Lavender Bee Balm Pair

Here's a pair of the lavender bee balm I picked the other day, in an 8 x 10" acid free mat, mounted on my handmade paper.  The bee balm my neighbor friends and I have been growing for years is deep fuchsia or brilliant red, so I find myself really enjoying this laid back, peaceful looking native Wisconsin bee balm. 

Creative Framing with Pressed Flowers

It's such a treat when my customers send pictures of my pictures in their new setting.  I love to see where my creations end up!

A customer friend from Pennsylvania requested four pressed flower pictures mounted on my 5' x 5" handmade paper, so that she could insert them into some shutters she had modified.  I was having a hard time imagining how they would look, but the results were absolutely beautiful!  The colors of the flowers she requested match perfectly with the fabric below - what a cheerful addition to her sewing room! 

In a matter of days... pressing crocuses in the Microfleur

Yellow Crocus Spring Greeting

12 x 12"

Pressed flowers on handmade paper
 

In a matter of days I will be pressing the first crocuses of the year (smile).  This winter has seemed unusually  l  o  n  g  to me, has it been that way for you? I'm hoping not. At any rate, my little purple crocuses have begun to peak out, and I am on the look out for the large yellow crocuses in the picture above which usually aren't far behind..

For those of you new to pressing flowers, you may want to check out my tutorial on pressing crocus flowers in the Microfleur.  Crocuses are delicate, but with care both the flowers and the classy stripped leaves press very well. This year, since Easter is so late, I will have plenty of time to make pressed crocus Easter cards.    

Blue Cornflowers on Handmade Paper

I love the handmade paper these cornflowers are on - it's very textured because it was never pressed after I pulled the sheet - it almost looks like stucco.  I love how the wild texture contrasts with the simplicity of the flowers, but there aren't many flowers substantial enough to mount on such rough paper.  Thankfully this trio of blue cornflowers do the trick perfectly.

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!

Unframed "Groovy Calendula"

I have a number of new pressed flower art pieces to photograph and post on my website, so here's the first in line, because it makes me smile.

Groovy Calendula is made from two of my largest golden calendula flowers from last summer (over two inches across!) with rich burgundy centers, and green fun and curvy stems.

The 5 x 7" piece of handmade paper I made for this piece is really, really textured.  In fact the paper wasn't pressed after it was formed, so it ended up being very wavy, similar to the stems of the calendula.

Speaking of calendula, it is one of my favorite flowers to press in the Microfleur, so be sure to order some seeds when you place your seed catalog order this year.  I've read that calendula is edible! I've never tried it though.

Up or down?

I can't decide if I'd hang my latest unframed art creation up or down.  I seem to change my mind by the minute!  At least when I create my pressed flower art there's no question.  Stem at the bottom, flower on top.

At any rate, this unframed pressed fall leaves art collage is now available, with leaves from Wisconsin.   We are currently at peak color, and as soon as it stops raining I intend to go out and enjoy them! And press more of them as well.

The return of "You frame it Friday"

"Be still and know..." Pressed Fuchsia Flower
Fuchsia, handmade paper
8" x 10" Acid-free mat
Unframed pressed flower art

Ever since I tried pressing the fuchsia plant on my patio, it has been getting smaller and smaller. I've pressed fuchsia in the past, but their round little "bellies" never pressed to my liking, they ended up looking like blobs. I bought this fuchsia not for pressing, just for enjoying, but pressed it on a whim one day because I wanted to use some of the leaves.



I apologize that I don't know what variety it is, but it's a beauty with its unusually slender flowers, long tendrils, and long pointed petals.

I've made a number of pressed flower cards with these flowers this week, and also placed a sprig with one of my favorite verses, Psalm 42:10.

Today's featured unframed pressed fuchsia flower picture has been treated with a UV resistant polymer to seal out moisture and prevent fading indefinitely.

Another line of lavender

Lavender Line
14" x 7"
Sold/Consignment for Jen M.


I have made a lot of "lavender lines" lately, and although it's more interesting to make new creations as opposed to doing the same thing over and over, I love how each of my lavender pictures seems to come together in a different way. Each has it's own uniqueness.

This morning I gave myself permission to procrastinate for just a little while, and on a blog I visit every so often there was a a quote from Edith Schaeffer that really made me sit up and take notice:

"There is a staggering diversity in Creation from the silence of snow to the delicate sound of rain on leaves...

The captivating ingredient in the whole fantastic stream of reality is that the Creator God created beings in His likeness so that each one could be a creator...^"


Two reminders. One being of how vast and varied creation is, and the other, that the Creator of all things also gave us a portion of His of creativity, so that we too can create in many many different ways. That's why artists can use the same media over and over again, and each time something different appears.

How amazingly kind of God to share His creativity with us.

Pressed for all time...

July already? Do you ever get the feeling that God pushes "fast forward" during the summer? It never fails to whiz by.

This time of year almost every spare moment I have is spent pressing flowers, so that I have plenty to use all year long for my framed and unframed pressed flower art, as well as my pressed flower cards.

Today I pressed the last of my violas, the first of my red poppies, many blue and purple cornflowers, a fern sprig, and lots of calendula and osteospermum.

Can you tell what the silver star shaped flowers in the middle of my Microfleur flower press are? They are edelweiss flowers - not an easy plant to grow, unless you are in the Alps. I am thankful when ever they grace me with their presence here in Wisconsin, and this year I've been blessed with a modest amount of small blooms. Many of them will be used for consignment pictures customers have ordered, and any leftovers will be used for cards that I will put up on my Etsy page.

If you are new to pressing flowers, here's a Microfleur Flower List I complied a summer or two ago about on what flowers I have found to press well in the Microfleur - if you have any to add, please email me, and I would be glad add them to the list.

My very simple display

Debra from Georgia emailed me last week asking how I package and display my cards.

Simple isn't always best, but when displaying artwork of any kind, I find "simple" usually rings true.

Since God already made the plants I use so beautiful, I want my packaging and displays to be almost invisible, so that viewer's eyes immediately travel to the flowers.

Each individual pressed flower card is sealed in a clear cello bag, and my boxed cards are enclosed in clear plastic boxes that fold shut on both ends. I used to display all of my cards in various baskets, but then discovered the great acrylic card rack displays from cleardisplays.com and have been more than happy with them.

Coming up with a simple, inexpensive way to display my framed art was a little harder for me. Other artist friends use metal display grids to hang their art on, and although they are classy and durable, I was hesitant to make that kind of investment.


Thankfully, I passed by an old discarded ladder one morning, and after painting it white it became a sturdy but lightweight way to display my pictures. I also have strong rubber bands behind each picture anchoring the frames to screws attached to the back of each ladder each step.

On really windy days, however, the ladder isn't a good option - but so far this year our Friday Farmer's Market mornings at Northwind have been calm and beautiful. I am hoping this Friday will be the same!

The Blogging Goals of a Botanical Artist

Goal - noun: 1.the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end. 2. finish.

My blogging goals:

1. Ultimately, to bring my art work out of my home, into the homes of others.
How? By giving my art words: Describing it. Revealing its origins, motivations, and inspiration.

2. To make connections:
- with others who appreciate the simplicity and beauty of the plants God created.
- with other artists

3. To document my journey as an artist, by having a visual record of my art to look back upon, along with the comments/reflections of others.

Purple Crocuses - Unframed Pressed Flower Art

Purple Crocuses
Unframed Pressed Flower Art
For an 11 x 14" or
8 x 12" frame
Pressed crocuses, handmade paper

We have had such a long winter here in Wisconsin, so I find myself unusually reluctant to press my crocuses this year. I just want to leave them in my garden, so that I can look out the window and believe that spring really is here! Despite myself, I have managed to press a few.

This "Purple Crocuses" pressed flower picture could be framed in either a standard 8 x 10, or 11 x 14" frame. In an 8 x 10 frame, the mat would neatly cover the edges of the handmade paper, and the 11 x 14" frame would allow the interesting deckled edge of the handmade paper to show, for a more organic look.

I will happily include an acid free white mat for either size frame (8x10", or 11x14") upon request. Just state your mat size preference in the "comments" section when ordering, or email me.

Yellow Crocus Spring Greeting

12" X 12"
"Yellow Crocus Spring Greeting"
Pressed flowers, handmade paper
$95.00

Over the weekend spring was briefly here in southern Wisconsin, and in a happy frenzy I planted my super sugar snap peas as well as my snow peas. My neighbors said it was way to early, but Martha Stewart always says to get them in around St. Patrick's Day. She should know. And, while I was at it, I also planted a few kohlrabi, some beets, chard, and lettuce. It was probably too early for all of the latter, but it was so much fun for my soul.

Today we are back to that long "in between" time - not quite spring, not quite winter. It's a perfect day to post my yellow crocus creation, and try to think thoughts of spring coming, and staying.

Lavender Line

"Lavender Line"
Un-framed Pressed Flower Art
Pressed lavender, handmade paper
8" x 12"
$40.00

I absolutely love pressing lavender in my Microfleur because the fragrance of lavender permeates the air of my kitchen, and it lingers for a long time in the woolen Microfleur pads.
Unfortunately the pressed lavender no longer has any scent for me to enjoy while I am working with it, but I find myself almost unconsciously sensing the fragrance just by being with it.

This "Lavender Line" pressed flower picture could be framed in either a standard 8 x 10, or 11 x 14" frame. In an 8 x 10 frame, the mat would neatly cover the edges of the handmade paper, and the 11 x 14" frame would allow the interesting deckled edge of the handmade paper to show, for a more organic look.

I will happily include an acid free white mat for either size frame (8x10", or 11x14") upon request. Just state your mat size preference in the "comments" section when ordering, or email me.

Coming up for air...

Lot's of commotion around here lately - my father in law has arrived to recover from open heart surgery, and we have been rearranging our lives accordingly to accommodate him. I'm determined to get back to blogging this week, but today I'm taking the easy way out. I'd like to point you towards my favorite competitor's new blog: Annie's Pressed Garden Blog. Actually Annie and I aren't really competitors, she does amazing things with bouquets, and I've always been afraid to work with them for fear I wouldn't be able to do them justice.

I also really admire Annie's cheerful enthusiasm and her contagious, heartfelt faith. Get to know her, you'll be blessed.

You frame it Friday

Plum mums. Plum colored mums, spiked foliage, highly textured handmade paper, acid-free white 8 x 10 mat.
Ready to frame.

I think the succinctness of twittering is having an effect on me.

I've been preoccupied with catching up with orders, getting ready for the show I'm in this weekend, and gearing up for Christmas, so I apologize for my spotty blogging lately.

Despite my busyness, I happened to come across a blog recently (isn't it amazing that no matter how busy one is, there is always the urge to surf) that has really stopped me in my tracks. It's called ali's african adventures. Take a peek at it and see what you think.

You frame it Friday

This week's unframed pressed flower art features kind of an abstract picture of wildflowers and grass.

Despite a few moderate frosts here in southern Wisconsin, these wildflowers I pressed earlier this week continue to brighten up their corner of the world.

It's somewhat hard to see in this picture, but the flowers are mounted on a 5 x 7" piece of my textured handmade paper, which in turn is mounted on a piece of highest quality Gilbert Oxford card stock.

This pressed flower picture could be framed in either an 8 x 10, or 11 x 14" frame. In an 8 x 10 frame, the mat would neatly cover the edges of the handmade paper, and the 11 x 14" frame would allow the interesting deckled edge of the handmade paper to show, for a more organic look.

I will happily include an acid free white mat for either size frame (8x10", or 11x14") upon request. Just state your mat size preference in the "comments" section when ordering, or email me.

You frame it Friday - Black-eyed Susans

Black-eyed Susans tend to be big, cheerful, bold flowers that I hardly ever press because their "black eye" is so thick.

I was surprised when I came upon a patch of them in my father-in-law's garden a few weeks ago. He lives deep in the north woods of Wisconsin, and my guess is because these flowers grew in an area of dappled sunlight they didn't become as robust as usual, and happily they pressed beautifully.

This piece unframed pressed flower art is already matted with an 8 x 10 white acid free mat, and the flowers been sealed with two types of invisible UV resistant polymers to seal in color and keep harmful rays and moisture out. It's all ready for someone to drop into their favorite 8 x 10 frame!

You frame it Friday

Here's another un-framed pressed flower art creation featuring orange cosmos. The orange cosmos picture I posted three weeks sold almost immediately, so I thought I'd make another one in its place.

In a few hours we will be heading off to northern Wisconsin, where the glorious north woods are at their peak of color.

Stay tuned for some colorful autumn pressed leaf collages next week.