Friday Flowers

Red Tulips this week but still with Christmas in the background.........did you have a lovely Christmas? Mine was relaxed with family and much too much to eat, I've barely managed to drag my flabby body to the computer..... but never mind I can make New Year's Resolutions next week....you know the usual, lose weight, get fit, I wonder how long I'll keep them up in 2013?

I can hardly believe it's going to be 2013, it was only the Millenium last week wasn't it? Is it just me, or the older one gets the faster time whizzes past.......a very cruel joke as far as I'm concerned.....so much to do and it seems so little time!

So I'm going to wish you all a very Happy New Year, may 2013 bring you your heart's desire and be a year to remember, and until then have a wonderful weekend.

Georgie
xx

Happy Christmas



It's Christmas Eve, I've finished decorating, just a last minute bit of shopping, hoovering and my favourite job of all .......two bathrooms to clean!!

 

I ummed and ahhed whether to have a real tree this year. but the problem is space and my artificial tree is narrow and doesn't take up too much room........but I wanted the look and smell of real spruce.

 







And so the Hybrid Tree was born!! I bought two big bunches of spruce, and wired pieces onto the branches of the artificial tree. It worked suprisingly well and now decorated with vintage family decorations, and some new stripey ones to match the new Christmas cushions I think it looks pretty good!



 

 

I trimmed the fireplace with greenery, candles in vases and a sprinkling of lights.

 

 

I've been wanting to decorate our living room, but it has such high walls and ceiling that I can't reach even on top of our tallest ladders....time to call in the professionals with a tower,first on my New Years list of things to do.

 

But in the meantime I painted the fireplace white and with some trepidation the brown quarry tiles on the hearth. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, a mixture of French Linen and Pure White which more or less matched the carpet. Two coats later and then two coats of wax, I'm really pleased with the result. We'll see how well it wears, I know it takes about 30 days to really harden up and I've put little felt pads on the bottom of everything to stop them scratching the surface.

 

 

 

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Feliz Navidad, Joyeaux Noel and a wonderful time with friends and family.

 

I'll see you on Friday.

 

Georgie

xx

 







Friday Flowers

It's beginning to feel a bit Christmassy here, I've almost finished trimming the tree....we've got a hybrid tree this year!! I'll explain when I show you the photos in a couple of days.
In the meantime here are some pastel Christmas flowers, I thought they made a pretty alternative to the usual red, white and green.



Did you know it's the shortest day today! I'm delighted because it means that it will very gradually start getting lighter in the afternoon.........and very soon it will be Spring........hurrah!!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.......only four more days till Christmas!
Georgie

Friday Flowers

Roses, that's all, just a huge bunch of pink roses!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Georgie

Friday Flowers

When the light allows, I've been tablescaping! I've been having a lovely time taking photographs of table settings with flowers to give a sense of time and place.

So here we have tea time before Christmas!

This was inspired by the jolly china, a supermarket find, it seemed suitably christmassy and although alstromerias and especially spray carnations are the very last flowers I would usually buy there wasn't a lot else on offer at my local supermarket........forgive me Julienne it was a Monday! But actually I think their colours worked really well.

The little evergreen tree in the background is my first piece of christmas decorating, the gingerbread stars are waiting for their red and white twine so that they are ready to hang on the big tree.....trouble is I keep eating them!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend, I'm trying to decide whether to get the fake tree out of the loft or go and get a real one......decisions decisions!!

Georgie

Friday Flowers

Well here it is..... my christmas wreath complete with hyacinths! I shall be interested to see how it looks when they flower, hopefully in time for Christmas.....I'll keep you posted.

We all had a fabulous time at the Martin and the Magpie Christmas workshop, the interior of the shop is inspiration enough but then Martin showed us the basics of wreath making on a wire frame, a table centrepiece with candle ( I'm definately going to make one of these) and a swag for the mantlepiece or stairs based on a length of rope!

We were then encouraged to have a go ourselves.....it was so lovely having huge amounts of greenery to play with, and to use anything we wanted, hence the hyacinths and dried hydrangeas. As you can see we were all concentrating like mad and everyone went home with something unique and fabulous.

Thank you Martin and Kay for a lovely morning, can you book my place for next year?

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend
Georgie

Friday Flowers and Cutlery

Lately whilst treasure seeking at Antique Fairs and Fleamarkets I've been attracted to those stalls selling antique and vintage cutlery. I always make a bee line to the boxes with single items......no boxed matching sets for me! I like to buy a single set of knife, fork and spoon though knives are hardest to match often with bone handles, and all are EPNS or silver plated and have a nicely tarnished patina......and no I don't intend to do lots of silver polishing!

But it's all the different styles, shapes and sizes that are so interesting, the Victorian and Edwardian households must have had mountains of cutlery. There was what we are used to today, knife, fork, spoon and perhaps a soup spoon, but when did you last use a fish knife and fork (except in a restaurant) ? There are sardine knives and forks (the same as a fish set but smaller) and special serving implements that go with them, dessert knives, forks and spoons, fancy cake servers, spoons for pickles,jams, mustard and sugar, the list is endless. And no Stainless Steel, no wonder they needed servants if only to keep all the cutlery polished!

And because it's Friday Flowers I wanted to share this beautiful rose, It's name is Piano and it has the faintest most lovely scent.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend......Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating. I'm off to a Christmas floristry course on Sunday at Martin and the Magpie in Hungerford, there may be a wreath or perhaps a table arrangement to show you next week........wonder if I can incorporate some cutlery?

Georgie

Friday Flowers

It's blue and white time again!

I love blue and white china, and have a small collection that I added to at my local fleamarket last Tuesday. I had already bought some prepared hyacinth bulbs and was looking for some suitable containers.

I came up trumps at one stall, I was delighted with the bowl for £1.00 only to be told it came with two saucers and a plate for the same price.....result!
The gorgeous mug that has a chip that only I can see was £2.00, and my lovely friend Michelle lent me her favourite jug knowing that I wanted blue and white china for some photographs. Thanks Michelle.
I'll let you in to a secret......the check fabric is tea towels, £2.99 for 3, and the beautiful wallpaper, a sheet of wrapping paper......and they say the camera never lies!

I've more bulbs to plant over the next few days, hopefully they'll be in bloom for Christmas if not they are something to look forward to at the beginning of 2013........doesn't time fly?

Have a great weekend......I'm off to London for lunch with "The Girls" on Saturday......Covent Garden here we come!

Georgie

Friday Flowers.......Easter in November!

No you are not going mad! Yes they are Easter eggs and spring flowers and we haven't even had Christmas yet.
Such is the life of someone who is trying to be a professional photographer. Magazines work a long time in advance and what they are looking for at the moment is Spring, hence it is Easter in my house at the moment. Not that I'm complaining........there is chocolate!!

Normal seasons will be resumed as soon as possible.

Have a lovely weekend

Georgie

Friday Flowers

For someone who doesn't like Halloween, I seem to like taking photographs of Pumpkins and ornamental squash! These were amazing, I love their stripes and lumps and bumps.

And in case you are wondering where the flowers are, it being Friday Flowers......those little spiky balls are Ivy flowers in bud.

And in the picture below Heleniums are nestled between the Squash.

I hope you all had a scary Halloween, and those of you in America weren't badly affected by Hurricane Sandy and are safe and sound and even managed a bit of trick or treating!

Have a lovely weekend

Georgie

Friday Flowers and Pumpkins

As a nod to Halloween I've been having loads of fun photographing pumpkins........not the usual orange kind but small white pumpkins, pretty when arranged with dried Hydrangea flowers and birch bark.

Or for a different look, zinc containers, Snowberries and Senecio.

Hope you have a Happy Halloween next week. I'll be hiding until it's over........I'm a scaredy cat!!

Before then have a great weekend.
Georgie

Friday Flowers

I had a lovely day last Saturday at a photography workshop at Whichford Pottery, take a look at their website to see their wonderful pots.
Taught by my very talented sister Liz Eddison who is my Guru for anything to do with photography!
So much to learn for my poor old brain to take in, but it's true that if you are studying something you love then remembering it is easier (a bit!).

So Saturday was spent in the gardens and grounds of this wonderful place....and I think I have finally sorted out depth of field (when the background is all blurry) and my point of focus......hurrah.
Here are a few photographs taken on the day.

So if you want to make to make the most of your digital camera, and enjoy a day out in beautiful surroundings with like minded people.....and eat cake! Then Liz will be running more workshops next year, perhaps I'll see you there?

Have a wonderful weekend
Georgie

Amiens and Friday Flowers

Amiens was lovely..... an experience not to be missed, we were so lucky with the weather, it poured with rain on our way there Saturday afternoon and on the way back on Monday. But Sunday was beautiful.

This is Amiens Cathedral taken from a quiet side street, whilst the madness of Le Rederie was going on just a few metres away.
I bought a few nice things, but my sort of treasure is quite difficult to find....at the right prices! I probably buy more at my local bi-monthly antiques fair, which has about 600 stalls, but the thrill of the chase of that elusive french treasure is enough to get me across the channel at the drop of a hat!!
Here is a picture of my finds that I posted on facebook, taken with my i phone on top of the duvet in my hotel room.....a bed has never looked so inviting after getting up at 5.15 in the morning!

I will be listing these treasures and more french fabulousness in my Etsy shop next Friday.

And because it wouldn't be Friday without Friday Flowers here they are. A tiny painted vintage basket full of hydrangea florets and the sweetest Pansy and Viola......I love their faces.

Have a lovely weekend, and a very Happy Birthday to Jen on Saturday.
Georgie

Friday Flowers at the Malvern Autumn Show

Well perhaps we should have researched the show a little better! We went expecting to take lots of photographs of gardens and plants, only to find no gardens and millions of autumn bedding plants, mainly Cyclamen and Pansies.

This was very much a local show with vegetable and Dahlia Competitions, Rabbits and Chickens in every variety had their own tents. And there were tug of war contests and Llama racing!!

So we forgot about photographs and had a lovely day out surrounded by the beautiful Malvern Hills.

As you are reading this we are preparing to go to a wedding, then on Saturday off to Amiens in France for a huge fleamarket on Sunday....take a look on Beau Papier's facebook page for updates on my trip......now the excitement of the treasure hunt is starting to stir!!

Have a lovely weekend, I'm so looking forward to mine!
Georgie

Friday Flowers

Remember the blue jug from a few weeks ago with the blue hydrangea head?

Well here it is again, this time filled with fantastic almost electric coloured Dahlias, sat upon a vintage embroidered cloth whose colours were a perfect match!

This weekend I'm off to the Malvern Royal Horticultural Show in Worcestershire. Aiming to arrive midday on Saturday, staying over and an early start on Sunday. I'll let you know how I got on next week. I'm really looking forward to a Flower Show with an Autumn flavour.

Then next weekend is busy busy......a wedding on Friday......still having a nightmare about what to wear, I've lots of nice things, just none of them go together.......help!!!
Then on Saturday we are off to Amiens for another big fleamarket on Sunday so exciting!!!! Stay tuned to Facebook for news of my travels.

Have a lovely weekend
Georgie

Friday Flowers in Miniature

I thought you might like to see what I make when I have my "Miniature" hat on.
This weekend we will be exhibiting at a Dollshouse Fair at the NEC in Birmingham, selling kits to make dollshouse scale flowers.
This is the Aquilegia kit, approximately 2 1/2" tall made from wire paper and glue....and quite a lot of patience!

photos by Liz Eddison

Have a lovely weekend
Georgie

Friday Flowers

It has become a tradition that every week Julienne in my favourite florists puts to one side flowers that she thinks might inspire me.......thank you Julienne!!

Last time it was these beautiful seed pods of Love in the Mist, their wonderful colours went so well with this extraordinary Lisianthus, its buds opening lime green ageing to deeper and deeper shades of antique pink. A match made in heaven!

Have a fabulous weekend.
Georgie