Creative arts
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Say it with flowers this Christmas
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| Here's how you do it - Jennifer shows Rebecca how to make the perfect table decoration |
STEPPING into Jennifer Braidford's shop at Barleylands Craft Centre is like stepping into a Christmas grotto full of hanging fairies, glittering cinderella shoes and flowers.
The self-taught floral designer puts together arrangements of flowers for weddings and funerals - but don't expect to find anything ordinary under this roof.
Before branching out into the floral design business 20 years ago, Jennifer started by painting patterns on terracotta pots.
"Then I realised I had to fill them all with something!" she laughs. "I just went into it for something to do. I had two children and it was something I could do at home."
Her business evolved as much as her imagination and before long Jennifer was in great demand from people who wanted something different' from flowers.
"All of what I do is very unusual," she says, backing it up with photo albums of mind boggling creations from the past. "We're very design orientated and a bit wacky."
As her work was being snapped up by big businesses, charities and high profile clients, Jennifer's friends were begging her to teach them how to create her masterpieces.
"I was still working from home then, so we set up a classroom in the conservatory and invited people to come on one day courses," she says.
The classes were a success and today Jennifer still gives floral design tuition from her studio and shop at Barleylands.
Due to the festive season, the current workshop is focused around Christmas with people popping in to learn how to make a wreath, Christmas star, table decorations, or decoration for a wine bottle or candle.
A huge fan of glitter and bling, Jennifer will be on hand to help you make something that's fun to do and stunning to look at when it's completed.
Making your own decorations is not only creative and fun, but colours and designs can also be custom-sought to suit your tastes.
I visited Jennifer to make my own table decoration and discovered that although the finished products are detailed and glamorous, they aren't very difficult to make.
We started off with just some fresh gerberas and a candle and ended up with a lavish table decoration that would make the perfect gift, or centre-piece on Christmas day.
We threaded wire through the stem of the flower and sealed in the moisture with tape all the way up the stem. It left us with a flower we could manipulate into unusual positions.
Using our imaginations, we wrapped the flower around the candle, holding it in place with pins.
This in itself createf a simple, under-stated decoration, but a self-confessed glitter-obsessive, Jennifer was eager to add some bling, so we threw in some ribbon and covered the whole thing in glitter.
The effect was spectacular - and it only took around ten minutes to do.
For bookings, more information, times and dates call Jennifer on 01268 272707.
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