Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay shipping?
*No, if you're purchasing an acrylic cube or Lighted Vase, we will cover the cost of shipping your display to you (provided you are in the Continental United States). If you need your display shipped anywhere else or if you have requested rush delivery, a separate shipping fee will be accounted for and added to the invoice. If you are sending us a flower, you will be responsible for the cost of shipping it to us.

* There may be a delivery area surcharge (generally about $7-8) depending on where you live. This typically only applies to very remote areas. If you're concerned about this additional fee, please provide us with your exact address and we can find out for certain if it will apply.

Is there an additional cost for your preservation services?

Nope! If you're ordering one of our acrylic cubes or Lighted Vases, the price already includes any costs associated with preserving your flower(s). There are only a few exceptions to our all-inclusive pricing, (such as expedited processing/shipping, special order knobs, or any other "extra special" requests) which can be read about here in our FAQ.

Where will you ship to?

For now, we’d like to stay within the continental United States.

How do I pay?

Once we’ve established contact and confirmed your order, you will be emailed an invoice via PayPal on behalf of Keepsake Flowers & More (KeepsakesbyTessa.com). You may also send a check made out to Keepsake Flowers & More. More specific payment details can be found in How to Order.

How long should I expect to wait?
If you’re sending us a flower, it takes approximately 3-4 weeks to preserve and complete the display after we receive your flower. If you’re choosing one of our flowers, it takes 5-10 days to complete a display. If you need your display expedited, an extra fee will be added to your invoice, and it must be paid before we send it to you. Delivery times may vary depending on a multitude of factors (geographic distance, inclement weather, holiday offsets, etc.) We’ll provide you with tracking info once your display has shipped.

How big are the displays?

The Lighted Vase measures 8.5” tall (not including the knob). The base and lid measure 4” across (diameter). The smaller acrylic cube is approx. 3", the larger measures approx. 4".

Why are some flowers glossy and some matte? Can I choose which finish I want?
If you would like your flower to have a glossy finish, no problem! We encourage it. If you want a matte finish, we will do everything we can to make that happen, but please be aware of a couple circumstances where it may not be feasible. (Technically, it's always feasible; whether or not it will look good is another story.)

Scenario #1: If your flower is not wanting to hold itself together after the drying process, we will use a special type of glue to reinforce its structural integrity. Depending on the shape and structure of your flower, even expertly applied glue can sometimes be detected by the keen admirer. This is especially true if a matte finish was used to seal your petals. It's much easier to conceal imperfections with a glossy finish.

Scenario #2: Your bright red rose turned into a deep, dark burgundy once it was dried. As is the case with darker flowers, using a matte sealant will often cause them to look "flat" or two-dimensional. By having a glossy finish, not only does it add heaps of depth to your dynamic petals, but its secondary purpose is to bring out the richness of its original color prior to drying. Depending on the texture of the petals, matte sealants can sometimes appear "dusty" as is apparent in the comparison below.

While creating my Lighted Vase, I noticed a lot of the features were "optional." Does that mean they cost extra if I want them?

Absolutely not! The $59 price is all-inclusive. Only the wood stain and crushed shell color are absolute must-haves; if you don't want a knob, lights, or message, you don't have to have them.

Why isn’t there an option for choosing the wire color?

Because there are so many customizable options already laid out, we suggest allowing us the artistic liberty of choosing the accent wire color. The last thing we want is to create a display you won’t find aesthetically appealing, and the wire is an important element that helps to tie everything together. Of course, if you want your display to be 100% pink, or if you absolutely don’t want a certain color, let us know! We will discuss the colors with you before installing them.

I'm ordering multiple displays and would like more than one of the "last one left" knobs. Can I special order more than just the one you have listed?

It may be possible! Some of the last-one-left knobs have been discontinued by the supplier, so in that case, unfortunately not. Other knobs we've chosen to discontinue on our end because we've been underwhelmed with their overall manufacturing quality. If this is the case, it may take some extra time to procure one up to our standards, but we will certainly do our best to get it done. There may be an additional fee for this special service.

Can I order a display like one of the others shown in the gallery?
We can certainly work something out! I haven’t set prices for other types of displays yet, but I am happy to discuss reasonable pricing based on what you would like and how many flowers are to be preserved. - Tessa, Owner

What kinds of flowers can I have preserved?
We like roses and carnations here because they're hardy, preserve well, and (possibly the most important fact) they ship well! However, there are many different types we can preserve. Let us know what you would like to have done and we'll let you know if it's possible. Bear in mind, the timeline for drying varies; daisies take 4-5 days whereas sunflowers can take upwards of 3 weeks.

Can I just have my flowers preserved without ordering a display?
Only if you're willing to pick them up in Delaware, Ohio. It can be risky to ship dried flowers that aren't securely affixed to something. If this is something you may be interested in, let us know what type of flower(s), how many, and if you would like to keep the stems attached or just have the blossom preserved. Stems use up quite a bit of resources when it comes to drying and sealing, so if this is a matter of being cost effective, we recommend you only request the blossoms to be preserved.

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Matte

Glossy

Let us know which finish you prefer, and/or which one you are very much opposed. Some clients would rather their flower to look as natural as possible no matter the circumstances, which is something we respect. Only in extreme cases will we encourage reconsideration, but we will ultimately do whatever you request. Communication is key.

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(Click to enlarge on desktop.)

I just received my display and some of the petals/flowers, or part of the display is damaged. What should I do?

Contact us right away! You have 2 days from when you receive the display to report any damage. Unfortunately, damages can occur during shipping (if we could personally deliver every single display, we would!) We will do everything we can to make things right!

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Why does my flower look lighter/darker after it's dried?
Removing the moisture from organic matter will inevitably alter its appearance. There are other factors at play, such as the genetics of your specific flower, pH balance prior to drying, and florist dye that may have been used. We can predict with comfortable certainty how a flower will turn out, but it's impossible to determine 100%. In most cases, blues and yellows are the best contenders for not only maintaining their color, but to also resist fading. Reds typically become dark burgundy or purple, pinks normally look the same after drying but will most likely fade with time, and whites can take on a creamy, ivory, or even yellow/brown appearance with age. (For this reason, we are giving serious consideration to airbrushing white flowers.) If the variation in color from fresh to dried is deeply concerning to you, we humbly suggest selecting a floral preservationist capable of airbrushing.

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My flower's fading, what should I do?
Some slight fading or variance in color/shape is to be expected over time. This is normal and is no cause for concern. We highly recommend you take a "day of" picture of your flowers for this reason.

As much as it pains us to say, it is nevertheless true: nothing tangible lasts forever. It is the natural order of things to return to the earth. This especially applies to organic material, which flowers undoubtedly are. Even the original copy of the Constitution of the United States is slowly deteriorating. All we can do is prolong this process as much as possible, and by following the guidelines in "How to Care for My Display" (an insert we send with every finished piece) you will be doing exactly that.

In most cases, the flowers we preserve will go for years without changing much in appearance. Even though we apply a floral UV-protectant and acrylic sealant to every flower, some are simply prone to fading. This can be due to a number of reasons, such as the type of flower, the pH chemistry of the petals before/during drying, the genetics of that particular species, or the florist dye that may have been used in their original arrangement. (This is particularly true for pink flowers.) For example, white carnations tend to maintain their color remarkably well compared to white roses, which can be prone to yellowing (or even browning) with time. Unfortunately, this is one of those things outside of our control.

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Pink rose immediately after drying. It looks nearly identical to its pre-preservation color.

The same rose has faded considerably after 6 months. This rose was in a climate controlled area and was exposed to almost no light whatsoever.

The flower below faded from a vibrant raspberry color to a raspberry-lemon after six months.

One of the common techniques other companies use to "prevent" fading is to airbrush the flowers. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this; it's just something we prefer not to do for a few reasons. One, we're all about keeping the final dollar cost down, and airbrushing would not come free. Two, when we've inspected professionally airbrushed flowers, oftentimes the interior petals will not be the same shade as the exterior ones because you can only airbrush so deep without the risk of accidental rehydration or paint runs. And three, we're not experienced in the art of airbrushing. That's not to say that we won't be adding an airbrush expert to the team in the future, but for now, we're sticking with what we know because it is guaranteed to work.

The bottom line: If you absolutely want your flower to look how it looks prior to drying, we suggest researching companies who offer airbrushing as a service. Again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this practice, and it's one we will certainly consider in the future.

Won't the lights in my display cause damage or fading?
The short answer is no.

The Getty Conservation Institute states, "LED light sources are one tool that curators and designers can use to achieve the preservation targets for objects of art." Essentially, that means they have approved LED lights for showcasing priceless artwork in their museum.

(Source 1)

According to Randall Whitehead, IALD, "...different light sources accelerate fading at different rates. It depends on the amount of ultraviolet (UV) light each particular light source produces. The worst culprit is natural daylight, followed at a distant second by incandescent and finally fluorescent." He goes on to address LED lights specifically, "Only LEDs, which produce no ultraviolet light, completely protect fabrics and art from fading. Even if you are using LED sources, however, most rooms have windows that allow natural light in during the day. This will cause fabrics and art to fade over time." (Source 2)

The Philadelphia Museum of Art also stresses, "Of special concern to museum collections is the high proportion of UV energy in normal daylight (natural sunlight shining through glass)." Again, the direct concern here is sunlight. (Source 3)

We're conducting an ongoing study of our own here at Keepsake Flowers & More. We've been making displays with LED lights for over three years, and we've not seen any remarkable proof showing damage or fading. In spite of the supportive evidence here, we don't encourage leaving the light on in your display for hours and hours on end. Furthermore, the heat generated by our LED's is so miniscule, it has had no noticeable affect on displays with lights compared to the displays without.

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