Oooh! I know you'll want to be part of this! Amy Powers is hosting a really wonderful exchange based on this positively scrumptious prototype that she designed for her Inspired Ideas Magazine, The Birthday Edition. 
I did a wedding last week . . . on a budget. Of course, all weddings have a budget, but I happened to know that this bride was going to try to do her own flowers . . . and she's related to my nephew {by marriage}, and I am a florist . . . I know very well how much work goes into a wedding, and I know the tears that I've shed, working on that kind of deadline . . . wedding flowers are a last minute deal, afterall . . .
So I just want to give budget minded brides some hope. It does take a little training, but these days, doesn't everybody know someone who can teach them how to wire and tape flower stems? These are wired, then shaped, and wrapped. Oversimplified, I know . . . but take heart! It can be done! You can have beautiful flowers, on a budget . . . learn how to wire and tape, and practice beforehand with flowers from your garden. And practice, practice, practice! . . . Do not wait till the last minute to figure this out . . . it is not rocket science, but in this case, practice does make much prettier. :)
And you're really gonna love this! The centerpieces! She bought sweetpeas from a local fruit stand, and vases from a dollar store. $5.00 centerpieces. It is my intention here to be of assistance . . . to maybe instruct a little . . .
Buy flowers in season at Farmer's Markets or like this bride did, at the local strawberry stand . . . if you have time, grow them yourself {I hate to admit this, but you shouldn't depend on growing them from seed . . . it's just too risky} . . .
To arrange, simply gather them in your hand till they make a pleasing arrangement, then cut the stems off to one length. Lovely. Lovely.
My gift to you. :)
I promised a couple of friends that I would post photos of the centerpieces from my Mother-in-law's birthday party. See!? I try to keep my promises! {I really do try. Honest!} I kinda wish I had cleared the background a little better . . . but do you have any idea how vain I looked, when the party was in full swing, and I was taking close ups of the flower arrangements . . . that I made!? And since it was family and close friends . . . I think the guests might have known that. 
This angle was an attempt to show the butterflies . . .
I found a tissue paper that was printed in a friendly little butterfly design. Yep. The very stuff that we tuck into gift bags. I liked this particular one for it's overall design of the same butterfly, in multiple Spring-ie colors, and lots of great sizes.
I color copied the tissue paper at my friendly neighborhood copy shop. Just for you, I'm sharing that first step with you! Click on the picture above to enlarge it, then print! I hope it enlarges to full page . . . I don't know to what size it will enlarge . . .I'm only kinda geeky . . . {I surely don't know everything about this stuff. I think most of it is just magic.}
I carried my color copy all the way over to the copy desk and asked them to make three more copies on transparency film. {You know, the stuff they use for overhead projectors.} The color will be waaaaay lighter than you expect. I recommend that you start with really intense, vibrant colors.
Took those home, and sometime in the middle of the night . . . with a girlfriend that I enlisted {coerced} into helping me . . . cut them out. I think you should cut them quite close.
You're not gonna believe this, but they didn't melt when I hot glued* them to the frame, wires and nests! Instant Spring! They were kind of adorable! {If I do say so myself.} {Gosh! I hope this doesn't mean that vain thing was accurate.} . . . sigh . . . *I did use a lower temp glue gun. The truly hot ones can really cause nasty burns! And would probably melt the transparency film.
Fold your little cut-out butterflies in the middle, so they appear like . . . like . . . like butterflies! . . . and using the cool melt, hot glue gun, glue them to light weight floral wire . . . or like I did, the nest and twigs of these arrangements . . . but they would be super cute sprinkled on a table . . . used on paper goods . . . somebody even tried them in a little bottle at the soldered charms class that I taught last weekend.
They seem so delicate and ephemeral . . . I think you'll love them, too! And will very likely find a million other uses for them! Please tell me if you do! I would so love to hear!
Now. . . don't say I never did anything for you! ;)
P.S. Do I have the world's best flower suppliers or what!? I said Spring, they delivered SPRING!
A super delicious collage sheet!
Filed in the Look What I Did department . . . 
. . . just finished this necklace for Relay for Life . . .
{She's trying to decide whether to go near to . . . }
. . . Emily Easter Bunny! {Who happened to be in the neighborhood {because she lives across the street} and surprised us with a happy visit . . . }
We traveled a bit . . . not too far, just enough . . . to share in a celebration honoring my Mother-in-law and her milestone birthday . . .
{Mom with our eldest son and his beautiful family. . .}
. . . enjoyed the company of relatives who traveled rather farther than we did . . .
. . . and taken every opportunity to find my peace . . .
. . . here . . . 
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