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How to make stunning illuminated table decorations on a budget

What Im going to show here today is a stunning arrangement without breaking the bank, which is very important to be able to do if you have to make a lot of exact arrangements for say, a wedding. Because caterers fill tables with so much cutlery glasses and condimants, table centres have to be able to avoid getting 'lost' on the tables so by nature have to make a statement. With impact comes price, and thats something that is uppermost in people's minds when planning an expensive event such as a wedding. With summer weddings where the venue is well lit this following arrangement wouldnt be so dynamic, this design to follow would suit the wedding thats in aututmn or winter at a venue with low soft lights for maximum impact.

The object therefore, is to create something with minimum flowers (for a tight budget) but maximum effect. Ok lets go.

What Im using is as follows: Im happy to supply the ingredients, except the flowers of course, from my online store, link will be at the end of the tutorial.

1 glass goldfish style bowl
1 tub of water expanding cube gel
1 stem of Oriental Lily in pink
1 submersible light in pink

Method: The day before you want to make these, you have to hydrate the cube gel, so get a jug of cold water and tip the tiny gel cubes in and leave them until the next day. They will go through all sorts of weird shapes prior to becoming cubes like ice cubes - if you like the strange star shape they make during the process then you can use them like that if you wish, I like to be patient and wait for the cube to come to fulness as this design looks just like flowers in illuminated ice cubes.

There is a link in the bowl picture so you check the price, if it expires contact me for an update link.

As you can see the tiny cubes really swell up into large cubes if left long enough so make sure this is done the day before or even longer, they last for ages so can be done in advance. Once full cubes then spoon them into the glass bowl.

Next I took one of the flora lights in a pale pink shade and buried it into the cubes and then added more cubes. These are especially designed to be waterproof and just use the cheap flat watch batteries so are usable again and again. They give a really stunning effect, like illuminated ice, but I must remind you that for the effect to be good the room needs to be soft light, these decorations are excellent at venue that dont allow candles on tables.
Only one more thing to do, take 2 lily flowers on about 3 inch stems, you should find on a stem of lily there will be at least 3 flower heads if not 5 and buds, now you can see how economical these are ! Other table centres would need lots of flowers to have any kind of impact so the savings are very worthwhile. Place the lily heads and a bud if you wish, into the gel, add about an inch of water and thats it. Take a look at the pictures, im sorry im no photographer and hard to take an illuminated design with limited skill but I hope you can see the beauty and simplicity of this design. Unfortunately the flash diminishes the illumination.

Just a quick note, if you refer to the articles about Lilies you will see the easy way to remove the pollen stamens from the lily heads without cutting them out which then looks ugly.
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Step by Step How to make a Silk Arrangement for a Grave Stone

This is the one Im going to make here in its completion:

You can click the image to enlarge.

What you will need:
A Block of WET oasis Foam. (why wet will be explained)
A Black Oasis Tray for 1 block
Pot tape (anchor tape)
Silk foliage, Im using silk ficus and the rose leaves.
Scissors
Tape measure
Silk flowers Im using red open and red bud roses.

Method:
The reason Im using a block of WET oasis foam is that the dry foam usually used for silk flowers is very lightweight and to ensure some weight to the arrangement Im using wet foam, this is to be placed onto a marble grave stone hearth so will be outside and when using silks to be placed outside its essential to add some weight to the arrangement so it cant be blown over, the beauty of it is that when it rains the foam will replenish its water and add weight again. As wind and rain often accompany each other I find this a good arrangement.
So, first of all as always, champfer off the edges of the foam or bevel the edges is another way to put it, just a sharp knife will do, this helps give more surface area and avoids horrible sharp edges to the oasis which have to be hidden of course. Soak the oasis foam by letting it FLOAT in a bucket of water, never just hold under the tap it doesnt absorb all the way through if you do that, I know these stems dont need to drink but we want a heavy block so we want the water absorbed properly just as if we were using it for fresh flowers.
Make sure that when you use the 'pot tape' or 'anchor tape', you really let it dig into the oasis and pull it right round the back and over to the top again so it sticks to itself, dont just cut it off at the back, its wont be strong enough, this is going out in the elements remember.

Start by placing a long pointed spray of your silk foliage at the very back of the oasis, use your tape measure if you have to stick to a specific size, sometimes there are words coming quite low down on a grave stone so make sure you know what dimensions to make the arrangement, it is possible to make this in the 'L' Shape or Asymmetrical design if you want to avoid covering words in the middle of a stone marker. Anyway now you have the height, in a way the foliage acts like the skeleton or framework for the whole design so its always the first thing to do. Now place your side pieces of foliage, angle them down with the stem goin in an 'upward' action so that the tips of the foliage rest on the surface of your worktop, this will make sure that the finished design sits well on the stone. There is nothing worse than an arrangement which seems to hover and not really rest down on its surface so do take care with that. For the filling in of the rest of the foliage, you have the luxury of being able to bend the stems (see 3rd pic) unlike with fresh flowers, so you can angle your stems for the best oasis coverage. Never try to insert a stem with a leaf that goes into the oasis, this makes a very untidy hole which will be lose and the stem may fall out so take off any leaves near the stem you insert. Keep it tidy. Graduate the placements of the foliage cutting the lengths down for the design to keep compact in the desired shape, not straggly - keep looking at it from all angles and if you have a stem too long or short take out and trim it if too long or use in a central position for a bit of recession if too short.
The completed foliage should look something like this.
Dont worry about the back yet, we will do it last once we know if we need the clippings of foliage to fill any gaps once the roses are in place. If we do need to use them all then a bow can be placed at the back instead. So at this stage we keep otions open.
Now begin by placing an open rose in the focal position, normally near the centre and the lower third, this helps give the eye a focus on the design and the visual weight and balance will be achieved, Larger, more open or deepest coloured flowers are how to achieve a 'focal point' in any design. More buddy smaller delicate flowers are always used at the edges, if you wonder why, then one day, try it the other way round and see what it looks like. Dont take my word for it if you dont already know this. The 'visual balance' will not work.
Ive put a white board up behind the arragnement so I can see whats going on, its always a good idea to have a plain board behind your designs - sometimes if there are shelves, books or other parafernalia going on behind the item you are making it can be hard to get a good clear view. In the 1st pic ive begun to place the roses, buds to the outside, larger heads towards the middle areas, in the 2nd pic im showing that I hae placed a small piece of silk foliage between 2 rose heads as no rose heads should touch really, each flower should have its own space, so if 2 heads seem too close or tough, either cut one down or move it, or if you like the postition of them just add some foliage inbetween so they become visually separate. Makes a lot of difference actually.
Now that i know I have used all I need of the foliage, including the cut down stems of rose leaves of course, always make use of everything!! now I can look at the back. Start to fill in the visible oasis with the pieces of left over foliage, keep it short, its to go against a grave stone - this is one time when you really need to know where an item is being placed when your customer, or recipient gets it. Always ask where an item is going. In this case I know for a fact that the back isnt going to be on view so no items of interest need to go there. This may well be a totally different matter if it were to be going on a pedestal so always ask.
Check for gaps and complete the back.

Here is a side view of the finished arrangement. Not overcrowded but not skimpy, its always good to know when to stop. So many silk arragements end up crammed and unnatural, carefully placed items give a nicer result that just cramming them in, better for costing too of course.

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Wires, guages and uses

I thought that Id do an article about wires. I often get questions from students who are confused about which wire to use for which flower material or project and so I hope this will help those of you to whom that applies. As a floristry teacher and assessor I must say that its the one subject that students can get very worried about so lets take a look at the options.

Firstly, stub wire which is flat lengths of wire not the type on a reel, is used for one or several of the following reasons:

a) to add length to stems
b) to enable the stem to be anchored or attached to something else
c) to strengthen the stem to avoid breakage, ie support
d) to control the stem or material to be wired. ie to bend and shape.

The basics, with regard to what weight or guage wire to use, is to remember that we dont want to add excessive weight but do want the added strength and support. Natural flowers have a kind of 'bounce' and flowers overwired will lose that and not look natural so the wire should tread that thin line between allowing the natural bounce when you flex the stem but enough support to make it worthwhile. To add to the confusion the weight of wires is often given in 2 different codes, the easiest is when its done in the actual metric size as its easier to visualise, ie 1.25mm is exactly that, its 1.25mm in width which seems very thin but is in fact one of the strongest of the wires, its also known as 18swg. Lets look at the list.

1.25mm = 18swg it is for supporting or mounting the heaviest materials such as the thick tropical flowers, pine and woody stemmed materials, it is commonly green lacquered but also available in the natural steel colour uncoated wire.

1.00mm = 19swg also for heavy materials, twigs, pinecones etc also in the lacquered green at various lengths most commonly 7inch and 12 inch 180mm and 310mm lengths.

0.90mm = 20swg used for a firm support for example, Gerbera, stralitzia, freen coated and mostly used in the above mentioned lengths.

0.71mm = 22swg used for support wiring carnations and other semi-woody stems that are perhaps brittle without support, roses in buttonholes for example.

0.56mm = 24swg slightly more delicate stems, like spray rose or spray carnations.

0.46mm = 26swg finer and lighter and for fressia, soft fleshy stemmed materials that need support and length but not too much weight, useful also for singapore orchid and similar.

0.38mm = 28swg used for support and achoring on leaves, ie ivy, camelia and also the delicate buddy branchlets of delicate flowers like the dendrobium orchid and sprigs of herbs. Usually silver and you,ll see its what i sue for striching ivy leaves in past workshops.

Thinner than the above is usully in reels:

32mm = 30swg 28mm = 32swg and is for bridal work to bind together the 'ingrediants' for your corsages and buttonholes, its usually green but also comes in silver

Remember that you do need to be firm, but not too tight with the wire or it cuts through delicate stems like cheese wire, practise is the only real way to get confident but do persevere.

Wires are always taped with either stemtex tape the stretchy self adhesive crepe type tape, or parafilm which is a more shiny thin plastic tape also used for grafting. Personally I prefer the stemtex as it helps stop items slipping when binding and is a better natural look but its all just down to preference really.

All wires available in the store just ask me if you need something and cant find it, im found at:
sales@e-jaytrading.com and at my store at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/E-Jay-Trading
Im happy to help anytime, and if you are a student or beginner needing something covered on the blog send an email to the above email address with BLOG in the subject line.

Tulips are one of my favourite spring flowers, they add such a smooth waxy texture to arrangements and designs. The foliage too is so versatile and a useful matt finish when you want to get away from the usual gloss greens that most leaves are.

Jut a few quick tips then about Tulips. I may have touched on these before in previous workshops but as there is an awful lot on this blog now, I thought it a good seasonal idea to go through some of the main tips:

First of all, if you often get put off from using tulips due to the fact that they can so quickly 'blow open' in a warm room then this tip is for you!!  To maintain the closed flowers shape all you need to do is take a needle or a floristry wire and put it right through the stem just below the flower head. See the picture of me doing this.

For some reason this tiny hole stops the tulips from opening up too fast so you can keep the lovely tulip shape for longer, sometimes it keeps them in their shape until they perish.

So, what else can be useful to know? Well I always like the fact that the leaves are matt green and a lovely waxy texture so its a shame not to utilise them in arrangements where the other foliages may be dark glossy green, so the tulip leaves offer a nice contrast next to them. So take the surplus leaves and curl them over your finger. Take a floristry wire, not too thin or it will cut through like cheese wire, but not too thick as you need to be able to bind with it, so I suggest a 70guage. Take the wire and make it into a hairpin shape, basically bend it in half.  Take the now bent wire and place it along the ends of the curled leaf, ie the tip and stalk which are now together.  Lie the wire parallel and then take one of the ends of wire and carefully but with a fast definate motion bind it around the stem of the leaf and the other half of the hairpin. If you end up cutting through with the wire, take it off and try a stronger wire, or a little less strength. You now have a curled tulip leaf on a wire that can be inserted into foam for your arrangements.  Here are the pictures. Dont forget to vivist my store online, the link is below, you can find all manner of floristry sundries and much more, anything you need but cant find there, do please email me as i have much more than i have listed so its worth asking. Thanks and please check back for more floristry tips and tricks.
Oh....I nearly forgot. When you use tulips in arrangements, remember that a unique feature of tulips is that they do continue to grow !!  They must be placed lower than you want them to be - for example, if using in a funeral spray, make sure they are slightly lower than the other flowers to begin with otherwise the next day when you deliver your item they will be taller than the rest and look wrong. Weird arent they? But lovely.

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The Oasis Foam Double Heart Tribute

This design can prove a little tricky and some people buying it from me have asked to put up a workshop showing some of the tips for making it a success. It can be a challenge sometimes to keep an oasis shape clear and defined once the flowers are placed. Mainly shapes can get so bulked out that the original design shape is less obvious. Not a good thing.

Revision points from previous workshops on Oasis Shape Basing:

1 Re-capping Always bevel the edges of the Oasis shape. We have covered this before in pictures so i wont elaborate too much, but for those new here, its cutting at a 45' angle along the oasis foam shape's edges. Then brush along with the hand to smooth the cut away edges. This reduces the mass area of foam, allows the shape to be clear cut and defined, reduces the amount of bulking when you place the basing flowers and also reduces the 'boxy' squared look of the shape.
To remind you here are some pictures of beveling the edges of a cushion and smoothing over the cut off edges.

2 Re-capping Remember we covered the ribbon edging before? Keep it even and neat no more than an inch or 2.5cm per pleat, and pin it to the base in an upward angle. Lots of times your tutor may show the other way, pinning it with the pleats down, if so then best do as she says in class, (I dont want to get anyone in trouble, but..when teaching I show the dutch way of pinning it on pleats upwards as this enables the basing to really 'nestle' well into the ribbon edging and although at first glance, it way seem that the base of the foam will show, it doesnt because you place the basing very close to the edge of the foam by holding the ribbon back then letting it go which enables the basing to really sit well against the ribbon. If you pin it with the pleats downwards, then you have much more of a job to cover the staples of the pleats, and, you will not get the 'nestling look'.

Right then, lets get back to this double heart.

Having bevelled the edges and making your ribbon pleated edging, pin to the heart so as to define the fact that this is 2 hearts interconnected. This may seem obvious but once you start using these more complex shapes it can be easier said than done! Take a look at the following picture and you'll see that not all the edges have been ribbon edged.

There is a link to my store in the picture, click the image to go there if you need to buy oasis foam, ribbon, pins and hundreds of other items, but dont forget to come back!
Its personal choice really but it can be enough to outline the actual outer edges of the 2 hearts rather than all the in and out edges which might get confusing once made up as to what the shape actually is. There is a screw in bump ready in place for the spray.

Next, take the most open and largest of your basing (basing is double chrysanthemums) and keeping to the center of the line of the design, place them carefully and close to each other to form the beginnning of the basing.

Do each heart as a heart in its own right.

Next taking the slightly smaller basing flower heads, gently hold the ribbon edging back from the foam and place a line of basing close to each other and to the edge near the ribbon.
See how the basing flower heads 'nestle' nicely against the ribbon edging? As an experiment sometime, do it the other way with the ribbon edging pinned on downwards and you will see the difference! This way is much better as a result. If your tutor does teach the other way, well unfortunately it depends how open she is to new techniques but maybe suggest it to her on the quiet and see if she minds you doing it this way. I was Dutch council of Holland trained so biased towards this technique.

The Spray.
Remember the 2 thirds 1 third rule. The spray shouldnt be more than a third of the whole design area. Scale and proportion, 2 of the principles of design play a big part in the composition of the spray. Also, recession. Recession is having some of the flower heads 'recessed' deeper into the design. In this spray there are tiny rose buds placed deep into the spray. Basically we dont want all the flower heads to be at the same height, some need to be recessed, just as in real life in a flower bed, it adds interest to the design.

The Focal flowers provide 'dominance' as a place that the eye will return to when looking at the design. Roses, Gerbera, larger headed flowers create dominance and are referred to as the 'focal flowers'.

What to check for before you can consider this design complete.

Take a good critical look at your work before handing ot over to the customer. ARE there any gaps? Its easy to miss patches of green oasis peeping out in the spray so take a good look, here is what im talking about.

Also, take a look at the design from an eye level view. Why? well this item may well be placed on top of a coffin and the view of it may be from an eye level point of view, so check for gaps, loose flowers and that interest is seen from that angle.
Once happy, spray the whole design with water and keep in a cool place.
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REVAMP YOUR HOUSEPLANTS

Take a look at this picture, anything look familiar? Yes, those unsightly brown crispy ends make houseplants look so tatty and ugly. Most people will either cut all the offending leaves off, leaving the plant looking like its been used to train Edward Scissorhands or dump the plant if its too unsightly. I bought this at a massive discount due to the brown leaf damage and as you will see below, it can soon be revamped to its intended glory! Even those horrible water stains will be gone with some leafshine spray.
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Well have a go at this instead! Take a pair of non serrated floristry scissors and carefully trim off the brown tips by following the exact shape outline of the leaf. Just follow the outside edge carefully to re-create the leaf shape and tip. Like this.
In the final picture, look at the difference now! No unsightly brown leaf damage and glossy healthy leaves due to a light spray of floristry leafshine.
this method is also suitable for Cheeseplants which suffer from the same problem. always remember the climate your houseplant has as its natural habitat. These plants come from a humid damp environment with dappled light, so..make sure they never dry out and mist them occasionally so they feel right at home. Only feed them a weak solution of food in their water not all at once seasonally, they dnt like it.
So, next time you see a sale on at your garden centre, grab a bargain and within a few minutes you'll have a luscious plant for a bargain sum. You can buy Leafshine in my online store at ebay, see how it defines those stripes and adds a healthy look. Im working on my website to add products and it will be live soon at www.e-jaytrading.com and will have even more products than my ebay store, ebay link above and here Visit My eBay Shop: E-Jay Trading

My son's school held its first Prom this year, to those of you in the USA its no big news! But here in England its a new custom and I must say, it was a really good event. I decided to make my son's girlfriend a wrist corsage for him to give her as that way she could keep it as a keepsake of the night. I also decided to make Tom a matching buttonhole for his evening suit. Here is a workshop giving the steps to take to make something similar yourselves. Ive used the corsage magnets rather than pins for the buttonhole, as it prevents any damage by pins. I sell these of course in the store and they have been very popular, they are a brilliant idea. There will be a link to them later on in this article.

Here they are, Tom and Chelsey, and guess what!! They got to be Prom King and Queen!!

For the Wrist Corsage

You'll need some silk flowers that co-ordinate with the dress of course. Notice i didnt say 'match', and there is a reason for that. Lots of people think accessories have to match but in reality a dead match can either be impossible or boring even. Take a look at my colour theory article from the archive and you'll see all the possibilities, be adventurous. Also, in bridal floristry, too much of the same colour can look bland in photographs. Go for a contrast but add something ie ribbon, beads, etc to actually 'match' so that the design looks like it belongs to the occasion but doesnt have to be exactly the same.

To make the look unified, I used a sprig cut from a bunch of black Nerine silk flowers, some pale blue 'Love in a Mist' or Nigella to give its proper name, and some silk rose buds in ivory. This was to co-ordinate with a beautiful Turquoise Prom dress and also went well with the Dinner Suit because of the black included.

Ivory silk rose buds, black silk nerine and powder blue nigella, turquoise diamante to add sparkle. Turquoise satin ribbon was added at the end but we'll get to that.

Method of making up the Corsage
Ok so you know what you need, now to make the corsage. The good thing about silks is that you can make this well in advance, so for napkin rings, corsages, bridal flowers etc its a real bonus, and, of course, they can be kept forever so buy the best quality silks you can afford.
First you need to cut the pieces you want to use to the right length, so find the flower you want to be the focal flower, thats a way of saying, the flower to be the central point and focus of the design. This will be the largest of your selection. Then place something longer and more delicate behind it and adjust the length ratio in your hand so that they touch but dont overlap, let each flower have its own space but keep it close. Add other pieces of silk, in this case the black nerine and ivory rose bud, to the side of the first 2 placements and just move them around and experiment with the 'look' before you cut and commit yourself. Once you think they look good in the position you have, cut the stems so they are the same. See picture. See how I have bent the stem of the focal flower, the blue Nigella? Thats because when i bind and tape them, I want the focal flower to stand proud and upward from the wrist, I dont want them all flat, and hey, they have wire in them so use it!

Add diamante - in this case turquoise - if using them

Add what you like - make sure the lengths are staggered and not bunched up but...Know when to stop! Dont get carried away and make something too big fussy or heavy.

Now we need to secure what we've done so far, so taking a 56 guague long wire bent into a hairpin with one end longer than the other, hold it parallel to the stems and taking the longer end of the wire, pull and bind it firmly and quickly around the stems and the other wire.

Then, tape with stemtex tape or parafilm whichever you prefer. (Stemtex is the crepe type self sticking tape and parafilm is the thin plastic tape also self sealing, the former gives a matt finish, the latter a gloss finish.) In this instance Ive used stemtex and in a pale green colour so it shows up easier in these photos. All tapes and wires can be purchased in my store and the link will be at the end of the article, worldwide shipping. Cut the wire to an appropriate length, this varies according to the design and the size of the wrist its going on to so its pointless me being specific here. Now Tape over all wire to conceal it and tape down and across the raw wire at the end of course, cant have wire catching on the material. So now you have something like this.
Made Corsage Front View. Made Corsage Back view.

Now to wear this, the traditional way is to add ribbon to tie to the wrist so thats what ive done. The new skill saving method is to use a ready made corsage band with a metal clip which holds the design to the band.I may as well show you the first way. Take a length of co-ordinating silk ribbon and make a double bow, there is a workshop on the blog going into this in depth so wont repeat myself, but its a kind of figure of 8 from loops, see pictures. Tie another piece of ribbon around it and then around the corsage neatly just below the silk flowers. Then because it will swing around if you dont..you need to add a loop of ribbon to the middle of the corsage too for security on the wrist. At the back of the design connect the ribbons from the bow and the middle and this will then tie into a bow on the wrist.

DONT LAUGH at the next picture! ok you can Im afraid a rather hairy teenage boys arm is the wearer in this picture, his was the only arm available at the point of completion, cant get the staff! I include it only because the next one of it on the TRUE wearers arm isnt so close up.

OK

For the matching Buttonhole
Always use the same material used in the corsage, this looks so unified, in my opinion much better than just an ivory rose. So here Ive used less of each of the Nerine, Rose buds and Nigella. No ribbon in the buttonhole.

Method of making up the buttonhole
As before, select the longer part of the buttonhole from less obvious flowers, no full open flowers. Thats for the focal point. This gives visual and actual balance. In this case ive used a bud of Nigella (Love in a mist) as the topmost point, nestling close by but at shorter length, the Black Nerine, Ivory Rosebud and Nigella. Cut as before to give the same stem length and bind securely as with the corsage.

Now its secure, time to add the magnet. They have 2 parts, the thinner part is taped in with the stemtex (or parafilm) and thicker part will be placed behind the lapel. These are incredibly strong magnets and a brilliant idea as no damage to the fabric ensues. Make sure the cut ends of the wires are carefully covered with tape so they dont snag material.

See how the magnet holds the buttonhole in place. The other part goes behind the lapel.
All the year of 2008 looked so good and it was nice to add a personal touch by making these flowers. The beautiful dress was made by Chelsey's grandmother. Hope you have the chance to do the same or use this workshop to make flowers for a wedding or special event as they apply to so many occasions.
Say hi if you visit my ebay store! Im always happy to answer any questions regarding your projects. Here is the link to the store. You'll find the magnets there and all kinds of things nice. Ask if you need any help.
My Store

IN THIS WORKSHOP I WILL SHOW YOU THE STEPS TO FOLLOW TO MAKE AN OPEN (NOT SOLID) BASED HEART TRIBUTE.THE END RESULT WILL BE LIKE THIS:

YOU WILL NEED:
AN OASIS OPEN HEART FRAME LIKE THIS ONE IN MY STORE
Open Heart Frame Link
WATERPROOF RIBBON FOR THE EDGINGRibbon example link
MOSSING PINS, aka GERMAN PINSMossing Pins Link
SCISSORSFloristry Scissors Link
LE BUMP OASIS FOR THE SPRAYBump for spray Link

Fresh Flowers for the Spray, here i used mainly tulips.
Double Chrysanths for the basing, White is normally used, you need about 25 stems
Foliage for the spray, small leafed eucalyptus parvifolia, or soft ruscus is ideal.

Ok lets start then.
Firstly its important to bevel the edges whenever you use oasis as shown in all the other workshops, this allows a better defined shape, also it cuts down on the bulk of oasis foam you have to cover. So makes it both better on the eye and more economical. This is done in its dry state, and after you've cut off the 90' edges all round the shape smooth it over with your hand and it will look nice and rounded. Details are in most of the previous workshops.
In the following picture i have left the bevelled edge visible so you can see how much ive chopped off the edges, and the first stage of the outer ribbon edging is attached. The 'bump' for the spray is screwed into the top left of the heart ready to hold the spray. As before, there is a workshop showing the ribbon edge making skill. Ribbon edging is pinned to the frame by placing it upwards, not downwards as you may first of all think it should be. This sllows the chrysanths to really fit snuggly to the ribbon edge. Use german pins, also known as mossing pins, to pin the ribbon edging to the hard part of the oasis frame, its much easier to use ribbon edging on these type of oasis shapes rather than the other type known as 'naylor' base. That type has a hard plastic base and its impossible to pin ribbon to it. The hard base of the type i use here is waterproof and very solid so no worry about it not being tough enough. Im often asked if this type is strong enough to use and i assure you it is, and made for this purpose.
Just a quick note about using 'le bump', this is a caged piece of foam with a screw in the bottom that is easy to fit into the oasis, in other workshops ive shown how you can also cut down a piece of foam and tape and pin it to the shape if you are trying to cut costs.

Also take a look at this closeup of the ribbon edging, this shows the upward angle to pin it, ie towards the top of the shape, not down. Here Im putting the ribbon edging to the inside of the open heart. Previous workshops show the way to make the point so i dont want to repeat myself in case you get bored.
Make sure you get a nice point at the base.

So now you have the heart ribboned inside and outside and have screwed in the bump it should look like this.

Its time to soak the heart. Dont overdo it though, it shouldnt be too heavy. I use a garden hose for this but you can also use a jug or bottle. The foam easily absorbs the water and isnt very thick so it should only take a couple of pints evenly poured over it to be sufficient.
Right then, on to the basing. Basing is the term for the design being filled with closely placed double chrysanths. Cut the stems always at a 45' angle. 2 reasons;- the engle gives a larger surface area for the stem to drink water, but also, its easier to insert a sharp edge into the oasis with the least pressure, some times of the year, chrysanth stems are fragile and break easily when inserting them and must be wired which is a real pain, so a nice sharp point is the best way. Start by cutting off the flower heads with short stems, cut them about 2.5cm - the flower head should sit on the surface of the oasis, right flat to the surface. Grade the flowers so that you have the bigger more open ones to use along the central line of the shape, and the smaller ones to be used along the sides. This make the job look so much more professional and neat.
Using the largest most open flower heads, insert them close together so they touch in a central line along the heart shape, see the picture below.

Here you can see the flower heads are close, no oasis can be seen between them, its a good trick to slightly lift the petals of the previous flower before inserting the next so they butt up really close but dont make them look crushed, each flower head should be seen in full. The oasis along each side is visible at this stage, this is wehre you will repeat the procedure with slighlty smaller flower heads until the whole heart is completely filled. Now you will see why the ribbon edging has been pinned on in an upward way, the ribbon fits like a collar close to the flower heads and is slightly bent back and down by the flowers which opens out the ribbon slightly so you cant see the pinned edge. I bet you were wondering about that!

In this picture you cans ee the open heart, ribbon edged inside and out, the bump in place for the spray flowers and the basing all completed.

So, at this stage, you can store the heart for competion nearer the day its needed or continue with the spray, if you are making this in advance, lightly spray with water and keep in a cool place. If making the spray then you can look back in the workshops for in depth details but for now what you do is cut your pieces of foliage so it will make steps. Some long for the edges and shorter pieces towards the middle of the spray and for the sides. If you look you will see that the spray should never be larger than a third of the overall design otherwise its out of proportion to the eye and will look odd. So place the first pieces of foliage into the bump close to the basing and begin to give the design some shape. I use longer pieces to contour the heart shape, make the pieces of foliage always follow the shape of the foam so it enhances the shape. Work in stages of shorter length to the middle and edges, some pieces should be inserted close to the oasis, dont overdo the floliage at this point or you wont have room for the flowers. Foliage or 'greening'up as its called, is basically to give the spray a 'form' or 'shape' either crescent, diamond or line so that the spray has substance.
Then follow with your chosen flowers, follow the shape of the foliage, cut the stems at 45' dont forget that! And...know when to stop. Its easy to have spare flowers and just keep 'bunging' them in but try to make each flower count and use odd numbers of the focal flowers, dont overcram it. Once you are pleased with it, look at it from all angles and fill in any showing oasis with timy pieces of foliage. Spray lighlty and keep in a cool place.
Here is a close look at the spray ive made here. Not the size. Note the fact that it doesnt flood out over the design shape too much, keep it in proportion and enhance the oasis shape, dont complete with it.

Next time I will show you how to use the same frame, but make it look totally different by basing the shape with leaves for a very modern design. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Hope you can take a look at my ebay store for all kinds of floristry and craft items. No matter where you are or what level of skill you have, im happy to help.
Visit My eBay Shop: E-Jay Trading

2009 Calender Available Here

The Smithers Oasis Company make so many shapes now - not just the usual hearts, pillows etc. It may be that you are asked to make the Hindu Symbol 'AUM' which is one of the new shapes available.

In the Hindu faith it is the sacred sanskrit word symbol for God.

First you need the oasis shape. You can, of course, find this for sale in my ebay store, there will be a link to it by clicking on the picture if you are interested.
Usually i bevell the edges of oasis but as im going to pin abaca ribbon along the edge i have left it squared off. Abaca edging is very well suited to these types of oasis shapes as it doesnt distract the eye from the shape and gives a tidy finish. Abaca is a natural fibrous product which i sell in ribbon form which is perfect for pinning to oasis among other things. To see a listing for the abaca for sale, click on the picture below. Its also excellent edging for wedding cakes, but I digress

Next using white double chrysanths, the outline of the Aum is 'based' (this means closely placed flowers without a space between on short stems inserted into the foam,) with a space left along the middle of the outline for some red roses.

So thats all there is to making the Aum shape. Please visit my store online for a look at some of my items - there are hundreds at the moment so make a cup of tea or pour the wine first! Bye for now.
Click here to visit my store

Make something different for Valentine's day design

When thinking of Valentine's day the first thing we think about is the traditional red rose or a dozen red roses isnt it? Well here is a simple idea - most of which can be made in advance with just the flowers to add. Any red flower can represent the valentine's day sentiment.

Its quite easy to gather up some willow at the moment from beneath willow trees as we've had so much wind and these thin flexible long branches can easily be wound into a circle or wooden wreath. Vine is also easy to cut as the long trails are equally good. Or, buy one from a garden centre already made. If you dont fancy braving the elements collecting willow then this is the type of thing you need.

The picture shows ivy vine stripped of leaves and bound here and there with binding wire, very easy to make or buy ready made.

Next you need to buy some glass lipped test tubes. I sell these so you can check the ebay store, (link to follow)- the lip is essential because this is the place to wind the wire that will attach it to the vine or willow.

Wind binding wire around the test tube below the lipped edge and wind onto the willow or vine wreath with a slightly upward angle so that the water you will be putting in them will not spill out!

Leaves or moss can hide the test tubes if you wish, or ribbon can be threaded through the willow, this can be made in advance to this point ready for the day you add the red flowers to the test tubes, roses, gerbera, gloriosa orchid, anemones are some suggestions.

Just to say that for Easter this idea is fabulous with white and yellow flowers!! Please visit my ebay store for all manner of floristry supplies and please ask if you cant see what you need as i have a vast variety of items.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY STORE

Im often asked for ideas for flowers to use at this time of year. Nowadays with modern technology an awful lot of choice is available which might not have been before, daffodils were available from early November this year! However, I think its still best to keep as seasonal as possible when choosing flowers, just personal taste I guess.

Some of my suggestions are as follows: Of course your own colour theme may exclude the use of some of them.

ERYGIUM Blue Thistle (non prickly) is a beautiful soft frondy addition to winter bouquets and arrangements, it can also be lightly sprayed with silver to catch the light - very frosty wintry looking.
DOGWOOD Shiny vibrant red stems of woody twigs look fabulous in winter arangements.

Dogwood is quite flexible and can be used to weave smaller flowers through it or support for gerbera or lillies.
Winter flower arrangements and weddings wouldnt be complete without berries of some sort.
HYPERICUM The Berry of St.John's Wort is fabulous because of the different colours the berries can be, lime, peach, pink and burgundy. Of course, they can also be sprayed to fit your theme.
As seen in previous workshops on here, these can be threaded onto grasses and made into loops as well. Very pretty in corsages and buttonholes to compliment their use in the main flowers. They are also on very long stems so excellent for using in large pedestal arrangements.I always use leaf shine on the berries as it adds to the natural gloss. Available in my ebay store. A link to which will be at the end of this entry.

EUCALYPTUS SILVER DOLLAR FOLIAGE
This type of Eucalyptus is so good for winter as its a kind of frosted green, and matte not shiny so a good choice to give interest to arrangements and flowers adding texture. Using textures is so important to making floristry interesting, the smooth shine of the berries next to the matte Eucalyptus and the spiky Erygium, for example, is very pleasing to the eye.
NEVER USE LEAF SHINE ON THE MATTE FOLIAGES! FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
MOLUCCELLAKnown as Bells of Ireland. Another favourite of mine. Its used as a foliage AND flower as it is actually both. The smell is wonderful, and used in cosmetics and soap, buy some just to smell the fragrance! Lime veined leaves on a long stem so also good for pedestals and top table long low arrangements, but take care! The stems have long needles hidden under the 'bells'. Can be cut down for smaller lengths and cut just above a bell cluster so the cut end cant be seen, very decorative

WHITE TULIPSAdds a WAXY texture and a purity to the designs - always pierce the stem just below the head with a pin all the way through to avoid the tulips blowing open too soon, this will hold them in bud. Adds a promise of spring to Winter Weddings.
AVALANCHE ROSE, PURE WHITE ROSE FAVOURITE
WHITE PEONY These are available from around February, adds a luxurious big focal flower where impact is required, ie pedestals, top tables, and of course in wedding bouquets. Stunning in White, but also available in pink from pale to cerise.WHITE RUNUNCULUS -IN VASEa smaller version of the peony, ie in bridesmaid bouquets, its good to use Rununculus, they look very similar and are so pretty, they also come in the same colours as peonies so i use them in smaller arrangements if using Peony in larger ones, to keep the arrangements matching if you know what i mean.
ORCHIDStp://www.blog.co.uk/media/photo/white_dendrobium/2245077" title="white dendrobium">
TOP - Dendrobium (Singapore Orchid) MIDDLE - Cymbidium BOTTOM - Phalaenopsis (Butterfly Orchid) The Dendrobium is the most delicate, the Cymbidium is cut into single flowers for corsages etc, and the Butterfly is a large very easily spoiled orchid so only use if you have experience with them.
WHITE LILLIES, THE LONGI LILY, Like a Trumpet in shape and comes with 2 or 3 flowers per long stem. Perfect for pedestals because of the length, allow a good few days to open so buy in advance. Always remove the stamen as shown in the lily workshop because the pollen stains permanently.
THE CALLA LILY, the smaller ones are called ZANTEDECHIA A very elegant lily, single flower per stem, thisk stem though so if making a bouquet its best to buy the smaller ones or have just a few in an over arm style. The thick fleshy stems can be warmed by the hand and gently curved if need be, these look lovely with twig frames and if left out of water the stems are flexible enough to weave with, they are fine out of water.

ORIENTAL LILY, TIGER LILY, Below - Very versatile, a little quicker to open than the Longi, but still need to be bought in advance, multi headed, sometimes speckle throated, long stem lillies.
WHITE GERBERA
The White Gerbera here has a chocolate middle but they do come with white too, they are a good focal flower but if using them, avoid other round flowers, go for points or trails otherwise they will compete visually for attention and can look clumsy. They must be supported as in the wiring workshop, give them a good long drink in cold water prior to use, they tend to droop quicker than other flowers if in a mixed bunch, but there is a tablet form of conditioner just developed which is available from my store on ebay.
WHITE SPIDER CHRYSANTHEMUM

These are very economical and hardy flowers, their petals are ragged and give a nice texture - they are sometimes called spyder with a 'y'. The lime green version is also quite dramatic. A good snowflake effect winter flower for impact.
Hope you found this article of use when choosing materials for winter weddings and arrangements, its obviously just a few of the many flowers and foliages available but might give you food for thought. Please visit my ebay store for floristry tools and sundries at E-Jay Trading. Ebay Store.CLICK HERE FOR A VISIT TO MY ONLINE STORE

MAKE A COCKTAIL ! PLANT INTO A MARTINI GLASS - OR EVEN AN ARRANGEMENT

I recently bought a Martini glass style vase as a sample to show a prospective wedding customer and as it sat on my table, I remembered I hadnt bought myself a new pot for some Money Plant cuttings Id taken. Thinking of the cuttings and seeing the Martini glass I wondered what it might look like to make a kind of 'cocktail' planted design, with visible layers in the glass!! So this is what I did. Hope you like it. It also occurred to me that to make an arrangement of candles and holly in the glass might look nice for Christmas too. Especially when the dinner table is often pretty full at Christmas, the tall glass makes the arrangement out of the way and its quite stable if you use pebbles in the base as I have done.

This is the cocktail then....
First steps are to pour some pebbles or stones or glass beads into the base, whatever you like really, and then to add topsoil or compost on top of the stones.

Next, place the cuttings, in this case money plant, but I think I may add ivy so it has a flow to it, add some sphagnum moss (reindeer moss) and keep it in place by a few hairpin wire pins, then Ive placed a ring of opaque glass chunks around the edge. Personally I think it looks like a Christmas pudding
If you plan to make an arrangement instead, hide the oasis foam with the pebbles or stones. I think one of these as a Christmas arrangement would be great using holly, berries, cones, and a chapel candle in the middle, dont you?
But for now, its just the 'cuttings martini'cocktail.

To finish it off Ive placed some large beach stones to the base of the vase. Voila!

Please visit my ebay store where there are hundres of items for sale and auction for those of you who like to make things yourself.
CLICK HERE FOR A VISIT TO MY ONLINE STORE

Bride's Handtied Design - Loose in style for a country look.

People have begun to realise that if you are wearing ivory or white for your wedding, a bright mix of colour for the flowers can be so striking in the photographs of the wedding. Ivory and White flowers have been the fashion for a long time and of course are timeless classics, however, just lately brides have been looking for some individuality and colour.
Here Im going to show the bq I recently made for a small wedding that was big on colour. The bride wanted a loose (as opposed to a packed) style bouquet, a 'messy' muddle of colours that would look like an old fashioned country garden.

Firstly here is a picture of the flowers opted for. They were chosen for the colours, yes, but also for the variety in shape and form, bright advancing colours (Lime) contrasting with dark receding colours (purples) take a look.

Roses Cerise edged californian
Wax flower Pink
Trachelium Purple
Monkshood (aconitum) Purple
Lisianthus (eustoma) Ivory
Hard ruscus leaves
Blupleurum Lime

Blupleurum is used here as a foliage but is in fact a lime flower of the euphorbia family. I use it as a contrast to the deep dark purples in the chosen flowers.

First of all strip off all the foliage that will be below the binding point, this is the point at which you will tie all the stems together. The next pictures show the hard ruscus prepared, stems stripped and leafshine applied to the leaves, a fine mist is all they need to be glossy and luxurious looking. Then you'll see the Monkshood stems stripped to the same point on the stems.

Do the same with the Lisianthus, Roses (strip of all thorns!) Wax flower branches and blupleurum bracts, as in previous workshops for handtied designs, make sure you add to the design in a spiralling way, all stems in the same direction, none crossing over each other. As you add stems, check the lengths as they often slip and slide down as you ope your hand to take another stem into your grip, so check and tug them back to the desired length. It helps to make these designs infront of a mirror so you can see whats happening and see where colour needs adjusting so that the textures and colour spacings are even. If you cant make it in front of a mirror, try standing infront of a window for the reflection.

Once all that you need has been added, and remember, try and know when to stop!! its easy to get carried away and keep adding - remember that the size of the bride is imperative to the whole look - a massive bouquet on a very slightly built bride will emphasise her size and vice versa of course. Anyway, once its all together and your hand is aching from the vice like grip because its just perfect and you daren't let anything slip! tie tightly with jute string. Ah maybe i should add that its a good idea to have the piece of jute string cut and ready to hand. I dont use ribbon like a lot of florists to at this stage because it slips, use string and dont let go even after you have knotted it, tie again below the first string and pull very tightly, knot it and then let go and hold your breath. Trim the ends to about 5 inches, make sure the stems are clean and free from stem debris. You might find the first string you tied around the stems is now loose, tie again before removing it, safety is paramount, if anything breaks you have to start all over again.

These pictures show an organza bow being tied around the stems, I've used a sheer lilac wire edged organza. Always fold up ends on wire edged ribbon in case the wire ends snag the dress. also, to avoid a slipping bow, I always advise that you use the ends to tie above the bow, and then below the bow before securing with a double knot underneath the bow. Never tie or knot ribbon a the back it looks unsighlty, the knot shouldnt be visible. By tying the ribbon above and below the bow it helps make sure it stays in place. Here are some shots of the finished country garden look, bride's hand tied bouquet.

There will be another posting shortly with the wrist corsages to match the bouquet. And..hopefully a picture of the bride holding this bq so you can see how well colours like this show up against wedding dresses.

Wire edged Organza ribbon is available in my ebay store in a wide range of colours, from 2m lengths at just £1.30 to whole 20m reels for £10 which is a great price for the quality. Please check my ebay store and do ask if you cant find what you need.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MY STORE or contact me on
sales@e-jaytrading.com

Leafshine Spray is one 'tool' Id never be without.es your foliage a healthy glossy professional look which makes all the difference to presentation. So, if you are making items for a wedding, church, celebration or corporate event and want to give it the best 'look' for pennies, then invest in some Leafshine Spray.
At the moment I have access to extra special large cans for just £8.59 !! Use it to gloss up your foliages but not any which have fine hairy surfaces.

Notice the difference by looking at the greened-up wreath below. Here is a Funeral Wreath I had to make yesterday and this picture shows the difference before and after a light spray of Leafshine. This is now ready to add the flowers.
Its also fantastic to spray onto ivy leaves prior to using in your corsage and buttonhole work, loks so professional and well 'dressed'. Below the pictures is a link to my store where you will find it for sale should you wish to try it for yourself. Stand out from the crowd and use a professional touch in your floristry!

Before and After

FLOWERS ON A BUDGET - HELPFUL IDEAS 1

Dont forget Veronica! This pretty pointed conical flower spear is extremely economical to use amongst your primary flowers. The price can be as little as 30p a stem and they come in white, purple and pale pink. They add a lovely movement to any arrangement or bouquet and the spear shape is perfect for defining direction and form to the design. Next time you're tempted to opt for gypsophelia or other common 'filler' flower, consider the pretty Veronica instead. Here are some pictures of Veronica in white.

Click here to visit my store

If you are making buttonholes or corsages and wish to add loops of wire edged organza - here is a simple method I use.

First of all take a length of wire edged organza in a suitable colour for the design you are adding it to, sometimes going for a striking contrast is more interesting than using a colour similar to the flowers, (see colour wheel workshop) but thats personal taste.

Fold the ribbon over your finger bringing the two cut ends together. Take a green coated wire ie 46/56guage, and bend it into a hairpin, place the edge of the ribbon loop onto the bent part of the wire and use one of the lengths of the wire to tightly bind around the ribbon and the other end of the wire. Very similar to the leg mount wire you use on some flower stems. Now that the ribbon is wired securely, it must be taped either with stemtex, a stretchy crepe type wiring tape or parafilm tape, the stretchy smooth plastic type tape. The wired bow loop can now be incorporated easily into your corsage or buttonhole as if it were one of the flowers.

This method of wiring ribbon loops is also used when you want to add organza or raffia to an arrangement in oasis, ie in wedding table arrangements. There is nothing better than having an element of design that runs through the whole wedding, it helps to 'gel' everything together if the organza loops in corsages, match those in the arrangements, helps make the whole look co-ordinated.

All types of floristry wire, floristry tapes, organza ribbon and other sundries and tools for the floristare available in my ebay store: E-Jay Trading. Here is a link to take you there! Please ask if you cant see what you need, I'll re-list it no problem.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY STORE

STEP BY STEP - HOW TO MAKE AN ORCHID CORSAGE WITH TRIMMINGS

With the Wedding season approaching fast I thought some of you might like to see how to make a fancy Orchid corsage. These are the sort of corsages mothers or mother in laws-to-be might wish to wear to a wedding or, it may be worn to a special event or occasion - perhaps to Royal Ascot for a day at the races. Once you have the techniques practised something similar can be made to attach to a hat as well, so warm up your fingers! Remember that it takes practise to wire and tape but to persevere as the practise will eventually become easier and the rewards of seeing something you have made in this way are enormous.

First of all here is a picture of all the 'ingredients'

From left to right what i have to work with are:-
2 heads of orchid.
6 medium ivy leaves, ive used variegated but use what you can find.
1 piece of soft ruscus, (or other small leaved foliage that will give height.)
3 blades of beargrass
1 stem of climbing rose with buds (large roses would overpower the orchid)
1 or 2 sprigs of wax flower - pink
1 or 2 sprigs of hypericum berries

I have actually added some silver wired diamante at the end which is optional, I sell these in my ebay store for £2.80 a bunch for 18 diamante heads if you would like to use them in bridal or corsage work please visit the store to see the colours available, this picture shows what they are like. I have actually used a clear glass drop like crystal not the diamante in this case.
Click to go to my store
We begin to construct this corsage by support wiring the orchid heads. You will need floristry wire of about 70g. To ease insertion into the stem first cut the end of the wire to a 45' angle giving it a sharp tip and while holding the stem in one hand gently push the wire into the stem, always hold the wire close to the end for more control and try not to pierce the stem sides, its best to select stems that are not too curved -which makes life easier- but if you are supporting the stem as you insert the wire you can manipulate the stem slightly to straighten it as the wire goes in. Gently and slowly insert the wire but not as far as piercing the head.
Notice the angle of the orchid stem is also at 45', always cut stems like this as it helps contour the final shape when taped. Support wire both orchid heads.
ok so far so good.
The next task is to secure the wire we just used to support the orchid heads so they cant 'pop' off the wire. We do this by what is known as cross-wiring. You need the thin 32g galvanised silver wires for this. You pierce the stem around half way up with the first wire leaving the ends equal each side of the stem and then do the same across the other way.The silver wires are now crossed and the support wire is inside the stem, ok now hold the stem in the left hand and with the right hand gently fold the silver wires down the stem length so the wires are parallel to the stem, nice and tidy.
Next, take one of the silver wires and bind tightly around the other wire and stem. Now tape wires and stem end with stemtex tape to hide wires and also seal in moisture.The ivy leaves need stitching which is detailed in another workshop, but you use a silver galvanised wire to stitch across the main vein, then pull the ends down to the stem, bind one end round as you did with the orchid cross wires and tape.The ruscus stem is wired using the leg mount method, which is to make a look of the silver wire - hold against the stem and use one end of the wire to bind tightly round the stem. Then tape.
Next, take the hypericum berries and make a hole through the middle to the other side using a 70g wire, the bear grass can then be threaded through the berries. Now start to put the pieces of prepared material together, the ruscus and berries to the back and the ivy leaves to frame the group. The ivy leaf that will be at the front need to be placed facing the group and not towards you, this is so it can be gently bent outward towards you when its all complete. The following pictures show various stages of grouping, keep pinching the taped part of the group as you add material and the stemtex will keep them joined as it gets adhesive in warm hands, but dont let go until all the material is in place and bound with binding wire, then all the stems are taped to the end. Trim and make sure no bare wire protrudes the end. Ive added some diamante stems, but its optional, you can also add small loops of ribbon if you wish.
The completed corsage.

The material can gently be moved into final position once all the stems are taped, ivy leaves can be carefully bent to give a nice profile and the orchid can be elevated forward slightly to form an interesting profile.
The corsage pin would be placed in the tape at the back for use. to present this item, line a small lid of a box with tissue and keep in a cool place until ready. Good luck and do ask if you have any problems or need advise.
All wires, tapes and embellishments can be bought from my ebay store, see link above near the first picture. Thanks.

AN IDEA FOR AN ORCHID STEM DISPLAY

This time of year you may be tempted to buy a beautiful stem of Orchid for your mother or grandmother and then decide against it when you consider how you are going to display it at its best in your home. These multi-headed stems are often top heavy and are best displayed on their own, so you dont have other flowers and foliages to 'hold them up' as it were. Here is an idea to show you how you can show them off at their best.

What you need: A tall glass will do, or - if you have a tall slim vase thats perfect. Some glass or plastic decorative stones or pebbles and thats it!!

In the following pictures I've used red plastic random shaped chunks, which you can buy from my ebay store by clicking on the link below,.. and, of course, a stem of Cymbidium Orchid.
CLICK HERE FOR MY STORE

The beauty of using these chunks is that they provide weight so you achieve physical stability because the weight of the orchid stem can be considerable and when using a slim vase of course, thats definately required to avoid toppling. Also, they are very decorative and available in many colours to compliment the colour of your flowers and decor, not to forget of course, that they also conceal the stem from view.

MIKADO STICKS

There is a very simple way to add an exotic look to floristry designs by making some caging from Mikado sticks. These sticks are natural sticks dyed with a thin watery dye so the natural markings in the wood beneath show through. What I do sometimes when making orchid arrangements is to make a lattice of these sticks in a corresponding colour by binding sticks at right angles in a grid. This can be as small or large as you need. The sticks can be inserted into oasis foam as a framework, or in a vase for a stunning effect. The bottom of the sticks can remain parallel or be bound together by angling the vertical sticks so they meet at the bottom. This on a small scale makes a very unusual background for a single rose buttonhole with a difference, and its this Im going to show you now.

Always cut at a 45' angle and when positioning the sticks for binding make the angled cuts face the same way, staggering the height of the cut sticks and having the angles facing the same way enhances the design effect.

For the purpose of this article Ive only added one horizontal to three vertical sticks as it will be kept small for a single rose to be atached to the frame. By weaving the binding wire (in this case its copper crinkled bullion wire)through the upright sticks and twisting it together Ive secured the rose stem to the sticks and wired tightly together.
Next Ive taken a small piece of silk plisse fabric in black and wrapped it around the stem and sticks, then bound with the wire and secured by weaving again through the sticks.

I need to add here that if you are thinking of using this design for buttonholes and corsages you must remember to run an emery board over the cut ends just in case it snaggs delicate fabric.
Caging sticks work very well with calla lillies, orchid, tulips and gerbera as the modern simple look of these flowers especially compliments the designer look you get from caging sticks.

Sticks, wire, scissors for left or right handed people, and silk plisse are all available in my ebay store. Lots of Valentine items too please take a look.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY STORE

Covering a copper wire frame with MOSS, Same method for any wire frame.

All items except moss are available to buy in my ebay store E-Jay Trading.I do sell Sphagnum Moss from Finland but its not usually economical for this type of project.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY STORE

Hi, here is a great site for free eBay templates:

Auction Template

Getting a little hectic to blog but next workshop coming soon so do check back, in the meantime here is a fantastic link for you if you list items or have a web page to make or - like me- just like to learn how to make pages pretty and interesting.

Also, in the new year I'll be putting movie onto a download section of my other site (a new one) and lots of floristry and gardening e-books will be there also, you're welcome to take a look,

e-bookeducation.com

Back Very Soon!!!

Hi just thought Id show you the effects that using another of my products can achieve when used with the Crystal Accent Gel.

Flora Lytes are a small light unit that is completely submersible and is sold as a way to highlight floristry designs, however, because it is water proof its perfect for using underneath the gel!! I sell the alternating colour type which is harder to find but I think is the best actually. Simply turn the base and the light begins to gleam through several colours and the effect through the gel is fantastic. The batteries in the unit are just the cheap flat watch type too which is good. Take a look at this photo I took of the rose coloured gel with one of these Flora Lytes buried in it illuminating a violet blue colour at the time I took the picture.

You can buy both the gel and the Flora Lytes from my store, the gel is £3.50 for all colours and makes 1 gallon of gel! The Flora Lytes - changeable type are £4 each both have very cheap postage! Take a look by using this link, if the listing has ended by any chance then just ask me and I'll relist, thanks Eve

MY STORE LINK CLICK HERE

CRYSTAL ACCENTS IS A PRODUCT I SELL WHICH IS AVAILABLE IN SEVERAL COLOURS FOR A WHOLE RANGE OF IDEAS AND USES. ITS VERY VERY ECONOMICAL - FOR THE WORKSHOP BELOW I USED JUST AN 8th OF THE PACKET. 1 PACKET MAKES 1 GALLON OR 3.8 LITRES OF CRYSTAL-TYPE MOISTURE RETAINING GEL. IM USING ROSE HERE BUT MY FAVOURITE IS DIAMOND WHITE AS IT LOOKS LIKE CRUSHED ICE. I PARTICULARLY LIKE USING IT WITH CANDLES AS YOU SEE BELOW, VERY SIMPLE BUT BEAUTIFUL, AND OF COURSE SAFE.

The crystals support the candle in the dish as they would also support fresh or silk flowers. This is an amazing product and I do hope you'll try it out. 1 packet is only 50p postage to the UK as its so light, all colours available in my ebay store at £3.50 a sachet and as I say it makes 8 of these size arrangements. There are so many ideas and uses for this product but here Ive just aimed to show you how effective it is and how easy to use. More elaborate designs are on the leaflet I send if you buy some. It comes in RED, SAPPHIRE BLUE, EMERALD GREEN, AQUAMARINE, BLACK ONYX, DIAMOND WHITE, CRYSTAL ROSE, YELLOW TOPAZ and a couple more I cant remember! You can use the link below to visit my store and browse my many listings, if you need any help please feel free to email via the store or here.
CLICK HERE FOR MY STORE LISTINGS "

Here are some photographs of work done by a customer of mine, Phil Lethby who bought from my Ebay store and then sent me some pictures of his work, to see what I thought.

I thought they were superb both in construction and material content. I feel sometimes that people with the sort of flair Phil has deserve some recognition, so I decided, with his permission, to post some of these pictures for you all to see. He uses crystal diamante pins and pearls with a real design flair as Im sure you will agree. The twisting, curling extentions wrapped in wire are a definate Scandinavian design technique which began with the top design florists of Norway, believe it or not. Im not sure where Phil gets his influences from but he is definately in good company! Take a look at these and remember, Phil considers himself an amateur, just learning floristry, but I think he could give a good few 'professionals' a run for their money!!

Anyone wanting to email Phil personally - maybe to order designer style buttonholes for a wedding or function may do so on: fabphilly@ntlworld.com

For Decorative Wires, Diamante Pins, Pearl Headed Corsage Pins and much much more you can visit my Ebay Store at MY STORE LINK

USE THIS PAGE AS A REFERENCE WHEN YOU FIND IT HARD TO DECIDE WHAT FLOWERS, COLOURS OR CONTAINER - EVEN ACCESSSORIES - TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR DESIGNS

ARIES
Mar 21-Apr 20 Red Lillies,Honeysuckle,Thorn bearing branches, Wrought Iron, Red Hybiscus, Red organza, Red Dyed Grevillia.

TAURUS
APR 21-MAY 21 Pink Poppies, Foxglove, Cerise Roses, All Vines, Cypress, Copper Container, Copper Wire.

GEMINI
May 22-JUN 21 Most commonly Yellows, Nut bearing branches, lily of the valley, Pale lemon organza, Marjoram.

CANCER
JUN 22-JUL 22 Acanthus Convolvulus, White flowers in general, Silvery Honesty Seed Heads, Pearls threaded on grasses, Verbena, Silver shimmery fabric. Stand glassware containers on mirrors for watery reflective look.

LEO
JUL 23-23 AUG Sun colours fromsunrise to sunset. Gladioli, Sunflowers of course, Marigolds, Palm, Bay and Laurel leaves. Saffron ribbon, Terracotta pots, Rosemary.

VIRGO
AUG 24-SEP 22 Navy Blues, Green, Nickel metalware, Bright small flowers ie anemones. Nut Bearing wood.

LIBRA
SEP 23-OCT 23 Pale blue to ultrqa-marine accessories, Hydrangea, Pinks also, Copper or Bronze metalware or wire, Large pale pink Roses, Sapphire coloured ceramics.

SCORPIO
OCT 24-NOV 22 Dark Red Roses, Maroon Berried Hypericum, Rhododendron, Geranium, Witch-hazel, blackthorn, Steel or Iron metal, Opal Translucent accessories.

SAGITTARIUS
23NOV-21 DEC
Dark or Sky Blue Delphinium, Birch, Lime, Pinks also or carnations, Tin Containers, Turquoise accessories, Erigium blue thistle. Sage sprigs.

CAPRICORN
22DEC-20 JAN
Black Brown or Grey Sprayed Twigs, Pine Elm and
Yew. Ivy, Hemlock, Heartsease, Amethyst coloured glass, ribbon etc

AQUARIUS
21JAN-18 FEB
Orchid, Aluminium Containers, Laburnum wood, Snowdrops, Paperwhites, Bay Leaves, Aquamarine accessories, feathers, crystals and beads.

PISCES
FEB 19-20 MAR
Soft greens and blues, Water-lily, Hyacinth white or pale blue, Mosses, Willow wound into coils and threaded through with small calla lillies, Tin as a metal, Moonstone, Lily Grass.

I hope you find that interesting and it can certainly help if you get the equivalent of 'writers block' when trying to decide what to use for a design. Its not only useful for birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions falling in a certain zodiac sign can also benefit from a quick reference to what might be appropriate.

CLICK THIS BANNER TO VISIT MY STORE

Step by step guide to making a cushion funeral tribute, with a foliage edge and based in Roses.

In other workshops Ive shown you the ribbon edge method and thought this time Id make a cushion using foliage as the edge decoration, also instead of basing the cushion in the usual double chrysanthemums I thought Id show you a Rose Based item. This is a quite expensive way to make a tribute but occasionally you may get a group who have collected money for a tribute, say for example, for a work collegue, and instead of cramming lots of flowers together to make the tribute to the value, which can sometimes mean a large tribute, its nice to offer a smaller but 'full value' alternative. This is especially important if the tribute is not to look too ostentatious and risk overshadowing other tributes given by family members.

Always remember funeral flower etiquette, when neighbours or colleagues want to give a joint item - try not to make it very large to use up the value of the contribution as relatives of the deceased may not have such funds available and the tribute might make theirs look insubstantial, this is bad etiquette. By making something smaller but still suing the value of the contribution the tribute will then be a sign of the respect the contibutors had for the deceased but not risk any offense. In this type of situation the Rose Based Cushion or similar, is a perfect choice.

The requirements to make this cushion are as follows:

1 Oasis Cushion 12inch
1 Half an oasis sphere for the spray
Foliage I used Hard Ruscus for the edging and spray
I also used Blupleurum (the lime coloured foliage) for contrast.
50 Rose heads, not buds but half full bloom
2 stems of Alstromeria in white for the spray

Please note that where the basing is all roses, the spray is kept low key, there is no need to go overboard with the flower content of the spray as there are so many roses used in the base. In fact, just foliages of contrasting colour and texture can be quite enough.

Method
Do not wet the oasis at this point!!
First of all, as always, bevel the edges of the cushion at an angle so that we dont have any angular edges. After that smooth down the shape with your hands to create a rounded 3D smooth edged shape.

Now cut your oasis wet sphere in half, bevel the edges, smooth down again and attach to the top right hand corner of the cushion using thin pot tape - make sure the tape is tight and adheres to itself, ie bring the reel over and make sure it sticks to itself before cutting. dont cover the central point of the oasis as this area will be needed to place the spray material.

Wet the oasis foam with water, a garden hose or jug is best, dont over weigh it with water, about 2 pints will be enough.

Take the foliage for the edging, in this case Im using Hard Ruscus, cut into 2inch lengths and insert along the edge close to the base in an upward direction so that the tips of the foliage reach down to the surface you are working on, this allows the finished design to look 'grounded'. Keep the leaves close together but not bunched and try to be correct the first time as you dont want the edge too holey, you want the foliage to stay put and not be loose. If you find your foliage is a bit long then trim with scissors following the natural shape of the leaf, this is the reason I use Hard Ruscus - it can be cut like material to suit your needs.

Once you have gone around the edge of the whole cushion give the foliage a light spray of Leaf Shine. This gives a lovely glossy look but also seals in the moisture. See how glossy the leaves look in the picture? It really is one of the most important floristry tools to give a professional finish.

I might add at this time that all floristry sundries can be bought from me at my ebay store, my ebay ID is Parvifolia and the store is called E-Jay Trading. There will be a link to the store at the end of this workshop.

The roses can be added by starting at a corner with the least open of the roses for the corners, place them neatly next to each other so no foam can be seen between, they will open a bit more so dont panic if a very small gap is evident, but do try and place them close. The stems should be very short so that they avoid colliding in the foam with those placed upright but long enough for stability, I cut the stems at an angle 45' so they have a sharp insertion into the foam which also adds stability as the hole is a better fit around the stem if a sharp rather than blunt stem end is inserted. Removing the sepals, the green redundant bud protectors which hang down the stem of an open rose, (they look like green hard petals), is recommended as these will hinder a clean insertion into the foam.

Once the edges are complete, fill the rest of the oasis with roses in lines around the cushion, close together and facing directly upward. Continue until the whole surface is covered. The roses I have used here are called 'Aqua'.

Next thing to do is to start making the spray. the half sphere will now be slightly protruding from the mass of roses and we want to make the spray no more than a third of the cushion size. Running diagonally across from the 'bump' of oasis, allow a long small leafed stem of foliage to be the longest placement, then continue in 'steps' grading the length and keeping the stems touching down on the roses - once again - this will make the item look 'grounded' and 'together'.

Ive then continued to construct the spray using pieces of Blupleurum (the lime coloured foliage) and stems of white Alstromaria. Keep the spray within the boundaries of the design and keep the longest piece of foliage you placed in a diagonal across from the bump corner as the longest point of the spray. Sometimes less is more, so dont overcrowd the spray but if you have any gaps, cut small pieces of foliage and insert them deep into the foam, this adds 'recession' which means it adds depth so that some material is low to the foam and its adds interest and of course, helps cover the foam.

So, there you have it. Next time you are asked to make a high value item without going overboard on size, you might consider the Rose Based Cushion as a suitable tribute.

As promised here is the link to go to my ebay store: If you cant find an item you need just ask on the site using the 'ask member a question' option, because I cant list all the items I have, if its not listed it doesnt mean I dont have it, please just ask.
Here is that link:

CLICK FOR MY STORE

You'll know you've arrived when you see my logo!! Thankyou.

FLORISTRY TRENDS FOR SEPTEMBER

Well here we are in September already. Although autumn may seem to be sneaking up on you and the evening getting slightly chillier, the season's themes and trends have been planned for since the start of summer in the floristry design heartlands of Holland.

So what will the trends be for the coming season? The neutrals and natural colours which have so dominated the interior designer's pallette make for a fabulous backdrop for this seasons floristry colours. Bright Fuschia, Tangerine, Lemon and Limes will all be mixed with Purples, Violets, Burgundy and Blues in an explosion of colour in arrangements and bouquets. Accessories too will reflect a fun colourful trend. Vases of coloured glass to compliment or indeed clash loudly with the flowers will be a statement of bold daring contrasts.

Black interspersed with vibrant colours will also be in favour for a strong dramatic impact. Contrasts of texture too, by use of pebbles and crystals in interesting ways, using Organza, Velvet and Abaca mesh in bows and wrapping contrasting harsh with soft - silky with rough, thats going to be a strong look in the coming months.

Strangely having said all this about colour, Black and White themes with a dash of red will also be a strong featured theme.

The metal colours you've been seeing coming into the trends over the summer will continue to be strong with the vibrant seasons new colours splashing dramatically next to Pewter Grey, Copper and Silver. Galvanised containers - Coloured Aluminium Vases and Glass must all play a part in the overall designs.
 

Small Glass Votives giving candle light and atmosphere for illuminating the bright colours of the seasons arrangements will be simple and square shapes for candle holders will be favourite.

Shells, Pearls, Crystals and Feathers, will continue to figure largely in bouquets and arrangements with silver sprayed foliages, a dark dramatic touch will be added by using Black, Chocolate Brown and Charcoal but the shapes of the arrangements and bouquets are looking more geometric in design. Well defined triangular and circular designs with a 'fun' element will be reflected.

As I find out more I'll keep you posted. My store will, as always, be listing up to the minute trends from Holland which you may find take a while to filter through to the high street shops.

MY STORE LINK

HAND BLOWN AMBER GLASS VASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW

HELP NEEDED BY ANY BLOGGER WHO CAN TELL ME WHERE THE UPLOAD PICTURES BUTTON HAS GONE, I CANT UPLOAD ANY AS I CANT FIND IT ANYMORE :'(

Using a cut down Corsage Pin - Design Tip

For several seasons now Bride's have often chosen the mini gerbera for a buttonhole alternative to the rose or carnation. The wide range of colours available makes the gerbera an easy flower to use where colour co-ordination is needed. The mini-gerbera is now called 'Germini' at wholesalers. Before making them take a look at the workshop where I show in detail how best to wire these so that they face the front when applied as a buttonhole.

For a special modern design look for literally pennies, try this tip.

Buy some corsage pins with a pearl head, I sell these at discount in my store if you cant find them. They come in boxes of 144 for just £2.99 in ivory, white, black, blue, cerise, red, apple and gold. Cut down the pin, this is possible with florists scissors or wire cutters, so you just have about 1cm of the pin left. Insert it into the middle of the Gerbera making sure it doesnt protrude to the back of course. As you can see from this picture it really 'sets off' the flower adding a little glamour to the buttonhole for a very small cost. Try it when you next use Gerbera and notice the comments you get.

Here is the picture.

LINK TO MY STORE

Hi, Im back from sunny Spain. If you havent yet emailed in your entry for tomorrow's draw then this is your last day, tomorrow the correct answers will be printed out and the winner and runner up entries will be randomly picked. They really are lovely prizes so good luck!!

FLOWER COMPETITION ! FREE FOR ALL TO ENTER - DETAILS BELOW

As Im on holiday from 21st July til the 4th August I thought it might be fun to leave you with a competition, which is free to enter. Below you will find a picture of a bouquet I made recently for the birth of Leanna to Helen and Ian of Waltham Abbey.

Have a look at the flowers and see if you can correctly identify the flowers and the berries I used. Email me the answers (Im using a wemail address for this as I get so many emails to my business and ebay accounts I thought it best to keep these entries separate) email to 2evie@blueyonder.co.uk with a contact telephone number preferably. Put the word COMPETITION in the subject line.

Closing date for entries will be midnight on the 4th August 2006 and the winners will be picked at random from the correct entries and contacted on 6th August 2006.

PRIZES ARE
1st Prize A handblown german glass lily vase 20cm high in a beautiful design.
2nd Prize A gift boxed set of 3 beautifully crafted floating candles - Gerbera shaped.

HERE'S THE BOUQUET PICTURE - SIMPLY IDENTIFY THE FLOWERS AND BERRIES IVE USED DONT WORRY ABOUT THE FOLIAGE - GOOD LUCK!

HERE'S A CLOSER LOOK TO HELP YOU

Once the winners have been randomly selected the answers will be blogged, the winners' identities will not be made public on the blog but to conform to competition etiquette personal enquiries as to the winners will conform to national competition rules. All can enter wherever in the world you are, the only exceptions are that no-one in my family or circle of friends may enter.

First Prize will go to the first randomly drawn correct entry and Second Prize to the next randomly drawn correct entry. In the unlikely event that there are not 2 correct replies the prizes will go to the nearest correct entry etc. Wnners will be contacted for postal address to send the prizes, postage will be paid for of course by me.

My ebay store will have a limited service during the time between 21st July and 4th August, someone will be there to monitor messages and you can purchase items but there will be no postages until after the 4th August.
After that it back to normal with lots of exciting products lined up to join the wide variety of stock available to you at fantastic prices with a personal service as always.
Bookmark my store in your favourites and check back - you can use this link,
My Store All listings will be back plus more after the 4th August. See you then!

How to ensure your vase flowers look great for longer.

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A Floristry Guide to help you get the best from your cut flowers in vases.

This mini floristry guide will hopefully help you to get the maximum vase life from your cut flowers. I recently posted it on ebay as a user guide and thought you may also like to read it.

Prepare the Container
The very first thing that must be done is to ensure the vase or container you wish to display the cut flowers in, is scrupulously clean. Bacteria in vases is a sure fire way of shortening the time you can enjoy your flowers. Washing up liquid is fine for this, scrubbing the inside with a washing up brush will ensure any nasty bugs are scrubbed out of the microscopic pores present in the glass or whatever material your container is made of.  Rinse well and allow to dry naturally upside down, on the draining board is fine. If using a zinc vase its best to line it with clear cellophane first or place another container inside, this will prevent the release of zinc ions causing leaf and petal damage.

Prepare the Water
Fresh from the tap is fine, in warm weather cut flowers can drink a surprising amount of water so start with 3/4 full and top up when necessary. For the longest possible vase life its best to add flower food to the water. If you are given a sachet from your florist with your flowers, do use it. If they didnt give you a sachet of flower food then Id suggest you change where you buy them from if you want value for money. Cut flower food in the form of dissolvable crystals mimics the nutrients  of the mother plant from which the cut flower stem is harvested. This ensures that scent remains, that buds develop into mature flowers and not die off still in bud and leaves remain green and fresh. There is no need to change the water if you use flower food but if not you will have to re-cut the flower stems and replace the water after 3 days or risk the flowers dying prematurely and the water getting that awful smell from bacteria. Wilting, yellowing leaves, blocked bud development can all be avoided with the correct dosage of flower food in the water.

Prepare the Flowers and Foliages
Remove all leaves and debris from the stems and stalks that will be below water level. Only bare stems should ever be below the water line, otherwise the leaves stagnate and rot under water and produce vile smelling slimey bacteria which is toxic, ie poisons the flowers. Cut all stems at a 45 degree angle, this ensures the best surface area for water uptake and the cutting of the stems makes sure the ends are not sealed and dried out which will prevent water uptake.

Position of your Vase Arrangement

If you've gone to all the trouble above to get a lasting vase of flowers, it can all be in vain if they are placed badly.  In summer avoid window sills which get full sunlight, this causes evaporation and also speeds up the aging process. In winter, avoid radiator shelves as the heat will be devastating. At all times avoid hallway tables where the temperature from drafts can reduce vase life, ie the constant opening and closing of doors nearby to the outside causes the humid 'air cushion' which surrounds flowers and leaves replacing it with dry air which in turn causes the leaf to wilt.
The worst enemy to cut flower life is <strong>FRUIT</strong> believe it or not. It amazes me that supermarkets often have their fresh flowers with the fruit. Fruit is one of the main culprits in the production of what is called <strong>ETHYLENE GAS.</strong> It is a hormone which promotes ripening of flowers and fruits. Even having older dying flowers or plants  nearby can 'ripen' or 'age' your flowers. Best not to buy flowers on sale with fruit as you will already be buying flowers which have been accelerated in their life span.  Other sources of Ethylene Gas are the exhaust from cars and gas heaters. So dont buy from the petrol stations if you want lasting vase flowers either! Heavy smoky atmospheres also produce stress in the flowers and that in turn promotes them to produce Ethylene Gas.

So hopefully this mini guide will make you pause and think nest time you arrange flowers in a vase. Hopefully resulting in a longer vase life for your cut flowers and longer enjoyment from them by you.

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For sale in my ebay store. <a href="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/e-jay-trading/">MyStore
</A>

FLORISTS FLOWER FOOD/CONDITIONER SACHETS BY CHRYSAL X15
Current Price: £2.99

VISIT THE MARKET

I realise that for a lot of you the opportunity to visit the New Covent Garden Flower Market in London is just a treck too far, but for those of you who can reach London by train or by car its well worth a visit if you are a student of floristry. The market is open from 3am to 10am and you can beat the congestion charge if you go on a Saturday.

The nearest station is Vauxhall. Then its best to get a cab as the market itself is set away from the main road in a large covered complex geared up to be reached by vans and vehicles rather than buses for obvious reasons.

Not many people realise that anyone can buy at the market. You dont have to have a trade card and you dont have to buy large quantities. PERFECT for students. All you have to do if you go by car is pay £4 to enter the market and park.

Something else people dont realise is that inside there are stores around the outside edge selling sundries, candles, glass, ribbons, shells, beads, wood, bark, just about anything decorative or floristry related.

I must admit that I only go there if I have to get something I cant source myself, not because its hard to get to in fact its just half an hour drive from me, but I buy direct and import from the same people they do so rarely need to.

The major benefit to you as a florist starting out or an occasional florist or as a student is that you dont have to prove you are in the Trade unlike most wholesalers, and as I said, there are NO minimum spending requirements, also unlike wholesalers.

One final point. Its also possible at the end of the market day, at around 9.30am, to find a criminal amount of flowers dumped in piles at the many entry ways ready to be dumped in the skips. WHY? Not because they are no good but because sometimes a 'wrap' of say roses, which means a bunch of 20 might have 3 or 4 broken heads in the wrap, its not worth it to the market traders to rewrap a bunch of 17 roses as florists by per 'wrap' at a set amount of flowers per 'wrap' so the rest will be discarded as its just not commercially viable to bother with them. So Students of mine when I taught in inner London have often said they find great quality flowers for floristry class at the market at the end of the day for nothing!

Cant be bad!
(No hate mail from florists please

Here are some pictures from a recent visit.

A lot of this is common sense but give it a read anyway, I always think something can always be gained from others' experiences and if by reading this you avoid a silly accident then its been worthwhile

Whether working in a florist shop or working in your own home, there are often hidden dangers that you need to be careful to be aware of. One of the most important things to remember is that foliage and other plant material on the floor can be the cause of a lot of slips and falls. Keep the floor area swept as you go to avoid this, stems once stepped on often become slippery as the juice is crushed out and its like stepping on an ice cube. the other menace underfoot is cellophane - cut offs are also a hazard if stepped on and are sometimes not as easily seen as foliage!

Cutting wires is also to be done carefully, hold the wire down and away from others because as you cut the end pieces can fly off into faces and eyes. Be aware also of where pins are on the workbench there's nothing worse than gathering up pieces of paper and debris and ending up with a hidden pin stuck in your hand.

Glue Gun Use. When you get hot glue dripped onto your finger its instinct to rub the finger with the thumb and then it spreads and burns, I speak from experience! What I always do and advise students to do also, is to have a small bowl of cold water to hand so that if you do happen to drip the hot gule onto your fingers you can immediately put them into the water, this instantly turns the glue hard and prevents it spreading or continuing to burn, it can then be peeled off and the burn covered from the air, preferably with cling film.

Walking about with knives and scissors is also to be avoided for obvious reasons, espeically if you havent swept the floor!

Ladder work: Never over reach. Its so tempting to just try and reach that next important place rather than go down the ladder and move it a few inches over but its always the case that over reaching while up a ladder fixing arrangements in marquees or churches is often the cause of disaster.

While talking about that, and marquees in particular, you'll find that the floor is often very uneven, sometimes the marquee erectors place hessian on the floor or burlap and its bumpy and lumpy, get someone to hold the bottom of the ladder at all times, be aware than knives in pockets and scissors in jean belts are going to damage you if you topple, carpenter type tool belts are good for ladder work, or just put them on the top rung while you tie and arrange.

Try to arrive at a venue before the caterers -if you do drop something from a ladder, its best its on an unlaid table than onto one laden with china and glass.

Some plant and flower material is poisonous and although you're probably thinking 'yeah well who is going to eat them?' think how tempting to a child red berries are if within reach, or wired artificial strawberries for instance. Try and be aware that low level arrangements at a wedding or other festive occasion might tempt those who dont know better to cause themselves harm.

If you intend to work in floristry its important to know if your tetanus protection is up to date also. Roses are grown in manure rich soil and the tetnus can pass into your bloodstream via the thorn pricks you will undoubtedly have, so make sure your jab is up to date, I think that 10yrs is the normal refresh time for it.

Sometimes nicks and cuts can occur when you least expect it so keep plasters in your tool box and with you when out decorating, think what a nightmare it would be to have blood from a cut on someone's wedding flowers, exactly.

Its fun doing floristry but there are hazards as with all trades and its a good florist's responsibility to keep the area they are working in safe for themselves and the others around them at all times, even when trying to beat the clock and rushing to meet the deadlines DO please keep safe and those around you.

For candle arrangements always give the customer a disclaimer card, it should say something like this: The candle in this arrangement is for decoration purposes only and is lit at your own risk'. You can be held liable if for instance you put arrangements on tables with candles and light them thinking how lovely it looks only to hear the sound of fire engines rushing to the scene when the guests have fired highly flammable party poppers across the tables.....ooops. Some florists even cut the wick down low so they cant be lit but I think this is a bit extreme. The customer should be made aware that it is for them to decide with agreement of the venue owner as to whether the candles can be lit or not, just leave it to them but explain the dangers.

These tips by no means cover everything, Id probably put you off doing floristry entirely and thats not my intention, but just take on board some of these tips and you can avoid a few common pitfalls. Oh yes and finally - dont touch the wedding cake! Let the caterer move it to the cake table and gently place your flowers, never say you'll put the cake on the table or move it once its placed, I wont bother stating why in case you get nightmares.

Happy Floristry and keep safe!

Try this link to my store where you can buy floristry sundries and related products,
please ask if you cant find something you need!!

MY FLORISTRY STORE

In this second part of the workshop I'll show you some techniques for using Aspidistra

Aspidistra can be cut like fabric which is very useful as you will soon see. When you need to cut down a leaf from the stem end, cut down towards the stem at the desired length, but make sure you cut opposite to its natural shape, the picture will explain eaiser what I mean by that. the reason is that cutting this way and then stripping off the excess leaf either side of the newly made stem will enable you to insert the leaf in a way that covers the most oasis foam. Have a look at these pictures.

In the last of the above 4 pictures Im cutting the other end - the tip of the aspidistra, by following the natural shape with the scissors. This is useful if you find the end is damaged or you just need to shorten that end. see what I mean about these types of leaves? So versatile, just like fabric.

Just to finish off this workshop Id like to post some of the designs the some of the students made - they had shorter bucket style vases but the same flowers and foliages.These are by Ann and Sharon. The next two are by Lynn and Carly.

Modern Style Arrangement WorkshopWorkshop 18

This week's task for my group was to create modern limited designs which would compliment the design I had made and taken to class prepared. Many times a florist will be asked to make something similar to a picture in a magazine or to copy someone else's design from a photograph and its important to be able to do this successfully. Everyone had the same flower and foliage content as my made design and the task was to create arrangements that followed the modern, horizontally oriented theme.

First I'll show you the design as complete and then I'll show you how it was made step by step. At the end you can see some of the student's results.

Foliage Content
Aspidistra
Cordyline
Flower content
Singapore Orchid
Bridal Gladioli
Spider Chrysant

In a modern arrangement the foliage is as important as the flower material, whereas in traditional floristry, the foliage is basically used to pre-define the shape or form of the design and to cover any mechanics used. Flower content is limited in a modern design but each placement is vital, ie once complete the deign would not look right with one more piece of material added or one taken away.

Step-By-Step

Ive prepared a third of a block of oasis and secured it to the dish which will be placed on top of the tall tin vase, you never fill a container with oasis its a total waste, you can however put some sand or stones inside before placing the dish and oasis on top for added stability on tall vases and containers.

Next I used some Oasis Fix which is a strong waterproof and re-usable gum, a bit like blue-tack, to make sure the dish remained firmly attached to the rim of the vase. to use this you cut off a strip and knead it for a few seconds to make pliable, then roll into a sausage and stick to the dish. You can buy Oasis Fix in my ebay store, E-Jay Trading.

Trim off any excess - using this gum is especially useful for modern styles where you may want the top of the container to be seen and not spoiled by pot tape being visible.

PLEASE RETURN LATER, THANKS EVIE
The following hit counter has been installed at 4.30pm 7.June 06 its there for my own research really as I will probably have to pay to host further workshops to the site I need to know if it is popular enough. Thanks

Sorry for the break in this workshop, Ive decided to carry on blogging by paying to continue uploading workshops and floristry articles for you. Any voluntary donations would be much appreciated and can be made via paypal, or using a credit card via paypal, to email address ejmar@lineone.net any contribution however small will be greatly appreciated, thanks, Evie

A large proportion of the wedings Helen and I do are from the Greek Community, thought you might like to see what Lambathes are

Greek churches are usually very ornate and rich in decor so it looks best if the flowers are one colour so that they stand out. Also remember if you are making pedestals and arrangements for a church, that what looks large on your workbench may look small and insignificant in place in a church. Always visit the church to get an idea of the decor, the light (sometimes they are quite dark so avoid deep colours), and measure areas to be decorated taking careful notes because its very important to make enough impact in a large space.

Very tall specially made candles were decorated with white netting and a spray of flowers and foliages attached at the gathered point to make what is known as 'Lambathes'.
These stand in special iron holders and look like little bridesmaids once in place. Care must be taken to leave a safe area between the top of the netting or other fabric and the candle top as these are always lit. If you make these and want to use other matierial I would advise having net underneath as its stiff and will allow the top material to hang nicely.

This first picture shows 2 of them in place, notice how we made the sprays a little more interesting by making the angle of the spray a mirror image of each other, much more interesting than just straight down.

This is a closer look, if you hadnt seen the above picture first you might have thought the spray was wonky, but as you see, there's a reason for it.

The next picture shows a very long top table, so we made three candle arrangements in the same colour and theme, the flower content and designs have to be worked out to a strict budget set by the bride and groom and should always be of the finest fresh materials possible without over or under ordering and later in this blog I'll outline that skill as it is indeed something that needs careful consideration.

Here's a closer look at one of those arrangements. My workshop about Lillies will explain some of the points to remember when using them. The candle workshop shows how they are attached for safety to the oasis.

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HAVE YOU EVER WISHED YOU COULD KEEP A SAMPLE OF YOUR SPECIAL FLOWERS FOREVER?

Well, listed in my store is a product the professionals like to keep a trade secret, but Im going to make this available to you with full instructions....read on for details.

I have recently listed an Oasis product called Silica Gel Dessicant. I think my customers might find it provides an economical way to preserve flowers especially with wedding season, it can be very expensive to get a professional company to preserve your corsage or a rose from a speical occasion as a keepsake. Dried fresh flowers usually retain their colour and are best displayed in glass domes or framed behind glass to keep the moisture in the atmosphere away from being re-absorbed.

Normally this is only available to trade professionals!!! Not because using it is difficult but because they make a lot of money by keeping the knowledge and product to themselves.

How lovely it is to be able to retain your flowers as a memory of a special occasion, and with full instructions sent with every 500g pack of re-usable silica - it can become an economical reality.

use this link to go straight to my store and you can search for silica in the search box

Packs include a Humidity Indicating Paper (HIP) for professional results, go check the listing, thanks,

Tips on how to choose the flowers you use and grow for floristry.

When planning what flowers to use, the first consideration in most people's minds is the colour combination and that is indeed an important consideration. The next consideration may well be the price, flower arrangement budgets will often determine what you can afford to use. After that you may well consider the availability depending on the season. However, do you ever consider the form or shape of the flowers you want to use? Whether choosing flowers for your garden or for floristry its important to think about this to add interest and variety. Many flowers take the form of the 'round' shape and if you have too many flowers of the 'round' shape together you find it starts to look unstructured and 'blobby' this is because there is no definate dominant flower or shape and no variety so the brain registers a sense of chaos when contemplating it.
The same applies to flower beds.

Some flowers have one form at the beginning and a different one towards the end of their life, take for example the iris, this starts out as a 'spear' shape then develops a 'triangular' shape when in full bloom. Take into consideration the possible shape changes as it can totally alter the form of your design. For instance if you use iris to give a sharp top point to an arrangement, remember that when open this will be gone to a certain extent.

Using flowers in bud to the outside of the design and more open fullbloom flowers to the center is always a crucial move, however think about the consequences of the appearance of the design once these buds open. Will they then 'overbalance' the design? What I mean is will the opened bud become a dominant focus of attention? If so its not suitable to be placed to the outside of the design. To make this point clear think about the peony, in bud quite a nice compact shape and size but in full bloom this will take over and the center of gravity the 'visual balance' will be shot to pieces.

Also think of these considerations when choosing foliages, foliages mainly remain as they are, a spear shaped leaf will remain that shape so use these to define sharp points towards the outer edges of the design rather than risk buds, spear shaped hosta, in a variety of colours, is an excellent foliage because it is 'matt' so it adds variety to the mainly glossy leaves you maybe use elsewhere, also eucalyptus in all its forms and types can add a matt element. Ive taken some pictures below of some flower forms.

Available now (this one is from my garden) when in full bloom this is a perfect flower for dominance and visual weight for central placement in ie pedestal arrangements.

The common single chrysanthemum. Once cut the buds seldom open into large flowers so the buds can safely be placed towards the edges of the design, open flowers toward the middle - available all year from florists but late summer in gardens, a wide range of colurs makes these very popular. An economical flower choice.

Beautiful heart shaped flower trails from the garden, this bush plant grows very rapidly and the trails are lovely to use in arrangements towards the outside.
The beautiful blue iris commonly called the 'flag' will develop a triangular form from its spear shaped bud so do remember this if you rely on its spear shape for edge definition it will be gone! A lovely way to add the elusive 'blue' colour to arrangements and very useful for its length.

The Hosta leaf, variegated variety, very useful for adding a matt, spear shape to all types of floristry items, the ribbed leaf also adds variety and texture, this is in a pot in my garden to try an keep the slugs away as they will devour hosta grown in beds. Many colour varieties available. Rather short stemmed but these can be wired and taped for added length, some floristry grown varieties do have longer stems though.

Ive only briefly touched on this subject as you can imagine but hopefully this article will help you decide what flowers to use and where in the arrangement they will 'work' best. All comments are welcome if you would like to add your thoughts or experiences.

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