KeepsakeBlossoms featured in the 'Bridal Buzz' Blog of 'Bridal Guide Magazine'

Yesterday, I was going through my emails when I found one from the Bridal Guide Magazine. They said they would love to feature my work - my DECO Clay Flowers - on their 'Bridal Buzz' blog :). They had conducted a poll to see if brides thought that faux flowers were a 'DO' or 'DON'T'. One of my Facebook Fans told them about my clay wedding flowers (Thanks Becca! You rock!) :).
I sent in some photos and some information that they asked for and here's the blog :). I have been working at this DECO Clay flower art so hard for all these years. Finally, it seems, that recognition is trickling in. I am so honored and grateful (and may I also say, totally elated!Yippee!). This is the first time a National level major bridal publication has featured my work.

Click on the photos or click here to read what the blog says about the flowers that I handcraft from Claycraft by DECO.  I must thank the photographers who helped me get here. I was always doing good work, but my photos sucked and people maybe thought my flowers sucked too. LOL! Well, I was lucky to find these ladies who took lovely shots of my flowers and made them look as pretty as they are in real-life: Angela Simpson of Angelina Rose Photography, Amanda Fales of Amanda Fales Photography, Wendy Loped of Abstract Mind by WLo and Marnie McCown of Crescendo Photography. Thanks Ladies!

PS: While you take this in, also look out for my next post. Tons of EYE CANDY, I promise! :)

Bridal Fashion Debut - June 2011

I have been promising photos for long now :). Well, here are some from my recent participation at the Bridal Fashion Debut in Phoenix.

 Am I allowed to have favourites amongst my own creations? LOL! Because these two above qualify. The left has peonies in three different shaped vases. The vases weren't sold as a set.... I literally had to hunt for matching vases. But they go so well together and give the arrangement such elegance. I love the simplicity of the design. It is so modern and striking. 

The yellow ranunculus and freesia arrangement on the right took a long time to make. I was experimenting with colors and textures. Eventually, I decided on different shades of yellow, with hints of green as accent. The vase is actually a very very pretty candle holder, with a teal and light-gold print on it. I keep buying containers that catch my eye, to use in future arrangements. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't :). This one did. Big time. 

This is how my booth looked this time :). A big change from how it looked in January :). I even hung photographs that I received from photographers who were kind enough to take pictures of my flowers. I credited them on the frames. The photos generate a lot of interest in my booth and people even asked for information on the photographers who clicked the pics. So glad the idea worked out well.

Here's some more eye candy :).

 The pics came out nice, eh? Just goes to show how professionally taken photos can make a big difference and make my flowers look as beautiful as they are in-person. For these pics, I have to thank my friend Angela Simpson of Angelina Rose Photography. She not just did a great job of taking photos of my flowers, she also helped me design the booth and even came down to help me set it up. 

Another person was a big help (and has been, since I first met her at the Bridal Fashion Debut in January this year): Jo Ann Grant of Apropos Creations . Jo Ann is immensely encouraging and helpful. She not just advised me on where I could get my tables and linens from, she also shared some of her own decorations with me :). Now I know why she is such a fantastic wedding planner. She really goes out of her way to make people happy. Thank you you Jo Ann :). 

Andrea Jeckering of Dolli Bee.Com designed my new and improved Business Card. (Just email me if you want one.) What a difference she made! She delivered exactly what I wanted and in record time! My new business card is SO beautiful, I am going a little silly over it. I keep looking at it all the time :).  Andrea is a wedding and event stationery designer (she is also on ETSY!) whom I met very recently. And I am so thankful that I did :). 

This little arrangement that you see in this picture was designed by my husband. It turned out amazingly pretty! :) I didn't know there was a hidden designer in my engineer husband. 

All the arrangements that you see here are already available in my ETSY store for purchase, or are in the process of being available there :). I am also working on exciting new products to be made available on ETSY soon. And yes, as always more beautiful photos to share. So .... keep reading. 

Guest Blog: Angelina Rose Photography

I have SO much to tell you.... and I know I haven't been good at blogging of late.... but please bear a little longer with me. Your patience shall be rewarded with beautiful photos :).

Talking of photos, allow me to introduce Angelina Rose Photography. If you are in Arizona and still looking for a great photographer for your wedding day, this would be a lovely choice!

I'll let the talented Angela Simpson take over from here:

A warming embrace, a quirky smile only the two of you understand, the laughter of a happy day, and the love you share.

It's not so much the wedding itself that's my passion to photograph, but the emotions, vibe, and lives that surround the wedding day. The passion of photographing the people. You and those that you invite to one of the biggest days of your life. Capturing the smiles, laughter, cherished memories from a story, and the tears of joy.

Here's a few of my favorite images from last year:

Melinda and Jerry met at the softball field in Glendale and got hitched a year later back on the field. A happy-go-lucky couple. Full of spunk both on and off their playing field and full of love for one another.

Sarah and Richard got married at the Windmill Winery in Florence AZ. This was a private moment during their first look that took my breathe away. So in-tune with one another that the air around them must have crackled.

I was second shooting for a friend of mine last October at the Scottsdale Fairmont Resort. This little guy caught my eye among the bridesmaids. A little ham all dressed up and looking absolutely adorable.

Amanda and Gerald were married at the Wright House in Mesa. Having their wedding day on a Thursday gave us the advantage to use both parts of the property for pictures. We had a ton of fun with the fountain and the surrounding gardens.

A backyard wedding and reception. One of the most intimate and personal settings that just screamed the personality of this lovely couple; Sharlot and William. A national park ranger and a non-profit organization worker.

Bridal Bouquet - Subtle Elegance

Heather has been a breeze to work with. To start with she sent me a detailed email with all her wishes. That  helps a lot! :) She also showed me some pictures that served as her inspiration. 

 Well, this is what we came up with - Ivory Peonies, White Ranunculus, Stephanotis, Pink Roses, White Hydrangeas with Blue highlights. I then added a little foliage to it, and embellished it using Swarovski Pearls (They are expensive.... but I L-O-V-E them!).

Finally, I put on a hot pink sheer ribbon with pearls, over an ivory ribbon with a fine silver lining. So pretty! :) I am so shamelessly in love with this creation of mine. I hope Heather enjoys her wedding bouquet. Here's wishing her a blissful wedded life.

PS: These lovely photos are again, by Wendy Lopez of Abstract Mind by WLo . Stay tunes for some more great pictures we took the day she shot these pics for me. I feel so lucky to have found her in my little town :).

Third Anniversary Giveaway!

On May 13, 2008, I started my Etsy Store. I had no experience of selling online. (Or selling wherever!) But hey, I am here today. And I only have to thank my clients for putting their trust in me and getting me to this happy place.

To mark the day, I am doing a giveaway. Here's what you have to do to enter (Read carefully):

To be entered for the giveaway, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter and/or Blog. (Each gives you one entry. So if you follow me on all of the three, you get three entries) And send me a message or a comment that you are doing so. Its that simple. What's the giveaway? This time, instead of deciding on my own, I'll let the winner decide :), (Anything for upto 35 Dollars worth!) so that you are not stuck with something that you can't use. Excited yet? :) Spread the word. The person who gets me the largest number of Facebook Fans also wins the same prize. (Just let me know who you are sending my page's way)

I know, Friday is only a short time away.... but the drawing will be on the 31st of this month. So you have lots of time to enter :)

If you wish to Email me, my email address is: info@keepsakeblossoms.com

'Country Chic' Bouquet

A while back, I was asked if I could make some bouquets for a photoshoot. I made 3 of them, matching them with the dresses the models were to wear. One of those bouquets, is this one.... Now, I don't have the photos from the photoshoot yet, but I figured I'll share with you what my friend Wendy of Abstract Mind by WLo shot for me :).

Now, this is a smaller bouquet, but I love how pretty it looks and how much character it has, despite the size. Initially, I didn't think of including anything yellow. My husband said I should 'infuse' yellow. Now, normally, I tend to ignore what my husband says about floral arrangements. LOL! But this suggestion totally made sense. I think the yellow gives this bouquet 'spunk' :). Don't you think so?

This bouquet has Roses, Shrub Roses, Lilac and Grape Hyacinth. The Lilac, Grape Hyacinth and the Grape Leaves give this bouquet a whimsical feel, while the colors keep it very very chic. Now, for the photoshoot, I did the wrap in a plain mauvy pink satin ribbon.... but I think I could work on it a little more to make it more glam :).  That's my plan now :).

If you wish to see this bouquet first-hand, please visit my booth at the Bridal Fashion Debut - the biggest Bridal Show in the country - on June 12th, 2011 between 9am-3pm. It will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center.  You can hold this bouquet and see how light it is ...and yes, it will still be looking exactly the same :), because these flowers don't die :). That's what I so love about my flowers!

Okay, now back to wedding orders :). Shall get back to you with more photos soon .... keep reading.....

Blue Rose Bouquet with Peacock Feathers

Our move to Arizona has blessed me with not just good business, but also good people :). Wendy - of Abstract Mind by WLo - and I became 'Facebook Friends' sometime back, when I saw her beautiful portrait photography and 'liked' her page. We had been 'talking' on FB for sometime, when I asked her if she'd have some time to photograph my flowers. And I am so glad she agreed :).

This blue roses with peacock feathers bouquet, I have made for Suhanya from Canada. Suhanya is my first ever South Asian client. Interestingly, though she and I come from different countries (I come from India and she comes from Sri Lanka), my husband speaks the same language as she does - Tamil. I have a different mother tongue (India has about 5000 languages and dialects!) - Bengali. Anyway.... so I was pretty happy to finally have a bride from the same geographical area as me :). 

Suhanya had seen my first roses and peacock feather bouquet and wanted something like that, in blue. It has turned out so vibrant! And the peacock feathers add a lot of charisma to these pieces -just in case you missed it the first time, there is a bout too, for the groom-to-be. 

Alrighty! I've got to go now. I have lots more to share..... soon enough :). By the way, for those who are not on my Facebook Page, here's what I am working on for my next project - Kate Middleton's Wedding Bouquet - in CLAY. I am totally obsessed with it :). That has sometime to go though, with the million tiny flowers in it :).