Hello! Ta muchly for stopping by!
I'm Michelle, the paper florist/designer/doodler/day dreamer and chief tea/coffee drinker around here. Ta muchly Paper Blooms has been brewing in the back of my mind for as long as I can possibly remember. I can’t remember exactly when Ta Muchly was first born in my head, because I actually can’t remember a time when it wasn’t!
So first off, what is 'Ta Muchly' and how the heck do you pronounce it? "Tar-much-lee." Ta muchly is a casual and friendly way of saying cheers or thanks very much in the North of England where I'm from. Ta Muchly is all about saying thank you to the people you care about, or congratulations, or I miss you, or hello.
It took me a very long time to figure out exactly what I wanted Ta Muchly to be. My head was full of so many exciting ideas and designs that I just couldn’t wait to create, but I struggled for years to pull it all together in my head and determine exactly what this was all for; what it meant. Then as I was in the midst of preparing to upsticks and move my life quite literally to the other side of the World, I found a card from my friend Sophie back in the UK. About 2 months after I arrived in Dubai she had sent me a card just to say ‘hello’ and inside was a tea bag. Nothing extravagant or over the top, simply just a card to let me know she was thinking of me, and a cup of English Breakfast. To this day that cup of tea was still one of the best I ever had. And I have kept that card for over 7 years (and counting) because actually it means more to know someone is thinking of you just because they want to, than because they forgot your birthday until Facebook reminded them and they feel guilty!
Over the years there have been various obstacles stopping Ta Muchly becoming a reality, mainly it’s hard to follow your dreams with a day job, (I spent 15 years as an Interior Designer, check out my other site tamuchly.com for some of my interiors inspiration). It’s also equally as hard to follow them WITHOUT a day job! However, as I’m sure most of my friends and family would tell you, I’m not very good at being told I can’t do something, and so although I may have taken the long route, I have finally made those daydreams a reality! And I couldn’t be happier!
The other thing that has been lurking in my daydreams for a long long time was Canada. Now I do know exactly when this dream began, perhaps not to the day, but sometime a few days either side of Canada Day 2001. Aged 15 while on holiday visiting my family in Fernie, BC, I proudly informed my Aunty that I would make this my home one day. Well Lou Lou, it may have taken me 17 years (almost exactly), but I made it!
Along the way I’ve travelled to some amazing places (with hopefully many more to come). I’m a Brit born and raised; I lived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for almost 5 years; and now I’ve put down my roots here in Calgary, Alberta (hopefully forever). Moving around has given me the chance to travel to explore places I probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise, and so I love to take inspiration from the various landscapes, cultures, and local blooms I’ve seen.
You might wonder why I’m telling you all this, I mean what does it have to do with paper flowers? Because quite simply, I have been planning this wonderful company for so long that I knew exactly what I wanted it to be, what to design, what to craft and make, that I wouldn’t settle for anything which doesn’t match the ridiculously high (and sometimes obsessive!) standards that I have had in my head from a young age. Which means each and every single product only reaches your screens if I’m 100% happy with it. I’m not about throwing up any old product just to make more stock, or worse, to make money. Each piece I design and make gets my full attention before I will even consider showing it to you lovely folk. Meaning that anything you find on this site, you know has been personally designed with love, and a little piece of my heart and dreams thrown in.
Ta Muchly Paper Blooms is about celebrating life’s special moments, big and small with handcrafted floral decor.
From weddings, to birthdays and events, or simply just because you’ve had a nice day. It’s about saying hello to a friend you’ve not spoken to in a while. It’s about sending flowers to your mum - just because. It’s about creating the perfect gift for a loved one - simply just to brighten their day.
Celebrate the special moments, whatever size they are.
I hope you find something here which helps you share that dream with someone special.
Michelle x
Ps. If you get chance, I'd love it if you could stop by my other site www.tamuchly.com too, and check out my travel themed artwork. I hand make papercut city maps, and mandala prints, to help you bring the world home!