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. 

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. 

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.

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.

Unframed Fern on "Free-Form" Handmade Paper

My Elizabeth's Flowers  website re-construction is happily over, and I'm back to doing what I love best - and here's proof.  This is an unframed pressed fern picture from the  Northwoods of Wisconsin, near Three Lakes.  The finely cut fern is beautiful in itself, but I decided to combined it with a highly textured "free-form" piece of my handmade paper, which really seems to compliment the orderly structure of the pressed fern. 

If you look closely, you can see that the edges of the handmade paper are very irregular, and the texture itself has an unruly look as well.   I really am pleased with this combination.

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.

Purple Crocus Trio

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

Spring is winding down here in Wisconsin, so here is another crocus collage before I have the joy of bombarding you with a riot of summer flowers.

I just got back from a short trip to visit a friend in Puyallup, Washington (near Seattle) and was amazed at the beautiful flowers there. I saw a lot of blooming wild pelargoniums (geraniums) on the Orting Valley bike trail which were tempting to pick and press, but I refrained. My own pink pelargoniums are blooming now and I'll be heading outside soon to press them before this afternoon's rain.

The above "Purple Crocus Trio" 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.

Striving Bee Balm

Striving Bee Balm
Bee balm, handmade paper
8" x 10" Acid-free mat
Unframed pressed flower art

I’m striving a bit.

In order to bring some new energy and relevancy to my blog, I’ve signed up for an intense four week long “Blog Triage Class.” I'm really looking forward to the weeks ahead, and learning how to have a more vibrant blog!

Apparently most of my homework is to be completed on my blog, so hopefully you may end up learning right along with me. Today’s assignment is to blog about my “ideal visitor.” With detail. Quite honestly, I am thankful for absolutely anyone and everyone who takes a moment to visit my blog, but here’s what I’ve come up with:

* My ideal visitors would first and foremost love and appreciate the beauty and wonder of flowers, leaves, and all things botanical. They would also have an appreciation for the One who created them.

* They would tend to be past, present, or future gardeners.

* Other pressed flower artists – who learn from my techniques and share theirs with me.

* Previous customers – who have purchased my art, and are interested in getting to know me as an artist as well as a person.

* Previous customers who have bought flower presses or handmade paper kits from me, and are seeking inspiration and new ideas for their own botanical art.

* Other artists who are on the same journey I am – to get the art they create “out there,” into the world beyond their studio.

Coming up with this list has caused me to slow down and think really think about the readers of my blog. I am thankful – what a neat way to connect blogging can be.

By the way, the Blog Triage "doctors" teaching our class are Cynthia Morris and Alyson Stanfield.

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.

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.

You frame it Friday

Wow! I just realized that my previous blog entry was my 200th post! I am amazed. I wish I would have realized that and celebrated in some way! I will have to keep closer track, and be sure to recognize the next big milestone.

This week's unframed pressed flower art creation is called "Golden Flowers." An online friend pointed out that I seem to be stuck on yellow flowers lately. I think I am drawn to the warmth and joyfulness of yellow - yellow seems hopeful, optimistic, and always joyful - like a celebration.

I've been using a Franklin Covy Planner for years, a small compact binder with my calender, daily and monthly "to-do" lists, yearly goals, etc. I can also fill out a small card called a "Weekly Compass," with the key goals I want to focus on. I use it as a "monthly compass" instead, and usually come up with a key word that I want to focus on for the month. In the past, I've focused on kindness, timeliness, humor, reverence, etc.

This month I'm focusing hard on joy...which seems especially appropriate given that this is the month we remember the incredible gift of God Himself coming to be with us. Psalm 8, which I am attempting to memorize says:

"...what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?."

Yes, who are we, really, that we've been given such a gift?
The more I think about this, the more joyfully amazed I am.

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.

Graceful Leaves

Due to life in general, this is the picture I had intended for last Friday's "You frame it Friday" picture.

Now, if you think a picture comprised of two skinny leaves is far from intriguing, that's ok. Those feelings are perfectly normal. Feel free to click elsewhere, but please come back on Friday when I post one of my more traditional pressed flower pictures.

For the rest of you, aren't these leaves beautiful? They are from the understory from the north woods of Wisconsin, picked the very afternoon before the season ending hard frost. Each leaf was growing directly out of the ground underneath the tall pines, and the leaves reminded me of single Solomon's Seal leaves. Up close I can see the pretty delicate veining in the leaves. The graceful stems are a reddish brown. I wish I know exactly what they were.

These graceful leaves have been mounted on my handmade paper, and sealed with UV resistant polymers. They are matted in a white acid-free mat, and are ready to be framed on an 8 x 10" frame.

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

I don't usually feature scripture pictures two weeks in a row, but I guess it's been on my mind lately.

I love oak leaves. One of the first framed pictures I ever made was just a single dark oak leaf mounted on a large piece of my handmade paper, and framed with out a mat. It was simple, but dramatic. I haven't sat down to think about why I like them so much, but I seem to detect a sense of strength, and dependability - maybe because oak trees are so enduring.

After I made this be still and know picture, I made another one to give to my Dad. He has accumulated many worries, and I'm hoping he'll take this message to heart because, after all, it really is a great message.

the Lord Reigns

I'm back - I missed "you frame it Friday" last week because my computer had a bit of a nervous breakdown. Apparently I added one too many high resolution scans, and my computer rebelled. One new flash drive later, things are thankfully back to normal.

Here's the scan of the "you frame it" picture that upset my computer. "The Lord Reigns" features a simple yet graceful sprig of leaves that are just on the cusp of turning from bright green to autumn yellow. Underneath is a verse from 1 Chronicles 16:31, which says:

Let the heavens rejoice,
let the earth be glad,
let them say among the nations,
"The Lord reigns!"

Times uncertain as they are, I have been finding much wisdom in this verse. Despite the financial uneasiness we are all facing, there still is so much to rejoice in, to be glad about...
and besides, when all is said and done, the Lord reigns!

You frame it Friday (a day early)

I'll be in Chicago later today attending a conference for the next few days, so here is this week's "You frame it Friday" creation a day early.

This matted pressed maple leaf collage is so much better in person - my scanner didn't quite do it justice. These are pressed maple leaves from my trip to northern Wisconsin last weekend, mounted on highly textured handmade paper, and matted with an archival acid free 8x10 mat.

The leaves have been sealed with two UV resistant polymers, so this picture is ready to drop into your favorite 8x10 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.