Flower Crowns Revamped

November 30, 2016November 25, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

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I decided to rework my flower crown designs a few weeks ago. While previously, they’d been a simple halo of wire, the new version is a semicircle with coordinating ribbon attached to each end. The new designs are a bit more stable on your head and are able to be worn in a variety of ways. Still available in two sizes, shop here and here!

And since I had some new merchandise, I grabbed some friends and set up a shoot with Ballyknock Photo! We spent the afternoon in Adi’s backyard and got some amazing shots… stay tuned for more!

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Light Painting with Ballyknock Photography

October 4, 2016September 30, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

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You’ve seen quite a few photos by Adrian Cunningham, otherwise known as Ballyknock Photo over the last two years. (Check out this one, this one and this recent one here.) I figured it was about time I payed him back, so a few weeks ago, we headed to an empty beach just before sunset and made some awesome images!

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Adi has been into long-exposure night shots for a while now, has also done some artsy work with sparks and steel wool, and recently he discovered Eric Paré’s light painting work and tutorials online and was hooked! 5R0A2862 5R0A2882

For each shot, I stood perfectly still for somewhere between 10-30 seconds while Adi triggered the shutter on the camera to open remotely, then waved a lighted tube behind me. The results are varied and awesome! 5R0A2894-Edit

These are just a few of my favorites—check out more from this session and others, along with the rest of his work here!

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Red Wedding Flowers

July 5, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 2 Comments

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Sorry for the radio silence, friends, I’ve been super busy playing catch up from being away and working on some really exciting new projects!

The day before we left for Chile, a big order for paper flowers came in, and I was so excited because it was my first full wedding order, and so disappointed because I figured I’d have to refund it, as I wouldn’t be able to work on it for nearly two weeks. Lucky for me, this bride was planning ahead, and we had plenty of time before her big day!

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So the day after we got home, I got to work on this gorgeous flower crown and a large bouquet for the bride, along with a smaller bouquet (pictured) and boutonnieres! 5R0A0910 5R0A0925 5R0A0950

I tried some new techniques with my poppies and I’m absolutely loving how they’ve turned out! One of the things I love most about making paper flowers is the problem solving, always striving to make them more realistic and more beautiful. 5R0A0971

A special thanks to Adrian Cunningham of Ballyknock Photography for taking a few quick snaps before I sent them off to Australia!

Roses Reign

March 21, 2016March 21, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

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I’ve figured out how to make lots of crepe paper flowers—peonies, poppies, daisies, tulips, crocuses and lots more—but I’ve put off classic roses. They’ve never been one of my favorite flowers because they seem to be a sort of default buy (When in doubt, go with a dozen red roses, right?), they seem almost ordinary in my mind. That was, until, last weekend.

I was recently asked to contribute to an Alice in Wonderland themed styled shoot, so it was time to finally tackle the rose! It took me a few tries, but once I got it, I REALLY got it. And now I’m in love with roses!

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The spiraling center, radiating delicate curled petals… I just love everything about them. Of course my favorites are the unexpected colors though! These yellow beauties are my favorites, but orange is next on the docket, so that may change. You can order yours here! rose_yellow_5R0A4067

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rose_yellow_gradient_1656 Once I had the basics mastered, I started experimenting with mixing petal colors, and even made one very special hand-painted rosebud for the Alice shoot (remember that about a hundred rose photos ago?). rose_dipdyed_1596

When I was finished with my rose production extravaganza, I asked my photographer friend Adi to come over and snap a few pics. He took the shot of the white bouquet at the very top of my post as well as this one below! Check out more of his work on his newly launched website! roses_red_5R0A4052

Art Directors Anonymous

November 28, 2015November 27, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 3 Comments

Hello, my name is Kristin and I’m an art director. It’s been 14 months since my last photo shoot…

When I was working at the magazine, I coordinated/styled/directed a dozen or so shoots every month. At least one was a complex fashion shoot, consisting of days of scouting, planning and styling, a full day of shooting, several more days of choosing and editing photos and then designing a 4-10 page feature. And that was only my part in it: we also had a hair and makeup team, clothing stylist, photographer, interns and editorial team on hand to pull it all together. Sometimes these days were downright incredible—everyone involved was in a flow state where creativity abounds and beautiful results were almost effortless. Other times, not so much.

So, as rewarding as seeing your work in publication month after month can be, after sixty of them, I was ready for a little break. Until now.

Last weekend, I gathered a few friends—a dental assistant who moonlights as a model and an IT professional/talented self-taught photographer—for a shoot featuring my paper flowers. We headed to Horseshoe Beach for some boho bridal images, then down the road to The Reefs for an incredible sunset view.

I thought the shoot would be successful—Allison is gorgeous and moves effortlessly, Adi is more talented than he’ll ever admit and Bermuda scenery can’t be beat—but honestly, even I am blown away with the results. So without further adieu, here are just a few of my favorite shots. I’ll be unveiling the rest over the next few months, so check back!

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