I very recently have been bitten by the floral arranging bug.  I'm preparing for two parties: hubby's 40th birthday luau/tiki party and (of course) Halloween!  Ok, ok, I know you're thinking What!  Its April!  Of course you're correct, and for my party, or should I say extravaganza I need ample time so that it goes smoothy and nothing gets left to the last minute.

Once again I must appologize for the enormity of the size of these photos-I can't get them to a decent size for the threads, eventhought I use tinypic.

I welcome constructive criticism, as I am really new at this.

My first project is a swag that hangs over the bathroom door:

http://i19.tinypic.com/2comw74.jpg

My second project I'm quite happy with.  I love these coasters, I keep them out year 'round.

If you like them too, go to www.goreydetails.com and you can get some!!  ;D

http://i12.tinypic.com/2lt4rvo.jpg

These next two are for the luau.  The first is a tiki that brings Love & Prosperity.  I wish that for the rest of hubby's life he will have plenty of both.  (Don't mind my messy kitchen in the back)

http://i12.tinypic.com/2hnyw4k.jpg

Here's the second.  The pineapple is the star of the arrangement.  What you can't see is that there's a hula girl inside the pineapple and when the sensor is tripped, she pops up and dances to the surfer song "Wipeout".  I'm not sure I'm done with this one yet, I typically continue to tweak them for a week or two.  I kind of have to live with them for a bit before I decide they're complete.  I guess this is a work in progress...

http://i16.tinypic.com/2a76jrn.jpg

Great job on all of those projects, Sakina!! Well done!

A few years ago, I found gorgeous dark velvet roses at Michaels and decided that I had to make something with them. So I gathered hundreds of dollars worth of supplies and went about trying to make the most breathtaking arrangement ever. I tried putting it all together many times, but could never get it to look right. Eventually, I ended up disassembling it and putting all of the materials in storage, figuring that I'd just have one of the professionals in the store create it for me when the time was right.

So more power to you if you can do this yourself and actually feel satisfied with your work.  ;)

Nice pics,thanks for sharing!  You arrangements are beautiful!

Those are beautiful, Sakina! I love the skull coaster.. I think I'm going to have to get me one.

And the Hula-pineapple sounds adorable.

Thanks, Angel, Curlgirl & Kiraela.

Since I didn't know anything about designing a floral arrangement, I bought a book from Michael's craft store.  Its called Decorating with Silk & Dried Flowers by Creative Publishing.

In my local Michael's floral department there's a petite hispanic lady who's very lovely and helpful and talented-her arrangements are gorgeous and are really why I picked it up.  You see, my Halloween party this year is a vampire wedding (a deading, if you will) and I have an arbour that I'm going to use for the cemetary ceremony.  Since its spring, Michael's has lots of wedding craft ideas out in the store.  At this store they have an arbour (their's has lights, mine has skulls & spider webs) but the way it is decorated blew me away.  So, I asked and she told me quite easily how she made it and I knew I could do it.  So far, these arrangements are really cutting my teeth for the great, grand arbour.


"So more power to you if you can do this yourself and actually feel satisfied with your work.  "

Ahh, this is tricky.  After I finish it mostly, I walk away and look at it.  And look at it.  And look at it.  I get a feeling something's missing and I go back to my book and look at it some more and tweak it 20 times and then maybe  it will be done.  So from the time I begin to the time I'm satisfied can be a couple of days to a couple of weeks.  I am, afterall a total amature.

GORGEOUS!!  :o

I have no ability to arrange flowers.  :-/  You obviously have a natural talent which is being honed well.

These are realy nice!  My only suggestion is to try orange flowers with the halloween peice.  i would love to see the hula girl come out of the pineapple! :D

Ask and ye shall receive!!  I was tweaking the pineapple one again and I realized that right after the button is pushed (I have the sensor off, otherwise the cats keep setting it off which will keep freaking them out and wear down the battery!) For a quick second she's still so I took another picture.

Lisabelle-the colors for the Halloween party are Dark Red, Black & Metallic (silver & gold are being used), thanks for your suggestion.  ;)

http://i13.tinypic.com/4dha33c.jpg

I think its finished now...of course I may change my mind!

You rock at this Sakina!  I really like the skull one with the black flowers best, don't know why.  Maybe because it's so unique.:)
Oh, and you could try uploading your images into a free photo bucket account http://www.photobucket.com . You can store your pics there and you can resize them to fit into emails and posts like this.

Hey, thanks, La Diosa.  I've never used photobucket before.

Since the Halloween party is Gothic Victorian Vampire Wedding, I thought the decor should be a little bit odd.  I think the spiral-y bits really add something unique, kind of like horns.  The red berries are really from christmas craft, which adds a weirdness to the rest!  Hee hee.

I have one more tiki arrangement to do...don't know if I'll get started on it today or not.  I have 5 silk tropical trees that I'm going to decorate the bottoms with silk plants but I haven't got that figured out yet!!

Sakina wrote on Apr 21^st, 2007 at 1:20pm:

I think the spiral-y bits really add something unique, kind of like horns.

Horns, I can see that now.  You really put a lot of thought into those, which I guess is why they turn out so good!  

A Gothic Victorian Vampire Wedding party sounds like fun!  I'm sure there will be lots of really great and creative costumes, I love that look!  It's dark yet elegant.

I'm sure your next tiki arrangement will be just as beautiful as the first, good luck!

Ooh! Very cool! I like especially the Halloween arrangement- it's striking and dramatic, yet very beautful!

Sounds like it's going to be a fun goolish time for all ;) :)

[smiley=evil.gif] Bwahhhhaaahhhhaaaa!

;)

Very pretty and romantic!!I bet it smells wonderful too!
I have a similar project but it´s turning my balcony into an oasis!Love flowers!!