Food Stations for CCSF Final

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The above are photos of our final projects for the "floral designs for events" class taught by Jenny Tabarracci, AIFD. We were assigned one of 5 "food stations" to design and install in the floristry workshop/classroom in mid-December.  There was a "winter wonderland" desert station; an English tea; a farmer's market display; and and a sushi station, all lovely.

Joyce & Kim's "martini" station

Joyce Kessler and I were assigned a "Martini" station. We decided to go with a fruit Martinis theme; green apple, lime and kiwi, all in shades of green and brown. We decided to add a hanging floral element with a hint of the holidays, constructed of gold branches with white twinkle lights, noble pine, green spider mums, dianthus, hypericum, and belles of Ireland with green and brown holiday ornaments. We filled clear cylinder vases with green apples and limes and used them to support glass shelves, lit underneath with LED lights. There was a display of "kiwi martinis" on a gold tray front and center.

This was a great class, and we got lots of practical information out of it. Highly recommended!

Taste - Microsoft Party

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These large arrangements of magnolia, greens, berries and roses were created at Taste Catering and Event Planning for a Microsoft holiday party at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. The finished arrangements were placed on top of large glass vases filled with clear water and floating branches of holiday greens.  These were incorporated into the food stations in the main ballroom.  The event had an overall 1940's theme.

Structures for Holiday Arrangements

Yesterday, my CCSF floral design class prepared some arrangements for the annual Environmental Horticulture/Floristry Department sale, benefiting the department's scholarship fund. They sell poinsettias, holiday wreaths, centerpieces, all kinds of arrangements, and indoor and outdoor plants. This year the sale is on December 8th from 11 am to 3 pm at the Horticulture building (Judson at Gennessee) on the CCSF Ocean campus (415-239-3236 or 415-239-3140 for more info).

The photos below show the "mechanics" of these designs, to be finished with fresh flowers right before the sale. Many of these designs have many uses outside of the holidays.

The framework for a topiary arrangement. Moss and greens are wired to a bent coathanger, then flowers will be added to the bottom.

Jenny Tabarracci's finished sample. I've used this design myself for Easter, new baby gifts, and other occasions.

A "tree" made of a foam cone and cut holly leaves. All it needs is an ornament on top.

Cubes of foam covered with holly leaves have a modern, streamlined appearance. These will be topped off with moss and one beautiful flower.

Garlands of moss and holiday greens coil around votive candles. The tray will be filled with water, with fresh flowers arranged in and around the coils.

This simple, modern design is perfect for a desk or cocktail table, consisting of two water tubes affixed with decorative wire and uglu to a small square vase. There's a votive candle in the vase.

This arrangement is meant to hang, I'm going to finish the bottom with ribbon and pine cones.

This grid of ribbon will support an arrangement of holiday greens and fresh flowers.

pink & green column centerpiece

Yesterday's project was a large column design with pink cockscomb and hydrangea. This versatile arrangement has many uses for all types of events, such as a centerpiece, buffet, entry design, or almost anywhere.

While I've filled the top here, it could be much more open, or have flowers hanging down instead of "growing" up.

Start Trek Bouquet

For my final project in the CCSF wedding design class, I tried to imagine what the bouquet would look like at a Star Trek wedding. Imagine the bride wearing the regulation red velor mini-dress "uniform" from the original 1966 series. Part of the reason I wanted to do it was that it wasn't just a compelling vision of the future, it was a 1960's view of the future, around the same time similar design ideas were also appearing in the NY World's Fair and the original Tomorrow-land (Disneyland). In keeping with the theme, I used lots of bright solid colors and unusual materials.

Modern Fall Wedding - CCSF

This selection of arrangements was a group project for my Advanced Floral Design class. The theme was "Modern Fall Wedding at the SF W Hotel," inspired by some arrangements featured in the April 2010 issue of Flowers& magazine. Everyone in the group helped create these, but each person was primarily responsible for the following: Kim Munson (Bride's bouquet and overall design); Yun Kyung Park (cake display);  Federico Lupercio (Mother-of-the-Bride corsage & Groom's boutonniere);  Tamar Farajin (centerpiece collage & project storyboard);Carolina Herrera (altarpiece & project presentation).

Although we presented this at 11am, we thought of this as an early evening in downtown SF, with fall colors accented by warm candlelight.

Ylvisaker - Trends in Floral Design

The slides above are cell snaps from a floral design demo by Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI sponsored by the local unit of Teleflora hosted by Brannan Street Floral Wholesale at the SF Flower Mart.

Kevin created all the arrangements in these photos. In the captions, I discuss points that he brought up as he created the arrangements, but overall his main points were:

Martha style arrangements are dead. Many people still like them, but that's not where contemporary design is going. Monotone and grouped designs are popular. Design is more spare and architectural, and not so much about round mounds of mixed flowers.

Turquoise will be the happening color of the year. Bright colors like lime green, orange, hot pink and bright purple are still trendy. Chocolate is out, and has been replaced by a warm gray/black Charcoal.

More flowers, less greenery. Use moss to cover foam if needed. Even garden style arrangements are more structured.

We love glass cubes. We fill them with colored foam, colored foam shapes, dyed beads, colored wire, curly willow and grasses.

Glitter and dyed flowers are popular. Especially flowers dyed blue.

There was lots more information, and I was fascinated with how quickly and deftly Kevin could create design after design, while talking and joking the whole time.  I would think these same trends are probably appearing in most creative endeavors.