Paper Talk

Quynh, Jessie, and Sara share what's next in their paper flower careers: a museum wall installation at the San Diego Natural History Museum, Jessie's first solo gallery show, and a Day of the Dead paper flower headpiece workshop in Mexico City with Hitomi Gilliam.

Season 8 is winding down and episode 197 finds Quynh Nguyen, Jessie Chui, and Sara Kim catching each other up on the biggest paper flower projects shaping their year, projects that show just how far paper flower artistry can travel: from a museum lobby in San Diego, to a gallery wall in Richmond Hill, to a Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City.

Sara opens with the story behind her wall installation at the San Diego Natural History Museum, a donor recognition piece built entirely from paper flowers representing California native plant species. She walks through the unexpected origin (a workshop attendee who later became the project's champion), the scientific accuracy required by the museum's in-house botanists, and the award she won at the California Native Plant Society show along the way.



"Workshops are so important. It's not just about teaching, although yes, that's fun too. It's actually a way to network while you're getting paid.”— Sara



Jessie shares the news of her first solo exhibition, opening this fall at the Richmond Hill Cultural Center gallery. She and Quynh dig into the realities most paper flower artists never talk about out loud: gallery wall mounting systems, the true cost of framing large-format paper art, UV-protective glazing, and the emotional weight of deciding whether to sell one-of-a-kind sculptural pieces.

Quynh closes with a look at her packed travel and teaching calendar, including a return to Snow Farm to teach the life cycle of dahlias in paper form, and a new international collaboration with renowned floral educator Hitomi Gilliam. The two are bringing their paper flower floral crown workshop to Mexico City for a Day of the Dead headpiece project, with plans to take the same workshop to Japan in 2027.



“The more you share, the more people will learn about it and the more people will want to do it. And if you gatekeep things, it just doesn't grow as much.”— Quynh



The Best Thing We Bought that Bring Us Joy

Quynh: Whipped Feta Dip recipe

Jessie: Herb and Garlic Philadelphia Cream Cheese with Poppyseed Bagel

Sara: Red kiwifruit and Kesar mangoes from Trader Joe’s

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.



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JOIN OUR PAPER TALK MASTERMIND!

If you've been running your paper business solo and you're tired of figuring out pricing, marketing, and selling alone, then this is for you. The Mastermind is returning in the Fall 2026 and we saved you a seat!

Starting September 8, we are leading a 6-month Mastermind for paper artists ready to build something sustainable. You'll meet twice a month with us and a small group of paper artists tackling the real stuff: pricing, social media, selling your work, newsletters, and building confidence in your business.

We’ll have honest conversations, dive into practical strategies, and be with people who actually understand what you're building. Registration begins soon.

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🎙️ Listen and Subscribe

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.



Keywords: paper flower museum installation, paper flower solo show, Day of the Dead paper flowers, Hitomi Gilliam paper flower workshop, paper flower headpiece, San Diego Natural History Museum paper flowers, paper flower gallery show, mounting paper flower sculpture

Poy T. Granati of Summer Space Studio returns to Paper Talk Podcast for her third appearance, joining co-hosts Quynh Nguyen, Jessie Chui, and Sara Kim. If you have followed Paper Talk for a while, you will recognize Poy from Episode 8, where we first introduced her, and Episode 135, our Pinterest deep dive that is still one of our most referenced episodes for paper flower artists building organic traffic. This time she joins us from her new home in the Hudson Valley as a new mother.

This conversation is the most honest one we have had about what it actually looks like to rebuild a creative business after motherhood. Poy walks us through the structural changes she made to Summer Space Studio: training two instructors to teach her workshops, narrowing her offerings to corporate workshops and brand partnerships, and using Pinterest batch-scheduling to keep her business visible during her hardest months.

If you have ever wondered how to pitch corporate workshops as a paper flower artist, this episode is a masterclass. Poy shares the exact three-year follow-up email sequence that landed her a brand partnership with Hermès, breaks down the seven-follow-up rule, and explains how to tie your seasonal offerings to a brand calendar so your cold pitches feel relevant instead of random. She also gets into the corporate workshop markets most paper artists overlook: real estate buildings, breweries, residential properties, tech companies on LinkedIn, and team-building events at companies that have nothing to do with flowers.



“I've been emailing Hermès for three years. Following up is the biggest part of not just getting clients, but getting comfortable talking about your offer.” - Poy



The second half of the conversation moves to Substack for creative small business owners. Poy launched a new channel called Take Scenic Route, separate from Summer Space Studio, as a digital journal and creative outlet. She gets vulnerable about postpartum anxiety, the question she journaled at three in the morning that changed everything, and her dream of using Substack to build toward a tropical paper flowers book. Quynh shares her own Substack journey with Back to the Basic, and Jessie and Sara weigh in on how to add Substack to an existing creative business without doubling your workload.

This is an episode for anyone in a season of figuring it out: new mothers returning to creative work, paper artists pitching corporate clients for the first time, and creative entrepreneurs wondering if their messy, unfiltered self is actually the version that connects.



What You Will Hear in this Episode:

Why time scarcity after motherhood can actually sharpen productivity and creative decision-making

How Poy restructured her business to focus only on corporate workshops and brand partnerships

The exact three-year follow-up cadence Poy used to land Hermès

How to tie your seasonal offerings to a brand's calendar when cold pitching

Why Pinterest batch-scheduling saved her business during early motherhood

The two types of workshop clients and how to serve both

How to use LinkedIn to find HR managers and book team-building gigs at tech companies

Hidden corporate workshop markets: real estate, breweries, residential buildings, nursing homes

Why Substack is a low-barrier alternative to Kajabi, Teachable, and Thinkific for creative entrepreneurs

How to use Substack as a digital journal, blog, and newsletter without creating more work

Why showing up imperfectly is the actual brand strategy



Learn more about Poy

In 2018, Poy T Granati founded Summer Space (translated as "a happy place") after completing her inspiring "100-days of making" project, where she crafted one flower per day for 100 days and discovered her passion for paper flower artistry. Since then, she has been dedicated to spreading joy through her exquisite and meticulously crafted paper flowers. The artistry of Summer Space has been recognized and featured on the Today Show and Adobe, and the studio has collaborated with prestigious brands such as Papersource, Helix Sleep, IBM, and Maman NYC. Summer Space is currently based out of Hudson Valley, NY.

Listen to Poy in Episode 81 for her introduction, and Episode 135 for our Pinterest

Website: Summer Space Studio

Instagram: @summerspacestudio.



The Best Thing We Bought that Bring Us Joy

Quynh: Squeakers for dog toys

Jessie: The School Memories Book by MaVie

Sara: Rifle Paper Journal

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.



-----------------------------------------------------

JOIN OUR PAPER TALK MASTERMIND!

If you've been running your paper business solo and you're tired of figuring out pricing, marketing, and selling alone, then this is for you. The Mastermind is returning in the Fall 2026 and we saved you a seat!

Starting September 8, we are leading a 6-month Mastermind for paper artists ready to build something sustainable. You'll meet twice a month with us and a small group of paper artists tackling the real stuff: pricing, social media, selling your work, newsletters, and building confidence in your business.

We’ll have honest conversations, dive into practical strategies, and be with people who actually understand what you're building. Registration begins soon.

-----------------------------------------------------

🎙️ Listen and Subscribe

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.

Keywords: how to pitch corporate workshops as a paper flower artist, cold email pitching for handmade artists, paper flower workshops for corporate team building, Hermès brand partnership paper flowers, starting a Substack as a creative small business owner, rebuilding a creative business after maternity leave, tropical paper flowers book project, Summer Space Studio Poy Granati

Hand-delivering a paper flower arrangement looks simple from the outside, until you are standing in your driveway realizing the giant blooms you spent weeks building will not fit in your downsized car. In this episode, Quynh, Jessie, and Sara open up about their real-world transport systems, the trial-and-error moments that shaped them, and the surprisingly small tools that make a big difference.



“I put it in a box, then on a no-slip rubber mat, then in a crate, and then I wrap a towel around it. Even if I have to brake hard, the vase will not fall over.” - Quynh



From wholesale market boxes and no-slip rubber mats to collapsible carts, radio flyer wagons, and the humble tablecloth that turns a chaotic backstage into a clean booth, this is a tactical episode packed with tips you can use the next time you deliver an arrangement, set up at an art fair, or teach a workshop on the road.



“If it is for a show or exhibition and the piece will also be sold, the box has to be big enough to hold packing materials, so the buyer can take it home that same day.” - Jessie



They also share a few favorite finds: Sara is hooked on snail mail subscriptions (and just launched her own), Jessie shares an update on the Werola extra-fine crepe paper artist line she, Quynh, and a fellow artist have been co-developing for three years, and Quynh raves about a Bellevue bubble tea spot called Unique Greens.



Here’s what we cover in this episode:

Why hand delivery is often the safer (and more trusted) option for paper florists

Sara's collapsible system for transporting giant paper flowers

Quynh's layered method: vase box, no-slip mat, crate, towel brace

Jessie's approach to packing for shows where the flower may also be sold

Why your paper flowers are usually sturdier than people assume

The Amazon collapsible cart Quynh swears by for art fairs and workshops

Using painter's paper from Home Depot to protect workshop tables

The tablecloth trick that turns any backstage corner into a clean booth

Why a two-hour delivery buffer is a gift to your future self

Designing collapsible flower structures for reusable client backdrops



“The biggest thing I learned with giant flowers is that I need to make them collapsible. If the structure cannot come apart and go back together, you cannot really transport it.” - Sara



Resources and links mentioned

Collapsible two-tier cart with crates (search Amazon for collapsible rolling cart with platform)

Radio Flyer wagon (an underrated transport option)

Home Depot painter's paper rolls (brown and dusty pink)

Werola extra-fine crepe paper artist line (launching soon, carried in the US by Petals and Pearls Design and Rose Mille)

Unique Greens bubble tea (Bellevue, WA) — orange jasmine tea with tea jelly, zero sugar

Sara's new snail mail subscription service



The Best Thing We Bought that Bring Us Joy

Quynh: UG Unique Green Tea

Jessie: Werola Artist Line Extra Fine Crepe Paper

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.



-----------------------------------------------------

JOIN OUR PAPER TALK MASTERMIND!

If you've been running your paper business solo and you're tired of figuring out pricing, marketing, and selling alone, then this is for you. The Mastermind is returning in the Fall 2026 and we saved you a seat!

Starting September 8, we are leading a 6-month Mastermind for paper artists ready to build something sustainable. You'll meet twice a month with us and a small group of paper artists tackling the real stuff: pricing, social media, selling your work, newsletters, and building confidence in your business.

We’ll have honest conversations, dive into practical strategies, and be with people who actually understand what you're building. Registration begins soon.

-----------------------------------------------------

🎙️ Listen and Subscribe

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.

Keywords: paper flower delivery, transporting paper flowers, hand delivery paper flowers, giant paper flowers transport, paper flower art fair tips, paper flower business logistics, paper flower packaging, collapsible cart art fair, paper flower workshop setup, paper flower studio business

When Carrissa Wu signed the lease on her first studio in a Fremantle warehouse, she remembers thinking, “What have I done?” She had just quit a stable corporate job at a Perth casino, had a growing stack of Etsy orders for paper flower bouquets, and a long list of dreams she had written down in that tiny first space: work with the King’s Park Botanic Gardens, get featured in Frankie magazine, build a team.

Every single one of those things has happened.

In this Episode of Paper Talk Podcast, Carrissa joins hosts Quynh Nguyen, Jessie Chui, and Sara Kim to tell the full story of Jotterbook Flowers, her paper flower business based out of Perth, Australia. She talks about how COVID gave her the space to rediscover making, how a mentor’s advice to pick one bread-and-butter revenue stream led her to workshops, and how Perth’s post-lockdown environment created a surge in demand that she could barely keep up with.



"You forgot the scissors for a workshop? We just learned to make a checklist. It’s not a you problem, it’s a systems problem." — Carrissa



Key Takeaways from this Episode:

Pick one reliable revenue stream before experimenting with others.

Hire for personality and relational skills since technical craft can be taught.

Train team members through a staggered observation-to-independence process.

Treat mistakes as systems problems, not personal failures.

Know your numbers and be willing to cut overhead when the math stops working.

Being “finished” with one creative chapter is not failure; it is freedom to start the next one.

The skills you build in running a creative business transfer to whatever comes next.



Learn more about Carrissa

Jotterbook Flowers is Perth's Original Crepe Paper Flower Studio, founded by artist Carrissa Wu. At the height of COVID lockdown, Carrissa was stood down from her corporate job and started making paper flowers to get through the anxiety of each day. She began running workshops in 2020 to help people find presence and pause in the midst of life's hectic pace. A community of like-minded paper florists started to bloom. Today, the Jotterbook Flowers team has helped over 1,000 people look after themselves to love others better through the art of paper flowers.

Instagram: @jotterbookflowers

Website: www.jotterbookflowers.com



The Best Thing We Bought that Bring Us Joy

Quynh: New Sourdough recipes

Jessie: Kitsch XL Satin Heatless Hair Curler Set

Sara: Thrifting for craft supplies for her Junk journalling

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.



-----------------------------------------------------

JOIN OUR PAPER TALK MASTERMIND!

If you've been running your paper business solo and you're tired of figuring out pricing, marketing, and selling alone, then this is for you. The Mastermind is returning in the Fall 2026 and we saved you a seat!

Starting September 8, we are leading a 6-month Mastermind for paper artists ready to build something sustainable. You'll meet twice a month with us and a small group of paper artists tackling the real stuff: pricing, social media, selling your work, newsletters, and building confidence in your business.

We’ll have honest conversations, dive into practical strategies, and be with people who actually understand what you're building. Registration begins soon.

-----------------------------------------------------

🎙️ Listen and Subscribe

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.

Keywords: paper flower podcast, paper flower artist, creative entrepreneur, paper flower business, bridal inquiries, corporate inquiries, client inquiries, brand collaboration, brand inquiries, pricing strategies, contract tips, media kit advice, paper flower community, Paper Talk Podcast

You got the inquiry. Now what? Whether it lands in your inbox from a bride-to-be, a corporate event planner, or a brand partnership manager, how you respond to that very first message can make or break the sale. In this quick but packed episode, Quynh, Jessie, and Sara break down their real-world strategies for handling three types of client inquiries: bridal, corporate, and brand collaborations.



“I try to be as upfront as possible so there are no surprises on both ends. I do not want to be emailing back and forth until I realize I am completely out of their budget.” — Sara



From what to include on your inquiry form and when to talk about pricing, to why you should never make free samples and how to present a media kit that lands the deal, the hosts share the frameworks they have built through years of running their own paper flower businesses.



“If you cannot do the job, have a list of your maker friends that can. If you refer someone, they can refer you back. It is a two-way street.”- Quynh



If you have ever felt nervous about quoting your prices or unsure how to follow up with a potential client, this episode will give you the confidence and the structure to respond like a pro.



What You’ll Hear in this Episode:

What to include on your website inquiry form to filter serious clients

Why response time matters and how it builds trust before the first project even starts

When to bring up pricing and the reason for being upfront from the very first email

How to use a price sheet to set expectations and protect your time

Why you should never create free samples and how to handle sample requests

The importance of contracts: deposits, delivery details, and final payment timelines

How corporate inquiries differ from bridal work and why turnaround time changes everything

Building a referral network and what to do when you cannot take the job

How to create and use a media kit for brand collaborations

Knowing your numbers and staying confident during negotiations

Being flexible with packages without undervaluing your work

Unique brand collaboration opportunities beyond physical flower commissions



The Best Thing We Bought that Bring Us Joy

Quynh: Antique flower frogs

Jessie: Floral Genius Hairpin Frogs

Sara: Flower frog using air dry clay

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.



-----------------------------------------------------

JOIN OUR PAPER TALK MASTERMIND!

If you've been running your paper business solo and you're tired of figuring out pricing, marketing, and selling alone, then this is for you. The Mastermind is returning in the Fall 2026 and we saved you a seat!

Starting September 8, we are leading a 6-month Mastermind for paper artists ready to build something sustainable. You'll meet twice a month with us and a small group of paper artists tackling the real stuff: pricing, social media, selling your work, newsletters, and building confidence in your business.

We’ll have honest conversations, dive into practical strategies, and be with people who actually understand what you're building. Registration begins soon.

-----------------------------------------------------

🎙️ Listen and Subscribe

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.

Keywords: paper flower podcast, paper flower artist, creative entrepreneur, paper flower business, bridal inquiries, corporate inquiries, client inquiries, brand collaboration, brand inquiries, pricing strategies, contract tips, media kit advice, paper flower community, Paper Talk Podcast