Meet Stine Berg Evensen!!

What is your absolute favorite tools to use?
 
If it wasn’t for my scissors, I don’t think I would have started out with this craft. They are called Westcott 4 inches and I wear them out after a few months, but I think it’s all about that this particular scissor fits my fingers so well. Watercolor paper, a small selection of watercolor tubes, brushes, book binding glue and tooth picks are the only other materials I use.
 
What type of flower do you love making the most?
 
The little wildflower that is right there in front of me. On one hand it is just ordinary, colorful and sweet, on the other hand it is part of this great, fragile ecosystem.
 
If you could describe your studio in three words, what would they be?
 
Mostly (a) manageable mess.
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How do you feel about working from home? Pros!? Cons!?
 
I work from our dining table, so I have to clean up a couple of times every day. This gives me a little control. It’s also the table I use to document, and where the kid does a lot of her playing. The space has glass walls, and the light is almost like being outdoors. Right now I can’t think of any cons, but if I had more pressure for deadlines, I’m sure it would frustrate not only me, but everybody in the apartment.
 
What do you find the most satisfying about making life like blooms?
 
That is a good question, and I think the word “making” is crucial here. When looking at art I have no special interest in likeness, but when making stuff, it makes me see and learn. After I started making these plants, I feel some sort of attachment to my surroundings. But of course, it’s also really fun to show people. I think all paper-flower makers love observing the reactions of people, and especially those of gasping kids.
 
What advice could you give to someone just starting out?
 
Start in your own alley, the local park or at the gas station. I can guarantee you: you will find the most pretty little flower. Take a quick photo and google the plant further when you get home. If it’s a plant you can pick, then bring one single stem to your worktable.
 
What is the last thing you celebrated in your paper florist journey?
 
Honestly, I feel a tiny rush of accomplishment every single time I finish a plant. Earning money from this is a work in progress though.
 
What really gets you in the flow and excited to create flowers?
 
To see all the fantastic paperflowers out there, and to be in touch with such wonderful makers is a great gift. I definitely have a lifelong love for both paper and wildflowers, and ever since I found this intersection between them, getting in the flow hasn’t really been a problem. I’m sure it will happen one day though.
 
What do you do while you make flowers? Watch tv, listen to music or podcasts? Do tell all the details!
 
Invisibilia, Fresh Air, Radio Lab (I never thought hockey would make me cry until the resent Hollywood-like episode Punchline). I rarely “binge-listen,” but did with S-Town and Bag Man. Scandinavian podcasts for humor and trends. The pop songs of Sigrid after school pick up. And quite often total quietness!
 
The word on the street is that quite a few of your flowers are made without glue!? How do you find the patience to make it work?!
 
Remember wildflowers are often quite simple in structure. They have found the most constructive way to grow, and this is what I have to try mimicking. For example the tufted vetch look complicated, but if you look close, it makes most sense to solely cut and fold. But sometimes I like the playfulness in setting rules like that, just as a little challenge.
 
What are you most excited about in your life right now?
 
The mornings are getting lighter, and soon we won’t be biking in dark, ice-cold rain on the way out in the morning anymore. Right now, life is slow, simple and rhythmic. I don’t think I ever have been more in peace with my everyday life. Knock on wood.
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