The start of my 8 week flower class, week one and two.

Last September started a ten week flower arranging course in the shop. After the days trading i cleared the shop to make space for three trestle tables and a number of chairs, these are borrowed from the local council buildings. It was a great success and there was a good variety of designs and as it was near Christmas the last few weeks were spent on Xmas designs. My plan was to start another course in January but with Valentine day and mothers day then Easter so close we have only just started three weeks ago. The above photo is the design for the first week. My aim was to use tulips before the are out of season, and this week at market there wasn't the variety there has been. They are available later as they grow them in sand but they then become expensive. Tulips after cutting are the one flower that keep on growing and when i designed the arrangement the tulips were to fall downwards but by the morning the were all facing upwards but it just changed the arrangement and still looked ok. The phormium leaf was manipulated and shaped into a fan this proved to be rather hard for some of the Lady's but every one managed it in the end.

This was the second weeks design. The container was a short stone like pot and on top of this we made out of bio degradable wire lined it moss shaped it to a circle and placed it on the pot, wet oasis in the bottom and twigs and contorted willow was added. I washed the soil off some daffodils and Hyacinth's bulbs added them to the design and some irises. Finished it of with ivy, natural rope and lichen. It was an unusual arrangement but the class enjoyed the challenge and it was something different.

Future concepts workshop 20th April 08

A few years ago i joined a flower club in oxton called future concepts. Its a contemporary design club and we meet five or six times a year. Its usually a work shop for the weekend but i have to go on Sundays as i work on Saturdays. This year we are celebrating our tenth anniversary. To help celebrate we have booked the town hall in Burton on Trent and have invited life 3 three wonder full floral performers. Per Benjamin (Sweden), Max van de Sluis (The Netherlands) and Tomas De Buryne (Belgium). This all takes place on Sunday 6th July something to look forward to. We met last Sunday for a workshop our tuter was Sarah Horne. Sarah has been a florist for many years and has a thriving shop in Lemington she was a very good teacher. We made the basket from a new bio-degradable wire mesh, lined it with moss and i dressed mine with lichen twigs and catkins etc. I used pink Gerber's, Hellebore's from the gardens, daffs, ivy and two orchids. topped it off with a few bleached twigs and a lovely twisted thin branch as if it was a handle. There are over 20 people in the class and it always amazes me how we all come up with so many different designs, The two people in the photo Julie and Jackie are my Friends from when we were at collage, they live near Birmingham the opposite way to me so we don't get together often so its good to catch up when we meet. Over the years we have had some great demonstrators and workshops, its a great way of keeping in touch with new trends and techniques. there isn't another workshop until September so ill have to get my fix from another sauce until then.

Jackie's design
Julie's design

Yorkshire sculpture park

last year i found my self with a free day so decided to go to the Yorkshire sculpture park near Wakefield In particular wanted to see the exhibition by British born Andy Goldsworthy a land artist. As part of the flower arranging course we studied land art and as part of our last year studies we had to construct a piece in the grounds of the collage. I enjoyed this very much and the whole class did some amazing work. Some of the sculptures in the park have been there for many years with exhibits from Henry Moor and Babarbra Hepworth. Goldsworthy uses natural materials wood, stones, leaves water, ice and clay. He has many books and there are a number of interesting web sites. Just type in Andy Goldsworthy there are video's and his many designs on the sites. This sculpture is called hanging trees, there are three all linked together and is a permanent sculpture in the park.

All over for another year

I just don't know where March has gone. One minuet it was Valentines day then Mothering Sunday then our holiday to Malta. I never even had a chance to take photos of all the lovely arrangements i made for mothers day. It was really busy in the shop we worked some days 16 hours but its over for another year. Easter isn't usually very busy people tend to buy small posy's of spring flowers. This year we sent for some wonderful Narcissus from the Isle of Silly their perfume fills the whole shop they are so delicate, we had four different types they look good just put in a crock jug.

Just before all the busy times at the shop started our family was blest with a beautiful baby girl, Hannah. she is the daughter of my sisters daughter Nikki, my niece (and Goddaughter). This picture is of her only two weeks old. They live about 70 miles away and iv not seen her since the beginning of February but I'm pleased to say they are coming to see us 5th April. One of the reasons they are coming for the weekend is Fallon our daughter gave me two tickets to go to see Torval and Dean ice skaters in Sheffield for Mothers day, so my sister is going with me. I have followed the skaters from the 80s when they won the Olympics and world champions. They have been on the TV for a few weeks and are just as good if not better. I'm looking forward to the weekend. It would be nice if the weather would warm up. Its been so cold and we have had more snow now than in the depths of winter. After being in Malta in warm weather its been hard to get back in warmer clothes and boots instead of sandals.

The cross stitch below is what i made for Hannah as a keepsake, i put it in a frame and gave it to her mum and dad after she was born. I enjoy sewing and in the past have done many projects but of late have not been very productive. the cross stitch below of the farm scene took me two years and i finally got it framed late last year. Not long ago i made curtains for my new bedroom. it saves a small fortune if you can make things your self and there is a great satisfaction when you've achieved something.

I'm dreading 14th February

Christmas seams a long time ago and the shop where i work has just got back to normal (if its ever normal) when St Valentines day is nearly upon us, I'm dreading it. It was so busy last year it made me ill. No matter how you try to prepare there is always the last minuet shoppers, and its hard to know just how much to order, you don't want to run out but on the other hand you don't want loads left over. After Valentines day its only two weeks to mothers day which is just as busy. All the prices of the flowers double in price if not more, customers think its us cashing in but the flowers come from the auction houses in Holland and the price is determined there.This is also the time of year when couples think about their weddings and come to book their flowers, we have had a lot just lately. most people know what they want but i enjoy telling them whats available and giving them some different ideas. We have had some wonderful news in the family this week, my niece who is also my Goddaughter has had a baby girl the first baby in the family for 19 years. I'm going to wait for a week or so before I go down to see her to let her settle in as a new mother but I'm busting to see her. Iv seen some photos sent to my e-mail, her only being a few hours old isn't amazing what you can do nowadays.

This was a bouquet for a September bride using a hay base.

s.

This style is popular at the moment Calla lilies with steel grass with pearls threaded on the grass. You hold it across the arm

On the London eye

In May of 07 my sister Julie and I went to the Chelsea flower show. One of the main events of the year, anybody who is any body can say they have come of age in their profession once they exhibited here. Ticket are like gold first come etc. They have what is called members days for the fist two days. A member being part of the Royal Horticultural Society, any can be part of this providing you pay the yearly subscription. It gets you into gardens around the country for free and an interesting magazine monthly. We could only get tickets for the second day and not until 3o'clock in the afternoon, but as it turned out this was a good time as it was one of the hottest days of the year and people had started to leave what is usually a very crowded place. We stayed until closing time 8o'clock by then it was cooler and empty. We got to see some of the exhibitors watering and touching up there plants I can say it was one of the best days of o7.With the morning free we got there early and did some sight seeing its years since i visited our capital. The photo is my sister and I on the London eye. I was petrified i couldn't stand up but managed to open my eyes after we got going. there is a big bench in the middle of the pod so when we got to the top i just swiveled round to face the front back down the other side. Despite being scared it was great the view was amazing, its also whilst we were in the Que that Julie's husband phoned to tell her the good news about Nikki their daughter being pregnant. Not that very hour we had been discussing that it would probably be a long time before we were likely to become grandparents.

Here are a few photos from the eye and some of the gardens at the show.

Christmas in church

Hi all, it's about time i sent you some photos of some of the work i'v been doing. Robert as you may know got me this laptop for christmas so in about six months time when i'v mastered it by myself there will be no stopping me sending all sorts of stuff. Robert by the way is Bob to you but i'v never called him Bob he's a Robert to me. The photo is one of four wall displays we did in church for Christmas. there was a kings theme useing the coulours purple, silver and gold, each one representing something to do with the kings. this one was the crown. its actully a Mc Donalds childs crown with stick on bits. We have a big tree at the front of the church but i also did my interperation of a tree, with a metal stand which holds four rings at different sizes going from large at the bottom to the small one at the top giving it a tree shape. On xmas eve with the lights down low the church looked lovely.

Bakewell Show '07.

Here are Vicki's entries for Bakewell Show in 2007. In the first picture you will see what she did with the Chair David made for her. It couldn't really be used as a chair, its just what they call the mechanics of the arrangement.

This is in the style of a handbag or purse if you're from the USA. Its made from different plant material.

This arrangement was a suspended exhibit, if you look closely you can see the wires. The title for this class being Swingtime.