Trophies, Bouquets, Duckies, Installs, & Summer Madness!

Wow! Things have been busy the last few weeks!  I've made trophies, wedding centerpieces, wedding bouquets, worked on public art, proposals, & installed a fountain!  Plus, we somehow ended up taking in 5 adorable little duckies that have been nothing but distracting, lol :)

 

 

Starting with; the fountain--that has kept me busy for weeks!  Commissioned by the Idaho Botanical Garden last fall: this piece took 3 tries to get right (more on that later) It is finally in place & looks beautiful, just like we planned; I'm very happy with the overall look of it; even if it didn't go smooth the first (or second) time, lol ; )

In addition to 8 trophies that shipped to Japan last week, & the 12 that will go to South Carolina on Monday, I finished up this one for a copper mine in Nevada & sent it out.  It stands 22 inches tall; made from steel, aluminum, & copper, with a wood base--one of my best yet :)   This is a perpetual trophy; winners names will be added to the base year after year.  I hope they like it as much as I do ;)

And the new duckies!  OMG: so cute!  I found an add on Craigslist saying that a family had rescued these 5 ducks as babies, but no longer had the room for them: they were very concerned that they go to a good home with lots of room, & I was very happy to take them :)  They are young Sweedish Black ducks, as far as I can guess-4 hens & 1 drake. And so sweet & cute & happy!  I have missed having ducks around the place, & when I saw the add I couldn't resist ; )  I'll post more pics later...

And, the latest crazy alternative wedding bouquet; instead of pearls & flowers she wanted nuts, bolts, & hardware....love it!  One of my favs.   Also this week; shipped one out that will be walking down the aisle at Burning Man, another to Spain, & a whole bunch of tree centerpieces for a wedding in Canada.

Whew!  It's been quite the week!  I was so happy to sleep in a bit today & get caught up: still a few bouquets to make tomorrow & an order of trophies; thankful for the weekend & no one calling ; )

Updates coming; next week is Boise World Trade Center Memorial Week--it will be done & installed: one way or another :)  

Amber

Steampunk Wedding Bouquet-show & tell

Just wanted to share the latest custom wedding bouquet--a steampunk bouquet with little gears, crystals, & pearls :)

Too much fun!

 The little gears came out of old-style power meters; I have used them before for jewelry, but this is the first time I''ve put them on a bouquet: love the look!

Accented with copper, white & cream pearls, & crystals in champagne & clear for lots of sparkle--I can't wait to see the wedding pics.  Also making a matching pomander for the flower girl :)

Amber

Colored Metal Experiments & Projects

About at month ago, I came across some automotive paint; a unique product perfect for adding color to my bouquets & other metal projects as well :)  I've been having a ball experimenting on the bio-hazard & nuke coasters, aluminum bangle bracelets & wedding bouquets: just wanted to share the latest

This bouquet shipped out today, along with 4 matching bridesmaid bouquets.

The paint is a semi-transparent color; letting the metal shine through & reflect through the color--so perfect for this application.  It's hard to see in the photo; but in real life the finish is like a candy-apple, only blue :)

The bride's dress is ivory with an indigo blue band at the top & around the the hem of the dress; I think she made the perfect choice with this bouquet--it will contrast against the ivory bodice & has tons of sparkle & shine!

To get the perfect match, I first sprayed the blue color, then did a light overlay of  "smoke" to tone it down just a bit.  Then a finish coat of the transparent blue finished it off for the perfect match.  

I am not a big color person; I tend to stay with very natural colors in my wardrobe & have always preferred the look of natural, bare metals in my work: but I will admit that experimenting with color is a lot of fun!

It's hard to see in the photo; but in real life--these bangle bracelets have such a cool finish; you can see the custom polish I did to the bare aluminum through the candy-apple colors; so cool!

The bangles will soon be available on my Etsy shop, along with lots of other new fun items :)

More to come ; )

Amber

New Alternative Wedding Bouquet Pics :)

Meet Breanna...

Very recently married, & I got to create bouquets & bouts for her wedding :)

Such a cute pic!

The bridal bouquet was powder-coated to match her colors: I think this is the very first colored bouquet I shipped out: in the sunlight it sparkles with champagne metal flake: so pretty :)

We even did a matching bout. for the groom :)

I love Breanna's funky style; especially the fingerless gloves & tattoos.

Looks like is was a fun celebration; I'm glad I got to be a part of it in a small way.

Thanks for sharing the pics & congrats!

 

All photos by Sooz White.

Amber

Client Wedding Photos; luv these!

OMG; I love seeing my crazy creations in the wedding pics :)  I ship metal bouquets & accessories all over the world, & usually never hear anything after they leave my workshop; it's so nice when brides share the pics with me after the wedding :)

Looks like it was a fun day :)  I created the bridal bouquet with purple crystal accents & pearls, along with pomanders for the bridesmaids :)

Thanks so much for sharing, Lonna.  And congrats on your big day :)

Amber

New Colored Metal Wedding Bouquets

Just back from the powder-coater: alternative bouquets in color!

This was a special request from a bride; she wanted blue & black with silver accents, so I took out 5 plain aluminum bouquets & told the powder-coat guys to experiment: they gave me 3 options for the blue/black & then got creative with the others :)  

Of course they would do a BSU themed color scheme, lol :)  

This is my fav of the silver/blue/black colors :)

I was so impressed: they even added an overlay of metal-flake (aka sparkles) for the finishing touch :)

To be honest; I was pretty hesitant to get into colors: as I prefer the look of the real metal, but I must admit; the color options are a lot of fun.  And I'm comfortable with the powder-coat finish as it's super durable: not going to flake off or fade like a spraypaint would: I know the colors will last for years & years :)

I'll definitely be offering the option from now on; would love to see a candy-apple red, or lime green/turquoise!!

Just wanted to share :)  These are available on my Etsy shop; click the shop page above to see :)

Amber

Playing with Fire: Heat Coloring Copper Bouquets

I recently received an order for alternative bouquets & boutonnieres for the entire wedding party...theme of the wedding: Dragon Fire... (insert happy grin here)

 Cool; fire is fun...  I sent the bride (Nina) a sample of flamed colored copper & she thought is was perfect for the wedding....  So, I spent this morning (our first really warm, lovely spring day)  making up the brides-maids bouquets & groomsman's boutonnieres, along with matching bouts for the ushers, out of copper & then proceeded to torch them...

I am using a very old jeweler's torch--got it from an elderly gentleman who had bought it years ago & never used it: I can't even get parts for it through my welding supplier...   I love it, though: it's tiny, but super hot: perfect for coloring copper :)  And it looks almost identical to my big torch set-up: but miniature...so cute!

 Heating the copper this way makes it change color; it's fun to do & I was going for a rainbow effect; lots of purple, blue, green, & gold...   The colors are permanent, although they mute a bit when a sealer is added...

For this Dragon-Fire wedding, the wedding party will all be decked out with these copper bouquets & bouts, & the bride & groom will contrast with shiny aluminum: adorned with sparkling crystals in reds, oranges, & purples to match: working on that tonight... 

A fun project: I can't wait to see pics of the wedding :)

Amber

Aternative Bouquets Featured on: BestHudsonValleyWeddingsEver.com

 From: www.besthusonvalleyweddingever.com 

Alternative Wedding Bouquet Inspiration

Monday, 03 October 2011 12:07 Brea Gunn

I love bouquets. In fact, they’re probably one of my favorite parts of the wedding ensemble. I think that I love them so much because they can truly express what you feel in a way that words cannot.
But what if you’re allergic? Or you just don’t like roses or callas or any of the other "traditional" flowers? That would be awful! Can you imagine walking down the aisle sneezing the whole way? Or what if you just like to think outside the box? I’m a huge fan of being original--and what a great way to channel your originality!
So... what types of alternatives are out there?

Wire Bouquets

I think that I’ll start off with my new favorite. Wire bouquets. I love the whimsy and the blend of hard and soft. It’s almost poetic, don’t you think?

From left: Copper & Pearl Bouquet, Aluminum Bouquet, Aluminum, Crystal & Pearl Bouquet

They’re absolutely stunning, aren’t they? You could even add in some greenery, feathers, or other accents to make it truly yours.

Pinwheels

Not a fan of the industrial look? Never fear. If you’re into whimsical, then you’re going to love these pinwheels! They’re straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Alice in Wonderland. Come to think of it... if you’re doing a theme wedding, these would rock!

From left: Yellow Pinwheel, Multi Pinwheel Bouquet, Pink Pinwheel

How perfect would these be for your bridesmaids and flower girls? If pinwheels aren’t your style, you may want to consider fabric.

Fabric Bouquets

These are gorgeous. I love the endless choices and the amazing combinations.

From top left: Kimono Fabric Bouquet, Organza and Feather Bouquet,
Satin Bouquet with Brooch Accents, Muslin and Cotton Bouquet

With fabric bouquets, you have so many options. It truly is an endless opportunity.
Do you like bright tones? Muted? Patterned? Many of the talented artists over at Etsy will custom-make your bouquet--what about using the outfit you were wearing when he proposed? Or when he first asked you out?
If you still need more inspiration for an alternative bouquet, I have a few more that I would love to share with you:

From left: Paper Bouquet, Felt Bouquet with Buttons, Feather Bouquet, Felt Bouquet

The best part about all of these bouquets? You’ll have your bouquet forever. What a great keepsake! If you want to do flowers and an alternative bouquet, consider having floral bouquet to use for the actual bouquet toss (yes, some of us still do that). And you should probably definitely do that if you opt for the wire bouquet... just as a safety precaution.

---

Brea Gunn is a blogger and writer living in Houston, TX with her husband and son. When she's not hyperventilating as a result of chasing her son, Smalls, you will find her immersed in any one of her writing projects. Her current obsessions include shoes of any kind, healthy eating, fashion, and sewing. According to her husband, she is very opinionated. Brea doesn't always agree with him.

Tags: Planning Brea Gunn Flowers

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Thanks so much for the inclusion :)

Amber

Another Offbeat Wedding with one of my bouquets :)

Kelley & Seth's pseudo-Victorian key-themed gaming wedding

Real Weddings: Northeast USBy Offbeat Editors on July 26, 201128

The offbeat bride: Kelley, Actor, Filmmaker, Programmer, and QA Analyst (and Tribe member)

Her offbeat partner: Seth, Contract Lawyer, Musician, and Sound Engineer

Location & date of wedding: Ceresville Mansion, Frederick, MD — January 29, 2011

What made our wedding offbeat: My husband and I host a monthly game night at our house, so we made sure to incorporate gaming into both our ceremony and reception. In addition to a dinner menu placed on every table, we had a gaming menu! Some of the games available were Jenga, Star Trek Uno, Magic the Gathering, and Apples to Apples.

Photos by Roy Cox Photography, Francis Abbey, and Matthew Creger

See the rest of the article, with tons of pics on Offbeat Bride

Love her dress!

Amber



On Offbeat Bride today

Mich & Dan's gothic Transformers and cupcakes wedding on Offbeat Bride.com

Click on the pic to read the full article & see all the pics :)

looks like it was an amazingly fun celebration....

Thanks so much to Mich for letting me know :)
Photos by Tiffany Arment

Amber



PhotoShoot Slide Show

Alternative Bridal Bouquets by Refinerii

Thanks again to EB of Two Bird Studio, Tiffani Tchida for the amazing hair & makeup & models Josh, Chanel, Annie, Max, & Kathleen.

This was so much fun to put together: everything from picking out the clothes/shoes to match the bouquets, finding the perfect place to shoot--the PowerHouse was amazing--& even the last minute scrambling to make matching jewelry :)

I'm already looking forward to the next one...

Amber

S'more Wedding Bouquet Photoshoot Previews

A few more preview pics from the photo-shoot we did back in January...

Here is the blog post from back then with more pics:

http://www.refinerii.com/2012/01/more-sneak-peekings-bouquet-photoshoot.html

All photos are by the fabulous EB of Two Bird Studio

Hair & Makeup by Tiffani Tchida & styling by yours truly :)

steampunk necklace & earrings....

copper wedding bouquet with purple & bronze accents (don't you love the feather eyelashes???)

One of my alternative wedding bouquets...

love this shot!

(those are my shoes, btw hehehe--both of them lol)

another fav...

soooo pretty...

love this one!

 

Alternative Boutonniere

 Aluminum & crystal bouquet

More to come....will be updating as I have them finished :)

Thanks again to everyone who helped with this!

Amber

Copper Bouquet featured on Bijou Bride Blog today

Etsy Finds: Alternative Bouquets

clockwise from top left: LoveLee Flowers, Sunny & Stumpy, Love Mimo, Refinerii, Ritzy Rose, Rustic Press, Cultivar, La Plume Ethéré

I love fresh flowers just as much as the next girl, but it can be really eye opening to discover the other options out there. The bouquets shown here are made from paper, fabric, dried flowers, feathers, copper and vintage brooches. Kind of amazing, right?

Would you consider an alternative to fresh flowers? Or are you all about the real thing?

New Sites

http://www.weddingwire.com/vendor/VendorViewStoreFront?mode=edit&tab=reviews

 I just opened up a new shop on the new site Storenvy.  Check it out here: 

http://refinerii.storenvy.com/

Also now on

Happy Shopping!

Amber

Featured on Bravo Bride Blog

Yesterday, I got the  news that one of my bouquets was featured on the Bravo Bride Blog :)

This is what they had to say:

The Wire Bouquet
This is probably the most unique bouquet we found. REFINERII uses salvaged metals and industrial objects for their one-of-a kind creations.

See the entire post on Bravo Bride.  There are 11 different non-traditional bouquets featured.

Bravo Bride is a cool site where you can buy & sell new & used wedding stuffs; everything from dresses to flowers to cake toppers...check it out if you or someone you know is planning a wedding :)

Amber