Simple vases

Working on some ideas for my next workshop. I'm thinking up ways to reuse, recycle, and revamp everyday containers - lots of inspiration to be found on Pinterest. These cherries picked here, here and here 

Love the tin cans, they're great planted or with fresh flowers, plus there's so many ways you could trim them to make them your own. And the lightbulbs are genius. They'd be really pretty hanging from branches for Christmas, with maybe some glitter in the water for added sparkle.  

Fabric wrappings are a simple way to bring extra colour, texture and pattern to your table too. Experiment with offcuts from craft projects for a double dose of recycling - perhaps gingham, stripes or lace.     

Introducing...Cherry Brandy

Need something to warm your cockles on a blustery Autumn day? Well just feast your eyes on these beauties.

This fabulous rose is Cherry Brandy - gorgeously spicy and vibrant, its perfect for autumn and looks fab with rustic earthy tones, rich reds, browns, or more vibrant limey greens and citrusy shades.

If you're looking for flowers to compliment a mocha or chocolate brown theme for your wedding, these would work really well.

I wouldn't be averse to using them as a contrast to some of the shades of purple and plum that are around either. Just imagine how they'd zing out against aubergine bridesmaid's dresses. Scrummy.

A little bird..

A lonely old beaten-up chair, found abandoned and unloved in an empty echoey location house. But on closer inspection a beautiful bird rests softly on his arm, a charming companion in a draughty old space.

The Dormy House

 I was chuffed to be asked back as part of the lovely Dormy House team for their annual catalogue shoot. Its a real family affair - the whole Trinder clan get involved which just adds to the atmosphere on set.
(A little out of my comfort zone, but I am feeling the plush turquoise crushed velvety loveliness of this upholstery - very bling, bling. Check out the matching buttons on the headboard below too - yum!)

Aswell as prepping room sets, I was on hand as ever to help with the flowers and even whipped up a little fruity wreath with some fallen crab apples and forraged ivy for the Christmas kitchen shot.

(Photo by Darren Cheung)

You can see the finished product as the catalogue is out now

Vintage Blooms & Buttonholes

Back in September I was asked to take my skills on the road, and invited to host a floristry workshop at a Birthday party in Islington. I'm always happy to share my love of all things floral, and set about gathering some beautiful dusky pink Roses, interesting foliage and hydrangea in muted antique tones to complement the vintage theme of the workshop.

 I started off with a demonstration of some of the basic techniques to make a buttonhole or corsage, and the girls got cracking with wiring and taping flowers and foliage to create their own unique buttonhole.

Then we moved on to making small grouped handties or posies, the type of thing they would be able to make from a few salvaged blooms, or cuttings from the garden. I'd asked the group to bring along a small container like a jam jar, a quirky vintage find like a teapot or china cup to display their posy in.

Delving into buckets of waxflower, hydrangea, thistle, snowberries, lisianthus, and cool water roses, the girls rustled up an array of pretty little posies. The workshop was a great success and got the Birthday girl's afternoon of treats off to a great start. Here she is below in an action shot making her own posy.    

If you'd like to arrange a workshop, or to discuss the different options please drop me a line to blueskiesandbunting@gmail.com. 

Tea Party Tips

Along with village fetes, and barn dances, tea parties are inspiring brides-to-be looking for a quirky, laid back feel for their big day.

Via VintageChinaParlour
As a nation of tea drinkers, we Brits love a good excuse to get out a teapot and some pretty china and enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake. There's something very cosy and nostalgic about holding a tea party or attending a village fete, something that feels right for a special afternoon with family and friends.

There are lots of different ways you could incorporate a tea party theme into your wedding reception.

You could have afternoon tea instead of a sit down dinner, with fingers sandwiches of cucumber, smoked salmon, egg and cress, home made cakes and pots of steaming tea to sup and share.

(via tumblr - sorry not sure who's it is, let me know if you do)

Like your vintage? Who doesn't want an excuse to dress up flapper style? Then why not have a Twenties/ Thirties prohibition style party, and serve cocktails from tea cups - mine's a GandT. Check out this Twenties themed Wedding shot by Rosie Parsons (via ruffledblog)

Plants are a great fuss free option for a decorative touch and look great planted in tea cups - try using pansies or succulents.via elizabeth ann designs

Use cups and teapots to decorate the venue, mix and match crockery along long trestle tables, or have groups or a single pot on round tables.Ask your florist for their advice, as there are infinite ways you could adapt this to work with your theme.Via Pinterest - thebridescafe)

There's a glut of companies now hiring vintage china tea sets, and props from bunting, books, to suitcases and hay bales. Vintage China Parlour is one such company that I've just discovered.  They are able to provide lovely vintage tea sets and all the accoutrements necessary to make your afternoon tea party go with a swing.  As well as vintage they have chintzy Burleigh and more contemporary Emma Bridgewater designs in their collections. Follow the link for more details.

Tea cups and tea pots make really pretty centrepieces. I think they work especially well with wild country blooms, but they would look great with funky brights, like Gerbera, Dahlia and Anthuriums.

If you're going to have a go at arranging your own flowers, try not to obscure the handle or spout otherwise you lose the shape of the tea pot and then you might as well just use a vase...You could go wider and wilder, always my tendance, but I especially wanted the teapot to be visible for these shots.
Here I took my lead from the colour of the pots and used blues and pinks for this funky navy teapot.

Also think about the proportions - of the arrangement to the tea pot, and the flowers that you're using.  Using larger/heavier flowers and foliage lower down and smaller light flowers for adding height and span keeps a good balance to the finished arrangement.

I hope I've given you a few ideas and handy hints for your own tea party. All this talk of tea is making me seriously parched, only thing to do is decide which lovely brew to have Earl Grey, Assam or Oolong? 

Village Fete - Wedding Flowers Ctd

Back in May, I posted about this Village Fete themed wedding. I had taken a few snaps, but they really didn't do the day justice.  After a word in the shell like of decent chap and Brighton based Wedding Photographer Simon Fazackarly, now I too can say I do (I do have some decent photos that is!)

Bride Charlie had set me a challenge with the colours as the Bridesmaids dresses were a tricky coral pink, but pale pinks and cerises were also mixed through other details and decorations in the wedding. 

Avoiding blue toned pinks I sourced the most perfect sherbert pink rose called Miss Piggy to use in the Bride's bouquet, with Hydrangea, Sweet Avalanche, Bouvardia, Ranunculus and Astrantia. 

I used Sweet Avalanche, Hydrangea, Ranunculus and Astrantia in the Bridesmaids, and the Groom wore a Sweet Avalanche buttonhole which worked really well with his bespoke brown suit. 

Flowers were dotted around the venue in jam jars, and the tables were set with a trio of jars, with single colour country style flowers that looked like the could have been picked fresh from the garden. They weren't but a large helping of foliage and herbs from my uncle's garden didn't go amiss.

Friends and family all played their part on the day - The Groom's mother made reams of bunting to string up around the venue, The Bride's brother made a cake stand and seaside stocks, of the fat lady skinny man variety except that this was a bride and groom in a car, and friends and family brought along home made cake, and cup cakes. How great do these french fancies look?

I was lucky enough to be seated next to Simon during dinner (Simon had got on so well with the couple that they invited him to join them for the meal), and after nattering about weddings and blogs, I managed to collar him into taking a few shots of the bouquets.

At some point in the afternoon Simon snuck off with the Happy couple to this sweet little wooded area on the grounds of the village hall. Aren't these shots beautiful?  The couple look gorgeous, so happy, in love and relaxed. Working with a photographer who gets you and understands what you're looking for is really important.  I think you'll agree that Simon captured some special moments, that I'm sure James and Charlie will treasure for ever.