We found some ikebana designs that might inspire your own designs at home! Which one is your favorite? Be sure to send us pictures of your very own ikebana designs and we will post them on our blog! Be sure to include the artist's name and the name of the design! The most intriguing design will win a $50 gift certificate!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Ikebana Arrangements
We found some ikebana designs that might inspire your own designs at home! Which one is your favorite? Be sure to send us pictures of your very own ikebana designs and we will post them on our blog! Be sure to include the artist's name and the name of the design! The most intriguing design will win a $50 gift certificate!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Coming Soon - Ikebana Vases!
Ikebana (生け花, "living flowers") is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as kadō (華道, the "way of flowers"). More than simply putting flowers in a container, ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together. Contrary to the idea of floral arrangement as a collection of particolored or multicolored arrangement of blooms, ikebana often emphasizes other areas of the plant, such as its stems and leaves, and draws emphasis toward shape, line, form. Though ikebana is a creative expression, it has certain rules governing its form. The artist's intention behind each arrangement is shown through a piece's color combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines, and the usually implied meaning of the arrangement.
Our ikebana vases are crafted of fine white porcelain clay, individually glazed and then fired at 2,400 degrees to create a finish of unusual luster and luminescence. The pin frog which secures the flower stem is affixed with a permanent silicone adhesive. the prongs of the pin frog pierce the flower stem base, which can help keep blooms fresh for weeks. These vases provide you with a wonderful way of displaying flowers - simple, graceful, and elegant. It is the perfect gift for coffee, kitchen or end tables.
Beautiful Bromeliads!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Last Week's Arrangements
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Enter for a Chance to Win $300 Worth of Wedding Flowers!!!
Email us the cutest picture of the engaged couple for a chance to win $300 of wedding flowers!!! Please include the couple's names, wedding date, mailing address, phone number, and email addresses to petalsandpaperboutique@gmail.com by July 15, 2011. The lucky winners will be announced on July 22, 2011.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Mango Calla Lilies
May is a month for proms! Students from Council Rock, Morrisville High, and several other high schools in the area are getting ready for a night of dinner and dancing! Some of the most glamorous accessories they will be wearing are novelty flowers of all kinds! From anemones to calla lilies to ranunculus, they will be ultimately fashionable entering the ballrooms with hand-tied bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres. Check out this trio of accesories we designed for one lucky couple! They are all made of beautiful, elegant mango calla lilies. For the lady, we created a hand-tied bouquet designed of only long-stemmed calla lilies accented with ivory pearls. We also designed a matching hair piece of calla lilies and hypericum berries accented with ivory double-faced satin and pumpkin chiffon ribbon. For the gentleman, we designed a matching boutonniere of calla lily with hypericum berries and Italian ruscus accented with ivory satin tie and raffia. What do you think?
Monday, May 16, 2011
This Week's Specials
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Blue and White Wedding
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
New Loyalty Card
Monday, May 9, 2011
Attention, DIYers!
Did you know that you can order loose stems and vessels from Petals and Paper? With the increasing trend to DIY your own flowers for special events such as birthday parties and showers, you can order fresh cut stems of flowers, greens, and even tropicals. We also carry containers of all kinds -- glass, ceramic, wooden, and more! You may also purchase supplies a la carte such as wet foam, wire, floral tape, ribbons, flower food, and pruners! Better yet, when you purchase all your loose stems and containers from us, you may use the space in the boutique to create your designs!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day!
We wish everyone a wonderful Mother's Day today! Let us remember to appreciate all our mothers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law, aunts, godmothers, and wives not just this day but each and every day for who they are and how much they mean to us!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
15 Wedding Flower Mistakes to Avoid
The Knot has a great article on mistakes to avoid when it comes to wedding flowers. Since many brides and grooms are planning their summer and fall weddings now, we thought this was the perfect time to share this article.
15 Wedding Flower Mistakes to Avoid
We asked top wedding florists from around the country for the most common mistakes brides make -- here's what your florist wishes you knew.
Photo: Kris Drake Photography
Flower Mistake 1: Not seeing the big picture
"Couples tend to see the centerpieces and the table setting but do not visualize the whole reception room with their guests in it. For example, couples pay for a room with a wonderful view of the ocean or scenic surrounding and want tall, large centerpieces that will obstruct this view."
-- Faith Cass, Cass the Florist, Inc.
Flower Mistake 2: Not trusting your florist
"Communicate your vision, likes, dislikes, and expectations but have a little flexibility and be comfortable with substitution. We want to make your wedding absolutely breathtaking. So relax, put trust in your vendors and remember why you hired that amazing talent!"
-- Alana Guglielmo, Mixed Greens Event Design
Flower Mistake 3: Not reusing ceremony arrangements
"Aisle flowers can become centerpieces and altar pieces can be moved to the buffet table. The ceremony usually only lasts about half an hour -- it's a shame to see so many flowers only being used for that amount of time when they could easily be incorporated into the reception decor!"
-- Paula Pritchard, Paisley Petals
Flower Mistake 4: Booking your florist last
"Couples should begin the process of booking vendors by speaking to one vendor from each category before booking anyone. This way they can get an idea of what things cost and perhaps they could budget better."
-- Douglas Koch, Douglas Koch Designs ltd
Flower Mistake 5: Refusing to compromise
"The biggest mistake is for a bride to have her heart set on specific flowers and not be flexible. A florist can do a much better job if the bride asks for an overall look, feel, and color scheme and let the florist create it."
-- Jana Stall, Events in Bloom
Flower Mistake 6: Ruling out pricey blooms
"Don't be scared of the expensive flowers. Flowers like cattleya orchids and peonies are more expensive, but they also cover more space and have a greater impact. One cattleya orchid can have a greater impact than a bouquet of roses."
-- Erin Drake, Enlighten Events International
Flower Mistake 7: Not communicating with your florist
"Knowing what you like is just as important as knowing what you don't like. Bring lots of pictures -- it is the best way to help convey what you do and do not want your floral designs to look like."
-- Danielle Childress, McKannix Floral Studio
Flower Mistake 8: Using only one color
"A lot of brides try to match the flowers to the bridesmaid dresses. A bridesmaid in a lavender gown with lavender flowers will make for very disappointing pictures. Flowers are a great place to choose an accent color -- for example, a lime green against a lavender gown will bring out the best in both colors and make for fabulous photos."
-- Linda Maggert, One of a Kind Events
Flower Mistake 9: Choosing strongly scented flowers
"Choosing highly aromatic flowers for centerpieces may sound like an amazingly romantic idea, but it will drive your guests insane if they are prone to allergies. For highly aromatic arrangements -- stick to your bridal bouquet and the altar arrangements."
-- Katie Martin, Elegance & Simplicity
Flower Mistake 10: Not taking care of your blooms
"Everyone loves hydrangeas, especially in bouquets. However, hydrangeas need to stay hydrated, and the average lifespan out of water in temperate conditions is about three hours. They might not even make it through your ceremony if you're out all day taking pictures."-- Esther Galantowicz, Scarlet Petal
Flower Mistake 11: Forgetting to budget for flowers
"Most brides find that flowers are an important part of their day but forget to include them in the planning from the start. When I have a budget and a theme, I am really able to advise them better right from the beginning."
-- Georgianne Vinicombe, Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Co
Flower Mistake 12: Taking on too much DIY
"Brides [who try to DIY their flowers] will purchase dozens of glass vases for centerpieces, only to become overwhelmed. We receive many frantic calls, asking to take over the stress of these DIY projects, which oftentimes becomes more expensive than hiring a professional from the start."
-- Natalie E. Willett, Zuzu's Petals
Flower Mistake 13: Ordering your flowers too late
"Flowers come from South America, Holland, and all over the world, so it is very hard to contact farms across the world and have flowers arrive within one or two weeks. Leave at least a six-week window ahead of your wedding week to be able to line everything up. Your flowers will be cheaper if you can give us the time that we need to order."
-- Brenda Sterk, J's Fresh Flower Market
Flower Mistake 14: Choosing an oversized bouquet
"Brides often think: ‘The larger the better!' What they don't realize is that the larger the bouquet, the more it covers and fights with the overall design of their dress. Further, do you really want to carry something that is huge and heavy? Think about the size and comfort when it comes to your bouquet."
-- Shawn A. Rabideau, Shawn Rabideau Events
Flower Mistake 15: Overlooking the reception table linens
"What's underneath a centerpiece is as important as the arrangement itself. Linens don't just complement the look of your centerpieces; they complete them. From runners to underlays and overlays, the right ‘undergarments' can make flowers flourish on a table."