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My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Stick it out… the creative spirit version

  • 14 October 2020
  • and more

A pinch of creative follow through

A dollop of imaginative keep on

Stir in some clever hold on

Cover and set it in a warm place to artfully endure

Kneed down to a sticky stick it out of imaginative-ness

And bake slowly in an oven set on inspirational persevere

… share if you have some inventive hang on left over.

ps: have you noticed the more creativity you share the more you have left-over??? Weird that.

I would love to see what creative projects you have been working on. Maybe you have questions and need some advice. Or have a fun tip to share. The easiest way for us to connect is for you to simply reply to the weekly notification email I send out every Wednesday when the new design is ready for you to explore. I reply to each and every email I get (although some weeks it takes me a little while to get to everyone...)

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving week, flower friends

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Gather what you'll need

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Dew-Drop Crystals
Dew-Drop Crystals

I created the Tutorial for how I add these crystals to my floral designs 11 years ago! Since then I have tried, tested and searched for the perfect crystals that would go from studio‑table picture perfect to show‑day‑dependable and I always come back to these. They remain the absolute best. They’re inexpensive yet have a refined, high‑quality crystal brilliance; they don’t tarnish and their adhesive backing stays reliably tacky even after they were exposed to water.
Tutorials
On the edge grid for a decorative twig and reed armature
14 October 2020
On the edge grid for a decorative twig and reed armature

Place the floral details strategically on the edge of sturdier parts of the armature to keep the reed grid from collapsing under the weight of the floral details.
Stripping bark from willow sticks
8 June 2016
Stripping bark from willow sticks

Strip the green bark from the stems to expose the smooth wood
Blow away hot glue strands
24 July 2012
Blow away hot glue strands

When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.
Stacked Twig Roundabout
24 July 2012
Stacked Twig Roundabout

This is a great way to use all those bits of twigs and sticks in your design room to make a floral armature
Cross hatch Twig Armature
2 October 2019
Cross hatch Twig Armature

Add a bit of shadow and dimension to a flat armature by using the sketch technique of cross hatching.
Twig Tumbler
8 January 2014
Twig Tumbler

Wire and glue a stack of sticks into a cylindrical or tube shape
Disk Twig Armature
29 July 2015
Disk Twig Armature

Glue a few wigs to follow the shape of a glass bowl to create a disk armature
Winter White Twig Screen
6 February 2019
Winter White Twig Screen

Glue twigs to screen delicate flowers for a wintry design.
Twig snippet pillar armature
19 February 2020
Twig snippet pillar armature

A great do-in-advance and reusable design solution for a winter, early spring floral display.
Twig Dome Armature
17 July 2019
Twig Dome Armature

Crafted from a hand full of twigs to give you a large design... even though you add only two stems of sweet peas.
Twig collar
6 September 2011
Twig collar

Create a light and transparent collar-base for the large composite flower to nestle into.
Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals
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.
Café au Lait Summer Swirl-Twirl
12 August 2026
Café au Lait Summer Swirl-Twirl

Use that good old double vase trick to create a (dry) fairy light swirl for your design base.
Barely there twig layer support to allow all the autumn colours to shine and glow
5 November 2025
Barely there twig layer support to allow all the autumn colours to shine and glow

Snip Autumn bits from your garden to arrange in and around a glass container for a modern loose, layered display.
Canna seed “pumpkins" nestled on a bed of cafe au lait dahlias
13 August 2025
Canna seed “pumpkins" nestled on a bed of cafe au lait dahlias

Lovely canna seedpods that blush just slightly darker than the dusty pink in the dahlias... a perfect match!
Hovering golden wheat Ghost Ship armature
27 October 2021
Hovering golden wheat Ghost Ship armature

Using dry and fresh floral material in one design without the dry becoming soggy and the fresh drying out.
Related Designs
A little bit of Art and Soul
24 July 2012
A little bit of Art and Soul

A twig structure with roses
Cross-hatch a Shadow Bright Autumn
2 October 2019
Cross-hatch a Shadow Bright Autumn

A clever trick borrowed from art techniques to add dimension to a bright and colourful Autumn floral design.
It's stick season!
8 January 2014
It's stick season!

Snap and stack an glue a few twigs to create a lace like armature
Beautiful Things
29 July 2015
Beautiful Things

Glue a few twigs into a disk armature
Tread softly on winter
6 February 2019
Tread softly on winter

A delicate winter twig armature to show off the delicate beauty of these early spring coloured tulips.
When the wind whisper
8 June 2016
When the wind whisper

Glue a fantasy forest from Popsicle sticks, grape vine tendrils and willow tips
The Upside of being Inside
19 February 2020
The Upside of being Inside

A creative design that has some height to it without blocking the view. This can easily be scaled up or down to match the environment you want to display it in.
… and... a bit more... effort… to make it special
17 July 2019
… and... a bit more... effort… to make it special

Instead of just placing a handful of twigs and two stems of sweet peas in a vase... why not...?
When Autumn Fall
6 September 2011
When Autumn Fall

Autumn leaf composite flower
Deeply
12 August 2026
Deeply

Create a double glass layer by setting a (Apothecary Jar) glass lid deeply into a display container.
Autumn's Brightest Wanted:
5 November 2025
Autumn's Brightest Wanted:

Last call for those Autumn colours that are about to fall...
Canna cafe au lait dahlia be any more hold-your-breath magnificent?
13 August 2025
Canna cafe au lait dahlia be any more hold-your-breath magnificent?

A low and soft late summer display... with just a creative hint of autumn.
Ship Shape
27 October 2021
Ship Shape

The dry wheat stems are suspended from the outside of the container so that they remain dry and the flower stems can gently rest inside to remain hydrated.
Favourite Flowers
Alstroemeria
Alstroemeria

Rocking around three candle trees floral art design with berries, dendrobium orchids, alstroemeria, cymbidium orchids and lisianthus flowers