March/April 2015 Meetings

We were very fortunate to have our very own president Noreen show us how to make a Contemporary Table Design using the weaving technique she learnt at one of Andy Uomo Djati’s workshops in Adelaide last year. All of us then tried making these and had lots of fun weaving liriope, flax, rafia and ribbons around Satay sticks. The bench designs were titled ‘St Patricks Day’ and ‘stem, spike or truss’ was the horticultural item.

At the April meeting Elizabeth and Jenny did a workshop on Traditional Horizontal Massed or Line Table Centre designs. We watched them first and then made some very pretty arrangements. For the bench we had ‘Contemporary Table Design’ and ‘stem, spike or truss’ was the horticultural item.

February 2015 Meeting

At our first meeting for the new year, we had three new ladies join us. Linda and Noreen showed us how to make different wired structures and twirly wired shapes with wool. Being Shrove Tuesday, Elizabeth brought us home made mini pancakes which were enjoyed by all. The bench was filled with sculptured designs.

 

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Sep/Oct/Nov 2014 Meetings

At our September meeting we had an amazing workshop on Sculptured Designs conducted by our very own Noreen Donovan and Vera Singeleton. A big thank you to Vera and Noreen for willingly sharing their knowledge and expertise and inspiring us always. After watching the experts at work, we tried making up our own sculptures as shown below. Our new Facebook page “Waverley floral art group” also features these photos. Congratulations to Elsie Carter on being awarded life membership at the Royal Horticultural Society.

Three final year students from Marjorie Milner College and members from other floral art groups came to our October meeting to celebrate our 52nd birthday with us. We were fascinated by the designs created by the 3 young demonstrators. (see below for photos). Thanks to all members for providing the tasty supper that we all enjoyed afterwards.

We ended 2014 in the Christmas spirit – by making sleigh decorations as shown by Noreen, sharing Kris Kringle and a delicious supper provided by the members. The Christmas bench designs were judged by popular vote. Noreen got the first prize and Elizabeth got the second prize. Bench winner for the year in the Open Aggregate was Linda and Sandra won the Intermediate whilst Haeztra won ‘From the Garden’ aggregate. 

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June/July/Aug 2014 Meetings

We were very fortunate to have Janet Alesich from Floral Art Society of Victoria to demonstrate to us at out June meeting.  She made 5 wonderful designs, each one in totally different colour combinations and using very interesting plants from the garden. We were fascinated by her creativity and all went home inspired.(see below for photos).

At our July meeting we had some of the committee members demonstrate some items from the show schedule to us. Elizabeth showed ‘Power of One’ and Noreen showed ‘Windswept (free style)’. Jenny showed different ways of doing ‘Horticulture Jewellery’ and Sharon showed ‘Tints and Tones’. Noreen also showed us how to exhibit and wire camellias. We all picked up valuable hints before the upcoming show.(see below for photos).

Peter Moscovic, the Waverley garden club treasurer came to chair our AGM in August. The committee members for the new year are Noreen Donovan, Elizabeth Oberin, Joe White, Ria Henly, Sharon Cunningham, Jenny Peiper, Alicia Kowalczyk, Sandra Fallu, Haeztra Goonetilleke and Rosie Dougherty. A warm welcome to Rosie to the committee as we look forward to the year ahead. Noreen showed us some of the new techniques she learnt in South Australia recently and we all watched with interest as she demonstrated to us.

March/April/May 2014

At the March meeting we greeted friends from Vermont, Box hill, Ashburton and Brighton to the “guess why” impose where Ria, Jenny and Haeztra were given the same items that Noreen had kindly put together as a surprise. Its amazing how 3 people could produce 3 totally different designs from the identical material given.

Jenny and Rosie once again taught us the basics of wired word at our April meeting and showed us how to construct a miniature structure for wiring corsages. We all had fun experimenting with wired structures. The bench was titled ‘Stop and Smell the Roses’ and ‘a stem, spike or truss’ was from the garden.

A big thank you to all the members who helped us celebrate Mother’s day at Brandon Park shopping centre on the 9th of May. We surprised many shoppers by giving away free cup cakes and floral gifts while promoting our Floral Art Group and activities. 

We were very grateful to Jeannie Finlayson and her assistant Heather Bruce who travelled a long way to be with us on a cold night to lead a creative workshop in May. They taught us a new contemporary method of finger crocheting Aluminium wires into different shapes and turning it into a contemporary design with raffia paper covered test tubes. They showed us some lovely preprepared designs using these wire structures. A  big thank you to Noreen for preparing the kits ahead for all of us. We welcomed 9 newcomers who learnt the new technique very enthusiastically. The bench ‘featuring Chrysies’, ‘wired corsage for the Mother of the bride’ and ‘foliage’ from the garden were popular.

 

February 2014


We started 2014 with a skills night on February 18th when some of our own members showed us some techniques. Jenny showed us how to use a pasta machine to treat yucca leaves in such a way that the soft green outer part of the leaf is split and spread apart leaving the inner fibre intact. Then Haeztra showed us how to plait a flax leaf and make a three ply braid. Noreen showed us various ways of manipulating an Aspidistra leaf and how to transform 2 round hoops with decorative wires and wool. Linda made a corsage by covering a stick on name label with lambs ears, decorative wires and roses.

Our bench was full with lots of entries for ‘hot hot’ and the horticultural ‘something from your garden’ seemed to be popular with a ‘spike, stem or truss’. See below for all the bench items and some of the arrangements we made on the day using the new techniques we learnt.

 

October/November 2013 Meetings

We were very fortunate to have Nicole and her very talented students Emily and Bridget from the Marjorie Milner College at our October meeting. Being our 51st Birthday night, we also had other visitors from Ashburton, BoxHill, Brighton and Vermont floral art clubs with us. Emily and Bridget demonstrated very creative beautiful floral arrangements. (see pictures below).

At the November meeting we had the Christmas break up with Kris Kringle and supper. The Christmas bench arrangements were judged by popular vote and was won by our president Noreen. Noreen had been busy preparing special kits for us all to make stars with sticks. We all had fun making these stars and decorating them with sisal and flowers as shown below. Bench entries for Xmas design are included in the Xmas Photo Gallery page. 

August /September 2013 Meetings

On the 20th of August 2013, we had our 51st Annual General Meeting. The new committee members elected are Noreen Donovan (president), Elizabeth Oberin (secretary), Joe White (treasurer), Alicja Kowalczyk, Jenny Peiper, Haeztra Goonetilleke,  Ria Henley, Sharon Cummingham and Sandra Fallu.  After the AGM, our president Noreen showed us a powerpoint presentation of floral art through the ages and Sandra showed us a video clip from the garden club archives of the 1975 Camellia Show. Then we enjoyed a wonderful supper provided by the members.

At our September meeting, Noreen and Alicja conducted a contemporary workshop where we made roundels and learnt the techniques of pinning and wrapping and made a variety of beautiful designs as shown below.  

July 2013 Meeting

At the July meeting we discussed the schedule for the upcoming Annual Camellia Show. Noreen, Elizabeth and Sharon demonstrated some items from the show schedule and Jenny showed us how to stage a debutante bracelet.
You can download the schedule from this website (Camellia Festivals page above) and don’t forget to ring Haeztra with your entries either on Tuesday 13th August from 4 to 7 pm or on Wednesday 14th August from 4 to 9 pm.
The hall will be open to stage your entries on Friday evening from 5 to 7 pm on the 16th August and from 8 am to 10.45 am on Saturday the 17th August.

June Workshop and Garage Sale

On Saturday the 15th of June 2013, we had a contemporary workshop and a garage sale to sell our pre-loved floral art treasures and collectables. Most of the ladies were from Burwood Heights Uniting Church, Brighton and Vermont floral art groups.  Many thanks to the committee for their efforts in organising the event and cooking the delicious afternoon tea for all to enjoy. Special thanks to Noreen who demonstrated  the beautiful contemporary design and to Alicja who cut up polystyrene rounds and made all the stands for us to use. Out of the day’s proceeds we donated $450 to Possible Dreams International (PDI) for their continued work amongst orphans in Swaziland. Our secretary Elizabeth donated the cheque to Dr Maithri Goonetilleke, the director of PDI at our last committee meeting. Visit http://www.possibledreamsinternational.org for more information about PDI. 

 

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