My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place

Some great news: If you have been a long time reader of My Creative Workbook (first… thank you!) you will remember that I have had to update my site a few times because we have grown bigger than the technology could cope with.

Well… we have done it again! Thank you for visiting My Creative Workbook every week. We are now big enough so that I can call us a community without feeling silly. I am currently redesigning our new My Creative Workbook website- but this time I am in the position (... with a bit of help from you) to create something really fun for us to use.

Here is how you can help:

  • Send pictures: this is your opportunity for a humble-brag. I have seen some amazing designs inspired by the tutorials and designs I have shared here (thank you everyone!) And I would love to see more... or see those you have shared with me in the past again. I am creating a I Made one! picture gallery to show off your amazing talents. Of course with full credit to you, the artist. So please include whatever name you would like to appear in the credit (eg: your name or shop name) and either a website address, or your social media handle or e-mail address so that I can link it to you. I will also share the gallery on social media from time to time. Simply reply to the sign-up email you get every week to submit your work.
  • Oh! And if you have not yet, remember to sign up. Because of the sheer volume of design information on this site some things somehow gets lost. That is a huge pity. There are some fun stuff to try in even the older posts. My new site will work slightly different. If you are already using my newsletter notification to come in and see the weekly design you will notice little to no difference in the user experience (maybe just a bit better if you look around while you visit) But if you visit my site and view the design on the landing page you will need to click on a button. Not a huge amount of effort, true, but my goal really is to make it all as seamless as possible for you. I have and will continue to send out just this one email to you every week, on Wednesday mornings (Vancouver time).
    Also, could you help me to spread the word?
    But for now here is the design for this week:

Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place floral art design

Stuck under the pebble... or… glide on out on the surface

Oncidium orchids and rosary vine

Hang around... or... drift apart

Smooth pebbles and polished crystal beads

Stay put... or... waft away

Oncidium orchids

Sit tight... or... sail off

Oncidium orchids in a shallow design

Hold on…or… slip away

Peaceful design with contrasts

Stuck under... or... float above.

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

Tutorials

17 January 2018 Creating contrasts in shallow containers with pebbles and water

Such a peaceful design with just enough float and "stay put" elements

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.

30 August 2011 Suspending and positioning a Phalaenopsis orchid under water

Flowers naturally float and you will need some kind of sinker to keep them suspended under water.

22 May 2012 Filling a vase with water without disturbing the design details

Break the water flow when you fill a vase with details in that can move with the stream of water

3 January 2012 Bubble raft to float flowers

Flowers naturally float in water. They just don’t always naturally float on water. For that they sometimes need a bit of help.

3 January 2012 Cellophane wrap cracked ice

Cellophane and plastic wrap in a clear vase, filled with water, creates a cracked ice effect

28 January 2015 Well Rooted Sprouting Willow Weave

Weave a sprouting armature

27 July 2016 Leaning Sunflowers to stay just so

The trick to any freestanding design is to get your first three stems standing stable and secure in the water. Once you have that you can build the design around it.

19 February 2011 Pebbles

Cut and smooth pebbles out of Rainbow Oasis

2 November 2016 Driftwood base for a floral foam pebble design

The flat surface of a piece of driftwood creates a base to design on

Favourite Flowers

Oncidium

Dancing lady

Ceropegia woodii

Rosary vine, Chain of Hearts, Collar of hearts and String of hearts

Related Designs

4 September 2019 Gently down the stream

A mindful summer craft using banana leaves to create a floating arrangement.

26 August 2020 It starts with WHY

Add design elements that serves a purpose for a minimal summer inspired floral design.

2 September 2020 Last full Moon of summer

All natural design using the design elements as mechanics.

28 February 2024 When the Super-duper is taking it Easy-peasy

Easy does it design that hints at but is not yet as intensive as the fun basket weaving and crafting that comes with Spring designing.

26 June 2024 It’s leaps of faith, grasshoppers

A sunny rock to make your design... not rock

30 August 2011 Ichi-go, ichi-e

Freely translated it means Each Moment, Only Once. It is a saying associated with Japanese tea ceremonies.

7 October 2015 Down-bubble

Add grass "bubbles" that can be repositioned to your design

3 January 2012 Going Cold Twinkle Turkey

Is it better to go Cold Twinkle Turkey and embrace the minimalist living room or rather ease into it?

1 March 2017 Gumusservi

To celebrate the 6th year anniversary of My Creative Workbook I am looking at the most popular Tutorial I have done to date:

24 September 2014 Leapfrog

Fold and weave a frog from grass

8 May 2012 Skipping stone

Weave a grass pebble for the orchid to nestle in.

7 January 2015 Any Which Way

Using a traditional Ikabana Kenzan to place flowers in a shallow container

15 November 2017 Alchemy

Gently stand leaves upright in a Kenzan

1 June 2016 The ties that Bind

Bind a lily to create a trumpet shape as it opens

28 January 2015 In a State of Flow

weave some willow to use as an armature

27 January 2016 Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems

27 July 2016 Too Hot!

Leaning floral stems to stand on their own in a shallow container

25 February 2011 A Rock by any other Name...

It's not really what we call things that matter but what they are made of- in this design, it's made of all three types of Oasis and wool.

3 April 2011 One Singular Sensation

Three Lilies plaited to create a sensational, singular flower "growing" out of a Equisetum dome filled with Rainbow Oasis pebbles.

2 November 2016 Pick your poison

A Fun Halloween design with "poisonous mushrooms" tucked between the moss and petals