Letter Floral Tributes

[treen]

I have given myself a head ache today doing a project on my computer that is WAY beyond my capabilities:wallhead:

I need a bit of light distraction and as I have had so many users ask me about the pics I posted on the gallery of the ROSEMARY tribute I thought I'd share them with you here.

The pics are pretty self explanatory but if you have any questions please do ask I'll be happy to FILL YOU IN so to speak:bouquet2:

 

[twiggy]

In the 2nd picture.. i see you are attaching it to a table or stand? and then where/how are they displayed at the service?
here in Nevada we do lots of tribute pieces on easels, but yours would be much to heavy to display that way.
What you do is so inspiring to so many of us!

 

[treen]

Finished Tribute with close ups

This gives a lot more scope in terms of colour and design alternatives than those you can acheive with the standard letter tribute frames. The customer really appreciates the attention to detail. I love to add the little finishing touches like the butterflies. They cost next to nothing and really leave a lasting impression.

HAVE FUN:bouquet2:

 

[treen]

In the 2nd picture.. i see you are attaching it to a table or stand? and then where/how are they displayed at the service?
here in Nevada we do lots of tribute pieces on easels, but yours would be much to heavy to display that way.
What you do is so inspiring to so many of us!

We don't use the easel stands here! I have this pic which shows the tribute on the hearse. The flowers are laid at the grave side or in the case of a cremation on the dedicated plot at the crematorium.

 

[Carrieann]

What kind of stand do you use? Where do you get it from?

It looks like you design these on full sheets of wet foam, not syrofoam. Is that correct?

 

[twiggy]

how many hours did this piece take to do? and how many flowers are involved?
That is an oasis wet foam you are using (or similar)? I think people here would love something like this, however I don't know where to find the large piece of foam.. and also it would have to be displayed upright, as our services and expectations are a little different here.
they are just SO COOL.. I have to find a way to make it work for me, here in Yerington! thanks for sharing!

 

[treen]

What kind of stand do you use? Where do you get it from?

It looks like you design these on full sheets of wet foam, not syrofoam. Is that correct?

We do use wet-able oasis which is available in many, many sizes. It is also possible to join these together when necessary. I use an electric jigsaw to cut out whatever shape I need. I have never, even seen a piece of syrofoam (or is it styrofoam?).

The "leg sets" we use are easily available from Smithers Oasis or any of our wholesalers here. Do you have Oasis products in the States?

The legs come with little plastic screws that imbed into the hard side of the oasis and are really strong.

The attachments show me using my trusty, electric jigsaw. You can cut things in to really, intricate shapes really neatly with one of these.

 

[Michelle McMichael]

Sadly, as someone has posted before, many of the Smithers products available in the UK are not offered in the US.

For example, all of the foam shapes shown on this UK Smithers page are not offered here. Some pretty cool stuff!

Thanks for sharing your work. Maybe we can band together and get Smithers to offer those items here, too!

P.S. -- Look at these cool bouquet handbags they offer there, too! Cool!

 

[treen]

how many hours did this piece take to do? and how many flowers are involved?
That is an oasis wet foam you are using (or similar)? I think people here would love something like this, however I don't know where to find the large piece of foam.. and also it would have to be displayed upright, as our services and expectations are a little different here.
they are just SO COOL.. I have to find a way to make it work for me, here in Yerington! thanks for sharing!

As I said in the previous post I haven't used the Syrofoam? product you use in the US. I cant imagine that it would be any heavier than the Oasis Foam we use here. I don't see any reason (as long as it was only lightly sprayed with water and not oversoaked) why a sheet of oasis wouldn't attach to your easels. How do you fix your tributes to these stands?

Each of these things are really unique in terms of time and materials. These letter designs are pretty easy compared to some of the detailed tributes (like the Police Badge). A 3 or 4 letter tribute wouldn't take more than a couple of hours ...... even taking into account the frame construction. Materials wise......... I would buy 15 stems of our double AYR for each letter. I am pretty methodical when it comes to massing/basing with these flowers but I actually find it a lot quicker to grade the head size as I'm cutting them from the stem and then using them accordingly to achieve a neater result.

 

[treen]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!

Sadly, as someone has posted before, many of the Smithers products available in the UK are not offered in the US.

For example, all of the foam shapes shown on this UK Smithers page are not offered here. Some pretty cool stuff!

Thanks for sharing your work. Maybe we can band together and get Smithers to offer those items here, too!

P.S. -- Look at these cool bouquet handbags they offer there, too! Cool!

I can feel an IMPORT opportunity here!!!!! That's amazing!!!! You guy's must have an alternative?

If only I had a bag full of money to invest ........WOW..... what a great opportunity!!!!

 

[Michelle McMichael]

This Smithers page shows the Oasis sculpting sheet we can get here in the US. It is a wettable foam attached to a non-wet backing sheet. It looks like it might be similar to what you are cutting your shapes from?

If it is, we have indeed attached this to an easel before, when we had to make a specialty shape.

Interesting to see how you work the mechanics. Thanks so much for sharing the photos!

 

[twiggy]

The tributes i've done are the basic things like wreathes, crosses, solid hearts, ect.. they all have a place on the back to hang on an easel.

I haven't worked with the oasis sheets (local wholesale places near here don't have them) Maybe others here have.

 

[treen]

I've just had a look at the US Smithers Oasis product site. You seem to have access to these products. There is no reason you couldn't use these sheets on your easels.

 

[JCT]

I love your piece in the hearse - it's stunning. Most hearses in the states have tinted windows, so you wouldn't be able to see a piece like this as well. Just love it though!! Perhaps it's something we could do to be placed inside the casket during 'visiting hours', an alternative to a casket mound. jenny

 

[RWK]

\I used to work at a heavy funeral work shop and I wanted some of those UK Smithers frames and at AIFD National, I was told that there was no direct chain from Sm ithers UK to here and they were not going to develop one.

 

[bloomz]

Wow that is really spectacular Treen.

Might I ask how much you charged for that?

I *think* that sculpting sheet to be quite costly here.

 

[remus]

We do use wet-able oasis which is available in many, many sizes. It is also possible to join these together when necessary. I use an electric jigsaw to cut out whatever shape I need. I have never, even seen a piece of syrofoam (or is it styrofoam?).

Think you will find that the styrofoam is ths harder backing foam on the sheet.
The old style of designer sheets had a hard light green foam as the backing. Now some of the makes seem tho have a softer dark green foam more like dry oasis as the backing to the board.

 

[treen]

?

I assume you don't wet this styrofoam at all? Does that mean you have to wire anything you put in it and it has no water source?

I don't get it......... I am sure the boards that have a wet-able surface and a hard back wouldn't be any heavier .... would they?

 

[sweetpeas]

Treen, I see a new business in your future ! Making " how to" designs on DVD.
It must be difficult to explain all the steps I would be willing to purchase a DVD to teach me how to from start to finish.
Thanks for sharing you are an inspiration.

 

[treen]

I really don't have a mind for the video thing.blush:

I have posted some really detailed step thrus on the UK's Florist News Forum and have really enjoyed sharing with others. It is inspirational for me that anyone would find my methods in the least bit interesting.

I would truly love to write a book but am always so busy just making the two ends of my circle meet that until I retire I probably won't ever have the time:smoke