Pressed Flower Votive Candle Holder Gift Idea

Flower pressing friends, here's a cool Christmas idea gift idea for you to make, that's unbelievable easy.  

1.  Glue a pressed flower of your choice onto each side of a triangle or square votive candle holder.  I tend to prefer Perfect Paper Adhesive for gluing, but in this case any white glue should be fine. I also recommend using flowers pressed in a Microfleur microwave flower press since they tend to retain more of their color.

2.  Tear a piece of white/translucent tissue paper into a square that will cover each flower by at least 1/8".  You could also cut the square, but the torn edges give a much nicer, "artsy" look.

3.  Cover one of the flowers plus an extra 1/8" of an inch around it with either matte Modge Podge, or Perfect Paper Adhesive.  Place a tissue paper square on top, press out any air bubbles, and then carefully apply another coat of either Modge Podge or PPA over the tissue paper.  Make sure to cover the edges of the tissue paper, but avoid getting excess on the glass. Repeat for each flower.  Allow to dry.

There you have it!  The tissue paper lends a certain whimsical look to the pressed flowers, and also helps protect the flowers.  Avoid using greens since they readily fade unless you add some kind of pigment - with either water color, or markers such as Prismacolors. 

For the candle holder above I used osteospermum flowers (a type of African Daisy) in several shades of purple. Which ever flowers you choose to use, be sure to have plenty on hand - everyone you know will want one of these!

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!

Some great new pressed flower techniques...

Just came across a great video showing some creative ways to use Perfect Paper Adhesive with pressed flowers and leaves.  The creator of PPA herself, Susan Pickering Rothamel, shows how to use PPA with botanicals and a variety of different papers, glitter, and mica to create a very interesting collage.  Check it out!

Flower Pressing Tips, Part 2 - Revisited

We are in early summer here in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, and it is beautiful. My perennials and annuals are blooming, and the wildflower seeds I planted earlier along the cornfield are beginning to pop as well, so as usual I'm doing lot's of pressing. I love it!

Here are a few more pressed flower tips I want to share with you:

*  I usually press the flowers I gather right away, but sometimes I let certain flowers sit on the counter for awhile, such as carpet cosmos, poppies, and even pansies. I gently flatten them out, and arrange the petals as needed, but then I let them sit for a few hours, and they kind of “draw in a bit.” This tends to concentrate the color of the flowers, and it adds a bit of interesting texture. Try it, and see what you think.

*  A number of you have written in asking me what kind of glue I use on pressed flowers. For years I used plain old Elmer's glue.  However, now I tend to use Perfect Paper Adhesive for both gluing and protecting all of my pressed flower and botanical art pieces. It's UV resistant, moisture proof, and it's even flexible - and virtually invisible.

*  Pansies are a favorite for pressed flower artists, but they can be tricky to glue properly. Here’s how I glue them:
First, place a small drop of glue in the center of the flower, and place a row of small dots of glue along the outer edge of the flower. Arrange the pansy where you want it and press down.

Then take a tooth pick and gently run it under the overlapping petals of the pansy from the middle out, and lift up the flaps that make up the "face" of the pansy.  Place a tiny drop of adhesive on the end of the toothpick, and gently slide it under the unsecured parts of the overlapping petals.

After gluing down the flowers, I would recommend lightly covering each flower, stem and leaf with a light coat of Perfect Paper Adhesive to preserve and protect the them and to maintain their vibrant colors.  If I'm making a piece of pressed flower art that will be framed at some point, I also spray it with clear UV resistant sealer in addition to applying the PPA.

Happy pressing!

Black Pansies

I'm not into Gothic things (at all!), but I love black pansies.

Actually a deep, deep, purple, the black pansy pictures and cards I make are always good sellers at the farmer's markets and shows I do. The only problem is that I'm sometimes reluctant to press them, because they look so dramatic in the containers on my patio!

I made this card yesterday, and today it's on it's way to a good friend. Because I brushed on a thin coating of Perfect Paper Adhesive over the pansies and their greenery, I don't have to worry about the flowers fading, or being damaged in the mail. A thin coat is all it takes to provide invisible UV resistance, and because it provides a tough, flexible layer of protection, it's perfect for pressed flower cards, gift tags, etc.

Pressing Time

Finally, finally, FINALLY I've been able to begin pressing my crocuses, in between the rogue snow storms and spring deluges we've been having here in southern Wisconsin lately. After "tweeting" that I was pressing crocuses this past Saturday, I received a number of emails asking me about how to go about pressing them.

So, for my new readers, here's an update of a tutorial on "How to Press Crocus Flowers" I wrote a few springs ago. Enjoy pressing and capturing the beauty of your crocuses. They are such a welcome blessing from our Creator.

doing art

As I mentioned last time, I've made Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays serious art days. I've only taken a few minutes to dabble on the computer today, while I was waiting for the UV resistant sealer on these pressed flower pictures to dry.

Now, back to work!

House cleaning

Let's clean up some loose ends today.

First of all, I've received a number of emails from people interested in purchasing Perfect Paper Adhesive, one of the sealants I use primarily for my pressed flower cards, but they've been unable to find it on my website. Others are having trouble finding the web page showing my un-framed pressed flower art.
All for good reason - it has been hard to find these items...but I have finally revamped the navigation on the Elizabeth's Flowers website and now each of those has it's own link on the left side of every page.

Also, I've received inquiries regarding when the regular Microfleur will be back in stock. Actually, it's been back in stock for some time, but it may look like it is still out of stock unless you hit the refresh button, and then the "out of stock" message will disappear. I'm not sure why that is - I think it has something to do with "cookies".

I apologize for such a boring post! This fall, I will be redoing elizabeths-flowers.com with a fresh new template, so it will be much more professional looking, and, thankfully, much easier to navigate. By the way, I am looking for a graphic artist to update my logo with a fresh new look as well. Please email me if you're interested.

And, one last thing. I thought I'd let you know that Midday Connection is airing the "Women of Moderation" series again. Basically it's a Bible study that can teach you how to be "moderate" not only in regards to food, but in other areas of your life as well.

When I went through it last Spring, I found the principals I learned valuable in helping me to learn to say "no" to myself, not only in regards to my tendency to indulge myself with too many Krunchers, cookies, large portions, etc, but I also learned to say no to myself when I was tempted to spend too much time surfing on the net, buying something I didn't need, or not making the time to exercise. Being "moderate" is definitely a process, and I have my share of slips, but if I look hard at my life I can certainly see progress. I really recommend it, and it's a great study to do with a friend.

Q & A: How to use PPA with large flowers

This weekend Lucy emailed me with the following questions:

1. After you put a dot of perfect paper adhesive on the back of the pressed flower to position it on the card the rest of the petals are loose. When you are done with flower placement how do you actually paint the product over the loose petals without tearing them?

2. I envision that when painted on a large flower the flower becomes fixed to the product on top but not to the card. The larger the flower, the less of it will be fixed to the card. Is the product so strong that even if only painted on top of the flower (that is not affixed to the card) that the flower will not break or tear when the card is bent?

Lucy, I am always quite generous when applying perfect paper adhesive to the backs of flowers. Generally I place a dot in the center, and then outline the entire flower, including each and every petal with PPA. In the case of a wide flower like this pansy, I also radiate outwards from the center as well. If I was using a large petaled flower, such as a cosmos, I would outline each petal with PPA, and then I'd also "zig zag" it down the center of each petal. In the picture above I applied the PPA with the small 1 oz bottle, but for larger flowers, or even ferns, you might find it easier to paint it on with a small brush.

When applying perfect paper adhesive to flowers used in framed art it's not quite as crucial to glue the flowers down so meticulously, but when using them for cards, those poor flowers will be going through a war, so to speak. However, I have found that if the flowers are well adhered, and then another coat of PPA is applied to the top of the flowers and greens, they will withstand their trip through the postal system, and be able to tolerate normal flexing and bending of the card. For best results, let freshly adhered pressed flowers dry thoroughly before applying the top coat with a soft brush. Remember, the top coat should be a thin coat- if you see white when you're applying it your using too much.

Thank you for your questions, Lucy - I hope I answered them adequately. Please let me know if you have any others!

Flowers in heaven

Here's an interesting close up of one of the pictures currently hanging at the Genoa City Library.

For this piece I used a very thin piece of my handmade paper which was applied to a piece of black archival foam board with Perfect Paper Adhesive. The handmade paper was so thin that the PPA bled through, and at first I panicked, but then I ended up loving the unexpected "cosmic" effect.

Will there be flowers in heaven? I think so. We know there will be at least two big trees (Revelation 22:2), and flowers were actually one of God's favorite art subjects. When he gave instructions to Bezalel and Ohliab, the two artists he handpicked and empowered to create the items in Israel's tabernacle, flowers (and palm leaves) were among God's most requested decorations. You can read more about it starting in Exodus 31.

Framing idea for pressed flowers

I have a row of four of these primitive wooden frames filled with colorful pressed flowers and scripture in my kitchen. I bought a box full of these frames about 5 years ago on ebay, and apparently they are some type of antique contact frames that were used by photographers. On the back of some of the frames there is a dial with numbers 1-12, but no indication of where they were made. The frames were filthy when I received them, but after cleaning them with Murphy's Oil Soap and polishing them with Formby's Tung Oil, they developed a stunning rich, beautiful luster.

The south facing wall these pictures are hanging on is sunny, so when ever I come upon a new flower I would like to use in my pressed flower art, it spends a trial period in one of these frames, and if it hold its color, I begin to use it. Since there is no glass, I protect the flowers from moisture, dust, and UV rays with a thin layer of Perfect Paper Adhesive. The backs of these frames pop off, so its really easy to swap out pictures, and I change them quite often - in the fall I like to put up bold autumn leaf pictures, in the spring I might put up colorful crocuses, and one year I made a row of "Christmas tree" fern pictures.
I wish I could give you a source for these unique frames, but the best I can do is point you to ebay, or encourage you to make friends with a really old photographer!
copyright pressed-flowers dot blogspot dot com.

How to make pressed flower cards

I frequently get asked by readers and customers how I make my pressed flower cards, and I’ve always been happy to share about my techniques on my l blog, or via personal emails.

But, after making my cards the same way for years and years, I recently completely changed my technique.

I’ve told many of you that I have tried a number of adhesives, and that I swear by Elmer’s Glue. Well, not any more. Now only use Perfect Paper Adhesive.

Also, I never protected the pressed flowers on my cards. I assumed the handmade paper I mounted my flowers on would be sturdy enough to get them through the mail.

I’ve changed my mind. Now, I always protect my pressed flower cards with a thin application of a tough, flexible, UV resistant and acid free sealant. It’s barely perceptible and it makes me pressed flower cards as tough as nails. Conveniently, the sealant I use just happens to be the adhesive I use: Perfect Paper Adhesive.

I wrote about my discovery of Perfect Paper Adhesive(PPA) just a few weeks ago, and soon after I was contacted by the maker of PPA, and invited to sell it on my website. I was thrilled! So now, you can purchase Perfect Paper Adhesive at Elizabeth's Flowers, if you’re interested. And, if you’d like to check it out, I’ve re-written my tutorial on “How to Make Pressed Flower Cards”.

Happy creating!

Part Two: Turning over a new leaf

Continued from previous post...
The next morning I accidentally stumbled upon a scrap- booking web site raving about something called “Perfect Paper Adhesive”. It was touted as a great adhesive, but also works as a flexible, strong matte sealer that just happens to be UV resistant, and it was reportedly safe on flowers. I jumped in the car and flew over to the nearest Michael’s, and by late afternoon I knew my dilemma was solved. It works great! Thankfully it’s completely non-toxic, and all I had to do was to apply a very thin coating over the flower, stem, and leaves with a soft brush. When it dries, it covers the botanicals in a barely perceptible, but tough, flexible film, that is amazingly durable. The pressed flowers on the cards can be stepped on, crumpled, folded, spilled on, (not that anyone should do these things to their handmade cards) and they remain intact! And what a blessing that it’s UV resistant as well!

This extra step is easy, but time consuming – partly in the application, but mostly in waiting for the cards to be completely dry before I can place them in cellophane wrappers or boxes. Because of the extra time needed, I will now be offering four cards in my boxes of pressed flower cards, instead of five…but I think the change will be worth it. My customers will be getting a much more reliable and higher quality product. Isn’t amazing that God cares about the little dilemmas in our lives, as well as the really important ones? I’m thankful.

Learn more about Perfect Paper Adhesive here.