Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Summer harvest Vine Swirl
- 14 September 2022
- click to send Christine a smile
oh yes... our good and trusted clear tape mechanic to the rescue... tape a few clear lines across one side of a shallow container
If you are not yet familiar with the clear tape trick to keep your plant material suspended above water see the detailed Tutorial below this post.
Fill the container with water.
You can absolutely cut the gerbera stems short and simply rest them on the tape... but...
For my design I picked the larger of the outer layer (ray petals) to mostly design with the trans and disk floret...
Design note: I did this because I wanted my flowers to be more... scruffy. Like the end of a summer overgrown, last one flowering in the garden... scruffy. It is one of those tiny, tiny details that your eyes pick up even though you can't immediately see what makes it special... you feel there is something different...
Design note: You can preserve the petals to use by simply pressing the petals in a heavy book.
I use the proof copies of my book that I received to approve the printing paper and ink... I don't have the heart to throw them out even though these were not quite perfect... But any older book will do.
also... book readers turn to page 123 where I talk about preserving flowers.
For more information about my book:
The Effortless Floral Craftsman
Cut the stem short and rest the gerberas on the the tape to suspend the disk floret above the water.
Prepare the vines... I start off by removing as much of the foliage as my design idea allows..
... new growth is so gorgeous to design with. But it is also really difficult to condition. I have a few tips for you this week to prepare the vines so that they outlast the flowers and even grow in the shallow container in our notification email this week. If you are not yet signed up the button is below this post. Also to get you started I have included a few more Tutorials and Design examples below this post.
Add the vines into the design.
Keep in mind that the vines will continue to grow so place the cut end well below the water line and then place the tip (if you decide to keep it) in such a way that it is supported and will be supported once it perks up and starts to grow again.
Design with the idea that it will complete the wreath in mind. Place the stems so that they cross one another and will complete the wreath once grown.
So far the design has been merely placing the design part comes from arranging the tendrils...
I arranged the tendrils so that they frame or point to all the tiny dew drop crystals in the disk floret.
Use your pin to slip the tendril to place so that it holds on to the disk floret to connect the two design elements.
See the Tutorial below for the How and the Why I use a pin to position the dew drop crystals.
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Tutorials
For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling...
Use all three methods to dry hydrangeas to get three very different textures to use in design work.
It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.
Cut a wreath into sections to glue back together into a beautiful rose petal shape
It’s amazing how we sometimes try to complicate a design. I tried adding calla lilies… took them out and loved the willow. Added gerberas. Took them out and loved the willow....
For this design I wanted my wreath to be light and airy so that it just whips around the solid pumpkin like a breeze.
Create a dimensional wreath by assembling wreath vine to hug around an oblong container.
Use a wreath to keep flower and a heavy little ghost pumpkin in place in a small vase.
Use one leaf to keep the next in place
Suspend flowers with an almost invisible taped grid
Favourite Flowers
Transvaal Daisy, Gerbera Daisy, Germini
Related Designs
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Ideal design for those flowers that needs a deep soak to remain hydrated.
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Have you heard? I have wonderful news this week. Oh! and I also have this pretty grapevine armature shaped like the petals of an open rose to show you. But... Have you heard...
… and why we call this the special craftsmanship edition
Give a loosely woven wreath legs to stand on to hover lightly around a pumpkin
A hint of a wreath table top design for pre-Halloween decorating.
Create a floral circlet to rest the little pumpkin on... but above the water line.
