2009 TSFA Convention in Dallas... Part 1

The convention in Dallas was filled with shows, vendors, resources, workshops, and of course flowers. Sunday morning we attended a show that focused on 3 aspects of design: Traditional, Trendy, and Interpretive. These are all areas of focus that seem to be a staple in the flower industry. Customers today are searching for a florist who can amaze and inspire with trendy, contemporary, and edgy design. But they are also looking for a florist who has a solid knowledge of the basic principles of design and could just as easily make something very traditional.

Flowers evoke emotion. It is our responsibility as artists and designers to ensure that we portray the emotion our customers are seeking through the flowers and style that we choose. The class introduced us to a few new ideas. Using patterned paper to accent the table in place of a mirror, or creating satalite pieces with floating orchids and wire were some suggestions demonstrated. Some pieces were also created with a theme in mind; for example the top left picture is a representation of the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz. Flowers are fun and create an ambiance for any event that will be forever remembered.

Cheers to the newest TMF and TMFA...

This past weekend was cause for us to celebrate. We all made the treck up to Dallas for our annual Texas State Florist convention (which we will post more about later). While in Dallas, we attended an awards luncheon to celebrate our new Texas Master Florists and Texas master Florist Advanced.

Fiona and Frances were presented with their certificate of completetion for their Texas Master Florist (TMF) certification. Early this year they completed all the online business courses to qualify to participate in a hands on workshop, classes, and exams at Texas A&M University. After a long and design intensive weekend lead by none other than the famous Jim Johnson and Judy Rutledge, Fiona and Frances blew the instructors away by their designs. It was a proud moment to watch as they were honored by the Texas State Floral Education Comitee and presented with their official certificates and TMF pins.

After their award presentation, we had the honor to watch our very own Mary recieve her Texas Master Florists Advanced (TMFA) certification. The TMFA certification is a rigorus and intensive program where the participants are expected to attends a variety of design workshops, classes, seminars, and conventions. Mary's dedication to the industry and her passion for floral art excelled as she participated in workshops hosted by Hitomi, and many others. It was a true honor to be a part of her accomplishment.

Frances was also presented with the Lavon Bankhead PCFI scholarship from the Texas Floral Endowment society for her enthusiasm and dedication to the floral industry to help her pursue her career goals.

We'd like to congratulate Mary, Fiona, and Frances for their outstanding accomplishment.

Bouquets...

Bouquets come in all different sizes, shapes, styles, and colors. Bellow is a small gallery of different styles, colors, and designs for you to pontificate about to your hearts delight!

Autumn Hues...

Autumn is the time of year where texture and rich colors reign supreme. The milky chocolates, deep reds, fiery oranges, and bursts of yellow create a warm and inviting color pallet that is sure to compliment any autumn bride.

Outstanding Orange...

Simplicity at its finest.

Daisies and polka dots...

Fun summer colors created a beautiful pop of color for this outdoor wedding.



Her decadent tiered cake was packed with a combination of all the flowers used throughout the wedding, alongside a slender arrangement to fill out the table.

Each table had a small bouquet or arrangement of coordinating flowers. Introducing fresh florals really tied everything together creating a unified feel throughout the venue.



The arch behind the bride and groom was decorated with coordinating ribbon, greenery garland and floating flowers hung in decorative wire and water tubles to keep them fresh and hydrated.

Katie's wedding colors were Red, Yellow, and White. She picked Roses and daisies as her flowers. They reflected the couples love for life, and classic taste!

Classic Red Roses...

There is something serene and elegant about a classic red rose wedding. We used accents of brown hypericum berries and fern curls, with plumosa to create a feathery texture and soften the arrangements.


The Cake was a tiered hexagon suspended on this beautiful stand. We packed the bottom layer with a combination of roses, hypericum berries, fern curls, miniature garden roses, and greenery. FOr the second layer we created a focal area with the flowers at the front, and the top of the cake was adorned with just a few coordinating flowers. The different designs elaborated the beautiful shape of the cake and created more interest by using different techniques.

Rose petals adorned every table throughout the backyard venue.



The bride and bridesmaids bouquets were composed of solid red roses, hypericum berries, fern curls, and wrapped in black satin ribbon.

The Elusive Blue Vase...

During the first month I started at the flower shop I took on the task of cleaning out all the vases, containers, pots, baskets, and random trinkets. I came across a beautiful blue bowlie vase that had about an inch of dust on it. We have a lot of random vases in the shop. Some are old FTD or Teleflora, but some are the last few remnants of a case that was purchased years ago. For some reason we have started calling these loner vases "odd-wads." They have their own shelf now, and everytime we feel up for a challenge we grab one of the "odd-wads" and see what we can create. Sometimes they are a hit and other times not so much... This was my "odd-wad" creation; which sold the next morning when one of our usual customers waltzed in the shop and said the best words a florist can hear... "I just have to have that!"

The Best Kind of Sundae...

Fat free, sweet smelling, delightful to look at and no guilty remorse afterward, plus you can leave it out without melting... ha ha... We made these sundae's for an ice cream social at the country club. They were a fun challenge to use flowers to look like ice cream. We do quite a few fun projects for the country club, they always are looking for something different, and we are always up for the challenge!