Weekender Bouquet: Sweet William

Weekender bouquet: This is an arrangement of Dianthus barbatus "Sweet William" taken from "Howard's Garden" - the garden at the entrance of our kennel building where Charvie now happily reins as top dog. Sweet William convey to me old fashioned innocence and country charm; the Mason jar with wire bail seemed the perfect vessel for them. Their essence is sweet and evocative, much like their botanical cousin the carnation. Do you have a memory of old fashioned Sweet Wiliams?

Autumn Decor: Wall Wreath & Centerpiece

Confession: I'm not the most thrifty crafter and generally I buy new materials for each new project. I don't know if it is a lack of vision for repurposing or a fear of loss that comes from disassembling something old to make something new. But I wish to become more resourceful in my crafting, using what I have in newly imagined ways. That thinking is not only on trend, it is economical of wallet and resources.

So I was particularly proud of myself in making these two autumnal arrangements using last year's decorating materials in a new way.

The centerpiece is made of leaf stems pulled from a grapevine wreath and faux grapes from a bowl arrangement that no longer suited my taste. I added the raffia, bell pods, faux fruit, and yellow meadow larks from my new supplies this year. The tin tray is left-over from summer. It was a bubble gum pink, quite unsuitable to fall colors. I used Rust-Oleum Hammered spray paint in copper to give it a new look. The burlap liners are from an authentic coffee bean bag that I used for a western theme party several years ago. I like the fringed edges that lend rustic appeal to the arrangement.

This wall wreath is a take on the popular empty frame embellished for the season. Using the same Rust-Oleum spray paint I colored the frame copper. Then I affixed faux silk leaves to strands of raffia, tied together and fastened to the top of the frame. I added the burlap bow secured with floral wire and a short strand of the felt bunting I've used throughout my fall decorations. This hangs on the wall opposite the dining table so to compliment the centerpiece. 

This repurposing: It may become my new great thing! What do you think?

Today Inspired: Autumn Rose

 

I love photo shooting flowers close-up. This peach rose kissed with crimson is part of a Sam's Club floral bouquet I purchased a few days ago. Like the autumn sunset, the petals curl open exposing a warm invitation to come in and enjoy the splendor of the changing season.

Specs: Shot with Canon EOS Rebel, f/5; 1/500sec; ISO-160; Focal Length 46mm; no flash. Image subject placed to the east of late afternoon sun setting at 45 degrees to the west.

Autumn Roses in Burnt Orange Silk

This is a quick craft, an hour or less from start to finish.  I used faux "silk" roses from the dollar $tore to cover an 8-inch Styrofoam ball, except for the bottom that I pushed flat against the table to allow it to rest evenly without a vase or structural support.  I used wire cutters to trim the stems to about 1.5-inches.  Then poked a lead hole in the Styrofoam with a bamboo skewer,  applied Elemer's school glue to the hole and inserted the bloom. Simple as that. I placed it on the top shelf of my crystal curio where it is illuminated and reflected in the back mirror.  A complimentary felt bunting trims the opening,  as seen in the reflection. 

And the autumnal decorating continues.  How Fun!

Autumn: Pumpkin Bouquet

Autumnal flowers arranged in a hollowed-out pumpkin have been a popular trend the last few years in DIY seasonal decorating. Here is my attempt at the trend. I found the colors richly pleasing and the pumpkin vessel rustic. The simple mums - button mums and spider mums - are from two inexpensive supermarket bundles, so the cost was quite affordable. I used a plastic container with floral foam inside the pumpkin which helped the flowers stay fresh. The pumpkin vessel lasted about a week displayed on the dining table. I can understand why this trend is so popular as it provides so much seasonal beauty for low cost and low effort. Give it a try!