New design directions
The garden stake series started as a way of utilisng all those small off-cuts from the backing board used for larger designs. I always resent throwing away good material. The early design was a simple round disc with contrasting patterns on each side. A commission then came in when a client asked for some flowerhead-type garden stakes to pop into some garden borders in time for participation in the National Open Garden Scheme. They were concerned that not all their plants would be in full colourful bloom and small pops of mosaic tiles might solve the problem.
The brief was to come up with three designs based on a daffodil, a peony and an anemone.
And so The Mosaic Florist was born! The garden stakes continue to evolve as clients request different colours and designs - the petal shapes emerging out of hand-cut stained glass which I buy as scrap bags of off-cuts. When the bags arrive from the supplier it is like Christmas! Each time there is a different selection depending on what is in stock, and often colours or textures I wouldn't have chosen if I had seen them online. One of the drawbacks is that all my suppliers are some distance so I can not go to look through and touch the glass.
Recent commission
The flowerheads have attracted alot of attention and a client recently asked me to make sixteen heart-shaped stakes to celebrate her and her husband's 16th wedding anniversary and upcoming renewal of the couple's wedding vows. It was such a romantic gesture as they are both keen gardeners and wanted to display them in their gorgeous 1930s garden. The hearts are double-sided and created from a range of red and pink stained glass, red ceramic petals and many tiny silver mirrors around the edge of each heart to catch the sunlight.
Sadly, due to the recent drought and exceptionally hard soil in their garden, they have yet to see them in the garden in all their glory. Once we have had some rain I'm hoping for some photographs to record them in situ!
If you are interested in commissioning a set of flowerhead stakes from The Mosaic Florist then please contact me via the website contact form.