And The Rest of theWeek

I have been trying to catch up with some of the never ending stream of paperwork which appears to have built up and which I never seem to reach the end of, how one household can generate so much I really do not know, but slowly I will get there. I haven't yet started a scrapbook for 2010 and I need to as I have stuff to put in it. This isn't the scrapbooking scrapbook but the one I keep of tickets, cards and all those bits which remind us of what we have done through the year, one on my to do list. I am wondering if I will ever get around to the other sort of scrapbooking again, I do hope so!

I have got a little bit addicted to Farmville on Facebook which is annoying as it is such a huge time waster!

All assignments done and handed in so at least I can breath a sigh of relief on that front, just wait for them back now. I have got to sort out my work placement now and have been given the details of a florist where I am going to do mine so that is on the horizon now too. Other than that just a same old same old for the rest of the week.


Ciao

Sue

XX

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

Spring Term Week 6

The final week before half term and I am now over half way through the course, which I find difficult to believe as there seems so much work still to be done. Below is an arrangement I did at home which was for the funeral unit, a textured cushion. Even though I say so myself a fantastic arrangement, but let down by my photography.

A textured arrangement has to be just that a variety of different textures and styles of material to create an interesting display, this would be for a very specific funeral and is not an incredibly popular style in the UK at the moment, but this style does have a charm all of its own. It is a style that can be adapted, if you were doing a tribute for a gardener, someone who had been interested in art or sewing, this style could be adapted to those interests and there are some good photos of examples of these to be found.

I have used everything from anthurium (which gives real impact at the centre), to cinnamon sticks, bark, different varieties of fir cones, eryngium or sea holly (the thistle looking blue flower) to narcissus and hypericum. I found some lovely and unusual ivy and have also used Spanish and Reindeer Moss. The rest of the girls were well taken with this design and I was very pleased with it.

Above is the start of a new unit, Weddings - which I have to confess I wasn't looking forward to this unit, as I know how much wiring can go into wedding work, but I have enjoyed it so far! Above is my first attempt at a boutonniere, which is a buttonhole, but made out of several small buds and flowers (all of the same type) to create something which is more elaborate than a buttonhole but not quite a corsage. The one above is a simple one of hyacinth flowers and ivy, but very pretty nonetheless.

We have also moved onto function decorating too and here is my first attempt at a pew end or chair decoration. Not a bad attempt apparently, but I wasn't really that thrilled with it. But I managed to get it onto the chair and it stayed in place quite happily. Below it is mounted on our 'pew' made of cardboard and fastened to the end of a desk, but it works very well indeed.

Ciao

Sue

XX

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

Week 5 Spring Term

We started planted designs this week, I was looking forward to this module and am pretty pleased with the results. I have planted up one or two of these before so should be OK on this one too. Not a great backdrop used here but loved the arrangements.

Above is a pot et fleur, old fashioned name but a nice idea, a small arrangement in with a planted design, when the flowers die off, just remove them and you still have the lovely plants to grow on.

A garland, hung on the stair railings outside our classroom, not as difficult as they look, was pretty pleased with this one too.

This was an artificial design I did for an assignment picture, in a Jack O'Patsy jug, it served its purpose. Artificial allium, a collar and some wire for a bit of added interest, oh and some cinnamon too.

Ciao

Sue

XX

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

And The Rest of the Week

Not much to talk about this week, busy with all of the usual stuff, school stuff with Jamie, taking him here or there to cubs, guitar, drama etc etc. Drama is good as I get an hour and a half totally undisturbed whilst I wait for him and I do my homework!! It works well for me!


I am so pleased that Jamie is loving cubs so much - he has really got into it and has made some friends there too which is brilliant. It challenges him, teaches self reliance and reinforces good behaviour, makes children think about their place in the world and the role they can play in their local community and all this whilst they have fun too. This week they went on the train from MK to W - only a trip of 10 minutes but they did it as a group on their own. There was supervision from a distance but they did it themselves, and gained some independence and a real sense of achievement. Their reward, a bag of chips at the other end and that went down really really well!


It was the Nafas Flower Club AGM this week so no displays or demonstrations to watch this time, but it's nice to know the club is thriving and was a great find.

Almost done with the blooming assignments too.


Ciao

Sue

XX

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

And the Rest of the Week

As I am writing this a little behind, I am trying to remember what happened and when - not so easy at my age!! So just a few pictures of Jamie - the proud Mummy type. Below is Jamie just showered and almost ready for bed, saying goodnight to me as I was hard at it finishing off assignments and about the only view Mike and Jamie have really had of me for the past four weeks - standing in the office whilst I natter away about an assignment and then shooing them away "because I have to get on"!!

Charm personified!! How quickly they grow up! Although this is probably him saying - go away with the camera woman, I've had enough!!

Better, Jamie with his 100% attendance certificate, he has 2 of these now for this academic year.

And with his gold award - he is doing well.

I helped my friend June with Church flowers again this week and we had an enjoyable time doing those. And here are a few pictures, I did one for the font and June did the large pedestal.

Ciao

Sue

XX

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

Week 4 - A Practical Assessment

This week we finally had a practical assessment (which is 1 of the 20 of this type of assessment that has to be done for the Diploma) and I am not happy with myself at all. We also had another assessment this week which was pricing up with which I was much happier.

The course is divided up into modules and each module has roughly 4 or 5 assessments in each one, some are practical (where a flower arrangement has to be created), some are practical but are identification, pricing up, maintaining a design, window display etc) and some are theory. I have done pretty well in all the theory assessments so far. I didn't do well with today's assessment, but I take some consolation from the fact that several of us for want of a better phrase fell apart!

Assessment on the course is marked at either Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail, so at least I can tell myself I didn't fail, but I only managed a pass. This was a pretty simple decorative cone wrap, something you would do in a shop possibly a few times a day, but possibly not in exam conditions and with a 15 minute time scale which includes writing a cost sheet too. 15 minutes sounds quite a long time, but boy did it go quickly!




So what did I do well and what did I do badly? The assessment sheets have a long list of criteria which have to be met, starting from being dressed properly (wearing protective clothing ie an apron, to covered shoes), choosing and using the correct tools (a fairly obvious one), to such areas as recession and economy (a less obvious one) to the expected of are the flowers protected, does it look pleasing etc.

The basics, clothing and tools were fine, the choice of flowers works well too, but I totally messed up on my wrapping and got nowhere near completing a cost sheet. I had chosen to use raffia to tie the wrap to save time of making a bow (we are not allowed to use pull bows!) Once I got the wrapping I felt like I was all fingers and thumbs and I couldn't make any of them do what I wanted so when it was finished it looked like a complete bag of nails!!

It looks even more of a mess as the tutor tends to pull things apart as she is marking them. I was not at all happy with this, my main consolation is that it is only a 15 minutes assessment, so will be able to slot this one in again at some point and up it from a Pass to a Merit.

Below is some practicing at home, which I did to take into college. It is a based cross - idiot that I am I never took a photo of the completed cross - sometimes I can be so stupid. It turned out well and I put a complementary spray using dark red roses which made it look very effective.

Basing is where the flowers are placed closely together to give an overall coverage on the oasis. It is important to ensure it is nice and even and where possible using smaller flowers on the outside and the larger ones in the centre. It is important to 'bond' them so that they are touching and there are no gaps, but that they are not so close that they distort their shape or the flower next to them. It is a skill that comes with lots of practice.


Above is a mitred corner which is the best way to get the ribbon looking perfect on a cross, or any design with a corner - again it is something which comes with practice and remembering the techniques. More of that to come once the course has finished - I hope to be able to show some of the techniques.

Above is a Chaplet, which is considered by some to be quite old fashioned now, but does have its place, especially for remembrance or military occasions. This design is based on a mossed wire frame and is a time consuming piece to make as all the salal leaves are wired onto the moss (Laurel is expensive and not readily available from college suppliers although that is the more traditional leaf to use). The complementary spray was difficult and wore my fingers down, as each flower or piece of foliage has to be wired and then pushed into moss and fixed into place. This is an assessment piece - this is a big oh my goodness how will I ever manage to do that especially in 1hour 15 minutes (aargh aargh!!)

We also had a pricing up assessment this week, which is where you have to work out wholesale, wholesale plus VAT, retail and retail plus VAT prices for 10 flower and/or foliages. This one I did much better and managed to get 100% so got my Distinction which I was pretty pleased with. Overall I am glad to have got one practical assessment out of the way as I know have more of an idea what to expect in the next batch of assessments.

Ciao

Sue

XX

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

And The Rest of the Week

Some more snow photos which I finally got downloaded. Here a couple of roads away from where we live there were some brilliant snow buildings - a Tardis and a Dalek. They looked fantastic and hung around for quite a bit of time, very clever and talented builders!

I was spending quite a bit of time doing college work as assignment deadlines were looming! But I was also looking forward to the Flower Club annual dinner which was at The Navigation at Cosgrove. I seem to be spending quite a bit of time in and around Cosgrove these days!! It was a very enjoyable evening - well it was once we found the place!! It did take us a couple of drives around to spot it, but we are looking forward to heading back again possibly in the summer for a drink or two and enjoy having a look around, as it appeared to be on the canal side.

It was lovely to be able to have a good natter with some of the members of the club, which it isn't always possible to do at the meetings and lovely to take husbands and meet husbands - Mike even enjoyed himself. We were sat with June and Steve and it was lovely to meet Steve and have the chance to have a chat when I have usually been dropping June home after the club meeting and helping her in with her raffle won arrangement!!

The food was excellent and for starters Mike and I both had Maple and Seasame Glazed Chicken (yummy), mains Mike and I both had (its not often we both choose the same things so much!! - probably because we were choosing from a set menu) Steak and new potatoes and then for desert we both had Ginger and Plum Crumble (I had made a bit of a boob and ordered Mike the wrong thing!! which turned into a bigger boob when he saw the desert he should have had!! Chocolate Caramel and Peanut Slice (which was huge)) but all in all an enjoyable evening with lots of new friends.

As I don't have too much else to natter about, due to the college work (!) here are some more piccies of the snow, Mike with Binnie, Jamie and his friend Kian, we had been out enjoying another walk in the snow.

Despite the snow there had been a lot of sunshine and the outside lighting (solar powered) had come on, which was quite disconcerting to see in the snow, it somehow looked wrong! although later on it did give the snow a lovely eerie quality.

Ducks waddling about on the frozen pond, they are lucky as they are very well fed ducks and didn't seem to be struggling too much despite the poor conditions. They must get fed several times a day and are fairly tame, they are always happy to see people especially when they turn up with bread. They do wander all over EV too and have been seen in our street and as far away as Teletubby mound (if you know EV you will know where that is!)

A warning to everyone near the pond - although the ducks weren't paying any attention!

Back home and in the warmth again, Jamie and Kian boxing on the Wii, Mike was probably working on his Friars website and I was working on as assignment again - well I was after taking the photos!!

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - I was currently reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban until it disappeared so am now reading Songbird by Josephine Cox.