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What a joy to have the studio so busy! A record number of couples have asked me to create art from their wedding flowers this year and lately, it's been a whirlwind of gorgeous bouquets, pressed flower petals and inspiration! Here's a glimpse of what it looks like when life is full of flowers...  Every single wedding bouquet that comes to the studio is utterly gorgeous and unequivocably unique. Some have just a blush of color...whispering of love...  ...and some flowers are riotous and joyful and shout love to the rooftops!  Every bouquet that is entrusted to me to press, preserve and make art with is an absolute inspiration. I'm so lucky that I get to be surrounded by so much beauty!  All of the gorgeous flowers get taken apart petal by petal and go into the presses. I actually had to have MORE presses made this year to accomodate all of my wonderful clients!  Here's what it looks like when I empty a press...the deconstructed and pressed wedding bouquets have a glorious, simple beauty to them.  After pressing, I painstakingly recreate the flowers. At this stage, tweezers are my BEST friend.  My intention isn't to literally recreate the bouquet, but to transform it into a timeless piece of art that makes space for the memories of a courtship, romance and wedding day; and also expresses love and anticipation for a marriage that holds the promise of two lives lived fully in tandem.  Want to see some of the finished pieces? Check out my inspiration gallery! Are you curious about how it looks like to work with me? As the studio becomes busier, the presses need to be reserved in advance, so let's talk!
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So, you’re planning a wedding and you want it to be like nobody else’s. You’re looking for a baker, photographer and floral designer who’ll honor your individual style. You want to pay homage to your home town with local touches from artists you share a personal connection with. You’ve GOT to come to Valley Wed.  On October 29th, a hand-selected group of wedding professionals from the Pioneer Valley will gather at Quonquot Farm in Whately, MA. We’ll be there to delight, intrigue and wow you with our offerings while you soak in the beauty of this 200 year old farm and relax with nibbles & cocktails. This isn’t your Momma’s wedding show. This is fresh, eclectic and personal.  I’ll be there with my latest botanical designs. Let’s talk about your flower dreams and how we can turn your bouquet into art that you can enjoy forever.  Maybe you’re thinking about hand painted wedding invitations? Ooooh fancy! Let’s talk about too.  Bored by the choices you see for bridesmaids gifts? Or maybe you’re looking for something special to say thanks to your mom & new mom-in-law? I’ve got something truly unique to show you!  It promises to be a lovely day in a lovely place with lovely people sharing lovely things. Doesn't it just sound....SWELL?!
Have a peek at all the amazing wedding pros you’ll get to meet and buy your tickets! OR… Enter to win a pair of FREE tickets! I CAN'T WAIT to meet you and hear all about the wonderful plans you're making! I thought I was too busy to create a calendar this year. And then my customers insisted that I find the time. One particularly insistent customer couldn’t imagine what she’d give to her beloved clients if NOT a Flora-Ly Studios Calendar of Flowers… “Each year I purchase these delightful desk calendars from Flora-Ly for all my current and former clients to enjoy throughout the entire year – they LOVE them – and so do I!” Alicia of Alicia J. Nichols Fundraising Counsel, Pittsfield, ME You spoke. I listened.  This is the fourth year I’m offering the Flora-Ly Studios Calendar of Flowers—a collection of 12 postcard-sized, monthly mini-calendars that perch upon a sweet, wooden easel—perfectly suited to adorn your desk.  I start putting the calendar together in August. I begin by going through photographs of every collage I’ve made during the year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to take a stroll down memory lane. Every collage is attached to the memory of a client and their story; the woman who looooooved her pink roses; the customer whose bouquet was so enormous that we made two collages from it; and the client whose mom and grandmother used to pressed flowers—having her wedding flowers pressed was so poignant for her.  Rather than use images of complete collages (Those one of a kind beauties belong solely to the customers I made them for!), I focus on favorite vignettes from the collages I love the most and digitally re-mix them to make something entirely new. Every month is a collection of memories from my studio and my life and I offer them to you, ready and waiting to hold your memories-in-the-making. June’s pink Peony is from my mother’s Peony bush. Her Peony bushes were lush and tall, with blossoms the size of cantaloupes. No chemical fertilizers for these babies--they grew to epic proportions as a result of love, gentle whispers, sunshine and sheep compost. Now they grow in my garden. I'm sure they long for my mother’s whispered-sweet-nothings…but I do give them a kind word along with their sheep shi…compost.  February is a layered vision in pinks and purples created from the flowers in September's photo. I think of those layers as being like our relationships—they start out simply enough—growing richer and more complex over time.   October is always one of my favorites. This is a photo of “flower ghosts.” The faint—sometimes not so faint—images that a flower leaves on the paper after I remove it from the presses. Sometimes the marks are distinct, sometimes less so. It seems apropos to use these flower spirits for the month that holds All Hallows Eve.  After I’ve settled on 12 images for the year, I add notes or quotes to the back of each month’s card. These are like a mini-journal entry, reflective of the past year and hopeful for next—my wishes for you as your year unfolds.  There’s a trick that time plays on us, as we grow older and wiser. Somehow it seems to speed up. When weeks blend together and months fly by, I feel robbed of my right to savor each moment. That’s why I’m especially grateful that you asked for another calendar this year. It’s my chance to slow down, cherish the beautiful memories from the year, learn from the less beautiful ones, and make wishes for each day, each week, each month in the year ahead.  Just as flowers are a gift—from nature to humankind; from one lover to another; given between friends; meant to memorialize, to symbolize, to celebrate…this calendar is a gift…not FROM me, but THROUGH me. A gift for you…to keep or to share. A gift of beauty, of wishes, memories and good intentions.
Calendar pre-sale orders are now open. I print only a few more calendars than are pre-ordered and they sell out every year. Make sure you get yours by ordering before October 25th. If you’d like to purchase 25 or more calendars to give as gifts, you’ll enjoy a 25% discount on your order. For my corporate clients, I offer the option of customization with your logo on the back of each month’s card. Order calendars in small quantities here… Order 25+ calendars here… Brides often think of greenery as the filler between the flowers, but in truth, there's a quiet elegance in a leaf, a fern, some Dusty Miller. Greenery creates a soft, fresh romance all on its own. If your dream wedding is simple, elegant and fresh, greenery is the way to go! Pro tip: something magical happens when you mix fresh greens and pressed botanicals. The resulting alchemy is textured and timeless, elegant and elevated. Just feast your eyes on this gorgeous inspiration photo shoot (which I was invited to participate in) that combines fresh and pressed greens in every element of the wedding design! Amanda Sandford of A Styled Fete Wedding Design, asked me to create some pressed greens and flowers to support her vision of an old world botanical collector—with specimens in luxurious wooden display cases and under glass cloches—creating a hushed sense of leaning in, paying close attention and drinking in the details of Mother Nature’s perfect work.  I pressed white Peonies, Queen Anne’s Lace, Astilbe, Eucalyptus and Dusty Miller, which were carefully placed among the place cards to create a breathtaking display. So simple! So stunning!  The delicate detail of the pressed botanicals against the dark fabric encourages guests to lean in, hushed, and admire their beauty.  Peonies press beautifully, evoking the paper flowers you made as a child. Can't you practically smell the clean, sharp eucalyptus?  These pressed greens were placed between sheets of custom cut acrylic to create a lush and intricate wedding invitation. Can you imagine getting this in the mail?! Such a gorgeous way to say, "Come! Something special is going to happen and you'll want to be there!"  All these ideas are simple, elegant and absolutely achievable for your wedding! Think green, think pressed botanicals and create something unusual and stunning that will amaze and inspire your guests!
See ALL the photos of this soft & romantic wedding inspiration at RuffledBlog.com. Special thanks to the entire vendor team that made this photoshoot come together so beautifully: Brittani Elizabeth Photography A Styled Fete Wedding Design Trousseau Style Wardrobe Styling EverLaser Stationery Drumore Estate Venue Tallulah Ketubahs Calligraphy Forget Me Not Rentals BHLDN Bridal Gown / Veil Nordstrom Bridesmaid fashion Commonwealth Proper Grooms Fashion Emily Taylor Rogers Model-bride Kaleigh Gallagher Model-bridesmaid The Baker's Table Bakery Makeup by Emily Dimant L. Priori Jewelry Earrings/ Rings Wild Flowers By Design Floral Hair and Makeup by Nikki Hair Stylist |
AuthorI'm Linda, keeper of the flowers. Archives
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