some reviews I only post to my Instagram especially videos, I am a busy parent but I try and write several new articles a month depending upon the content I have available. So please check my socials out if you have an account, search #severnsabrina or click the links below;
Sabrina on Instagram Severn_Sabrina
Sabrina on Facebook Severn Wishes Blog

In order to keep in touch with offers and new kits from Paint A Moment, their accounts to follow for social media include:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paint.a.moment

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paintamoment

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paintamoment

Thank you to Paint A Moment for this opportunity, I have completely adored the whole experience and I would definitely purchase from your company for gifts for my loved ones in the future. Now I just have to choose which pictures to order!

Argos Testers Product Review BaByliss Turbo Smooth Hair Dryer with Diffuser

Hello! I’m Sabrina! I am an Argos Tester, this means that I often get items sent to me for the purpose of an online review. I thoroughly test the products and take photographs of them before submitting my findings and honest thoughts over to Argos. Sometimes I even do a video, and these are shown on my social media channels. This latest campaign was to test out a brand new hair dryer.

#ArgosTester #ArgosTesters #ArgosTestersCommunity

I have written this article about a product that I have been supplied for free, in order to test and then review it. This is my experience with said product and it is my honest review about the product listed below. I have already submitted my review to the Argos Website, and it has been accepted on to live public view when this blog post has been published. Please see my review on this screengrab below from the Argos website. All words and photography within this article are my own.

Packaging

Product Details

Name: BaByliss Turbo Smooth 5572U Hair Dryer with Diffuser
Colour: Black
RRP: £32.00
Product Details: High Powered Hair Dryer with 2200W for Fast Drying Capability. Customised Drying with 3 Heat Settings and 2 Speeds. Large Click on Diffuser and Slim Concentrator Nozzle included. 1.95m Power Cord. Ionic Frizz Control, Ceramic and Ergonomic Design. Weight 0.6 kg.
Argos Website: LINK

My Honest Opinion

Overall I would like to rate the 5 stars.

Quality 5✩
Features 5✩
Design 5✩
Attachments 5✩

My Honest Opinion of the Product

As a woman who has naturally curly hair finding a hair dryer with a large diffuser is essential. This dryer is excellent and has enough diameter within the attachment to suit even the biggest of natural curls. The diffuser has plenty of sections on it and was wide enough for me to dry entire sides of my head in one go. There is a nozzle attachment too but I don’t ever use those with my hair style. The diffuser also clicked on very well, and didn’t come loose at all during the duration of my drying. I have never had a hairdryer with such precision parts that fitted together so perfectly.

I was impressed with how fast it got my hair to dry and also the lack of frizz that I got after using it. It is ergonomically designed on the handle and really comfortable to hold whilst you’re using it. I haven’t needed to use it on maximum setting because medium heat and speed was plenty for my hair, but if you had thicker hair I’m sure it would be just as excellent. The buttons are simple to use and slide up, and the cooling burst button is very handy too.


What was also brilliant was the fact that every item inside the box was wrapped in paper and not plastic, it made it easy to recycle the packaging and was a big tick for me in regards to being environmentally friendly. I would recommend it to other curly haired humans and think it’s a really excellent product.

Thank you for reading this product review today, I hope you have enjoyed it.

If you have any questions about this set hair dryer then please leave me a comment below or on any of my social media posts and I will do my best to answer them with the knowledge that I have gained from reviewing this product. For anything else please refer to the Argos website which you can find on the link I posted above in Product Details.

Thank you for visiting my blog, have a great day.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Argos Testers Review of LEGO City Set 60317 Police Chase at the Bank

Today I am lucky enough to be showcasing a brand new LEGO City set which is out this week!
I have reviewed this product during the start of January and already provided my finished article to Argos, it was supplied to me through Argos Testers. 2022 now marks my sixth year as part of the program and I am very grateful.

I am an Argos Tester, this means that I often get items sent to me for the purpose of an online review. I test products and take photographs of them before submitting my findings and thoughts to Argos. The final campaign of 2021 was LEGO! I was very excited at the thought of testing something that I love, I enjoy making LEGO at home already on a regular basis.

#ArgosTester #ArgosTesters #ArgosTestersCommunity

I have written this article about a product that I have been supplied for free, in order to test and then review it. This is my experience with said product and my honest review about the product which is listed below. I have already submitted my product review to the Argos Website, and it has been accepted when this post has been published.

My Argos Tester Review

A set filled with fun & imagination, helicopter, police vehicle & the “clean getaways” Robbers / Heist assault vehicle. Not to mention a Bank full of awesome details & nifty moveable pieces. Endless possibilities for imaginative Police vs Robbers scenarios. Combine with other Lego City products, road pieces are included. Loved building this, took around 8 hours, so many amazing details & quirky unique LEGO aspects. Well designed vehicles & building with many opportunities for playing individually or with others. My favourite piece is the Helicopter that even allows you to fire a net out of the side! Wow! The details on the outfits of the characters are excellent with the Police Officers having vests with zip pockets & badges visible. Great accessories for all LEGO Mini Figures. All vehicles have wheels or rotatable blades. Everything is sturdy & the instructions are easy to follow (as always with LEGO). A wonderful set for anyone collecting the LEGO City or anyone who enjoys this type of scenario with Police catching the bad guys.
Great for children aged 7 and over due to its small parts, also great set for adults who enjoy LEGO scenarios too!

Product Name: LEGO City Police Chase at the Bank Set with Trucks (Set Number 60317)
Product Price: £90.00
Product Link: Argos Website LEGO City Police Chase at the Bank
Product Information from Argos: 915 Pieces. 7 Years and Over. Road Pieces Included. 5 Mini Figures Included. Set builds are a Police Truck, Police Helicopter, Two Floor Bank Building, Heist Vehicle and Drone.

Thank you for reading this review, I hope you have enjoyed it. You can purchase this product or read more about it by looking online from Argos, I have left the link in the product description above.

If you have any questions about this LEGO City set then please leave me a comment below and I will do my best to answer them best I can with the knowledge I have gained from reviewing this product. Thank you.

✩ Sabrina ✩

HALLOWEEN 2020 – How to Make Memories for a First Halloween and create Fun for a Halloween at home during this difficult year

Halloween is one of those holidays where people either love it or loathe it. Whether or not you like Fancy Dress and Decorating your Home, it’s an important right of passage for your little ones to experience the fun of a Halloween.

If it’s their first Halloween then I have lots of ideas that you could achieve easily at home and make some nice memories and keepsakes to show the child when they are older.

With the pandemic still affecting us all, there are many children who would love to be trick or treating and having fun and games with their friends. It’s highly likely not to happen this Halloween 2020, however that doesn’t mean you cannot do things at home.

WHAT IS IN THIS BLOG POST… HALLOWEEN 2020

  • Fancy Dress Photo Shoot Fun – My Tips and Tricks
  • Hand and Feet Print Halloween Decorations – Fun Family Keepsakes
  • Halloween Games with Treats to be Found (at home) – My Lockdown Halloween Trick or Treat Ideas
  • Baking with Halloween Shapes – Fun Baking Tips for the Family to do together
  • What Else Can You Do With Halloween Baking Cutters as Stencils!

Fancy Dress Photoshoot at Home

One way in which I always like to remember a holiday event or day is to do a photo shoot. For the last two years I have dressed my son up and surrounded him with a variety of Halloween related items. I got some good photographs doing this at home that I can treasure. If you set it up correctly you won’t need to pay anyone to take photographs for you.

You Will Need

A decent camera or a phone with a decent camera
A camera which has a timer if you want to do a family portrait
Natural light coming through a door or window is best for colours
Fancy Dress items and any props that you would like to include

  • My Photography Tips
  • Natural Light is important to get clear and sharp imagery.
  • Use fairy lights to add depth to your image (supervised around the child/ren of course).
  • Props are important and make sure you arrange them so they can be seen, if you’re going for a theme try and stick to it.
  • If you want things to be inside the frame then choose your layout carefully and keep looking through the camera lens as a guide.
  • A sofa or chair is ideal to sit a baby on or you could even use a ball pit or a rocker with a sheet over it to block out any unwanted branding or colours.
  • Set up your photo shoot before you get a baby ready otherwise they may get fed up rather quickly if you ignore them to move things around.
  • If you can get a large pumpkin or a cushion you can sit babies inside or on top, just make sure to always have their necks supported!

If you can’t pull off a Photoshoot then why not use some Free Filters on some Photo Apps. Some of them are highly detailed. We did one to show you just how cool! And if you have older children they might be more interested in that too!

4 WAYS TO USE HALLOWEEN BAKING CUTTERS AS STENCILS

I’m not very good at drawing so using these cutters as outlines was a great idea for me! If you can draw well you won’t need to do this! Ha! Ha!


Halloween Decorations

Halloween Posters

Halloween Colouring In


Halloween Baking

I drew around the shapes and outlined them in pen, then let my child colour it in.

Halloween Decorations

Making Halloween Decorations is easier than you think! So long as you have got some card and some paint. There are tons of ways you can make nice posters or decorations. Here is how I have made mine…

Pumpkins – Apples Halved and Dipped in Paint.
Spider – Hand Prints leaving off the thumb so fingers make 8 legs.
BOO – B and two hands for the O’s.
Ghost – Foot Print (upside down)

I’m planning to cut out the Pumpkins once they are fully dry and hang them up against my window.

You can make a Halloween poster for your window or you can cut the items out and hang them up with string.

Trick or Treat at home won’t be the same, but it can still be fun!
Check out my ideas below!

1. Make Every Room A Different Theme with a Different Sweet to Find. You can tailor them to meet the needs of your family, no choke-able sweets for little ones etc. If you don’t do Sweets you could use Numbered Fruit like Apples which result in a Toy prize if they find them all.

2. Make It A Halloween Treasure Hunt with the Treasure being Sweets! Write little clues on paper for the kids to follow. Create traps and fun obstacles for them to overcome, riddles and rhyming works well too!
“Where you Sleep, Often Deep, Beneath the Covers is what you Seek!” things like that, E.G Under their bed covers is a Sweet or another Clue.

3. Use A Dice And Clues to Make a Halloween Game of your Own! Using how many rooms you have and how many children, you can send each child off to a room where they have to either complete a task or seek and find the next clue, which once put together with their siblings answers, will reveal their bounty of Treats! E.G Two Siblings, they each find a clue on paper, one reads KITC and the other HEN and when put together they go to the KITCHEN for the next clue etc.

HALLOWEEN BAKING

I have done some step by step baking videos on my Halloween cookie baking and these are available to watch on my Facebook page, I will drop you the link here Severn Wishes on Facebook.

Find my Cookie Recipe Here too!

Before Baking
After Baking

You can use my Cookie Recipe or a Shortbread Recipe to make these awesome Halloween shaped treats!

I bought the set of cookie cutters off Amazon, if you would like the link to those then here that is… Amazon

I always do a Seasonal Bowl on my Dining Table. It is all Autumnal now!


Thank you so much for checking out this blog post today!

Please tag me over on Facebook on my page if you try and of my Halloween things! Baking, Craft or Decorations!

If you like my trick or treat at home ideas, let me know if you use them over the weekend too!

Have a great week at home everyone! Stay safe!

✩ Sabrina ✩

July 2019 Treatbox Reveal

Hello readers! It’s time for the July 2019 Treatbox Reveal
with me, Sabrina of Severn Wishes Blog.

Happy Treat Box Day! It’s July! It’s a little late this Reveal I will admit, but I have had some family commitments that have had to come before my blogging…

In short… My Father got married and my little boy turned one! It’s been a busy start to July but a good one.

But now I am ready to Reveal and Review the July Treatbox. It has lilac tissue paper and the little sticker reads “With Love”.

Here are the contents, July sees 5 items, an A5 Print and of course the Calendar Print.

July Calendar Print …you got this…
A5 Quoted Print
“Don’t Let Your Ice Cream Melt Whilst You’re Counting Someone Else’s Sprinkles”
Compact Mirror light blue with ice cream and stars design
Small Bag ideal for Make Up “be YOU tiful”
pastel colours – ice cream design
Push Pins
16 Coloured Pins
Tea Pop Gourmet Tea Wild Berry Punch
The Happy News Newspaper by Emily Coxhead June Edition

Compact Mirror
Small Bag
Gourmet Tea & Push Pins
The Happy Newspaper

What Are My Honest Thoughts On The July Box?

Overall I had mixed feelings about this box, so I will start with the negatives so that I can end on a more positive note.

So… Another Compact Mirror, don’t get me wrong it’s a lovely item, and it will make a lovely gift for a friend. However in my time of buying and revealing Treatbox I have now received a total of four mirrors. I still have them all! I have to say the quality of it is good, so I don’t mind about that, however it would be so nice to receive one box of items that are entirely new, something never before seen in a Treatbox.

So what else, there is the Happy News Newspaper, which is a great idea. Although I haven’t had chance to read much of that as yet. I like the idea of all positive news especially in a day and age where there is so much sadness, negativity and bloodshed. It’s nice to hear of good things happening, no matter how small they are.

The tea seems lovely, I’ve not drank it as yet, but a nice edition being 100% natural and because of the unusual flavour as well…

The best items by far for quality are the bag and the push pins. The bag has multiple uses, but again we have received a good number of small bags during the last couple of years. It is always useful to have one around if you need to store small items such as makeup or stationery for example. What I do really like is the design of the bag, it reminds me of an ice cream with its pastel colours and sprinkles! The push pins are great but only if you have a board that you can use them in! Ha! I currently don’t 🙁

Finally I would like to end on a positive and say that Zoe has once again done well on a theme, I guess this one is pastels and positivity? Don’t compare yourself to others and take a time out for yourself. I definitely need to try and do that more, I mean, look at how late this Review is getting on my website! And I haven’t even had time to read the Newspaper included in this box! Yet!

Do you get Treatbox? I would love to know how long you have been subscribed for? Do you feel the same way as me? Would you like to see something included in a box? Please leave me a comment.

Are you thinking of ordering a TreatBox for yourself or for a gift for someone?
Then you can find Treatbox subscriptions and build your own box at their website

Check out my previous posts in this unique category of my website called ‘Treatbox’ especially for these box reviews and reveals – Severn Wishes Treatbox.

Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes, I hope you enjoyed the Review of this Treatbox and that I see you here again very soon. 

✩ Sabrina ✩

Review of the Harmony Ball Necklace by Le Petit Bola

Le Petit Bola is a company based in France who create beautiful Harmony Jewellery for Pregnant women. Here is a quote from them…

“Originally from Indonesia the concept of a Harmony Necklace is known about worldwide. It is a pregnancy jewel that is a long necklace made of chain, string or fabric. There is a pendant situated at the end usually in the shape of a ball, often made of silver. This necklace is worn by expecting mothers on their belly, at the closest point to baby. Inside the ball of the necklace is another smaller ball which makes a light and sweet sound when the ball is moved”.

Post from France…
My Winning Necklace and the Lovely Post I received…

I won a competition and I’m so happy with my prize. The harmony ball necklace is not only beautiful aesthetically but the idea of its balance between mother and baby is also a lovely one. With fast delivery and friendly staff I’m very happy with my experience. There are so many choices on the website that I was spoilt in my decision on which one I wanted. This is the perfect gift for an expecting mother that can then be a lovely reminder of that time she carried her baby.

In the end I chose the Amethyst Necklace because this precious stone is linked to my own birthday. My necklace arrived in gorgeous packaging, a heart envelope and then a card that translates from the French “Je À’ttends mon bébé” to the English of “I’m waiting for my baby”.
There were nutty fudge treats and the Harmony Necklace even has it’s own fabric bag. As well as pretty confetti thrown in too!

Here is more information about Le Petit Bola.

Based in the South of France this little studio creates harmony necklaces for pregnant women. The necklace creates a bond between mother and child by playing music from inside the ball itself. The idea is that baby hears it from inside the womb because the necklace is long and situated on the mothers bump. The unique bond between a mother and her baby is so precious.

My Harmony Necklace

Thank you for reading this review today, you can find out more by visiting Le Petit Bola on their website or on Social Media pages.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Links

Le Petit Bola Website
Le Petit Bola
Facebook
Le Petit Bola
Instagram

Reviewing The Spectrum Collections Zodiac Brushes

Spectrum Collections Zodiac Brushes Set for Water Sign
and
The Malachite Acrylic Pot

The Spectrum Brushes Zodiac Set retails for £49.99 on the Spectrum Collections Website. It features 8 beautiful black brushes with gold ferrules and star details all over them. Their black bristles are super soft and each brush is designed with a different use.

The brush numbers and types are as follows:
A00 Luxe Powder
A02 Angled Foundation
A05 Angled Blush or Contour
B08 Magic Wand for Highlighting or Setting
B07 Luxe Crease Blender
A18 Oval Concealer
A12 Fluffy Pencil
A17 Angled Brow


The bag that accompanies the set features a rich sea green blue in Velvet and is decorated in gold with the word Water on the front. The bag has the correct astronomy that represent the three water star signs as they are seen in the night sky. It has a fixed golden strap made of chain and faux leather corners. It is 21cm wide by 16.5cm high and has a black polyester lining inside. A small golden star on the zip is a lovely touch too.

Crystal Chic Malachite Acrylic Pot

The Malachite Pot is so gorgeous, it has a mixture of marbled greens on its base and edged with gold. Its crystal sides give off a positive energy which aids creativity and development.

The pot can hold up to 20 makeup brushes and is made of scratch resistant material for continual use. The acrylic is 5mm thick and the pot has rubber feet so it stays in place. The pot itself is a square measuring 8cm by 8cm.

This crystal chic look retails for £14.99 on the Spectrum Website. There are other items available in the Malachite range including Brushes too.

You don’t have to use this pot to store brushes in. And in fact I have decided to use mine as a decorative piece and I store my precious stones and crystals inside it. The look really compliments it, check out my images below and see what you think.

Appearance 5✩
Quality 5✩
Design 5✩
Versatility 5✩

How I’m Using My Acrylic Malachite Pot…
My Products Arrived In A Beautiful Disney Inspired Spectrum Box.

Final Honest Review and Scores

Spectrum Collections Brushes are Vegan and Cruelty Free. I have chosen Spectrum products now for over four years, because of the quality and unique designs. This newest set is no exception.

With all of my Honest Reviews I score the products as appropriately. I am giving this brush set 5 stars!
My reasons for my score is for the set as an accumulation, the bag is not only beautiful but can be used as an evening bag as well as a brush bag, the fact it has more than one use gives it extra appeal. Over all the brushes are designed well for use and are unique. The quality of each item is excellent, and Spectrum always present them beautifully too! My items came inside a Disney box this time! I was like “Wow” and have even re-purposed this box in my wardrobe.

Appearance of Products 5✩
Quality of Products 5✩
Delivery Aspects 5✩

Unique Designs 5✩

The bag is a good size, you could even use it as an evening going out bag.
These brushes are just so pretty to look at…

If you were looking to make a purchase on the Spectrum Collections website then I have a code that gives you a discount. My personal referral link will supply you with a code that gives you 15% off. Just follow this link here.

You also get a bottle of Vegan Brush Shampoo for free on all Orders over £50! And free delivery on orders over £30!

Spectrum Collections Website
Spectrum Collections
Zodiac Sets
Spectrum Collections
Zodiac Set Water
Spectrum Collections
Crystal Chic Set
Spectrum Crystal Chic Malachite
Acrylic Pot

Thank you for reading this review today, don’t forget to take advantage of my 15% off Spectrum Collections if you fancy a product for yourself or for a loved one.

And for more reviews on Spectrum items please see my category that is dedicated to all things Spectrum Collections including brushes and other products, click right here.

See you on Severn Wishes again soon I hope!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Reviewing Abelini Jewellery for the #MyAbelini Campaign

Today I have the pleasure to bring you a collaboration with *Abelini Jewellery. Their new campaign #MyAbelini has been created to help customers to find their ideal piece of jewellery. Whether you like Gold, Platinum, White Gold or Rose Gold Jewellery, Abelini have something for everyone, to suit all styles and tastes.

A Sparkling Collaboration

I have been approached by the incredible London based brand Abelini, to be a part of their new campaign #MyAbelini and I’m so excited about it. This collaboration saw me browse their unique collection and choose a piece of jewellery that I felt fitted my personality. The #MyAbelini campaign wants people to choose their unique piece to suit their individual style. It’s a celebration of diamond jewellery and a persons unique tastes. Abelini want people to “Wear It! Click It! Share It!” And show off their #MyAbelini Jewellery choices.

Abelini are based in the Capital City of London situated in Hatton Garden area, where they specialise in exquisite designs of jewellery. Including Rings, Pendants and Earrings, as well as Bracelets. If you would like to discuss about a bespoke piece they can accommodate a design that is unique to you and create it for you. Abelini pride themselves on turning Jewellery Dreams into Jewellery Realities.

You can also make appointments to go in store and pick your own Diamond, for example for an engagement ring. The types and styles available at Abelini can be seen in the images below.

I personally like Silver, White Gold or Rose Gold Jewellery, so I knew that was how I would narrow down my decision. My second parameter was that I would prefer a Necklace or Pendant, mostly because I have multiple piercings on my ears and cannot currently wear any dangling ones because my young son would pull at them.

I found the Pendant I liked part way down the page and I instantly loved the shape of it. As my eyes traced the design I knew it would be perfect for me and for doing this review. The necklace has a circular design that adds elegance to whatever I decide to wear it with.

When choosing Jewellery for myself I often go for a Silver shade because of my skin tone. I also like Rose Gold but find that the metal is harder to match clothing with. So much can compliment silvers.

I find that choosing quality jewellery means you’re making an investment, rather than needing to replace cheap items whose metal goes bad due to wear. Jewellery isn’t meant to stay hidden away in a box forever, it is meant to be worn and enjoyed.

About The Piece I Chose

The necklace I chose is called a Round Diamond Solitaire Pendant. It features a beautiful multifaceted stone that sits perfectly inside the spherical design. From any angle it looks beautiful, catching the light and sparkling. It is a nice size so it looks delicate when worn and compliments many styles of outfit because of its shape.

Each piece of jewellery comes inside an Abelini box so you can keep it safe when it isn’t being worn.

The quality of the piece I have is excellent and I cannot believe how sparkly it is. I love how the diamond is set inside a thick circular rim of the pendant and the chain is also beautiful with delicate tiny ovals. It looks delicate yet sturdy, it’s made with quality metal and finished with such shine it reflects like a mirror.

As you can see in the images below the pendant is both delicate and a size that makes it stand out. On a sunny day it sparkles with beauty and the silver compliments many coloured clothes. The size of this necklace is perfect for me, I feel like I chose well.

#MyAbelini

In order to make my review a sparkling success I wanted to take my time and photograph the necklace from many angles. Something this pretty deserved to be accompanied by a range of things that showed it off. Because the Pendant is round it was easy to photograph.

The Pendant arrived inside its own branded box.

Here are some more of my images that I have purposefully created to show this necklace in it’s best light.

Sparkling in the afternoon light…

Abelini Jewellery Links

Abelini Jewellery Website
Abelini Jewellery Instagram
Abelini Jewellery Twitter
Abelini Jewellery Facebook
Abelini Jewellery Link To The Pendant I Have Reviewed

Thank you for stopping by Severn Wishes for this Collaboration Review today, I hope you have enjoyed it. And remember if you want to see more of the Abelini Jewellery please click on the links I have provided in the paragraph above.

You can see more of Abelini across social media where they often hold giveaways too! So what are you waiting for! Click on one of the links and find your perfect #MyAbelini piece.

I would love to know what you would pick if you had the chance, Necklace? Ring? Why not leave me a comment below.

Have a great weekend! Thanks for reading.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Abelini Pendant with Gypsophila

Disclaimer: this piece of jewellery has been gifted to me for this collaboration with *Abelini. Any items that I am sent for the purpose of a collaborative review are written about honestly and all the opinions and photography are my own.

Abelini

My Tattoo Experiences – Hints and Tips and Photographs

Lifestyle Week on Severn Wishes

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My Tattoo Experiences

Tattoos, a lot of us have them, and a lot of us are happy to share our experience about it, be it good or bad. The vast majority of my experiences have been good ones though, and with so many of mine having specific meaning behind them, I wanted to share those with you today.

My first ever tattoo ended up being covered up a few years later, that wasn’t down to the design I chose but down to a bad artist who had convinced me he would do a good job. After he had inked me I realised how uneven it was and vowed that once I found a competent artist I would get it redone. Two years later I got a much better artist to do a cover up of it, keeping the design it just had to be made larger in order to become a cover up. Here is my before and after image below, including the fresh ink and fully healed. This Triquetra has family meaning for me.


This experience didn’t put me off having tattoos, in fact I have ten, and I would have more one day too. Having always been a very creative person and artistic, it was something I wanted to happen from a young age. I waited until I was over eighteen to have my first inking, but after that I had a new tattoo roughly every six months for the next four years.

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What My Tattoos Mean To Me

Now I am going to tell you about a few of my tattoos, and some information about the sorts of things most people would ask. Such as how long it took and whether or not it was painful in that area.

1. Teal Butterflies (2 of them) In Memory of my two Grand Fathers who both adored Nature and Gardening. They are either side of my Lower Back.

2. Pisces Symbol – My Star Sign – One of the Pisces Traits is to be Indecisive and that is most definitely me! This Tattoo is on the outside of my Right Leg.

3. My Number 7 – I got this tiny and minimal tattoo after I had my Triquetra covered up, the artist was kind enough to do it as part of my sitting. Number 7 is my Lucky Number and my Birthday too! Right Wrist Tattoo.

4. Sparrow – Symbolising New Beginnings, A Fresh Start and Freedom. This Tattoo is on the outside of my Left Leg.

5. Cherry Blossom Branch – My favourite Tree and my first ever memory as a child was of the Blossom Tree in our Garden. I have always loved and adored pink blossom. This Tattoo is situated on the inside of my Right Leg.

6. Daisy Flowers – I have always loved nature and nature reminds me of home. I wanted these tiny flowers to remind me of that. The colour has sadly faded a little over time… Situated on my Left Hip.

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Photographs of my Tattoos


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Time Taken Per Tattoo

1. Butterfly 40 minutes (for each butterfly on separate sittings)
2. Pisces 45 minutes
3. Number 7 5 minutes (same day as my cover up was done)
4. Sparrow 30 minutes
5. Blossom Branch 2 Hours
6. Daisies 35 minutes

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Price Per Tattoo (Correct at the Time 5+ years for most)

1. £40 (Each Butterfly Each Sitting)
2. £45 (Pisces)
3. £0 (Done As Part Of My Cover Up Which Cost Approx £60)
4. £130 (Sparrow and Blossom were the Same Sitting)
5. £130 (Blossom and Sparrow were the Same Sitting)
6. £40 (Daisies)

 

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Pain Level Per Tattoo On A Scale Of 1-10 (10 Being Worst)

1. Butterflies – Near Kidneys and it did ache during the outline – 6
2. Pisces – Leg Tattoo – Barely Felt It – 2
3. Number 7 – On My Wrist Near Nerves, Bones and Blood Vessels – 3
4. Sparrow – Leg Tattoo – Barely Felt It – 2
5. Cherry Blossom – Leg Tattoo – Barely Felt It – 2
6. Daisies – Near Hip Bone – Vibration Of Outline Hurt A Little – 5

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Sabrina’s Top Tips and Hints

Here are my top tips and hints for deciding if getting a Tattoo is the right thing for you. I believe you should be asking yourself most (if not all) of my points below. My tip is to write down the pro’s and con’s and make sure you do consider some research too.

Consider Timing, there is no point in getting a foot tattoo in the middle of freezing weather when you would have to cover it and therefore not letting it air and heal. Or getting a Tattoo right before a holiday in the sunshine, this can ruin the tattoo or cause infection to the healing skin.

Start Small with your first Tattoo, committing to a full back piece isn’t usually a good idea if you aren’t certain how you or your skin may react to the procedure, think about if you have sensitive skin or eczema for example (your tattooist will also need to know this and any medication you are on). Of course many people “go big or go home” and decide to do a large tattoo or commit to a sleeve for example. This of course is your choice, and is something that only you can decide upon.

Do you know your Pain Tolerance? This is a good question to ask yourself. Most people don’t realise that getting a tattoo has nothing to do with a phobia of needles or if you may have had many injections in your lifetime, it’s a totally unique experience and should be treated as such.

Choose Wisely both with your Design and Artist. Do your research and look into local artists and further afield, because if you want a good tattoo be prepared to travel for the artist. With regards to your Design, once you’re happy with it stick it in a location where you will see it every single day for a month. If at the end of that month you still love what you’ve chosen, then the odds are that you will still enjoy looking at it when it’s on your skin, in many years to come.

Use either Savlon or Bepanthen for After Care and apply regularly. Make sure that you keep the area clean and dry and air as often as possible to aid the healing process. I always used Savlon on all of mine, they healed beautifully and the colour has also remained in them all.

Visit your chosen Tattoo Artist, book an appointment to talk to them, ask them any Questions you may have before you book an actual inking appointment.

Take a friend or partner with you when you go, you may feel tired or uneasy after the inking is finished. You shouldn’t drive immediately after a tattoo or a piercing, give your body time to adjust to what has happened.

Make sure you’ve drank something and eaten before you get inked, and take water with you to sip, especially if its in a warmer month of the year.

Consider your bathing and sports when the tattoo is in the healing stages – no hot and forceful water can touch it and definitely no swimming because of the chemicals. Consider contact sports, if your tattoo could become easily knocked or bumped or is at risk of getting dirty and then infected.

Be aware that your tattoo placement might cause you some inconvenience, you may need to be shaved (for example on your lower leg even if you’re a man), and you might be swollen for a couple of days afterwards as well. Make sure the tattoo won’t hinder any job role or uniform that you need to wear.

 

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Thanks for reading this lifestyle post, I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Why not let me know what you thought by leaving me a comment! I would love to know if you have a tattoo that you love…

✩ Sabrina ✩

 

Windsor Castle Day Trip

REVIEW WEEK ON SEVERN WISHES


A Day Trip to Windsor Castle

During April I was lucky enough to spend a long weekend away with family. We decided that since we were staying close to Windsor Castle we would visit and spend the day there. Having not been to Windsor as an adult I jumped at the chance to experience this amazing place.

We got up early from our stay at the Premier Inn, had a good breakfast and got ready for our day trip. We were a little disappointed by the weather on the day that we went to Windsor, it was very wet with rain showers and fairly cold too. However the Castle was still looking incredible in all it’s splendor.


I took many photograph’s of the outside of the Castle, you are unfortunately not allowed to take images inside the buildings. So I will write reviews of the sections that I visited even if I don’t have an image to show you, and use my photographs that I have gotten to break up my day.

We booked our tickets online so that we could attend the fastest queue to get into the Castle. I can definitely recommend you doing this, it saved us hours of queuing time, although we have to queue for almost an hour. This was due to it being a Bank Holiday weekend and the whole town was busy. You also have to go through a search with yourself and your bag before being allowed into the castle.

There are beautiful stone walls, trees and sections of garden to look upon. As you walk around the Castle you cannot believe the sheer size of the place.

Walking around the Castle grounds you can see St George’s Chapel. It was an incredible place to walk through, steeped in both British and Royal history. The stained glass windows were beautiful, and I couldn’t believe how detailed the chapel was throughout its interior.

Here is a photograph of mine from the outside, due to the rain its Gothic splendor looking even more incredible. And as you can see by the crowds heading inside the weather does not put the tourists off.


My family and I decided we wanted to go inside the Castle, just to witness and experience exactly what it was like. Rooms were filled with all sorts of Paintings and Tapestries as well as Furniture from all centuries. The Castle is so old so you can imagine the pieces you can bestow, such as Clocks, Cabinets and China.

I was very impressed by the rooms, although it was so busy we just had to keep steadily flowing with the traffic of people. We didn’t get to hang around in one particular room, but the things that stick in my mind after my visit were the cabinets filled with incredible China, the restored sections of the Tower that was once destroyed in Fire, and the many pieces of Armor and Weapons that were on the walls.

We were also very lucky to see the changing of the guard when we finished our tour of the Castle interior. These people are very disciplined in their job, it was a fascinating sight to see.


The only disappointing thing for us was the lack of facilities. Being pregnant I expected to see more toilets and also perhaps areas to sit and rest and refresh, to get drinks and snacks. But there was only one small place that we found, that sold souvenirs, water bottles and ice cream. This was a shame and it meant that we left the Castle earlier than we had planned to go and find nourishment after walking around for several hours.

Before we left I managed to have a photograph in front of the Castle Postbox!


Here are some interesting facts that I learnt about Windsor Castle.

1. Windsor Castle is currently home to HM Queen Elizabeth II and her family. Other prior Royals to have resided there include forty others, including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The original monarch to live in the Castle was Henry I, and Henry VIII regularly visited during his lifetime and stayed in the Castle grounds.

2. The windows were all blacked out during World War II, this was partially to protect the Royal Family who still remained inside at night time – although this was not public knowledge at the time of the war – and a lot of the famous china and art work such as the paintings were all moved away to protect them from potential bombings.

3. Back in 1992 there was a fire in one of the towers of Windsor Castle. Over 100 of the rooms were either damaged by the fire itself or by the water used to extinguish it. It cost almost £40 million to restore the Castle to its former glory.

4. Windsor Castle is both the largest and oldest inhabited Castle in the World, and it was originally built around 1000 years ago. St George’s Chapel is located in the Castle walls and was built from the late 15th century to the early 16th. It has a Gothic style and is breathtakingly beautiful with many stained glass windows.


2018 Opening Times

1st November – 28th February – 9.45 until 16.15 (Last Admission 15.00)

1st March – 31st October – 9.30 until 17.15 (Last Admission 16.00)

Ticket Prices

Adult – £21.20
Over 60/Student (Valid ID) – £19.30
Under 17/Disabled – £12.30
Under 5 Free
Family (2 Adults & 3 Children Under 17) £54.70

To Book or check other information you can visit this website.


I realise I am submitting this Review and Travel Post of Windsor Castle on a very special day, the day of The Royal Wedding! It felt appropriate seeing as I was only there recently myself. So to Harry and Meghan – Congratulations! Congrats to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex!

Thanks for reading this post, I hope you’ve enjoyed it. If you have ever been to Windsor yourself why not leave me a comment and let me know what you thought!

✩ Sabrina ✩