Check Out Jessie’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessie.

Hi Jessie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It was fall 2021. Knowing how I feel in winter, I began bringing flowers from my garden inside. I left them in cups of water at neighbor’s houses. I savored every bit of bright colored life that I could. Then, in early December, one of my brothers took his life and my world crumbled. As I transitioned how I spent my time, I avoided Facebook and spent time scrolling Pinterest. After a few months of saving pretty things, I decided to try creating some of them. Instead of bringing flowers in to wilt over a week, I practiced drying them to have them in my house long term. It was so relaxing and at the time, it felt like a healthy way to spend free time. I started giving creations away because I was running out of space. Looking for a way to close my in home daycare, I decided to launch into a dried flower art business. Now, I am still working out of my home, helping people decorate their homes with feel good arts. My work can be found at boutiques like Monarca Art Space in Kansas City, Merchant Square in Independence, Genevieve’s in Blue Springs, and The Grove in Oak Grove.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This has been a slow road. Since I started with trying to unload things as I made them, I attempted to sell through social media. I started signing up for vendor/art/craft fairs. Some were great, others were not. It’s very unpredictable when attending events! My busiest creative season is the summer and fall, but the dried flowers and tapestries don’t always travel well or do well in the elements outside. I learned what worked best to pack, what types of things sold best at events, and met all kinds of people. I spent almost a year with a booth in Karma Community Market. This gave me an opportunity to focus on trying new items without worrying about packing and setting up at events. I still set up at pop up events there from time to time. I also spent Saturdays last summer at the Market on Main in Blue Springs to meet more people in my community. Ultimately, I’ve decided my time is better spent creating at home and stocking booths at boutiques. I still attend a few art/craft fairs, pop ups, and will be at Market on Main a handful of times this summer. It’s a juggle to create, attend events, stock boutiques. It’s also a lot of exploration to figure out what works best for my art and my family life.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My primary focus is dried flowers, but multiple methods of drying so everything is different. I preserve flower heads in silica sand, hang dry flowers, and press flowers. Each type of dry method leads to a specific creation. The flower heads dried in sand typically go in shadow boxes, on wreaths/crescent moon wreaths, and similar wall decor. Flowers that I hang dry are for wall hanging brooms, bouquets that can hang on the wall or be displayed in vases, and occasionally in shadow boxes. Pressed flowers are used in double glass frames or framed pressed petal art. When I find an old frame that’s unlikely to be used for modern family photos, I repurpose it to hold pressed flower art. This keeps them from the trash, which is also important. I also use dried petals and small flowers in herbarium jars. Again, if I find an old jar or bottle, I try to repurpose it this way. In the winter, I make tapestries with earthy colors, usually inspired by a flower or the land. I’m also practicing clay leaves and flower imprints in clay and paint those with watercolor as a way of preserving the flower. My style is very earthy!

The entire time this was growing, I felt the need to do something for a specific community. I partnered with a friend who makes candles to develop two candles to offer. All profits from these candles is donated to the Foundation for Suicide Prevention or local organizations/families. I also offer free services on memorial candles for those who are grieving where I dry and arrange flowers from the funeral at no cost.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Well, this all started after the height of the crisis, but also as a result of it. Mental health is important, and the more we stayed away from crowded places and reduced out time in public, we spent more time at home. My family also spent more time hiking on the trails and I was able to spend more time in my gardens. It’s amazing what can happen when you change how you spend your free time! In 2020-2021 we did virtual school for my kids, plus I was babysitting a neighbor’s kid. I needed to get out of the house, so we went to Eureka Springs and spent a weekend in a cabin, hiking, and outdoors. I’m so drawn to nature, and the crisis really highlighted that. It helped me return to that part of me. It also allowed me more time to create and explore new methods. I still find myself picking and choosing, being very intentional with my time and what is best for myself and my family. Before the crisis, we were becoming so consumed with outside factors and being here and doing that. We kind of get lost in the chaos of it all if we aren’t careful.

Pricing:

• Herbarium Jars range from $6-20
• Pressed Flower Frames range from $10-50
• Shadow Boxes 50+
• Tapestries $30+
• Clay Art $10+

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildflowerchateau
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wildflowerchateau