My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

The ties that Bind

The ties that Bind floral art design

the Binder

Lily bud

Binds

Bind the lily with ripped flax.

a Bindable

Yellow lily bud

Bond

Curled and ripped flax

to Bind

Glass chips to cover the kenzan

what’s Bound

Stamens of the lily

to be boundlessly Binding

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

Tutorials

1 June 2016 Binding a lily bud

Binding the bud to let it open in an exaggerated trumpet shape

14 January 2011 Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips

2 January 2011 Lilies

How to keep Lilies in bud for longer. Removing the pollen. Stringing a Lily Garland.

30 March 2012 Keep pod shaped flowers in bud for longer

Sometimes you want to keep flowers in tight bud for as long as possible to suit your design

1 April 2015 Keeping pollen tidy

Most of the time I would gently tug the pollen covered stamens away the moment it becomes yellow and messy. But the Gloriosa looks rather pretty with the stamens on, so I fix it...

15 April 2015 Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

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

7 January 2015 So many ways to use a Kenzan to hold floral materials

How to place various sizes of plant material in a Kenzan

Favourite Flowers

Phormium

Flax, New Zealand flax

Lilium

Lily

Related Designs

10 May 2017 About a line

Skewer and line up leaves to create an armature

21 June 2017 Playing Favourites

A quick and easy Kenzan design

15 November 2017 Alchemy

Gently stand leaves upright in a Kenzan

17 January 2018 Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place

Create a subtle contrast by floating or anchoring some of your design elements.

7 March 2018 Twist of its own

... a quick an easy design. Curl a few flax leaves to frame orchids

6 June 2018 Hi-Lo

Perfect stems, perfect flowers. Needs nothing more.

17 April 2019 Hopping with Excitement

A hoppingly-fun Spring design for Easter.

12 June 2019 Almost... all over!

Loop a grass veil over a lily stem to create a minimalist summer design.

13 January 2021 It's in there

Complete the picture by drawing a lily flower with delicate vines.

25 May 2022 Grateful Heart

Frame a single perfect Bleeding heart flower in a leaf dot.

19 June 2024 Do you know what the point is?

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

8 February 2011 Prickly Oasis

Create the two or more coloured details with Rainbow Oasis.

19 February 2011 Crossing Boundaries

Twig waterfall creates the boundary between the "under" and the "over" of the design. Tutorial: How to cover test tubes with Rainbow Oasis

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.

30 January 2013 It's High Time for Tea: from craft to art, taking a delicious floral journey with wire techniques

This was my last two designs for my It's High Time for Tea Floral Craft and Art Demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging Club meeting

27 February 2013 Just Meshing About

create a mesh to drape over the design to create a soft veil.

13 March 2013 Than you have to

Weave blades of grass to create a cover for a glass vase

7 January 2015 Any Which Way

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