Centerpiece Workshop(s) Recap!

Earlier this year, we hosted two Centerpiece Design Workshops at the studio. They were both fantastic, with great groups of ladies designing some gorgeous arrangements! Lora Grady was there for both workshops, capturing all the action, and taking photos of everyone's finished arrangements. I am so excited to share Lora's photos of the workshops with you! I was incredibly proud of everyone who attended the workshops- the ladies ranged from people pursuing floral design as a hobby to burgeoning floral designers starting their own businesses to relatively seasoned designers. I think you'll agree that all the attendees did amazing work! It was a real treat to see everyone's creativity. Here are a few highlights from the first workshop, in May:

 

 

 

 

For the second workshop in June, we had a whole different set of flowers to choose from. Check out some of the gorgeous arrangements made in this workshop!

Krisanna Reiff made some beautiful calligraphy tags for everyone's notebooks, and the garden was filled with foxglove and poppies (many of which you can see in the arrangements).

And of course, we did a group shot in front of the Cutting Garden!

Both workshops were amazing and inspiring!

We have another workshop scheduled for Oct. 4th, and there are still a few spots left! We cap our workshops at six people to ensure lots of personal attention- it makes for a really fun, educational experience. Our next one will center around Cafe au Lait dahlias. You can read all about it and register at this link: http://botanique.bigcartel.com/

Jess Hunter will be there to take photos of everyone's work, and she is incredible! You can check out her website here: http://www.jesshunterphotography.com

Hope to see you there!

Flower Crown Workshop Recap

We had our first Flower Crown Workshop at the studio on June 18th, and it was amazing!! Jenna Bechtholt was there to capture all the magic, and her photos really convey the focus, fun, and talent that were the hallmarks of the evening. I was completely blown away by the beautiful crowns that everyone made- I think you will agree as you look at the photos that everyone did amazing work!

We started out with a demo where I showed the mechanics of creating both simple and asymmetrical crowns, and then everyone got to work creating their own, unique crown. Students chose from a wide variety of flowers, and everyone's creativity really came out as people chose their ingredients and started working.

I floated around the room answering questions and helping if anyone got stuck, and also continued to give more tips and demonstration throughout the class.

As the ladies started finishing up their crowns, Jenna took each person outside to photograph them wearing their crowns. Look at these gorgeous woman with their gorgeous crowns!!!! I loved how everyone's crowns were so different, reflecting each person's style and color preferences.

At the very end of the workshop we had a few minutes to relax on the back porch of the studio, surrounded by the Cutting Garden. We had a great time! It is pretty hard to feel anything other than joyful when you have a flower crown on your head, and are talking with a bunch of amazing women who are also wearing flower crowns.....

We are planning a few more workshops for the fall- we don't have any specific dates set yet, but if you would like to be on the list to find out about future workshops, please email Kelly and emailbotanique{at}gmail{dot}com. Our workshops are small, with a six person maximum, so you get a lot of personal attention and can get all your questions answered. They also fill up quick! So let us know if you want to be added to the list to get first dibs on future workshops.

A big thank you to Jenna for taking such magical photos of the workshop!! Please check out her website at this link. And thank you to the amazing women who attended the workshop- you all blew me away with your talent and creativity!

A peek inside the Botanique Studio

A few months ago, back when the ranunculas, lilacs and tulips were flowering like crazy, my friend and amazing photographer Lora Grady stopped by the studio and took some photos. I am excited to share them with you! Welcome to my little, flower-filled world!

After taking some photos in the studio, we headed outside. Though the garden was just getting going for the year, I harvested hellebore, narcissus and camellia, foraged some lilac and huckleberry from our back alley, and went to work making an arrangement outside. I LOVE making arrangements that come solely from the garden/from foraged ingredients, and this one was no exception!

Lora and I had such a good time! If you're not already familiar with her work, click here to go check out her website. As you can see, she is an amazing photographer!

I hope you enjoyed this little visual tour of the studio and the making of a 100% local, seasonal arrangement.

AND....... just to keep it real, below are a few process shots of what it took to create this beautiful studio, starting with what the building looked like when we we bought our house, BEFORE we did a massive renovation. It has been a lot of work, but here is the living proof that hard work really pays off.

BEFORE: No windows, tilting sideways, and filled with all manner of totally nasty junk.

My dad came all the way out from Massachusetts to help us renovate the studio! What can I say, he's a great dad. Below, you can see him and Eli (my husband) putting on the new roof:

All framed out, and proud dad on ladder after putting on the exterior trim:

Drywall, windows, doors and paint, yippee!

Well, ok, I guess we had a little fun while working too....

Awesome light fixtures, sink and cabinet all found at Second Use (go there!)

And then came the shelving, organizing, etc! Suffice to say, it was a lot of work, but well worth it. And then there's the garden, which is a whole other story, and will have to be saved for another day!

Happy Weekend!