Showing posts with label Inspiration Boards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration Boards. Show all posts

Let the Sun Shine!


Let's take a side trip from the polished pinks and purples emerging from the bridal magazines in 2010 and show a little sun. Sun-flower that is. This yellow gem is another part of the Radonich Ranch Series photographed by Chyna Darner. Love this theme! It is called Sun Country on the website and makes me feel a little warmer on a cold day. The ball you see on the top of the centerpiece could easily be floating in a pool at a wedding. How fun would that be?

Posted in: on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at at 8:43 AM 0 comments  

Love in Lace: Radonich Ranch Part 4


Without spilling too many photos of the vintage looks created by the team at Radonich Ranch, I can't help but show some more soft and wistful images. This vignette is partly a table scape that reflects some of the amazing lace tablecloths and blankets that Robin now has in her antique store/bridal boutique. I love the colors and the feeling I get from the images in a story board.
(This collection also features a full yet delicate cascade bouquet. This is something that is certain to keep showing up in future bridal trends for 2010 and possibly beyond. I already have brides asking for shapes that are less "round" and more textured.)

My hope is that this inspires the brides out there who are ready to cut their wedding from the cloth of vintage and the still enjoy comforts of our modern world.

Posted in: , , on Friday, November 27, 2009 at at 8:05 PM 0 comments  

Lemon Drop Dahlias

It's no secret that I love candy. Perhaps that is why I use it in floral designs and inspiration boards all the time. Love, like candy and flowers, is sweet! I think candy buffets, soda stations, chocolate tasting tables, and all the like are fabulous additions to any wedding or reception. I noticed at a recent wedding that the candy buffet we set up was most appreciated at the end of the night. It kept dancing guests energized and gave them something to snack on after the food was no longer available. Of course, nothing is better that well made wedding cake, but these additional sweets will only enhance any celebration!


That said, I offer a sweet centerpiece that is a bit unique. As a designer I am constantly trying new shapes, sizes, and mediums. The dahlias and rose petals look a bit lamp-like with a candy lemon drop filled acrylic post. This would be funky for a cocktail area especially if I decided to light them from within. Enjoy!

Posted in: on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at at 8:11 AM 0 comments  

Inspiration Board: Golden Garden Roses

As promised I have a small inspiration board for the golden garden roses in the bouquet of the week. I used the same variety on a metal fashion form and the results are as sweet and feminine as the roses themselves. I wish garden roses were a little more hearty so I could use them in abundance for brides, but their delicate nature is part of the allure and rarity that makes them so very special.

Posted in: on Sunday, July 26, 2009 at at 12:07 AM 0 comments  

Blue and Green Inspiration

Our final exam in floral school this Thursday was bridal bouquets. The teacher needed someone in a wedding dress to model the bouquets and there were only two of us students who volunteered. It was quite a sight to see me in the parking lot with my full bridal gear on. It looked like I stopped to take my final exam before I got married! Total strangers were even congratulating me. I should dress like that more often. Above is the photo of me in my gown primping a bouquet before class. The collection below of Blue and Green is inspired by an upcoming wedding and the actual client sample from a previous blog post. I can't wait to see this blue garden wedding come to life and I am glad school is out for me.

Posted in: , on Monday, May 25, 2009 at at 9:46 AM 0 comments  

Candied Watermelon: Bouquet of the Week


This week at school the flowers were all in hues of green and pink. As you can see from the competition piece on my last blog entry they are a fun and scrumptious combination. The bouquet of the week was made yesterday and even though I don't use carnations typically in bouquets, this one works somehow! I think it's innocent, fun, fragrant, and most of all delicious. If one was opposed to carnations, this would easily be ramped up with some roses or plush peonies.


The accompanying inspiration board is just for kicks. I have never personally seen a watermelon themed wedding, but it actually sounds unique. Everyone loves fruit and this could be a new trend in the eco-weddings; complete with centerpieces in watermelon halves! I love it!

Enjoy!

Karin
Images from:

Posted in: , , on Friday, May 8, 2009 at at 1:43 PM 3 comments  

Bouquet of the Week




This week's bouquet is a style that looks much better when held upright. I admit it's my hand in the photo! The purple mini Phalaenopsis Orchids are fun to work with and pretty hearty in the heat. I look forward to future orchid work!
In the meantime I offer a mini suite of photos that compliment the bouquet.

Enjoy!

Posted in: , on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at at 11:40 PM 0 comments  

Stephanotis Dream


In school Thursday there was a donation from a local grower of several full boxes of pristine, white, plump Stephanotis. Our class was just before Spring break therefore we had the privilege of taking home a box each of the fragrant and pricey flower. Martha Stewart had an all Stephanotis wreath in her Weddings magazine five years ago and the photo claimed it was beautiful but a budget "splurge"! This was truly a fortune in flowers given to me.
Also that night Michael Daigian stopped by to show us some of his most popular bridal bouquets. It was a lesson I'll never forget. He is a friendly and calm personwho had the entire room enchanted by his presence. http://www.michaeldaigian.com/
It was a real treat to both learn from a master and have the hundreds of Stephanotis to work with at my studio. You wouldn't believe the aroma of these blooms!This is the inspiration board that I came up with for the week.
Enjoy the Stephanotis Dream!

Posted in: , on Monday, April 6, 2009 at at 2:48 PM 0 comments  

Ranunculus & Roses


Today's inspiration board is unabashed in it's hue. Pink is on my mind again and these double ranunculus fit the part so well. When I design, I always have the big picture in mind. It may take days to create in my spare time, but I steal every extra minute I can to complete the idea.
In this montage, Orlando roses are sugary sweet and paired with quince and some fresh geranium leaf. The container with the open door was an impulse purchase and I have been waiting to fill it with flowers that were bright enough to be noticed inside.
The horizontal wreath is something I am really excited about. It's a cross between a may pole and a flat table wreath and I can't wait to someday use it as a large centerpiece in a wedding.
It's funny how the mind always wanders back to food when describing color and texture, but I can't help but imagine cotton candy today.

Posted in: on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at at 12:30 AM 0 comments  

School Project & Bouquet of the Week





This past week during all of the other plans and happenings at Haute Horticulture, I had to take several days to work on my mid term for floral school. This particular project was to come up with a theme and create samples that formed a cohesive "wedding" in a group of 5 people. Victoria, Kim, Monica, Vlada, and I worked on Hollywood Glamour and this is what we came up with. It is more feathers and jewels than I have ever worked with, but I think the finished product attracts a lot of attention. Since I was in charge of the feathered bouquet I will also make this my Bouquet of the Week. I think the ladies and I are all ready for the next challenge!

Also, I must say thank you to Nancy who let us use the studio on a very rainy yet productive evening. She is an avid supporter of floral awareness and education.

Posted in: , , on Friday, March 13, 2009 at at 10:25 PM 0 comments  

Sugar and Cream


An inspiration board for those of you who enjoy white wedding flowers... It is pure, elegant, and traditional like no other color. The idea for this is very full & lush garden bunches as opposed to that of a loosely picked country feel. I love the cream accents to add that little distraction from what would otherwise be an avalanche of flowers.

Enjoy!

Posted in: on Friday, February 20, 2009 at at 9:56 PM 0 comments  

Sunny Forecast

The topic of yellow came up again but this time it was in class. The professor wanted us to work with canary hues on Thursday because yellow is projected to be the "it" color for 2009. This remains to be seen...I just so happened to make a gift bouquet Friday morning and decided to combine all of my recent photos and others from the net into a sunny inspiration suite. Enjoy!

Posted in: on Sunday, January 25, 2009 at at 11:15 PM 0 comments  

Got Grunge?

Fashion is a strange force. We are helpless against its powers of persuasion. The 80's are back in a big way and it's not odd at all right now that I am dressed like Debbie Gibson (leggings and a long pink sweater) when I go out to meet clients. I didn't even dress like Debbie Gibson in 1987!

The inspiration board above is my ode to salmon and grapefruit, just some of the 80's comeback colors for 2009 brides. I am enjoying teal too, but haven't had a chance to work with it this year.
(Since this board is purely for inspiration, not all of the photos are my own)

The super 80's fad leaves one question: When this phase is over and we are all burning our skinny jeans, what is left? My mentor Nancy had suggested Grunge one day. I gasped, "How can you interpret that into a wedding?" and here is the answer. It is a photo from a Wedding show in San Francisco that was held at the Four Seasons. The show was amazing! Wayne and I had so much fun & met so many great vendors, so when I saw this table I was speechless. It's a grunge wedding table! WOW! This post is for all of you who did grunge the first time. Enjoy the "unplugged" acoustic styled table that is all but missing flannel chair covers. I am amazed at the creativity and yet baffled by what is to come. Will we all be wearing grunge again? Too soon to tell... or is it?

Posted in: , on Monday, January 19, 2009 at at 9:10 PM 0 comments  

Hello Yellow!



I have been thumbing through my recent Pottery Barn and CB2 Catalogues to find a return to yellows for this spring. The photographs above are of my own experiments with canary and green. I mixed mini cymbidium orchids, callas, roses, spider mums, new hydrangea, and "super green" roses for this eye catching inspiration board.
For 2009 I am really thinking about butter yellow. It seems to act as a neutral and blend well with the likes of grey, country blue, pink, and countless others. I can't wait to blend some light yellow tinted narcissus into a spring arrangement. They are one of my very favorite flowers; fussy to use, but well worth the effort!

I love all yellows, as does my boss and most influential mentor, Nancy. I have had conversations in the past with her about the kind of bride that pulls off a true yellow wedding. It made me want to be that brassy kind of woman. I have seen the most stunning photographs come from a color scheme of black, yellow, and white. Sometimes yellow and black are best reserved for bumble bees, but my Nancy made it her usual elegant style and reigned in those bold tones & flowers for a beautiful finish. That's what separates the amateur from the pro.

For me, working with Nancy has been such an amazing experience that may be best placed on it's own separate special page (later this week I may just do that). In the mean time I will summarize her influence on me as something I didn't know I needed and now I don't know what I would do without.

Posted in: on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at at 9:17 AM 0 comments  

Contemporary Christmas






When looking for inspiration one of my favorite online communities to consult is called Ubloom. http://www.ubloom.com/ It is not a secret society but rather a welcoming place for professionals and hobbyists alike. I enjoy watching the JTV webisodes hosted by J. Schwanke who is a great resource for step-by-step instruction on arrangements. I also love to learn from the pros around the country. One such featured designer was Beth O'Reily, AIFD. She won a ubloom contest with her amazing Calla Lily Tower. I knew once I saw the tower that I had to try it! My friend Karina was gracious enough to trust my experiments on her Christmas party this year and the results were stunning. Her mantle looked so vivid and contemporary that one of her guests was tapping the tulips to check if they were real while another commented, "Did you get those at Pottery Barn?". I love the store myself so I take that as a compliment. There are some houses that are open and accepting of decoration, much like a square box always makes a beautiful wrapped present. Karina's house is a dream to fill with flowers every time!

Posted in: , , on Saturday, January 3, 2009 at at 10:28 PM 1 comments  

The Sweetest Thing






My first inspiration board for the year originated with a box of Godiva chocolates that my Aunt snuck into my suitcase on a recent trip. The quinticential gold box was the fondation of my Cocoa & Candy project, which also served as my final exam in class this Winter. Later I donated the flowers and candy to the Senior Center of Santa Clara. It is a magnificent facility if you ever get the chance to visit! Even though candy buffets have been done in the past, there is just something about those regal apothecary jars that I cannot resist! Here is a sneak peek from the soon to be chocolate page in my website. Chocolate and Champagne - The Sweet Life!

Posted in: on Friday, January 2, 2009 at at 11:42 AM 0 comments  

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