Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Foxtail in a bud vase forest floor
- 29 July 2020
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Design note: the big secret to this design is balance. Once done the fern should point away from the vase as straight as possible. It should not look like it is under strain or drooping. The bark creates a sturdy platform for your floral details.
Place the foxtail in a water filled bud vase.
Strip bark from wood with a sharp knife.
Trim away as much as possible the wood from the bark. The design should be as light as possible.
Newsletter subscribers: I have a really great tip for you this week. It makes placing the bark so much easier... and accurate!
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Glue long strips of bark to run down length of the fern.
Work around the fern so that it pokes out of the wood at places.
The bark platform is now ready to design with... as you add the heavier floral details it will start to bend over. Make sure you are mindful of this curve as you design.
Book readers turn to page: 317 for a more robust version of this design- this time using my ultimate favourite flowers!
Glue in vine tendrils.
And dried mushrooms.
See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to dry your own mushrooms to use in your floral designs.
Glue in water tubes to keep the orchids hydrated.
I make water tubes from drinking straws or tubes. See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions.
Finish the design with an elegant rosary vine stem twirled around the fern and a few dew drop crystals.
Design note: Make sure the design elements are balanced. Ideally the fern should be horizontal and not at all droopy. Add a few bits of bark (again, use the technique I mentioned in the newsletter so that you do not damage any design details) to adjust the balance.
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Tutorials
I use edible mushrooms in my designs. To preserve them I press a tiny stake into the base and let them air-dry.
Cut the Phalaenopsis orchid with a bit of green stem attached. This will make them last longer.
A winter themed centerpiece with a secret water source (without a container or floral foam)
It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.
Connect twigs with puddles of artificial snow to craft a winter armature for your flowers.
The most delicate of stems often disappear in a design. this is an easy way to display really delicate flowering stems without overwhelming them
Balance a stack of eggshells with a magnet for a tiny Easter design
Hang a twig and wood mobile at your weeding as a direction board
The flat surface of a piece of driftwood creates a base to design on
Favourite Flowers
Rosary vine, Chain of Hearts, Collar of hearts and String of hearts
Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid
Shiitake Mushrooms
Related Designs
oh yes, a light an airy design showing off those very first autumn leaves.
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.
A more than just a hint of Christmas tradition design... in a pre-Christmas design.
A lush wreath that remains green so that you can design once... and cut and cut and place your violas to make sure you have flowers all season long.
The sprouts are sprouting and the bees are being and the birds are birding. Tempting as it is new growth is hard to condition. Hard, but not impossible
This was my second two designs for my It's High Time for Tea Floral Craft and Art Demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging Club meeting.
My article and a floral cell phone re-charge station design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine
Create a long lasting winter inspired floral design that looks like it is frozen in time.
Fill eggshells with moss to create an upright container... with a surprising balancing trick.
My article and wedding direction board design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine
A Fun Halloween design with "poisonous mushrooms" tucked between the moss and petals