Authentic nature by Wishes on the Wind

Lana Butters has based herself in Fife, Scotland, to produce her delicate work. Completely self-taught, Lana followed her love of nature and flower-pressing into a career making beautiful resin and glass jewellery, using real flowers in her work. Her jewellery is certainly popular on Etsy, and will even be featured in the May edition of Vogue Magazine.

Which of your current designs is your favourite?

My eco resin orb designs.

What is your favourite era for design and why?

I love 60s fashion, Twiggy, Mary Quant, mod fashion, I love it all!

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Difficult to pick one out, I have been lucky to have lots of great magazine features like this one!

What is your favourite sort of thing to design? Why?

Resin orbs, love the whole process from drying the flowers to adding the resin, it’s a lengthy process but love seeing the finished result.

Which of your products is most popular amongst customers?

Dandelion designs and resin orbs.

What are a few of your likes and dislikes in terms of design and style aesthetic?

If it’s handmade I admire it all!

What is your favourite thing about your job, any negatives?

Mixing colours for resin is such fun, I can’t think of any negatives but of course I can have a few left-handed days where everything goes wrong!

Have you ever produced bespoke items for Etsy customers?

I love to do custom orders, I do lots of these, bridal orders, using pieces of wedding bouquets, flowers from customers’ gardens and even funeral flowers on occasion.

Please tell me about the creative process that went into your current collection. What techniques were used?

I love thinking up new ideas where the process begins, arranging the flowers to use, mixing and pouring the resin, adding colour, sanding in down. Then I always add a little bit of magic!

How did you get into working with resin?

I worked with resin a few years back, really I was just playing around with it. I moved onto other projects but knew I would head back in that direction at some point.

How do you feel fashion/ jewellery can affect an individual’s image and/or self-esteem?

My Mum always said to feel good you must look good, even while working from home I try to keep this up, no lazy days wearing pyjamas when there is work to be done!

What is your one fashion vice?

My fashion vice has to be Orla Kiely; she produces such lovely designs.

Do you do all the glassworks as well as the flowers and resin?

The glass globes I purchase, I may try glass blowing one day, I was lucky enough to honeymoon in Venice many years back and had a trip to the Murano factory where I saw some glass blowing going on, it was amazing to watch.

Have you any plans for the future? When can we expect your next collection and where do you hope to be in five years?

I don’t plan much ahead of today, there is always a number of new designs buzzing around my head, hard to picture five years down the line but looking back where I was a couple years ago makes me grateful where I am right now, so who knows!

Elizabeth Finney

For more information please visit Lana’s Etsy page, Wishes on the Wind, and see her work click here.