Monthly Archives:

November 2014

Feature Designer

Amanda Coghill : Featured Designer

This week we are bringing you one of the United Kingdom’s best kept secrets! Amanda Coghill is one of the wonderful people floral.today met when attending the Fusion Flowers Magazine Summer School in 2013 and she is one of the industry’s silent wonders. She has an amazing eye for detail, great use of color and a drive to explore what she can do with flowers. Amanda is the owner/designer of Amanda’s Creative Florist located in Wick, United Kingdom where you will find one of a kind designs expertly made. As someone that has worked with some of the very best designers in the world and competes on a international level, Amanda has been sculpted into one of the best designers that world has to offer. Enjoy getting to know this amazing woman and make sure to go check Amanda out on social media!

 
Where did you get your start in the industry and what have been some of the most instrumental experiences that have helped you with your successful career so far?
A. Although I used to compete in children’s classes at flower shows when I was young, I really started in the floral industry when I started as a Saturday girl in a small local flower shop at the age of 13. I worked there until I was 18, then attended a city and guild floristry course at Edinburgh Telford College. I spent a couple of years there working, before returning to my home town of Wick to start up my own business. I worked hard as all new businesses do.
 
A. I had followed Fusion Flowers Magazine on facebook as well as subscription and be-friended Editor, Alison Bradley. Each year fusion flowers has a photoshoot for their magazine and their wedding magazine. In 2010 disaster struck as an erupted volcano in Iceland prevented many designers from attending as air transport stood to a halt. With seeing the problems unfold on the Fusion Flowers facebook page I offered to drive down and offer my help, as little as I had. That weekend was the turning point in my floral career. My eyes were opened to a whole new world of design, flower material and what turns out to be life long friends! It was Alison Bradley and team Fusion Flowers that gave me the belief that I could further fulfill my ambitions and push my abilities to what they can aspire to.
 
 
Of all your achievements to date what are some of the most memorable?
 A. As well as having the extreme pleasure of working with Fusion Flowers on several occasions and having designs published within the magazine and the Weddings magazines. Having designs published beside world class designers is an amazing feeling. I have other career “highs”. In late 2010 I qualified for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. I then competed the following May and was awarded with an RHS Chelsea silver medal. I returned again in 2013 and was rewarded with another RHS Chelsea silver medal. As well as Chelsea, I have entered all of the Fusion Flowers International designer of the year competitions and to date have received three bronze awards as well as a silver. These are special to me as several pieces have been judged by top designers who I very much admire within the industry. Having them just see my work was an honor, but to have them actually award my work put me on cloud nine!
 
What advice do you have for designers looking to start competing?
A. There are two things that I have learnt through competition and that I would advice to anyone looking to compete.
One always be true to yourself. We all have our own style, individual quirks. Don’t copy someone else’s design. Yes be inspired, look at what they do, but make it your own, don’t copy it petal for petal. Where’s the innovation, the reward and satisfaction in that? Nothing new will ever be created if no one pushes the boundaries and explores new ideas. Two always listen to your peers, wether its the judges giving feedback on your ( How will you know how to fix what went wrong if you wont let them tell you?), or other designers offering advice ( many have been in your shoes, made the mistakes and have listened to their critique ) listen to them. They want you to learn and are always willing to help. Some of the best advice I’ve had has come from other designers and their competitive careers.
 
 
What are some interesting projects your working on right now?
A. At the moment I am just finishing off some designs for the latest Fusion Flowers International Designer of the year Competition. After the Christmas rush I will be starting to look forward to competing at RHS Chelsea 2015. Although we don’t find out until March what we have to create, I am always looking out for idea’s, techniques and inspiration that could be used when the time comes.
 
What inspires you and your designs?
A. The world is full of inspiration if you let it inspire you. I like to be quirky, different and inventive when designing so there are many different things that inspire me. Looking around craft shops, shop window displays and just good old mother nature. Sometimes you can be out on just another evening walk when you see the more gorgeous shaded leaves, or the sunset that night has the most spectacular colors, as long as I’ve my eyes open I will find inspiration in the most taken for granted things in life.
 
 
Do you have a philosophy when it comes to designing?
A. My philosophy when designing is to be true to myself. As i’ve mentioned I like to be quirky and different. I don’t want to copy someone else’s designs. I want someone too look at something and know it was mine. A bit like Picasso I guess, you can look at most of his art know it was him who created it.  I recently did a competition where I had to create a floral cake. I had an idea straight away that I wanted to use. I hummed and hawed about it, but then decided that “this is me”. This is how I work and what I do, so I went with my heart and would you know, it was the right decision and I won my group. If I’d have gone for something else I am sure I wouldn’t have placed. I was true to myself and my style and it achieved what I desired.
 
With our ever-changing industry, where do you see it changing and where do you see it heading in the next 10-15 years?
A. In my 14 years as a florist in the industry, I feel that the personal experience from selecting and buying flowers has been lost. Relay companies, order gatherers, supermarkets and forecourt garages are, in my opinion to blame. Nothing beats walking in to a flower shop, being hit by the fragrance, the color and the possibilities of mixing and matching. Throwing a bunch in your shopping trolley, physical or online doesn’t give you the potential to create “WOW”.
A. Online shopping is here to stay. We live in a busy world, in a world of technology. We can’t get away from that. Why should be though? We should be embracing it. Florists/designers need to make an online appearance and be more dominant in the cyber world. Have lots of their own work online, have an e-commerce site to let the customers choose. If we cant show them what we can do then how do they know that they can choose it? There will still be a customer who wants to smell the flowers in a shop, we will never lose that, we just need to grow with the rest of the world too. I myself am in the process of creating a new website. It’s taking forever because I want to be sure that what I show and portray on my website is what my clients want to see and make it easy for them to use. I want them to feel that they are walking in to a flower shop whilst they are sitting on their computer.
 
 
What are some of your favorite fresh products to work with?
A. Ohhh this is always the hardest question for me to answer. Favorite fresh products to use. You know, I can never pick. I love working with products that are new to me. Wether its exotic flowers, new varieties or just a flower, foliage or material that I haven’t been lucky enough to use before. I have a list of favorite flowers, but i’d fill the whole page listing them all, and people would probably be surprised that it includes flowers like carnations, chrysanthemums, GYP! Everyday flowers that are taken for granted and classed as old fashion. In my opinion, they’re only old fashioned if you don’t know how to jazz them up!
 
Amanda Coghill - Fusion Flowers International Designer of the Year

Fusion Flowers International Design of the Year 2013 – Silver Award

 
If given the chance to work with any designer in the world who would you work with and what would you do?
A. I have been soo lucky since 2010, I have worked with some of the most amazing names in the industry Björn Kroner-Salié, Baudouin Roelants, Pirjo Koppi, Laura Leong, Wendy Andrade NDSF, AIFD, CFD, FBFAJohn Hosek AIFD, CFD, PFCI, CAFA, MCF, Jodi Duncan AIFD, CFD and soo many more. One lady I have worked with already and would absolutely love to work with her on one of her wedding shows is Annette Von Einem. I have assisted her at a couple of photoshoots already, but I absolutely adore her wedding work. Evening getting to sweep the floor at one of her shows would be like a dream come true!
 
As we believe that your are the only person that can control what happens to your past, present and future we commend Amanda on her path as she discovers past the limits  of floral design and look forward to her rich future in this industry. Floral.today also wants to wish Amanda good luck in her coming competitions and we look forward to the finished designs! Make sure to check out all of Amanda’s work and what she’s up to in the industry as a competitor and designer. 
 
Thanks again to Amanda and until next time,
Siignature
Extra, Feature Designer, Floral Companies

A Logo’s Strength

As one of the very first things a consumer or industry colleague sees when looking at your social media, business materials and even in some cases your company sign, your logo is one of the most important first impressions that could set the mood for the future you may have with said consumer and industry colleagues.

 

Font, color and over all style are major impactors on what the world sees your company as. Are you a high style boutique, a couture events company, a simple country shop, or even a modern freelancer? Make sure your logo is made to sell to whom your consumer is or who you are looking to target yourself towards.

 

We have gathered a few logos that we here at Floral.today like in the floral industry and they are as different as the businesses they belong to. From small town to big city these three logo’s show good color use, impacting fonts and are used to create interest and a strong symbol of their business.

Enjoy and make to share with us and these companies what you think is important in a logo and why.
 
Tracy Park
Park Place Designs
Battle Creek, Michigan
affordableelegancefloral.com

Tracy Park
Great use of a analogous color harmony of pinks and peaches. Creating the framing around the business name with the antlers makes it important without needing any type of special font. Simple clean and though it has soft colors, this is very in your face and attention grabbing. What do you think of Tracy's logo?

 

Becky Klein AIFD
Poppy Design Studio
Columbia, Illinois
poppiesdesignstudio.com

Poppy 2What we enjoy about Becky's logo and branding as a whole is that she embodies the poppy to a beautiful extreme. We enjoy how the logo has the antique poppy in the corner just there enough to notice for interest and to reinforce the name. The use of the rougher calligraphy against the less unique font and the lowercase verses capital letters creates an importance to both places while giving us a nice cohesion to the name of the business. Unlike above, the simple touches of color gives you some interest but doesn't have any real importance other than aesthetics. Wonderful logo combining old world poppies with unique fonts, what do you think of this logo?

 

Mandy Majerik AIFD, PFCI
Hothouse Design Studio
Birmingham, Alabama
www.hothousedesignstudio.com

HothouseAll Black and all one font getting straight to the point and we enjoy this logo for it. We think the capital 'h' exudes power and gets your attention and makes you want to read what comes after it. Though this logo seems very simple, we here at floral.today thinks it's daring and shows Mandy has a confidence in herself, her team and her product. This logo shows us that you don't need any colors or fonts screaming for attention if you have a well chosen simple font and create a focal to grasp that attention. Bravo to Mandy for such a simple but strong logo, what do you think of the black and white look?

Thank you to all three of these wonderful ladies as it takes guts to give a thing so important to you and your business up to the industry to judge, be inspired by and draw inspiration from. Make sure to go follow them on social media to show your support to your fellow floral designers. Share with us your thoughts on logos and also share with us your logos. 
Till Monday,

Siignature

 

 

Extra, Products

Trying Out November!

What fun we have had trying out some new products and techniques in November. We hope you enjoy this #FloralFriday’s post and always make sure to share with us what you’re up to! Lets dive right into what we tried and loved, and how it all worked out for us.

First up we have our hand bouquet to be held cupped in the hand with a ring for extra comfort and security. With the Emerald Lion Brand Yarn and the Silver 12 Gauge OASIS Aluminum Wire are so white that the bouquet stays strong but very light so even after the addition of the flowers the bouquet stays moderately light. We then have the cranberries threaded on black basic carpeting thread that is thin but very strong so the threads hang and twist without distorting the shape like some wires can do. The threading was finished off with Silver OASIS Beaded Wire and a simple hourglass for interest and to finish off the ends. Then to round the bouquet off we add in some dried Carthamus Safflower and a few McKenny Orange Mokara Orchids for color and interest. Combining the different shades of red and red orange along with dry and fresh creates an interesting visual and physical texture. What would you change or do to make the bouquet your own?
 
Hand Bouquet Complete 1 Hand Bouquet Complete 2 Hand Bouquet Complete 3 Hand Bouquet Complete 4 Hand Bouquet Complete 5 Hand Bouquet Complete 6 
This is followed up by our free form linear design used with our dried out and used products. The use of the Rose Gold 241 Design Master paint on the dried flax and ilex branches made for a great combination of fall color and interest. The groupings of the Eufloria Flowers “Fiesta Sunset” Garden Roses is giving little bursts of color and color blocking up through the design while the Rose Gold Flax gives you abstract lines and depth through the branches. The whole design is securely designed into a Cattail Stem Grouping bound with Natural OASIS Bind Wire to create a unique textural base that uses a product that was collecting dust. The whole design is supported by the Cattail Stem Groupings and a OASIS MEGA Wire spiral under the base. What would you do to change the look or style? 
 
Abstract Complete 1Abstract CompleteAbstract Complete 2Abstract Base
 
The day is rapped up with the simple but impactful mounted orchid plant! The live orchid plant we went with is the Odontocidium Everglades Elegance “Nancy Lee” with it’s variegated petals, multiple blooms and an abundance of new stems growing. We mounted our Midollino Spiral first but weaving the ends through our metal structure then added our orchid plant into the spiral securing both with 3 bind points, bound with Natural OASIS Bind Wire. To add a bit of color to the leaves we added dried Ilex Branches Tips dusted with Rose Gold 241 Design Master paint and then added 2 smaller branch tips to the roots to elongate the the root system. Tons of texture, interest and a unique way to present an orchid plant. We use water spray bottles to keep the orchid hydrated and the mounting helps us with our personal over watering issues. How do you like to present your orchids to an elevated level? Show us your elevated orchids and how you provide your customer unique plant options
 
Wreath Complete 4Wreath Complete 3 Wreath Complete 5
 

What are you doing in the month of November to challenge yourself or adventure the floral industry? We had tons of fun getting to explore some fun design techniques and products in November. Share with us what your doing this month so we can follow along with what you, our readers, are doing.

Till next week,
Siignature
Extra, Products

Want, Love, Try in November

It’s all about the trying and loving in November as we try out new product combinations and inspirations that we are finding all around the industry. Here are some of the fun things we are trying out to help elevate our designs and help us stay on top of our creative game. Make sure to always keep floral.today up as we love to be inspired!

 
First up we are playing with yarn and wire to create interesting visual texture and patterns. The first time had seen someone Knit/Crochet along with floral design was at the American Institute of Floral Design 2013 Symposium Show, “HAND|craft – Design to Distinguish Yourself” presented by Jim Dempsey AIFD, CFD, when the whole show was produced in all hand crafted ways to show the increased visual value and professional skill.
We love to knit here at floral.today so why not take something we like to relax to and enhance our designs with it! You can see the beginning of our hand bouquet with emerald Lion Brand Yarn and Silver Smithers Oasis 12 gage Aluminum Wire. The wire ring form was the start and then we moved to going back and forth with the yarn to create and interesting pattern and visual texture. The yarn makes the bouquet super easy to glue into and the wire can be formed into any shape to create many different types of styles and forms. We will have the finished design in our #FloralFriday post for you to enjoy.
 
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We are also having some fun with dried flax, cattails and branches for November. To be honest we had bought to many flax and it dried out but as we payed for it why throw it out. In the floral industry there is a great amount of waste, were not saying save all your trash but if it dries well or could be utilized in a good way in the future why not make some money from it.
We have dusted our branches with Design Master Rose Gold 241 paint and have done a full cover on our flax with the Design Master Rose Gold 241 paint. We are loving the pillar shapes we have been seeing all over the place, so we will be showing you the completed design on #FloralFriday as we try out creating a pillar design with our lost or forgotten product.
  
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SONY DSC
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Finally we are trying out our Midollino Spiral from last weeks video to enhance a plant to be gifted. As a great way to add visual value and to enhance the plant to make it unique and one of a kind, it’s the perfect gift to come from floral.today. You can check out the video of the adventure that is Garrett trying to make the Midollino Spiral and then see the finished product of #FloralFriday!
 
 
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SONY DSC
 
 
 
Make sure to always share with us on social media or here what fun products or floral adventures you’re up to.
See you on Friday,
Siignature
Extra

Farewell to Debra Gaunt

Debra Gaunt wasn’t just a mentor and teacher but a friend. Mrs. Debra Gaunt, my first ever floral teacher and most influence mentor, lost her battle with cancer on Friday October 31st, 2014 and will be laid to rest today.

 

Without this amazing woman I would never had even known about the floral industry and without her push and drive for me to be the very best I wouldn’t have come to be the designer I am today. Deb Gaunt was a American Institute of Floral Design member, Michigan Certified Florist and Michigan State University graduate. She instilled her love for horticultural and animal studies into every student and colleague she encountered. Because of the care she placed into all of her students many of us have achieved great things in our lives wether it be in the floral industry or else where. She will be dearly missed in the industry and in the lives of those she has affected.

 
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Garrett pictured with Debra Gaunt and Brian Bak the night Garrett received MFA Young Person of the Year and his Certified Florist.

 

Of the many things that I could say about this wonderful woman, Edward J. Stieglitz said it best when he said “The important thing to you is not how many years in your life, but how much life in your years!” and Mrs. Gaunt didn’t just live a wonderful life but challenged us, her students, to do what ever we could to fill our life with adventure and live our lives to the fullest.

 

This is farewell to a wonderful person that touched the lives of many and created wonder for them all.
Till Friday,
Siignature