The English Rose - A Paper Flower NEW! In-Store Class Feb 11

The English Rose - A Paper Flower NEW! In-Store Class
Wednesday, February 11, 5-8pm
Instructor: Finnuala Tessier
Limit: 6 students. All participants must be 15 years or older.

Class Details

We’re delighted to once again offer classes in paper flowers, and doubly delighted to welcome Denver artist Finnuala Tessier as the instructor. She loves flowers but admits to being a terrible gardener. Finnuala discovered paper flowers while looking for a way to decompress from her day job. The first flower she made was a cherry blossom stem out of crepe paper. She fell in love, and now counts dozens of flowers in her repertoire. It keeps growing!

Her first class with Two Hands Paperie features the English Rose. Its double blossoms, with a petal count among the largest to be found, are a cross between old-fashioned roses and modern ones. Finnuala has spent time developing a technique that makes this sophisticated rose accessible to beginners. (We say hooray!) The key is a particular type of crepe paper that’s the perfect weight to get that swirly center but still have enough strength for the outside petals.  

Finnuala starts classes by describing the properties of crepe paper and then explains how this “crepe-ing” lets the paper stretch and be shaped. You learn a lot of shaping techniques in the class, e.g., “massaging” the paper, cupping petals, and rolling the edges. It’s these nuances that give life to her paper flowers.

A lot of in-class practice helps you start to “feel” the crepe – a tactile, almost meditative experience. So that you can move quickly on to making your rose, Finnuala preps the crepe paper you’ll need in class. She sends you home with templates and enough crepe paper to make two to three more at home. That’s so you have enough materials to start your own relaxing hobby right away!

An email will be sent to participants the Monday before the class. Classes with homework may receive pre-class info earlier.  No email? Double check the email address you entered when you registered and your SPAM folder. Due to SPAM filters and inbox settings, we cannot guarantee you will see, read, or open these emails. Two Hands Paperie assumes no responsibility for non-attendance of a class. Contact twohandsclasses@gmail.com with any class questions and see our Class Policies page for more information. 

Class Materials

Please feel free to bring the following optional materials:

• Optional: apron or wear clothes that can get messy
• Optional: water bottle & snack

Class Materials Include:

• Templates
• Crepe paper in a variety of colors
  
• Glue, scissors, wires, etc
  

Class Refund/Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made up to 14 days prior to the first class meeting will be refunded or, at the participant's option, used to pay for another class. Two Hands Paperie will retain a $10 processing fee for EACH class cancelled by a participant. After 14 days, there is no refund or credit. In addition, the fee for a class cancelled within this 14-day timeframe by a participant cannot be transferred to pay for another class. These policies are to ensure that teachers are compensated for their investment in materials and in time spent preparing for the class. We reserve the right to cancel a class if fewer than 3 students enroll 48 hours prior to the scheduled class time. If for any reason Two Hands Paperie cancels a class, students will be called at the phone number on file and refunded the FULL class fee.

Instructor Bio

Local crepe paper artist Finnuala Tessier specializes in sculpting flowers. She says she’s not a gardener, but she is passionate about making what she calls forever flowers. Her favorite projects, for example, have been capturing in crepe paper a bride’s wedding bouquet as a permanent reminder of that special day. Finnuala finds the challenge of recreating a specific bloom to be the perfect way of decompressing from her day job. Not surprisingly, her travel photos are heavily weighted toward close-ups of the local flora, and her hikes yield pictures from multiple angles of each wildflower she encounters. 

European crepe paper is her medium of choice for creating her forever flowers. The crepe is durable, inherently malleable, readily accepts coloring agents, and comes in all the hues of a rainbow. She finds the tactile process of working with it to be meditative. “Every minute I’m making paper flowers, I’m happy”. 

Sharing this wonderful art of crepe paper flowers with others is the entire reason why Finnuala started teaching. She believes everyone, no matter their skill level, can learn how to paint, shape, and sculpt crepe paper to create realistic flowers. She meticulously studies a flower and experiments in order to create techniques that bring the flowers to life. For example, she literally tried 18 different paints in various combos - acrylics and watercolors - to match the color of a particular flower. She also made sure the color could easily be duplicated by students. 

Her standing invitation to everyone? “Come make forever flowers with me!”

See her Instagram @flowersbyfinnuala