My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Because I think I am making Progress

The

legendary cellist, Pablo Casals

was asked why

he continued

to practice at age 90

“Because I think I am making progress,” he replied

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Tutorials
Cut a plastic vial to make a top-up-able water source for upside down hanging flowers
18 May 2016
Cut a plastic vial to make a top-up-able water source for upside down hanging flowers

Snip the closed bottom of a plastic vial
Sealing water leaks
18 May 2016
Sealing water leaks

Petroleum jelly is both waterproof and not water soluble it creates a waterproof barrier to keep the water from leaking out of the vials when you hang it upside down. In fact, this trick work so well that you can use drinking straws or plastic tubes and seal it around the stem with the petroleum jelly
Dangling flowers from blades of grass
18 May 2016
Dangling flowers from blades of grass

Knot a blade of grass around a water source to create a free hanging design
Hanging flowers rightside-upside-downside
7 September 2012
Hanging flowers rightside-upside-downside

I love hanging flowers to loosely dangle and move in a design
Placing orchids in test tubes
25 August 2011
Placing orchids in test tubes

Cut the Phalaenopsis orchid with a bit of green stem attached. This will make them last longer.
Hanging leaves from a Hazel twig top bar
23 October 2013
Hanging leaves from a Hazel twig top bar

Create a free moving autumn leaf screen
Ripping Flax
14 January 2011
Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips
Arum lily roll down
17 July 2012
Arum lily roll down

Open an arum lily up by rolling the funnel shaped spathe (petal) over
Stringing wool and Spanish moss
8 August 2012
Stringing wool and Spanish moss

Create veil of wool and Spanish moss
Related Designs
Their work well done
23 October 2013
Their work well done

String Autumn leaves to fall down in a design
Something Like This
14 August 2013
Something Like This

Stack and glue a large twig rectangle to hang as room divider
Direct Contrasts
13 October 2011
Direct Contrasts

I have always been fascinated, as a designer, by the idea that there is a point when extremes or direct contrasts flip into its opposite.
Stringing in the rain
8 August 2012
Stringing in the rain

A veil of green wool, Spanish moss and dried hydrangeas hang over white lilies
Just Right! Floral Art demonstration: Own It!
7 September 2012
Just Right! Floral Art demonstration: Own It!

My fourth design in my demonstration at the BC Floral Art Society meeting
Hanging Space
24 April 2013
Hanging Space

Suspend small bud vases with Macramé-like knotted wool. This design is featured on The Fusion Flowers Magazine... Fusion Links page.
Chain of Thought
23 July 2014
Chain of Thought

Knot small stems into decorative chain garlands
Favourite Flowers
Zantedeschia
Zantedeschia

Calla lilies in my Direct Contrast design for the Floral Trends Design Group
Rosa
Rosa

My all in the same boat floral art arrangement with roses in an Agave sisalana (sisal) leaf.
Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis orchid detail from my Harnessing the Wind design