The Craft Begins

It’s springtime and all of the flower stores nearby have been bursting with tulips.  There’s a great reason why – they’re bright and colorful and practically scream spring.

I’m a big fan of the ones that have ruffled edges – they sometimes look like lion’s manes.  Depending on the variety, they often have a really nice smell as well.  If you’re planning on using them in an arrangement, just be warned that they can open very quickly and then shortly after that, they fall apart.  Completely.

This colorful, tall and somewhat exotic flower is incredibly versatile.  Its flowers come in a range of colors, from yellow with dark red stems to green flowers with red stems and even black.  The little bells are said to be reminiscent of a certain animal – hence the name.  I find them utterly charming because the bell of the flower itself is slightly velvety and fuzzy.  They are a great flower for large arrangements, as each stem has a number of flowers and they are somewhat inexpensive, in addition to being extremely tall.  I also like the look of them in a bouquet to add a little snap.

I’ve been in love with this flower ever since I saw it in an art gallery in Vancouver a few years ago.  I couldn’t believe that it was so weird – it looked almost exactly like brain coral!  A friend of mine bought me a plant, but of course, I killed it. :)  It was great up until then!  This flower comes in a variety of colors, (hot pink, yellow, orange, and my personal favorite, a magenta-like deep red tinged with yellow at the end) and adds a really unique punch to any floral arrangement.  I wanted to have these for my wedding, but it was just getting too out of control.  I like the way that they look in some of these unusual bouquets.

How fabulous are these felt flower bouquets?  The bride made them herself.  I’m seriously impressed.  I love the colors and the textures and all of the vintage elements that went into it.  Looks like it would have been a lot of work, but how original!  And those will definitely keep forever.  I might make some just for fun!

Found via S.HOPtalk.

I love how relentlessly cheery they are!

The best part is that they dry out rather well so you won’t have to worry about your bouquet melting, and you can keep it with you forever!  I love the feel of a bouquet of them altogether, or interspersed with a bunch of different flowers for a quirky look.  I’m planning on using them in the boutonnieres for an upcoming friend’s wedding.  I had just a few in mine and I love the way that it came out.

I really love spring flowers that have bright, open multicolor blooms.  That’s part of the reason that I’m so into ranunculus, but there are some other choices that I think fit the bill.  Anemone is one of them.   I love the bright colors and the cheeriness that these flowers provide.

The purples and pinks are something you can’t really get with other flowers, like ranunculus or poppies.  They’d be really nice for a modern dinner party or in a bridal bouquet.

I love the look of all of the flowers grouped together, but this mixed batch from Saipua always makes my day (bottom right).