Lasting Love for Shola Flowers


Here’s an alternative to dried botanicals with an unusual but beautiful style that we’ve just fallen in love with. Shola Flowers are natural, handcrafted flowers with a delicate, paper-like ornate look which is different to anything else on the long-lasting market. Also called Tapioca or Balsa flowers, they are made of shola, which is a milky- white sponge wood which is carved into sweet and delicate little pieces of art. They’re an environmentally friendly


solution for increasingly popular eco- weddings, so it’s important to remember the various options to offer at first consultations. Shola flowers also make stunning Christmas décor – great for elegant


looking wreaths, arrangements and Christmas trees, and gorgeous when put with snowberries and the like. They’re really easily wired and are incredibly versatile, so can be


used alone, alongside fresh flowers in bouquets and arrangements or together with brooches, satin ribbons or pine cones to make compositions that will last forever. Florist Michele Gledhill is a fan of the wooden blooms. She created


this stunning wedding bouquet using Shola Flowers, vintage lace and buttons. You could easily put them with fabric and lace, vintage brooches and buckles, buttons, picks… imagine the possibilities! Visit sholaflowers.co.uk for some lush pictures of them in situ, and to get your hands on your own. Photo by Jade Alana: jadealanablog.co.uk


Get Glowing this Winter These nifty little Buttonlites are the perfect way to spruce up arrangements that could do with a bit of a lift. These aren’t just ordinary fairy lights – Buttonlites are super small,


super bright, individual LED lights that give you the subtle, twinkly glow of a candle but without the flames or wires. We gave them a go and were thrilled with the effect they had on our


poinsettia laden mantelpiece; they shone beneath the cream leaves and made our silver tinsel shimmer. They’re hugely versatile with their slick matte white design, and being individual lights, you don’t have to fiddle with wires to get them in the right position. Plus there’s no naked flame or safety risk, so they’re happy to be


placed in amongst your poinsettias, tucked into fir and holly sprigs or hidden beneath a mound of pine cones. They come ready to use with batteries already installed, and can be


turned on and off as often as required, with a total battery life of 36-48 hours (battery is not replaceable). They come in a range of styles and are available wholesale in 10 packs of 10 units. Visit buttonlites.com for more information.


78 F&wb Autumn/Winter 2013


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