Drinking straw "test tubes"

Foam pin holder drying rack

This is a convenient way to keep flowers perfectly upright while you wait for glue to dry.

Butterfly feeler hooks for swinging test tubes

I don't always want to wire my test tubes into the design. I like to create a bit of movement by simply hooking the tubes to gently swing.

Syringe with tube

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

Bark squares, wire and water tubes dangling dangler

A mobile design that is crafted around your plant material.

Reflexed petal Tulip… with a surprise Orchid flower buddy

Gently pop the petals of a mature tulip back to open up the flower... to add another flower, of course!

Have your heart set on it armature for Valentines Day

A prepare ahead armature design that relies on the strength of a heart shape.

Birch bark ice skates on a glistening kalanchoe and cypress snow pond ice skating rink

A winter wonderland ice pond table top design... with sparkling bark ice skates

Glistening kalanchoe and cypress snow pond ice skating rink

Fill an upturned container with a string of fairy lights to look like a glistening snow rink for ice skating.

Sweet pea and Felting Wool Swirl Around a Log

Arrange beautiful King Tut sweet pea vines to swirl around a piece of fire wood... with a bit of help from a felting technique

Mossy “Moss” Pebble… in the snow

Hollow out a faux moss pebble to add... a pebble of moss covered in snowflakes.

Wood chip and sparkle mushroom cornucopia

A horn of plenty... seasonal sparkle.

Interweave a dangling Egg outline Easter Wreath Basket

An open egg shaped wreath for Easter styling

Grow a wheatgrass patch for an almost entirely edible Easter display

Grow wheatgrass to create a Spring patch of green for your mini Easter egg hunt.

Glue an early Spring basket from leftover cherry blossom twigs

After the last petal drops cut the blossom twigs into snippets to craft a basket with.

A witch... or wizard... hat that you can shape any which way you like

Take your time to weave a pointy hat from what you find in nature.

A fluffy faded leaf "tail" to display delicate autumn treasures

Threading leaves to craft a long garland armature for an autumn display

Take your time to craft a Bulrush Dial Armature

Slowly build up a dial armature from dried bulrush

Grass snippet globe with T-connections for a (shaded) second layer

Craft two snippet half moons to connect... and... then add a second layer of grass snippets here and there to shade the flowers.

Tilt container with a spilling twigs armature

Perfect design for a warmer than usual winter design that hints at thawing.

Off-cut stem snippet and grass curl basket

Piece together a floral basket that looks delicate AND overgrown.

Patina Copper Spiral Bauble and Pinecone Cascade

A beautiful pinecone dressed up for Christmas.

Half and Half Copper and Twig Christmas tree

Cut a tree from copper and twigs for a long lasting tabletop Christmas decoration.

Happy twig glow-man proudly showing off it's copper star garland

Craft a twig and foam snowman with an inner glow.

Hellebores, Foxtail and copper star garland for a happy glow-man

This is the second part of my twig glow-man Tutorial... and probably the easiest garland you can possibly make.

Copper stars to hang as Design Accessories

Cut stars from a copper plate for a lovely turquoise patina Christmas decoration.

A quick and easy way to Craft a Twig Basket Using Wire Tendrils

The hardest part of this is actually making the tendrils. From there it's a few twists... and we are done!

Crafting a Corny Corn Husk Corn Armature

Four ears of corn, corn husk wire armature with a hidden water source for the fresh flowers.

Light as a kite wire spiked sunflower heart

Using the disk floret of a sunflower to support your floral details.

Using the new growth on blossom branches as a base for a woodland design

A fun way to use your blossom branches in a design once all the petals fall.

Spring breeze tangled ribbon wreath

Using branches pruned from a fruit tree... with a few dried flowers and just a few orchids to make a fresh Spring design.

Suspend design elements around a poinsettia forest floor display

A low design that is still light and airy using a lot of convenient prepare ahead of time design elements.

Contactless gift exchange wreath perfect to double as Santa’s Gift Bag for your front door

Craft a small pouch into a half-and-half wreath so that you can leave... and receive tiny gifts and cards in true Christmas 2020 style .

Vase topped with a Hollow Wreath for Halloween

Create a dimensional wreath by assembling wreath vine to hug around an oblong container.

Arachnis Gerbera-petal-legicus

The easiest Gerbara disk floret spider... ever!

Sunflower heart autumn display

Pick away the ray floret so that the disk floret of a sunflower can be used as a flat surface to display your design on.

Building up a wreath panel

Connect six wreaths to build up a hanging panel to display your flowers on.

Reusable Table Top Lei Armature

An easy to do, budget friendly, craft ahead- use many times floral armature.

a Just-Replace-The-Flowers-When-They-Wilt freestanding bark armature

Part of sustainable designing is designing with the entire life-cycle of your work in mind. Designing armatures is a lasting and ever changing design solution.

Impossibly delicate Dancing Lady orchid wreath

Weave a wreath around a cardboard circle to create an almost lace effect... perfect to capture those first signs of Spring!

Hanging bamboo from a wired hook

This design can be hanged from anywhere... a case filled with twigs or a branch.

Twig and twinkle Christmas Tree

A light as snow twig and Christmas light armature

Swirly Twirly Silver Dollar Eucalyptus baubles

Inspired by seedpods... Glue Silver Dollar Eucalyptus leaves into 3 dimensional Christmas decorations.

Cross hatch Twig Armature

Add a bit of shadow and dimension to a flat armature by using the sketch technique of cross hatching.

Weave a burst of overgrown wildness wreath

This wreath is perfectly imperfect. Perfect for using those first few autumn (or preserved from last autumn) leaves.

Adding folded grass "jitters" to a Sunflower

Adding tension to a design with a grass frame and collar.

Grass Spiral Wind Spinner

Thread grass into flexi grass to create a spinner that gently turns in the wind.

Weaving and Interweaving for contrast

My block design is shaped around a Styrofoam block. It is bulky but lightweight and a great way to reuse packaging.

Fill a trumpet shaped flower cup with... more flowers!

A hidden water source small enough to fit into a dainty flower.

Interweave an enchanted gift basket

A bit of a planned-messy woven basket that is sturdy enough to carry small items.

Willow and Rose heart armature

Weave willow stems into a heart shaped armature.

Winter white Tulle bridal basket

Craft a delicate bridal basket from twigs and tulle.

Twig Snowflake

Glue twigs into a snowflake twig armature for Christmas trimmings.

Long Lichen branches to dress up a curvy vase

Secure two lichen covered branched to rest around the neck of a curvy vase.

Crescent willow moon

Craft a crescent shaped willow armature

Spider-mum

Craft a spider from twigs and a chrysanthemum

Peg and glue a floating Halloween design

A hovering Halloween design that seems to float.

Clips to hang flowers vertically

I designed and printed these clips on a 3D printer as a fast, secure and convenient way to hang water tubes vertically down fishing line.

Off-center hole-wreath armature

Craft a slightly off center wreath from dried vines and grasses for Phalaenopsis orchids.

Miltonia orchid and cherry plate

Keep a small space open on a serving platter to display gorgeous cherry red Miltonia orchids

Hanging Twig Line-Up

Craft a twig mobile for Spring

Craft a Spring basket from a wreath

A wide gap nearly basket for nearly spring

Willow birdcage

Weave a willow birdcage to use as a wedding ring box

Stack two glass vases to keep a leaf upright in water

Slip a leaf into the gap between two glass containers to keep it upright... and add a plastic lining to support the flowers nestled into it.

Twinkle and Pine Christmas Star

Use a cardboard shape to craft a simple wire Christmas star

Secret Battery holder

Sometimes the best way to hide something in your design is right in the open

Barely there twig tabletop Christmas tree

Glue curved twig snippets to craft a delicate winter white Christmas tree

Autumn Screen

Craft a hanging twig and autumn leaf design

Acorn fork

Wire and glue a few acorns into the fork of a twig to create an Autumn armature

Skeleton eyeball blossoms

Hydrangea skeleton blossoms with Eucalyptus eyeballs

Water tube bridge

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

Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers

Hide the water source in a rolled leaf

Hanging Bamboo Lantern

This is a perfect do-ahead-of-time hanging design for a summer wedding. Craft one or three or a whole lot of the lanterns and add some orchids at the last moment to finish the design.

Designing an odd one out wreath

Adding floral material to a wreath design

Three Twig Bundle Braid

Braid bundles of twigs to create an armature for flowers to dance in

Weaving a Pillbox hat from grass

Use the "over and under" weaving pattern to weave a round, upright hat with a flat top and no brim.

Wedding welcome and direction sign

Hang a twig and wood mobile at your weeding as a direction board

Chain-link string and twig armature

By removing every other twig you open up space for larger flowers to nestle in

Potted bark pod for a flowering plant

Cover a Styrofoam shape with bark to create a bowl for a potted design

Add a Cotton pod Cuff to the Bark Christmas Stocking Armature

A fluffy cuff lines the top edge of the bark Christmas Stocking

Bark and Cotton Candy Cane

Cover a cardboard shape in cotton and bark to create a floral armature

Flat wire and grass bridal basket

Wrap grass around a flat wire shape to create a delicate bridal basket design

Barely there Wreath armature

Glue snippets of Baby's breath and grass into a lace fine wreath shape to showcase the tiny chocolate cosmos buds

Folded Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath Armature

Glued Baby's Breath Wreath, folded in half to create a moon shaped armature

Willow flower crown

Loosely weave willow tips to create an ethereal crown

Everlasting succulent and moss display

Glue snippets of moss and succulents to rocks as a long lasting table-scape display

Woven lily grass parachute armature

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature in a way that you can place the stems in two vases to keep it hydrated.

Floral Monogram Seating Plan

Wrap Spanish moss around a monogram wire frame to create a creative seating plan

Reed Cradle Armature

Glue reeds on a wire frame to create a dimensional armature to suspend orchids in

Popsicle Stick Square Armature

Glue Popsicle sticks to create a double layered, upright armature

Sliced Grassy Cabbage

Slicing a cabbage to create an armature for a vegetable design.

Dangling flowers from blades of grass

Knot a blade of grass around a water source to create a free hanging design

Twig snippet vase armature

Glue twig snippets to closely follow the shape of a glass vase

Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container

Free standing Willow twig armature with a hidden water source

Cut a few willow twigs to split to create legs for the armature

Veiled Tillandsia glass container armature

Create panels of Spanish moss to cover a glass container

Long legged wire hooks to hang a hidden water source

Hang tubes from the rim of a glass container to drape down with design details

Squigly vine twig armature

Loosely entwine vine stems

Winter White Gyp Wreath

A dried wreath in winter white

Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes

Long stemmed autumn leave tubes as a floral armature

Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath

Glue a radiating wreath from bleached Gyp

Rolled up Autumn leaf wreath

Create a textured wreath with Chrysanthemums and rolled up Autumn leaves

Layered sisal and twig armature

small sisal fibers create a mat like armature

Disk Twig Armature

Glue a few wigs to follow the shape of a glass bowl to create a disk armature

Fluffy Washi Caterpillar Armature

Overgrown Willow web inspired by a traditional Dream-catcher

I wanted my willow armature to hint of a web-like dreamcatcher that grows in the wild rather than being a precise replica of the traditional craft technique. But I did weave it in a similar way.

Washi paper (Rakusui) split tube

Rip up the Washi paper for a lace fine armature for floral art

Twig Cell phone Charging Station Centrepiece

Create an arched design to hide the electrical outlet for a cell phone charging station

Grass Bundle

A grass bundle floral armature

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

Cane and Willow Nest Shaped Basket

Weave a nest for Easter eggs

Balancing a Twirled Willow Armature

Twirl twigs to create a balanced nest to display the beautiful orchids on

Stacked Table-Top Twig Heart

Stack and glue moss covered twigs into a heart shape

Palm Bauble Lanterns

All natural decoration with a secret water source to keep the fresh flowers hydrated

Sticking a stick curve to create a hollowed out crescent armature

An easy way to create a neat curve in a very short time

Choosing, harvesting and Conditioning Hellebore

Hellebore is just gorgeous but so difficult to keep from wilting. But there are things you can do to enhance your chances of having the flowers stay fresh for longer

Dried twig dome

Mix glue and twigs to create a twig armature for a Winter Christmas design

Leaf Swirls

Cut fall leaves to create continuous swirls

Weave a heart shaped basket

An easy to assemble open weave basket

Knotted and tangled wire heart

A wire armature for delicate flowers

Cherry twig rainbow arch

Glue a few twigs to arch over a upturned container

Pinecone and delphinium table top tree

Small tree with fresh flowers

Floral Ice Cream Cones

Weave a few cones and add orchids to make the floral ice cream cones

Fill hollow bark with test tubes

Glue tiny sections of pipe to the bark to fill as a water source for the fresh flower material

Winter Woodland Chandelier

Wrap vines and twigs around a wire frame to create a decorative woodland chandelier

Green Trick Floral Wings

Glue gypsophila sticks, green trick carnations, Star of Bethlehem, passion fruit tendrils, jasmine foliage and string of pearls succulents to create floral wings

Stabilizing sticks for dried or fresh flowers

Create a full design without the weight by stabilizing the flowers with glued sticks. This is a great alternative to floral foam.

Cinderella Spiral Pumpkin from Midelino Cane Coils

Tie Midelino Cane coils to make a spiral armature

Floral Fridge magnet in a nutshell

Tuck one half of a corsage magnet in a nutshell before designing to create a floral fridge magnet

Suspend flowers and candy on an acetate and wire garland

Drape an acetate garland around the pumpkin, on the wires, to create a halo

Placing orchids in test tubes

Cut the Phalaenopsis orchid with a bit of green stem attached. This will make them last longer.

Cover the drinking straw test tube with bark

I made about 100 rose stem test tubes for my Zipper Design

Test tube on a stick

Include a single floret (such as an orchid) or bundle a few weaker stems (such as lily of the valley) into an arrangement or hand tie by wiring a test tube to a stick.

The Floral Hourglass Wax Foundation

Pour a foundation from cardboard and wax

Reed Hourglass

Glue small sections of Mikado Reeds into a hour glass shape

A Buzzin’

Just like a buzzing bee... give a mature Tulip a Phalaenopsis orchid buddy to keep it company.

A tendril Valentine connection

A delicate... but robust armature framing a heart space.

A Very Merry… All Elf gliding along pass all the way from Santa’s workshop!

Bark ice skates on a snow covered pond... perfect for capturing Christmas memories!

Still wrapping my head around this one

Craft a haze of green around a log for a sweet pea swirl effect.

Snow Glitters and Mossy Glimmers

A glimmer is the opposite of a trigger... a little uplift. For this design I am lifting up my happiness by starting a tiny mossarium... but enjoying it as a design while it is in quarantine.

Plenty Glow to Harvest

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

Floral Hurricane

My Floral Hurricane design entry for the BC Floral Art Society mini show competition

Where do you even start looking?

Easter egg... egg for Easter eggs

To grow a patch of grass of our very own

The first of my new monthly articles about growing the material you need to design with. This month we are taking stock of what we need... and growing wheatgrass.

… ish

An early... ish Spring basket glued from blossom twigs

Point Witch (or Wizard) Way

A wire framed witch or wizard hat that can be reshaped.

Tail End Of The Season

A display armature for a delicate autumn display.

But for this… let’s not rush

A take your time and mindfully craft a pretty design to celebrate the summer solstice- it is officially summer here in Canada.

Shine Shade

Glue snippets of grass into a double layer sphere to create a sheltered floral globe.

Pouring

Place a small fishbowl vase at an angle to look like it is pouring out flowers and twigs.

Carry On

As sturdy as it is delicate basket made from off-cut stems and grass.

It’s the most… it’s the most… wonderful Patina Copper Spiral Bauble Christmas of all!

This is the fifth of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. This week I will show you how to add a mostly blue patina to pinecone shaped spiral baubles.

It’s the most… it’s the most… wonderful Patina Copper Christmas Tree of all!

This is the fourth of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. Paint copper to add a beautiful patina to a half and half Christmas tree.

It’s the most… it’s the most... Hap-Hapiest Patina Christmas of all!

This is the second of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. Craft a three twig sphere snow man to proudly display a festive green garland.

A good measure of Autumn

A wire and twig permanent display basket with tiny water sources for a few fresh flowers that can be replaced as needed.

Kinda Corny

Crafting with corn to make... well... corn, really.

Light as a Kite

Spike a wire frame into a disk floret for a light summer design.

All A-flutter

Adding a few fluttering petals to a design.

First we learn HOW to design… and then we learn how only WE design.

Whipped up to be light in the Spring breeze wreath design.

All is Calm, All is Bright

An easy to do ahead of time winter wonderland themed design for the calm days just after Christmas but before New Years Eve.

Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Santa’s gift bag wreath

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. A cardboard box gift bag wreath… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered.

Magic Spell Number 614: How to make absolutely any task you need to do fun

A hint of a wreath table top design for pre-Halloween decorating.

When it gets chilly

Use the heart of a sunflower as a platform to place your autumn floral details on.

End Up

Connect small wreaths to create a pretty summer armature to arrange your flowers on.

Lei-way

Allow for a bit of variation by crafting a sturdy armature.

Forever… incomplete

Craft a pretty armature that can be used again and again.

On-Spring-dium

A almost impossibly delicate oncidium (dancing lady) orchid wreath.

Spacer

Armatures are great (budget friendly) spacers for creating large floral designs without using an enormous amount of your resources.

A Very Merry eucalyptus bauble Christmas!

For this year's Christmas tree I wired and glued a wild and wintry twig armature... but... these little eucalyptus baubles are just the cutest!

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 a sugar rush!

A perfectly imperfect wild willow wreath to display the first Autumn treasures of the year.

Jitters!

Zig-zag grass details add a bit of tension to the design

Taking a Breather

A relaxing summer design that spins gently in the wind

Creative Competition

This week I am so excited to share my article and design that was published in the recent issue of the Floral Art Society of New Zealand's Academy Magazine for NZ qualified teachers, judges and demonstrators. It's all about good competition.

It takes more than one person to invent a trumpet!

Filling a trumpet flower cup... with more flowers!

How to avoid your wedding treasures from becoming “after the event trash”

My article and grass wedding basket design.

Pick Love

Craft a willow heart to display 12 red roses to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Magical Craftsmanship

My article and winter white Tulle bridal basket design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.

A Very Merry Season’s Greetings Holly Jolly Happy Most Wonderful Christmas Time to you!

A Merry Christmas Twig Snowflake

Availability of plant material shows in your design style

The last design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing... this week: often when we see a design element reappear in a designer's work it might simply be because they have it readily available.

Personal Preference

The third design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing.

Rules!

The first design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing.

Scary stuff!

My Halloween design... with some scary stuff hidden if you can read between the leaves!

But wait… there's more!

Tucked into the box with every advance copy of the book, the effortless floral craftsman is a packet of clips. This design and Tutorial is a bit of inspiration... what will you create with your clips?

Hole-ding it’s breath

Craft an almost Autumn armature from dried sweet pea vines

Is it an Isit?

Deep cherry red Miltonia orchid in a platter of cherries

Get in line!

Line up a few pussy willow twigs for a hanging armature

Bring some Spring

Just like the weather is only hinting at spring, so is this design only hinting at being a basket

Old, new trends

My article and willow birdcage design for wedding rings featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.

How to make a stack of just enough:

Stack two vases to create a small gap at the side to keep a leaf upright

A Very Merry Christmas Star

A wire Christmas star with a secret plan to hide the twinkle

While I sing of beauty's treasure

Glue the most delicate twig table top Christmas tree

Marcescent

Glue a delicate autumn room devider

How do squirrels Cache a tree?

Hoard a few acorns in the fork of a twig to show off a single oncidium orchid.

When the pretty eyeballs you back!

Barely there skeleton blossoms with Eucalyptus eyes for my Halloween design... Oh! and a Willow Paddle, which probably should have been the main Tutorial... but... well...

Making Ends Meet

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

Somewhere in the Middle

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

Things are looking up!

My article and Bamboo Lantern design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Link

weave a few wreaths to link

Oh just...

Braid a few twigs to dance around your flowers

Easter Bonnet

Weave a delicate Pillbox hat

Wedding Welcome

My article and wedding direction board design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Step Along

Create twig steps to display the orchids

It could hold

A fragile looking heart made from twigs that can hold a lot of orchids

Look at you!

Tie twigs to shape a hanging armature

As special as an almost never find

Sometimes you find such a beautiful plant that you just can't bring yourself to cut it. This design explores using the entire plant, pot and all, in a design

A Jingle Cotton Christmas

Cover a wreath frame with bark and cotton for a textured Christmas wreath design

A Gleaming Cotton Christmas

Glue bark to a wire frame to create a Christmas stocking armature

A Candy(cane) Cotton Christmas

A floral cotton candy cane

Oh! So clever

My article and Bridal basket design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate): Worth a second look

This was the fourth (and last) design I did in my "All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate)" floral art demonstration

Harvest Moon

Fold a fine twig wreath in half to create a moon shaped armature

You are all invited!

My article and Willow Crown design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Leftovers

Using bits and snippets to create an everlasting moss and succulent design

Practice

Weave a willow bird nest

The oh no factor

My article and Floral Monogram Seating Plan designs featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Make the design

Weave a reed cradle to suspend orchids from

When the wind whisper

Glue a fantasy forest from Popsicle sticks, grape vine tendrils and willow tips

Half the Fun

Cut a cabbage to create a design platform

Pour

Glue a twig vase and melt some plastic to create a tumbling design

That Will Be

Freestanding willow twig armature design

It keeps me going and I love it.

Hang a veil of Tillandsia Usneoides to create an armature

A Point of Support

My contemporary floral art design demonstrated at the Canada Blooms flower show in Toronto.

Beginning

Glue a Midelino Cane Coil Globe Cup to display beautiful Gloriosa lilies

How to make an early Spring

Roll and set willow twigs into a spring

Where would you put it!?!

Tie a twig armature enclosure for fresh flowers

On a Grand Scale

My article and a floral panel design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

So white

A dried Baby's breath and fresh orchid wreath

Balancing Act

Bend dried fall leaves to balance on the edge of a glass container

Delicate

Bleached Gypsophila wreath with delicate autumn touches

Watch the leaves turn

Roll autumn leaves to create a wreath

Pointing In

wrap and glue a ring armature to create a decorative wreath

Fall Treasures

A sisal mat armature for fall twigs flowers and leaves

Beautiful Things

Glue a few twigs into a disk armature

Fluffy

Fluff out Washi paper to create a delicate armature

How To Catch A Dream

Take inspiration from a traditional Dream-catcher design to create a floral armature

At a Stretch

Glue a paper tube floral art structure

Staying connected

My article and a floral cell phone re-charge station design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Limelight

My RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 Limelight Floral Art Design. My Limelight design was inspired by a slice of lime. But I wanted it to look like it was spun by a butterfly. I used Sisal, silk and loads of Lisianthus flowers and 9 grapevine plants. Each tiny stem was placed in a water filled glass seahorse or test tube to keep it hydrated.

Up on

Tie a bundle of grass as a floral mechanic

Toiling

Convert a dowel stick into a container for delicate flower stems

Just think!

Weave a nest for chocolate Easter eggs

What is your Currency?

My article and stir stick fan design featured in the Spring issue of DIY Weddings Magazine

Just So

Twirl a few willow twigs to create a balanced armature to display orchids

Love Spell

Weave willow to create a heart shaped wand design

Take a load off

Weave slippers from foliage

The sound of a kiss

Stack and glue twigs into a table top heart

Star of Wonder

Glue pine needles into star shapes

Finding Common Ground

My article and twig boutonniere design featured in the Winter issue of DIY Weddings Magazine

Forest Floor

Glue a autumn leaf rosette armature

The Thing Is

Use a glue mixture to shape skeleton leaves into a lacy bowl

All In One

dry autumn leaves into an acorn shape

Frightfully Pretty

Weave a single strand Spanish Moss spider web

What's done is done

My article and lace fine wreath design featured in the Autumn issue of DIY Weddings Magazine

Brought Together

Loosely weave blades of grass together

Fine Tune

Thread cane through sticks to make a music inspired armature

Stuck stick

Glue a few sticks to create a hollowed out crescent armature

All white, just not quite

My article and woven ring basket design featured in the summer issue of DIY Weddings Magazine

Be Silent And Listen

Lash a few bamboo pieces together to create a scaffold armature

Say "I Do" to design decisions

This is my article that I wrote for the Bridal Design Issue of Canadian Florist Magazine

Hatching a plan

Early spring floral nest design

It's stick season!

Snap and stack an glue a few twigs to create a lace like armature

Glistening and glowing out in the snow

Glue twigs to create a snow scattered dome

This is the Fragrance of November

Weave a wreath to thread a dome for an Autumn leaf design

All To Myself

Cut and stain old books to create a paperback nook pumpkin armature

Whisk

Bend and glue a open basket to display fall leaves and flowers

as COOL as a (ornamental) cucumber

A play on colour.

Been there, Seen that

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

Losing some of that Muchness

A barely there sisal Mad Hatter's floral hat

Hold on to the knot

Bend and knot wire into a heart shaped armature

Over the Blue

Glue a twig rainbow to sit over a vase

Getting into the competitive spirit of things

Retail florists and wholesalers are already designing, ordering and preparing their product range for Christmas. This is my article that I wrote for the Christmas Design Issue of Canadian Florist Magazine

The day came

Weave a tiny rattan basket

Unthinkably good things

Oncidium orchids hiding in a woven grass cup. This Design Tutorial is featured on The Conna Flower and Garden Club (Ireland) website. It is part of their Floral Art Lessons program that demonstrates new techniques, ideas and principles of Flower Arranging by International Designers.

Bright, brighter… brightest!

Celebrate the bright colours of autumn with lilies and Chinese lanterns

Just Right! Floral Art demonstration: Too Cold!

My first design in my demonstration at the BC Floral Art Society meeting

A little bit of Art and Soul

A twig structure with roses

Sticktoitness

Glue a heart shaped design made from bark and wood.

Center the more adventurous design ideas on your centerpieces

Designing adventurous Contemporary Floral centerpieces Article in the Canadian Florist Magazine.

In a nutshell

Sunday April 22 is Earth day and a tiny floral fridge magnet is a wonderful reminder of just how beautiful our planet is.

Spring Clean

A clean Easter design. The tiny blossoms are Kalanchoe 'Calandiva Pink'. Tucked low in the paper eggs are a few Cymbidium orchids and the twigs are contorted hazel. The feathers are made from Kyogi or shaved wood.

Round and Round

Instead of weaving a platter try stacking the twigs from large to tiny small

Winter’s Green

This contorted hazel twig reminded me of an ancient and wise bonsai tree. It definitely has a story of its own to tell. I wanted to capture that in my design. All it needed was to be aged with a beard of lichen and moss. And I couldn’t resist adding a lighter touch of fragrant paper white snowflakes to swing gently on its bare winter branches in the chilly breeze.

Trick a levitating Treat

A fun Halloween ghost pumpkin design

WAFA 10th International Flower Show in Boston USA: This Glorious Earth

I wove my Zipper from just over 300 short, dried rose twigs with tiny thorns on them. The delicate "fabric" at the back of the design is woven rose bush roots. Aranthera and Aranda orchids in tiny test tubes covered with rose stem bark are placed in the Zipper design.

Drinking straws become flower test tubes

Design 2: Up-cycle drinking straws to make tiny test tubes to hold the orchids on my willow twig blind.

SHAPE

Chrysanthemum Hourglass