Class 3 autumn welcome ring

For week three of my class I designed a autumn harvest welcome ring. I took a wet foam wreath ring and pinned leaves around the inside and out,then took a length of the passion flower took of the leaves and wrapped this around the leaves. Filled the inside with tree kinds of rose, Chinese lanterns, heads from the Rebeca and a few small chrysanthemums. I finished it off with the long flower stem of the heucra weaving through the roses.

I made a second ring using Gerbera and carnations and placed a tall glass vase with water and a head from the chines lantern in the middle.

Some of the ladies in the class used stems of corn, pine cones, berries and one lady made hers in the pink shades. This would look good for a Christmas arrangement using winter foliage and flowers.
The class was finished a bit early so I showed the class a quick design using tropical flowers.

wedding fare

On the 5th of October we were invited to put a display on at a wedding fare at a local hotel. It was a lot of work but the people who visited seemed to like what i had done. Its always a worry what to do at these events there is always something you don't do that somebody wants to see. Below are just a few of the things i prepared.

A wrist corsages using Freesia

This was for a table, a glass bowl with a ring of twigs filled with water and the flowers cut short and put through the twigs to rest in the water finished off with two floating candles.

This lovely silver bag would be ideal for the bridesmaid.

This was a rose hand tied bouquet edged in a pearl coller.

This is also for a table decoration, although it is very tall when the guests sit at the table the flowers are above the heads and doesn't stop the view across the table.

A traditional tear drop design

week two of the flower class

The aim of week 2 was to use the natural seed heads and autumn flowers. There were only three large blooms, rich golden chrysanthemum's. I used a brown woven basket with wet foam in a dish. The three blooms went in first the rest of the plant material was things I found on the hedge row, thistle heads, poppy heads, barley, pine needles, conkers, the dry flower of the dock. From the garden hydrangea heads, dry crososmia, heads from the Rebecia. The design was interpreted in different ways by the class the main aim was the bottom to look like the floor of the wood or garden then moving up the design and bear stalks then bushing out at the top.

Week one of my new evening flower class

On the 2nd of October I started my new five week flower arranging course of night classes. There were a few new pupils and some regulars. Its a nice season with plenty of colour, seed heads, grasses and berries. For our first design I chose a brown glass round bowl with a small dish with foam taped to it. To one side there were phonioum leaves some were looped over this gave a clean line. to the other side was some golden privet and a red creeper. I placed some rolled Laurel and large red dyed oak leaves. 5 lovely coloured Gerbra's and 3 two toned roses. It was finished off with some contorted twigs.

Everybody did really well and enjoyed the design, some people added berries and used different colour Gerbra. Having the class in the shop people have a good variety of flowers to choose from

Harvest

Are harvest Sunday was a great day. We worked very hard but had plenty of help.We used to give the produce to the not so fortunate but now one person seems so desperate so now we send the produce to a charity called M25 for the homeless.

This is just some of the food sent from one of the ladies group. Tradition is as we sing the first hymn the congregation bring forward their gifts.

This was our display representing the harvest of the sea.

This one was thanking God for salt and coal from the earth.

For corn, flower and bread.

For the vegetables of the earth.

This milk and honey display is not the usual harvest arrangement but are minister preached on this the week before and we thought it fitting.

This was in the vestibule to great people as they arrived.

After the service we cleared the church and enjoyed a harvest lunch.

The year of the plough

Last Sunday Robert and I went to Epworth to the Year of the plough. We have been in the past with friends and family but we went on our own this year and were fortunate enough to have a lovely sunny day. The first thing to see when you arrive is the marque's with the stalls selling the home made crafts, cakes cards, jewelry, toys, knitted items etc. One of the stalls sold leather belts and dog collars. Robert was impressed with a rather nice studded coller ideal for Tommy our big black dog. He has a coller already but Robert seamed to think he needed one for best when he goes visiting and thought he may like a new one. we didn't want to walk round with it all day so if it was still there on the way home it was meant for us. There was an artist there making glass panels to hang on your windows. they were colourful and the idea is WHEN the sun shines it will reflect in the room I fancied one of these again if they were there on our way out it was meant for us.

As shown in the picture above the next thing we saw was a lady making traditional corn dollies as they are called I would love to have a go given the time, very clever. There were lots of different old plough's from hand driven to horse drawn then on to steam then engine. They were all given an measured area to use there skills of ploughing and prizes were given to the best. We do not know who won they were all winners to me, they take it very seriously and it is very interesting. Robert was helpful telling me about the things he knew and his memories from when he was a lad. The old harvest ma was of great interest it must have been a great wonder in those days. With all our technology nothing surprises us so much any more.

The cut corn goes in at the top corn comes out at the front int sacks (can't see sacks in this photo) Chaff out at side (under the ladder) straw out of the back where its picked up with a pitch fork onto a conveyor belt and is pushed tight into neat bails.

One of the measured area's of ploughed land.

There were lots more besides ploughing, people with ferrets, a large marque with chickens this was for the best of breads, green issue information, recycling bins, Morris men dancing, big brass band, the beer tent, lots of burger vans, ice cream, vintage cars and moter bikes, raffles and try to knock tins off a stand with bean bags stalls. There were donkey rides and Robert was going to take a photo of them but in this sad time we live in was afraid he would be in trouble for taking a photo of children having fun. There was also a large crowd around the puppet show as you will see in the photo above, I'm not sure all the people knew it was a Christian group but what a way to witness. They used popular songs changing the words to tell of Jesus love for us and what a friend we have in him. I hope or should I say pray it touched someones heart

There saw also a small fun fair this old merry go round was most popular. There was hook a duck Robert wouldn't let me have a go on it, and small rides for the children. There were a lot of people with their dogs, all very well behaved Tommy would have loved it we will have to take him next year. We had Cornish pasties for lunch sitting on the bank soaking up the sun for half an hour. As we headed back to the car we called in the model marque. Miniature fair grounds, farms, stalls with old tea tins, tools, sheep sheering equipment anything to do with farming. We went back to the leather stall and there was one or two collars left so after phoning Fallon for the size of Toms old coller we got him one and what a handsome dog he looks in it he will be the talk of all the local dogs. I got my glass hanger for my window but resisted the cake stall who had a few cakes left. It was a great day and one spent with Robert again lovely.

Some of the crowd watching the Morris men

Harlow Carr with friends

On Monday the 15th some Friends Lynda, Jenny, Val and I took a trip to the RHS gardens at Harlow Car in Harogate Yorkshire. Robert and had been a few weeks earlier and When I was talking about it to Jenny we agreed it would be nice to go before the summer flowers were gone. We decided to take a picnic but would get a drink there. It was quite a chilly day and when I went to get our picnic from the car at lunch time I put my coat on, I though it would have warmed up the sun was trying desperately to get through the clouds but they were to thick, but no rain. We had a lovely day took our time chatting, looking at all the plants trying to name them before we looked at the labels. Jenny puts me to shame she knows all the names of the plants. She has done a lot of flower decorations and makes some lovely displays in church. We discussed the forth coming harvest on the 28th September and we are having a bit of a change this year so watch this space and I will publish some photo's.

This part of the Victorian garden was the children's garden. the edges of the boarders were lined with scallops shells, I had not noticed this before when I was with Robert.

Lynda grows some fabulous Cosmos and when we got to the scented garden she just loved the chocolate cosmos and wants to have a go at growing it next year. All round the gardens we kept seeing a lovely little climber, was it a clematis or a vine. We had to ask it got the better of us. It turned out to be a Chinese purple bell vine (Rhodochiton). Half hardy annual. We found a packet of seed it in the shop and Val said she would buy it and Robert is to grow the seed and give us all a few, there is only ten seed so we hope they all germinate, no presser there Robert. Time flew and before we new it it was past 4o'clock. The garden shop had started to put out the Christmas decorations out to early but couldn't help having a look. At my shop things have started to arrive for Christmas, I'm trying to fine space for it all. We all agreed it was a great day out and said it would be good to go again in the spring to see the flowering bulbs.