Pansies, and Larkspurs and Nigelias. . . Oh My!

The word is out about "Tangerine Tango," Pantone's pick for color of the year! We've found that you either love or hate this cheerful reddish orange (Pantone 17-1463). We know about orange, not because we're located in Orange County, CA (couldn't resist that one) but because we gave you a taste of it this month at the MountainGate Country Club Spring Bridal Show. Most of you loved the energy and warmth that our invitation display evoked.

This year we envision monochromatic palettes of peaches and oranges. We've already received requests for orange paired with neutrals. Petalos di Pauli is known for its unique signature botanical touches. And we predict brides may want to incorporate the color in flowers like pansies, and larkspurs and nigelias. . . Oh my!

Meet Flyboy Naturals

Petalos di Pauli is so fortunate to work with some of the best vendors in the country and we consider freeze dried flower petal supplier Flyboy Naturals (www.flyboynaturals.com) to be such a talented and creatively generous partner in so many of our projects.

 Says co-founder Jami Brown: “Our petals are all natural and we do our part to help the earth and environment. We use wind energy to process our freeze dried petals (including roses, lilac, peony and hydrangea) and grow all our flowers using a certified green pest-control program.”

We love talking to “petal specialists” at their Myrtle Creek, Oregon operation whenever we have a question such as how many petals will line a specific size presentation box. We left petals out overnight on a major design project recently and it was Flyboy to the rescue when during a California heat wave, the petals became dry and a bit difficult to work with. Flyboy Naturals provided just the right solution to restore their beauty and suppleness. Likewise, they feel free to call on our expertise, such as recommendations for the best kind of glue for using with petals.

Jami’s freeze drying expertise started back in 1988 doing whole flowers and a line of everything from wreaths and topiary to swags, garland and centerpieces. Former pilot husband Jim and Jami started Flyboy Naturals in 1992 and the couple “found our slice of heaven on the mighty south Umpqua River in Oregon.”

 We consider Jami a creative soulmate because, like us, she and Jim love being surrounded by beauty and making others happy in sharing that beauty by providing a beautiful, natural, eco-friendly product at very affordable prices.

The Petalos di Pauli studio has a palette of 100 varieties of petals from Flyboy in various petal sizes and color blends which we love showing to clients. Call us to make an appointment to see this fabulous collection and hear ideas on how you can use Flyboy petals for your next project. 

Did you know that freeze dried rose petals are preferred for most wedding venues today? That’s because live petals can stain and are slippery on floors. No such problems with freeze dried petals! So many of the wonderful botanical effects created by Petalos di Pauli are made possible using freeze dried petals from Flyboy Naturals.

Creative Collaborations

The most successful special events are always a collaborative creative effort. We recently had the pleasure of working with Santa Barbara event planner Merryl Brown (www.merrylbrownevents.com) to support the elegance and charm of a Bohemian Chic wedding her firm designed for an open air venue.

Normally we work from our Orange County studio, but it was a special treat to work onsite for this occasion smack dab in the middle of the woods, so a lot of this design was done on the fly. The bride’s wedding dress and fondness for daisies inspired our use of this flower on the sweet heart table, crowning the menu cards, for the escort cards designed as miniature take-home daisy bouquets and the wedding invitation featuring a bright yellow gerbera daisy with metal embellishment. The results, as you can see from these photos, are magical, combining heirloom tradition with a little bit of 70s funk!

Natural wooden elements are used in chair signage.

Yellow, white and lime green hues centered around a daisy theme.

The daisy theme is carried out in the menu cards.

The wedding invitation sports vibrant colors to carry out the Bohemian Chic theme.

Burlap sacks provide an eco-friendly take-home daisy bouquet.

Fresh flowers accent the heirloom objects

Event design by Merryl Brown Events. Photography by Melissa Musgrove Photography. Floral design by Cody Floral Design. Lighting design by Bella Vista Designs. Creative Consultant Kimberly Anderson.

Fat and Sassy vs. Skinny

Written communication is one of the best ways to capture someone's attention, especially when it arrives by way of a unique greeting or note card. Petalos di Pauli creations feature unexpected botanical embellishments like chunky gerbera daisies that speak "Happy Birthday" and blank note cards bearing Swarovski crystal-studded miniature blooms.

In the studio, we refer to designs that have fluffy flowers or require protective padding as "fat and sassy" due to the extra girth of the resulting mailing envelope. For best results with mailing cards with delicate embellishments, you'll need to protect the design by inserting the padding that comes with the card between its front and the envelope.

Fat and sassy cards may require additional first class postage if the envelope thickness is greater than ¼ inch. When in doubt, we recommend having it measured at the post office to assure a successful delivery.

Some fat and sassy designs have "skinny" versions that are still eye catching but omit design elements, like pearls or crystals, that would require special handling and surcharge (extra postage). If you see something in our On-line Boutique that you'd like to have skinnied, we are always happy to take custom orders.

For more tips on creative social expression, sign up for my newsletter "Petals & Pearls by Paula."

Cheerfully Yours,

Paula Estes
Botanical Artist
Petalos di Pauli

Fresh Garden Mint Is Perfect for Steeping

What a rainy day in Southern California today! Days like this make a hot cup of tea even more enjoyable. While I have not yet incorporated mint leaves into a greeting card (give me time), this prolific botanical does make regular appearances inside my Perfect Steeper, a loose tea steeper so brilliantly designed that I've given it the official THINGS WE LOVE stamp.

My garden provides a perpetual supply of mint, and I often offer the just picked leaves to clients  who visit my studio. But when I'm not brewing a pot I prefer to use the Perfect Steeper. I also use it when I'm on the go and enjoy drinking it right from the tumbler at meetings and when traveling.

The Perfect Steeper can be purchased from our On-line Boutique. Click on THINGS WE LOVE.

Why I'm just like this snail

While tending my garden, it occurred to me how much I have in common with this little flower pot. Both our previous careers involved working in an office! My buddy here dispensed tape. And I dispensed information and implemented software for businesses. Now we both get to work outdoors, and we both have a fondness for all types of succulents.

While the garden is a common denominator, there is another trait I share with the snail; we both honor the pace of a tedious and complicated process. People have commented that they would never have the patience to accent flowers with tiny glass marbles, or spiraled wire stems. And the thought of filling an order for hundreds of custom cards wrinkles their forehead.

Growing from hobby to full-time business has imposed a limit on the time I spend clipping, pressing and gluing with my own hands. But when I do, I find those tasks to be therapeutic and somewhat grounding, and a good time to get some thinking done.

What kinds of things do I ponder? Eco-friendly ideas like, how I could use Zebra Grass for gift wrapping, or ways to re-purpose a ceramic snail tape dispenser that no longer serves a need. I must confess, I simply adore the outcome of that one!

It just goes to show you, one never knows what life has in store. This seemingly meaningless tape dispenser produces such beauty in the world.  That is my hope for what my business brings to people everyday, through the process of designing or giving a botanical work of art, or being the happy recipient.

Thoughtfully,

Paula Estes
Botanical Artist and
Creative Thinker

Spring Inspiration

As we welcome the Spring 2010 Experience, I am inspired by the explosion of new energy that it brings! It calls for bursts of COLOR and design elements that SURPRISE, like these colorful leather envelope cases.

LEATHER is hardly new, but when hot spring colors are combined with vibrant botanicals, an invitation or acknowledgment can go from KEEPSAKE to fun ACCESSORY in a heartbeat.

A LEATHER ENVELOPE CASE is a presentation option suitable for 5 x 7 inch cards or smaller. Or wouldn't they be great for presenting members of your bridal party with a collection of PHOTO MEMORIES and a handwritten expression of gratitude? We carry more than a dozen dazzling color combinations that promote the SUNNY spirit of SPRING.

My hope is that you are already enjoying the wonders of the season as much as I am.  I look forward to sharing more fun ideas from the garden and studio of Petalos di Pauli.

Cheerfuly,

Paula Estes
Botanical Artist and
Object of Spring Fever

Our Madame Chocolat Greeting Card

What is more luxurious than fine chocolate? This Petalos di Pauli handcrafted greeting card was designed especially for Madame Chocolat after owner chocolatier Chef Hasty Torres raved about an invitation design in my portfolio. Hasty wished for a similar design but one that would bring chocolate to mind.

We made this card hers by bringing in Celadon Green that colors the walls of her Beverly Hills chocolate factory and boutique. We layered papers of the same metallic cream and brown hues that her fans will recognize as signature Madame Chocolate packaging. Finally, we used designs from Hasty's exquisite truffles as our inspiration for the cover and interior design.

This card will remind the recipient that chocolate is wonderful… in any language! “Chocolat” is adorned with hand calligraphy, the word chocolate translated into a baker’s dozen different languages. The finishing touches included the elements that Hasty loved about my original design, a variety of real garden flowers, Swarovski crystals and other 3-dimensional ornamentation. I think Hasty's card turned out Delightfully Sweet!

I became a true fan of Madame Chocolat after attending one of Hasty's chocolate workshops. Words cannot begin to express the pleasure of that hands-on experience. There is so much to learn and love about chocolate. Her place is filled with chocolate delicacies I hadn't known existed and it turned out to be perfect for gift shopping just before the holidays.  If you love chocolate or just want to learn more about it, I recommend you attend her upcoming workshop this Sunday March 21st,  in celebration of American Chocolate Week. Let her know Paula sent you.

This CHOCOLAT card and other handcrafted stationery are available for purchase at the Petalos di Pauli On-line Boutique.

Happy American Chocolate Week!

Sincerely,
Paula Estes
Botanical Artist and
Lover of Chocolate

American Chocolate Week

Did you know that St. Patrick's Day is not the only holiday in March?  The third week of March is American Chocolate Week!  Although it may not have the tradition that St. Patrick's Day has, this can be a fun way to show your friends and family that you are thinking of them.  Some more good news is that it lasts an entire week!  So for those that lead busy lives, you have a week to give a gift.  Here are a couple of ideas to help you celebrate the week:

Buy chocolate from a special vendor
Any major city has it's specialty chocolate shops and American Chocolate Week can be a great "excuse" to indulge in a special treat.  You can surprise your spouse or a friend with something extra special, maybe they will even share it with you!

In the Los Angeles area, where the Petalos di Pauli studio is located, we love Compartes Chocolatier   for their delicious handmade confections as well as their whimsical modern artistry.

Chocolatier, Jonathan Grahm says his unique and eclectic creations are made "from our heart to yours," which reminds us at Petalos di Pauli of our design and business philosophies.  Each element of the design treated as important, results in an experience that delights more than just one of your senses. Which leads us to....

Stationery to go with your Chocolate Gift
So, with your unique chocolate gift chosen for your "Chocophile," we suggest a unique stationery item to present with your gift.  Petalos di Pauli created just the thing; a card highlighting the wonders of chocolate. 

The perfect card for American Chocolate Week, or anytime!
A handmade card that expresses how we really feel about chocolate!

In honor of American Chocolate Week we would like to ask our readers to email us their stories about how chocolate has been special in your life.  The first five responders will receive one of the handmade original cards pictured above as a thank you for joining our celebration!  Next week's Blog will feature our favorites.  Email us at Chocolate@PetalosdiPauli.com

A Few of My favorite Things

I am really looking forward to time in the studio today. It’s one of those days where the garden and studio blend into one, and there is no place I would rather be.

No iTunes for now. Singing birds, wind chimes and falling water provide the perpetual soundtrack to my designing whims. All the players know their role and there is perfect harmony here.

Upon observing the promise of the day, I was eager to see my 3 ½ mile power walk to completion. And I confess, part two of my workout, my yoga postures, was a bit hurried in anticipation of what was to come.

One of my favorite rituals is to take on creative tasks after I have adorned myself with my treasures. So today I am wearing a top given to me by my friend Donna. It was hers before it was mine. She is a creative and spiritual being, also a fellow musician. I like that this colorful clothing has a history with her. I am sure that’s why it always feels so wonderful to wear it.

I’m also wearing a favorite ring that I purchased for myself. It’s sharing the right hand with a charm bracelet that was a gift from my mother.

My left wrist, also charmed, honors my husband and celebrates 3 years of being cancer free.

It’s time to stop writing and dive into the sea of  bliss that awaits. Although my studio is a hop, skip and a jump away from Disneyland. For me, today this is the happiest place on earth.

Joyfully Yours,
Paula Estes
Botanical Artist and
Fan of Rituals