My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Toiling

toiling floral art design

"The professional dedicates himself to mastering technique not because he believes technique is a substitute for inspiration…

Chive flower heads with moss lichen and mushrooms

… but because he wants to be in possession of the full arsenal of skills when inspiration does come.

Dowel stick floral container

The professional is sly.

Dried mushrooms

He knows...

Wooden floral containers.

that by toiling beside the front door of technique,

Display delicate flowering stems

he leaves room

Chive flowers in bud

for genius

Chive flower heads with moss lichen and mushrooms in a dowel stick container

to enter by the back."

Quote by American author Steven Pressfield

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

Tutorials

22 April 2015 Dowel ring flower holder for the most delicate of stems

The most delicate of stems often disappear in a design. this is an easy way to display really delicate flowering stems without overwhelming them

10 August 2011 Alliums "breath freshener"

Lessen the smell of Garlic and Onion related flowers

13 April 2012 Drying Mushrooms for Floral Art

I use edible mushrooms in my designs. To preserve them I press a tiny stake into the base and let them air-dry.

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

3 January 2011 Syringe with tube

Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase

Related Designs

28 June 2017 Somewhere in the Middle

Skewer Dracaena leaves into a roll that supports a tiny water source for the Oncidium orchids

9 August 2017 Hat tip

Tip a mortarboard inspired top at an angle for a glass design

28 March 2018 Walking on eggshells

Fill eggshells with moss to create an upright container... with a surprising balancing trick.

10 October 2018 From A... for Acer to Z… for Zantedeschia

This week we look at the design featured in the Flower Guide Chapter at the very end of my book

29 July 2020 Tail end of the story

Craft a bark platform to design on in a foxtail fern frond.

10 November 2021 … any day now

Using dried floral material is so trendy right now. But the longer lasting the design elements the more effort you have to put in to stop it from looking lifeless.

3 May 2023 Spring Row

Viola and chives cleverly dancing upright in a row.

11 October 2023 Plenty Glow to Harvest

Glow and sparkle bark armature to celebrate the first signs of Autumn