Work Of Stillwater Artist Gets Noticed In Hollywood

Deanne Stein, News 9

STILLWATER, Oklahoma -- On the back, red dirt gravel roads of Oklahoma, you'll discover out of nowhere, a flower shop. But it's not just any old flower shop, it's called The Crimson Poppy, where just on the outskirts of Stillwater, Jenny Jafek-Jones creates handmade paper flowers.

"It's my husband's fault," she laughed.

Jenny said when she got married a couple of years ago, she wanted to make her own flowers for the wedding. She said she didn't like the silk flowers and wanted something different. That's when she looked to paper.

"I spent the next six months taking apart flowers, looking for patterns from the early 1900's and after a while, they started to look real."

So real, in fact, other brides took notice.

"I did it for myself because I love it and just got the bug," she said. "But when brides started approaching me about flowers and knowing it was somebody's wedding day, now that's my favorite part of it, the fact that it matters to somebody in a very special way."

Jenny uses paper she orders from Germany and can virtually design any color or variety of flower. It takes her anywhere from one to four hours to create the flowers, depending on the flower. She takes orders online and ships to locations around the world, including England, Australia, Poland and all across the United States. As her business continues to blossom, she recently received an honor she wasn't expecting.

"I think this is the opportunity of a lifetime," she said.

It was through a bridal show in California where her work was noticed and eventually led to an invitation from The Artisan Group and GBK Productions to have her flowers on display during Hollywood's two biggest awards events: The Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

For three days only, starting Thursday, January 12, her arrangement brightened the Golden Globe gift lounge at L'Ermitage Beverly Hills, where celebrities passed through and even received a gift certificate for a do-it-yourself flower kit.

"To have your product out in front of hundreds of celebrities, seeing it and maybe wanting some of it, it's pretty exciting," Jenny said. "The fun part will be seeing who redeems their gift certificates."

In fact, her first redemption came through an email late Saturday night from actress Janina Gavankar of HBO's True Blood.

Check out the work of Jenny Jafek-Jones at The Crimson Poppy!