21 December 2012

Floral Feast - Green Leaves for Christmas



Sometimes it's nice to use a very simple colour scheme. I went out in the garden and looked for just green leaves. At this time of year it's not much but I found some Arum leaves with a marbled variegation and plain green Pittosporum with contrasting stems. They both looked amazingly fresh and beautiful. 


Pittosporum is an evergreen shrub or at least it doesn't loose any leaves until the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius. I love the contrasting black stems and in a vase it lasts for ages.  


I made both arrangements as hand-tied bunches and tied some raffia around the stems before putting them in the vase.
I find that the stems stay in position better and you have a lot more control over the whole arrangement.

The fantastic looking vase is Swedish and from the 1930's. It has a very thick lustrous dark brown almost black glaze with green handles and a very generous round shape.  


The Arum produces leaves in the winter and spikes of orange or red berries later on. It's an amazing foliage plant and great as ground cover.



I wanted to do a little DIY project and came up with the idea of covering a few little canvases with washi tape. I did one and my daughter did the other two. The canvases are 10 x 13 cm and 3 1/2 cm deep. They are already stretched and the deep sides means that they will stand up without support. Little canvases like this are readily available in most art supply stores. 


I have used two kinds of washi tape, a 3 cm wide one with trailing green ivy in two colour-ways and a narrow, 13 mm, one in three different green patterns. 


The wonderful trailing ivy washi tape is from Papermash run by Lynne Robinson. She sells also sells cards, tags, stamps string and lots of other wonderful products.

The green patterned washi tape is from the  UK based e-shop Superlovely run by Dave and Lynn. They sell washi tape, twine, origami paper and some other paper goods.


The black and white fabric with snow crystals is from Beyond Fabrics. Their shop is on Columbia Road in East London. The same road that has the famous flower market every Sunday. So well worth a visit for two reasons! 


A few little green delights from my collection of vintage Christmas tree baubles. 



Have a happy green day!

Thanks for the visits & your comments and I'll see you back here soon.

xoxo Ingrid

7 comments:

Anna Vattenkanna said...

En skön grön jul till dig med!

Kram

Frances said...

Ingrid, I am glad to learn about Pittosporum...will see if I ever come across it over here. Your green leaves arrangements show how a close harmony of colorways can be joined by lots and lots of patterning to create a very joyful result.

I do love that jug! Thank you also for the tips re covering the little canvases and tying the branches before putting them in a chosen vase.

More wishes to you for a very Happy Christmas! xo

Janneke said...

A simple colourscheme is mostly the best! Love the greens! I am not so good in it and often makes a hotchpotch of colours..... Wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

VERY pretty, Ingrid! Green is such a treat during the winter months here. :)
Wishing you & yours a very beautiful Christmas!
Hugs,
Zuzu

Lisa Gordon said...

The simplicity and colors are just beautiful, Ingrid.
It is alway such a pleasure to visit you here.

I wish you and your family a most beautiful Christmas.

xo.

betty-NZ said...

What lovely things you have made!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Claus Dalby said...

LOVE your style. You are SO clever. Merry Christmas. Kr Claus

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