Yet again I am behind on my blogging!! My excuse is that I had an almighty cold or the flu and was struggling to keep going with my work load let alone do my blog too!! I haven't many new photos but my resolution is to make myself take a photo every week and keep you up to date with my latest work.

I seem to have a notion for brooches at the moment. It is something that you can use to embellish an outfit and then reuse again on another outfit.

Sorry I have taken so long to get another blog done. I have been busy in work as you can guess getting my Easter Brides sorted. Finally I have got a day off. One of my favourite things is to get out in the garden, however it is so cold I just stayed out long enough to get some flowers to do a flower arrangement for the house. I wish you all a pleasant Easter break, a few days to recharge the batteries and tidy my house.

Sorry it took so long to get this blog up. I had to wait to see if the Organisers of the Show were happy for me to use the photos. I haven't done a show like this for years. The night before it opened I wondered why I had gone to the trouble of coming out of my shop and taking the time to set up. Maybe I was just nervous. However once I got chatting to people the time flew and I have to say I enjoyed every minite of it. I would love to hear from those of you who went how useful you found it and did you enjoy it. Was it worth while for you? Would you go to the next show? Add a comment. Thanks Joanne

Top 10 tips for choosing your wedding dress.

1 Set a budget.

First things first - set your wedding dress budget. Try not to look at dresses that are out of your price range, unless you plan on going over budget. If you don't, then use top of the range gowns as inspiration for a less expensive design, so you won't have to spend a fortune.

2 Choose a style.

Flick through magazines to get an idea of the style of dress you're looking for - it could be classic or contemporary, slinky or strapless. Consider your venue and the time of year, as well as what you like.

3 Book Appointments.

Most bridal shops prefer you to make an appointment so that you can get the individual attention you require.

4 Pick a Partner.

Pick someone that knows you and can give you an honest opinion, a helpful friend or your mum. Too many people can be confusing.

5 Be Open minded.

Try on various styles of dresses. You will learn from your experience, you may find that a style you think won't suit you actually looks fabulous!

Cathryn thought she was going to pick a short dress to keep her wedding as informal as possible. However after working through her thoughts she realised she wanted the effect of being a more romantic, traditional, modest bride with the personal touch. I love this photo of Cathryn so natural in the garden of her family home.

6 Don't rush.

Don't be rushed into any decisions. If you think you've found 'the one', you can always go away and think about it before making your mind up.If someone is pushing you stop and ask why.

7 Think things through.

Consider practicalities and accessories. If you want to a wear a veil, for example, try one on with the dress. Equally, put your hair up if you think that's how you'd like to wear it on the day. Make sure all your accessories match they can make or break an outfit.

8 Trust your choice.

When you've found the perfect dress, a nights sleep and you will know. Ask when you will have your first fitting. You can start looking at shoes as your feet will not change size. Hold off on getting underwear as you can change size, but start thinking about what underwear would be suitable for you to wear under your dress. Sometimes it is more functional than glamorous!! You can keep the nice underwear for your honeymoon.

9 What next.

While you don't have to show your bridesmaids your dress before their own dresses are chosen, make sure their gowns tie in with the theme and colours of your wedding as a whole.

10 Make sure.

Check on alterations, who will be doing them and if they cost extra.It's also worth asking the designer or retailer for advice on how you can clean the fabric of your gown in case you have any small spillages on the day! That way you can rest easy in the knowledge that whatever happens, you'll still look cool, calm and amazing.

Finally the Day Dream of Your Dreams

It took too long to arrive for this Bride, she could not wait for her Big Day to come. Rain ,hail or snow she was going to enjoy it. Snow it did, this was the biggest amount of snow at any of my weddings in 25 years. It looks lovely in photographs but it can be a nightmare for organisers and for the guests. The ice and the poor road conditions made it dangerous.

First and foremost the bride was well looked after.

I went out to dress her just to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. There were plenty of buttons that take a long time on this one.

Her dress will probably end up cleaner than a dress on a sunny fine day as it will have been so well lifted and laid.

If you look at the photos you can see I made the headdress and the brooch detail on the front of her dress to match. Thank fully with the cold we had done a jacket just to keep the chill away.

Well for Christmas your friends and family appreciate it if you go to the trouble of making them a gift. So that is what I did. I made a brooch for my mum. You can make it so that it can be worn as a brooch or a head piece. Since Michelle Obama came on the scene I have noticed how often she wears a brooch just to give a simple stylish outfit a subtle lift. Depending on the occasion the brooch can have sparkly or wooden beads, polished pearls to feathers and tweeds. I have so many ideas there are just not enough hours to my days.

Our Christmas cracker, lovely Marita on her wedding day.