Paper Talk

By Sara Kim of Handmade by Sara Kim, Quynh Nguyen of Pink and Posey and Jessie Chui of Crafted to BloomEducation Arts How To Visual Arts Design

Paper Talk episodes

September 17, 2019 Artist Spotlight: Paper Flower Powerhouse
LISTEN TO PAPER TALK - EPISODE 19: Paper Flower Powerhouse with Eileen Lim
Eileen Lim of Miss Petal and Bloom has been on the paper flower scene for more than 5 years and she has truly made a stamp in our paper flower community. Her Instagram feed is filled to the brim with bright and colourful blooms and high-end collaborations with designers (like Ferragama, Coach, and Olivia Burton) and stores (like Mamonde and Keds). It’s no surprise that her recognizable style is also a true reflection of her bubbly and friendly persona. She works out of her home studio in Singapore and regularly teaches workshops. Now, she’s on Teachable as well, offering paper flower online courses. We always look forward to viewing her Monday Bloom Crush on her Instagram Stories where she shares posts of other artists that inspire her! We love paper florists who support each other!Listen to her talk to us about the paper flower community in Singapore, how she found her brand and style, and her upcoming collaboration with The Body Shop.First, let’s get to know Eileen:1. Who is Eileen Lim? Hi, I’m Eileen and I’m just a girl who loves crafting and making pretty things in my home country - sunny little Singapore.
2. How did you get started making paper flowers? The quick answer - Instagram! I’ve always loved crafting and while exploring flowers on Instagram, I somehow chanced upon the amazing crepe paper blooms by Margie Keates. Needless to say, I fell in love instantly. I did my research, sourced for Italian crepe, and started experimenting on my own as a side hobby. At that point in my life, I was working in the education team at a local museum. It was great working with students and being in that arts scene, but it wasn’t as fulfilling as I would have liked it to be - my fingers were still itching to craft and create. So, I took that leap of faith and left my job to start Miss Petal & Bloom. I have to add, Margie was a big reason why I decided to take that leap of faith, I had reached out to her asking if she could spare any advice, and she replied with so many helpful tips and such kind words that her generosity blew me away. I don’t think I would have started my paper flower journey without her and I really think she’s such an inspiration and role model! 3. Tell us about your business, Miss Petal & Bloom. MP&B is really simply about making pretty paper flowers and spreading the joy of crafting. I make every bloom to order, so usually I’ll have customers reach out with their ideas and requests and I’ll do my best to create something beautiful and lasting for them. I also enjoy teaching - it is so fulfilling to witness someone learning a new skill and unlock that sense of pride within themselves.
4. How would you define the style of your flowers? How did you find your style? I like to see my flowers as vibrant, happy, and whimsical. My style is a reflection of my personality and aesthetic preferences - I’m just naturally drawn to bright colours and cute fluffy things. I’m not so keen on achieving botanical accuracy, I simply want my blooms to be pretty, haha. It definitely took a lot of time and experiments to solidify my style though. 5. How did you find your brand? How has your brand and style evolved to what it is today? Honestly, when I first started out, I had no experience building a business so I did not really think too much about branding. I just knew I wanted to stay true to who I am and I wanted my flowers to reflect that. My brand name “Miss Petal & Bloom” was a random thought I had and it stuck because I felt like it sounded whimsical and cute and had a nice ring to it. Of course, after 3+ years I’m more aware of the importance of branding and I do try to be consistent in my artistic style and how I present my flowers - I always want my blooms to have a cheerful and vibrant feel to them.
6. How have you made yourself stand out in the crowd of other paper florists? Oh this is such a crucial question and I think one of the more important questions for any new paper florist starting out. For me, this links back to my style - I really want my blooms to look unique and reflect my personality. I feel thats one of the biggest compliments you can get as an artist, when someone instantly recognizes your bloom. Hence, I was careful to avoid watching too many tutorials and reading too much paper floristry books (I’ve bought so many books though, because I’m such big fans of those artists! I however avoid reading them because I fear I might subconsciously copy someone else’s stylistic choices). I think that is very important to me - having a unique artistic voice. And I do hope that makes me stand out from other paper florists? I’m not sure how successful I am, haha, but I am happy to get occasional positive feedback from the online community! 7. What are some of the challenges you've faced in your business and/or art?
Oh I think the biggest challenge is dealing with my own insecurities - my business is my biggest pride and joy (it’s like my baby) but also my biggest insecurity at the same time. In Singapore, crafting is not exactly a career choice that highly regarded by the general public - in fact, I would say a great deal of Singaporeans still look down on freelance artists/ crafters, there’s that misconception that freelancers have lots of “free time” when in fact, we might be working as hard, if not harder, than most people with regular 9-5 jobs. Honestly, I think the people in my country are so accustomed to measuring success by the size of your pay-check, hence I wasn’t taken very seriously when I first launched my business. Till this day, I struggle sometimes with being steadfast in knowing my own value and worth as a small craft business owner, and such insecurities and public perception inevitably trickles down to things like how I price my items, how I price my time, etc. I’m actually really glad I got to spend 4 years in the U.S. when I was in university - that really opened my eyes to how amazing the crafting culture was there and how supportive and non- judgemental the general public was towards crafters and artists. It truly inspired me and showed me that it was possible to be a full-time crafter and creative. Now that I’m more established than I was when I first started, I do feel more confident and comfortable with my career choice. I’ve accepted that not everyone will accept, understand, or support my business, and at the end of the day, I don’t need everyone’s validation, and it’s up to me to define what success means to me. 8. What advice would you give to a paper florist who is starting out today? And one that is about to give up? Oh there is so much advice I could share, but I think one big thing I’ve learnt is that you have to be true to yourself. If you’re just starting out, don’t rush into it, give yourself time to develop your artistic voice, that will help you stand out from the rest! Be patient, you’re not going to grow your following overnight, you’re not going to get all the orders overnight - it takes time. Have patience and faith in your skills and your creative voice. If you’re feeling tired, jaded, and about to give up, give yourself a break! Try a different craft, do something outside the box, pick up a new skill in a different medium - this always helps to remind me that there is such great joy in making art - I don’t think I will ever tire of that sense of fulfilment and achievement that comes from creating something truly and uniquely yours. Even if you’re frustrated with the business end, just doing something new might be refreshing and reinvigorating, and remind you of the true purpose of your craft business.
9. Do you have any tips that could be helpful to other Paper Florists? DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. Haha. This was something Margie shared with me in her first email to me, and I’ve kept it close to my heart all these years. You shouldn’t compare your first step to someone’s 100th step, everyone is on a different path, it’s not a race! 10. Is there anything else you'd like to share with the listeners? I can be a pretty shy person and I’m easily intimidated when I meet people face to face! Haha which means I can be pretty awkward, especially if its a big group setting, and I’m usually not the one who takes initiative to meet people. So if you’d like to chat with me or fan-girl with me over other amazing paper florists (like Jessie and Quynh and Priscilla), or if you’re ever visiting Singapore, please don’t hesitate to reach out and say hello! I promise I’m not as shy or awkward once we get to know each other.
Want to learn more about Eileen? Follow her on her Instagram @misspetalandbloom and check out her website/classes at https://www.misspetalandbloom.com.
37 min
September 16, 2019 Friends of TPFC: Paper Passion
LISTEN TO PAPER TALK - EPISODE 18: Paper Passion with Heather Sauer
This week, we talk to Heather Sauer, the owner and operator of The Paper Place located in downtown Toronto, Canada. Being one of the few brick-and-mortar paper stores in Canada, Heather’s store carries a vast array of paper products, from crepe paper to Japanese washi paper, Rifle paper goods and kits, to birthday cards and origami products. Everything you see in the store is a feast for the eyes! In fact, Jessie’s paper flower journey started here four years ago when she bought her first fine crepe papers, and soon thereafter, she began teaching crepe paper flower workshops at the store. The Paper Place generously sponsored our German double-sided crepe paper for our 2-Day Paper Flower Workshop in Toronto in September.Listen to Heather as we talk to her about how she got started selling paper, her entrepreneurial journey, and the challenges of operating a brick-and-mortar paper store.1. Who is Heather Sauer?I am an artist, the mother of two incredible girls and an entrepreneur with two retail shops on Queen St. West in Toronto, The Paper Place and Curiosa.
Jessie’s paper floral rings window display at The Paper Place in May 2018.
2. Tell us a little bit about your educational and entrepreenurial background. How did you become the owner of The Paper Place?I went to school for Archaeology & Museum Management. When I moved to Toronto I started working at The Japanese Paper Place and eventually, with my former business partner, purchased the business back in 2005. The Japanese Paper Place continued on in a wholesale capacity after that so we changed the name of the shop to The Paper Place. My business partner left in 2009 and I have run it ever since. 3. Tell us about your business, The Paper Place. What do you sell, where are you located, how long you've been in business etc.We are located in the art & design district of Queen St. West and have been operating as The Paper Place since 2005. We have a vast and eclectic product offering but specialize in paper, with over 2000 available at the shop. Beyond paper we also carry a variety of art & craft supplies, greeting cards and stationery, party supplies, gifts and journals and so much more.4. When did you start selling crepe paper? How did this come about? We started carrying crepe paper in the shop back in 2013. A number of customers had been requesting it for several years as it was almost impossible to come by here in Canada. I had been trying to order it directly from Germany for quite some time, even going so far as to having a friend compose a fax for me in German, but I wasn’t able to make it happen. Fortunately in 2013 I met a supplier of German craft supplies who was just testing the waters bringing in crepe paper so I was thrilled to finally have access to bring it to the shop for our customers.
5. How has the paper business changed over the years?We have definitely seen trends changing rapidly over the last few years in terms of what kinds of products our customer are looking for and also what they are using our papers to make. For instance, in our early days, the bulk of our business was people purchasing paper and envelopes to make wedding invitations, now that makes up a very small percentage of our business. Because of these changes, we are constantly adapting to what it is our customers are looking for now and trying to make sure that our product offering reflects what is new and exciting in the paper/stationery world.6. What are some of the challenges you've faced in your business?For us brick and mortar shops, there is a lot more competition from online stores who don’t have the overhead that retail storefronts do and/or larger companies who are able to negotiate discounts with suppliers and offer products at a lower price than we can. It is a huge challenge for us as we try to balance staying competitive with our pricing with making enough money to keep our doors open.7. Who are your ideal clients?Because of our extremely varied product offering, we don’t have a specific ideal client. Our first customer of the day may be looking for a greeting card, the next may be a conservator, then someone looking to make 100 paper flowers for their wedding, etc… It definitely makes our day interesting and inspiring because we get to work with so many different customers on such an amazing variety of projects.8. What type of workshops does The Paper Place offer?Our workshop offering in constantly changing as we try to anticipate what projects may interest our customers. Some of our most popular past ones include paper flowers, calligraphy, bookbinding and jewelry making!
Learn more about Heather and The Paper Place by following on social media:WEBSITES: The Paper PlaceINSTAGRAM:@thepaperplace
31 min
September 16, 2019 Episode 18: Paper Passion with Heather Sauer
This week, we talk to Heather Sauer, the owner, and operator of The Paper Place located in downtown Toronto, Canada. Being one of the few brick-and-mortar paper stores in Canada, Heather’s store carries a vast array of paper products, from crepe paper to Japanese washi paper, Rifle paper goods and kits, to birthday cards and origami products.
Everything you see in the store is a feast for the eyes! In fact, Jessie’s paper flower journey started here four years ago when she bought her first fine crepe papers, and soon thereafter, she began teaching crepe paper flower workshops at the store.
The Paper Place generously sponsored our German double-sided crepe paper for our 2-Day Paper Flower Workshop in Toronto in September.
Listen to Heather as we talk to her about how she got started selling paper, her entrepreneurial journey, and the challenges of operating a brick-and-mortar paper store.

Let’s first learn about Heather:
1. Who is Heather Sauer?
I am an artist, the mother of two incredible girls, and an entrepreneur with two retail shops on Queen St. West in Toronto, The Paper Place, and Curiosa.

2. Tell us a little bit about your educational and entrepreneurial background. How did you become the owner of The Paper Place?
I went to school for Archaeology & Museum Management. When I moved to Toronto I started working at The Japanese Paper Place and eventually, with my former business partner, purchased the business back in 2005. The Japanese Paper Place continued on in a wholesale capacity after that so we changed the name of the shop to The Paper Place. My business partner left in 2009 and I have run it ever since.

3. Tell us about your business, The Paper Place. What do you sell, where are you located, how long you've been in business, etc.
We are located in the art & design district of Queen St. West and have been operating as The Paper Place since 2005. We have a vast and eclectic product offering but specialize in paper, with over 2000 available at the shop. Beyond paper, we also carry a variety of art & craft supplies, greeting cards and stationery, party supplies, gifts and journals and so much more.

4. When did you start selling crepe paper? How did this come about?
We started carrying crepe paper in the shop back in 2013. A number of customers had been requesting it for several years as it was almost impossible to come by here in Canada. I had been trying to order it directly from Germany for quite some time, even going so far as to have a friend compose fax for me in German, but I wasn’t able to make it happen. Fortunately, in 2013, I met a supplier of German craft supplies who was just testing the waters bringing in crepe paper so I was thrilled to finally have access to bring it to the shop for our customers.

5. How has the paper business changed over the years?
We have definitely seen trends changing rapidly over the last few years in terms of what kinds of products our customers are looking for and also what they are using our papers to make. For instance, in our early days, the bulk of our business was people purchasing paper and envelopes to make wedding invitations, now that makes up a very small percentage of our business. Because of these changes, we are constantly adapting to what it is our customers are looking for now and trying to make sure that our product offering reflects what is new and exciting in the paper/stationery world.

6. What are some of the challenges you've faced in your business?
For us brick-and-mortar shops, there is a lot more competition from online stores that don’t have the overhead that retail storefronts do and/or larger companies who are able to negotiate discounts with suppliers and offer products at a lower price than we can. It is a huge challenge for us as we try to balance staying competitive with our pricing with making enough money to keep our doors open.

7. Who are your ideal clients?
Because of our extremely varied product offering, we don’t have a specific ideal client. Our first customer of the day may be looking for a greeting card, the next may be a conservator, then someone looking to make 100 paper flowers for their wedding, etc… It definitely makes our day interesting and inspiring because we get to work with so many different customers on such an amazing variety of projects.

8. What type of workshops does The Paper Place offer?
Our workshop offering is constantly changing as we try to anticipate what projects may interest our customers. Some of our most popular past ones include paper flowers, calligraphy, bookbinding, and jewelry making!

Learn more about Heather and The Paper Place by following on social media:
WEBSITES: The Paper Place
INSTAGRAM: @thepaperplace
31 min
September 05, 2019 Episode 17: Collaborating with a Florist with Alicia Schwede
We have all seen the incredibly helpful rose colour studies on the Flirty Fleurs blog that are scattered all over the web. In fact, if you have yet to check out the blog, you should do so immediately! The blog is written by no other than the internationally renowned florist, Alicia Schwede. It includes resources and workshop information for florists but is equally relevant to paper florists.
Back to Alicia - she’s has been in the florist industry for more than 16 years and runs her floral studio, Bella Fiori, out of Seattle, Washington. She offers floristry services for weddings and events and instructs floral workshops all over the world. Next spring, she’ll be in Tuscany for a week-long floral retreat, and in October (October 22, 23, & 24, 2019), with our very own Quynh in California for a Wedding Intensive Workshop.

Listen to Alicia as we grill her about how paper florists can work with florists successfully to better suit and meet our paper flower clients’ needs. In the meantime…

Let’s first learn about Alicia:
1. Who is Alicia Schwede?
Oh gosh, this is a tough question! Well, I am a person who truly cares about the floral industry. I want people to want flowers – flowers in all forms. Flowers bring happiness and calmness to people, and I think we could all use more of that in our lives! I want to share my passion with others, spread happiness, and encourage others to follow their dreams.

2. How did you get started in floristry and in the floristry business?
I did not start off ever thinking I’d be a florist. After college, I took a position with a software development company in San Francisco. I found sitting in front of the computer for 8-12 hours a day to be rather daunting and depressing – so to keep my hands and the creative side of my brain happy I took all kinds of artistic classes in the evenings and weekends. One day I signed up for a 6-week floral design class at the local community college. I was hooked by the third class, and the rest as they say … is history.

3. Tell us about Flirty Fleurs.
My wedding business name is Bella Fiori which launched in March 2003. I had been blogging for my business and found myself always wanting to talk more about the floral industry so in May 2010 I decided to launch Flirty Fleurs – where I could talk flowers all the time! At that time social media wasn’t so strong and having a blog was a great source of information and a way to share a passion and interest. Over the years it has evolved in many ways and now has grown to 9 years of topics saved in one place!

4. How did you find your branding style? How has your brand and style evolved to what it is today?
In some ways, I would say I’ve moved with the times and with how the look of weddings has evolved. Yet, the logo I use for Bella Fiori was created for me by one of my brides over 10 years ago! I like that it is classic. Flirty Fleurs has changed more – since it is my creative outlet I can follow my whims and give it tune-ups as I wish. At the base for both – I like feminine looks, cursive text, lots of pinks, greens, and whites. Bright and airy.

5. What are some of the challenges you've faced during your florist career?
It definitely hasn’t all been a walk in the park. I think often when people are first getting started they think it’ll be a walk in the rose garden, pun intended – ha! Unfortunately, it isn’t always that easy. First is always putting myself out there to find new clients. That is one thing about weddings, the brides (are most likely) one-time customers.
Sure their sisters or friends might come along, but for the most part, it is a one-time business transaction. So as a business owner I have been marketing and putting myself out there for 20 years now. It’s a lot of committed work to keep marketing out there, keep fresh, keep the drive.
As a fresh florist, there is always the challenge of sourcing fresh flowers week after week. Flowers are obviously very dependent on weather – one hail storm and an entire farmer's crop can be destroyed, and the florist won’t be getting those perfect dahlias that week! Gosh, one time I had ordered in flowers to come in from the Dutch Auction, well there was a volcano issue in Iceland which meant no planes flying between North America and Europe – that means no flowers!

6. How have you made yourself stand out in the crowd of other Florists?
There is a saying in the wedding industry – You are only as good as your last event.
Someone said that to me early on and I quickly realized that I could have a phenomenal wedding, but it would quickly be forgotten so I’d have to find ways to keep what I was doing out there and being viewed. I jumped onto all things related to websites, blogs, social media early on and have kept at it all for years. It probably helps that at that post-college job I had was cutting edge on websites back in the day and I learned so much while working there.

7. How would you define your style? How did you find your style?
I grew up in Northern California, had my business Bella Fiori in Colorado for 10 years, and now call Washington home. So I have had a good amount of moves in my life over the past 20 years. Yet, I find the style that appeals to me the most is the one that is found in the wine country of California – it’s full of puffy flowers like garden roses, peonies, dahlias, and branches of fruit. Give me the wine grapes, the fruit on branches, the vines. That’s still my favorite! I call it wine country style and I always seem to come back to that style when I design as I wish.

8. What advice would you give to a florist who is starting out today? And one that is about to give up?
Tenacity is everything – for those who are just starting out and those who are about to give up. Tenacity to keep going even if one client gives you a rough time, or if you didn’t get one of the jobs you bided on. Take a deep breath, re-set, keep your head high. You know what you want to do and follow your dreams!
And if you’ve been doing this awhile and feeling drained – step back, take some time off and do what you need to do to get your energy back. For me, I love to travel and a trip to Europe is always good for my soul!

9. Do you have any floristry related tips that could be helpful to Paper Florists?
Take lots of pictures. The majority of flowers are seasonal so get as many pictures as you can to draw inspiration from when the flowers might not be available.
I also recommend the book by Robbie Honey – Accidental Botanist: The Structure of Plants Revealed. Robbie deconstructed all these different flowers, it’s so interesting to see the structure – and the perfect images for a paper florist who is building up flowers!

10. Do you have any advice for a Paper Florist who is working on the same wedding as a florist?
Communication is everything! Both paper florists and fresh florists are creative minds, and sometimes it can be difficult or forgotten to voice concerns and/or thoughts. So try really hard to make sure you are always communicating as a team.

Learn more about Alicia, Flirty Fleurs, and Bella Fiori by following on social media:
WEBSITES:
https://www.bellafiori.com
https://flirtyfleurs.com

INSTAGRAM:
https://www.instagram.com/flirtyfleurs/
https://www.instagram.com/bellafiori/
29 min
September 04, 2019 Friends of TPFC: Collaborating with a Florist
LISTEN TO PAPER TALK - EPISODE 17: Collaborating with a Florist with Alicia Schwede
We have all seen the incredibly helpful rose colour studies on the Flirty Fleurs blog that are scattered all over the web. In fact, if you have yet to check out the blog, you should do so immediately! The blog is written by no other than the internationally renowned florist, Alicia Schwede. It includes resources and workshop information for florists, but is equally relevant to paper florists.Back to Alicia - she’s has been in the florist industry for more than 16 years and runs her floral studio, Bella Fiori, out of Seattle, Washington. She offers floristry services for weddings and events, and instructs floral workshops all over the world. Next spring, she’ll be in Tuscany for a week-long floral retreat, and in October (October 22, 23, & 24, 2019), with our very own Quynh in California for a Wedding Intensive Workshop.Listen to Alicia as we grill her about how paper florists can work with florists successfully to better suit and meet our paper flower client's’ needs. In the meantime, learn more about Alicia below:
1. Who is Alicia Schwede?Oh gosh, this is a tough question! Well, I am a person who truly cares about the floral industry. I want people to want flowers – flowers in all forms. Flowers bring happiness and calmness to people, and I think we could all use more of that in our lives! I want to share my passion with others, spread happiness, and encourage others to follow their dreams.2. How did you get started in floristry and in the floristry business?I did not start off ever thinking I’d be a florist. After college I took a position with a software development company in San Francisco. I found sitting in front of the computer for 8-12 hours a day to be rather daunting and depressing – so to keep my hands and the creative side of my brain happy I took all kinds of artistic classes in the evenings and weekends. One day I signed up for a 6-week floral design class at the local community college. I was hooked by the third class, and the rest as they say … is history.3. Tell us about Flirty Fleurs.My wedding business name is Bella Fiori which launched in March of 2003. I had been blogging for my business and found myself always wanting to talk more about the floral industry so in May 2010 I decided to launch Flirty Fleurs – where I could talk flowers all the time! At that time social media wasn’t so strong and having a blog was a great source of information and a way to share a passion and interest. Over the years it has evolved in many ways and now has grown to 9 years of topics saved in one place!4. How did you find your branding style? How has your brand and style evolved to what it is today?In some ways I would say I’ve moved with the times and with how the look of weddings has evolved. Yet, the logo I use for Bella Fiori was created for me by one of my brides over 10 years ago! I like that it is classic. Flirty Fleurs has changed more – since it is my creative outlet I can follow my whims and give it tune-ups as I wish. At the base for both – I like feminine looks, cursive text, lots of pinks, greens, and whites. Bright and airy.
5. What are some of the challenges you've faced during your florist career? It definitely hasn’t all been a walk in the park. I think often when people are first getting started they think it’ll be a walk in the rose garden, pun intended – ha! Unfortunately, it isn’t always that easy. First is always putting myself out there to find new clients. That is one thing about weddings, the brides (are most likely) one-time customers. Sure their sisters or friends might come along, but for the most part it is a one-time business transaction. So as a business owner I have been marketing and putting myself out there for 20 years now. It’s a lot of committed work to keep marketing out there, keep fresh, keep the drive. As a fresh florist there is always the challenge of sourcing fresh flowers week after week. Flowers are obviously very dependent on weather – one hail storm and an entire farmers crop can be destroyed, and the florist won’t be getting those perfect dahlias that week! Gosh, one time I had ordered in flowers to come in from the Dutch Auction, well there was a volcano issue in Iceland which meant no planes flying between North America and Europe – that means no flowers!6. How have you made yourself stand out in the crowd of other Florists?There is a saying in the wedding industry – You are only as good as your last event.Someone said that to me early on and I quickly realized that I could have a phenomenal wedding, but it would quickly be forgotten so I’d have to find ways to keep what I was doing out there and being viewed. I jumped onto all things related to websites, blogs, social media early on and have kept at it all for years. Probably helps that at that post-college job I had was cutting edge on websites back in the day and I learned so much while working there.
7. How would you define your style? How did you find your style? I grew up in Northern California, had my business Bella Fiori in Colorado for 10 years, and now call Washington home. So I have had a good amount of moves in my life over the past 20 years. Yet, I find the style that appeals to me the most is the one that is found in the wine country of California – it’s full of puffy flowers like garden roses, peonies, dahlias and branches of fruit. Give me the wine grapes, the fruit on branches, the vines. That’s still my favorite! I call it wine country style and I always seem to come back to that style when I design as I wish. 8. What advice would you give to a florist who is starting out today? And one that is about to give up?Tenacity is everything – for those who are just starting out and those who are about to give up. Tenacity to keep going even if one client gives you a rough time, or if you didn’t get one of the jobs you bided on. Take a deep breath, re-set, keep your head high. You know what you want to do and follow your dreams!And if you’ve been doing this awhile and feeling drained – step back, take some time off and do what you need to do to get your energy back. For me, I love to travel and a trip to Europe is always good for my soul!
9. Do you have any floristry related tips that could be helpful to Paper Florists? Take lots of pictures. The majority of flowers are seasonal so get as many pictures as you can to draw inspiration from when the flowers might not be available. I also recommend the book by Robbie Honey – Accidental Botanist: The Structure of Plants Revealed. Robbie deconstructed all these different flowers, it’s so interesting to see the structure – and the perfect images for a paper florist who is building up flowers!10. Do you have any advice for a Paper Florist who is working on the same wedding as a florist?Communication is everything! Both paper florists and fresh florists are creative minds, and sometimes it can be difficult or forgotten to voice concerns and/or thoughts. So try really hard to make sure you are always communicating as a team.Learn more about Alicia, Flirty Fleurs, and Bella Fiori by following on social media:WEBSITES: https://www.bellafiori.comhttps://flirtyfleurs.com INSTAGRAM:https://www.instagram.com/flirtyfleurs/https://www.instagram.com/bellafiori/
29 min
August 29, 2019 Episode 16: When to Say Goodbye with Quynh, Jessie & Priscilla
Join us this week as Quynh and Jessie say goodbye to their friend and confidante, Priscilla, as she embarks on a new path in September.
In this touching Episode, Priscilla explains why she’s decided to move on from her wildly successful paper flower business, when she knew it was time, and what she intends to do next.
The paper flower community will miss you dearly Priscilla!!!

You can learn more about us and our work by following each of us on social media:
Quynh https://www.instagram.com/pinkandposey/
Jessie https://www.instagram.com/jessieatcraftedtobloom/
Priscilla https://www.instagram.com/SophiaandRoseCo
21 min
August 28, 2019 Over Coffee: When to Say Goodbye
Join us this week as Quynh and Jessie say goodbye to their friend and confidante, Priscilla, as she embarks on a new path in September. In this touching Episode, Priscilla explains why she’s decided to move on from her wildly successful paper flower business, when she knew it was time, and what she intends to do next. The paper flower community will miss you dearly Priscilla!!
You can learn more of about us and our work by following each of us on social media:
Quynh https://www.instagram.com/pinkandposey/
Jessie https://www.instagram.com/jessieatcraftedtobloom/
Priscilla https://www.instagram.com/SophiaandRoseCo
21 min
August 23, 2019 Episode 15: Introducing Paper Flowers in Asia with Jasmine Sing
We first met Jasmine Sing at our Masterclass back in April of this year and we were just captivated by her warmth and friendliness. Not only is she hilariously funny and frank, but she is also fiercely ambitious. Since moving from Singapore to South Korea, her adopted country, she is forging her own paper flower path and introducing crepe paper flowers to crafters in Asia through her workshops and online courses.

Let’s get to know a little bit about Jasmine:
1. Tell us a bit about your paper flower business
I am a craft enthusiast and I love making things with my hands. I started making paper flowers as a hobby and recently started conducting workshops in Korea and Singapore.
I am currently based in South Korea and I am very excited to be one of the first to introduce crepe paper flowers here. I have also started my online classes for a Korean app platform and planning to create more contents for English speakers as well.
I am pretty new to this industry but, I do have a big dream. I hope to become the bridge between the Western and Asian markets and share my knowledge on everything such as materials, tools, techniques, and different styles for this amazing art.

2. How would you describe your paper flowers and/or your aesthetic?
I am still exploring different styles but, I do enjoy and challenge myself to create flowers that are realistic looking.

3. What do you find the most challenging and rewarding about having a paper flower business?
That would definitely be placing and marketing my business in the Korean market as a foreigner. It is really challenging to fit into the Korean culture but very satisfying to know they love my work and enjoy my classes.

4. What advice would you give to new paper flower artists?
Enjoy the process, love your creations, and try as many mediums as possible.

5. What’s one tool you unexpectedly fell in love with and now use regularly?
I don’t really have many to begin with. But I do love my Kai scissors and also skewers of all sizes to curl my petals.

Want to learn more about Jasmine?
Follow her on her Instagram @merremade and check out her website/classes at https://www.merremade.com/.
22 min
August 22, 2019 Artist Spotlight: Introducing Crepe Paper Flowers to Asia
We first met Jasmine Sing at our Masterclass back in April of this year and we were just captivated by her warmth and friendliness. Not only is she hilarious funny and frank, she is also fiercely ambitious. Since moving from Singapore to South Korea, her adopted country, she is forging her own paper flower path and introducing crepe paper flowers to crafters in Asia through her workshops and online courses.
22 min
August 22, 2019 Episode 14: How to Run a Workshop with Quynh, Jessie & Priscilla
Join us this week as Quynh, Jessie, and Priscilla talk about their passion: Hosting workshops around the world!
After the success of the Seattle Masterclass in April 2019, it became obviously clear that there is a growing interest in the art of paper flowers and more importantly, an interest in how WE made OUR paper flowers!
As a result, we quickly began to plan our next workshop and paper flower retreat. The culmination of all of our efforts is this Fall’s 2-Day Paper Flower Workshop in Toronto on September 14th and 15th. We have worked incredibly hard to jam-pack the curriculum to include our favourite skills and techniques that we have learned and evolved over the course of our paper flower journey.
Listen to us as we talk about how we plan and run our workshops.

You can learn more about us and our work by following each of us on social media:
Quynh https://www.instagram.com/pinkandposey/
Jessie https://www.instagram.com/jessieatcraftedtobloom/
Priscilla https://www.instagram.com/SophiaandRoseCo
36 min