On my online workbook this week: Tail End Of The Season

Dear

This week's inspiration is summer clinging on here in Vancouver… but being determined to find autumn.

It’s so easy to think a minimal or smaller design is less effort than a larger display. Actually it is not. The more minimal or smaller the design the more every single detail matters.

In this design the colour choices are all important. Beginning with the twig exactly matching the faded sweet pea vine. Not by accident… very little happens by accident if your design is tiny.

Next is the violas… the pale cream of the petals again perfectly matches the faded foliage but the inside is a hint to the orange of the Chinese Lanterns.

And then came the tricky part. The lanterns are carefully hand picked from my balcony garden to be pale. Pale orange, pale green and the palest of brown hints. Anything too harsh would distract…so when it came to tying it all together with a few green tendrils I had to search the sweet pea plants to carefully remove only the palest of green tendrils.

If you design with something often try growing it yourself. Especially if it is not something you can buy. This gives you a lot more options. My main priority is growing vines. I always have Jasmine, Sweet pea and passion fruit. And I grow them with cutting in mind- so that they have long shoots for weaving, twirling and all sorts of designing. This gives me options when it comes to tendrils. Because how frustrating is it that bought flowers never include those lovely tendrils!?!

Enjoy!

Every good wish,

Christine