All Posts By

Garrett

Facebook Live, Floral Friday!

Wearing Floral Opulence To stay Inside!

Nothing like dressing up in something fun and wearing some floral opulence to make yourself feel good. Garrett and Matt as always had different approaches to their floral opulence with their use of mechanics and techniques culminating in unique individual floral body-wear teaming with opulence.

Crystal and Floral Necklace

Fresh Products:
~ Pink Ranunculus
~ Italian Ruscus

Hard Goods:
~ Silver Chain
~ OASIS Silver Metallic Wire
~ Rose Quartz
~ OASIS Floral Adhesive

Easter Egg Earrings

Fresh Products:
~ Green Kermit Poms
~ Sky Blue Delphinium

Hard Goods:
~ Sanitized Eggs
~ Wood Earring Base
~ OASIS Floral Adhesive

Floral Brass Knuckle Ring

Fresh Products:
~ Green Hypericum Berry
~ Coral Hypericum Berry
~ Orange Ornithogalum

Hard Goods:
~ OASIS Discontinued Double Metallic Wire
~ OASIS Floral Adhesive

Woven Floral Bone Necklace

Fresh Products:
~ Green Hypericum Berry
~ Orange Ornithogalum

Hard Goods:
~ OASIS Gold Metallic Wire
~ OASIS Floral Adhesive
~ Humanly Acquired Animal Bones

Poppy Fascinator

Fresh Products:
~ White Poppies
~ Italian Ruscus

Hard Goods:
~ 1/2 Syndicate Sales 4″ Pillow
~ OASIS Floral Adhesive
~ Basic Hair Comb
~ White Japanese Washi Paper

Springy Floral Head Piece

Fresh Products:
~ Yellow Craspedia
~ Green Hypericum Berry
~ Orange Ornithogalum
~ Green Kermit Poms
~ Foraged Vines

Hard Goods:
~ Silver OASIS Decorative Bind Wire
~ OASIS Floral Adhesive
~ Basic Hair Comb

Woven Bracelet

Hard Goods:
~ Gold OASIS Decorative Bind Wire
~ OASIS Gold Metallic Wire

Always remember floral opulence is what ever you feel confident and luxurious wearing. Like any other type of floral design you are only limited by your imagination and to always design unapologetically!

We were both able to start expanding our fresh product availability. SO with our foraged products and at home hard-goods we supplemented our designs with Florabundance products shipped to us. Florabundance is able to provide us with California grown product along with a selective amount of products from other countries. Make sure to share your floral opulent body wear with us on social media!

Follow
Matthew Blind // Coach Blind Florals:

Website & All #FloralFriday Lives

We welcome you to join us next #floralfriday for a relaxed place to chill, socialize
and enjoy designing with us.
Till next time,

Signature
May 17, 2020 by
Floral Friday!

Mini Form Challenge, Lets Get Tiny!

The social media Mini Form Challenge has arrived with Matt and Garrett meeting the challenge head on.The power of small floral design is where you see the master floral skills and techniques of many. So we have seen about every floral mini done ranging from bouquets to floral barbie fashions and amazing floral art pieces.

With multiple people challenging us, we though why not just create our mini forms with you for #floralfriday! We had tons of fun making a galaxy mini hand-tied and a framed mini dancer while chilling and chatting with all of you.

Mini Galaxy Hand-tied Bouquet

Fresh Products:
~ Dried Lagarus Bunny Tails
~ Red Bud Twigs
~ Pennycress
~ Hyacinth
~ Delphinium
~ Purple Nettle
~ Monstera

Hard Goods:
~ OASIS Bullion Wire
~ OASIS Bind Wire
~ Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint
~ Assorted ribbons

Mini Dancer Painting

Fresh/Dried Products:
~ Delphinium
~ Orange Ornithogalum
~ Preserved 50 mm Stachys Leaves

Hard Goods:
~ CARAN D’ACHE NEOCOLOR II
~ LEGION 5″ x 7″ Stonehenge White Paper
~ 5″ x 7″ Black Picture Frame
~ OASIS Floral Adhesive

This weeks mini form designs were a combination of foraging on Matt’s part and grocery store finds by Garrett. With stores such as Trader Joes and Wholefoods carrying high quality flowers, we found the delphinium and ornithogalum grocery shopping with the rest being foraged throughout Matt’s design. We were also able to retrieve some of our supplies giving availability to the hole punched preserved stachys leaves creating the bodice in Garrett’s design.

Go learn more about The Human Form Project and the great floral mind behind it, Shawn Michael Foley AIFD, CFD, PFCI, whom gave birth to the Mini Form Challenge. Started at the end of March, Shawn ignited the challenge to keep celebrating his fellow florists and spreading the world of floral design. Along side the five day, five design challenge Shawn states “I want to spread creativity through the world during this time of uncertainty with the help of my fellow florists and artists!” to amazing response and design variety found all across social media and the world.

Huge thanks to Shawn for igniting this amazing floral challenge and our dear friends whom also issued us the challenge. Hope you enjoyed this weeks mini floral designs and take up the challenge yourself.

For this coming week you better get those floral accessories ready to go folks as this weeks #floralfriday Matt and Garrett are creating floral jewels, floral glamor and continuing the floral fantasy at the Floral.today facebook page!

So grab your jewels, some small blooms and come relax, chat and create with us!
Stay safe,

Signature

April 6, 2020 by
Floral Friday!

Floral Design Foraging While Isolated!

Yes, we are isolated during this pandemic but we see it as the perfect time for growth and personal development. With so many designers offering free or easy access floral education, there is no reason to not be learning new skills and being inspired within the world of floral design right now!

While there are so many amazing designers teaching and educating, Matt and I decided to just be a place to hangout together to chat and enjoy designing for fun. You can find us live on the Floral.Today facebook page on #floralfriday chatting on different topics and our very first facebook live took us to foraging while isolated.

Matt’s Lobby Table Design

Created by Matthew Blind / Coach Blind Florals

Foraged Materials:
~ White Daffodils
~ Saucer Magnolia
~ White Star Magnolia
~ Budding Branches

Home availability:
~ Stainless Steel Zip Ties
~ 18″ Metal Hoop
~ OASIS Silver Flat Wire
~ OASIS 8″ Wire Armature
~ Accent Decor Astrid Pot

Garrett’s Garden Wall Mount Design

Created by Garrett Skupinski Cf / Floral.today

Foraged Materials:
~ Dried Strelitzia Foliage
~ Drift Wood
~ Magnolia Branches
~ Oak Branch
~ Xerographica

Home availability:
~ OASIS Natural Bind Wire
~ OASIS Green Bind Wire
~ Mibro King Cord, Medium Cotton
~ Design Master Color Tool, 792 Robin’s Egg
~ Design Master Color Tool, 747 French Blue

While social distancing Matt was able to forage his products from a large local park and nearby abandoned home properties. His design was created as an entry lobby design for his modern industrial complex. Matt was able to create a very textural, spring focused design with great result.

Garrett was a bit more isolated and foraged products from his surrounding apartment complex and personal garden. The design was created as a dried/drying wall mount that transitioned from inside into the garden. His design is able to completely dry while outside and last with minimal maintenance.


We welcome you to join us next #floralfriday for a relaxed place to chill, socialize
and enjoy designing with us.
Till next time,

Signature

March 27, 2020 by
Extra Thoughts

Freelancer Under Development

Some of my great industry loves are attending floral expos/events, participating/presenting classes and in recent years freelance designing.

The anticipation of what you are gong to be creating, learning and discovering at a new, for the moment, job has it’s own kind of excitement. Here are a few of the things I think about when it comes to Floral Industry Freelancing wether I’m on the job or preparing for one.

Photo by Ilya Ilford on Unsplash
Loyalty: When asked by many floral companies to freelance on the same dates, what is your process for choosing who to work for?

After freelancing for a few different floral companies, I’ve stayed true to a first come first serve rule. I have developed great relationships with the companies I have worked for so far and in doing so I know that if Company A books me first then Company B won’t hopefully be too put out. If I book with a company, they have me booked no matter what is offered after the fact. Nothing is more unprofessional than a freelancer canceling at the last minute because someone offers them more money at the last second or they change their plans without a thought of how it will effect your business.

Not over valuing myself as the greatest designer in the world means I don’t come with a crazy price tag or big ego creating good relationships with companies based on loyalty, hard work and trust knowing I’ll be there when I say I will and will do the very best work I can produce for them.

Photo by Karina Tess on Unsplash
Expectation: What is needed or wanted while you are with the company? Are there dress codes, or anything that should be understood before agreeing to work for someone?

Though I try and keep up on trends and techniques you can never be fully prepared for a new freelance job. I will ask what they are looking to bring me in for depending if it’s a flower shop or specialty floral company so if I need to refresh on anything I can be prepared.

Understand what their expectation of you are going to be. Will there be a uniform, business casual or free for all dress? How you represent the brand of the contracting company should always be on your check list to being a good freelancer.

You are the product and hands that has been purchased for a period of time nothing more and nothing less. So if you are asked to clean vases, you make that glassware look like brand new; if you are asked to produce luxurious radial wedding designs, pump out the most perfect balls anybody has ever seen!

Image © Floral.today. All rights reserved.
Knowledge: Versatile design esthetic and continual learning broadens the value of a designer.

I must confess that with all the national and international designers I have assisted or learned from, I still have a nervous rapport when sharing that skill with others. To share you have attended a particular class or assisted particular designers can set you apart from other designers, along as you are able to produce said skills. Some extraordinary designers around the world are one trick ponies and do very well as such but why hold yourself back. Expanding your floral knowledge base serves to help you through some sticky situations where a last second foliage manipulation or emergency mechanic may be needed.

No matter how many letters are after your name, years you tout around or how many social media followers you have; if you aren’t always educating yourself you are in danger of becoming a static basic designer.

Image © Floral.today. All rights reserved.
Humble/Honesty: Don’t take a job you don’t have the right floral knowledge to succeed at, if someone is better fit for a job suggest those that will be better for said job.

If there isn’t enough time to properly educate yourself on a style or esthetic of design then you may do more damage then you are prepared for. Never waste your time or that of a company just taking jobs for the money or to fill a schedule as it will more times than not ruin your future freelance opportunities. Also don’t take jobs that you don’t like doing. If you don’t like doing shop design or mass production event design, why unhappily work for someone doing that kind of work. Your loathing of said design will show in your work or interactions around you.

One practice I try to use is saving freelance designers information I personally have worked with. Wether it’s saving their card or having an active google doc so I can suggest a good freelancer at a moments notice and actually know their work ethic and fit for particular companies. I would never suggest a freelancer that has more event design experience to a shop on mother’s day or valentines day or vice versa suggest a shop experience based freelance designer to a high-end event production company. Most designers I save hit points above as those that have a well rounded skill set, continues education and fit within any type of company expectations.

Image © Floral.today. All rights reserved.
“To be humble to superiors is a duty, to equals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness.” ― Benjamin Franklin

As someone that thrives off the new, exciting and adventurous arts of floral design, I can’t wait for all the great experiences future freelance jobs will create for me.

Signature
June 21, 2019 by
Floral Friday!, Floral Industry Contest, Industry Events, Uncategorized

2018 International Designer of the Year Entries

Compared to many international floral design competitions, the Fusion Flowers International Designer of the Year competition is one of a very few that actually is open and welcoming to any and all designers confident enough to enter. This is one of the greatest reason’s that this competition finds and polarizes some of the greatest floral designers of our time, all from their own, self entered design skill merit. 

Some of the most dreaded words for any competitor when receiving their results are “Unfortunately, the judges felt that this year your designs did not merit an award.” and those would be the exact results for our four submissions into the 2018 Fusion Flowers International Designer of the Year.

I allowed myself one half day of eating candy, moping around and feeling less than great but there is always the next competition, the next presentation and always the next design. With co-sponsoring and co-presenting a Great Lakes Floral and Event main-stage show and preparing for this years lineup of competitions and floral adventures, how can you let yourself get down with soo much opportunity and promise for 2019.

Looking back at 2018 with so many amazing results not only across close to twenty floral design competitions but also traveling and seeing even more of the floral industry across the world, it’s been a remarkable year. As I try my very best to catch you all up on the last year and a half of floral adventures in upcoming blogs and videos, here are our submissions for you to enjoy from the 2018 Fusion Flowers International Designer of the Year competition with categories, personal titles, and all the shabam! 

 

Category #1: ‘Inspired By’

Personal Title: ‘Inspired by Fire’
Photography By: Justin Lehman Photography

 

Category #2: ‘Nature’

Personal Title: ‘Hand Grown Mini Forest’
Photography By: Justin Lehman Photography

 

Category #3: ‘Architectural’

Personal Title: ‘Grass Vibrations’ 
Photography By: Justin Lehman Photography
Model: Joss Barton

 

Category #4: ‘Sympathy’

Personal Title: ‘Woven Peace’ 
Photography By: Justin Lehman Photography

 

So there we have it folks, our entries for the 2018 Fusion Flowers International Designer of the Year. This was one of the first times I submitted four entries fully realized into the competition and look forward to the 2019 Fusion Flowers International Designer of the Year. 

Huge thanks to Justin Lehman Photography for capturing these awesome shots along with Joss Barton for being a true ethereal goddess. 

 

You can find Floral.today next at the Great Lakes Floral and Event Expo on the main stage Saturday, March 2, 2019 along side Matthew Blind and Equiflor Rio Rose for ‘The Evolution of Style’! 

 

 

January 11, 2019 by
Backlogged Articles, Floral Friday!, Floral Industry Contest, Industry Events

Arteflorando, We Took A Trip To Italy!

We were invited to compete at Arteflorando SAFIA E20 representing Team USA and it was an amazing floral learning opportunity! This year had twelve teams coming with tons of talent and skill from across Europe and the USA to Leverano, Italy. 

The experience of competition in a European design competition has provided me with a new perspective to competition to go along with my relaxed approach to competitions and it has helped me take yet another step to becoming a better designer. Also making new face to face connections and friendships outside the American bubble was welcoming and refreshing. 

I hope you enjoy this slight glimpse into what was an amazing trip. 

 

Day #1 – Traveling 

Our first day was mostly filled with traveling to Brindisi, Italy where we spent the night before heading to the competition. Brindisi had the perfect relaxed vibe with gorgeous views around every corner. Unfortunately my luggage was lost but I was able to find cuter and better backup clothes and my bad appeared right as I got back to the airport the next morning.

Our time in Brindisi was filled with reading by the water or town center area, eating our way around the city and some light shopping. The next morning we popped back to the airport to meet up with other competitors and jury members to shuttle to Leverano for the competition. 

 

Day #2.5 – Competition Day Tasks 1 &2

We did have a day where we went from Brindisi to the competition in Leverano and stated prepping for the next day but I got busy and didn’t really get pictures of the day. Day 2.5 started off with the first task which was a interpretive design to “Italy, a country with numerous traditions” which opened up many possibilities of design ideas.

While one team interpreted lace and another pottery, we went with interpreting Il Malocchio, the Evil Eye and the horn charm to ward it off specifically. We also included woven hala birds to include the traditions of woven leaves in the church. I must admit I stumbled through this task and went into task two read and bettered prepared. 

Task two was a whole other design just titled to “Surprise Task” and oh my goodness it was such a fun surprise. Each team was given a three wheel vehicle I believe was called a “Piaggio Ape” with the task to create a design on the vehicle. Our product for this task was provided but we had to be smart with it because the provided product had to be used across task two and three.

We were allowed at this point to go foraging around for other grasses and product but I didn’t have a car and didn’t want to bother anyone so Marco (My awesome assistant) and myself worked with what we had. Our design ended up with a mohawk from the front to the end with a mix of skewered vegetables, wood pieces we broke from the vegetable boxes, and a mixture of warm colors. This design being a surprise task was 100% my preferred kind of competition design and it showed with our design taking 2nd for the task right behind the beautiful design created by Team Denmark. 

 

 

Day #3 – Task 3, Adventure and Awards

Team USA went into day three ready to go, we hit a comfortable stride after task 2 and the flowers we left for task three had us heading in with all white and green flowers. Task three was another surprise package but with the title “Surprise – Tremendous bouquet” everyone was already pretty prepared for the task. The only prompts we were given was it had to be free standing along with being tremendous.  

Though we had a slight language barrier Team Italy, Francesco and Antonella tossed me in their car for a chance to forage for some more product which I was very thankful to them for. Francesco helped me find a moderate variety of grasses and vines to enhance the oversize size, depth and texture of the overall design. I learned a valuable lesson in using a purely white and green color harmony as our score took a hit for lack of color and we also lacked on more advanced techniques. 

With a few hours to relax while judging was being finished and the awards ceremony was being prepared, it was time to see more Italy. Lene and Louis of Team Denmark kindly took me along with them for a wonderful lunch and then some beach time. We were able to put our feet in the water, enjoy the sun and relax before the awards ceremony. Once we got back there was time for a show and then heading to the awards ceremony.

Lene and Louis ended up taking first place with Francesco and Antonella taking third place. Their work was clean, had amazing technical work and we overall well executed. It was also nice to see other Floral Fundamental Ambassadors with two of us competing and three other’s judging. 

 

 

Thank you Ivan for including me and to all the awesome people I had the pleasure of meeting. Getting the experience of European competition was very eye opening to the way American’s hold floral competitions and compete. I hope to be invited back next year now that I’ve gotten to experience Arteflorando.

 

Make sure to check out the Arteflorando social media and website, and

maybe enquire about competing in 2019 while you’re there!

Signature

 

 

November 9, 2018 by
Floral Friday!, Floral Industry Contest, Industry Events

Floral Adventures – CAFA 2018 Fall Show

Welcome back!

While it’s been a while since a new article or content has been posted, we have returned after a break and oh what a break it has been!

 

We returned to Toronto, Canada for the 2018 Canadian Academy of Floral Art Fall Show and per usual it was awesome! So lets all grab a tasty beverage, a yummy snack and take a quick day by day jaunt into our floral adventure to CAFA.

 

DAY 1: TRAVELING // PREP

From St. Louis to Chicago and ending in Toronto, our first day was mostly traveling and preparing our competition piece. Our first task was getting to our friend Joseph Delarge’s store Wilbe Bloomin where we were kindly given a spot to work on our competition design and relax. 

 

Day 2: SHOW PREP // COMPETITION PREP

This year’s featured florist was David Ragg from Bournemouth, UK and the show was themed ‘Inspiration through Innovation’. David captivated with his focus of creating elevated work that was still sellable but professional floral designer focused. After a day of creating collars and show decor we headed out to finish up my competition, get some floral body-wear ready for the show and eat some yummy Vietnamese food.

 

DAY 3: Competition // Design Show 

The day finally arrived, competition and design show day, we started the day with a walk around the Toronto Botanical Gardens after dropping our competition piece off. Along with a demonstration show broken into two parts with a cocktail between there is also competition awards, CAFA Induction and other honors that are given out. David took us through many styles, techniques and products with a focus that inspired and innovated how you can elevate design as a educated professional. It was awesome to take away new techniques and to also see the new Oasis Floral Products ‘Midnight Foam’ in multiple applications involving floral and plant products. 

 

DAY 4: WORKSHOP // SIGHTSEEING

Weaving, binding, depth and a whole lot of energy was just small focus of a day of floral education with CAFA and David. It was refreshing to see board members able to also attend the class along side attendees as a lot of time they are already busy, burnt out and sadly sometimes think themselves above continued education. David had us thinking about the energy of our designs and how it impacts the overall. David and myself were treated to a trip to Joseph’s other location Eco|Stems and a beautiful walk through Toronto followed by a lovely dinner.

 

DAY 5: TRAVELING 

It was finally time to roll back to St. Louis and get organized for my next projects. CAFA always takes such good care of myself and the other attendants every year. I loaded myself into a Lyft bright and early and made my way to the airport filled with good memories, a hand made gift from my dear friend Abigail Hitchens of Petals in Thyme and lighter bags than when i arrived. 

 

To follow me around even more make sure to check out the vlog of our floral adventure through each day. 

 

Thanks for joining me for yet again another wonderful floral adventure and to the Canadian Academy of Floral Art for always being so great to me. Watch out for our Backlogged collection coming out soon from all our adventures around the world this past year. 

 

Till next time,

Signature

October 20, 2018 by
Floral Couture, Floral Friday!, Floral Industry Contest, Industry Events

Bronze For Floral.Today

The 2017 Fusion Flowers magazine International Designer of the Year competition is over and Floral.Today has taken another bronze this year!

We are so excited to share with you our design entries for this years competition.

Make sure to share with us which is your favorite!

 

Category: Transparent

Award: Bronze

Photographer: keithleeSTUDIOS

Location: lockerdome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category: Season

Photographer:  keithleeSTUDIOS

Location: lockerdome

Category: Energy

Photographer:  keithleeSTUDIOS

Location: lockerdome

 

 

 

 

Category: Foliage Focus

Photographer:  keithleeSTUDIOS

Location: lockerdome

Thank you to Keith Lee of keithleeSTUDIOS and his amazing second shooter Ray Prop for the awesome shots and all their patients! Big thanks also to Alison Bradley for hosting such a fun design competition and the wonderful judges,  Kubo Kazumasa (Japan), Pirjo Koppi (Finland) and Frédéric Dupré (France) for their time and talents.

It takes a lot of confidence and anxiety to enter your work for review so make sure to check out and congratulate all the other talented designers from around the world that placed!

New blog coming soon!

 

 

January 12, 2018 by
Extra, Floral Industry Contest, Products

YourLily Book Giveaway Winners!

We want to thank YourLily again for generously giving our followers four of their beautiful lily inspiration books!

Make sure you are following Ithos Iap and YourLily for tons more floral inspiration and floral fun!

 

Our Winners Are:

 

Property of Carmen Macias Castro

Carmen Macias Castro

Carmen Flor and Plants
Las Quintas, Culiacán, Sinaloa

 

 

 

 

 

Property of Lani Allen Callister

Lani Allen Callister

Ensign Wholesale Florist
Salt Lake City, Utah

 

Property of Doug Bates AIFD

Doug Bates AIFD

Designs by Vogt’s Floral & Gifts
Sturgis, MI

 

Property of Amanda Voss CFD

Amanda Voss Cfd

Voss Design and Events
Albuquerque, New Mexico

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to our 4 winners, they can look forward to their YourLily inspiration books arriving soon!

New floral adventures and happenings coming out soon, so stay tuned!

 

Till next time,

October 29, 2017 by
Floral Friday!, Floral Industry Contest, Products

YourLily Book Giveaway!

 

Van Den Bos – Tiny Epic

 

Jhon, lily grower and photographer, created Yourlily to inspire and promote the beauty, versatility and variety that lily’s provided to the world, Yourlily is continuing to grow and get better with each release.

Designed by Geertje Stienstra Sponsored by: ~ Floral Fundamentals ~ Van Den Bos – iBulb

 

Now on it’s third published book, Yourlily has taken us throughout holland, showing us the beauty of lily’s in wedding, everyday, sympathy and many more inspirational design styles.

Designed by Geertje Stienstra Sponsored by: ~ Floral Fundamentals ~ Van Den Bos – iBulb

Yourlily has shown us the beauty of lily’s in beautiful locations such as Scotland, St. Petersburg and Miami breathtaking scenery and communities.

Jhon presenting Lily Beelen the framed cover illustration from ‘lili wil bloeien’.

Floral.today was super lucky to meet Jhon and Yourlily at the Dutch Lily Days. Jhon seemed to always be the brightness in the room and could always be found with a smile on his face. Yourlily is his baby and the passion he shares with us is inspirational.

Jhon reading his new creation ‘lili wil bloeien’ to the gathered media and Dutch Lily Day colleagues.

Yourlily kindly gifted you our followers four fresh your lily books to win! Check out how to win one below!!

 

How To Win:
 2 Ways to Win
CONTEST CLOSED

Must be following
 
Floral.Today
iBulb
YourLily

or

Tag everyone below in your favorite lily design photo!


Floral.Today
iBulb
YourLily


 


 




Thank you to YourLily for filling our industry with beauty and inspiration and iBulb for giving Floral.today the amazing opportunity of attending Dutch Lily Days.


 


Stay tuned as we share more about iBulb and Dutch Lily Days in the coming weeks!


 


Till next time,



		
				
								
	

	
	

		
		
			
						July 14, 2017						
						by