robyn, Author at Floral FootstepsFloral Footsteps

Jun

18

June Sketches

So I came up with this grand plan that I would sketch a small scene or thing a day, throughout the month of June. I thought this was a fairly easy task – not too troublesome, but I have to say I’ve failed. Sometimes, discipline is good for you and helps you to grow, sometimes it stifles you. I found the first 9 days to be good, and I drew 9 sketches (although some were truly terrible), but after that, I forgot, and then the backlog built up, and suddenly I adamantly didn’t want to draw.

So for the sake of my drawing, I’ve ended the brief #sketchaday project that I ambitiously started, but I’ll keep the principle of trying to draw little and often, even if it’s not something of importance or great idea. It keeps the fingers supple and the mind creative, and that can only be a good thing. If I was disciplined, sketching something every day would make the most wonderful visual diary of thoughts; things you’ve seen, done, heard. Has anyone out there managed it?

Thought you might like to see a few of the #sketchaday‘s that I did do (although not all of them, because some aren’t worth looking at!)

Those of you on Twitter, or who follow me on Instagram may have seen a few of these already.

Day 2: Strange things are happening to my body.

day-2

Day 3: I can hear sheep from my kitchen. Country life is taking a while to become normality.

Day 4: The peak of my obsession with Cow-Parsley. It was great whilst it lasted. It’s rather died off a little now. I’ll be on the hunt for elderflower next.

Day 5: The dreaded night when a large furry housespider woke us up by crawling on Phil’s face. Our room is now covered in little bits of orange peel to deter the nasty beasts away. I still shudder every night when I think it could happen again!

Sorry to stop at day 5, and not even show you day 1, but as I said, they’re probably not worth showing!

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Jun

05

Engagement Photoshoot at Hardwick Park

Engagement Photos / Photography / Portraits / sunshine / Winter

A lovely engagement photoshoot taken on perhaps the first warm day of the entire year in the North East! It was a gorgeously sunny day in Hardwick Park, Sedgefield where this couple and I spent an hour wandering around, and capturing the magical moments between two people who have promised to marry one another. Being engaged is such a special time!

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May

28

A Bank Holiday Weekend in the Cotswolds

Cotswolds / General / Holiday / Home Life / Summer

Just a few snaps from my weekend. An insight into what I get up to on weekends ‘off’.

Saturday. An invitation to many.

Glorious sunshine. Hooray!

Our new home, ready to welcome guests.

A housewarming bbq, to get to know ‘the locals’. It doesn’t look like it in this picture, but a good 50 people came.

A hyperactive Spaniel, so excited by how much food he could steal from unsuspecting housewarming guests.

Sunday. A walk in Chedworth.

I look a little different these days.

The last of the bluebells.

Monday. A fantastic lunch, wander through the fields and then a local village u13′s Cricket match.

A proud Dad, applauding his 13 year old son.

Keeping the Spaniel away from the cricket ball.

Gazing at wonderful wisteria on cottages, and little wildflowers I haven’t found the name for yet. I’m definitely going through a lilac phase at the moment. I even bought a lilac pair of jeans.

How was your bank holiday?

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May

14

An Artist at Work: Linda Mumba

Artist / Design / Durham / Local Hero / Photography / Portraits

Linda Mumba is an artist based in Durham, owner of the beautiful card company, Precious To You. Linda designs, edits and produces her own unique range of greetings cards, some of which you’ll see in the photoshoot below!

Linda wanted a few snaps of her at work, and her pretty little studio, and I was only too willing to oblige and have a snoop around! She lives in a beautiful house in the centre of Durham, which I’m sure provides much inspiration for her work. In her studio are some really pretty things that any creative would long for… an original Singer sewing machine, beautiful ribbons and beads, huge canvas paintings, painted by herself and mountains of paint tubes and watercolour blocks. Her back window overlooked the very prettily kept walled city garden. A spot any artist would love to have, I’m sure.

Have a flick through the photos, and don’t forget to visit Linda’s website: Precious To You, and look out for her cards in shops!

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Apr

22

20 Month Old Wander in the Woodland

Baby / Durham / family photography / Photography / Portraits / Winter

It was a chilly, damp day for a family walk in the country grounds of Old Durham, but this outgoing family seemed to enjoy it! The little man here is 20 months old, and was one of the first baby photoshoots I took! You can see how he’s grown if you take a look at the previous post, here: http://floralfootsteps.com/2011/10/12/baby-face-youve-got-the-cutest-little-baby-face/

Here you can take a look through our little outing, accompanied by friends Pooh-bear and the very important ball, and add your own captions to the priceless facial expressions!

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Apr

19

Teeny Test Tubes and Lace Umbrellas

Butterflies / elegant wedding / Floristry / flowers / wedding flowers

You’ve already seen a snippet of the bridal bouquet from this wedding, now a few from the reception venue. The wedded couple are friends of mine, and the Bride had incredibly beautiful ideas for the reception, which came together very prettily. She wanted an elegant, springlike, almost minimalistic feel.

The table decorations alternated between lace umbrellas with butterflies and tiny test tubes with flowers hanging from them. Underneath sat a few classic jam jars, tied in varying hues of blue raffia. (Raffia, I love you). On alternative tables, there were tall vases filled with twisted hazel, with tiny blue butterflies and even tinier test tubes attached filled with the teeniest flowers. Around the base of the vases was a springlike wreath.

Altogether, the effect was pretty magical in the room, and the umbrellas span slightly with the warmth from the heaters, which looked very pretty.

Sarah Hill Flowers from Plymouth helped me out for this wedding (in Bath!) and it was so wonderful to work with such a talented, happy lady! (She has also just got engaged, so even more congratulations and happiness are headed her way!)

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Apr

18

Blue Hues Spring Bouquet

Change / Floristry / flowers / News / wedding bouquet / wedding flowers

Just a quick post, this one. The full report on the intricate details of the table decorations at this wedding will be on the blog soon, I promise.

Lack of communication is due to busyness, life changes, being ill in bed for over a week and moving to the Cotswolds in just over two weeks! Also, the other small bit of news that my hubby and I are expecting a baby this October. Just thought you might want to know…

Back to flowers! Beautiful blue hues and pinks, with hyacinths, muscari, clematis, delphinium, roses, ranunculus, lilacs and gorgeous deep purple anemones. Oh I do love a good blend of the best flowers.

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Mar

08

THE BIG MOVE

Business Footsteps / Cirencester / Cotswolds / News

Well, I have some rather large news to tell you.

We’re moving!

It’s been in the pipeline for a while. I’ve always known it might happen. It’s why I haven’t moved business forward as far as it could have done in Durham, as I knew at some point I might not be here. Well, that time has come! It has been confirmed that my wonderful husband will be working for Cirencester Baptist Church as the Assistant Pastor, and me, our things, my business and our dog will be going with him! We leave in May for a new venture down South, to the Cotswolds!

What does this mean for Floral Footsteps?

It will continue, hurrah! I am going to be a ‘Cotswold Florist’ or ‘Cirencester Florist’, I haven’t decided which yet, and I will continue to take photography bookings and illustration comissions as I have done so far. I’m excited about the opportunity to start again in a new place, and looking to form new connections in Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas.

It does mean that I won’t be taking any more floristry bookings past May for Durham-based weddings. Sorry about that.

It also means that if you want a family photoshoot or baby photoshoot, that has to be in my diary before the beginning of May.

I’m still interested in hearing about any wedding photography up North, and any illustration commissions you might have for me, so if that’s something you’re interested in, fire away!

Sorry to all those wonderful people who have enquired for bookings and I’ve already had to turn away. I haven’t wanted to do it, but I just wouldn’t have been able to fulfil your order!

Here’s to new adventures – I look forward to exploring my new surroundings and new connections on the blog from May onwards!

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Feb

18

Our House in the Middle of Our Street

Home Life / Illustration / sketch / watercolour

I seem to go through seasons of focusing on a different creative activity. Sometimes there are flurries of photography shoots worthy of blogging about. Other times of the year, I am up to my ears in flowers and foam, and can’t stop taking photos of petals and blooms and brides. At the moment, I’m swimming in a sea of illustration requests. My watercolours are constantly busy and I regularly have to wash the inside of my hands of smudges from my HB pencil. I love working with a good Staedtler Noris pencil. Or one of those cheap 0.5 pencils from Staples for more delicate work. Nothing fussy, just the ones that we used to use at school.

So this week, it’s been a mix of illustrating an Easter picture, a Wedding invitation, a family tree that dates back to the 1500′s, a Bible story, a book about balloons and a book about a Mummy and a Daddy and a chocolate bar. Ooh mysterious that I’m not giving any more details yet…

This illustration is one of my own choice, rather than a commission. I live at the end of a little row of terraces. Sweet little houses in Durham, two up two down. We have a great community in our little houses, mainly due to the design of the old fashioned miners cottages with friendly gardens in front of the houses. Tomorrow, two friends leave one of the houses, and two other friends are set to leave soon after. Two friends left in September from another house and well, it may be possible at some point we might leave too. So as a little leaving present and memory, I’ve painted our little row which I’ve printed as a gift for my neighbours; my close-by friends! We will miss you, and our neighbourhood community.