Children's Arrangement - An Arrangement in a Cup and Saucer
I was thrilled that Jamie wanted to give the flower arranging class (for children) a go and we had a few thoughts about what he may do as his class was 'An Arrangement in a Cup and Saucer'. We had a look around for a suitable cup and saucer for him and eventually found one which was decorated with VW Camper Vans, very on trend and very suitable for a boy. So we had a think about what type of arrangement may work in the container and I suggested Jamie may want to have a go at a gear stick which is sticking up out of the cup. That design eventually became a flying saucer/satellite arrangement which was brilliant.
I had some of the lucky bamboo (Dracena sanderiana) left over from my demo a couple of weeks earlier and showed Jamie how to attach a ball of foam to the top of the bamboo and then show him how to base (cover) the foam ball with the button chrysanthemum and he made a brilliant job of it - to be honest his basing was better than some of the basing from some the students from the Floristry course I was on (!!!!!!)
He then added in some decorative pins to make it look like a satellite and finished the bottom with some bright pink carnations and light green conifer and a little bit of pittospoum which matched the pins in the top of the design. He did an amazing job and should have been rightly proud of himself, when I saw the completed design I was pretty sure he stood a very very good chance of getting placed in the competition.
When I saw the other designs in his class I was almost certain he was going to be placed well - but I wasn't letting on to him, as you can never tell quite which way the judges minds are working!!
Well of course he was placed and he got First place as his design was so fantastic - he would, had he entered the adult category also have been placed too - so I am glad he was only in the children's competition!!
An Arrangement in a Cup and Saucer - Adult Class!!
This was I felt the easiest of the classes to interpret and I decided to go for a traditional look, with a traditional cup and saucer and a very simple round posy style design, using very 'English' flowers such as carnations and freesia, playing on the whole idea of tea for two and tea-time. I had thought about using a very large cup and saucer but decided to go very traditional. I was really pleased with the finished design. Some photos of my design below both in situ at the show and after the show at home.
This was I felt the easiest of the classes to interpret and I decided to go for a traditional look, with a traditional cup and saucer and a very simple round posy style design, using very 'English' flowers such as carnations and freesia, playing on the whole idea of tea for two and tea-time. I had thought about using a very large cup and saucer but decided to go very traditional. I was really pleased with the finished design. Some photos of my design below both in situ at the show and after the show at home.
And how did I do well I came second!! - so I was very pleased. My certificate and comments card are below. With a design like this it is really important to keep the flowers in proportion to the cup and saucer so I used spray carnations as single carnations would have been too big and I ensure the foliage was small enough to keep the scale of the whole design.
My only mention here but the rules state that you have to complete the designs in situ and not bring them completed. We were led to believe the following day from a steward that someone did bring completed arrangements to the show and that person was I believe placed in two categories - perhaps the show does need to tighten up on its procedures for the sake of those competitors like myself and the other ladies who worked in atrocious weather conditions completing our designs in situ for some 4, 5 and 6 hours. Like myself there were other who may have been placed higher if the reports about this incident are correct.
Table Arrangement for a Wedding
Again for this design I decided to do something which would be very traditional and something which would obviously have a place as a table centre for a wedding. I wanted to bring in some bright wedding colours, some ribbon, bling and candles and feel I did all of these things very well. Again I was really pleased with the end result of the arrangement which is below. Bright pink carnations and white roses make up this design, I have added some beaded wire to the outside of the candle to bring the pink through the design and add a little bit of sparkle to the arrangement.
This design was in a martini glass and used cone shaped oasis which was then based in what felt like hundreds of roses - it seemed to take forever and what with the weather (torrential rain), mud (from the rain), cold (from being in a tent in torrential rain) and the poor light (from being in a tent with torrential rain!!) it was hard work!! The really positive side of this is it has given me lots of ideas of how to improve this style of design if I ever need or want to do something like this in the future.
My only mention here but the rules state that you have to complete the designs in situ and not bring them completed. We were led to believe the following day from a steward that someone did bring completed arrangements to the show and that person was I believe placed in two categories - perhaps the show does need to tighten up on its procedures for the sake of those competitors like myself and the other ladies who worked in atrocious weather conditions completing our designs in situ for some 4, 5 and 6 hours. Like myself there were other who may have been placed higher if the reports about this incident are correct.
Table Arrangement for a Wedding
Again for this design I decided to do something which would be very traditional and something which would obviously have a place as a table centre for a wedding. I wanted to bring in some bright wedding colours, some ribbon, bling and candles and feel I did all of these things very well. Again I was really pleased with the end result of the arrangement which is below. Bright pink carnations and white roses make up this design, I have added some beaded wire to the outside of the candle to bring the pink through the design and add a little bit of sparkle to the arrangement.
Nor was this an incredibly expensive design and so could be used for a number of tables and would take a wedding through the sit down meal and onto the evening reception too so I felt this one covered all aspects. The judge like it too as I got a third prize for the design which pleased me.
A Bit of Bling
The final entry from me was in the Bit of Bling class and this was the one which was both large, difficult and very expensive as it turned out and not one to be repeated. It was christened 'The Abomination' by me as when I left late on the Wednesday evening I totally hated it and felt it didn't look the way I had planned for it to look. I was convinced this would be totally rejected by the judges but in the end it got a 3rd place so I was both very surprised and totally delighted. I had been placed in each section I had entered.
This design was in a martini glass and used cone shaped oasis which was then based in what felt like hundreds of roses - it seemed to take forever and what with the weather (torrential rain), mud (from the rain), cold (from being in a tent in torrential rain) and the poor light (from being in a tent with torrential rain!!) it was hard work!! The really positive side of this is it has given me lots of ideas of how to improve this style of design if I ever need or want to do something like this in the future.
The judges comments were totally fair and I had not expected so much water to leak from the oasis - add that onto the learning experience too.
So overall very pleased placed in each category, did much better than last year's 2nd and highly commended and Jamie won the children's - wonderful.
Ciao
Sue
XX
Reading challenge 13/16 - currently reading If I Was by Midge Ure
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