8/5/13

Flower arranging..beginner

Hi friends.
Tis the season around my house.   County fair season that is.
I love everything about our county fair.  I grew up on a farm with 6 brothers and one sister.  We spent our summers working on projects and getting them ready for the fair.
Now a days, I don't have any 4-H projects but I still like to be involved.
I love taking a few projects of my own every year and this year it was flower arranging.
My carnation tea-pot above is filled with mini carnations and baby's breath.
I found this cute tea-pot discounted down to only $2.  
Tea-pots are such a great vessel for arranging in.
Plus our fair has a couple of categories for them.
Polly put the kettle on, I believe it's called.



I used this farmhouse looking tea-pot for my late summer/autumn arrangement.
I will use this for a centerpiece on dining table when early Autumn rolls around.



I love doing wildflowers although I find them a bit of a challenge.
First of course you need to get out and pick them.  That's not hard for me although I have been known to keep peaking over my shoulder when I venture a little farther into the woods.

And here's why!
I took this picture of him late last June.  He had just passed in front of me about a mile from our home.   Needless to say, I am a bit watchful when I head around the wooded areas.


My final arrangement is one I created for Autumn.
The category at the fair is called bird watch, and you need to incorporate a bird of some kind into your arrangement.
I chose a pheasant that I had in my fall stash.
I bought this inexpensive wire container for a couple of bucks.
I then lined it with burlap and added a ribbon of sunflowers tied to one side of the handle.

Now for a few tips I've learned from the judges over the years.
 1.  When you are arranging your flowers, make sure the tallest point of your arrangement is one and half times the height of your container.

2.  Make sure you remove all the leaves that would be inside your water line.
Leaving them will contaminate your water and also drain moisture from your blooms.

3.  Use warm water not cold inside your vessel.  Make sure to make a new cut after bringing your flowers home and then fill your container with warm not cool water.

4.  I use a foam soaked in water for fresh flowers.  I like how it holds moisture and
creates a nice firm base to work with.
With silk or dried flowers I use the Styrofoam rounds or half moons.

5.  Try to think outside the box when creating an arrangement and don't be afraid to pull it apart and start over.  I tend to do that many times.

I am happy to report I received two blue's, two red's and one outstanding ribbon this year.
Have a great week friends,
Cindy

I am joining:
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Between Naps on the Porch for Met. Monday
The Scoop @ Confessions of a Plate Addict
Inspire me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life
Tips and Tutorials @ Stone Gable

18 comments:

  1. Your flower arrangements are all stunning. I love them and the one with the wildflowers is especially pretty. You are so talented, hope you win. Hugs Marty

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  2. I love how you arranged your flowers and the last one is my favorite. It reminds me of fall and that is just around the corner. One of favorite times of the year.

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  3. Cindy, your arrangements are sooo pretty! Congratulations on your ribbons won at the fair! And thank you for the tips on artful arranging. I think this would be a lot of fun. The pink carnations in the teapot and the wildflowers in the rustic enamel pot speak to me the most. Yes, do do have to be careful out there, don't you? Maybe Mr. Bear wants to pick flowers to take home to his Mrs. ;-)

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  4. Good for you! I loved the fair....I won Best in Show for an antique quilt. I still have that ribbon!

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  5. Oh the carnation themed teapot is adorable. I adore carnations. They smell great and last for so long!

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  6. They are all great but the tea cup and the wire basket are my favorites.

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  7. I love designing flower arrangements. It is one of the few "crafty" things that I feel comfortable with. I think you did a beautiful job. My favorite is the sunflower arrangement!

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  8. Congratulations Cindy...those are beautiful...hope that bear stays far away...

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  9. Those are all beautiful, Cindy. You did a really nice job. I would stay out of those woods, too- xo Diana

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  10. These are all absolutely beautiful, Cindy!

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  11. All of your arrangements are beautiful! I LOVE the carnations in the wonderful carnation tea pot! What a steal!!! Watch out for those bears!

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  12. Hi dear Cindy,

    Thanks for your visit to our island paradise. I DO love this little cottage. I also loved all the gorgeous arrangements AND the bear peeking around the tree at you!!

    Sending love and best wishes,

    Sharon

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  13. Hi Cindy,

    I love your arrangements and the teapots! so whimical. I also love wild flowers. This summer sure has flown by, I have not been blogging much due to family illness and needing to take care of parents. I always injoy my visits with you I always go away with a smile....
    Have a sweet day, Elizabeth

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  14. All your arrangements are just stunnings! You obviously have a talent for beautiful arrangements. I love the one with the wildflowers!

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  15. Your arrangements are beautiful, Cindy. Thanks for the tips, too. Congrats!

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  16. Sweet friend, those arrangements are just lovely!! I would love to try my hand at it but I don't have any flowers for "picking" but next year...I am planting a flower garden JUST for that purpose! Every single one of those arrangements were worthy of blue ribbons in my book!! I hope your Mom is doing well. I need to get over here more often. I DO, I DO!! I seem to be struggling lately..and also seem to be slowing down a lot and it concerns me! :)

    Have you noticed the babies in our families are growing by leaps and bounds??
    Sending you a big hug!!!
    Mona

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  17. Hi Cindy! Your flower arrangements are all so pretty! Love your sweet little containers too! Now I remember about that bear last year! He would scare me to death! Hope all is well.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  18. you deserved those ribbons. Congratulations! Each of your arrangements is beautiful, and I also love your ideas for containers. You have such a knack for this. I need to stop just plopping flowers into a container and calling it an arrangement! Thank you for the tips. laurie

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Welcome,
I would love to hear from you. Come back and visit anytime. Warmest Wishes, Cindy