Flowers...

So today I did some flower arranging. 

Not the most usual of activites for me so I shall explain. It was my 40th birthday earlier this year and I had a big party and invited everyone I knew. One of my neighbours, the very lovely Pippa, came to my party and brought me a big pink bag full of goodies. Once the party was over I opened up all my presents and this big pink bag contained a host of unexpected items, all hinting at floral arranging; vases, oasis, tape of sorts, plant scissors (is there a proper name?!) Anyway, Pippa explained that she would love to have a morning with me teaching me the basics of flower arranging (she has been doing it for quite a while now, and is marvellous at it)

My birthday was the beginning of March. It is now mid July. This is how long it takes for two busy people to get together at a mutually acceptable time! Yes, I am still extremely busy but I had cancelled twice previous and so couldn't again, and anyway, felt like I needed this (remember my mantra?!!)

So, 10am on another beautifully sunny day, after a slow stroll down the road, I was greeted by the lovely Pippa and a nice cup of tea. We chatted over magazines and discussed the principles of design, whether it be floral, interior, fashion, textile, art, they are basically the same. 

We then went strolling around her extensive gardens snipping and cutting and smelling and ooing and ahhing at all the beautiful plants. As a flower arranger she grows her plants for her work and so there is such a variety of wonder (apologies for lack of photos until this point, I was far too absorbed!)

We finally had a big bucket full and got to work. I didn't really know what I was doing, but I was going with instinct and working on the principles that Pippa had gone over earlier. Composition, balance, texture, colour. All those things you learn throughout your art training, but now with flowers. I honestly didn't know where it was going to take me, but I just went with the flow. I felt out of my comfort zone, but not, if you know what I mean. I loved it - and I never thought I would say that!

I discovered that I like very delicate flowers, and I like delicate arrangements. I was scared I was going very OTT but the final result didn't show that. I thought I was going to be really rustic and messy but actually they had a great deal of structure about them. I didn't use a great deal of colour, which I thought I would. The colours that I love in my home (browns, oranges, yellows) I didn't like in a floral arrangement, I went for a lot of greens, whites and a little of pink & purple.

It was absolutely fascinating, and A LOT harder than it looks. You may see these pictures and just see some flowers and leaves chucked together, but there was so much thought and experimenting involved in creating this arrangement. Exactly like the process I use for my cushion designs!

I am so proud of what I achieved today, and felt inspired and invigorated once I left. I have them both pride of place in the kitchen and will keep topping up the oasis's (is that a correct plural?!) with water to help the sweet peas and roses and all the other ones that I don't know the names of to last as long as possible!

A new world has been opened. And I am going to keep it open!

I am discovering that it is good to get out of your comfort zone every now and again, as you might just learn something...

Helen

xx

Recently...

Recently I have been really really busy sticking to my mantra of doing things that make me happy!

Here is a brief summary of the last 10 days or so...

A weekend in Stratford with some of my most favouritest facebook friends. 24 hours of food, drink, laughter and feeling so comfortable with people I had barely met. It was wonderful.

Witnessing the fruits ripening on my fruit trees - planted last year in memory of Dad. We have apples, pears and cherries plus plums from the older tree and raspberries from the overgrown canes. They are loving the sunshine. Not quite bumper crops yet, but getting there...

Lunch at a gorgeous undiscovered Devonshire thatched pub with another facebook friend.

Water fights in Mum's pool. We've not used it since Dad died and it was so good to feel the energy and fun of years gone by. Barbeques were had with feeling him watching over us all. It was the hottest weekend of the year so far and it reminded me of being a kid and being able to have a dip before breakfast. I know I felt lucky at the time, but I'm not sure I realised how lucky I was. But then you never do, do you?!

A new batch of yarn, ready for my next project. 

I'm not quite sure what it will be, or when I will start, because I have been so busy doing this...

...a gazillion apple for the teacher magnets!

Fresh flowers from the garden and homemade cakes.

A new base for my gorgeous Folly & Glee lampshade.

Flinging the bedroom windows open wide and taking in the most glorious sunshine and views across Devon.

I do know that life is good, I guess I just need reminders of that every now and again...

It's much easier now the fug of illness has passed, and the sunshine filling my soul. If only I could bottle all this, I guess I would do just fine all year round!

I really hope you are all doing just fine too.

Helen

xx

Getting there...

Morning all! I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your messages of support from my ‘Lost’ blog post – I have had such reassuring feedback which I haven’t actually been able to respond to every one yet but I just wanted to say:

‘Thanks xxx’

I am feeling a lot more positive about things – I still don’t think I really know what I am doing a lot of the time, but I am carrying on with orders and keeping busy! I am trying not to question it so much any more either as I know it will all sort itself out sooner or later. I have a few ideas percolating that I am looking forward to putting into action once I have a bit of spare time.

However, I think there has been another reason for feeling down – after an appointment at the doctor I have been diagnosed with glandular fever! I have been poorly on and off since September with all the symptoms but it’s only now it has been recognised. So, I don’t think that has helped. It’s not easy to feel focused and energised and positive when you are fighting a nasty virus. Unfortunately it keeps rearing its head and so my Doctor has given me permission to take it easy and she emphasised how I really need to start listening to my body, and STOP when it tells me to! Although you and I know, it’s really not that easy!! But I am learning to  be careful now with regards to my energy levels.

Aside all that, this time of year is always a busy one for me – work wise it is all teacher presents and Birthday/Christening gifts and alongside that there is a huge array of school activities – sports day, summer fair, camping trips and the imminent end of my daughter’s primary school days. Yes, she is leaving to go to ‘Big School’ and the thought is terrifying me!! So with everything that is going on it’s unsurprising that I am feeling a little weary…

But it has finally started to feel like summer and the garden is lush and blooming around me so that is keeping me ‘up’. I am making a conscious decision to be spending time and doing things that make me happy - this last month I've been to two wonderful fairs - the Contemporary Craft Fair (where I spent the most best day with good friends) and a fab Vintage fair with another good friend. I have got my crochet hook out again and I've treated myself to some sunshine shoes and a lovely bright tablecloth - that's got to keep me cheerful right?!

And I am enjoying being in my shed sewing away - my teacher gifts are so popular at the moment, I can’t make them quick enough! I am still taking orders for them so if you were keen to bag a few please visit my website and have a little look at what is on offer.

So I want to say another Thank You. To all my friends, everyone who has messaged, and there have been so many. It’s amazing how many of us go through all these feelings of uncertainty, as to whether the path we are on is the right one, when our creativity feels like it has dried up but I am so grateful for the supportive community that I find myself in. You are bloody great, you know that? What on earth would I do without you all?!!

Helen x

The winner is....

Wow - what an amazing reaction to my little competition giveaway, I am so thrilled!! Thank you to everyone for all the likes, shares and comments on my blog. I am glad some of you had a go at finding all the gorgeous things in my home that I've bought from various facebook pages. 

I am so lucky to know so many talented people throughout facebook and I love to support as many independent businesses as I can. I want to have original pieces made with love and passion in my home and facebook enables me to do that! I would encourage all of you to take a look at the following pages (click on their names and it will take you to their page) and drool over their utter amazingness... And it goes without saying that there are many, many other pages that I am going to be purchasing from in the near future! 

Anyway, for those of you who tried to spot them all, here are all the pages and where they were hiding!! (you may need to click on the picture to enlarge...)

1. Julia Crossland Art

2. Kim Anderson Artist & Illustrator

3. Anna Rayment

4. Frandie Macaron

5. Charlotte Bezzant

6. Chambers & Beau

7. Linen Circus

8. Camila Prada

9. Jane Ryan Opi

10. Folly and Glee

11. Rebel Rose

12. Kirsty Elson Designs

13. Quernus Crafts

14. Kyleighs Papercuts

15. Natalie Rymer Art

16. Richard Friend

17. Caroline Rose Art

18. Little Black Heart

Of course, I was there too! Well done to those of you who found them hiding away! I love the fact that all those pages were in the magazine feature with me, holding my hand...

ANYWAY! Enough of that - I expect you are wanting to know who's won a cushion? One of these was up for grabs (your choice of word & fabric...)

I spent an age writing all the names down from the blog and the facebook page, and popped them all in the tin. Eli wanted to get in on the action so here he is, poised and ready...

And the winner is..........

Debbie Martin!! You are the winner!! 

Thank you to everyone who took part and shared some of the Kindred Rose love throughout the last week. I appreciate it so much, you really don't know how much. It means the world that you are loving my little creations, and it is completely humbling. So before I collapse into a blubbering quivering mess, I will go! 

Debbie, if you want to get in touch with me on info@kindredrose.co.uk to let me know what cushion you would like.

Thank you!!!

xxx

A little magazine feature...

I am rather excited today! I have (for the fourth day running) been out to tesco (other supermarkets are available) to see if they have a copy of July's 'Your Home' magazine. And today they did!! 'Why would you do this?' I hear you ask... Well, I just so happen to be in it!!

Last year I got contacted by a very lovely lady called Nicky from White Rabbit Media asking me if I would be interested in going on her books with my house and work. How could I refuse?! And then after a number of communications with her she informed me she had got a magazine interested in featuring me, my house and my work. 

So began a mad panic to turn my house as it was (lovely but very messy and a bit grubby round the edges) into something worthy of a magazine feature! Me and hubby set about giving everything a good clean, but that wasn't quite enough (greasy kids fingerprints all over the walls, peeling paint in areas...) so we decided to give it all a lick of paint. And then some more cleaning, rearranging, buying, staging, flower arranging, and lots of final touches before it was ready. I was so pleased with how it looked.

It was a great day back at the end of April with Nicky here and her photographer friend David Parmiter snapping away to get the right shots. Luckily we were given sunshine and therefore great light for the pictures. They were great company and put me right at ease.

And then the wait. I knew the magazine was out at the beginning of June and so just had to wait. And wait. The last couple of days I've been so eager to see what was created from my interviews with Nicky and the gorgeous photos that David took, and I am so pleased with how it's turned out!

What I must emphasise to everyone though is this: My house DOES NOT look like this usually. This is STAGED and made to look lovely especially for the photos. Before you start hating me because of my immaculate house, it is usually a bit of a cluttered jumbled state! I don't clean on a regular basis (I am far too busy working, playing with the children, having a life) and more often than not the breakfast things have to be cleared away so I can serve tea. 

Ok, so this is quite extreme but I took this at a particularly bad time to show you what it can look like!!

The usual chaos of the lounge!!

So as lovely as these photos are, it has really given me insight to how much work is involved to get a house looking it's best. Granted, some people live in cleanliness and immaculateness all the time, but not me!

The beauty of my perfectly staged house lasted until approximately 5.17pm when the kids wanted tea, they chucked their uniforms on their bedroom floor, I opened a bottle of wine, ate all the macarons and a pile of letters from the school started forming on the kitchen side... 

But I've got the photos and the magazine to remind me that once, for one day, it looked perfect.

Now... I am SO chuffed with how the feature looks that I have decided to do a little competition. As you know, I adore many many pages on facebook and tend to spend far too much money supporting my fellow creatives and displaying them at home. I have counted that I have 20 (!!) fellow facebookers' work on display in the feature. How many can you find? (it's a bit like Where's Wally!)  

(Clue - one of them is me!!) (Another clue - I am wearing 2 of them...) 

I have decided to give away one of my word cushions (your choice of word and fabric from my collection) to a person picked at random in a weeks time. All you have to do is comment below with who you can find and share the love through facebook or twitter too!! You may find it easier to see details on my facebook photos - you can find them on my page here if you don't have a copy of the magazine.

I will let you know all the right answers next week and show you where they are in the feature...

Good luck!!!