College - The Final Week - Fingers Crossed!!

As it turns out not quite the last week, but I now only have 2 arrangements left to go - both re-takes and both to improve my overall grade.  I can say now that the Diploma is in the bag so to speak it is just the final grades etc.

So this week I needed to complete my final written assignment and my final practical assignment, and then had 3 re-sits to get grades up from mere passes!

So the final written assignment was completed and sods law, throughout all the written work I have had no problems with the printer, well other than having to change ink carts.  So printing out the final draft of the final assignment the printer decides to jam, I had to get Mike to help, I left him to it and had a shower as I was starting to get a bit agitated, as you would well imagine.  He fixed it and it was printed off and put in it's folder.  I got a huge assignment back this week the shop display module and I had done well, so I've got a Distinction for that whole unit - so very pleased with that, lots of hard work and research paid off.

My final practical assignment was the circlet from the wedding unit, I had managed to get Distinctions in all the other practical work, so wanted to keep my grades up and decided to have another practice of this on Monday and then tackle for real on Wednesday.  The practice went well, a couple of bits I needed to tweak so on Wednesday I was all set and produced the circlet below, I was pleased and got the grade I needed - so I am now only waiting for my written work back to complete the unit.  I love the simple colour scheme here and the gold leaves were so useful, the timing of this piece is quite tight, 60 minutes and that includes having to cost it out too.  All the items in the circlet are wired and taped, which takes some time and then they are taped onto a stay wire, which sits on the head.

I did 3 re-sits which were the passes from previous attempts, the Double Ended Spray which I was not happy about when I first took, I did a lovely arrangement (in the tutors words everything was placed perfectly) but because I had used one chrysanthemum instead of another I only got a pass, I think she was being very harsh, but then she is somewhat notorious for being a hard marker - if anything is borderline she rounds down and never up.

So here is my first attempt, everything placed perfectly except she didn't like the green chrysanthemum! 

And here is my re-sit, I got a Merit, so in that case - job done!  Perhaps the other big difference between the two is the flowers and foliage, I took all my own in for the one below and didn't use college stuff, does the difference in quality tell, I think so.  Yes the one below is miles better but there is also another 4 or 5 months training on top too!

One item which had bugged from the test itself was the first practical when I really was all fingers and thumbs and went to pieces really - so I wasn't looking forward to re-doing it but had to - here is my first attempt

and here is the second, there is nothing spectacular about it - but enough to get a Merit and upgrade from the Pass, so again job done.

And finally I needed to re-do the posy with collar that I did a couple of weeks ago which I also made a total mess of.  Here is the first attempt (after I had done this and was packing for the day a couple of weeks ago, the head of dept came in and commented on it and I pointed out to him, that it was in my words crap - which is really was - he mentioned it to Janet - he really is a jerk)

And here is the up-grade, so again job done.  I have now got rid of all my passes and everything is Merit or above so I am really pleased with that.  Which has now left me with a pleasant dilemma which means I need to go in to do a 40 minute assessment and a 45 minute assessment and then I will be totally finished and free!!

Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban

College - The Final Week (Well Sort Of!!!)

So the final week of classes has arrived, although not the final week.  We still have two weeks which they call re-submission weeks, which are for any re-takes, any mopping up and any other bits which need sorting out.  I handed in another assignment, a mere 80+ pages and about 15,000 words, City and Guilds please take note, this does need looking at!  I didn't go in Monday or Tuesday I decided to crack on with written work made more sense as there was no more course work for me to do.

Below is an all round posy arrangement with a candle I have re-done here's a link to my first attempt.  http://suesfamilyflowersandfunstuff.blogspot.com/2010/04/back-to-college-week-7-spring-term.html   - hardly a comparison really!!  This one is an awful lot better but the flowers are an awful lot better so that makes it easier to make and plan the design and I do like this colour scheme.  I upgraded my pass to a Merit, which is all you can do (a Merit can be upgraded to a Distinction) but you can only upgrade a piece once.  But I needed to get a Merit on this and I did so job done!!

Here is a piccie of both the upgraded pieces together.

My second upgrade piece of the week was this front facing arrangement which is a vast improvement on my first assessment which you can find here (http://suesfamilyflowersandfunstuff.blogspot.com/2010/04/back-to-college-week-7-spring-term.html).  I needed to get a Merit on this piece too and I did which means I have upgraded that unit to a Distinction which makes me very happy.  I can see one or two problems with this piece but still it did the job and don't the Chrysanthemum 'Anastasia' look lovely - well worth the price!!

And now for my penultimate assessment (well I may try and upgrade 1 or 2 more yet) but excluding resits.  This is the raised buffet which I decided not to submit last week as I wasn't happy with it.  Getting the oasis and the dish to sit securely in the Martini glass was a bit of a challenge, but I got there in the end, thanks to profiteroles from Tesco.  Well we had them for supper on Father's Day and I realised the shape of the top of the container was going to work perfectly - it would sit inside the Martini glass and not be seen or would be easier to disguise as it was clear plastic.

I did spend quite some time working out how to secure the dish and it worked - hooray.  I modified the design slightly changing the larger thicker stemmed bamboo for Gladiolus 'Green Star' which are lighter and taller so makes the proportions look better too.  I kept to the same colour scheme orange carnation, yellow roses and Chrysanthemum 'Anastasia Lime', I had used some lime sisal and a few ice-cubes and there is your citrus cocktail.  I was very pleased with this and I got the Distinction I was looking for which means I got a Distinction in that module as well, so I was a happy happy bunny.  So that was a couple of units totally completed.  I have completed 7 of my units completely now (except for any resits and pending some work being marked!)

So classes are now over and I probably am only going to be in for another 2 or 3 days excepting dropping or picking up written work, so almost done!!

Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban

College - The Penultimate Week!! - AARGH AARGH!!

And it was a bit of a damp squib, largely because I felt I spent nearly all of Monday sat around waiting for the tutor to stop spending her time with one student and remember that there are a lot more of us in the class.  So on Monday I got very very little done, when I had planned to get a lot more done, frustrating!

But I got my handbag corsage crossed off, this one looks a little sad but it is all there.  The flowers were 'well' old and not really up to the job, but at least it's another one off the list.

The design below I did at home to get is signed off, a compact textured posy, which I did grouped I like it, and everything in it has been recycled from another arrangement or free of charge courtesy of neighbours gardens!!  The large fir cone in the centre is one which we picked up in Kefalonia so is a lovely reminder of a fantastic holiday there.

Tuesday I didn't bother going in, spent my time working on written work at home, of which there still seems to be so much.  Could I please make a very simple plea to City and Guilds, for goodness sake give us a bloody clue when it comes to how much you want written for each level as assignments at over 80 pages a throw is beginning to get a bit tiresome!!!!!

Above is my circlet practice which I did on Wednesday and was pretty pleased with, now I just need to have a practice and check out the timings and work out when I am going to do this assignment.  And below is the most frustrating of things - I did my raised buffet but just wasn't happy with how it sat in the martini glass so withdrew it rather than getting it wrong and only getting a pass.  This was a big shame as it was a lovely design a citrus cocktail with fruit and lots of lovely coloured flowers.  Shame it wouldn't sit correctly in the lovely martini glass I have - so it is back to the drawing board on this one.

Overall a very frustrating week as I had planned to do so much more and get so much more out of the way!!  And then next week is the last week of classes - oh how that date has been yearned for and not just by me but by those who live with me and have had to put up with me being cranky and distracted just about all the time!!

Ciao Sue XX Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

College Summer Term Week 6

Another busy old week at college and the final week of this half term - where is the time going.  I handed in another assignment this week the one about my work placement.  Below is a tied cake topper, it looks OK, but I'm not sure this is the best way to make a cake topper.

Below are some photos from the in-store display, the tutor had a good old moan about it, but I think it looks brilliant and a couple of our arrangements were excellent.  A couple were very modern  and I think J and I did really well.

The above picture is of a large pedestal style arrangement, which I think looks OK, better than the one I did at church with J.  Above that is my cold glue corsage, which I did in a very modern style, bark, feathers and a single gerbera, with a couple of freesia buds for contrast.  I love it, and it got a distinction.

Now it's half term and then only 3 more weeks to go, and then 2 re-submission weeks if needed.  I can't believe the end is now so close - and I still have so much work to do!!!!!!!!

Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

College Summer Term Week 4

We seemed to have done more this week but this is all I have on my camera, there was a lot of theory this week!

A group hand tied arrangement, a more compact version of this style, I still don't like hand tieds, although this one is quite nice!



A basket arrangement for a little girl, the basket is only about 15 cm long and about 10 cm wide, so this takes a lot of care to ensure the proportions are right and nothing is too big, this is for a very small child probably no more than about 5 or 6.

We worked in pairs for this a large topiary tree, and boy getting it something like a sphere is hard, we just about managed it, there were some which looked like rugby balls!!

Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

Summer Term Week 3

Week 3 already!! My planted design is still doing well, another couple of maintenance to go.
This week was the shop window display, I did mine with J and we had an enjoyable time and produced a lovely display, I have to say I think ours has been the best overall design. I know I am going to say that but personal bias aside whilst the others were good I think ours just nudged the other displays out. So lots of pictures of our display and my banner in situ.

Lots of lovely Easter ideas and colours - we didn't get the flowers we had ordered from college, so poor old Mike had to bring some tulips and daffs in for us - thanks pet!!

With a few minor problems such as seeing the writing under the box covering I think everything in the design is just about perfect!! I would love to have some feedback on this - feel free to leave a comment!!

So this is a big one out of the way just the assignment to write now, and homes to find for a lot of the stuff I got for the display, hope I can find some use for them!!

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

Summer Term Week 1

Back to college for the start of the summer term and the final term of the course, and oh boy what a lot of work is still left to be done. It is going to be heads down and working very hard for the next few weeks - very hard indeed.
Above is a hand tied feature arrangement in a vase, some aspidistra leaf manipulation and I love the colour scheme, well anything with lime green and orange does it for me!! Apart from the top chrysanthemum being too far off to the left I was very pleased with this design.

We finally got our first (and only - although we were promised 3 varied trips at enrolment) college trip to Van Vliet's wholesalers in Northampton. The gripes first - the lack of trips had come up in a feedback session to the head of department and then suddenly a trip was organised - hooray you may say. Well the day chosen was a day which had been planned to do practical assessments so they were cancelled therefore putting further pressure on fitting assessments in later in the course.

My own view has been that a visit to the wholesaler should have happened in the first term because we would get to see a wide variety of flowers and foliages at a time when we need to be learning about them. We would have the opportunity of seeing some items for real when we are never going to get the chance to see or use them in class. We would have the chance to seeing the vast array of sundries that are available which would also fire imaginations when it comes to writing assignments and thinking about putting designs together. And it would happen at a less intense time in the course, at a time when we are learning and not focusing on getting assignments in and assessments done! I had visited several wholesalers by this point but was still looking forward to the trip.

But saying that the trip was enjoyable, if the flowers a little in short supply (can't remember now if it was Mother's Day in Eastern Europe combined with volcanic ash that meant flowers were not as abundant as they often are at Van Vliet). Here are some photos of my favourite bits, lime green bags and baskets for either flower arrangements or planted designs - lovely ....

spider gerbera - I love these ......

a whole section of carnations (dianthus caryophyllus) .....

a lovely selection of tulips (bear this photo in mind for an upcoming blog!)........

some sundries .......

gerbera .....

a wider shot, showing a selection of flowers ....

This was an enjoyable trip.

The staging for the window display assignment has been erected - mine is in a couple of weeks. I am not sure about the positioning as it is in the main entrance to the college - the solid metal barrier is next to the main door and students are likely to be walking past the whole time we are trying to put the display in situ. Wonder whose idea it was to place it there?

Another assessment out of the way above is my planted design in situ. It has to stay there for 6 weeks (it will end up there for 8 so it is there for the External Verifier to see! couldn't be bothered with the hassle of arguing over my bowl, my plants etc etc) This was the other bowl I bought on my trip to Smiths.

I am really angry with myself over this as I ended up with a Merit rather than a Distinction because I wrote the wrong figure down in one section of the cost sheet (I'll come back to this in a final summary of the course as a whole).

I used variegated ivy (hedera helix), spider plant (chlorophytum comosum), flaming katy (kalanchoe blossfeldiana), money plant (crassula) and Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis or Hatiora). I was pleased with the design as it was bright and welcoming for the reception desk (the area I had been allocated) where it had to sit for 6 weeks to be maintained which was the next part of the module.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

Last Week of Spring Term - Week 12 - Hooray!

This is the end of the second term, and it feels as though, yes I've come a long way, but there seems so much of the course still to go it is feeling quite daunting. Some picture from the end of spring term......more pictures from work placement......a hand tied bouquet

a corsage from the wedding unit, this has got to now form my template for the assessment - wire work in an assessment, I bet the time is going to go fast on this one!!

a cake topper, not the best, but this is working at the small end of the scale, quite a different discipline .......

a planted trough, not bad but the muscari did not want to stand up!

Another hand tied from work placement.......

wire work from the wedding module ......

another part of the display work module - some goods for the in-store display ......

and now for a break .........!

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox