Floral Friday 3.

In this weeks installment of Floral Friday I will be showing you how to use florists foam.
Readily available from florist suppliers and craft shops, this soft, crumbly foam comes in blocks you can cut easily with a knife.
To begin, cut a piece of foam to size and sit in a container of water to soak. the foam will act as a wick and keep your stems moist. Pop it into your container and top up with water.

 

I cut the flowers to short lengths using scissors and, beginning in the center of the foam, pushed the stem of the flower into the foam.

Working downwards in a circle I continued to push the flowers into the foam building a dome shape.

 

This type off arrangement looks great in multiples or I pushed a cute birthday candle into the foam to make a sweet table centerpiece for a birthday. 

I hope you have enjoyed this little series as much as I have, I'm now hooked on flowers and plan to have them on my desk in the shop all winter long.
X Steph

Floral Friday 2.

Ok, so I know it's no longer Friday but I haven't quite got the hang of scheduling posts yet!
 Following on from last weeks Floral Friday I will be showing you how to use readily available blooms to produce on-trend floral displays giving you some hints and tips along the way.

This weeks design trend is SUCCULENTS.
Succulents are popping up everywhere in garden and floral design, from informal centerpieces to bridal bouquets.

Alongside the blooms and foliage I used last week I also cut some succulents from my little garden to make this cute, textural display

A handy little trick to keeping strong forms within small arrangements is to make little posies, tying them in place them with string or ribbon. By allowing these little bows to show you can also add interest and texture to your arrangements.

  

 I used jute twine to secure the succulents, and using short stems of flowers I made a 'dome' shape which I also tied. Pop these little arrangements into your vase or jar ( I used a sweet little milk jug) and make sure there are no spaces. A snugly packed arrangement will draw attention to the forms you have created rather than the spaces between them, in the same manner keeping to a simple mono-chromatic palette (in this case shades of green) will highlight shape over colour.

 Finish the arrangement with a little bow of ornamental grass around the vessel.
With smaller arrangements you will need to top the water up more frequently, so keep an eye on your display and you can enjoy it for at least a week. Once the other blooms fade you can pop the succulents in well drained soil and they will grow for future arrangements!
X Steph

Flower love.

I adore flowers. As well as enjoying nurturing our pretty garden here at Red Brick I love having fresh flowers in the gallery so you can imagine how delighted I was when a talented lady we know asked if she could provide a floral display for us!
Rachael is an accomplished artist who as well as exhibiting has made a beautiful picture book. Recently Rachael began working at a local florist and has fallen in love with flora... I, in turn, have fallen in love with her floral creations which, just like her drawing style are beautifully classic and elegantly simple.

 Over cups of tea and candle-light (very romantic I know!) Rachel and I had a really fun consultation session where we discussed colours, textures and light. Knowing our passion for window displays Rachael suggested building a window installation.

Taking the brief of  'feminine, ephemeral and un-fussy' I couldn't be happier with how well Rachel used simple elements to create strong shapes alongside pretty blooms and textures.

 I LOVE what she created for us! Rachael is working at Stems florist in Ballarat... tell her we said hi!