Never Prejudge Your Clients

Option #1 Tulips & curly willow on the backside of a rocking birdhouse.



Option #2 Lemons, cherry tomatoes, grasses, green hydrangea & loops of the stems of the tomato vines.

Last week I was working on some new silk arrangements to fill the shop in preparation for Mother's Day & for some reason I found myself creating the 2nd arrangement you see here.

As I was working on it, I was thinking to myself, this is a truly odd combination of items to use in one arrangement, Lemons, grasses, cherry tomato vines, green hydrangea? I'm not quite sure why I chose to use this combination, but this was the result. After it was complete, I laughed and said to my husband, all this needs is a bit of cilantro & some avocado & I'll have a guacamole arrangement with a side of hydrangea.

I put it out on display all the while thinking..yeah... I'll be tearing this apart in a couple of months to make something new because this will never sell. I felt it was too unique for most.

Much to my surprise a couple of days later an older lady came in with her daughter & a gift certificate in hand. She was looking around for quite a long while, when all of a sudden she was placing different arrangements on my counter with me standing behind them switching them out as on the display table for her to scrutinize. She was trying to find something for a dining room table. I could see that she was having trouble making her decision, so I offered to let her take them both home & live with them over the weekend. I suggested that she swap them out & see how they look to her when she walks into the room unsuspecting. She couldn't believe that I would let her do that, but soon agreed & left with both arrangements in hand.

On Monday morning she returned the one she didn't want to keep & much to my surprise it was not the one I suspected she would return. She kept the one with the lemons & tomatoes.......once again I had to remember.....never prejudge your clients.

"Prom Designs" ~ Week 2 ~

Week 2 of my marathon of Proms has passed & I thought I'd share a few of my favorite designs. Even though a lot of the girls are wearing the same color of dress, it is my goal for us to design all the wristlets & boutonnieres different in some way. No girl wants to show up & have someone else wearing the same dress, so I would think she would also like to have flowers that are unique to her as well.



Periwinkle Cymbidium Orchids ( This was achieved by using flower tint in layers to create this unique color. It started out as a cream orchid with pink veins.) The dress this was designed for was Turquoise Blue.



This is a close up shot of the rhinestone dragon fly used to accent the above wristlet.



White Roses are accented by Pool Blue. This was for a dress of all Black with a Pool Blue sash.



This girl's dress was "Pinkish Orange" that is what she told me on the phone, so once again I turned to my flower tints & layered colors over a pale peach with some pink hues on a mini calla lily.



Close up of the tinted sprays of pearls & the mesh & wire flower that was also tinted & glittered.



Black dress was the base for this design. The girl asked for white flowers with some blue accents. I think we hit the mark on that! We used white Dendrobium Orchids, with fun wired bead accents. The ribbons were a combination of pale blue with black & iridescent
.


This one was not for a prom order, it was ordered by a man for his wife who was receiving some type of an award. He asked for white with pale yellow accents & for the shoulder, not the wrist. White roses & pale yellow tinted iridescent leaves. Love my flower tints!



Two toned pink sweethearts with hot pink & silver ribbon, accented with hot pink holographic leaves & bead work. This was for a Metallic Silver dress!



Tangerine Orange was the dress color for this one. We decided to use silver holographic leaves to pick up the silver sequined beading on the dress. We used shades of orange Sweetheart Roses & added orange rhinestones with two different types of orange ribbons.



Shades of Lavender to Purple were used for this wristlet to accent a dress that was completely white with iridescent sequins & beading.

Most all of these were created on our keepsake rhinestone bracelets. I believe all the girls were thrilled with their flowers, which is our goal....Always!

Week 3 of Proms will be posted next weekend. This one will feature my son & his date's flowers. Oh what will I come up with.....I was told the dress was a red, but not red?? HUH?? Then I saw the dress.....Yep she was right....red, but not red.....the heat is on.....what will I use.

I've ordered in a number of possibilities, which I have no idea if any of them will work. As always.....obsessing over personal orders! Fingers crossed that I will come up with something very unique!

Prom ~ "What do your flowers say about you?"

Orange rose boutonniere with kiwi green holographic leaves & orange art wire.



Keepsake Rhinestone tennis bracelet wristlet.



Mini White Calla Lily with black art wire & silver beads & holographic leaves.



Keepsake Pearl bracelet wristlet.



Purple Dendrobium Orchids, purple rhinestones, purple ceramic beads on the ribbons.



This is an example of our "Prom Special" We offer the wristlet with a matching boutonniere. We call this one our "Prom Queen", this is for the girl who loves it all....class, elegance, fun, glitz& glamour.

It is made on an iridescent rhinestone keepsake bracelet & has rhinestones & beading accented with hot pink holographic leaves. The flowers are hot pink sweetheart roses & hot pink freesia.

This is the first in a series of prom blogs as we are in the midst of Prom season. I will be posting some of the work from each of our proms, trying to offer you some new flower combinations & design ideas each time.

This year, if you are a mother of a prom goer & you are in charge of ordering the flowers....dare to be different. Ask your florist to use their creativity when designing your flowers.

I try to approach the designs from the teens prospective, make it youthful & fun with a wonderful memento to keep after the music & flowers have faded. They love them!!

~Send Some Easter Love~

Send someone you love a touch of Spring this year for Easter! Here are a few suggestions for Spring plants & Spring fresh bouquets.



Hydrangeas....either potted or cut in fresh flower arrangements.


Hyacinth Plants



Tulips in pots or cut in fresh flower arrangements.



Traditional Easter Lilies



Hydrangea, Roses, Tulips, Gerbera Daisy& Carnations


Alstroemeria, Carnations, Waxflower, Stock & Forsythia


Alstroemeria, Tulips, Roses, Carnations & Acacia

Spring Designs for Glass Gallery

If Spring fever has hit you but the weather has not cooperated, here are a few Spring flower arrangements to tide you over. These were for the Spring Exhibition at Inspired Fire Glass Gallery. This exhibition featured a very accomplished & award winning glass blowing & flame work artist, Steve Sizelove. The exhibition was extremely interesting to watch, as he was very detailed in his descriptions of the technical aspects of his designs & his enthusiasm of his art was infectious. Check out his website to see a gallery of his award winning glass designs.



Sunflowers & Orange Star of Bethlehem with Lily Grass.



Bicolored Buttercreme / Peach Parrot Tulips & Lily Grass.



Royal Sunset Lilies, Magic Moka Roses, & Safari Sunset.



Bicolored Coral / Yellow Parrot Tulips swirled in a brandy snifter with a votive candle in the center.