Since 2019, Nell Stritch has been a pioneer in Limerick’s artistic community. Drawing inspiration from her grandmother, Nancy Lawless, and her delicate tradition of pressed flower preservation, the 28-year-old Clonlara native has turned her intricate family pastime into a booming local enterprise.
Her business, Pressed Flowers by Nell, can be found on Limerick’s Roches Street. Inside, ornate framed artwork lines the walls, crafted entirely with preserved petals from customers’ bouquets, as well as blooms harvested from Nell’s own garden. The studio resembles a gallery of lived moments, with each piece having its own story.
After five years spent working as a florist, she decided to take a leap of faith and become an entrepreneur. Nell jokingly credits her career kick start to her first clients, members of the renowned band, Hermitage Green: “It all snowballed from there, back then I was solely doing the pressed wedding bouquets.”
What began as a small-scale service has since grown into an internationally recognised practice. Today, brides from across the globe carefully ship their wedding bouquets to her Roches Street studio in Limerick’s city centre, trusting her to preserve one of the most sentimental symbols of their day. Each arrangement is painstakingly pressed, composed and framed, all by hand.
For Nell, this path never felt forced: “I was always fascinated by how flowers mark all of life’s biggest milestones, whether it be weddings, funerals, birth, loss, or celebration – yet they disappear so quickly.
“I wanted to turn those fleeting moments into something that lasts, something meaningful.”
Fast forward to 2025, she has earned national acclaim, including being named Limerick’s Creative Businesswoman of the Year, alongside Wedding Artist of the Year in 2023.
But awards are small contributions to the success, as her passion for repurposing radiates through every art piece created.
Sustainability sits at the heart of Pressed Flowers by Nell. From bookmarks to notebooks, many of the handcrafted products are made using recycled coffee cups and pizza boxes, an innovative approach that earned her the Local Enterprise Award for Sustainability.
Her dedication to the environment is evident through what inspires her creations as she explains, “Nature is a constant source of inspiration for me, but so are real life moments that feel emotional and personal.
Love in all its forms comes up again and again in my work. I often work intuitively, allowing the materials themselves to guide the final result.”
Her vibrant compositions rely solely on traditional pressing techniques rather than artificial dyes or colourings. Using MDF boards, nuts and bolts, cardboard and blotting paper, Nell prioritises a slow and careful craft ship.
“The mistake people are making at home is that they’re putting it into a book or a flower press and they’re forgetting about it for a year. What you need to do is check and open the flower press every single day for the first month,” she explains.
“Depending on the flower it could be in there for up to nine or ten weeks.”
Though many strive to separate work from life, Nell sees no need: “I think people have a bad association with not being able to switch off. I know it’s my job, but I’m obsessed with it. I’ve really dedicated my whole life to it so far.”
From humble early beginnings to a thriving livelihood, Nell has been fortunate to expand her team, now made up of all-women, including her mother, Helen. The success does not stop there, as her pieces now sell out the shelves of renowned Irish department stores.
Her best selling piece ‘Love in Flight’ was created for Arnotts when she began trading with the store during the Christmas 2023 period. “Every piece has a little story behind it, that one is particularly special because it reminds me of the little robin that would visit my door and remind me of loved ones that had passed on.
“On certain days when he wouldn’t appear I’d be wondering where he is, so I thought to myself why not make one to last forever.”
Most recently, her latest collection is available on Limerick’s Brown Thomas on level two. Showcasing the perfect piece for those with new arrivals, ‘Little One’ is available both in store and online.
Grounded in place and purpose, Nell remains proud of her roots,“Building a business in my home city gives my work a deeper meaning. Limerick is such an empowering place to run a business, especially surrounded by so many other female led and creative businesses.”
“It is a city that champions its creatives, and that support has given me the confidence to take risks and grow the business year after year. As I often say, they wrapped their arms around me from the start.”