FRANCES & ROES

Designed by a florist. Refined by an artist. Made for creatives.

I’m Marianne — after 12 years running Frances & Rose as a seasonal wedding florist and flower grower, I’ve brought my love of nature, colour, and detail into a new form: luxury silk ribbons.

With a background in art and a career in interiors before floristry, I understand how colour transforms everything. My hand-finished ribbons are soft, richly toned, and made to drape beautifully — created for florists, stylists, stationers, and anyone who loves the details.

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Little abstract sketching. So fun and so free. Warming up for a very special trip to Italy in a few weeks 🥰

Humbly offering up my gifts.

Lovely Sunday afternoon in the Peaks with my wonderful art buddy @claire_selman_art really do take for granted how close this view is to my front door. Loved playing with lots of layers but think I stopped just shy of going overboard.

Of course now all I want to do is make and paint ceramics 🤣 one little afternoon painting a mug and I'm now basically a ceramicist. I'm probably being harsh on myself, I do actually have a ceramics GCSE and did a whole module on it in my uni degree and have been to multiple workshops and sessions over the years, so its not a new dream, and its not outlandish to think about. There was something about putting my work onto clay that I really loved. Let the exploration begin!

Going pottery painting with my pals today, always get a bit stressed about what to paint on things 😅 but I'm thinking this little snippet of my Mexico sketchbook could be really cute and fun on a mug? Will keep you posted 🙌🏻

#WhimsicalArt #JoyfulArt #CreativeFlow #ArtPlayground #UnfilteredArt #ColourLovers #BrightArt #VibrantArt #ColourCrush #ColourExplosion #PalettePlay #ColourTherapy #ArtOfColour

Lovely afternoon spent in the gardens @chatsworthofficial sketching, snapping and plant spotting with @alison.in.the.garden

A real favourite from last year. I'm getting more and more heavy handed with my drawing at the moment, I should challenge myself to pull it back a bit and work on a few gestures maybe.

The tiniest little video of a cute little sketchbook I made myself. I'm so new to reels (yes, just call me grandma) but I know they're the content I enjoy consuming the most, so I'm trying to share more of what I'm doing in a way I would find interesting if I were the audience 🤪 how long before I crack and buy a 'real' sketchbook with money I don't have? Who knows! But there's something about the process of folding paper and making things which I've always loved.

#creativeexperiments #artflowsessions #playfulmaking #sketchbook #sketchdaily #makingthingsbyhand

There's been a lot of time to think whilst I've been running this month, lots to ponder and one thing I always keep coming back to is how I can find more time for my art. It's been a physical challenge running every day, but its also been a lesson in discipline, showing up each day and carving out an hour to do something that means something to me. I've proved I can do the things I put my mind to, so I'm going to try and keep up that mind set with creating time in my day for my big, scary life goal... the art dream! Even if it's only 10mins a day, I need to flex that muscle and strengthen that practice 💪🏻 no sponsorship needed, I'm just going to keep sharing and showing up doing all the things that I need to do to be me! Today I drew a dried bunny tail grass and did some swatches trying to capture some of the colour I see in it.

I never in a million years thought I'd be capable of pulling this off, but I did it!!! I have run, walked, hobbled my way through 5km every single day throughout May to raise money for @calmzone a charity very close to my heart for so many reasons. CALM is a fantastic suicide prevention charity who provide essential emergency support and raise awareness for stopping people taking their own lives. I'm not only proud of the incredible amount of money I've raised (thank you all so much!!) But in doing this challenge, I've proved something huge to myself - that I can do incredibly hard things, push through pain, both mental and physical (will my calves ever be the same?!) and come out stronger on the other side. The last few years have been incredibly difficult for many reasons and I've had a cloud in my heart and mind for a while, but I've worked so hard to get better and I feel like this running challenge has been like a physical representation of my own mental health journey - slow, imperfect, painful, but so worth it, so full of joy and especially full of the greatest friends I could wish to have. I'm so lucky to have legs and lungs and friends and family and music in my ears. I AM ALIVE!!!

Obsessed with the colours out in the world right now. The mustard gorse, the bright blue sky, the frothy cow parsley, the zingy grass. My senses are alight!

A huge huge thank you to everyone who replied, commented and donated after I shared my #5kadayinmay challenge 😀 completely blown away by your generosity. And it looks like I've got some volunteers to come and run with me too! I'm so lucky ❤️🙏🏻😍

Expect more windswept, sweaty, exhausted photos from now on... hopefully with some nice views and nature bits thrown in there!

Happy 3rd book birthday (for yesterday 🫣) to me and my baby "Cut Flower Growing" - written and photographed by me! And it's only really taken to now for me to fully appreciate how amazing it is and how hard I worked to get to a point where I could do such a cool thing. Putting yourself out there, whether it's online, on pages, on walls, its a soul baring and highly vulnerable thing to do, and when your self worth and sense of self is in a bit of a mess (like mine was back then) the reality of what you've achieved can actually be really hard to stomach. But I can own it now and be so proud of it! I did a cool thing. I am cool 😎

Holding on by their last threads - narcissi and tulip season is almost over for another year, what an amazing way to start the flowery season though!

You wouldn't know how much I love gardening and flowers by looking at my own yard 🫣 it's an atrocious hellscape and dumping ground. I really want to change that but it's one of those tasks that just feels too mammoth to attempt so I'm just not doing it. But we all know how to eat the elephant, one bite at a time. So today I am going to try and resuscitate a small corner of it so I can just sit out and have coffee in the morning and maybe snip some herbs for dinner. Hoping the rest will come when I have more time for another bite, but I'm learning more and more that done is better than perfect. In fact, done is just better full stop!

What happens on a sketching trip? Whatever you want! I like to take a limited number of materials packed in a zip up bag, my sketchbook and some bulldog clips to hold the pages down. I like to set up somewhere and get lots of colours down and maybe do a few pages of colours and then get on with some mark making. I also like to move around quite a lot, I don't spend a long time in one spot or on one thing - but that's just me! Sometimes it works, sometimes everything goes wrong, but it's about fun and getting creative. Might take you along on a little sketching jaunt to show you how it goes? Would that be of interest? Trying to find my feet with what content I want to create! HELP MEEEE 😂

CANCELLED - One thing I'm trying to plan in more is my sketching sessions and some ring-fenced time for creating, things that always seem to go much more smoothly when I'm with other people and have some accountability. So with that in mind, I'm going to be inviting you all to a lovely sketch meet in the Peak District in May. Myself and my pal @helen.c.stark will be heading to a lovely viewpoint and painting and sketching Plein Air for a few hours on Saturday 17th May. Meet at 11am at the Curbar Gap Car Park (will add a pin to my link in bio soon) and we'll head up to Curbar Edge for a bit and then over to Baslow Edge if we have time. Bring all your own materials etc, sensible footwear and snacks (@jollyscateringcompany have the BEST coffee and bakes available). Will you be joining us?

Had an interesting chat with a friend after a bit of down time sent me into feeling a bit crappy. I felt like I'd not done anything productive and it felt rubbish. I'm a highly creative and motivated person, but when I stop I almost grind to a halt and the aftermath of this feels awful. I'm trying to mitigate this by planning more things in, but I also don't want to over-do it and put mountains of pressure on myself. A hard balancing act! First things first - finding my feet in my studio again after all the changes in my life over the last years. Hoping to do some of this next week - maybe I'll take you along for the sorting journey!

I really had forgotten how much I loooove making bowls of flowers, just because I'm not trying to sell sell sell in the wedding world any more, doesn't mean I want to stop making them. This one, from a few years ago now, still giving me all the dreamy spring feels and I've loved making them the last few weeks in my freelancing with @laurennehopkinsflowers . It's felt hard to know how to navigate how to show up as who I am right now, bits of who I was when I ran Frances & Rose (wedding florist), bits of who I wanted to be as an artist (graduate art student), and bits of the reality of now (flowers, photos, artist dreaming and freelancing) - it's all part of what makes me me. I don't need to fit into a cookie cutter of what my life 'should' look like, what labels I've felt like I needed to attach to myself to feel valid and worthy. It turns out I don't need labels, I just need creativity, conversation and connection! Here's to showing up like this more... Is there anything you'd like to see from me? Is there anything that intrigues you about my multi-hyphen life? Give me some ideas!

This turned out quite brash in my opinion, but I really like the layers that are happening as well. Think I need to start lighter/more muted laying my base down. Also might experiment with a pink ground next time. #creativeexperiments

Spring bowls with @laurennehopkinsflowers I feel so much more myself when I have flowers in my hands and for so long I thought I would have to give them up to find my sanity again. It turns out I just needed to find someone who made me feel valued, loved and supported, all whilst making me laugh and filling my world with beautiful flowers again. I love my job more than I thought possible! Thank you Laurenne 🧡 I'll never stop saying thank you!

The hellebores are going over now, but the colours from one one of my favourite photos from the archives keeps me smiling. It inspired one of the first digital abstract pieces I played with when I got procreate. What do you think? Have I captured the hellebore magic?

Felt so good to get the paints out yesterday. I've been feeling more and more myself recently, but life (currently house and car problems) still want to throw themselves at my feet to deal with... how inconsiderate of them! Life does feel frustrating and overwhelming sometimes, but I'm realising that the things that keep me going - sunshine, friends, art, rest - aren't frivolous distractions from 'sorting things out', they're the non-negotiables that make the sorting out bearable! More art, more colours, more me 🙌🏻

So much love for this om my stories yesterday 🥰 so it gets a grid spot!

Spring colours really are something else aren't they 🤤🤤🤤

One for the "to draw" pile. What a stunning view over Chatsworth!

Still not in Mexico. The horrors persist. But so do I.

As each week passes, I am reminded yet again that I am no longer in Mexico. BST is helping a little I guess.

Light at 5.30 when I got home from work. Spring is on its way ✨️

Never not making a sketch book apparently 🤭

Low sun. Epic views. Last weekends residential in Hartington 🥰

I was describing this moment to a lovely arty pal today. It was so still and beautiful, I was so churned up and anxious, and the view and the art and the time spent alone really healed something in me ❤️✨️ there's something so powerful about just doing your own thing, being still and alone, being in nature.

#ulswaterlake #lakedistrict #pleinair #sketching #followyourart

@wentworth_woodhouse in August ✨️ the most colourful borders

2024 was also the year I felt myself leaning into my art again after so long procrastinating about it. I bought myself an iPad in January so I could sketch whenever I wanted, I went to some art groups and felt great community, I found myself working plein air more and more, and I worked really hard to shake off the idea of "perfect" and just get stuck in. Hoping for much more of this in 2025, and hopefully back to workshops in my studio 🙏🏻 can't wait to do it all my way

Mini wedding spam. The most amazing dress made just for me by @susannagreeningdesigns @susie.sgd love you so much. Flowers by me, with ingredients from @wild.in.the.country @the_little_wild_flower and @laurennehopkinsflowers (thank you beautiful growing super star women). And the best MOH you could ever ask for @char_coxx

2024. One of the best yet 🥰 it certainly had its ups and downs, but after some of the hardest years before it, I've worked hard to find all the best things in my life and I've been so lucky to be held up and supported by all the very best people.

I got married to the best human I've ever known.
I fell back in love with flowers and floristry in a way I didn't know was possible. Thank you @laurennehopkinsflowers for giving me that.
I photographed some pretty fantastic people @harryfrost (for @colford.co.uk )
Went to the Lakes for the first time.
Laughed and did art with my very best girls @katieheneghan90
Fell in love with working in the arts again after thinking I could never go back there, turns out having a great boss and being respected and trusted really make all the difference!
Saw some beautiful gardens... maybe not enough, but 2025 can remedy that!
Lots of laughing with gorgeous pals @daisyleeoverton
One hen do. Not enough squares for the other 2 I got to go on, but arm in arm with my other BrideToBe @katieheneghan90 ... so lucky to have shared this year of wedding planning with you...
And same goes for my girl @ameliialucy ❤️ what a spectacular year we've had.

And that's it for my Oscars speech. Maybe a few more wedding photos can make it to the grid now 😅

Happy solstice one and all ✨️ work is all wrapped up for the year for me, and I'm making preparations for our first ever Christmas away 😀 off to North Wales for some rest and relaxation, some pie, lots of cheese and a glass or 3 of wine 🍷 festive wishes to you all

A lovely little flying visit to Knaresborough to visit my wonderful friend this weekend. When we woke up to a complete winter wonderland, we couldn't not go out for a stomp around the snowy town. Such beautiful views... such wet feet! @gina_stockss

A new design - Mr. Robin - inspired by the happy little chappy who always joins me in @chatsworthofficial kitchen garden when I'm sketching. A5 print and greeting card available in my shop - 🔗 in bio

Wreathing time is nearly here for me! I've had a few questions about my wreath classes and orders this year so here's the scoop - I'm not doing any of my own workshops at my studio this year, instead I'm going to be joining @laurennehopkinsflowers for the most festive few weeks. I've been working with Laurenne for over a year now and our forces combined seem to be where my creativity thrives ❤️ I think there are a few spots left on the workshops so check her website out if you want to book. I'm also not taking wreath orders this year (although I might get to make my own for once?!) and I'll be fettling wreaths with the @laurennehopkinsflowers team. Pre-orders are now open on Laurenne's site. My hands will still be wrecked and I'll be exhausted for sure, but I'm really looking forward to doing it all a bit differently this year!

The low sun in the sky at this time of year is just so magical. Cold winter light = dreamy photos! I need to spend some time painting some of my photos I think 🤔 Greenhouses through the seasons do we think?

The first set of card and print orders went out this week - there's nothing quite like getting everything packed up and ready to send! Packaging has always been something I love to overthink, but it's something I enjoy so much. The school-child-in-September in me still longs for all the stationery and accessories! Still time to order yours if you fancy a lovely little illustration to send some festive cheer. I'm also doing my first print run for the little shop section at @laurennehopkinsflowers wreath making workshops which I'll be assisting on on Sundays throughout December (and a few other dates). So whilst I might not be doing my own workshops at my studio this year, I'm still going to be knee deep in wreathing glory with my wonderful pal Laurenne and the team - it's all feeling very festive ☺️

Getting ready for a little folded book making session with one of my best creative gals tomorrow. We're going to be drawing, designing, folding and crafting our books from scratch - I can't wait! Hopefully I can catch some of the process to show you.

OK... here it is. My very much last minute drop of cards and prints for the festive season. All designs are available as cards, nearly all are available as A5 prints and I'm doing a special edition of the wreath one as a square print.
Cards: 5"x 7" greetings card (with kraft envelope) - printed hand finished on 300gsm card £3.50 each (+ p&p)
Prints: A5 Print - Archival Ink Print on Archival Smooth 215gsm Paper - signed £20 each (+ p&p)
Wreath Print: 25cm x 25cm Square Print - Archival Ink Print on Archival Smooth 215gsm Paper - signed £40 each (+ p&p)

More designs are on the website - please order through there. Link 🔗 in bio.

Lead time is 5 working days. Last orders for Christmas - Thursday 12th December.

Yours sincerely, fragile, imposter syndrome ridden Marianne 🫣😂

Went a little quiet and deleted instagram for a bit, spent many happy hours drawing, came up with some stuff... New and completely last minute drop of some Christmassy bits will be on my shop tomorrow 🙈 I like to live life on the edge apparently.

@harryfrost x @colford.co.uk - SUMMER 2024. Earlier this month, I had the incredible pleasure of spending the afternoon with artist Harry Frost for his collaboration with Colford. Harry's work is both simple and impossibly complex, contemporary and modern, whilst feeling classic and nostalgic. The abstract and realism mesh perfectly in his work. We talked about running a creative business and going to art college and our familiar haunts in the Peaks. We also discovered we met the same artist who helped us with our Alevel. Capturing people when they light up in their work is such a magical thing, I hope I get to do it more and more in the coming years. Thank you so much for having me at your studio, Harry, and thank you to the most stylish person I know for trusting me with this (@nathandcole @colford.co.uk)

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Designed by a florist. Refined by an artist. Made for creatives.

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