The Resin Preservation Process
What happens after you book your reservation and pay your deposit?
Drop off or Ship Your Flowers
Drop Off Your Flowers
If you are local to Fredericksburg, VA, you are more than welcome to save shipping cost and drop off your live flowers with me! (So long as you can drop them off within 1-2 days of the event). I will communicate the details about this process as your event nears!
Shipping Your Flowers
If you are not local to Fredericksburg, VA, then you will need to get your live flowers in the mail within 24 hours of your event. Your flowers absolutely need to be shipped via overnight shipping, or I will be receiving dead flowers. I will send you detailed instructions for packaging and shipping your flowers to ensure the best chance that your flowers will arrive as healthy as possible!
Drying & Preparing Your Flowers
Drying Your Flowers
As soon as your flowers arrive, I begin to process them. The best preserved flowers are the freshest.
I use professional grade silica gel to dry your flowers for 1-3 weeks, depending on the type of flower. This is the absolute gold standard of flower drying because it allows your flowers to maintain it’s natural shape and retains the flower’s color best.
Please keep in mind that the color of some flowers changes in the drying process. For example: red flowers often dry to a dark purple color and white flowers often dry to a cream color.
Some flowers (like berries and succulents/cactus) are unable to be dehydrated without molding due to their high water content. If your bouquet includes these varieties and you would like to include them in your pieces, I can work with you to replace them with high-quality artificial plants to preserve alongside your dried live ones.
Preparing Your Flowers For Resin
After your flowers have rested in the silica gel for the allotted time, I gently remove and hand-dust them off to prepare them for resin.
Layout of the Flowers
Designing your Feature Blocks
Upon booking with me you will have the opportunity to share any design preferences you may have. Do you prefer a center or corner arrangement? Do you prefer a more minimalist look or a maximalist full block of flowers? Is there a specific flower you would like featured? Etc. I will take your design preferences into account as I arrange your flowers into a unique and personalized work of art.
Designs are Poured
Pouring Your Pieces
I use high quality VOC free resin to encapsulate your flowers. This high-quality art resin is yellowing-resistant and once cured gives off no fumes or toxins- it is completely safe. The process of pouring this resin takes on average 8 layers (depending on how large your piece is) and each layer takes 24 hours to cure. Beauty takes time and cannot be rushed!
De-molding and Shipping Prep
After your piece has fully cured, I remove it from the mold, polish it up and make any final touches to complete your beautiful art pieces!
Shipping Your Flowers to You
Shipping Your Flower Art to You!
The entire preservation process takes anywhere from 6-18 weeks depending on how many clients I have on my docket and how many pieces you have ordered. I’ll be fully transparent throughout the entire process and will give updates whenever requested! Once finished and ready for shipping, I will provide you a tracking number so that you can watch for your delivery!
Again, if you are local to Fredericksburg, VA, you are welcome to schedule a time for picking up your pieces rather than me shipping them!