Sunday Funday

 

We are into the last week of June. Prom has come and gone, recitals are over and school is almost out. As we welcome July and the the first real tastes of summer, like those fresh picked strawberries at the Saturday Sooke Market, here, at A Sea of Bloom we are looking to freshen up too. Come by and you will see a brighter, lighter, beach themed window at A Sea of Bloom this week. A key element of our window displays are the furniture pieces brought to us by artist Deb Wilson. Deb's works embody that beach house, shabby chic vibe and her creations can be found throughout the store from dressers, desks and chairs to chalk boards, mirrors and hooks. 

  

One trip to A Sea of Bloom and you can find just the right touches to switch up your own home decor to match these sunny, summer days.

Of course a succulent garden does well in this heat....

….and nothing shows off a summer tan like silver.

Above all, flowers can brighten any space!

 

Maker’s Monday

It is time to start spotlighting some of our local makers and to kick it off, why not the woman A Sea of Bloom Owner, Karen Stones, refers to as “The Queen of up-cycling,” Gillian Gravenor of Urban Gypsy.
 

Gillian is the creator of the beautiful, eco-dyed, up-cycled from vintage handkerchief, banners that adorn the walls at A Sea of Bloom with stencil art of foxes, ravens, mushrooms, owls and hearts. She is also the artist behind many pieces of re-purposed,up-cycled jewelery, stuffed animals, tablecloths and hair clips that can be discovered throughout the store.

For Gillian, the desire to create was nurtured from the start. “I learned to sew by hand when I was eight, sitting on my grandmas knee and I still have her old hand crank sewing machine,” she says. “My mom never yelled at me for making a sewing mess and the lady across the street let me dig in her huge scrap bin,” adds Gravenor. “Sewing is my passion.”

 

In her teens, Gillian added patchwork and eco-dying to her roster. Thrift shops became a world of wonder and treasures that she could turn into something new altogether like kimonos from scarves. She still utilizes this craft with, “fancy fabrics like vintage cottons,” she says. This is highlighted in the patchwork tablecloths found at A Sea of Bloom.

 

The eco dying was inherited even earlier. “My great grandfather ran the Bombay Dye Works (in India, yes), at the turn of the last century,” says Gravenor. “I think it’s in my DNA.” While she is inspired by plants and leaves found throughout the island, Gillian steers towards the use of those she finds at her home in Sooke. “I love using the yellow dock and alder leaves at my place to accentuate the eucalyptus from A Sea of Bloom,” she says.

We are so grateful to our local artists who help make Sooke and A Sea of Bloom such a beautiful place to visit. Thank you for sharing your talent Gillian!

Celebrate!

It is the beginning of June in Sooke and feels like the middle of summer, which is reason enough to celebrate. Here, at A Sea of Bloom, it means we have survived Mother's day and have now jumped feet first into wedding season.  

But, let's not forget about prom and Father's Day. While you may know us for our more feminine offerings of fresh flowers, body care lines and jewelry, we also carry a number of items for all the special men in your life. Shauna Salsman of Blasted Ware in Sooke has brought us some massive beer mugs with fly fishing, buck head silhouette and VW van designs.  Pair one of these with a large bottle of local craft beer for a perfect Father's Day gift.  

Or, perhaps he would prefer a package of local Saltwest's 'Seasar Pleaser cocktail rimmer' or one of their numerous flavoured salts for the gourmet dad or barbeque enthusiast. 

 June brings a lot of reasons to celebrate and share the perfect gift, or a bouquet of fresh cut flowers. Besides prom on June 17^th and Father's Day on June 19^th, there is also the first day of summer on June 20^th and Best Friend Day on June 8^th. This month also marks the year end and we carry many fabulous trinkets to thank all those wonderful and patient teachers.  

So, come in to A Sea of Bloom and let us help you create a beautiful arrangement or find the perfect present from our locally crafted, sewn, knitted and up-cycled gifts, furniture and jewelry, or from our wide variety of plants and flowers.