Helen Clay Paper Floristry, Art & Design

06/12/2022

It’s the time of year when we hang Mistletoe in doorways, but did you know there is more to this unique plant than its legend of beckoning a kiss from your beau beneath its perch.

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant, meaning that it needs a host tree or shrub in order to thrive.

Despite its dangers, Mistletoe has a history of medicinal use. The European varieties have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat seizures, headaches, infertility, hypertension and arthritis.

Mistletoe is an evergreen plant with plump white berries which grows on the branches of trees such as Apple, Hawthorn, Poplar, Lime and Conifers, often in clumps.

The idea of kissing underneath the Mistletoe was originally started by domestic workers in England. It is now known as a Christmas time Kiss and can be found above the doorframe, ready for that impromptu kiss or as decorative foliage around the home.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information on 07968 802279 or take a look at my website www.helenclay.co.uk.

30/11/2022

On Saturday 3rd at Millom Rugby from 11am, I will be at the Christmas Market why not come along to see all the Christmas Arrangments, Mistletoe, Christmas Flowers and plenty more that I have made over the last couple of weeks. I will also be taking orders on the day

To see any of my other work, go to www.helenclay.co.uk for any other enquiries email at [email protected]

28/11/2022

Christmas time mistletoe and wine order your Christmas arrangments just in time

This week I have been getting ready for the Christmas Market this Saturday at Millom Town Square, starting by making mistletoe and poinsettias.

If cared for properly, a potted poinsettia can last for two to three months in your home. However, some home gardeners with a particularly green thumb may enjoy the challenge of caring for a poinsettia long after Christmas in hopes of a second bloom next holiday

I offer a free flower consultations from either my studio in Silecroft, Millom or via Zoom, so please get in touch to book in a date that is convenient for you.

To see any of my other work go to www.helenclay.co.uk for any other enquiries email at [email protected]

14/11/2022

Poppies/Oriental Poppies

A beautiful wildflower; big and blousy and a real show stealer. These flowers can be created in a beautiful array of colours using Fine German crepe paper, dyed with alcohol-based inks. Each petal is unique as is each flower.

www.helenclay.co.uk

13/11/2022

Gerbera

A delightful daisy-like flower with long petals around a tight multicoloured centre. Looks beautiful as a single bloom in a bud vase, or a great table decoration.
www.helenclay.co.uk

11/11/2022

I am pleased to announce I will be attending the Shine for Autism - shopping and pamper night at St James School on Saturday, 12th November 5pm - 7pm.

I will have a special discount of 20% off all purchases and orders made on the night.

I hope to see many of you there.

www.helenclay.co.uk

11/11/2022

Anemones

A wildflower member of the buttercup family and rarely seen in a florist’s shop due to their delicacy. Their vibrant colours usually in red, white and blue can add sophistication and novelty in floral arrangements, with a subdued loveliness that is understated yet powerful. Blue anemones within a wedding or celebration bouquet are said to give protection from evil.

If you want a hand-crafted paper bouquet for any occasion, please don't hesitate to contact me at 07968 802279.

10/11/2022

Oriental Lilies are such a statement maker in any room, but their pollen is sometimes a real problem – their scent is often a no-no for those with allergies; is quick to stain clothes and furniture and of course, is deadly if ingested by cats.

My lilies being made of paper, with no pollen and unscented, offer a realistic alternative that is non-allergic, non-staining, and completely safe for cats.

I craft these lilies from high-quality German crepe paper coloured with pastels. The bloom consists of a large open flower, 2 buds, and leaves.

As I craft the blooms to order, you can choose almost any colour you like or send a photo of a real Lilly, you would like me to replicate.

Hydrangea is a large bloom that can be lovely on its own or contrasting or coordinated within a bouquet. Here are cream and bright green examples, but blue is a very popular theme for weddings and pink/red can look lovely with a pale arrangement.

www.helenclay.co.uk

09/11/2022

Roses make a lovely gift whatever the occasion. Perfect for a 1st Anniversary (paper) gift, valentine’s or just to say I think you are special.

All my roses are made to order so you can choose from a variety of colours, plain crepe or Doublette, double-sided crepe or even have them hand painted.

Our roses can be scented with high-quality English rose essential oils. These blooms not only look amazingly realistic but smell real too! Due to the high quality of the oils, I use, these flowers will keep their scent for many months, but they will fade with time.

They can be ordered as a single bloom or as many as you need in a bouquet. You can choose a single style and colour or choose as many different ones as you wish.

These roses are made from high-quality doublet paper. They have a fine delicate finish with one colour on top and another below

08/11/2022

All very exciting! Did my first Wedding Fair with Little White Books at Crook recently. I was very nervous, especially as it was the official start day of my new paper florist business. Talk about jumping in the deep end, but it was fabulous. The opportunity to showcase my bespoke wedding flower service was fantastic, rewarding, and informative. The team at Little White Books was great – really friendly and helpful. Gave lots of advice before the show and was around all day, checking everything was going well and just being supportive.

Read more below

All very exciting! Did my first Wedding Fair with Little White Books, at Crook recently. Very nervous especially as it was the official start day of my new paper florist business. Talk about jumping in…

07/11/2022

Whether it’s a hotel lobby, dining table, bed & breakfast reception, a café coffee table, or bedroom in a holiday cottage, or simply your favourite vase on your favourite table, the sight of a beautiful flower arrangement can create a lovely welcome, give a sense of luxury to a room and enhance the sense of comfort and joy.

Hiring paper flower arrangements offers a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to real flowers.

I individually handcraft each flower; design the flower template, cut, shape, create, colour and arrange each stem. Using fragrance oils, we can add a subtle scent embedded into the flowers, so they smell lovely too. This means that I can offer a unique product which can be made to fit in with any décor or setting, is beautiful and realistic and has a very low carbon footprint and has zero maintenance costs.

With our flowers, there are no dead leaves, no changing water and because the paper is anti-static properties, no dusting, unlike faux flowers.

We offer personal delivery within our catchment area, but please contact me to discuss personal delivery or postal delivery if you live and work further away.

We offer a bespoke service to each customer, with floral arrangements made and delivered to suit their needs and décor and changed at an agreed frequency. We offer prior sight of each arrangement so you can be confident of the size, colour, and quality of the arrangement.

Contact me to arrange an initial consultation.

https://www.helenclay.co.uk/

04/11/2022

You know how sometimes when something arrives completely out of the blue and you feel really lifted – that was exactly how I felt when I received an invitation to Mike and Dawn’s wedding at Netherwood Hotel, Grange over Sands on the 1st May. I knew they were to marry, were deeply in love and very excited about their wedding, but I really didn’t expect to attend, as the last time I actually saw Mike was about 30 years ago when we were all mates at Uni. That’s not to say we hadn’t stayed in touch – of course, we have through friends and FB, but never managed to meet up.

What a lovely day, no, the weather wasn’t perfect, but everything else was. The Netherwood Hotel is in such a beautiful location set up overlooking Morecambe Bay with views of the Lake District in the distance. As a wedding venue, it is perfect; Netherwood is a beautiful Grade II listed Victorian mansion offering the perfect combination of old-world charm and set in beautiful, landscaped gardens perfect for the wedding photos and for guests to have a wander and admire the view. Dawn looked beautiful and so happy; Mike was lovely and so proud to be her new husband.

Read more below

You know how sometimes when something arrives completely out of the blue and you feel really lifted – that was exactly how I felt when I received an invitation to Mike and Dawn’s wedding at Netherwood Hotel, Grange over Sands on the 1st May.

03/11/2022

I know today, I still look at my wedding bouquet when I pass and smile. Seeing it there, even though they are silk flowers and a little past their best, having faded and a bit battered after being dusted so often, they still are a lovely reminder of the best day of my life – the day I married my lovely husband.

Paper bouquet recreations make a wonderful 1st-anniversary gift for your partner – a way to say I love you more today than I did on our wedding day. Or a thoughtful gift to the married couple from friends and family who share such lovely memories with you both.

If you would like to have your real flower bouquet recreated in paper, either as a full bouquet or just a few favourite stems created and displayed in a bud vase, please contact me.

https://www.helenclay.co.uk/

02/11/2022

At Helen Clay Paper Floristry Art and Design, we offer a bespoke service where you can choose your favourite flowers regardless of season, in a rainbow of colours to match your chosen colour scheme, knowing that it is a sustainable choice and that your flowers will be completely unique for your special day.

Whether you are looking for a minimal floral presence or a luxury dazzling display, we can offer a range of options whatever your style, budget or venue. You can choose from a simple bouquet or go for a coordinating range for the whole wedding party and venue, confident that we will be working with you to create what you want, and crafting flowers, especially for you.

https://www.helenclay.co.uk/

01/11/2022

At Helen Clay Paper Floristry Art and Design, we offer a bespoke service where you can choose your favourite flowers, regardless of season, in a rainbow of colours to match your chosen colour scheme, knowing that it is a sustainable choice and that your flowers will be completely unique for your special day.

https://www.helenclay.co.uk/

31/10/2022

The journey of Life takes many twists and turns – some we see as positive, and others we must wait a while to find out it was the best road to happiness we could have hoped for.

A few years ago, I was a senior executive working in London, rushing from one meeting to the next, filling the days with work and my evenings with social events and then two things happened almost at once – I fell in love and married a wonderful man and was diagnosed with MS.

Big changes – I moved back to where I grew up and started a small holiday let business. Millom is a small town in the Western Lake district between the beautiful mountains and the sea and is a lovely place to live, work and visit. And then Covid came and again, everything changed.

It was then I found a skill I didn’t know I had, a love of nature I had forgotten and a way to bring joy to others, which I have always tried to do.

My mum loves flowers – really loves flowers, and during the lockdown, she was missing them, so I made her some paper flowers and she loved them. Then, I made some more, and then for her friends, my friends and…. And this is how my paper floristry began.

Paper Floristry makes me happy, helps our environment and gives joy to others – at last the best road.

https://www.helenclay.co.uk/