My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Chockablock!

23 March 2022
click to send Christine a smile
and more

This design was specially crafted to be part of my first online workshop (!!!)… but it is so chockablock filled with designs that I couldn’t find space for it and I am sharing it with you now… as an introduction.

Yes! Today is my book’s third birthday and I am celebrating by announcing my very first all online workshop:

7 day retreat to jumpstart your creativity

It is all about the thing you guys ask me about the most: how I brainstorm creative ideas, hence the title: 7 day retreat to jumpstart your creativity.

And it does just that! It is online and super easy to follow along so you can take part from anywhere and you can fit it around your own schedule, pinching off minutes here and there during your day (for 7 consecutive days) to complete the daily design prompts and challenges. It is for beginners and experienced designers with something for everyone in between.

I developed this method for myself over the years to explore the creative potential of my plant material and I still use it every time I meet a new flower.

I am so, so proud of how everything is coming together.

Pre-registration will start to open this week.

The workshop will cost CAD275 and that includes three booklets. Your Lesson Plan, a printer friendly Workbook and a picture and video filled E-Book with fun design examples and How To’s to inspire you.

When can you buy the 7 day floral retreat workshop?

Because this workshop is focused on you, as a unique individual, I will be on hand to assist, brainstorm with you and of course give you a well deserved compliment when you discover something fun.

To make this easier to achieve we are bunching the pre-booking and workshop dates. The next batch of pre-bookings will open on the 6 April and is live to watch on the 15th April for e-mail subscribers.

After that we should be able to add a frequently asked question page that will answer the most often asked questions so that I can focus on design related questions and we will open the bookings for everyone.⁠

I hope you will join me!

For more information about my workshop: 7 day floral retreat to jumpstart your creativity

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Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

23 March 2022

A Double vase, Sticky tape, Reflexed AND Woven Nestled Grass and Tulip Whirl

so many techniques rolled into one rather pretty tulip nest. Perfect to celebrate new beginnings: Spring and my book birthday... and my online workshop!

2 April 2014

Turning the sellotape over the vase trick up-side-down for a sticky side out frog

Tape a grid over a vase to keep the floral details in place

22 January 2014

That good old double vase trick

Create a dry layer by placing a smaller vase inside the larger vase

8 July 2015

Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals

It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.

15 April 2015

Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.

3 March 2011

Reflex Tulip Petals

Tulip petals can be opened or reflexed to create a fuller bloom

21 March 2012

Where to cut Tulips to condition

Here is a trick to make sure your tulips will condition thoroughly

21 January 2015

Braiding three Tulip stems

Plait Tulip stems

8 June 2011

Foliage Weaving

For this tutorial I focus on a simple weave pattern that does not require you to soften or prepare the leaves to be more durable or flexible. This is the starting point in weaving techniques. You can build on this technique to make floral handbags, gift boxes, and baskets, sew it into a curve or wrap it around a vase or cover a test tube.

29 May 2019

Weaving and Interweaving for contrast

My block design is shaped around a Styrofoam block. It is bulky but lightweight and a great way to reuse packaging.

26 February 2020

Weave a grass Platform for an opening Tulip bud

Tulips continue to grow as they open. This means you not only have to be mindful of their proportions as they are now... but also as they will be once open.

1 October 2012

Weaving a ball shaped Dew-drop Catcher from grass

Weave a sphere from grass

20 January 2021

Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design

Trap air between two vases to create a third circle... and frame for a small feather hint to a hopeful Spring

24 March 2021

A Spring Sprout Wreath Flower Frog

Craft an everything is still growing spring design to celebrate... what we love!

19 March 2025

Suspend flowers above water on two wires covered with ringlet "happy birthday streamers" made from grass

Create a wire platform to rest the fresh flowers on so that they are hydrated but not submerged in the water below the grass dome.

1 May 2024

Gap basket weave for a Spring flower container

Fiasco inspired vase cover for a small Spring design

27 March 2024

High Rise Twiner Jasmine and Twirling willow Easter mobile

A vertical take on an Easter nest design to craft a spinning mobile decoration.

25 October 2023

Interweave a fairy light and grass glow vase

Wrap a fairy light grid around a fishbowl vase to interweave dried grass for an almost basket display.

5 April 2023

Interweave a dangling Egg outline Easter Wreath Basket

An open egg shaped wreath for Easter styling

22 March 2023

Easy twist to a tulip spiral to nestle a “we are still building this” bird’s nest in

The easiest unfinished nest idea... simply shaped from roots discovered while Spring cleaning and preparing to plant.

1 February 2023

Spiked Tulip Fan

Fanned out Tulips for a snowy winter display... that stays just so.

6 July 2022

Weave a grass sphere to keep the long flower stems neatly in place on a bud vase

Both pretty and pretty effective. Keep the flowers exactly where you want them by weaving a stopper for your bud vase.

13 April 2022

Handcrafted grass and twig basket to hold some Easter flowers

Easter basket filled with (almost... almost chocolate) anthuriums.

Related Designs

1 March 2011

FLOAT

Reflex Tulip and Passion Fruit Tendrils in a wax disk

11 May 2011

It's Tulip Time!

Tulips continue to grow once the stem is severed from the bulb. More often than not you can use this growth to create an ever changing design. But sometimes you want that tulip to stay in the position it is placed.

19 March 2014

One of one of everyone

Float flowers using a bubble wrap raft

21 January 2015

Tiptoe through the Tulips

Braid Tulip stems to set in water

4 April 2018

Grow on it

Wedge twigs into a vase to create a grid.

22 February 2017

Perfect!

Tulips are so perfect just as they are all that is needed is to simply drape their graceful leaves around the flowers

16 January 2019

Every. Single. Week.

Stand tulips upright in a shallow container with a suspended twig armature.

26 February 2020

To top it all off

This is a great "space-keeper" design. The tulip will continue to grow into the vase height as they open... but until then the grass platform part of the design diverts your attention to fix any issues you might experience with the proportions right now.