Ship of Gouls

I've had this new vase for awhile and was going to make a sophisticated pave' style arrangement in it.

But had to get this ship thing out of my system first. Then I got to thinking about Halloween and that maybe it was a sort of dark pirate ship and if I added something sinister like a skeleton, it might be kind of scary. But it just looks a skeleton leg (no small children were harmed in the making of these photos) with some cool brown tissue y pods.

Unless....

Oh well, back to the flowers being flowers or pods, leaves and twigs being "botanicals" as they're referred to these days in the FD world. Always game to try something new and silly, ya'll.

 

For the Roses: Talk at San Francisco Rose Society

 

San Francisco Rose Society 

Adventures of a Floral Designer in the Rose Garden 

Sunday October 25

Time  1:15- 2:00

Where: Hall of Flowers/ County Fair Building Golden Gate Park (advice is to park on Lincoln as park is closed to traffic on Sunday) 

For a description of the talk look under EVENTS www.sfrosesociety.org

I was talking to a friend last night on the phone and telling her about the talk I'm giving tomorrow  She said, "I never thought you liked roses". She lives in drought free Olympia, WA. She's always dangling her chicken and sheep raising, vegetable growing, multi-acre spread in my face since she knows I'm curious about growing cut flowers and she has the perfect property to share.

Ah, she thought she knew me (she does). But there are roses and then there are roses.

Fall/ Winter Classes 2014

Natural Floral Design Classes
We practice techniques professionals use to create loose, garden like arrangements for your home or special events.
I advocate the use of locally grown flowers and botanicals and help you locate them.

The San Francisco Flower Mart Tour 
Full

Glorious Low Fall Arrangement

Cost: $79 plus additional $15 materials fee to be paid in class.

Attendees bring a low vase from home

Maximum 6

Date:  Saturday, November 22

Time 10-12

Where:  My Studio in San Rafael

Please RSVP and send check by Nov 1

We'll be using pin frogs to help make our arrangements, those small metal supports  that hold branches and other heavier materials in place. The emphasis will be on creating a low, spreading arrangement in celebration of the glory of fall!

Holiday Wreaths and Swags

Cost: $79   You bring a premade unadorned wreath. I’ll bring lots of fun embellishments and other greenery. 

Date:  Saturday, December 6

Time 10-12PM

Where: College of Marin, FA Room 312

http://www.marin.edu/CommunityEducation/schedule.html

I'll show techniques used to make many holiday decorations.We’ll embellish store bought wreaths and I’ll demonstrate how to make a naturalistic homemade wreath, and we’ll make swags from scratch. Students bring: An evergreen wreath (or order one from me), pruners capable of cutting evergreens, a pair of garden gloves. I will bring: cones, green,berries, ribbon, wire and other great embellishments.

http://www.marin.edu/CommunityEducation/schedule.html

Check back as I will be adding classes at The Ranch in Tiburon shortly.


 

Downward Dog, anyone?

Some of my yoga class got together this Saturday. We kept our shoes on, wore "regular clothes" and dangley jewelry and stayed right side up. This group is the real deal. We have come together for many years in a small, no frills room to do yoga together with our beloved  teacher, Claire Colvin. Year in, year out, here we are. But not today.

Today we had pruners and flowers in hand.
Truly, if you had told me three years ago that I would be teaching a floral class to my fellow practitioners, I would have laughed; me-teach-performance anxiety- no way- flowers- maybe- what? 

But that's what yoga does eventually. It opens you right up.

Everyone dove right in, chatting, laughing, helping each other, and doing a little extra foraging in Iris's beautiful garden- er, outdoor room. Thanks again for hosting, Iris. Everyone came away with an amazing Pave' and we raised some money for Yoga Center of Marin. 

Claire, Kathleen, Maryann, and Iris in Iris's garden

Maryann, Claire, Kathleen, Peggy, Ruth, and Iris 

Stacy 



 

And their creations!