On the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd April Wendy Andrade taught classes at Melanie Webb’s Flower School, she gave experienced florists classes on her craft choices and techniques. We got an insight from Mel on the weekend activities and how it all went.

Melanie Webb Flower School

Day one
The first day of our Flower school consisted of all things jewellery! Wendy took us through the basics of aluminium wire and how it can be twisted and spun into beautiful things. We started with spiralling the aluminium wire into a frame for necklaces, this was a perfect start for the ladies as most were florists so were used to working with intricate materials. However, the techniques that Wendy taught were something new to them, this is something they seemed to be fascinated by. We then moved on to wristlets and corsage designs which had a base of the thin aluminium wire and was also new to the ladies so fantastic that we could introduce them to something completely different.

Wendy introduced lots of new techniques over the first day and it was exciting to see her work. For example, the lacing technique with bullion wire, this created lovely leaf details to the wristlets and could be used for the base of an earring.

Then we waved off one of the ladies and prepped for the second day at the pub, where we had a good natter about things in the industry and what we had learnt that day.

Day two
Today was about bouquets and things we could carry instead of wear, we started by making the framework for the hand tied bouquets with strands of aluminium wire. Beads and curly tube wire were then added to the ends of this wire and curled in a way to create movement, this is a brilliant base to work with as there is so much you can do with it. Wendy demonstrated many ways that this technique could be used which was inspirational to the others and their designs. This was when we used the bullion wire technique that we learnt yesterday but this time for creating petals. We also used pipe cleaners, of all things, to create a base to glue onto which became the tapestry massed bouquet.

Overall, the feel and experience of the two days was great! It was lovely to see people using new techniques and materials to create beautiful pieces that they were proud of, there was also the opportunity for people to meet and florists to natter about the business.

We all want to thank Country Baskets for the support with the workshop which meant we could get to know the products that they provide and each other.

As well as being a part of Melanie Webb’s Flower School, Wendy is also a part of a lot more including writing. Keep reading to find out more.

Wendy Andrade

The creative backbone for the Flower School of the April dates was the wonderful Wendy Andrade. Wendy is a freelance florist who also creates pieces of beautiful and intricate jewellery, she has now started passing on her knowledge and creativity through workshops, one of which was Melanie Webb’s!

Something else that Wendy has worked on is writing, she released her debut book ‘Fresh Floral Jewellery’ in 2013 and will be releasing another in September this year titled ‘Floral Accessories’. Wendy’s new release will feature chapters on the materials that she prefers to use for her creations and what is the best way to use them. This includes a chapter dedicated to Country Baskets, we are honoured to be a part of something so exciting! The chapter will be on the wires that we provide and the ways that she uses them, this is a great way to start out in arts and crafts as it can be difficult to find a place to start or could also be used by someone who is wanting to expand their knowledge.

By passing on her knowledge and techniques to others through teaching and writing she is helping to open people’s minds to other craft forms and ways that floristry can be combined with other arts and crafts.