It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to grow and blissfully fragrant in the summer months. 
They were my mum’s favourite flower, so growing them now feels like a precious connection. Especially when I pick some and arrange them in her beautiful old blue and gold jug just as she used to do with the sweet peas my dad grew for her every year.
There are some really handy tips for growing success from founder of The Real Flower Company Rosebie Morton over on the blog (link in bio). Rosebie has a whole farm dedicated to sweet peas near Chichester so she knows a thing or two about the subject!
Main thing I’ve picked up from her is to allow lots of depth for root growth at this stage and to make my own supportive wigwams from twiggy branches when the plants are really starting to go for it and need a bit of direction. This photo is making me yearn slightly.
I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying out tiny living for a feature I was writing - this was taken on our way to indulge in a spot of forest bathing. To be totally honest, we were both a little sceptical beforehand. But we were only saying the other day how taken aback we both were by the amazing effect it had. I’m working on some new ideas around the subject - will keep you posted. X
I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole site - which has meant lots of photo editing and reorganising so much content. What’s been lovely (despite the claw hand from so much keyboard work!) is revisiting work and becoming engrossed all over again. I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been (re) loving - with links in the bio to the old site for now, but not for long…! X
This  image is from a feature about preserving garden roses. I’m going to give this a really good go this year, now I have a better idea what I’m doing. I know there’s nothing quite like a fragrant fresh rose in Summer but there’s a fragile beauty to dried and preserved flowers that I also love, don’t you?
Snowdrops 🌱🤍 . . . . . . #capturequiet #ins Snowdrops 🌱🤍 
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#capturequiet #instabritain #natureandnourish #thewildernesstonic #cornersofmyworld
Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flower Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flowers Forever to be won! My bio has the link to enter as well as to get a peek inside. Beautifully photographed by Laura Edwards, I really enjoyed escaping into the pages and making plans for my own garden - hope you do too! X
To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Cla To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits has to be the perfect post Christmas craft project 😊 
If you fancy getting your needles out to make this adorable pair, the link to buy Claire’s pattern is in my bio. Happy knitting! X
Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists for a wonderful wreath making workshop yesterday. Such a special and creative space to spend time. I loved making my wreath - I went for a mixture of greenery arranged quite randomly with red waxed fresh apples, dried hydrangea, dried flowers, poppy and nigella seed heads and a winter white velvet bow. 
There were so many wonderful ingredients to choose from we were really spoiled for choice. 
Sarah’s new studio is such a beautiful, creative space. Think fragrant botanical candles flickering everywhere, mulled wine and apple juice simmering on the stove and containers full of fragrant festive greenery, waxed fruit, dried flowers and oranges, pine cones, lichen covered branches and even tiny gold wax-dipped fresh crab apples. 
Thank you for being so patient with my lengthy ribbon choice deliberations Sarah - and for bagging up a second choice option (dusky pink) to take home! X.  #wreathmaking #wreath #wreathsofinstagram #sustainablewreaths #wreathdecor #christmaswreath #velvetribbon #christmasdecor #festiveflowers
I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - s I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - she came up with the genius idea of embroidering on tulle using nature as her thread - and the results are sublime - like this Autumn colours beauty from her latest book.
I’m delighted that Olga is offering a fantastic prize bundle to my readers. For a chance to win one of her beautiful new dried flower embroidery kits (in collaboration with @driedandfloral ) as well as a signed copy of her wonderful new book(published by @quadrillebooks , pop over to my blog (link in my bio). It’s easy to enter so why don’t you give yourself a chance of winning this very lovely prize? Good luck! 
#driedflowers #driedflowerembroidery #olgaprinku #embroideryhoop #flowerembroidery #competitiontime #signedbooks #embroideryart #flowersontulle #autumn #autumncolours #hoopart #allthingsbotanical #instacraft
This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofp This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofpines and is from her beautiful new book Little Stories of Your Life. 
It’s packed with inspiration and practical ideas to help you become a visual story teller. Because, as Laura says, it’s the little moments that make up the fabric of all of our lives - and those moments are worth capturing and sharing with others.
We have three signed copies of the book to give away - just click the link in my bio to find out more. There’s a peek inside and a lovely film by @xantheb to enjoy too! X 
#littlemoments #littlestoriesbook #alifeofwords #lostinwords #competition #booksarelife #mindfulphotography #bookstagram #booksmakemehappy #booksconnectus #igreads #whatareyoureading #signedbooks
Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has sh Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has shared her wonderfully creative ideas for visibly mending well-loved clothing in need of repair and a little TLC.
She had me at ‘sometimes I like to use giant sequins…’ 
Hope you like Lisa’s ideas as much as I do. The link to head over to my blog and get all her step by steps is in my bio x
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LIFESTYLE · May 15, 2019

Photography for creative business

Photography for creative business: photography tips for makers and the importance of investing in great images.

To my mind, it’s impossible to create an engaging and powerful website or product offering without using top quality photography. So I thought I would share these photography for creative business tips for makers, based on my own experience and contacts.

Choose the right photographer

Allow some budget for professional photography if you really want to stand out from the crowd. If you don’t have the budget to shoot everything, you could invest in a few professional lifestyle ‘hero’ images to create the look and feel for your brand, then supplement with simpler images you take yourself. This can work particularly well if you have an online shop that needs regularly updating with new products.

Yeshen Venema

The go-to photographer for designer makers is Yeshen Venema. He is so easy to work with and offers the perfect range of options to suit small creative businesses. I asked him to share his thoughts on the matter with us:

Yeshen: ‘Every day I see how professional photography and websites can transforms sales, brands and even personal confidence. It’s a big investment but if you want to be taken seriously by the press, galleries, trade and retail customers it’s crucial to present yourself and your work professionally.

In this visually saturated world, having an individual look can make all the difference, so get off Pinterest and Instagram and sketch, shoot, print and tear to build you own mood personal brand moodboard.’

Photography for creative business

I love that advice and I’m determined to follow it more myself…

Here’s a selection of Yeshen’s photography to illustrate just how much quality images can give you…

Creative business success depends on great photography and I love this photograph by yeshen venema of ceramics by Sue Pryke. Click through for 10 essential tips and creative business ideas to help you make a living from doing what you love #creativebusiness #businessadvice #tips #ideas #experthelp #creatives #frombritainwithlove Creative business success depends on great photography and I love this photograph by yeshen venema of ceramics by Sue Pryke. Click through for 10 essential tips and creative business ideas to help you make a living from doing what you love #creativebusiness #businessadvice #tips #ideas #experthelp #creatives #frombritainwithlove Creative business success depends on great photography and I love this photograph by yeshen venema of textiles artist Rachna Garodia showing her woven artwork wall hanging in a simple, contemporary setting. Click through for 10 essential tips and creative business ideas to help you make a living from doing what you love #creativebusiness #businessadvice #tips #ideas #experthelp #creatives #frombritainwithlove Creative business success depends on great photography and I love this photograph by yeshen venema of ceramics by Hend Kricken. Click through for 10 essential tips and creative business ideas to help you make a living from doing what you love #creativebusiness #businessadvice #tips #ideas #experthelp #creatives #frombritainwithlove Creative business success depends on great photography and I love this photograph by yeshen venema of ceramics by Jacqui Ramrayka. Click through for 10 essential tips and creative business ideas to help you make a living from doing what you love #creativebusiness #businessadvice #tips #ideas #experthelp #creatives #frombritainwithlove Creative business success depends on great photography and I love this photograph by yeshen venema of printed linen textiles apron by thornback and peel. Click through for 10 essential tips and creative business ideas to help you make a living from doing what you love #creativebusiness #businessadvice #tips #ideas #experthelp #creatives #frombritainwithlove

Yeshen, has also written a really helpful guest blog post: Yeshen Venema’s Top 5 Tips for taking great product photography.

I absolutely love the ethos of Curious Rose – Caroline Gurtler’s collection of upcycled wool blanket hotties and accessories. The products themselves are lovely, but when Caroline listed in our directory I knew that the photography she was using was not doing her any favours. She was wondering about investing in some professional images and so I recommended Yeshen and encouraged her to take the plunge. The difference this has made is amazing and her lovely products are now able to sing as they should.

One maker’s story

I asked Caroline to share a few of her thoughts with us:

Starting my own business, I thought it would be easy to combine all my previous talents and head off into the sunset with everyone loving my products… it’s amazing how naïve you can be even in your 50s.  Some things you know you will need help on, like computer technology and website design, as the world is changing so rapidly, and being patronised by teenagers is often the only way to keep up.  But photography I thought I could be good at, it’s only nice composition and pressing a button right?  And I’m ok on Photoshop, so I could easily tweak errors, yes?  But no.  Could I get a good clear photo? No I jolly well couldn’t.  Despite investing in some entry level lighting, and learning to curve wallpaper down to the desk, it did not go well.  I ended up with half the dining table covered in boxes propping up backdrops, and climbing over light stands and cables to manoeuvre in and out with products.  And getting more than a little grumpy.  Turns out product photography is a specialist gig after all.

No more bodging around

So after over two or three years of bodging around, I finally accepted the advice of friends and mentors and went to a professional photographer.  And what an amazing experience.  We felt very cool going to a trendy studio in Islington with our boxes of props, but it took the professional stylist to show us how to keep things simple and use just a few small objects to dress each shot.  Yeshen, our photographer, discussed the feel of our brand and how to communicate that through the different photographs.  I could only afford half a day, and it took me ages to get the courage to even book that, but we ended up with nearly 80 marvellous images that I can use on the website, Pinterest, Facebook, display stands, and I get to feel so much more confident in my marketing.   It sounds weird, but we kind of fell in love with our products again, seeing them presented so well.

Caroline sums it up beautifully. My advice is simple: if you are hoping to sell your creations online, and you have money to invest in anything, use it to create some great photography. It really can make all the difference.

Creative business success depends on great photography and I love this photograph by yeshen venema of maker Sasako of Botanique at a workshop. Click through for 10 essential tips and creative business ideas to help you make a living from doing what you love #creativebusiness #businessadvice #tips #ideas #experthelp #creatives #frombritainwithlove

This lovely shot by Yeshen of Botanique flower shop and artisan store in London really communicates a lot about the creative ethos behind the business, don’t you think?

Polly Wreford

For interiors and lifestyle photography, I also love Polly Wreford. She was first choice for important shoots back in my magazine days and she was also my choice when launching my first website back in 2005. I still love these images that she took for me then and they worked so incredibly hard for me for years. Worth every single penny – especially when you consider that they’re more than a decade old now…

photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas

Jo Henderson and Donna Eaves

When I needed fresh images or something seasonal (for Christmas for example) I’ve also enjoyed working with a couple of other photographers in recent years: Joanna Henderson and Donna Eaves.

Here are a few of my favourite images from the last few years:

photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas

Book a stylist to add some magic

love this photography stylists car boot packed with props and surfaces. Click through photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from the importance of booking a great stylist, to hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas

I love to style my own smaller scale photography, but for larger shoots, a really good stylist is definitely worth his or her weight in gold. Also, I can heartily recommend Rose Hammick (who also offers her home and rustic garden cabin as locations, Hilary Lowe and Elkie Brown. The above photo shows the back of Hilary Lowe’s car packed with surfaces, props and all manner of loveliness ahead of a location shoot in Wales and I love it. I also fondly remember Rose arriving at my house with a van load of treasure including a victorian sink complete with wonderful old brass taps, rolls of the most exquisite vintage fabrics & wallpapers as well as armfuls of garden flowers picked early that morning. Seemingly a random collection, but the bits and pieces she brought to the shoot really helped bring our images to life, gave them individuality and a sense of story.

It was a similar experience when I picked Elkie up from the train station for another rural location shoot. I couldn’t quite believe just how much treasure she’d managed to pack into a suitcase on wheels to cart across London by Tube and then onto a train to Hampshire. Beautifully rustic antique linen, vintage brass cutlery, textural surfaces, rolls of antique braids, lengths of fabric in faded shades of oyster pink and shell grey to use as backdrops… We used almost everything.

Yeshen Venema works with a carefully selected group of stylists too, including Mugdha Sapte, Clare Nicolson, Charlotte Love and Hilary Lowe.

Pick the perfect location

The white country kitchen and dining images above were photographed at Place Farmhouse in Sussex which we booked through Light Locations. There are some really great locations on their books – here are a few of my other favourites:

Above: dark grey painted London summerhouse

photography tips for creatives - choosing the right location. I love this light and airy white modern rustic photography location with light locations. Click through for more tried and tested and expert photography tips and ideas to help get your creative business to the next level

The Grey House at Camber Sands

photography tips for creatives - choosing the right location. I love this light and airy white modern rustic photography location with light locations. Click through for more tried and tested and expert photography tips and ideas to help get your creative business to the next level

Above: The White House at Camber Sands

For light and airy coastal locations, Beach Studios & Locations is another great resource.

If you decide to work with Yeshen Venema, he offers his own London studio as a location as well as running several ‘shared’ on-location shoots throughout the year. Recent locations include Lyme Regis (below, top), The Forge in Hampshire, Harp Cottage (below, middle) and The Welsh House in Wales (below, bottom). Because the overall location cost is shared between a number of different makers, this is a great way to gain a really strong set of images for less.

Learn to take great images yourself

A Year with my Camera

love the a Year with my Camera online course by photographer Emma Davies. Click through photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas #ayearwithmycamera

Another great resource I wanted to share with you is A Year with my Camera by photographer Emma Davies. It’s a free online course with the aim of taking you from the basics of automatic camera photography to advanced manual techniques. There’s a workbook you can buy through Amazon if you’d rather have a tangible record and reminders in one place. There’s also the A Year With my Camera app (which I use) to keep all the information together on your phone and to work through at your own pace.

I found this image of Emma’s on there and really love the atmosphere she has managed to capture.

love this wild and romantic woman in landscape image by photographer Emma Davies. Click through photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas #ayearwithmycameral

I asked Emma to share her thoughts about the benefits to a small, creative business, of improving your own photographic technique:

Emma’s thoughts

‘Hiring a photographer and stylist can give you a bank of stunning images to use as you build your creative presence online. But if you are able to supplement these shots with more in-the-moment and behind-the-scenes images I believe you will become much more memorable. How many bland, safe Instagram feeds are there out there? And who do you actually enjoy following? Speaking for myself, I engage much more with creatives who run honest, flawed, spontaneous Instagram stories than those who are polished and distant. 

A few simple steps around lighting and composition will lift your shots above average

That doesn’t mean your own photography should be badly lit and messy (unless that’s your brand). A few simple steps around lighting and composition will lift your shots above average and help you bring a moment of joy and delight into the lives of your followers. If you have a big camera, do learn to use the aperture and shutter speed settings — they will open doors to much more creative photography. If you use your phone, try getting much closer to your subject for a bigger impact.’

Really good advice. I am halfway through Emma’s A Year with my Camera course as we speak and have already learned so much and gained in confidence. I take a lot of photographs at the various workshops I write up for the blog. And I often feel self-conscious and flustered by trying to work out how to get the best shot in limited time. This course is giving me the confidence to feel like I actually know what I’m doing and to be more creative.There’s also a really lively closed Facebook group where you can post your images and share feedback.

I also really like the sound of Emma’s The Art of Flower Photography – Online Course which will starts in May next year and will be open for enrolment from next April. Maybe see you there…?

A Quiet Style

Talented stylist, lifestyle photographer and Instagram influencer Emma Harris of A Quiet Style (listed in our directory here) also offers a selection of inspiring visual courses including her Improving your Photography One to One workshop. Based at Emma’s home in Brighton, the workshop includes tips and ideas for taking camera phone images you feel confident and happy with. Topics covered include switching from auto to manual, finding a style of photography you love, setting up and styling scenes, visual story telling, finding your editing style and editing tips and app suggestions. Emma also offers seasonal small group photography workshops and is about to launch a series of photography e-courses covering specific areas, including flower, still life and food photography and styling.

Emma’s thoughts about Photography for creative business:

‘Great photography is so important these days for any creative business, as we live in such an image led world.  People often use social media and Pinterest as a way of searching for products or suppliers they might like, or even venues for events. And if your imagery doesn’t stand out, you will just get lost.  I think the general consensus is that good photos mean desirable when it comes to the product. As an example, if you were looking for a wedding florist, you would choose one whose images were beautiful, and sparked something in you. Not mediocre.  Imagery sells, and for those independents who already have a lot on their plate, it is a vital part of the business repertoire.’

Emma also wrote a great blog post where she shared a few of her tips and ideas for finding creative inspiration: Meet Emma Harris of A Quiet Style

love this still life seasonal flowers camera phone image. Click through photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas love this still life seasonal flowers camera phone image. Click through photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideaslove this flatlay food instagram friendly camera phone image. Click through photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas love this still life seasonal flowers instagram friendly camera phone image. Click through photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas

If you invest in a few ‘hero’ shots with a professional photographer to help create the look and feel for your brand, being able to take your own simple, high quality images from there on would be invaluable.  Of course you also need strong, engaging images if you’re going to do well on Instagram, Pinterest and other social media too.

Yesterday I shared Creative Business idea number 1: website design inspiration using WordPress and Squarespace

You can read my own creative business story here: Creative business ideas to help you live the life you dream of

I’ll be sharing my key 10 Steps to Creative Business Success over the next 10 days or so, as well as a PDF with all the information in one place for you to download and keep.

The 10 steps I’ll be covering are:

  • Creative business idea number 1: website design inspiration using WordPress and Squarespace
  • Creative business idea number 2: photography tips for makers
  • Creative business idea number 3: don’t underestimate the power of a solid Pinterest marketing strategy
  • Creative business idea number 4: the best online tools and apps to help you
  • Creative business idea number 5: social media marketing, photography, storytelling and strategy
  • Creative business idea number 6: profitability & how to build a sustainable business
  • Creative business idea number 7: make a clear marketing strategy plan
  • Creative business idea number 8: don’t be afraid to learn from mistakes
  • Creative business idea number 9: the power of planning to help you build a sustainable business
  • Creative business idea number 10: sometimes forget the plan and seize the moment

INFORMATION

Photo credits: Photographers: Yeshen Venema (Sue Pryke; Rachna Garodia; Thornback & Peel; , Jacqui Ramrayka & Hend Krichen)

Emma Davies (A Year with My Camera); Emma Harris (A Quiet Style); Polly Wreford

Stylists: Mugdha Sapte; Hilary Lowe, Rose Hammick;  Elkie Brown

Are you a maker or creative course provider? Like to list with us and benefit from joining our supportive community? We’d love to hear from you. Check out the packages we offer on our Join Us page and get more details from our Information pack here


A PIN TO SAVE TO PINTEREST

love this still life seasonal flowers instagram friendly camera phone image. Click through photography tips and ideas for makers and creatives from hand-picked photographers as well as insider tried and tested ideas and contacts for great locations, stylists and online photography courses to help your photography stand out from the crowd #photographytips #creative #business #locations #photography #ideas

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I'm so glad you're here. I'm Laura - national women's magazine editor and journalist now sharing my passion for sustainable and creative living here. Hope you find something to enjoy and inspire! X

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It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to grow and blissfully fragrant in the summer months. 
They were my mum’s favourite flower, so growing them now feels like a precious connection. Especially when I pick some and arrange them in her beautiful old blue and gold jug just as she used to do with the sweet peas my dad grew for her every year.
There are some really handy tips for growing success from founder of The Real Flower Company Rosebie Morton over on the blog (link in bio). Rosebie has a whole farm dedicated to sweet peas near Chichester so she knows a thing or two about the subject!
Main thing I’ve picked up from her is to allow lots of depth for root growth at this stage and to make my own supportive wigwams from twiggy branches when the plants are really starting to go for it and need a bit of direction. This photo is making me yearn slightly.
I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying out tiny living for a feature I was writing - this was taken on our way to indulge in a spot of forest bathing. To be totally honest, we were both a little sceptical beforehand. But we were only saying the other day how taken aback we both were by the amazing effect it had. I’m working on some new ideas around the subject - will keep you posted. X
I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole site - which has meant lots of photo editing and reorganising so much content. What’s been lovely (despite the claw hand from so much keyboard work!) is revisiting work and becoming engrossed all over again. I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been (re) loving - with links in the bio to the old site for now, but not for long…! X
This  image is from a feature about preserving garden roses. I’m going to give this a really good go this year, now I have a better idea what I’m doing. I know there’s nothing quite like a fragrant fresh rose in Summer but there’s a fragile beauty to dried and preserved flowers that I also love, don’t you?
Snowdrops 🌱🤍 . . . . . . #capturequiet #ins Snowdrops 🌱🤍 
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#capturequiet #instabritain #natureandnourish #thewildernesstonic #cornersofmyworld
Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flower Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flowers Forever to be won! My bio has the link to enter as well as to get a peek inside. Beautifully photographed by Laura Edwards, I really enjoyed escaping into the pages and making plans for my own garden - hope you do too! X
To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Cla To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits has to be the perfect post Christmas craft project 😊 
If you fancy getting your needles out to make this adorable pair, the link to buy Claire’s pattern is in my bio. Happy knitting! X
Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists for a wonderful wreath making workshop yesterday. Such a special and creative space to spend time. I loved making my wreath - I went for a mixture of greenery arranged quite randomly with red waxed fresh apples, dried hydrangea, dried flowers, poppy and nigella seed heads and a winter white velvet bow. 
There were so many wonderful ingredients to choose from we were really spoiled for choice. 
Sarah’s new studio is such a beautiful, creative space. Think fragrant botanical candles flickering everywhere, mulled wine and apple juice simmering on the stove and containers full of fragrant festive greenery, waxed fruit, dried flowers and oranges, pine cones, lichen covered branches and even tiny gold wax-dipped fresh crab apples. 
Thank you for being so patient with my lengthy ribbon choice deliberations Sarah - and for bagging up a second choice option (dusky pink) to take home! X.  #wreathmaking #wreath #wreathsofinstagram #sustainablewreaths #wreathdecor #christmaswreath #velvetribbon #christmasdecor #festiveflowers
I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - s I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - she came up with the genius idea of embroidering on tulle using nature as her thread - and the results are sublime - like this Autumn colours beauty from her latest book.
I’m delighted that Olga is offering a fantastic prize bundle to my readers. For a chance to win one of her beautiful new dried flower embroidery kits (in collaboration with @driedandfloral ) as well as a signed copy of her wonderful new book(published by @quadrillebooks , pop over to my blog (link in my bio). It’s easy to enter so why don’t you give yourself a chance of winning this very lovely prize? Good luck! 
#driedflowers #driedflowerembroidery #olgaprinku #embroideryhoop #flowerembroidery #competitiontime #signedbooks #embroideryart #flowersontulle #autumn #autumncolours #hoopart #allthingsbotanical #instacraft
This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofp This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofpines and is from her beautiful new book Little Stories of Your Life. 
It’s packed with inspiration and practical ideas to help you become a visual story teller. Because, as Laura says, it’s the little moments that make up the fabric of all of our lives - and those moments are worth capturing and sharing with others.
We have three signed copies of the book to give away - just click the link in my bio to find out more. There’s a peek inside and a lovely film by @xantheb to enjoy too! X 
#littlemoments #littlestoriesbook #alifeofwords #lostinwords #competition #booksarelife #mindfulphotography #bookstagram #booksmakemehappy #booksconnectus #igreads #whatareyoureading #signedbooks
Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has sh Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has shared her wonderfully creative ideas for visibly mending well-loved clothing in need of repair and a little TLC.
She had me at ‘sometimes I like to use giant sequins…’ 
Hope you like Lisa’s ideas as much as I do. The link to head over to my blog and get all her step by steps is in my bio x
Thank you @therealflowerco for these heavenly swee Thank you @therealflowerco for these heavenly sweet peas - the perfect way to celebrate #britishflowersweek 
I just wish I could share the blissful fragrance with you too 💕🌸
#locallygrownflowers #flowersofinstagram #supportlocal #britishflowersweek2021 #britishseasonalflowers #flowersfromthefarm #sweetpeas
This heavenly knitted lamb is by Claire Garland ak This heavenly knitted lamb is by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits and just one of the creative spring projects you might enjoy immersing yourself in right now. To discover other inspirational ideas and to get all the info you need - including this free pattern by Claire - click the link in my bio. Hope you find something that brings you a little seasonal joy x
Thanks to Erin at @floretflower for sending me a s Thanks to Erin at @floretflower for sending me a surprise signed copy of her dreamy new book Discovering Dahlias - and another signed copy to share with one of you. 
To enjoy a peek inside - and for a chance to win - click the link in my bio. 
The truly beautiful photographs (including this one) are all by Erin’s husband Chris Benzakein #discoveringdahlias #floretflowerfarm #dahliasofinstagram #flowersgivemepower #giveawayuk
Thanks to @sarahravenperchhill for sharing a beaut Thanks to @sarahravenperchhill for sharing a beautifully simple way to arrange snowdrops and other early spring flowers over on the blog (link is in my bio). I’ve already made my own simple flower grid using foraged twigs and it works brilliantly! 
As well as sharing her simple step by steps, there’s also a video tutorial where Sarah shares more inspiring ideas for creating with early spring flowers. The beautiful photographs are by @jonathanbuckleyphotography - hope you enjoy! X
Last call to enter our Pippa Greenwood Grow Your O Last call to enter our Pippa Greenwood Grow Your Own gift bundle competition!
My favourite #gardenersquestiontime panellist @pippa.greenwood offers a range of totally brilliant Grow Your Own gift bundles - which include garden-ready veg plants sent out at the right time for planting, email growing advice, tips and recipes from Pippa herself as well as signed copies of The Gardener’s Year. It’s the perfect gift for anyone interested in growing their own fresh produce - and comes with the best expert advice!
We have two Pippa Greenwood GYO gift bundles to be won - the link to enter the competition, and to find out more is in my bio - Good luck!
Last call for anyone who’d like to enter our Cla Last call for anyone who’d like to enter our Claire Garland Christmas Mouse knitting pattern competition. The link to enter is the top one in my bio. Good luck!
If you’re finding the world a somewhat shouty an If you’re finding the world a somewhat shouty and overwhelming place right now, you might like to get behind Sarah Corbett @craftivists new project - she’s crowdfunding to create the final part of her Craftivism trilogy: the Craftivist Collective Handbook. It will be a beautiful hardback with 20 gentle protest Craftivist projects and tools to help readers become positive and effective change makers. Because slow and gentle can be more effective in the long run than fast and loud. I am 100% behind Sarah’s project and have no doubt that those of us in the crafty, creative community have plenty to contribute when it comes to making a better, fairer world. 
Stitching a powerful message can be  more effective than shouting it at someone who’s not listening to you. If you’d like to get involved or find out more, follow the top link in my bio.
Thanks to @botanical_tales for sharing beautiful d Thanks to @botanical_tales for sharing beautiful dried flower wreath ideas over on the blog - link in bio. I love this dried mini wreath as natural gift wrapping decoration (you can buy ready-made too) - all the links are in the post.
Thanks too to Kirsten @henthorn_farm_flowers for sharing her step by steps for creating a stunning giant foraged dried flower wreath as well as her beautiful simple wreath in silvery winter whites. 
I’m increasingly obsessed with the idea of growing my own flowers for drying and creating lovely things with them. Watch this space for more dried flower inspiration coming soon... X
One of the joyful things about this time of year f One of the joyful things about this time of year for me is making plans for next spring and summer in my flower cutting garden. After two years of growing cut flowers, I’m ready for some fresh ideas and to raise my game a little more. I would like to fill some gaps in shape and colour and to extend the flowering season in particular. I’d also like to start drying and preserving my flowers... so I am thrilled that Kirsten of @henthorn_farm_flowers has shared a beautiful glimpse into her seasonal and sustainable flowery world as well as lots of fantastic expert tips and ideas over on the blog - the link is in my bio. I hope you find some inspiration too. Kirsten lives in a very beautiful part of the world - the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. It’s an area very close to my heart as I grew up not far away. Loved spending a little virtual time there again, thanks to Kirsten - and I am yearning to go back in person one day soon and breathe it all in again.
To be honest, I’m still clinging on to the last To be honest, I’m still clinging on to the last moments of Summer. I do always eventually embrace Autumn but, this year in particular, I’m wanting to hold on for as long as possible to the quiet bliss of the last few months. 
I do really worry about what lies ahead for us all, but spending time outdoors, connecting, really up close, to what’s going on in the garden definitely helps. I still have roses, sweet peas, snapdragons, zinnias, asters and LOTS of dahlias blooming so there are always jars and jugs of flowers on every available surface. Rose geranium leaves have been a revelation for adding a fragrant green frilliness - and now I’m full of love for abelia. 
This beautiful photo is by @gandgorgeousflowers and captures the between-seasons beauty in the flower garden right now. I am inspired to create something similar as I have many of the same colours. 
I do realise that it’s silly (and utterly pointless 😂) to resist Autumn as it’s actually one of the most beautiful times of year. As soon as the leaves really turn, and everywhere starts to smell like Autumn, I’m sure I’ll be fully on board. 
With that in mind, I’ve shared lots of inspiring Autumn Flowers ideas over on the blog (link in my bio) from some of my favourite flower creatives including @gandgorgeousflowers @simplybyarrangement @therealflowerco @wildbunchflowers @floribundaroseflorists @thesussexflowerschool @electricdaisyflowerfarm 

Hope you enjoy - and find a little bit of creative inspiration too. X

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