Foraged And Local Three Day Workshop

Francoise Weeks will be teaching Botanical Couture and Woodland Floral Design in Seattle for the first time

A three-day floral design workshop

Hosted by three Pacific Northwest floral artists

Get ready for a workshop that will be illuminating, productive and so much fun. Join Alicia Schwede of Flirty Fleurs, Francoise Weeks of Francoise Weeks European Floral Design, and Miles Johnson of Fiori Floral Design for a three day intensive of floral mastery using only foraged and locally grown product. These three talented floral artists are joining forces to share their diverse styles in one weekend. This will be Francoise’s first ever teaching appearance in Seattle! Attendees will be immersed in each artist’s unique vision in a way that will encourage the discovery of your own unique style. No matter what your personal style is, you will learn valuable skills from three seasoned teachers.

The workshop is being hosted at the famed Seattle Wholesale Growers Market

on September 28^th, 29^th and 30^th, 2018. Over the three days, attendees will engage in hands-on instruction with each instructor, learning techniques for flower care, color distribution, mechanics, botanical couture, and create an impressive woodland designed installation. The workshop will be documented by a professional photographer who will provide photographs with all rights for portfolio use and marketing.

What is Included:

We have packed a lot of value into the workshop. Attendees will benefit from guidance and encouragement from a team of seasoned instructors, social media exposure, and a package of professional photographs to use for your portfolio and marketing. The business discussion alone provides a rare opportunity for you to ask questions from professionals with over 50 years of combined experience. 

• Three days of hands-on instruction including personal time with each instructor. An explanation for why the instructors make each choice and which mechanics that are the best practice for the techniques being demonstrated so that the skills learned are easily transferable to each attendee's unique design style.
• A limited number of spaces will be offered so that each participant will have time to have meaningful interaction with each instructor. Feel free to ask about anything floral or business related during downtime.
• The floral arrangements, wearable art and major installation that are created during the workshop will be totally swoon-worthy. Each will be professionally photographed with copies of each attendees work transferred to them with the rights to use them for social media and marketing.
• Participants can learn during unstructured time how to take better pictures with their phone that are sure to win the internet.
• The opportunity to work with only foraged and locally grown flowers, many of which are grown by the instructors. All flowers, foliages, and containers used will be provided. You may keep every arrangement and wearable art piece that you create or the workshop team can donate it to a local women’s shelter if you are unable to take it home with you.
• A write up after the workshop on Flirty Fleurs Blog will mention each student with a photograph of their work and links to their website and social media accounts to increase their exposure.
• Lifelong friendships and community. Participants may decide what contact information and social media accounts they would like to share with the group so that everyone can stay in touch.
• Continental breakfast and a catered lunch each day.
• A gift basket of items personally selected by the instructors for their usefulness, helpful information, or because they are just plain fun.

 

Alicia Schwede will teach bridal bouquet mechanics and social media

Where:

The workshop is being held in the Seattle Wholesale Grower’s Market, a co-op of Pacific Northwest flower farmers located in the Georgetown neighborhood south of Downtown Seattle. This Seattle treasure provides locally grown fresh flowers, foliage, and plants to the floral industry. You will want to arrive early on Friday so that you will have time to browse their amazing offerings, especially the enormous variety of dahlias that their farmers bring in. The Market will be closed on Friday and Saturday.

Investment:

Tuition for the workshop is $1695. This will cover all materials for assignments, any handouts, and a continental breakfast and catered lunch. For registration after September 25^th please email Alicia at workshops@flirtyfleurs.com to confirm availability.

You may register using the link below or scroll down for more details.

Scholarship Opportunity:

All three of us feel that it is very important to assist floral artists who are starting out because we remember when we were that new florist. We want to jump-start your career with a scholarship for 25% of the tuition if you are a floral designer who has less than three years of experience in the floral industry. The scholarship applies to tuition only; lodging and transportation remain your responsibility. If you have questions or would like to apply for the scholarship, please email workshops@flirtyfleurs.com.

To apply for the scholarship:

• The scholarship is intended for new floral artists so you may not have more than a total of 36 months of floral design experience overall.
• Write one letter that is a minimum of one, single-spaced page and no more than three pages to the Foraged and Local Workshop team to tell us what this scholarship would mean for you and how you would apply what you learned.
• Follow Flirty Fleurs, Francoise Weeks and Fiori Floral Design on Instagram.
• Email your letter, resume or work history, and links to your social media accounts to workshops@flirtyfleurs.com. Please include the requested documents as an attachment to your email.

Upon receipt of your application, we will verify that you meet the criteria. This should take no more than two or three days. Once we have done that, you will receive an email confirmation of your acceptance for the workshop. This will be followed up by a separate email with your scholarship that you can use when you register online. Your registration must be completed by September 15th.

What is not included:

• You will be responsible for all travel arrangement to get to the Workshop (including airfare and car rental/train fare/etc.). The market is an easy Uber ride from all parts of Seattle.
• Accommodations are not included. However, we are happy to recommend nearby accommodations or we suggest checking out AirBnB listings for the Georgetown Neighborhood. 
• Tools (reminder: tools must be packed in checked-in bags and cannot be carried onto the plane)
• Evening meals 

Miles will teach color distribution and flower care and lead a panel discussion on growing your business

The Schedule Of The Day: Friday, September 28th

8:00am  Browse the flowers at  Seattle Wholesale Grower’s Market

Start Time: 8:30 Gather for coffee, tea, and treats and get to know each other during introductions

Morning Session: Miles will kick off our three days together with teaching his blueprint technique for flawless florals.

Lunch Time: Enjoy a catered lunch

Afternoon Session: Francoise will share her passion for intricate floral design – get ready to try your hand at creating botanical couture jewelry!

Day Concludes, enjoy a free evening in Seattle!

The Schedule Of The Day: Saturday, September 29th

Start Time: 8:30 Gather for coffee, tea, and treats

Morning Session: Ask the Experts! Get your pens & notepads ready as we’ll start the day with a business session. Your instructors spill the beans on anything that you want to know (almost).

Lunch Time: Enjoy a catered lunch

Afternoon Session: Bodacious bridal bouquets with Alicia – design time to create your own work of art!

The afternoon session continued: Grab a refreshing drink, sit back and relax while Alicia and Miles have a “Vase-Off” each making an arrangement using the same flowers. No doubt it will be entertaining!

Day Concludes, enjoy a free evening in Seattle!

The Schedule Of The Day: Sunday, September 30th

Start Time: 8:30 Gather for coffee, tea, and treats

Morning Session: Get your woodland fix and create an arrangement with Françoise where you’ll explore the use of foraged forest elements and create a unique design.

Lunch Time: Enjoy a catered lunch and afternoon project planning

Afternoon Session:  Create a large installation inspired by Woodland Textures. Choose from one of two creations to make as a team.

Day Concludes, closing conversation, gratitude and send off

Your Instructors

Alicia Schwede

Alicia Schwede started her floral career in 2003 when she launched Bella Fiori in Denver, CO. Within two years she was winning awards for her floral art and receiving the first of over 40 features in print and nearly 100 articles online.

Alicia launched her website Flirty Fleurs in 2010 as a blog to share her love of flowers with others, celebrate great floral designers, and support other florists. It has become one of the most heavily trafficked websites in the industry as she shares a wealth of information. She has become a leader in the industry and is a sought-after adviser to growers, wholesalers and florists alike. She has her own collection of bulb flowers offered by Longfield Gardens.

Alicia has published a book of bridal bouquets titled Bella Bouquets, and the magazine Flirty Fleurs.

Since 2007 she has been teaching more than a dozen workshops each year, as well as private instruction and mentoring.

Alicia serves as an industry liaison on the board of directors of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market - a co-op of flower farmers in Washington and Oregon. She takes on the occasional wedding through her studio, Bella Fiori in Arlington, WA outside of Seattle.

Francoise Weeks

Françoise Weeks, born in Belgium, has infused her work with a quintessential European reverence for flowers and nature. Combined with creativity and mechanical ingenuity, she has crystallized her singular style of Textural Woodlands and Botanical Haute Couture pieces, garnering a global following.

Her generosity of knowledge and perspective in the use of floral materials, structure, and techniques, create rigorous and exciting learning opportunities for her students to explore all that nature has to offer.

Françoise’s studio is located in Portland, OR. She teaches workshops in her studio and offers online courses and skype classes as well. She also has taught in many cities in the US - in studios, at wholesalers, garden clubs, and conferences - and in Mexico, England, Sweden, China and Australia. Later this year she will teach in Iceland and in Canada.

Her dynamic work has been published in national and international publications.

Miles Johnson

Miles Johnson’s began his career in floral design in 2003 with the purchase of Seattle’s first floral design studio, Fiori Floral Design. His focus has always been on building his brand through impeccable detail, an amazing staff, and being completely focused on customer service

He has been teaching ten to fifteen workshops per year since 2007. Miles has refined his teaching methods to help anyone create better floral designs. Whether you have never put flowers into a vase or have been designing for years, the guidelines that he shares help take the mystery out of creating beautiful floral designs and will help you refine your technique.

Fiori Floral Design is located in Seattle, WA. Miles maintains an urban cutting garden with 50-year-old lilac trees, 7 varieties of hydrangeas, numerous hellebores, nine varieties of muscari, heucheras, Pieris japonica, peonies, camellia and is trying his hand at growing dahlias for the first time. He serves on the board of directors of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market where he chairs the marketing committee.

Cancellation policy:

The Foraged and Local instructors have spent a lot of time and energy planning and preparing for this workshop to give you the best possible experience at an incredible value. We regret that we are not able to offer refunds for any reason including but not limited to any kind of emergency, travel breakdown, no-shows, or acts of God. You are strongly encouraged to purchase travel insurance for protection against natural disasters and unforeseen circumstances. You may transfer your registration to another person as long as the workshop team is notified by email of the transfer. Notification that the registration has been transferred may be sent to workshops@flirtyfleurs.com and must be received by midnight on September 25th. The initial registrant is responsible for collecting any payment from the person who is assuming their registration. The workshop team is unable to assume any responsibility for collecting payment for a transferred registration.

The Foraged and Local team reserves the right to cancel the workshop if there are less than six (6) attendees. In the unlikely event that the workshop is canceled all registration fees will be refunded within 90 days.