On my online workbook this week: Courage, now

Dear

This week's inspiration is a bit of design courage. We can, absolutely, cut the grasses to the exact same length to radiate out at the exact same point to the exact same point… but… won't that be a bit expected? A bit seen that done that? How can you approach your design idea in an interesting way?

My tip for you this week is to allow the grasses to mature slightly before attempting this design. The grass needs to be firm enough to support the fluffy grass flower at the top and withstand some pressure at the cut end when securing it to the Kenzan or wedging it between the other grasses. If the blade is not yet mature the fluffy part will droop slightly spoiling the lines of your design. Hold the grass horizontally to check whether it will keep its shape.

Drier grass can be speared into the Kenzan teeth or cut at an angle to be threaded right through any tiny gaps between the already secure blades. An easy way to thread the cut end of the grass through the middle point is to twist and roll the grasses with your fingertips through the secure point, as if you are tightening a screw. See the top picture.

But take care… every blade of grass needs to be secure. You need to cover the Kenzan teeth with quite a bit of water to keep the fresh flowers hydrated and if the grasses are not secure they will float away.

Enjoy!

Every good wish,

Christine

ps: To protect your fingers while pressing the grasses into the Kenzan needles you can try this trick: Use a drinking straw to push foliage horizontally deep into a Kenzan but be gentle. For that design I wanted the gladiolus to be resting on the edge of the container and the cut tips deep below the water. For this design I want each grass to remain straight up, almost horizontal. Subtle but it makes a huge difference in the way the design look.