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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