Gypsy caravan photoshoot...

I am very excited to finally share with you some of the photos from my 70s inspired photoshoot with the great Sophie Booth Photography! Enjoy...

Inspiration....

Recently I had to write a short blurb about myself for work & I've been trying to put pen to paper about what I find inspiring... There's sooo much it's always pretty tricky to confine yourself to just a few things but here's what I'm currently enjoying...

I've fallen in love with these beautiful images by The Blue Carrot Florist. The colour combinations are just breath taking & I only hope I create something as beautiful as these one day! For further information on her work please check out the website here.

I'm a big big fan of Rob Ryan's intricate paper cuts - they're incredibly beautiful & romantic. Here's a couple of my favourites...

This next one I have in red on my wall at home & spend much time gazing at! 

I just love Liberty prints - they have such a playfullness to them!

I was talking with a friend the other day about how songs can inspire ideas, moods & feelings & it started me thinking about what songs inspired my floristry & this instantly came to mind! It's long been one of my favourites & although the words aren't remotely abut flowers it just makes me think of the outdoors, warmth & rustic beauty...

A sneak peek...

Yesterday was spent doing a very exciting photoshoot involving a beautiful gypsy caravan! - Here's a very sneak preview...

I was left with quite an abundance of flowers from the shoot so I have taken over the lovely shop window of Make, Do & Mend with a bit of floral goodness! - just in time for the sunshine!

Workshop time...

Today I did my first vintage teacup workshop at Make, Do & Mend! It was lots of fun & the ladies created some beautiful arrangements! Here are a few snaps...

My next workshop is Corsage Making & I literally can't wait! 

orange & pink...

 Orange & pink has always been one of my favourite colour combinations - it's just so fun & cheerful & definitely has a 1960s/70s vibe to it! Lately, I've been working with these little beauties...

Words cannot quite explain how beautiful these roses were & the more they opened out the more beautiful they became! The dark pink spray roses were lovely too - they were almost like miniature peonies & had a fantastic scent.

This arrangement was a ramshackle mix of roses, astrantia, wax flower, craspedia (the bright yellow balls!), solidago, eryngium,  gypsophilia & wax flower. 

I would love the make a flat back bouquet using all these materials - would be great for a summer time wedding.

I really badly want to have a go at using Icelandic Poppies in some arrangements this year. They are not known for their longevity but when something is as beautiful as these then who cares if they don't last the whole week?

Image take from pinterest!

Spring is just around the corner...

 I know it completely doesn't feel like it - but spring is on it's merry way! Just in time too - I'm not really a summery person (am much more at home in the cosy autumn wearing layers & scarves) but I definitely need a little sunshine! Anyway, I've been noticing lots of signs of spring over the last few days including some extremely pretty snowdrops just outside my front door! - I love snow drops there's something very innocent & unassuming looking about them - making them all the more beautiful! This week I have made this spring inspired funeral tribute. 

I made this wreath using tulips, lisianthus, alstroemeria, astrantia, wax flower, eryngium & a mixture of seasonal foliage. The wreath seemed to work well with the table cloth I was constructing it on! 

It's a shame my photography skills are so poor because the tulips I used were amazing! They are appropriately named  'lingerie' because of their delicate frilly edge. Here's a better picture of what they look like! - Aren't they beautiful?

In sympathy...

It's always a little sad when I get asked to make funeral tributes but there's something quite nice about getting the chance to create something really beautiful & appropriate for that person. - I guess that that is partly why I love flowers, they can convey & evoke such a lot of emotion.

I have to say that I find the more traditional funeral tributes deeply uninspiring - there's something about  white chrysanthemum basing & tacky plastic ribbon that I just find very depressing & personally, just make the whole sombre affair of a funeral all the more negative. Therefore,  I always aim for my funeral tributes to look natural, understated & to convey a real feeling of peace, serenity & hope.

This is a simple tied shief - definitely my preferred choice of funeral tribute. I love the 'just picked' look of it & the white, yellow, blue colour scheme has a real springtime optimism to it.  This arrangement includes eucalyptus, wax flower, roses, gysophilia & eryngium. 

I was asked to make this cross tribute using the beautiful Lily-of-the-Valley because it had been in the gentleman's wife's bouquet at their wedding. At first I was really surprised that they wanted strictly just Lily-of-the-Valley & foliage but after construction, I could see that actually the simplicity really works. I just love the delicacy of the Lily-of-the-Valley against the meadow of green foliage. 

I always find the wreath to be a very satisfying & easthetically pleasing design. I wanted to make this really fresh & rustic looking. It contains, wax flower, white roses, gysophilia, white ranunculas, erngium & a whole mixture of different seasonal foliages. 

This is a tear drop design containing Irises, red roses, eryngium, eucalyptus, alstroemeria & gysophilia, it's a little brighter than my other designs mainly due to the variegated leaves but still has a relaxed rustic feel to it.