Spring is everything winter is not, where it stays and lingers within your bones. Spring comes slowly, then quickly breezes through its passing stages. It reminds us every year, even as the days grow longer, how truly fleeting life is. And nothing shows this more than the first blooming flowers. The Tulips greet the sun, then wither as the warmth grows. Daffodils shine brightly for spring celebrations, and then make their swift exit before fragrant bundles of Hyacinth have their moment too.
This April organically came to life in a palette of soft pinks and greens. Leftover Alstroemeria, Queen Anne’s Lace, Feverfew Daisies, White Hyacinth and Ranunculus from a photo shoot, brought a repurposed cake stand back to life. The most enchanting scented Pink Jasmine filled corners of my home.
And in case you missed it, we embarked on a new creative venture over on Substack. With Heirloom Collective the intention is to foster a community where we embrace slow living and the simple pleasures of life — to breathe new life and meaning into the old, the overlooked, the homemade and homegrown…Hope you enjoy!
For now, enjoy learning about designing organic contemporary designs in upcycled pieces below…
R E P U R P O S I N G T H E B R O K E N
One of my largest ceramic cake stands finally met its end this Spring. The top breaking in two clean, but unusable pieces, yet the base remained perfectly intact. On the table it sat, my eyes gazing upon it every time, pondering its design. Sure, it now would become a versatile base for any sort of cake stand topper; a plate, silver platter or wooden cutting board. But I was looking at it beyond what was expected of it. Its shape, simple yet contemporary, especially when our perspective embraced it on its head.
With a deep hollow center, it holds a wonderful amount of water to sustain flowers. So, the small hole at its base was filled with 3 layers of hot glue, and then prepped with a pin frog and tape grip to become a vase.
O R G A N I C // C O N T E M P O R A R Y // R O M A N T I C
It may seem like a minimal amount of flowers, but the voluminous Queen Anne’s Lace and Light Pink Alstroemeria, also known as the Peruvian Lily, were all that was needed to anchor this design. Here, we off-centered the pink blooms drawing your eye directly onto them. Queen Anne’s Lace, is one of my absolute favorites. Evoking nature at its most wild self, it adds a rich organic movement to any design.
White Hyacinth were placed low, both embracing their natural downward shape and weight, as well as hide our tape grid mechanics. Dainty sprigs of Feverfew Daisies filled in the negative spaces, while adding just a pop of contrasting color.
With only three Ranunculus stems, these round layered flowers were sure to stand out wherever placed. Again, we chose to arrange them on one side, creating a more contemporary style. “Staircase” in floral design often refers to placing stems in a way that looks like the steps of a staircase. Typically this technique shouldn’t be done literally, it should be seamless; cohesive to the natural movement of the centerpiece.
Even with the ranunculus’ notable height difference, it added a whimsical style to the arrangement. Since it’d be placed back on my tabletop, I didn’t fuss too much.
Flowers always remind me to breathe slowly and enjoy that moment. That familiarity and determination brings with it a romance that you can’t touch or even sometimes define. It just is. — Lucy the Flower Hunter
…a broken cake stand, now restored and given a chance to reinvent itself…
P I N K J A S M I N E
Jasmine…a simple bunch and its captivating beauty. It’s one of my favorite flowering vines for its long ethereal movement only nature itself could create. Enamored by its delicately powerful scent and refreshingly floral flavors sipped as tea — Jasmine always transports me into a moment of serenity.
And that is very much the beautiful power of flowers and plants.
Jasmine is known for its calming and uplifting powers, both mentally and physically. These lovely blooms are known amongst cultures to symbolize divine love, spiritual awakening and a purity of the soul. This enticingly revered fragrance, is said to transport oneself to a higher realm, thus expanding relaxation. It’s a very common scent and infused oil, made through a process called Enfleurage, used amongst spas and during massages.
This arrangement was meant to showcase its simple grandeur. As if freshly gathered from the garden, placed in a vase and allowed to work its magic. Jasmine vines will continue to bloom even once cut, as long as it has buds and the stems remain in fresh water.
A N E W L I F E
This vase is also a quick upcycling project. Given to me by someone who thought I’d get better use from it, for years it stood in the corner amongst my other vessels, never used by me too. Because it was clear, it never was the right fit for an event’s design. Until one day it finally clicked, that I should simply paint it to resemble a hand-thrown ceramic.
It was the easiest project, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t done it sooner. And guess what? I’ve now used this vase several times for events and stylings.
H O W T O … combine two to three different shades of neutral acrylic paint colors. I like incorporating varying tones to create a natural stone-like appearance. Whether you prefer warmer hues or cooler, is up to you.
- For the thick appearance of clay, I painted on 4 coats, making sure each layer dried well before the next.
- Paint the inside of your vase opening ONLY until you can see it from the side/slightly above. You don’t want to completely paint the inside, as even with a sealer, once filled with water the paint will slowly come off.
- Once completely dry, you’ll want to seal it preventing chipping and water damage. The easiest to use is Mod Podge that comes in different Gloss finishes, as well as Matte, which is often what I use.
- The Waterproof/Dishwasher safe version of Mod Podge is great to have on hand, especially when sealing projects intended for water use, such as this.
- Note :: even by using a sealer, overtime you may need to touch up any scratches or paint that comes off with natural wear
The flowers, plants and all that grows from the powerful depths of Nature, are more than pretty things. They are nourishment for our bodies, mind, soul, and of our communities. All which grows, is the essence of how we breathe and live in the everyday…
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