I'm a pressed flower and watercolor artist.
I was inspired by my mother and grandmother who taught me all kinds of crafts. I would do them all if there were enough time. I decided on growing flowers when my two boys were little. I thought about sewing but thought they would never let me sit and sew. So my husband built me a greenhouse and 12 raised beds in the backyard 25 years ago. My boys played with their Tonka trucks under the greenhouse benches while I transplanted seedlings. I started selling cut flowers at markets and boutiques. Then moved on to growing flowers to dry and arrange for the winter months and to sell at craft fairs and shops. Later we moved and I didn't have as much space so I thought I would try pressed flowers which didn't require so much space indoors or out. I love watercolor painting so I married the two together which became the perfect art for me. I realized pressed flowers were like fresh and dried flowers in that neither last forever so I found an agent to license my art to big companies and collected royalties. My art has been on most any product that you can put an image on from stationary products to dinnerware and sold nationwide. I still have cards with Leanin'Tree Greetings Company and still license my art. Contact me if you are interested in licensing my art. On the side I found Etsy where I could sell my art in a craft fair online, it was perfect. I could experiment and post whatever my heart desired and see what the customers were most interested in. I can do made to order which saved allot of work that I used to do for a craft fair. I still do everything myself in my home and from my garden in the backyard. I love collecting unusual plants for my pressings which make my pressed flower collection unique. You will not find anywhere the variety I have. I get bored with the usual. I experiment all the time with something new and different which become conversation starters people wanting to know "what plant is that"? I love plant ID and discovering a new plant and there are endless plants to discover which makes this craft so fun. I try to make sure that I give my customers something unique and out of the ordinary and the best quality, I'm a bit of a perfectionist that way. I usually give more then what you see pictured and my feedback from my customers reflects that. I now have something new to add; pressed flower art fabric, decals, wallpaper and gift wrap that I design sold on spoonflower.com/profiles/mypetalpress . I also sell some of this fabric that I hem and sell in my Etsy shop as Tea Towels. I also plan to add clutches/purses to my Etsy Shop that I will sew. Finally I get to sew, my boys are all grown up now and have their own lives. I have always dreamed of designing fabric so I can't wait to start sewing. For now you can find a couple of tea towels in my Etsy shop ready to ship. If you see a fabric in my spoonflower shop you would like made into a tea towel please send me an email to let me know. Still lots more to come! I hope you enjoy my flowers as much as I do. Flowers are a gift, plant some! Thanks for stopping by my shop! Cheryl
