Crafted To Bloom

13/05/2024

PRE-ORDER MY PANSY ONLINE COURSE - You see the leaves on this pansy? A wonderful artist and friend, Wilma, very nicely requested them, and I thought, Why not? I had been considering adding leaves to the course, but in truth, I'd never made them for pansies before! I've always used pansies in my compositions, never the plant. So naturally, I focused more on the colouring aspect when I decided to offer this course.

Luckily, I have a few pansy plants sitting on my porch so I plucked a set of leaves from them as models and came up with these. I'm actually very happy with them! They look pretty realistic and true to proportion. And they also add so much character to the flowers!

I also decided to add a pansy bud lesson into the course because I love the buds. To me, they represent hope…of what could be, and what will be. Buds bloom into flowers eventually and that sense of hope is what has always driven my art work. Besides, when I think of pansy leaves I immediately associate it with budding buds. I think it adds to the plucked-from-the-garden look!

An exclusive discount code was sent to my mailing list today to get 20% off. I’ll be sending out another one on Thursday so make sure you’re on that list! Subscribe: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6262f6d31e8046b2202534d1

10/05/2024

NEW ONLINE COURSE - My Pansy Online Course is now available for PRE-ORDER! This means that from today until Thursday May 16th, you can enjoy 20% of the regular price with an exclusive coupon code if you’re on my mailing list. The course will drop on Friday May 17th. At that time, you’ll be able to access all of the videos and downloads if you’re enrolled in it.

If you’re like me, you probably love pansies and have tried to make them in your paper flower garden. You’ve probably struggled to make your pansies look realistic though. Believe me, I know how difficult it can be! With only five petals, it looks deceivingly simple to re-create. Yet their forms can vary and they come in numerous different colouring. Matching crepe paper weight with colouring medium can be a tremendous challenge on your time, efforts, and spirt, especially if you want to re-create any of the gorgeous pansies on account. Well, over the years, I did the experimentations and I can tell you exactly what paper weights and what colouring mediums work for me.

For a preview of my Pansy Online Course available for Pre-Order now: https://www.craftedtobloom.com/courses/pansy --Sign up for my mailing list to receive the exclusive discount code during the pre-sale week.

✏️🎨

16/04/2024

WORKSHOPS - I have a bunch of workshops coming up! Three new ones just got confirmed so I’m listing all 5 of them below. Links to register in these workshops are in my profile:

PAPER TULIP - April 30th & May 25th

April 30 (6:15-8:45PM)

$50/person + $15 materials
Register here: https://shop.thepaperplace.ca/products/spring-tulip-crepe-paper-flower-workshop?_pos=1&_sid=a75c925e3&_ss=r

May 25 (10AM-1PM)

$75/person + $15 materials
Register here: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/richmondhill/activity/search/detail/98863?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

PAPER ICELANDIC POPPIES

May 1 (12:30-3PM)
@ Melville White Church (Caledon)
Part of the Festival of Art Communities
$75/person + $15 materials
Register here: https://www.jessiechui.com/workshop-books-and-kits-shop/p/everlasting-flowers-workshop-poppies

PAPER TEA ROSE

May 11 (10AM-12:30PM)
@ Melville White Church (Caledon)
Part of the Festival of Art Communities
$75/person + $15 materials
Register here: https://www.jessiechui.com/workshop-books-and-kits-shop/p/everlasting-flowers-workshop-tea-rose

PAPER PEONY

May 19 (10AM-1PM)

$75/person + $15 materials
Register here: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/auroraontario/activity/search/detail/23417?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

04/04/2024

A bouquet of randomly coloured pansies I made last week in preparation for my one-on-one private class with a lovely NY artist. I had fun pushing the limits of my brush, learning to control the way the colours seeped into each other, seeing how thin I could draw the lines, reminding myself to leave negative spaces. It’s always interesting going back and (re)working a flower that I thought I’d nailed and was quite happy with. In the past, I’d focus on the Chianti pansies, mimicking their ruffles edges, emphasis on form. This time I decided to reinterpret less ruffled ones, focusing instead on the fine lines and painterly qualities of a couple varieties like the Gem Heavenly Blues, Antique Shades, Gem Apricot Antique, Fizzle Sizzles (thanks to Floret Flower Farm and for inspiration and reference images). It’s like painting a very small portrait of a pansy on a pansy shape. Satisfying and therapeutic. Can’t wait to try painting more varieties more once my bird obsession slows down.

29/02/2024

I made a mate for my first ! If you’ve been following my Stories, you know that I was trying to be more ambitious with his posture and in fact, I struggled a bit to get the correct position of his head in relation to his body (I ripped his head off twice). With this finished, I’m starting to think about other ways to control the wool when it’s on the paper and how to get more details around the face. Unlike felting, I can’t just punch the wool together to add colour details. Right now I’ve been painting it but…I don’t have as much control as I’d like. I also haven’t decided if I want to see more paper on my birds. Anyhoo, I’m on a pause for the rest of the week while I dive into some research on birds and us (that’s literally the name of the book I’m polishing off at the moment - check out my Stories) and write/send out my monthly newsletter, Floral Notes. I’m envisioning a photographic series inspired by birds & fauna wallpaper. I also plopped my bird/stick on a frog and it’s given me some ideas on how to style it as a sculpture for my collectors (at some point). Many a thing to ponder on these next few days and weeks. Much love for following along xoxo



Do you want to see me use more paper (rather than wool) on my birds?

21/11/2023

21/11/2023

20/10/2023

GIVEAWAY! — Another anniversary of the release of my book, Paper Flower Art, has just arrived, so naturally, I’m doing another Giveaway 🙂 This year, I’m giving away the following:

- TWO gift sets with a signed copy of my book, Paper Flowers + a 2024 calendar from (VAM); and
- TWO gift sets with 2 packs of my still life notecards and a 2024 calendar from VAM.

TO ENTER: SIGN UP for my mailing list and enter the Giveaway for a chance to win one of the four gift sets. ➡️ https://jessiechui.myflodesk.com/giveaway2023
DEADLINE: This Giveaway is open from October 18 to October 24, 2023 (at 5PM (EST)). One entry per person. When the Giveaway closes, 4 winners will be randomly drawn and contacted via email. Winners must be on my mailing list at the time of the draw.
This Giveaway is not endorsed, administered, sponsored by, or associated with Instagram, Facebook, or Google. You understand that you are providing your information to me and not to Instagram, Facebook, or Google.

18/10/2023

I’m sharing a recent bouquet and boutonniere that I finished for a lovely and patient client. This is a re-creation of a fresh flower bouquet she had at her wedding. I don’t take many of these types of commissions, but her original bouquet was just too beautiful not to try my hand at it! My approach for this project was to research what the flowers looked like in real life (in all of their incarnations) and then combine that with what they looked like in photos that my client provided me. It’s a fine balance trying to be as faithful as possible to what the original bouquet looks like in photos and at the same time, making creative choices that would make it look cohesive in front of me. Because my client liked how her bouquet looked in her wedding photos (which appeared to have a sepia filter), it meant I had to make the bouquet lean on the warm side of the colour wheel. To accomplish this, I painted my crepe paper with a sepia-hue under colour to create a colour temperature that would be consistent throughout all of my flowers. I talk more about this process in the Blog I published today (https://www.jessiechui.com/blog/how-to-use-acrylic-paint-with-crepe-paper-part-2)📔. Later this week, I’ll be posting a giveaway package (4 of them), so stay tuned. 🎁

07/10/2023

OCTOBER WORKSHOP — In celebration of the City of Richmond Hill’s 150th Anniversary, I’m teaching a hybrid tea rose paper flower at through the City’s programming. Open to both residents and non-residents, the workshop takes place on Saturday October 21st from 10AM-1PM. The rose is the City’s official flower so this is something really special. The colour of the rose will be dependent on the colour I can get my hands on, but I’m hoping it’ll be all red! Hope to see some of you there. Link to register is in my profile.

30/09/2023

WORKSHOPS — I have 3 classes lined up for the fall and you can sign up for them via the WORKSHOP link in my profile: (Image 1) For the very first time, I will an instructor at the City of Richmond Hill on Saturday October 21st from 10AM-1PM. It’s part of the city’s programming and I’m excited to teach the City’s flower - a Rose - in paper in celebration of Richmond Hill’s 150th Anniversary celebrations!
(Image 2) I’ll also be back at as an instructor for a paper Amaryllis workshop on Sunday November 12 from 1-4PM. The crepe paper for this workshop is generously sponsored by , my favourite paper store.
(Image 3) Last but not least, I’m returning to the to teach a paper Zinnia workshop on Sunday November 26 from 10AM-1PM.
I hope to see some of you this fall!

17/09/2023

Last night’s reception for the Juried Show & Sale was a blast! I always love connecting with other artists and seeing new and old faces. Special thanks to my friends and family who attended the show in support of our work, and for organizing the show, for jurying, for donating a prize, and for catering. I’m incredibly that my night ended with ‘Awakening’ (2nd photo) going to a new home on Sunday when the show ends. Ahh the power of a sale. Never discount how encouraging it can be for artists.
Flattering photo credit thanks to , a talented artist on her own right!

14/09/2023

Starting fall off with a bang - I’m honoured that two of my pieces, “Quickening” and “Awakening”, have been chosen to be part of the Oakville Art Society’s Juried Show & Sale. I’ll be at Oakville Gallery at Gairloch Gardens tonight for the reception from 5-7PM. Special thanks to for jurying, for the gallery space and for supporting emerging artists 💕
The flowers from both pieces were inspired by real flowers that blossomed and waned in my garden during spring. Making each flower by hand is a meditative process that brings me closer to unravelling the mysteries of Mother Nature. Capturing that one moment when the flowers are the most expressive in light and shadow.

13/09/2023

How was your summer holiday my friends? I hope it was full of laughter, joy, and great memories. It was the last summer before my youngest headed off to JK so I was really mindful about spending as much time as I could with him as possible. Now that he’s off to school every morning (I hope the crying will stop soon), I can sort of relax a bit and focus on art.
This here is a small bunch of flowers that I’ve been working on throughout the summer, albeit slowly and not sharing it here. I needed that escape. I made lisianthus a long time ago and this is my second attempt years later. I’ve also made scabiosas before but this is also a new attempt at these black knight scabiosa. It’s so interesting how our preferences for particular mediums or techniques, developed over time, gradually guide our work forward. Here I have two brownie lisianthus using different colouring techniques. I often default to using pastels because of their softness, ability to layer, and as a dry-medium (here with a sealer on top) but I also love how I can get more colour blocking with acrylics and create a stiffness in the petals (the pinker one). In this case, I much prefer the latter, but I think they still work well together.
Painted and dyed with a variety of mediums: acrylics, , sumi ink, using 90g and 180g Italian crepe paper from

29/06/2023

I’m making roses right now and this video explaining the role of Gard (not guard) petals strikes the perfect chord.

12/06/2023

Today is the first day of the YOU ARE HERE Exhibition at . This piece, Quickening (Irises, hellebores, tulips, daffodils, fritillaries, muscari), along with my second piece, Awakening, will be on display until June 18th. Come talk art with me at the Reception on Friday June 18th 7-9pm! I found a lot of joy composing these images and for the very first time, I made it entirely for myself.
This show is curated by my friend and mentor and I’m incredibly honoured to be part of this show along with nine very talented artists: Diane Dowsett , Howard Hamilton , Carolyn Hendricks, HyunRyoung Kim , Meghal Khakhar , Karim Machado-Aman , Tushar Patel ,0007, Emma Juliette Sherland , Theodore Walker Robinson .walkerrobinson

11/06/2023

UPCOMING RECEPTION! 🖼️
YOU ARE HERE
Please join us for the opening reception on Friday June 16, 7-9 pm at Visual Arts Mississauga,
The exhibition YOU ARE HERE brings together the work of 10 Mississauga-based artists. Initially, it was conceptualized to showcase the work of emerging artists who are on an active path to developing their artistic voice. As the exhibition progressed, the artworks revealed the dynamic ways an emerging artist represents themselves in their work. YOU ARE HERE is about the creative journey of the emerging artist and how every work of art, whether directly or indirectly, contains traces of its maker.
The exhibition title takes it name from the term used on maps. The words You Are Here mark a place on a map—showing where one is and what roads to take to arrive at a destination. Similarly, an artistic journey requires an understanding of where one is; in contrast, it plots a question of identity. The selected works in YOU ARE HERE are not about physical, geographical locations, but rather about understanding oneself in the terrain of making art.

Exhibiting Artists: Jessie Chui .chui, Diane Dowsett , Howard Hamilton , Carolyn Hendricks, HyunRyoung Kim , Meghal Khakhar , Karim Machado-Aman , Tushar Patel ,0007, Emma Juliette Sherland juliettetheartist, Theodore Walker Robinson .walkerrobinson
Curated by Fausta Facciponte
YOU ARE HERE is funded by Mississauga Arts Council’s MicroGrant Program .arts through the support of RAMA Gaming House – Charitable Gaming at City of Mississauga.
Image: detail Collision (Right) 2020 Emma Juliette Sherland, laminated matte prints on dibond 24x 48"

31/05/2023

It’s not the algorithm - it’s me. I’ve been away from social media for most if not all of May. Completely unintentional at first, and then, I just didn’t think about posting and, surprisingly, it didn’t bother me. In fact, not caring gave me so much mind space to just create and live in the moment. I’ve kept myself busy with lots of teaching, work on a bouquet re-creation, a trip to Portugal, and dreaming with intention. I’ve also been inspired by the flowers popping up in my garden, like these double hellebores. I’ve always wanted to make them. Their flitting petal embellishments call to me. So here they are. I caught them in their later stages. A jewel for a larger piece that is humming along. I’m hoping irises (mine are blooming in the garden for the very first time) are next.
These hellebores are made from 90g Italian crepe paper from , laminated and painted, then details were coloured with .

10/04/2023

My Monarch Butterfly Online Course is dropping THIS FRIDAY, and it is now available for PRE-ORDER! I’m offering a 15% discount for this course to all of my IG followers until Thursday April 13th. Use coupon BUTTERFLY15 at check out: https://www.craftedtobloom.com/courses/monarch-butterfly
In this online course, I show you how I make these delicate Monarch butterflies using paper and wire, including step-by-step instructions on how to colour the wings, create the body, and assembling it to perfection, all with the use of my personal template. Also, for the first, time, I share my creative process, namely, how to design and construct a butterfly sculpture, and how to approach and create a butterfly template yourself. That way, if you want to make other types of butterflies, you’ll be more than prepared to do so!

06/04/2023

We see so many Dutch still life paintings with these tulips, so making them come to life with paper is pretty cool. The original “broken” tulip species no longer exists although there are growers who continue to breed tulips that look similar. The stripes are a result of a virus in the tulip, and despite the beauty that came out of this parasitic relationship, the virus would weaken the tulip and they would return weaker and weaker each year. Talk about a natural scarcity that was bound to create a tulip craze! Anyways, thanks to some famous Dutch paintings, we know these broken tulips existed. In the same line, I’m teaching a workshop at .ca on April 23 from 10AM - 1PM where we will be resurrecting these tulips (with pointed petals or round petals - you choose) in all their glory. Seats are limited so be sure to sign up soon. Register here: https://www.studiomooi.ca/service-page/create-a-paper-tulip

03/04/2023

WORKSHOP —- For the very first time ever, I’m teaching in my hometown at ! I’m instructing a workshop on the ever popular and expressive Icelandic Poppy on Sunday April 16 from 1-4PM. Be sure to catch it because I’m retiring this flower workshop and won’t be teaching it in-person anytime in the near future! Cost is $70/person. Included are written instructions and additional materials to make more at home. Hope to see some familiar and new faces there! ☺️ Herws the Registration link: https://www.visualartsmississauga.com/product/icelandic-poppy-papercraft-workshop/

28/03/2023

WORKSHOP — In line with the tulip theme from my previous post, I’m teaching how to make these beautifully striped Dutch Tulips .ca on Sunday April 23. Studio Mooi has built a wonderful community of like-minded art creatives in the Beaches area in Toronto and it’s a pleasure for me to teach where my husband once grew up. I’ll be at Studio Mooi from 10AM-1PM on April 23 to teach participants how to bring this tulip to life. I’m offering templates for a pointed and a round petal tulip variety, and you’ll tackle one of them during this 3-hour workshop. I’m especially excited to show you how to paint the beautiful red pattern of the much sought after “broken” tulip varieties during Tulip mania and how the painted edges will help you shape the tulip successfully. You will leave this workshop with new skills, written instructions, templates and additional materials to make more at home. Limited spots. Cost is $90+HST. Hope to see you there!

28/03/2023

WORKSHOP — In line with the tulip theme from my previous post, I’m teaching how to make these beautifully striped Dutch Tulips .ca on Sunday April 23. Studio Mooi has built a wonderful community of like-minded art creatives in the Beaches area in Toronto and it’s a pleasure for me to teach where my husband once grew up. I’ll be at Studio Mooi from 10AM-1PM on April 23 to teach participants how to bring this tulip to life. I’m offering templates for a pointed and a round petal tulip variety, and you’ll tackle one of them during this 3-hour workshop. I’m especially excited to show you how to paint the beautiful red pattern of the much sought after “broken” tulip varieties during Tulip mania and how the painted edges will help you shape the tulip successfully. You will leave this workshop with new skills, written instructions, templates and additional materials to make more at home. Limited spots. Cost is $90+HST. Hope to see you there! Link to register: https://www.studiomooi.ca/service-page/create-a-paper-tulip

28/03/2023

For the closed version of my La Belle Epoque tulip, I decided to forgo dyeing the crepe paper and went straight to painting it with pastels. Without the underlying golden colouring, I was able to achieve a more cool pink flower. I’m not even sure I should call it “cool” given that it’s a warm pink, but it absolutely is “cooler” when compared to when they are more mature and golden (even turning a mustard yellow). With this type of control, it was impossible to colour prior to assembling the petal so time was spent on each petal individually. Outside of the process of assembling the flower, this step was my favourite. Oh so therapeutic watching the colours blend together. My favourite is when I get to paint the blue between the yellow and pink, with one edge straight and one edge transitioning into a grayish-purple. Gimme more of this any day!

17/03/2023

WORKSHOP —- I have a few workshops coming up. I’m returning to for the very first time as an instructor teaching how to make my Icelandic Poppies! Join me on Sunday April 16 from 1-4PM and get a taste of how to make paper poppies with me in this fun and thoroughly enjoyable class. I bet you won’t be able to wait to make more at home with all the extra materials in the kit you’ll receive in class. Register now. Seats limited. ☺️ Here’s the link to register: https://www.visualartsmississauga.com/product/for-artists-plan-your-own-art-exhibition-online/