Simply By Arrangement

We love using Aerende’s products in our workshop, not least because as well as selling beautiful products and gifts, all of them are made in the UK by people facing social challenges. It’s an on line place to find a range of carefully crafted products from around the British Isles, created by makers who struggle to access or maintain conventional employment.

A little reminder for any of you who like to read our newsletter. The latest one is out now.
You might want to check your spam because that’s where I found mine!

Just a little note to say that we only have two remaining dates for one to one classes this year. 16th or 19th October.
If you’d like to come for a full or half day, before we let the garden have a rest then just email.

www.simplybyarrangement.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

As you can see there hasn’t been much going on in the workshop for a few days, but, sometimes a little break with a lot of fresh air, some old pals and the odd bottle of wine is absolutely necessary.

January never involves that many flowers and our classes don’t restart ‘till March so we might get a few more walks in over the coming weeks.

What we are doing though is planning (and a little bit of writing). There’ll be a couple of new blog posts soon and the snazzy new diary is nearly full of scribbling.

In filling in the snazzy diary what I noticed is that we do have space for a couple of weddings late July and early August. If you are a recently engaged couple and still looking for flowers, or if you have been waiting for the right excuse to get engaged and I’ve just provided it 🤣 then do get in touch. I’m thinking of opening up the studio one weekend soon for consultations.

Enjoy the first weekend of the decade.

www.simplybyarrangement.co.uk

As we take a little break to eat Mrs B’s Christmas cake at 4pm every day with a nice cup of tea, we would just like to say a massive thanks to all of you who have taken classes with us this year, or trusted us with your wedding flowers and to all who purchased our 2020 calendar raising a lot of money for the local hospice.

To any of you thinking of joining us next year, there are some classes now on the website and, we have a few special seasonal ones planned too which will be announced once we’ve seen if our flowers grow. There is a possibility that tulip and fritillary lovers are in for a treat in spring but we know that nature works in mysterious ways and there’s no point tempting fate.

Merry Christmas to you all 🌲🎄🌲🎄

https://www.simplybyarrangement.co.uk/classes/

Contact Sarah at [email protected]

What’s been going on in the workshop?
Where do I start?
After saying we would have a quiet year we might have got a little bit busy with workshops, but, that has been brilliant and we have met so many people, some new, some who have come back. There’s nothing as good as having people who come back and these next few weeks we are seeing lots of folk we now consider to be lovely friends who will come, drink wine, and make something jazzy for their door.

There have been weddings too, not quite as many, because of all the workshops ....more photos to come.

For next year we have some plans. Nothing big or exciting, just things to make this place better so that all those people who do come and see us can maybe enjoy a few more unusual flowers, definitely the kind you won’t see in the shops.

On weddings we have room for two more. Thinking about when all these ‘unusual’ flowers might grow ( I’m not tempting fate by saying ‘will’ as we all live in a very unpredictable world) then early May and mid September are the best times. We are going to open up the studio on Saturday 25th January 2020 for any couples getting married in those two months and who want seasonal flowers and like what we do. Booking will be needed so please get in touch soon if you’re interested. Just email [email protected]

Now, it’s back to the nice cold workshop, to make large round things for doors 🌲🌲🌲

PS the photos here are just a few from the wintry section of our 2020 calendar- with added dog in bed just because it’s Sunday. A massive thanks to all of you who have bought one. The local hospice are going to be so chuffed when they receive theirs with extra funds 🌿

A full ‘what’s been going on in the workshop’ is on the way soon.

In the meantime I just wanted to say that if you’d like to see the newsletter which has details of all our winter workshops (no elves will be exploited) then you can sign up for it on our website.
Just go to the contacts section on www.simplybyarrangement.co.uk and fill in your details.
It comes out on November 1st and we will let all subscribers have a couple of days to see the class details before advertising them anywhere else.
It also contains a little winter’s tale and 3 handsome wise men 😀

What’s been going on in the workshop?

It’s been visited by lots of people. There are some that were too bashful to be photographed, but, here’s the ones who trusted me to make them look gorgeous. In fact, good news, I’m doing a little on line class with a seriously famous photographer (think Rolling Stone Magazine) and it might just improve my people photography skills. The first piece of homework is to photograph people you know well.....so expect to see more of Mrs B next time 😀

Another sunny weekend beckons, the first of the dahlias have appeared and it’s the Hebden Bridge Open Studios so, I might see if I can find something good for the guests who are coming here mid July for the Simply Yorkshire floral retreat. I wonder if I can photograph them......

Are you doing a class at Cambo again this year?

It’s a question that people have been asking a lot.

The answer is yes we are. It will be a little bit different this year- smaller, more time in the garden, more time on the flowers and also more time out exploring the beautiful town of St Andrews too.

This year Rachael Scott of Hedgerow, me and Helen Warner- the photographer who took all of these photos- are looking forward to showing just a few guests this magical garden and how to create some stunning floral works of art from it. Working with the golden light that you seem to get on the Fife Coast we will be mainly ‘doing the flowers’ but also learning how to capture them in different ways. We are able to gather not just inspiration from the garden, but, there’s a very generous head gardener there who might let us snip things 🌿.

Evenings will be spent enjoying great food and quite possibly the odd glass of wine. I’m also considering a group trip to the best ice cream parlour in the world 😀

This 3 day class is for anyone who loves flowers and gardens.

There is a full information pack available if you’d like to leave me your email. The dates are 23-25th September 2019.
In addition to the full places with accommodation we have also decided to add 4 day places for anyone who is local to the area or who would like to find their own accommodation in the East Nuek of Fife (which, in my humble and worthless opinion, is a very good base for a holiday).

Either leave a message here with your email address or contact me at : [email protected]

Hope these photos make you forget about the rain.

All of them are by Helen Warner .

What’s been going on in the workshop?

Well, we have been busy teaching bouquets, bowls, large urns and last week a two day wedding class (more on that another time).

A few dogs have tried to get into my photos and Max next door likes to check all bouquets before every photoshoot. Little Brian wowed us all with his jazzy coat and messages to the people’s republic of Hebden Bridge too.

Quite a few small teams have come along. We had Marianne and Camilla (and Brian) from Wolves Lane on a rare day away from their London plot. From North Yorkshire we had Katy from Ginger Rose Florist and Sophie from Ginger and Flynn (who wore our ginger aprons with a lot of style), and we had Lucy from a large house in Oxfordshire where she keeps up appearances for the owners (and the privacy policy prevents me from saying more 🤣)

Oh and a short Easter break up in Scotland was good for checking out new locations for this year’s Cambo class with Hedgerow. The fact that the lovely head gardener Fay McKenzie let me give her a quick centrepiece class using flowers all from the garden was, well, just brilliant.

Over the next few weeks we have lots more one to one classes, for new florists, travelling florists and florists who just need a good day off.

When we have lots of left overs we are still running short, impromptu classes, for folk who live locally and who want to contribute to the local Hospice fund.

We also have our annual Dutch Masters Class with flowers, ceramics and photography. Mr Snug (aka Ed Chadwick) has lots of new ideas for how he’ll capture the images this year and, since Mrs B is also coming to provide a slap up lunch, I think there might be a fair amount of hilarity. There is still a place available if you think you’re up to it 😀

Later this summer we have a couple of classes that I’m excited about, which involve more than just flowers. The details of those will be out soon.

Now, after last night’s rather disappointing conclusion to Line of Duty, I’m off to drown myself in tea. If you too are drinking tea and want to read our latest blog post then it’s now on the website: https://www.simplybyarrangement.co.uk/blog/british-flowers-bronte-tales-and-the-long-hot-summer-of-2019/
Enjoy the rest of the May Bank Holiday.

What’s been going on in the workshop.....workshops 😀😀
All our classes have restarted and some superb flowers are appearing in the small corner again.
We are loving our seasonal classes with Sarah Mason, where guests will come away with their own portfolio of photos, and it’s brilliant to see everyone testing out their cameras.
Last week we took the small dog for a week away, and even better, I made her a leather dog collar and lead in a class with Cathy Bridger Edwards who makes superb leather bags and accessories.
Off to sweep the floors before today’s class.

Have a lovely weekend, it’s going to be sunny, I might get to Dove Cottage Nursery for a few new plants.......