A week or so ago the winter pruning started!
Why would I start pruning just before Christmas when time is precious, panic high and the weather grim? Because the Daisy duo are not allowed to prune anything until wreath making is done!
So every year greenery is cut, minced pies heated, wine mulled, and decorative extras wired up...
in preparation for our wreath making workshops.
We have lovely regular attendees, but every year we have a few new people and it's lovely to see them, some of them wreath novices, converted to the gentle pastime of wreath making.
In no time at all everyone was absorbed snipping and arranging...
and wreaths started to grow out of the green chaos...
a bit of trimming...
and the odd festive refreshment and they were done!
Wreaths finished, time for a cup of tea and a bit of world sorting.
Organisers need sustenance too...
minced pies (elegantly done Jayne)...
and mulled wine (at least I was trying to be discreet at the back!)
And the end results...
(clockwise from top left) Caz (a first time wreather), Lucy, Becky and Nikki
Rachael and Jess (my glamorous eldest and also a first timer).
Thank you lovely afternoon ladies you were all fabulous and your wreaths gorgeous.
After a swift tidy up and a lift and shift of location to chez moi we did it all again!!
Every year we worry that there won't be enough 'stuff' left for the evening, and every year we have plenty!
More greenery, more wine, more chat - it's a terrible chore but someone has to do it!
Again we had some regulars and some new...
we ran out of mulled wine but we still managed to create some stunning wreaths.
(clockwise from top left) Wendy, Kathy (nice try - attempting to hide!), Liz and Kate...
Justine, Belinda, Jayne (who actually got to make one and finish it - we're obviously getting better at this) and Penny.
They are all stunning and what's always lovely is that although everyone is choosing from the same assortment of greenery and decorations, all the wreaths are so different.
There is no such thing as a standard wreath in my opinion, or a correct wreath, or a proper wreath.
Anything goes - and nothing is a bad idea - although the spindly tendrils of Trachelospermum I finished my wreath off with have a tendency to grab people on the way past. The postman is definitely not keen - as if the long, slippery path and the ridiculously small Victorian letterbox are not enough for him to deal with!
So another years wreath making is done and more doors are beautifully dressed for the next few weeks. Don't forget to water your wreaths occasionally and watch out for strong winds.
Thank you all so much for coming ladies, and for making such lovely things. We raised £75 for the Save the Children Yemen Appeal.
Have a wonderful Christmas and try to avoid New Years resolutions wherever possible, particularly if they entail stopping doing something you like!!
Lots of love from the Daisy duo.
xx🎄🎄🎄xx
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