Who are Little Blue Butterfly?
I think that there is something uplifting about walking into a room and seeing a bright floral design. Whether it is the colours and mix of flowers and foliage, or the scent and the beauty of nature and bringing the best of the outside inside, fresh flowers are something which I believe can bring a deep and meaningful joy.
It is this love and admiration of flowers which led me to becoming a florist over 20 years ago. Since graduating from college, I have worked with flowers in the very widest variety of settings and locations. Starting in a simple high street florist, I learned how to put the skills I had been taught into action, creating arrangements for gifts and for special occasions. And from seeing the joy on a bride’s face when delivering the bouquet she had been dreaming of since she was a little girl, to giving form to a family’s grief as they said goodbye to a loved one taken too soon, I saw and understood how flowers have a unique place in the way we mark the significant times in our lives.
Moving into events floristry
Later in my career, I moved into events floristry, working with audio and lighting teams to create exhilarating, immersive experiences. From major international sporting events to high profile celebrity weddings, I became well versed in working under high pressure and to demanding standards. And throughout all of this I never lost that initial love of flowers and working with them to capture their natural beauty in exciting and surprising new ways.
And then I had children
Like a number of mums here on CheltenhamMaman, I found being a fulltime mum and supportive wife left little space for me to continue my professional career. That, combined with 3 house moves in 2 years, including moving from Scotland to Portsmouth before coming to Cheltenham, meant I had to put my professional life on hold.
Just over a year ago I found a way back; back to flowers, back to using my professional skills, and back to finding a way to share the joy of flowers with other people. Little Blue Butterfly is something which I started as a way of fitting work around my family. But more than that, I felt a deep pull back to sharing the joy of flowers with people. Running floral design classes allows me to offer my customers a different perspective than they otherwise might have had, and seeing the pride and joy in their faces when they stand back and see their finished design is something I have also grown to love.
Starting a business from scratch
It was never going to be simple or without setbacks or challenges. But the reward of building up a group of regular students and seeing them progress in confidence, skill and creative ability is something which makes it worthwhile.
After successfully running a monthly class at the Tithe Barn in Bishops Cleeve for just over a year, I felt it was the right time to dip my toe into the water and run a couple of trial classes at a second venue. Spreading the wings of Little Blue Butterfly and expanding into the Pavilion in Hatherley is daunting but it is also exciting. It offers me the chance to reach new customers and share my love of flowers and floral design with a wider group of people.
Cake at every class
Every class I run includes a break for refreshments, with tea, coffee and homemade cakes served in bone china cups and on bone china plates. I placed this at the heart of my classes because the real joy in finding something you love is in sharing that love with other, like minded, people. My classes are relaxed affairs and there are no more than 10 students per class. That means that I always have time and space to give people the individual guidance and support they need and, no matter how big Little Blue Butterfly may grow to be, this personal touch will always be central to everything I do.
See all the upcoming Little Blue Butterfly in person classes, check the calendar for dates and availability.
Or email your questions to sally@littlebluebutterfly.com