STAINED GLASS AND PRESSED FLOWERS: A WONDERFUL COMBINATION

I'd like to present an established pressed flower and stained glass artist:   
 DesignAndBeMary    

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignAndBeMary
How did you get started working with stained glass and pressed flowers?I got started using flowers after I had been travelling and was at a farmers market and saw someone selling little framed stained glass pieces and- to tell the truth - I don't remember exactly what they were of or what artwork was in the pieces - it was just the idea. I was producing various jewelry items with wirework, beadwork, etc. with most of my work being a little 'higher end' in price and quality - this was a few years back when the economy was heading downward and so sales were slowing a bit. Upon seeing her little pieces, it occurred to me that maybe I could learn and do something small with stained glass that would offer customers a lower priced, but attractive and unique item......I immediately thought of all the possibilities of what could placed in the stained glass.....and thought that little pressed flowers would probably be well liked and make for a pretty piece. Understand that I had never done any stained glass work at all....but I do have a degree in Art and taught art, so I had done soldering, etc. in my jewelry. So...... I dived in and learned as I went along!!! I enjoyed the rhythm of the process and learning to 'present' the flowers as well as getting a smooth and nicely finished solder. I also liked the idea that I could press my own grown or collected flowers and leaves!

What are your favorite flowers?
 My favorite flowers are the tiny wildflowers, as well as early budding apple blossoms. I also enjoy very very young leaves as they just bud out. My favorite colored flowers are blue, followed by very pale pink, but I have grown to appreciate all the beautiful colors nature provides! Every flower has it's place!!!

What are some of the challenges you encounter?
 There are many challenges in making small pressed flower jewelry pieces. Because of their size, I have to use a very small soldering iron - and at first I kept burning them out - finally I got a regulator and that helped a lot. Also, making pieces this size requires a lot of tiny cut pieces - both of regular stained glass as well as the slide weight glass - which also involve a lot of grinding, etc. to match the two pieces. I also discovered that I really had to use the smallest(size) of flowers - which greatly reduced the number of options I was finding - and I also found some flowers were just plain too 'fragile' or 'delicate' for use. I collect and press many of my own flowers, but have also found a few places from which I can buy some as well - as they come into 'season', etc. Flowers are carefully arranged on the glass, glued in place, and then the taping, fluxing and soldering process takes place. Might I add that the small size seem to make these processes harder on the hands and despite my best efforts, I often end up with very rough and damaged skin/nails on my hands!! While I have used regular solder since beginning, in the interest of being a bit more 'green', I am working toward converting my work to lead free solder - kind of difficult as the lead free solders flow a bit differently and don't have the bright shine that most people enjoy. All pieces have to be handled carefully so that nothing slides into the glass sandwich, and they all require considerable cleaning and and a protective polish. I also include a care sheet with each of my pieces so people understand how to take care of the piece...No..please do not go swimming with your pressed flower pendant on!! :) Some people want to maintain the bright, shiny finish, while others enjoy the natural oxidation that inevitably will take place over time - if nothing is done to prevent it. Also I have found that I tend to avoid dyed flowers - there are a few that maintain their color, but many of them fade totally 'out' - very disappointing if you had liked the color!!

What are your plans for the future?
As for future plans.....having CFIDS and FM tends to 'curtail' really ambitious plans,(you know - where your brain has zillions of ideas, but your body can't keep up!!) but I occasionally am inspired with new ideas that will hopefully keep things interesting....using multiple, repeating flowers in one piece - kind of like modern pop art! While it has nothing to do with pressed flowers, that is where my background in jewelry wirework resulted in my pieces with wire designs, etc. I have also used my pieces to make stained glass mobiles as gifts for a few relatives and friends, and would like to make a few of those to have in my Etsy shop - I love the movement and the ability to use more colors/flowers together. I am always on the lookout for new flowers and new possible ways to use them.

Design and be Mary:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignAndBeMary

Thank you so much!  Your work is wonderful.



Tip of the day:
Use gloves when working with two  part epoxy resin, such as Envirotech Lite,  Colores, KastEZ. In their liquid state they can severe skin irritants and incite allergies. (in their hardened, finished mixed state they are non toxic and non irritating.
However, with  two part polyester resins (Castin Craft’s Clear Polyester Casting Resin) use a good mask  and gloves.  These resins can be irritating to the lungs when inhaled, and irritating when they have skin contact. Again, when the epoxy is cured and hardened, it is inert.

Thank  you for visiting my blog. Comments, questions and critics are always welcome.  Chris

HANDGROWN JEWELRY: A newly discovered flower/resin artist!

Hi everyone. I found someone who makes really lovely jewelry totally different from mine--I don't even know how she does it, but it's beautiful.
Handgrown Jewelry: 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandgrownJewelry

 1: How did you get started with resin and flowers?

I got started with resin a few years ago, after seeing how versatile it is! You can make great funky jewelry, repair surfboards, fill molds and layer it on flowers! I started experimenting with dyes and filling little bezel cups and bottle caps. The flowers came into play when I was a kid. I've always been surrounded by my moms gorgeous gardens and flower displays, which turned me into a huge flower fanatic.

2: what are your favorite flowers and materials to work with.
I love skeleton leaves. They have a totally delicate And intricate natural design which i find mesmerizing. Orchids are also total show stoppers, I am in complete awe of them. I love the entire growing process. Watching a stalk pop out from the roots, seeing it sprout little buds then waiting with extreme anticipation for the buds to bloom. It's especially exciting when you don't know what color or type of orchid is going to be revealed. Flowers are by far my favorite material to work with. Every single one is different, which make each piece of jewelry that comes from them unique, like a fingerprint.
 

 

3: what are some challenges you've encountered working with resin and flowers?
 Tie your hair back when working with resin, this stuff does not shampoo out! Lesson learned:)

 4: what are your plans for the future?
I have my website www.handgrownjewelry.com up now, and I do several craft shows around the Sarasota and Tampa areas. I am also involved in a Sunday morning market which is once a month year round. I love doing shows and talking to people about the jewelry and anything crafty. So I'll continue doing what I'm doing now, adding more shows as they come along. I have some new processes I'm working on involving my lovely little skeleton leaves, and also have some cute new cuffs coming out this month!! There is always new jewelry being handgrown at my house!

 Thank you so much!


Tip of the day: I've started to use one of those tiny metal bottle tips when I have to
pour resin on a small space (as usual, suggested by the Colores video; but who ever follows ALL of the directions!) and am having much less problem with resin running over the sides of my pieces, IF I don't get too greedy with time and try to avoid 2 or three
pours on the piece. I did find that I have to do the small pieces first and then remove the metal tip; as the resin cools it gets thicker and won't flow through the tip. I just toss it in a little cup of rubbing alcohol and it's good for the next time.

Thanks for coming by. I love to hear comments and ideas!  Chris

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! Interview with Terica

Terica, of the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild, has been doing wonderful interviews with the guild's "Heirlooms,:" those who really formed the guild and in some cases,  ushered in the last 50 years of the various arts of flower pressing. Her own site is:  Flowerimpressions.com

How /why /when did you start pressing flowers

Since I was young I have always loved flowers . My Grandmother always had
 something growing in the house all winter and outside the rest of the year.
My Mother was a crafter. Always coming up with something out of nothing , she was truly
the first UP-cycler I knew  .
I can't imagine not seeing flowers growing and 4 leaf clovers ! The clovers are truly the first thing I remember pressing.
I remember finding one and being told it would bring me good luck and to put it in a book so
I could keep it ! I lost it ? that was not good luck? But I kept finding more and that was luck enough to me .
Well after finding many and hearing other people say they had never found one ?
I decided it would be nice to put them in other peoples books ,then that would bring them luck!!
I continued this though my twenties , sometimes spending an hour searching before going to the library .
I have always tried to grow something where ever I have lived. I like the feel of dirt and the smell.
I would rather walk through the woods than any Mall.
I love making birdhouses and yard art to decorate my garden.
Then I met Rebekah Smith , she was decorating Rocks with pressed flowers !
She started doing this with the extra resin left over from doing other projects .
Then she would hide them in gardens for people to find .
I was hooked ! I wanted to do this ? I imagined my yard covered in these rocks with flowers !!
here are some of mine;

I was filling homemade presses made of everything .Since then it has went from craft to addiction.

What is your favorite thing to make with the flowers?
This is a hard one for me , it matters on the flower ?
Some fade quicker so they tend to become bookmarks or cards.
Violas , daffodils , mini roses ,dogwood and wildflowers have to be my favorite . I like things easy to press .
As I progress with classes , I find I truly love to use leaves to paint landscapes .

Do you grow all or most of your own flowers?
Here in mid North Carolina we are blessed with lots of blooming things . Dogwood is everywhere!
We grow most of what I press , but I am also blessed with gracious neighbors ,that love to see me deadhead
their flowers for a few good ones too! We have 1 acre attached to a pipeline field that is mowed once a year
with literally thousands of wildflowers too! That doesn't stop me from planting more!
I hope to sell flowers soon , I have been pressing too many for me alone.
My son gave me my name for my etsy site & web " Flower Impressions " because I was always saying
" Come see what Flower I'm pressin' "

How long have you been with WWPFG?
 I joined World Wide Pressed Flower Guild  in 2006, which I credit my true talent to the guild .
 I have learned so much in the discussion group there . Plus the encouragement You get from fellow artist
whether they are masters or beginners are outstanding!
The online month long classes there , are taught by Master teachers from all over the world.
I have learned to make lovely landscapes with things like banana peels and Fall leaves.
I have been an Ex Com member for nearly 3 years now and helped with becoming a non profit org.

What is your biggest challenge in flower art ?
Keeping Whites white is a big challenge and Hydrangeas to stay the color they start out !
I gave myself a Big challenge this year and entered the Philadelphia Flower Show competition in 2 themes !It was a big challenge for me . Learning the rules and realizing I use a lot of flowers I could not identify ?
 I realized after signing up that if my work passes the guidelines and
actually gets hung on the wall there for competition , I have won!
I am expecting a ribbon just wanted to know I could pass the test !
I would recommend everyone to compete in an event just to challenge Yourself !

What advise do you have for newbies in flower pressing art ?

1.Never think there is a Perfect Press , experiment .I press a LOT. I have several sizes and styles.Mostly homemade made from Up-cycling !
For ideas feel free to go to my blog where I tell how to make several presses from mini to 12 x12 .Just type ,'How to make presses' in the search box.Ask any questions You like on any post I will try to answer asap;
http://makingpressedflowerartandcrafts.blogspot.com/

2.Don't be hasty to throw away a flower because it is not perfect ,
 the tans and browns they turn can become a skin-tone or landscape piece.
"Ask the flower what it wants to be ?"

3. Go to my blog and read interviews from Pressers around the world giving tips weekly.
http://flowerpressersworldwide.blogspot.com/  ( look for the March 3rd blog with Chris's interview too)

4 . Have fun with it and teach a child how to press too !
Of course I would definitely recommend joining:
http://www.wwpfg.org
Peace and Happy Pressing, Terica / Flowerimpressions.com


 Thank you, Terica! 

Here's the tip of the day: 

Don't discard your messed up pressed flower resin piece if the front has a hair or piece of dust or bubble; often you can sand down to the error and repour the resin. It will come out just fine!

A Pressed Flower Artist With a Difference

Hi, I'm very happy to present another pressed flower artist I recently discovered on etsy. Her work is wonderful and she has a very different presentation: Winter Garden Studios at Etsy:  Adrienne DeLoe
http://www.etsy.com/shop/wintergardenstudios

How did you get started working with pressed flowers?
My father is a horticulturist, so I grew up around plants. We always had a gorgeous garden and I had my own little plot of land where I planted my favorite flowers.  I am from Colorado and my parents took us on camping and hiking trips often, which I loved. From a very young age, I was inspired by the beauty of nature and I continue to find inspiration there. I love to use botanicals not only in my jewelry making, but also in my fine artwork.

What are some of the challenges you find working with pressed botanicals?
It took me a long time to discover which plants work best in terms of maintaining their color. It also took a long time to discover which types of glue work best when working with pressed flowers. I have been doing this for almost 10 years and coming up with what you see in my work today was definitely a process of trial and error.

Your work is very unusual. How do you choose which plant/flower to work with?
I choose which plants to work with based on their design potential. I have a graphic design business as well as my jewelry business and I am a true designer at heart. I love plants that possess qualities of clean, modern design that I can use in interesting ways.

What is your favorite botanical?
I can honestly say that I don’t have a favorite botanical. I use different materials depending on what I feel inspired by at the moment, so the botanicals I use are always changing.

What is in your future as far as crafting?
I hope to continue to grow my business and perfect the processes in which I create. I am always looking for new opportunities and ways to make my jewelry the highest quality possible. I love what I do and I am excited to keep pushing forward!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/wintergardenstudios
Adrienne,  Thank You so much! I love to see such original work.




Hint of the day: Due to the many people in  the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild suggesting using patternless VIVA  paper towels, I've started using them for pressing flowers. The colors of my flowers are staying more vivid, and the the flowers are in better shape. I love it! (I generally use phonebooks with bricks on top!
Sometimes, I use a microwave. Yellow Kalanchoe  is one flower that does better in  microwave to start, then two weeks in a phone book.


I always appreciate your comments and support for newly discovered artists.  Chris

I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS PRESSED FLOWER ARTIST'S WORK

 Once in a while I come across someone's work I just can't get enough of. I'd love you to meet Anastasya, from Etsy shop Goodthings88 :
(http://www.etsy.com/people/Goodthings88)

Hello, My name is Anastasiya and I'm the owner of "Goodthings" shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/Goodthings88. I make vintage style jewelry inspired by nature. I use floral patterns, vintage clip art images, my own photographs, wildlife scenes - everything nature-related and pressed flowers are not an exception.

How did you get started with resin and pressed flowers?

I remember myself always picking up fall leaves and sandwiching them between book sheets until they're dry and flat. But they all started withering and crumbling with time and I wasn't able to preserve them properly. So I thought why not embed them in resin, which I'm using  for coating my jewelry pieces. I used to sculpt a lot from polymer clay and resin adds this shiny finishing that makes everything look more winning and attractive. I really liked the result and that is how it turned into a big passion. I started watching tutorials, making my own molds and experimenting with a dyes. Since then I have always carried a little box with me to put some flowers in and looked out for some beautiful plants around my neighborhood. I guess I just have always loved plants and everything designed by nature.

What are your favorite flowers to work with?

I'd love to work with every flower as I believe all of them are beautiful. But, alas, my herbarium collection is not that big and I don't have access to many types. I really like tiny Baby Breath flowers, Hydrangeas, different foliage and sprigs. I don't usually combine flowers as i think they're pretty self-sufficient and represent themselves. So my design is pretty simple and minimalistic. I emphasize flowers with colored backgrounds or beautiful cameo frames to make them stand out.
    
What resin challenges have you encountered and how have you overcome some?

I'm pretty experienced working with epoxy resin. I've tried many brands and techniques so I developed my own creating process that allows me to avoid difficulties. I like this medium because of it durability, glossiness and complete transparency. But at the beginning I've learned my lesson about stickiness and bubbles as well. I don't have any of those right now because I learned how to mix everything very gently and always heat my resin until slightly warm and very liquid. First, I was trying to sink a flower into the mold full of resin but it messed up easily by toothpick and always kept bobbing up. So I thought it would be easier to make everything in several steps : first pour just a few drops to fix flower's position, wait until cured and only then add more resin. I always sand and polish my pieces, so there are no rough edges and imperfections. It takes time and involves a lot of meticulous work but it's definitely worth it.

What are your plans for the future?

I'd like to grow my own garden full of beautiful plants on the back yard and be able to enjoy their blooming all summer long! I'd like to stop by every morning to smell them and pick some to share with friend and, of course, preserve their beauty. 

Thank you so very much.

Tip of the day:   Use a bit of turtle wax inside jewelry molds, applied on a paper towel; let it dry then wipe the mold out with a dry paper towel. It works better than the spray resin release.

I always appreciate your comments. Thanks, Chris

I've Met a Wonderful New (to me) Pressed Flower, Resin Jewelry Artist

Hi, I've been so lazy (and busy) (and having surgery) so I have been behind on posting interviews for new artists. This week I'm making up for lost time with two wonderful!! pressed flower and/or resin artists.


www.etsy.com/shop/mingogardens 

How did you get started with resin and pressed flowers?

I have been working with pressed flowers since 1990 when a dear friend gave me a tiny 4x4" flower press.  I pressed a few things, put them away and kind of forgot about them for awhile...then finally got them out and put a small picture bouquet together with a little bow.  I remember being somewhat amazed at how easily it "came together"...it even seemed a bit momentous personally.  

I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ and constantly seek to know what He wants me to do and be involved in.  So...I felt like this was His "gift" to me--not only the beautiful flowers He's created, but also the ability to create beauty with them.

What kind of presses do you use?

Right after I "discovered" the art of pressing and designing with pressed flowers, I realized one tiny little press was not going to cut it.  My dad (who is almost 94 now) helped me design  a flower press that I think works the best of any I've seen or used.  Here's a picture of it...

 ( I began to make and package them for sale when others asked for them).   I have about 20 of these to accommodate all the pressing I do during flower season.  The slide-off slats make it easy to loosen and remove instead of having to put nuts and bolts back in place.  I found these presses quick and easy to use--which helps when you are doing millions of flowers! The flowers also dry more quickly as this press has holes in the outside pieces and can be stood on end so that air gets all the way around the press.  I put a sticky note on the outside detailing the contents and date of entry, then wait for 2 weeks to open them--then it's like Christmas!  I love to try all kinds of plant materials--to experiment--and have made enough mistakes through the years to learn a few things anyway!

Do you grow your own flowers to press?

Gradually, I have planted and now grow virtually all the flowers I use in my artwork.  And HERE is the fun part!  The gardening!  I absolutely love to plant and nurture and GROW things!!  Right now I am struggling with my yearly bout of "acute floral deprivation"--a disease I get every year about this time!  All is under several feet of snow up  here in the mountains of northeast Washington state. 

I especially like to combine my pressed flower artwork with sweet verse or Scripture...they seem to compliment each other and provide not only beauty for the eyes, but encouragement for the soul.  That has been very gratifying to me over the years, as customers have shared what a blessing the piece has been to a relative or friend or themselves.  "Say it with flowers"...I always did like that slogan!

Do you do custom work?

Yes, I have done lots and lots of it through the years--pieces for weddings, anniversaries, funerals, births, graduations, photos, etc. etc.  I love to design a custom piece around the style of the invitation or whatever I'm embellishing.  I work with people who have a very personal, specialized gift they want to give or memory to keep.

How have you marketed your artwork?

Over the past 20 years I have tried every avenue imaginable to market my pressed flower artwork...local shows, shows throughout the Northwest (both fine art and arts & craft shows), consignment sales through galleries & retail shops, art shows in conjunction with a yearly Garden Open House here at Mingo Gardens, giving how-to classes, having a small shop in my home, putting them in beauty parlors and wedding shops, and some lame attempts at internet sales (which is almost impossible to do on a dial-up connection!!).  I have  had only minimal "success" in all these ventures and finally realized I could not physically continue to haul all my artwork and booth set-up all around kingdom come any more.  After finally getting a little faster internet connection through the phone line, I launched my etsy.com shop about a month ago.  I have 50 items listed at present--a variety of framed work, allbums, boxes, jewelry, bookmarks, tea trays, etc.  You are invited to come and visit!  www.etsy.com/shop/mingogardens   Now I'm on a new adventure in search of a way to share and sell my work.

How did you get into working with jewelry and resin?

About the jewelry thing...Probably about 9 or  10 years ago I was searching for a way to make pressed flowers touchable and, yes, wearable.  I had made some brooches years ago, but not with resin.  I was not real techy so hadn't been on the internet to maybe see what else was being done out there, so I just remembered the resin stuff we used to use in the 70's and found some at a craft store.  The kind I found (and the only kind I have ever used) is the kind where you mix equal amounts of the stuff in two different bottles that come with the kit.  I have not ever molded it--only painted it on, or poured it over my flower designs on tea trays.  I found it challenging to work with since there is definitely a time limit as the resin begins to harden.  And there were those little bubbles to get out.  At first I just blew over the resin as it sat on the flowers--popping the tiny bubbles that kept coming up from under the flower petals in the design.  After almost hyperventilating ;O) I started using a blow drier.  I don't do a lot with resin, but I sure like what I've seen by the floral artists on etsy--very, very nice!  I especially like the glass that magnifies the flowers.  Besides, how cool is that to wear your garden!!!

 What are your favorite flowers to work with?

I love forget me nots and put them in almost everything I design.  I have them all over my gardens and love it when they bloom each early summer.  Of course, there are the pansies--I have gradually learned which ones hold their colors best and keep those growing in the garden.  I like to use black mondo grass for my more modern black and white pieces--so dramatic and classy!  I like toad flax for it's great spire shape.  I use grape tendrils (as well as lots of other kinds of tendrils) which will totally change the natural look of a design.  Double blue columbine and hydrangea are fantastic to press--but have to picked at just the right stage of bloom.  Larkspur are wonderful too--especially the white (one of the few flowers that press white white).  I could go on and on...(I already have, for goodness sake!)...

What resin challenges have you encountered and how have you overcome some?

I mentioned some above...It is very tricky to work with when attaching a flower to a bead (for a pendant or earring).  One has to be very careful not to plug up the beading hole with the runny resin.  Also, on larger applications, it is a problem that the resin may over time become a little yellowish instead of crystal clear...not sure what to do about that--except make sure when you pour your resin is fresh and hasn't been on the shelf for a long time.

 

What are your plans for the future?

The main reason I have continued to do this artwork for commerce is that we needed the extra income.  My husband and I have always been involved in Christian ministries (first at a group home for delinquent boys and then teaching at a small Christian school) for most of our nearly 43 years of marriage, so any extra income I could bring in was definitely helpful and needful.  This remains the case.  So, I keep at it.  I love the gardening, and I do very much enjoy the artistic outlet that this is for me.  And it IS something God has given me to do and to share with others.  Of course, I use the artwork for gifts and to bless other people as I feel led.  I am teaching my 4 granddaughters to do this artwork too.  They are all little flower lovers and SO creative.  It is a joy to share this with them!  I will continue to try to figure out the etsy shop thing and hope to be able to sell online.

Every spring I work at a local nursery--which is my favorite job I've ever had in the whole world!  Talk about being in your element!!!  I have learned SO much about plants, trees, and shrubs from my boss and his wife and can sometimes even help others (perennials are my specialty).  I really appreciate the opportunity to work there for the 3-4 month "window" we have up here in the mountains.  We also have an outdoor wedding venue here at Mingo Gardens.  We end up having usually several wedding each summer--so, there's another good excuse to garden!!

Thank you so much! 

Tip of the day:  when you put packing tape on the back pendants to protect them from a resin coating, don't use the  cheapest packing tape!  I generally use a good brand  and a thicker tape (Scotch makes one). I decided to "save some money" with a cheaper brand and ended

up ruining some pendants because i couldn't get the sticky stuff off the back. I tried using (1) adhesive remover, (2) nail polish remover and finally gave up. Even sanding doesn't work, it only clogs up the sandpaper.

I love comments and suggestions.  Thanks, Chris

GOURDS AND PRESSED FLOWERS from VestedInterest

This holiday season was pretty weird for me. Good news, lots of action at my shop; good times with family. Not so good news, health problems, so I'm semi-retiring from work, down to two 12 hour shifts from 3 a week and taking my Social Security a year early.  However, I will have more time for indulging my crafty nature, which is great news!

  Today I'm introducing a fantastic Gourd artist from Etsy.I think you'll really enjoy her work. Presenting Connie Vest of VestedInterest:

Gourd bowl with real Japanese maple leaves has a sleigh shape

How did you start with pressed flowers?
 I really don't remember exactly how I got started.  I most probably saw something in a magazine article and found it interesting.  I went to the library and got as many books as I could find on the subject.  I had my wonderful husband to make me a flower press.  My first press was about 3 inches thick and made from 1/4 white paneling that we cut out of the kitchen in our house.  It still had ugly wallpaper attached.  I just started gathering and pressing.  Things looked pretty rough when they came out of the press.  Just kept trying.  Now I have 15 presses that my husband made and each one is 8 inches thick.

Extra large basket, real pressed flowers and leaves, buckeye stem tip

How did you start working with gourds?
 I had grown a few gourds one year and had them sitting around waiting to be cleaned.  Had some foot surgery on both feet the next summer and wasn't able to do anything.  Back to the library.  Got as much information about cleaning and using them as I could find.  They were so much fun, I love the look and feel of them.  When I started messing around with them I had already started decoupage with the pressed flowers on anything that didn't move.  So I thought the flowers and gourds went well together and experimented with that.  Lots of trial and error, some flowers bleed, some fade, some too thick, some too stiff, etc.  Some products work together, some don't.  Lots of playing around and finding what works.

What are your favorite flowers to work with?:I love pansies, larkspur, bougainvillea, spirea, cosmos, English daisy, verbena, columbine, all variegated leaves I can find.  Fall leaves are great.
What are your future crafting plans?
  I have been teaching myself through books how to do things since I first read about macrame in 7th grade in 1968.  The first project I can remember doing was a macrame purse using a zipper that I salvaged from an old Bible.  It had a little brass cross on the pull tab; I got a lot of compliments on that purse.  I wish I still had it.  My bucket list has lampwork bead making, stained glass, and throwing pots.  I will always do something because I have a great "need" to create, it is inborn and unavoidable for me.

big-fat-odd-box-with-pansies-spirea

What advise do you have for someone just starting out?:  
Keep trying, read and learn, ask questions, experiment, piddle, look around, pay attention to detail.  I went through a period of depression years ago.  The doctor's solution was to put me on medication.  My answer was to go to college.  I signed up for every horticulture class I could jam in and loved it.  I have always loved plants, but I learned so much about the structure and type of plants, I was hooked again into the plants around us.  The up close and personal view you get when pressing and working with the pressed plants usually goes unseen by just having plants in the garden.  The veining, spotting, color, cells, etc. is another view of God's amazing hand in it all.

3-dried-white-missouri-dogwood-flowers

 Connie's shop at Etsy is:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/VestedInterest

 Tip of the day: A new You Tube video on Colores epoxy  resin that I found very helpful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_asFmlF4qTw

I really enjoy your comments and questions. Thanks, Chris