Pressed Flower Artists: A great tip, from a kind reader...

Back in September, Marj from Ontario emailed me with several questions about using Perfect Paper Adhesive (my go-to pressed flower sealant), but unfortunately she had one question I couldn't help her with.

She was having trouble using the PPA to seal pressed flowers that she had glued onto card stock, because in sealing the flowers with the PPA, a slight amount of PPA would get onto the card stock, causing it to warp. Because I glue my flowers onto my absorbent handmade paper, I've never dealt with warping, and didn't have an answer for her.  But, recently Marj emailed me again, with a solution for her problem:

"In September you kindly answered questions I had about the Perfect Paper Adhesive. I have been having great success with the product since then and am so grateful for your help. I think that I was probably using a bit too much initially. Sometimes I 'top coat' the plant material first, placing it on a piece of baker's parchment paper (which can be re-used many times) to dry without sticking. Then I adhere the chosen bits to my card design. It is so reassuring to think that they are then hardy enough for the postal service."
   
I love the idea of "top coating!" I can see that coming in handy for a number of different projects I have planned, especially one involving rice paper...  Marj also included the above Christmas card, and she says:

"...the 'balls' on the tree are hole punched from an autumn Bergenia leaf which turned a lovely red, and the star is a bit of Queen Anne's Lace."


Great ideas Marj!  Thanks so much for sharing them, and your art with us!

The Poinsettia: Mexican Christmas Legend

With its beautiful, red, star-shape poinsettia is a favorite flower in the United States. in central America it is called "the flame leaf" or "flower of the holy night". Now very popular in the US, the American settlers were not quite familiar with this one only a couple of centuries back. A native of Mexico, it was brought here over a hundred years ago by Dr. Joel Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico. Most of the poinsettias used these days come from California.

Fireworks in December

One of the new plants I couldn't wait to grow last spring was Burpee's exclusive Fireworks flowers , an unruly shockingly pink Globe Amaranth. What a fun flower!  The ladies who walk past my house every morning stopped by several time to get a closer look, and even my kids, who are a bit "flowered out," as you can imagine,  found them "cool."

Although they are dimensional, they ended up pressing very well in the Microfleur, and their flat, graceful stems are an added plus.

This piece of Fireworks pressed flower art is created on 5 x 7" handmade paper, and mounted on fine Gilbert Oxford card stock.  It has been sealed with  UV resistant polymers, and is ready to frame in the 8 x 10" frame of your choice.

You can grow your own fireworks next spring!  The seeds are available here.  If you are interested in purchasing a Microfleur, you can do so here, and, remember, free gift wrapping is available on all Microfleurs and paper making kits from now until December 20th. 

Time to make gift tags...

For the past few Christmas seasons I've been offering free Christmas gift wrapping on all Microfleur flower presses and Going Green paper making kits, and I've always included a free handmade paper gift tag.  Sometimes it's a pressed fern/Christmas tree tag, other times a pressed Queen Anne's Lace flower/snowflake tag, either way, they are fun to make, and a great way to showcase two of my favorite things:  pressed botanicals and handmade paper.

Here's a quick tutorial of my favorite way of making handmade paper gift tags...

Bold bee Balm

 

"Bold Bee Balm,"  Pressed flowers on handmade paper
 8 1/2 x 11" matted.  October 2010

Some flowers are sweet and tranquil, like pansies or lavender, others are in your face so to speak, like bee balm.  It's bold colored petals are arrayed like exploding fireworks, and being a member of the mint family, they conspire to take over your flower garden if given half a chance! And they are beloved by both bees and hummingbirds, so a person just about takes their life in their hands when trying to pick them...

Bold Bee Balm is a side view of two deep red bee balm flowers, mounted on my handmade paper, sealed with an invisible UV resistant coating, and is ready to frame.

I never tire of a lavender line

Rarely do I make two similar pictures. Cards, yes, but if I am going to go to the trouble of making something worth framing, I definitely want it to be unique.  Except for lavender!  I love putting it in lines - that's all I want to do with it.  I think it looks awesome!  Someday I'd like to put a whole series of  framed lavender lines on both sides of the my entry way of my home...but until then, here is a lavender line to share with you. 

P.S. Elizabeth's Flowers is on facebook now!  Please press "like" if you'd like - it will help my facebook rating.  Thanks!

1988 Confirmation Keepsake

I am so excited to share this idea!  

Andrea, a customer friend of mine is traveling back to Norway to meet her extended family.  Before leaving she and her mom and sister decided to make pressed flower gifts for each of the relatives they would be meeting.  Originally she decided to make pressed flower glass "sun-catchers," but then she came upon this wonderfully unique idea - embellishing copies of her great-grandfather's confirmation certificate from 1888 with pressed flowers, and framing them.  

Adrea emails: "We made 30 of these 5x7 frames with Bachelor Buttons, Potentilla, and Feverfew (they smelled like a lovely herbal tea when they were drying)... I did most of the flower pressing in the Microfleur, and my mom and sister did most of the artful gluing onto the documents, to highlight his name just right!"

Stunning.  I can't wait to hear about her family's reaction to them!