Saturday, April 12

The Fruit of My Labor



Well, he's not the fruit of my labor - but he was one of the perks. The shop I worked in all week is in a strip shopping center, and it borders a beautiful, small lake with sweeping lawns. This lake is home to at least 50 Canada geese, and today, as I worked in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, this guy became curious enough to visit. I cropped the photo so you wouldn't see the present he left for me (on the sidewalk no less). A steamy pile, if ever there was one.....LOL. Was he critiquing my flower arrangements? By the time I grabbed the camera, he had turned and was waddling back into the grassy area but by tapping on the glass, I got him to turn his head to look at me. My friend and co-coworker went outside to toss him a piece of cantaloupe, but he wasn't interested and began pecking around in the grass. Later, he went back to the melon. I think he just didn't want us to know he liked it. Ingrate.


This is a bride's tossing bouquet that I made today. It has freesia, roses, alstroemeria (Peruvian lily), parrot tulips, bupleurum, seeded eucalyptus and lisianthus. After I took this photo, I tied on some beautiful sheer, wired ribbon with satin edges and left long streamers so that when the bride tosses it, it will look beautiful flying through the air.



A woman brought this ironstone cachepot into the shop and told the owner that she wanted an arrangement made to look like a hat. She left a sketch of what she wanted it to look like, and her idea was that it be made with feathers or ferns coming high off one side of the hat and "dripping" gems or jewelry on the left. You can barely see the gems. but they are attached to very small wires on the lower left. Her color scheme was cream, white and green. I think I captured it well enough; she was very happy when she came to the shop to get it.



I asked her what the occasion was, and she said it was for a party for an older friend's birthday. Her friend was a lover of vintage hats and clothing. Two other arrangements that she ordered were in containers made from formed wire to look like a teapot and a cup of tea. They were wonderful (another designer made them) and I should have taken a photo of them too, but I didn't.


There were many other things I worked on and didn't get to photograph; there is not much time to stand around taking pictures in a busy shop, especially on a day when you have 2 weddings and a lot of prom corsages and boutonnieres to do. Maybe next time.

28 comments:

Sara said...

Hi, Michele sent me today to say - WOW. Your flower creations are beautiful. I have no talent in that area. I can even mess up those little bunches of flowers they sell in the grocery store!!!

G in Berlin said...

Just beautifu, your arrangements.

JeanMac said...

You're so talented! I always love your pictures. The "hat" arrgmt shows great ingenuity.

Beverly said...

I love the goose! And I especially like the flowers. Your brides must be so pleased with the arrangements you do for them.

The "hat" is so creative. I love the ferns for feathers.

Spicy said...

You are definitely an artiste! What beautiful arrangements!
Also love the cartoons...it makes my day.

Star said...

You are so creative Judy. It must be very satisfying to create something, and to have the client pleased with it.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I always love when you share the Flower Arrangements that you create Judy...And these two are absolutely gorgeous---That Cachpot Arrangement is INSPIRED! I think you captured what that lady wanted perfectly!

Love that Canadain Goose, too....! I am just odd enough that I wouldn't mind seeing that present he left you...lol!

Panthergirl said...

I love seeing your work!! The "hat" is just gorgeous. You are so talented, Judy! Keep the photos coming... just love them.

Wendy said...

Absolutely beautiful! Wish I could make flowers sing like you do!! And that goose looked right at home in front of your shop.
Didn't think you'd have to "poop and scoop" a goose did you??? LOL.

Anonymous said...

The floral creations are gorgeous, I really love those roses, they're so beautiful in that pot, I like the hat idea & can really see it too.
Cute goose too, he's so close!
Michele sent me to check out what you've been doing & feel somewhat envious that you get to be so creative in your job!

LZ Blogger said...

Judy ~ I love the Canadian Goose photo. But then... I love all birds! ~ jb///

brendalove@gmail.com said...

Canadian geese are famous for leaving lots and lots of steamy little presents!

Joy Des Jardins said...

Oh those flowers.....so beautiful Judy. You really do wonderful work.

Pat said...

Well done catching the duck/bird. Never easy. The flowers are so pretty. It must be a joy to be working in such a creative atmosphere. I enjoy house work - up top a point - but there isn't anything very creative about it.

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Ahh, it's flower season. How wonderful! (well, maybe not for you, who is busy, but it does make the time pass.)

Michele sent me to day to ogle your work. I am very envious; flowers seem like an art above my talents.

Anonymous said...

I'll never forget the time I visited an island off the coast of the beach town I'm from and it was literally littered with goose droppings. I didn't know what they were and someone had to tell me.

I do love that bouquet!! Michele would too.

Lisa said...

your arrangements are just stunning. simply amazing.

Shelly said...

Inspiring....absolutely beautiful. That "hat" arrangement really got me, I just stared at it for quite a while. ;o

craziequeen said...

Michele sent me here today, Judy, to say what beautiful bouquets you made :-D

As for the Canada Geese, they are very unpopular at my work, because they arrive in groups and try and push the swans out of our lake. The swans have precedence, it's been their lake for years!

But, hey, they are very handsome birds!

cq

Rue said...

Gorgeous flowers! I really wish I had more talent in that area. I have perfected the tight one kind of flower bouquet though LOL Anyway, very nice!

rue :)

Rick Rockhill said...

those floral arrangements are absolutely stunning. I love fresh flowers.

Lois Lane said...

I love your work! Especially your photo cropping abilities. LOL!

carmilevy said...

I hope you don't take the goose-gift as a sign of international nastiness between our great nations. Despite my immense pride at all things Canadian, I, too, recognize how truly nasty our Canadian Geese can be. Lovely to look at, but truly mean-tempered avians.

I am amazed at your gift of converting a stranger's conceptual request into something so perfectly beautiful. Lightning zapped the right spot when you were born.

ProducerClaire said...

Wow! Absolutely awesome! I wish I could do that - guess i'll just stick to my yarn crafts

Fran aka Redondowriter said...

So beautiful!

Diane Mandy said...

Beautiful arrangements, Judy!

OldHorsetailSnake said...

Do artists like you get to spell it "artiste"?

Shephard said...

I love your "hat arrangement." Very creative and fun.
~S