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Respected Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Card making with pressed flowers

@Mom2Dogs  Your handmade card is a lovely idea.

                        With dried flowers being so fragile, I

                     would suggest hand delivering it. You may          already be planning to do that.

 

                        Something that fragile, I doubt could withstand

                      the handling, sorting and machines at the post 

                      office.

 

                        If you want to mail it, you could wrap it in bubble wrap and send it in a box.   Your friend will love it. 

 

                        My daughter makes lovely handmade three

dimensional cards and they are always hand delivered.

 

                        I just finished making a Lunar New Year card for Chinese New Year of the Horse. I have been making them

each year for my brother and his wife, and one for her father who passed away a few years ago at 96. He loved my cards. My sister- in- law and her family are from Hong Kong.

 

                I mail these cards because they are flat with just paper trims and art work.     

 

                        For twelve years,  I have been making these cards and none have been damaged in the mail.        

 

                  Since the 70's, I've done many kinds of crafts, but I have never use dried flowers to make cards. When using dried

flowers in crafting, I used Aleene's Tacky Glue.

 

                 It is white and dries clear. With the applicator tip or a toothpick or other small applicator, you can apply the glue exactly where you want it. You want it on the parts of the flower that will touch the surface of the card.

 

                 If I were using dried flowers to make a card, I would

not try to put it in an envelope, which could damage the flowers.   I would wrap it in tissue paper or put it into a small box.  Good luck with your project.

       

          

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,444
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Card making with pressed flowers

@Enufstuff   Thank you for the reply....I was concerned about mailing but thought I could wrap in bubble wrap if necessary.  I imagine your cards are beautiful and I bet what your daughter makes is lovely as well...if not using flowers what is the image she uses? 


I appreciate your tips.

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,378
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Card making with pressed flowers

Have you consdiered Lumen or chlorophyll printing?

 

Lumen Printing is a camera-less photographic technique that uses sunlight to create images on light-sensitive paper.  It dates back to 1834, when William Henry Fox Talbot first experimented with "photogenic drawings" by placing organic materials like leaves or flowers directly onto sensitized paper and exposing them to sunlight. The result is a silhouette or photogram-like image, where the exposed areas darken due to the chemical reaction of light on the paper. This process typically uses expired photographic paper and does not require a darkroom. The image can be further stabilized by washing and fixing the print in chemicals. Lumen prints are known for their unpredictable, organic results and are often enhanced by overexposure or the addition of natural elements. 

 

Chlorophyll Printing is a related but distinct process that uses plant leaves as the photographic medium.  Instead of paper, the leaf itself acts as the "film." A high-contrast image—printed on a transparent sheet (like an overhead projector transparency)—is placed on a fresh leaf, and the assembly is exposed to sunlight. The chlorophyll in the leaf breaks down in the areas exposed to light, turning green to yellow or pale tones, while the areas covered by the image remain darker. The result is a natural, ephemeral print directly on the leaf. This process is not based on photosynthesis but on sunlight-induced bleaching of chlorophyll pigments, with carotenoids and anthocyanins playing a role in the color shift.  It works best on fresh, undried leaves and requires patience—exposure times can range from several days to weeks, depending on the leaf type and sunlight

 

It sounds complicated but I don't think it really is.  I would check YouTube for some tutorials if you are interested.  It could look really beautiful!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,444
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Card making with pressed flowers

@haddon9    I probably don't have time to learn this new process for this particular card but I will read up on what you posted.  Thank you

Respected Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Card making with pressed flowers

@Mom2Dogs  My daughter uses mainly papers and card stock. She buys specialty papers, some patterned and some textured. She even makes her own papers and some she tea dyes.

 

  She uses lace, ribbon, trims and sometimes vintage images of small flowers and butterflies, to embelish her cards. 

 

 For me, she has made beautiful cards for Mothers Day, my birthday and Christmas.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,444
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Card making with pressed flowers

@Enufstuff  Your daughter sounds very talented....I have no doubt the cards are beautiful.