My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

FreestyleFreesia

I have news... and news. Actually I have news inside my news. Dutch floral designer Pim van den Akker, from Flower Factor invited me to participate in a FloraHolland initiative promoting the versatility of Freesias entitled #FreestyleFreesia

Here is the extended version of the video- you can see the original on the
Flower Factor Facebook page

#FreestyleFreesia design video for Flower Factor

… and then my news in my news: Did you notice my book in the background of the video? I am pretty sure there is an utterly cool way to tell your flower friends the title of your book… but I couldn’t wait one more week!

The Effortless Floral Craftsman freestyle freesia

Yes, my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman, a floral crafter’s guide to crafting with nature is done. And by done I mean D.O.N.E.

After years of writing and designing, hours of positioning pictures and squinting at computer screens- and even a false start at printing where we quickly realized that the format was all wrong… this is exactly what a book about craftsmanship should look like!

So much love, passion, dedication and an embarrassing amount of happy-frustrated-happy tears went into this to get it just so.

And here we are. Over the next few weeks I will show you more. More to read and more to watch and more to share (and please share the #EffortlessFloralCraftsman with all your flower friends)

If you look in the top right corner of this page you will see my shop is now open. I am taking preorders for signed copies of my special craftsmanship edition hardcover book. The hardcover book will also be on preorder on Amazon from September 2018 and the ebook format will be exclusively available from, and also on preorder on, Amazon . The official release date for both formats is November 2018, with the paperback copy coming out in mid 2019 and those will be widely available at online retailers.

The Effortless Floral Craftsman Christine de Beer

Note: I will be sending out books on a first preorder-first received basis when I receive my advance copies in September. So you might just get a copy before November! I will, however, only have a few copies to mail before the official release date so if you want a book earlier reserve your copy as soon as possible.

... and see below for the bonus Tutorial for this week: Kenzan Foliage Cover-up, as promised.

Freestyle Freesia floral art design

Did you see???

Freesia and monstera flower arrangement

Caught a glimpse? A gape? A gawk? a peek, a peep, a peer, maybe?

A vein veil to frame delicate freesias

Take a gander? A glare?

Freesia flowers in a kenzan

Could you spot it? A scan? A sight? A spy or a stare?

Monstera and freesia flower design

Detect? Discern? Discover? Determine?

Pink freesias

Could you ferret my news out or did you simply find?

Freesia and monstera flower arrangement using a kenzan

Reconnoiter? Or ponder or probe? I am so excited… did you see!?!

freestyle freesia floral art design by Christine de Beer on Flower Factor for Pim van den Akker

Thank you to Flower Factor for inviting me to contribute my #FreestyleFreesia video. To learn more about Flower Factor

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

Tutorials

22 August 2018 Vein Veil For Freesias

Cut a slight veil to frame your flowers with

24 August 2018 Kenzan foliage cover-up

Cover your kenzan by wrapping it in a leaf.

16 August 2017 Criss-cross Monstera lace-up

Glue short sections of rosary vine into the natural gaps in the Monstera deliciosa leaf

16 August 2017 Water tube bridge

Glue two thin sticks across a gap to support a water tube

4 February 2015 Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon

Fold and glue a Monstera deliciosa (delicious monster) leaf

23 March 2013 Rolling leaf tubes

Roll foliage to create tubes

28 February 2018 Marching winter frosted twig and freesia stack

Frost a few twigs to craft a delicate armature for fragrant freesias

4 September 2013 Weave a heart shaped basket

An easy to assemble open weave basket

Favourite Flowers

Freesia

Freesia, freesias

Related Designs

22 August 2018 Freestyle Freesia design video for Flower Factor

Freestyle Freesia design video for Flower Factor

26 September 2018 Cover Story

The design for the cover of my book, the effortless floral craftsman, crafted from Fiddlehead Fern and Red Lipstick Hanging Heliconia.

23 January 2019 Do they have cold feet?

Keep flower stems upright with a folded cellophane plastic support that looks like cracked ice.

8 January 2020 Rest a bit here

Gently curve a shallow area with a leaf to showcase a gorgeous flower with a short stem in a water filled vase

11 November 2020 What goes around

Display a single stem flower in an Autumn leaf twirl

3 February 2021 here’s the catch

Weave an all natural net to place over a vase to keep your flowers above water.

14 April 2021 a Yay! You

A tiny Spring detail to add to a cute little floral design.

26 May 2021 From all sides

An all on one side design to admire roses from all sides.

2 June 2021 Like an open book

Position foliage to create a smaller, shallow pond for your floral details to shelter in.

2 February 2022 Putting my feelers out

Adding just a little something to a bud vase design to connect them... and make it special.

20 April 2022 Oh this? Yes! it is new

New growth... too cute to resist!

11 January 2023 Maybe Still Maybe

... a something to look forward to design that makes you lean in closer to see what might still be.

19 July 2023 … And his little flower

Easy support for a single flower... and knot a special secret admirer just to keep it company.

6 September 2023 Mother Nature’s little magic to let us know Autumn is near

It's the little sun-washed coloured hints that makes you look again to see if you really saw what you thought you saw... yes! There really are signs of autumn everywhere!

24 April 2024 You Just Like You

Support a small bundle of spring florals to stand upright in water with two Monstera leaves.

8 May 2024 I mean… did you!?!

Playing with shapes to frame the light in a dramatic floral design.

12 June 2024 Just about enough space

Create a little bit of space to keep a few thin stemmed floral treasures upright in your design

19 June 2024 Do you know what the point is?

A bark armature standing on pointe for some gorgeous blue King Tut sweet peas

3 July 2024 Oh! my word

A perfectly flat leaf to support tiny floral details in the summer heat.

16 August 2017 Making Ends Meet

Criss-cross corset style connect the gaps in a Monstera deliciosa leaf

4 February 2015 collywobbles!

Fold foliage butterflies

5 October 2016 I found it this way: Leaf nest design

This was the third design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration

28 February 2018 March Days

Line up a few frosted twigs to march across a shallow container

4 September 2013 Been there, Seen that

My article and woven heart basket design featured in the third anniversary issue of DIY Weddings Magazine