As a child, Christina Rose Moreno liked to roam the fields near her upstate New York home marveling at and gathering wildflowers, leaves, and seed heads. With scissors and tape she would turn these treasures into art projects. She didn't know it then, but she was training herself to be an innovative entrepreneur.
In the hands of Moreno, the designer and owner of Flores del Sol at Etsy, the notion of what a dried flower arrangement should be has been turned happily on its head.
Photographs courtesy of Christina Rose Moreno except where noted.
Above: Moreno creates a corsage. Photograph by Casey McDaniel.
A few years ago Moreno, who has a bachelor's degree in horticulture and floral design, found herself a young stay-at-home mom in need of a creative outlet. Her tiny apartment didn't allow space to work with fresh flowers so she turned to dried material.
Above: A Modern Farmhouse Arrangement of dried field grass is $40.
Like other business innovators, she discovered a niche to be filled. No one was making dried arrangements that looked contemporary. So Moreno developed what she calls her "natural modern design" and opened her online store.
Above: A Moss Mound In Cement is $32.
Her most popular items are sculptural monochromatic arrangements that consist of just one kind of flower or seed head. She uses materials which she purchases from dried flower farms in California, Oregon, and Florida.
Above: A Yarrow Mound is $40.
Running a successful small business can be a challenge for a woman who is also the primary caretaker for her three daughters, now 2, 4, and 6. She says she uses her limited down time, such as when her girls are sleeping, to work on her arrangements.
Above: An arrangement of succulents.
She has created a small home studio which the children have named "Mommy's flower shop." Her husband is an enthusiastic supporter of the business and frequently appears in the studio with encouragement and treats such as ice cream or hot chocolate.
Above: Christina Moreno at work. Photograph by Casey McDaniel.
Moreno says she hopes that as her daughters grow, so will her business. But for now she is a one-woman show: the creator, designer, photographer, shipper, marketer, and blogger. Her favorite job is that of designer. She says it is exciting to come upon a new flower or texture and imagine how it will look in an arrangement.
Above: Blanca is a posy composed of white, gray and yellow flowers; $45.
Finishing a new design is satisfying but also a little nerve wracking. Says Moreno, "I am always slightly nervous when I hit the 'publish' button to finalize a new item. I wonder if anyone will like it." Wonder no more.
For more posts on dried flowers, see Dried Hydrangea Garlands, Dried Bouquets for the Winter Months, The Ultimate Pressed Flowers, and Brown is a Color.