MIA Crafter...

So for the last two weeks I have been MIA, but I have a good reason. We have a cousin who got married on October 28th. On the 15th she asked me to make her bouquets, six ribbon flower bouquets - bridal, tossing and four bridesmaid - and I couldn't meet with her until the 17th to actually pick out ribbon colors and discuss what she wanted. Once everything was figured out, I spent the following week and a half doing nearly nothing but sewing ribbon flowers and crafting bouquet embellishments. In all I ended up with around six dozen flowers and two dozen embellishments. 

It was stressful, my whole house suffered and my poor hubby had to deal with nearly two weeks of me being cranky. In the end it was all worth it when I delivered the bouquets and saw the bride's face. She loved them, said they were better than she could have expected even though she knew they would be beautiful. 

So here are three of the six bouquets that nearly cost me my sanity. :) I am very happy with how they turned out. She had a Halloween themed wedding, complete with guests being required to wear costumes (which was more stress considering I had to make a costume for myself as well) and her colors were a rich red, black and white.

Here you can see the bridal bouquet in the vase, the tossing bouquet to the right and the maid of honor bouquet to the left. The only difference between the maid of honor bouquet and the other bridesmaid is the sparkly black pendant set to the front of bouquet. 

The bridal had several accents that made it really stand out. The bride loves sparkly, blingy accents. Knowing that, I crafted some rhinestone accents out of cup-chain with clear stones and silver wire and incorporated a really pretty iridescent ribbon both in the bouquet and circling it. This bouquet really stood out in front of her dress. The bridesmaids bouquets were smaller but made of the same style flowers and accents. They did not get any rhinestones, but they did get some bicone accents in the wedding colors. The tossing bouquet was the smallest of the bouquets but still had some major impact. It was also the biggest pain the neck to make. Probably because it was the last and I was trying to hurry to get everything done to deliver the flowers in the afternoon, the day before the wedding.

I loved being able to do this for our cousin. The joy in her face when she saw them, the surprise when I told her she didn't have to pay and they were her wedding gift. It took a lot of stress off her - especially considering she gave herself a total of 28 days to plan the wedding! Naturally, her big day was beautiful and filled with family and love. And I'm happy to know I had a small part in making the day so special for her. 

A Beaded Bouquet

My step-daughter got married at the end of June this year and I was happy to make as much as I could for her. It helped her save a lot of money and I got to feel very involved with her most special day. I was also fortunate enough to be able to do the photography for her special day which included a bridal session a couple of weeks before hand.

It was at the bridal session that I got this great shot of the bouquet I hand crafted just for her. It is made of hand beaded two-tone purple wisteria framing lace and ribbon flowers and three giant hand beaded iridescent gardenias. This lovely cascading style bouquet garnered much attention from those who saw it and I was so proud that I could give her something that made her day that much more special.

This bouquet was very heavy, so the groom was warned not to say or do anything stupid the day of the wedding because it could be a weapon. It now sits in her bedroom, in a display box on her dresser, as a reminder of her very special day!

Red & White Ribbon Flowers

I love making ribbon flowers. They are so delicate looking, so easy to customize and they have so many uses. Used them in my daughter-in-law's bridal party bouquets. Those bouquets really served as inspiration for future bouquets.

Like this one made of rich red and crisp white satin ribbon. Each flower is accented with a faceted, AB   acrylic bead at its center. The bouquet is criss-crossed with a delicate string of white faux pearls and is ringed with loops of glittery green ribbon. The bouquet is finished with its stems being wrapped in white satin ribbon.

The detail of ribbon flowers can be better appreciated in this close up picture.

This bouquet offers a dramatic touch of elegance that is sure to stand out against a lovely white dress.

I am currently working on several more ribbon flower bouquets, in more colors and using different techniques and styles. I am really excited about these, and if there is enough interest, I may even write up a tutorial on how to make these ribbon flower. So leave a comment and tell me if you want a tutorial!

Faux Flower Bouquet

 Ok, so I dropped the ball last week and wasn't able to get the pictures taken of the bouquets. So here is one set I have currently available for sale in my etsy store.


This set of bouquets includes one larger and one smaller bouquet, a total of two bouquets that match perfectly. They are made of creamy roses and vibrant pink hydrangeas and delicate lily of the valley stems.

The smaller bouquet, pictured above, has two roses and contrast with the lovely pink shades in the hydrangeas. This bouquet would be perfect as a tossing bouquet so you can keep your main bridal bouquet as a keepsake of your big day. Or if you only have a maid of honor in your bridal party, let her carry this lovely bouquet.

Above is the larger bouquet. I love the way the creamy white roses contrast with the bright tones in the hydrangeas. This is a lovely, classic bouquet that can be replicated and customized to match any wedding color. 

Bridal bouquets and sets are a current passion of mine. I prefer to make the flowers in my bouquets or at least use options that give a unique spin to the big day. Of course, there are times that store bought, faux flowers can add that perfect touch to the most special day in a couple's life together.

Bridesmaid Bouquet

We are going to finish this week with the bridesmaids bouquet. My bride has a bit of an eclectic sense of style. She wanted to incorporate one of her favorite flowers, the daisy, in to the wedding some how but didn't want to have them fill her bouquet. So she opted have her bridesmaids carry them.

The bouquet is very simple and has her wedding colors. The pearl and ribbon accents just fill everything in. 

In the end, I think these will look lovely coming down the aisle. They will not take away from the bridal party while adding the fun splash of color that will perfectly compliment the outdoor wedding.

Hair Flowers With A Little Bling

So my bride was not sure if she wanted to wear a tiara or not. So I made this side tiara as a possible alternative for her. 


Two simple satin flowers with glass rhinestone accents that their centers. Cup chain rhinestones are wire wrapped to the metal headband, adding a little bit of glitz to a very simple hair accessory.

As you can see, the flowers are offset in such a way that the flowers can be worn on either side.

In the end, my bride decided to stick to just a veil. So, I have put this lovely bridal hair accessory in my etsy shop - just in case you want to make this little beauty all yours!

Bridal Jewelry

The bride did not want to go with the typical glitzy bridal jewelry. Given that her dress has a lovely lace overlay and beautiful beading, she wanted to keep the jewelry simple. She also wanted to add a splash of color, aside from the sash on her dress.


So I can up with this lovely and simple necklace which brings together one the wedding's primary colors (purple) and the accent color (silver) with the butterfly decor.

I used a simple white organza ribbon so the butterfly seems to float above her chest. There is a simple purple glass pearl and tiny white pearl drop at the end of the extension loops.

The drop at the clasp match the elegant drop earrings I made. These are so simple but will be a great accent to the simple, down hairstyle she is thinking about.

So as you can see, the bride will have some simple but very elegant and classy jewelry to accent her dress. I think the simplicity is a perfect match for her outdoor, summer wedding.

Butterfly Brides Maids...

March is National Craft Month and this month I have set some goals for my productivity for this month. I have a lot I want to get accomplished and I am hoping I can meet my goals with the limited time I have each day.


Anyway, I am going to start this month with the long promised pictures of custom order items for an upcoming wedding. I am going to start with the bridesmaids necklaces. The theme of the wedding is all "Two Hearts, One Love" with a healthy dose of butterflies used as accents. 


It took a lot of searching before I found these glass butterfly pendants.

I used satin and organza ribbon to lighten the necklace. That pendant is pretty solid, so I made sure to add a couple drops of super glue to the ends to help insure the ribbon will not come lose from the closures. 

The bride was very happy with how these turned out. So I am happy! Check back tomorrow for another piece from this custom wedding order...

Flower Girls Baskets

I wanted to make something really unique for these baskets. So I went for elegant, simple stripes and modern, fun embellishments.

 The basket is only five inches tall and five inches square at the top. The fun modern flowers on the front add a dramatic element to each basket.

A close-up of the flower embellishment and beaded handle. The green beads and green fabric in the flowers almost perfectly matches the green in the basket and the dresses.

With the custom order completed and delivered, it's time to get to work on other projects. I have another wedding I'm working on multiple projects for as well as creating inventory for my etsy store. Come back tomorrow to get an idea of what's coming next!

The Throw Away Bouquet

The final bouquet is one that is sometimes overlooked: the bouquet to toss at the eager female guests. When you use silk flowers to create your bouquet you have the luxury of keeping the bouquet perfect for many years. Because it becomes a keepsake you really don't want to toss it.


With that in mind, I used the flowers that were left over to create a simple bouquet perfect to be tossed.

I criss-crossed some pearl stems over each white flower. The stems are wrapped in white and lime green ribbons. It is a simple bouquet sure to make some lucky guest feel very special!


On Monday, I will show you the flower girls baskets I designed for this special day!

Matron of Honor Gets Something Less Than Matronly

The matron of honor is my daughter-in-law. I know her personality and it matches the brides - fun loving and youthful. I knew she would need a simple but dramatic bouquet. It needed to be smaller than the brides' and be elegant but fun.

I took this picture before wrapping the stems in white and lime green ribbon. The bouquet fits perfectly what I wanted to accomplish! It's simple, elegant, fun and dramatic. It will look quite lovely coming down the aisle.


One more bouquet to share - come back tomorrow to see it!

The Brides Flowers

First priority on this custom order was the bridal bouquet. The bride told me she loved the large flowers, she wanted lots of them. With this and the knowledge I had of the bride's personality, I knew I had to do something very dramatic. So I separated all the stems and started playing with different shapes.


It didn't take long to figure out a cascading bouquet would be perfect. It would be dramatic without overwhelming the bride or covering the dress. 

The true dramatic impact fails to come through in this picture. It is a large, beautiful bouquet with an inverted teardrop shape. The bride was thrilled.


Come back tomorrow to see what I did for the matron of honor!

Custom Orders Keep Me Busy!

I love getting custom orders from brides that know they want something unique but not quite sure what they want. The freedom affords me the opportunity to create beautiful, unique items to perfectly compliment their special day.

A friend of my step-son is getting married in the middle of this month so I asked if there was anything she needed help with. She quickly accepted my offer, needing help considering the short time remaining and the tight budget she was working with. She needed help with the bouquets and two flower girls baskets. Not a problem I said and a day later she was dropping off her supplies.

These are the flowers she brought me and pearl stems for embellishment.

Her colors are lime green, black and white. She fell in love with these small black leafy flowers as an accent.

These white flowers remind me of hibiscus flowers, which is what I opted for fern greenery to accent the slightly tropical feel.

The white flowers got covered in silver glitter fabric paint to add a little more interest. Almost as soon as she left the materials with me, I was beginning to work out what I wanted to do for the bouquets.

Come back tomorrow to see what I came up with!

Wedding Jewelry

The last thing I did for the wedding was the bridal party jewelry. The bride herself had jewelry, but wanted something appropriate for her attendants. The bridesmaids wore strapless, royal purple dresses and the bride wanted to keep the jewelry simple and elegant.

I found lovely snowflake pendants accented with Swarovski crystals and paired them with a simple silver chain broken up by white glass pearls. The look was understated and classic. Plus, each of her attendants had a beautiful piece of jewelry that would always remind them of the special role they played in her special day.

Flower Girls Baskets

With two flower girls, there needed to be two baskets. The baskets also needed larger than baskets that I was finding in stores. The bride wanted snow dropped down the aisle rather than traditional flower petals as to keep with the snowflake theme.

I ended up finding a great pattern online for a fabric basket. The pattern that I found was geared more towards being an Easter basket, but using a snowflake print material instantly made it wedding appropriate. The basket retains its shape because of the heavy duty, double-sided fusible interfacing.

Once the base of each basket was completed, I strung large plastic pearls on to 18 gauge wire to construct the handle. The handle was sewn into place and the basket was finished with an accent bow in the wedding color and large, irridescent crystal button.

Seeing my adorable nieces walk down the aisle, tossing a delicate layer of snowflakes had an amazing effect.

Happy Crafting All!

Ring-Bearer Pillow

There is no more important accessory to a wedding than the ring-bearer pillow. It is the showcase for the rings the bride and groom will exchange as a symbol to their ever-lasting love. The pillow should fit the theme of the wedding adding continuity to the ceremony decor, but it should not over power or overshadow the rings.

Keeping with the snowflake theme, I used silver-lined seed beads to stitch a snowflake design onto white sateen. I decided to make the sateen in to a pillow cover and made a simple pillow insert. Now the pillow cover can be easily added to a scrapbook or shadow box. The pillow was finished with a thin white ribbon to secure the rings to the pillow for the walk down the aisle.

Happy Crafting All!

Guest Book...

The guestbook at a wedding is so important to the couple once the day is over. There is just not always enough time to spend with all of the guests that attend the ceremony and reception. Having everyone sign in is a great way to remember everyone that attended and know who to send thank you cards to.

My step-son and his bride decided on a snowflake theme for their wedding. So all of the accessories had to match that theme. When I was deciding on what to do with the guestbook, I knew I wanted to do something special. Most guestbooks are five pages of signatures and fifty blank pages. I wanted to give the couple a book they would be happy to look through again and again.

For the outside, I created a book cover out of white sateen and used white embroidery thread to stitch a snowflake. It was a long process but so worth it when it was finished. The completed cover fit snuggly over the book and looked amazing.

Each page was hand made and embellished with either snowflakes, ribbon in the wedding colors or a picture of the couple. By making each page a little different, the entire book is unique and filled with visual memories of the day that will last forever.

The guestbook must also have a matching pen. I bought a plain silver guestbook pen on a clear plastic base. There was not much that needed to be done to this. Because of the small size, too much embellishing would have easily been overkill. To decorate the base, I cut the tabs off of silver snowflake brads that I found in the scrapbook section of Michaels. Using double-sided adhesive foam, it was easy to fix the embellishments to the base.

This is how the guestbook was presented to guests the day of the wedding.

Happy Crafting All!

For The Bridesmaids...

Yesterday I showed you the bridal bouquet from an important wedding last November. Today, I'm sharing the bridesmaids bouquets.

These arrangements were made in line with the bridal bouquet, each featuring a beaded lily centerpiece surrounded by ribbon flowers. The ribbon flowers coordinate with the the wedding colors and the bridesmaid dresses.

As you can see, the Matron of Honor's bouquet was just slightly different indicating her place in the bridal party. Her arrangement featured more the dark purple than the others.

The effect was amazing and the best compliment I received was when the photographer's assistant stated he didn't even realize they weren't real flowers.

All told, the flowers were a little tedious to make, only because I don't like doing the same thing over and over. But the end result was well worth the tedium.

Happy Crafting All!

Bridal Bouquet

When my step-son got in engaged, I was eager to lend a crafty hand to help the young couple out. Weddings are expensive, especially if you want something you unique and hand crafted to made the day special. He and his intended happily accepted my offer and I was asked to make several important items. I'm going to spend this week showcasing the items I made for them.

First up is the bridal bouquet. This is always a key accessory for the bride. Many times it's the only splash of color to be seen against the white of the bride's dress.

The only instructions I received from the bride was that she lilies and a cascading bouquet. So I decided to take the opportunity to try beaded and ribbon flowers. For the centerpiece of the arrangement, I made 3 beaded lilies using 3mm plastic pearls and gold seed beads for the stamens.

The remainder of the flowers were all made out of ribbon that followed the chosen wedding colors. The puffy silver faux-carnations were some of my favorites. They added a little sparkle while filling out the bouquet. To achieve the cascading look, ribbons in the same colors and textures as those in the bouquet, flowed down from the arrangement in varying lengths.

This was a great thing for me to make. It challenged me and offered the chance to try something new. I loved every tedious moment of it.

Happy Crafting All!