Going Floral with Pink Amaryllis




Image courtesy of Julia @Pink Amaryllis

Today I’m going all floral with Pink Amaryllis, a bespoke fabric flower business run by Julia Allum. If you are looking for something a little bit different for your wedding bouquet then Julia is the lady for the job. Her bouquets can include all of your own special family trinkets and treasures adding a personal touch to your special day. Julia was kind enough to spend some time giving me an insight into what led her to create Pink Amaryllis and discussed what makes her bouquets so unique. 

Image courtesy of Julia @Pink Amaryllis

Here is what Julia had to say about getting started with Pink Amaryllis…

 
“I have been making crochet flowers and selling them on Folksy since 2011, but it wasn’t until last year that I started making other fabric flowers for weddings. I got engaged in July last year and having a background in floristry wanted to do my own flowers for the wedding. I originally wanted fresh flowers but after thinking about it didn’t really want the stress of sorting out my flowers the day before our wedding. The idea of making a  fabric bouquet stemmed from wanting a corsage to customise the secondhand dress I had bought from eBay. I had a little look on the web for some inspiration and realised not only could I make a corsage but I could make the bouquet too. This meant I could make my own flowers months in advance and save the last minute stress!”


Image courtesy of Julia @Pink Amaryllis


As explained by Julia, here is what makes her bouquets truly one of a kind…

 
Image courtesy of Julia @Pink Amaryllis
“There are lots of handmade bouquets around on the Internet but I think what makes mine a little different is the mixture of fabrics and techniques. I like to create as many different textures in my designs. My flowers are made from crochet, felt, cotton fabrics, silky fabrics, ribbon & lace with added beads, buttons, diamantes and brooches. Each flower has its own stem so once made they are arranged as fresh flowers would be. I like to re use and recycle where ever possible sourcing many of my materials from second hand shops. When I do buy new I like to support other small independent retailers, my local little haberdashery just 2 minutes down the road is one of my favourites. I will happily include fabrics, or small jewellery pieces a bride may have to incorporate into their bouquet to make it truly unique to them”


Image courtesy of Julia @Pink Amaryllis
Julia made her own beautiful bouquet including roses made from off cuts from her wedding dress, lace daisies from her mother’s wedding dress, a flower from her mothers bouquet, diamantes from her mothers childhood ballroom dresses, a flower from her christening cake and some of her grandmother’s earrings. Julia loves designing personal and unique bouquets and will include any fabric or accessories that are special to you. The advantage of fabric flowers is that they will last forever as a precious keepsake from your wedding day. They are also a great alternative for anyone with allergies.
 
Image courtesy of Julia @Pink Amaryllis

If you would like Julia to make you a

bespoke bouquet you can contact her at hello@pinkamaryllis.co.uk or via the contact form on her website, which you can find by clicking here. She is also currently having a giveaway on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/pinkamaryllis so sign up as a fan to be in with a chance to win.

Keep up to date with new designs and news on Julia’s website www.pinkamaryllis.co.uk where there will be many more gorgeous flowers to come.

 

Flutter Away with Flutter Designs




Flutter Designs – image by Helen  
@Littledetailsphotography

Enter the world of butterflies and flutter away with Flutter Designs created by a lovely lady called Sophie. Flutter Designs initially began as a hobby giving Sophie an outlet for her inner creativity. Since then things have grown and Sophie now has her own thriving business selling gorgeous butterfly brooches, hair clips, necklaces and bracelets. Sophie’s butterflies come in all colours and patterns imaginable and custom orders are always welcome. These beautiful accessories are made from fabrics such as silk and Liberty of London Tana Lawn Cotton. The passion that Sophie puts into her creations is clear and each butterfly is handcrafted with great care and made complete with dazzling Swarovski crystals for added sparkle and bling! These little butterflies are so cute that they have to be seen to be believed so hop over to her website www.flutterdesigns.co.uk to give your eyes a treat.

Flutter Designs – image by Helen
@Littledetailsphotography

Recently Sophie has been working with the fabulous photographer Helen Walsh at Little Details Photography to create some of the stunning images shown here that suggest how silk butterflies can be used on your special day. I think they would look fantastic almost anywhere.  Use them to add pretty and unusual touches to your wedding and bridesmaid dresses. Attach them to your bouquet for a fabulous finishing touch, or use them as table decorations and name cards. They would also make a breathtaking addition to a wedding cake.

Flutter Designs – image by Helen
@Littledetailsphotography

Besides selling through her online shop a small selection of Sophie’s butterflies are also available at Donna Marie Gifts located in Stockton Heath, Warrington, Cheshire. Sophie frequently holds market evenings on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/Flutter2me where you can purchase all of her latest unique creations.


For all enquiries you can contact Sophie at flutterdesigns@hotmail.co.uk


Flutter Designs – image by Helen
@Littledetailsphotography

Brilliant Button Bouquets by Rubydoodles Jewellery

While browsing at all the handmade gorgeousness online yesterday I came across a fantastic little business called RubyDoodles Jewellery and their beautiful Button Bouquets really caught my eye. I can’t get over how fabulous this Alice in Wonderland Bouquet is.
Image courtesy of RubyDoodles Jewellery
Each of the 110 stems have been made by hand and embellished with exquisite little charms and buttons and handmade polymer clay pieces such as roses, playing cards and a Mad Hatters hat! A steal at £125, I think this is simply amazing! There is even one cute little button hole included and if you need extra button holes or matching bridesmaids bouquets these can be made for you.
Image courtesy of RubyDoodles Jewellery

To whet your appetite even further take a peek at their kitsch and nautical creations…



Image courtesy of RubyDoodles Jewellery
Image courtesy of RubyDoodles Jewellery


Image courtesy of RubyDoodles Jewellery
RubyDoodles Jewellery is run by Sam and Gaynor, a mother and daughter duo. And what a team they make with fantastic trinkets and treasures in their Folksy shop RubyDoodles Jewellery. Each piece of jewellery is carefully handcrafted and their range is incredibly diverse from classical to quirky, rockabilly and bridal. A number of their items are completely unique one-of-a-kind pieces that will be the envy of all your friends and have them wondering where you made such an unusual find.  
 
The lovely duo at RubyDoodles Jewellery welcome custom orders on all jewellery and bouquets and you can contact them through their Folksy shop or via email at rubydoodlesjewellery@gmail.com to make enquiries about your own theme and colours. And for those with crafty hands they even run workshops on how to make your very own button bouquet which you can find details of by clicking here and joining their Facebook page.

 
So go on and grab a little bit of fabulousness for your special day and dish out some bouquet envy!

How to Make Paper Roses

Handmade Wedding Place Card with Paper Rose

Paper roses are so easy to make and add pretty finishing touches to your venue. Stick them to the top of place cards or table numbers and use them to create beautiful centre pieces. Make flower garlands and hang them around the room or over the backs of chairs. The uses for them are endless and when you see how simple they are to make you will be coming up with all kinds of novel ideas about how and where to display them on your big day. The added bonus is that they are an incredibly cheap alternative to real flowers, and with a little time and handiwork they can look just as fantastic. So grab a group of your favourite friends and get practicing with this step-by-step tutorial. You will have hundreds of gorgeous flowers to get decorating with in no time.

❤ Step 1. Select the paper which you wish to use. Experiment with different colours and patterns to fit your wedding theme. For the purpose of this tutorial I have used an old orange envelope to show how any scraps can look just as effective. Magazines and old books look great too. Start by drawing a swirly pattern on the paper as shown below.

❤ Step 2. Simply follow the line that you have just drawn and cut out your swirly pattern
❤ Step 3. This creates a long curly spring of paper. Cut off any excess paper.
❤ Step 4. Start rolling the paper up from the outside in. Do this until you reach the end and you can’t roll anymore.
❤ Step 5. Give the rolled paper a little pinch at the bottom to hold it in place and then fan it out so that it takes shape in the palm of your hand. The roses can then be secured with a dab of glue to hold them together.
Ta daaa!

 

Once you get the technique you won’t need to draw the pattern out first and will just be able to cut out a long curly strip of paper. This prevents the ink from being seen on the edge of the flowers after you have made them. However, you may think this gives them extra effect and choose to keep them this way. Experiment with whatever works best for you.

Lots of handmade love

Michelle xxx

Having a Hoot

So today we are going to be looking at our first gorgeous little handmade business! How exciting! I really can’t wait to show you the most gorgeous little creatures I have ever seen. Yes, creatures! Today it’s all about ‘having a hoot’ and ‘hooting around’ with some rather charming little owls created by a lovely lady called Tracy Bullingham-Nash. Here are her beautiful Hoot couples in love…

Image courtesy of Tracy Bullingham-Nash

I think these Hoots would be a fantastic gift for couples on their wedding day. If it was up to me I would have them seated at the top table or maybe over by the wedding cake because I think they are simply fantastic. I was even lucky enough to own one of the first few hoots that Tracy ever made, so I can vouch for the quality of these adorable little chaps. Needless to say I have been a repeat customer and all of my friends have had Hoots for their birthdays and Christmas’s!

Image courtesy of Tracy Bullingham-Nash
You can find Tracy’s Hoots at Wrapture Gifts in Morcambe and you can contact her through her Facebook page ONE of a KIND (Made with Love) where she now has over 2000 fans! She is always open to custom orders and can make Hoots in any colour or style that your heart desires. She has even recently made a bespoke Zombie Hoot!!!
What more could you want on your wedding day than your own little owl caricature, although maybe not quite the zombie kind. A zombie wedding… Now that would be a different one wouldn’t it…