Andy and I had just finished a short formal meditation Monday afternoon when he noticed a peculiarly shaped planter vase sitting on my desk. My friend picked it up and contemplated it for about a minute.
“Hmm, California Pottery. It looks like it was made in the 1950s.”
I replied that I thought so, too. “The ’50s look was why I bought it. It also looked like a good base for an Ikebana arrangement.”
Andy said that he once read a book about the art of Japanese flower arranging but had never tried it. I offered him the opportunity to give it a go. “Why not make your first Ikebana with the vase you’re holding?”
He rummaged through the supplies bin and pulled out some elements. After carefully placing each piece. Andy poured hands full of glass marbles filler into the pink planter. “There it is. I’m naming it ‘sailboat’.”
I praised him on his first effort and promised to include it on the next Floral Friday.
Yesterday, I used Andy’s project as inspiration for two more Ikebana style projects. A vintage art deco styled mercury glass ashtray holds a mini-arrangement of elements. The ashtray was topped off with small seashells.
A late era McCoy Pottery Ikebana tray is the base for a simple array of elements. I used blue blooms and transparent glass to bring a touch of coolness to offset the summery weather.
Ciao
The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes celebrity interior designer Nate Berkus. “You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.”
bluejayblog 
Andy did a good job. And so did you.
Thanks bunches!