Betsey Brooks website
blush & vine logo
MUMS N’ ROSES logo
Stationary of Florescence Flowers in North Carolina
Stationary of Florescence Flowers in North Carolina
Julia Testa floral design logo
artwork for Macy’s Flower Show
Passion Flowers Design & Forage Florals – marketing artwork for design class series
Jehne Chysler | The Nichols Photography
Pamela Lowe Floral Design | Snapmotive
In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs
Hands-down one of my favorite books right now, it sits on my desk and whenever I need a break from the computer or an inspirational kick I pick up this book and read one of the interviews. As the title says – 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs, are interviewed in this book – Grace asked them great questions that speak to my creative entrepreneur mind. Plus, the imagery is bright and crisp and equally inspiring as the text.
Be sure to add this one to your book list, it’s a keeper.
The Bridal Bouquet Designing & Pricing Workshop is a hands-on workshop where you will learn how to design lush hand-tied bouquets AND how to price them!
Class will begin with Alicia leading a Bouquet Designing Demonstration. Following Alicia’s demonstration attendees will create their own bridal bouquets designing with a lovely assortment of early spring flowers. Think airy, assymterical, Instagram inspired style bridal bouquets; this is the style of bouquet we’ll be creating! We’ll embellish these beauties with elegant ribbons.
After we all design a beautiful bridal bouquet we will have a discussion and learning session about pricing our bouquets. And as an added exercise in learning about pricing & planning we will write out a floral plan for a wedding party.
All instruction and fresh flowers are included, please bring your own tools.
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2017
Location: Floressence Design Studio, 5628 Airport Way S #240, Seattle, WA 98108
Time: 12 pm to 4 pm
Investment: $275.00 per person
Register: HERE
As of late I have found myself quite enamored with the design work of Christin Geall. Christin is the owner of Cultivated, an urban flower farm and design studio in Victoria, Canada.
This photo right here is inspiration behind today’s post, so unique and unexpected, yet perfectly in harmony on this couch and set by the grey wall. Love it.
Seed packet, clearly a favorite since 1929.
I highly recommend reading this post about Edward Steichen Delphiniums. Edward was a well known Fashion Photographer in the 1930s who also happened to be the President of the Delphinium Society Of America. In 1936 Edward showed his Delphiniums at a show at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, the one and only flower show ever at the MoMA.
Edward Steichen Delphiniums
And say Delphinium to people in the fashion industry and I’m pretty sure the first thing that would pop into their minds is the – Delphinium Mountain created for the DIOR fashion show.
DIOR outside the Louvre in Paris.
Such a beautiful setting of Delphiniums in front of DIOR in London-
Blue Delphiniums outline the DIOR shop on New Bond Street in London.
And how about this, wings of delphinium.
A fantastic art design utilizing delphinium blooms.
The Ring by HIVE Interior Design
And, of course, they are a beautiful statement flower to use in floral designs.
Nikki Tibbles, Wild At Heart
The Corsage & Boutonniere Class
Beautiful things often come in small packages! In this floral design class we will work on creating the little works of art that are boutonnieres and corsages! Solid mechanics are imperative for creating boutonnieres and corsages that will last a full wedding day. In this class I will share how to wire a variety of flowers, a fundamental floral technique. We will also review gluing techniques to create stylish, elegant corsages.
Would you like to learn more about designing corsages & boutonnieres? Then join us for this hands-on class where we practice the art of wearable flowers.
Date: Sunday, January 29, 2017
Location: Floressence Design Studio, 5628 Airport Way S #240, Seattle, WA 98108
Time: 1pm – 4pm (please note that this class tends to run long)
Investment: $200.00 per person
Register: HERE
Holland & France: A Flower Lover’s Journey
Do you have a love for flowers? Do you love culture, gardens, & beautiful scenery? Well, you’re in for a spectacular floral experience during two upcoming flower trips to Europe!
These trips were designed for flower lovers! Designed to be both inspiring & fun…to stir your creativity and enlighten your mind! And, designed to broaden your horizons & expand your world view! Both journeys to Holland and France offer exclusive behind-the-scenes access to experience flower growing, arranging, and gardening up close & personal. To meet the designers and growers and learn from their heirloom, centuries old, European techniques. To experience one-on-one floral design workshops for in depth knowledge. And, to revel in cultural experiences, establish floral contacts, make new friends, and create lifetime memories!
Limited spaces still available! Reserve your space before it’s gone!
What’s Included:
• Private, Behind-the-scenes tour of World’s Largest Flower Auction
• Intimate Group Size for 1-to-1 interaction
• Designed for all Skill Levels
• Private, hands-on Floral Design Workshops
• Private Tours of Van Gogh Museum & Rijksmuseum
• Day Trip to World Renown Keukenhof Gardens
• Tour Tulip Bulb Fields on foot & by boat ~ a flower lovers dream!
• View Artisans making Copper Vessels
• Visit a 400-Year-Old French Market ~ Named prettiest in France!
• Private Garden Tours
• Accommodations, All Meals, & Local Transportation Included
Contact: Paula Coleman, Floral Stylist ~ Owner Elite Events, Inc.
info@eliteeventstravel.com
(812) 945-3596
www.eliteeventstravel.com
Bohemian Blooms Designs | Sarah Jean Photography
Such beautiful colors of Vanda Orchids by SF Brannan Street Wholesale Florist:
Join us for a Hands-On Elevated Floral Design Workshop on February 5, 2017
Elevated floral designs can be daunting at first, how many flowers will you need? How will you create a base that can hold so many flowers? How will you transport these pieces from your studio to the reception?
In this workshop you will learn how to create elevated floral designs!
We will discuss the mechanics behind these big arrangements and after I give a demonstration on how to create a piece each student will then create their own arrangement. We will discuss pricing as well as transporting these arrangements. Students will be able to take home their arrangement, sans candelabra/vase!
Class is limited to 6 students.
Register: HERE
We are thrilled to announce the release of the third annual print issue of Flirty Fleurs!
This issue has a little something for everyone. If it’s travel that inspires you, stroll the streets of New York on a walk through the NY Flower District or tiptoe through the tulips in Holland. If it’s stunning images of gorgeous bridal work you like, cruise the pages of Bridal Beauties and our Real Weddings & Inspirational Shoots to be inspired by our peers. Read up on the incredible Field to Vase Dinner Tour, which pairs flower farmers, florists and local chefs to brings guests an unforgettable al fresco dining experience rooted in American grown flowers in an article brought to us by our dear friend Debra Prinzing. Sit down for a chat about flowers and design with acclaimed New York designer Lewis Miller and learn what it takes to be the nation’s “first florist” at The White House with Laura Dowling. Treat yourself to some great tips from cake designer Rachael Teufel of Intricate Icings about working with fresh flowers on cakes. Get down to business with the Alisons—Alison Ellis of Floral Artistry chats with us about branding and Alison Dahlson of Mayesh reviews the estimate-creating software programs currently on the market. Be ready to have your heart strings tugged by the incredibly inspiring women and stories told in “A Full Heart” with Shawn Chamberlain, “Plan B” with Nancy Liu Chin, and “The Long Road Home” with Ashley Woodson Bailey. And we think you all know by now that we love roses, so it brings us immense pleasure to fill more of these pages with gorgeous garden roses from Alexandra Farms. As always, we finish off the issue with a good dose of the giggles in Just For Laughs – stories brought to your by our fellow floral designers.
We thoroughly hope you all enjoy our latest issue of Flirty Fleurs Magazine; this year the magazine grew to 106 pages! It could be called a labor of love, but a project that is so worth the work in our eyes – we are constantly impressed by the beautiful work submitted by our peers as the features for Real Weddings, Inspirational Shoots, and Bridal Beauties comes together. As we pour through these pages and see work from designers throughout the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and United Kingdom it is a reminder of how our love of flowers connects us around the world!
All of this comes to you from a team of three (who never even breathe the same air!); the founder of Flirty Fleurs, Alicia Schwede, Robyn Rissman of Bare Root Flora, and Kim of Kimberly Schwede Graphic Design & Illustration. In addition to writing numerous articles in this issue Robyn also designed the floral arrangement gracing our front cover, photographed by Laura Murray. Kim once again brings together all our articles and imagery in such a beautiful way, you’ll want to treat yourself and sit for a spell while feasting your eyes on all this beauty.
**Order your copy HERE**
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Thought I’d share some snapshots that I took of the beautiful flowers we got to design with at Florabundance Design Days this year! The event took place in Santa Barbara January 9-11, 2017 at Lotusland Gardens.
Hellebores
Clematis
Anemones
Ranunculus
Ranunculus
Ranunculus
Green & White Parrot Tulips
Peonies
Amazing Selection!
Anemones
FLORAL DESIGN INSTITUTE TO AWARD $30,000 IN STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
David and Leanne Kesler, co-owners of Floral Design Institute in Portland, Ore., are pleased to announce that they will be offering student scholarships to state and allied floral organizations throughout the United States in 2017.
Says David Kesler, “As we approach the 50th anniversary of Floral Design Institute, we wanted to make a significant and lasting contribution to floral design education.”
“The community of floral organizations and their support of floral design education in America has been critical to the success of the floral industry,” states Leanne Kesler. “Through the creation of this scholarship program, we seek to support floral organizations in their offerings of educational opportunities for their members and their member employees.”
Floral Design Institute was founded in 1969. In 1986, Leanne began teaching at the school, and she purchased the school in 1988. Her husband, David, joined her in the business in 1994, and together they have built Floral Design Institute into one of the most respected floral design schools in the world. Through their classroom and online certification programs plus advanced seminars and workshops, they now train hundreds of students each year. Their online floral design training videos are viewed by over 1.5 million viewers each year.
“It is so wonderful to be able to do this.” says Leanne. “Like so many floral designers, my career path hasn’t always been easy, and I know how hard it is for some students to come up with the tuition for school. When I bought the school, I was training only 45 students a year. I had to supplement my income with freelance design work and odd jobs. I lived in a single-wide trailer, ate a lot of ramen noodles and did all of my shopping at thrift shops. When times were hard, I used to tell myself, ‘At least I’m Doing Something I Love’, a phrase that I still use today.”
Education has been a cornerstone in Leanne’s life. Her mother was an elementary school teacher for 53 years. Leanne discovered her love for floral design in a high school horticulture class and was encouraged to excel by an inspirational teacher, Dave Lambert. ”Throughout my career, his example has driven me to be the best teacher possible, to help students set and achieve their highest goals.”
Each selected state and allied floral organization will be given a $1,000 scholarship to be awarded to a member or member’s employee of the organization’s choosing. The scholarship may be applied to any Floral Design Institute class, seminar or workshop including certification programs and online programs.
Contact:
Leanne Kesler, AIFD PFCI or David Kesler, AIFD PFCI
Floral Design Institute
Portland, Ore.
503-223-8089
www.floraldesigninstitute.com
leanne@floraldesigninstitute.com
david@floraldesigninstitute.com
Tips on keeping customer service on-point for Valentine’s day with Alison Ellis
Holidays are a time when florists find out what we’re really made of.
We have to have systems in place to survive the hurried pace and high volume of orders, yet throughout all of the hustle and bustle, we cannot lose sight of the fact that how we treat our customers matters.
Valentine’s day is a time when florists are accused of being “overpriced” which is why we must remember that our excellent customer service is one of most important ways we provide value to our clients.
You can’t compare my business to a grocery store; they don’t do what I do.
In short, our systems and processes aren’t effective without good people who follow through.
Check out my video (perhaps watch it with your employees, too!).
Thanks so much for taking a few minutes to watch!
Find out more about Alison here: http://realflowerbusiness.com/about
If you happen to follow my flower adventures on Instagram and/or Facebook surely this past summer you witnessed quite a few photos taken in my Dahlia Patch, the name I coined my ever growing Dahlia garden.
I started growing dahlias my first summer (2014) at our new house in Washington. They grew nicely and I learned how to divide and store them that winter. 2015 came along and due to the dividing I had MORE dahlias to plant. Well, history repeated itself and I divided and stored dahlias again last winter. What started as 50 tubers in 2014 turned into 400 tubers for 2016. AND then there is this current round, where those 400 tubers have been divided into … thousands. BTW I tell Vivian at Everyday Flowers that she is too good of a teacher as she is the one who taught me how to divide! She gets a big kick out of my ever expanding dahlia tuber collection.
So that brings us to the point of THIS BLOG POST.
I have A LOT of Dahlias for the upcoming season and for the first time ever I am looking to sell off some tubers. (Last year I did pack some up and send off to friends in California, Colorado, and Nebraska so I could share the love).
Sooooo….. I have 4 Varieties up for Sale:
Get your orders in now to reserve the tubers. I will be shipping them out in the spring once the weather allows for shipping across the country.
Please email me at info@flirtyfleurs.com if you have any questions at all or need help placing an order – I am more than happy to help!!
Rebecca Lynn Dahlia Tubers – 
Bride To Be Dahlias – 
Alloway Candy Dahlias – 
Mero Star Dahlias – 
