Today we’d like to introduce you to Carissa Flores.
Hi Carissa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have done calligraphy for over ten years as a hobby; when I got married in the summer of 2019 to my husband Adam, we wanted to make each detail as personal as possible. I was thrilled to have a chance to address envelopes and add a few other handmade touches to signs and details at the wedding.
But once the last thank-you note was made and addressed … I wanted a reason to keep going! At a table at our favorite breakfast spot, Adam and I asked the server for a pen and started brainstorming business ideas on a napkin. One of the ideas written on those napkins was “Dos Flores Designs.” “Dos” is Spanish for “two,” and it represents the teamwork of me and Adam.
Over a year later, Dos Flores Designs offers custom calligraphy services for weddings, parties, and businesses. We hope to add that same personal touch to other weddings and events that we loved at our wedding!
I also teach calligraphy classes with a company called Sip and Script. These are casual, fun environments where people can come to learn the basics of calligraphy so that they can use it for fun and relaxation as well as create things for others. It has been such a joy to teach calligraphy after loving it for so many years.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Well, we got married in July 2019, and for the rest of the year, we were building our confidence to break into the wedding industry. When 2020 rolled around, we were so excited … then one after another, the signage and envelope addressing jobs we’d booked started to drop out and be canceled. This drove us to invest more time into our Etsy business making gift tags and other personalized items, as well as vinyl decals such as “Masks Required” signs for businesses to put on their windows. I am a full-time high school English teacher, so I even made some quarantine-themed literary postcards to send to my students while we were quarantined.
I am so grateful I got to explore different ways to share calligraphy with others during the pandemic and invest so much time into it. At the same time, I am so excited for the wedding industry to be back at full speed!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My business has two parts: teaching calligraphy and providing calligraphy for others.
When I am teaching calligraphy with the Sip & Script side of my business, I am introducing brand-new beginners to modern pointed pen calligraphy. My students love seeing the ink flow from the pen for the first time and finding the confidence to write on cards, gift tags, and more. I am proud to create an environment where students can relax with friends and enjoy creating beautiful words.
In the wedding and events side of my business, I create all the personalized items that make a party special: the place cards, signs, seating charts, and more. One of my favorite things is writing someone’s name in calligraphy, knowing they will see it and feel loved by the event’s host because so much time was taken just for them. I love helping enhance others’ thoughtfulness.
What were you like growing up?
I have always loved words in all forms – reading, writing, and creating beautiful shapes in calligraphy. When I was younger, I received a kit for italic calligraphy (an older, Gothic style that looks much more angular) and I became obsessed with tracing the shapes! I also loved playing school and teacher games, since my dad was a teacher. I’d line up all my stuffed animals in a row in my pretend “classroom” and teach them something new. I guess I have always been bound to end up as a calligraphy instructor!
Pricing:
- Seating charts start at $750
- Sip & Script classes start at $65/person
- Private and corporate classes – online and in-person – start at $65/person
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dosfloresdesigns.com
- Instagram: @dosfloresdesigns
- Facebook: @dosfloresdesigns
