Sunday, April 03, 2016

A Life In Flowers - A Pressed Memory Book

Flowers are a wonderful thing, and I don’t think I could properly capture their beauty in words. They’ve always somewhat seemed like real life magical creatures to me, and that is cool because, I’ll probably never see a unicorn, but I can always find a hot pink rose to add a little flash to my day. I’ve known many people who are blessed with the power to grow these wondrous beings, or piece them together into stunning arrangements that can steal your breath and leave you in tears. I am not a member of this talented pool of folks. But I do still have a strong passion for all things floral. I suppose I am more of a flower hunter and gatherer.

I enjoy the wildflowers I find on nature hikes or come across while strolling through the park. Floral motifs also play a large part in my illustration, they may be my ultimate muse, next to mythical creatures.


The project I’m sharing today is my pressed flower book. I began it the summer after my daughter was born. I wanted to create a tangible way for me to capture some of the fleeting memories of my time with my child. So my “Life In Flowers” was started. I found an old hand bound book I’d made years ago, that was full of beautiful scraps, and I deemed it’s pages the perfect place for me to mark up with petals. Once I had the book chosen, essentially I’ve just been making sure to snag a floral memento whenever I can. I bring it home, press it away between the book pages, and make a note of something special that happened that day. It’s simple and yet so effective. There is something so powerful about flipping through the book and seeing the dried and delicate beauty spread across the pages, with stories fluttering softly, in and out of the spine.
I’ve kept the book for over two years, and now with spring here, it will be time to start pressing our moments away again.