When I receive your flowers the first thing I do is to take them apart (separate individual rose petals, cut blooms off other types of flowers, etc.) and bury them in a silica drying agent. When the moisture is out of the flowers, I transfer them to a clamped pressed where they are arranged between layers of paper and cardboard and pressed flat, and completely dried. When flowers are finished being flattened, I contact you to either have you come to my studio to make your fabric and frame selections, or I send you a scanned sampling of your dried flowers by email. I like to wait until flowers are dried and pressed before having you choose your fabric and frame, so you can get a true sense of their color, once dried. On very rare occasions if flower color turns too brown (sometimes happens with orchids) I can apply acrylic paint to restore the color.
After your fabric and frame selections are made, I then re-create a two dimensional representation of your bouquet onto matteboard covered with batting/fabric by re-gluing the flowers into an artistic design. I incorporate your original ribbon and pins (unless ribbon is so discolored it needs replacement). I can also incorporate the invitation (only in the 16 x 20 size) or photo and the boutonniere into the piece . When the piece is completed I will email you a photo of the finished product and then you can pay the balance due and I will ship the piece to you.
Images of the drying process –
pulling flowers apart and
burying in silica gel
Some images of the re-assembly process
after dryng/pressing is finished
