Come join us  for this hands-on class and learn to design creative Valentine Posies on Sunday afternoon, February 7 or Monday evening February 8. You will take your creation home!

Valentine’s Day does not have to mean red roses… Flower varieties are so plentiful around this holiday. Delight your loved one with a scrumptious design: a topiary, a flower purse, a textured arrangement with succulents,…

Sunday February 7         2:00 – 4:30pm   $75

Monday February 8        6:30 – 9:00pm   $75

Call to reserve your space @ 503-236-5829

https://francoiseweeks.com/wordpress/classes

The hands-on classes are limited to 8 students per class and are conducted at Françoise’s Studio – 2754 SE 33^rd Place.  Prices include flowers, supplies, use of tools, and best of all, your creation goes home with you!  Receipt of your check (or payment with Paypal) for the full tuition secures your place in the class.

Groups Welcome

If you’re thinking of bringing together a group to take one of our classes, we’d like to help you out: If your group is between 5 and 8 people, the organizer receives 50% off their registration price. You may choose from one of the existing classes, or coordinate a time and date of your choosing.

A fun idea for birthday parties, showers or team-building events, call 503 236 5829 to coordinate a time that works best for you and your friends.

Gift Certificates Available for All Classes

Here are some examples of what you will learn. If you would like to order an arrangement for your Valentine’s Day, please call at 503-236-5829

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

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Fun and different!

Flower purses  make  wonderful hostess gifts and are perfect centerpieces for smaller tables.

Or would you like a unique bride’s bouquet or bridesmaid’s bouquet? As always, the possibilities are endless!

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Two more months before the Spring officially starts – but luckily there already are plenty of cut  spring flowers available: tulips, daffodils, ranunculus, anemones, hellebore  and primroses as well as  blooming branches like forsythia, hamamelis  and quince. What a treat!

In my garden the crocus and miniature daffodils have been poking  through the soil for the last 3 weeks. Soon I will cover them with a warm blanket of black gold: mushroom compost. It is such a fabulous soil amendment and the plants thrive on it. I am thrilled that the various hellebores – a favorite! –  have started to bloom already – in my book, spring is right around the corner…

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

Kathryn Elsesser

The new class schedule for the winter/spring classes is up on my website.

http:/francoiseweeks.com/wordpress/classes/

You will learn how to utilize the bounty of the Willamette Valley, whether from backyard gardens,  the local farmer’s market or the grocery. Classes emphasize readily-available materials and common household items to create one-of-a-kind arrangement that are an expression of your unlimited creativity and ingenuity. These classes will change the way you look at your own garden, our abundant landscape and the world around you. Please call early to reserve your place!(503-236-5829).

The hands-on classes are limited to 8 students per class and are conducted at my studio – 2754 SE 33rd Place, Portland, OR 97202. Prices include flowers, supplies, use of tools, and best of all, your creation goes home with you! Receipt of your payment by check or Paypal for the full tuition secures your place in the class. Deposits are non-refundable, but exchanges will be considered.

Groups Welcome

If you’re thinking of bringing together a group to take one of our classes, we’d like to help you out: If your group is between 5 and 8 people, the organizer receives 50% off their registration price. You may choose from one of the existing classes, or coordinate a time and date of your choosing.

A fun idea for birthday parties, showers or team-building events, call 503 236 5829 to coordinate a time that works best for you and your friends.

Here are some examples of what you will learn:

Fresh Flower Arranging For Beginners

Joni Shimabukuro

Ron Weeks

Valentine Posies

Joni Shimabukuro

Ron Weeks

Joni Shimabukuro

Early Spring Living Wreath

Joni Shimabukuro

Ron Weeks

Creative Easter Baskets

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

Woodland Arrangements

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

Nicole Wickens

Mother’s Day Gift

Jamie Bosworth

Jamie Bosworth

Joni Shimabukuro

Last week I participated in the Art of Wedding Bridal Show at the Gerding Theater; it was  a perfect opportunity to introduce a few whimsical bridal bouquets. Inspired by ideas in european design books that I bought during my last trip back home, I sparingly incorporated new elements:  sisal, a natural fiber, along with a variety of decorative wires, a few pearls and feathers. Et voilà! what fun it was to patiently add a new set of details in bouquets!

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Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

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There may not be an extensive variety of green flowers, but the ones that are available such as  hellebore, alchimella, cymbidium orchids, viburnum, bouvardia and buplurum are all favorites. However, there is so much green texture available that makes these arrangements fabulous: green berries, such as hypericum, unripe black berries and blue berries, berzillia, to name a few and many  herbs, for example: rosemary, sage, rue, thyme, lavender,  parsley… Amazing seedpods of poppies, nigella, moneyplant, peonies, scabiosa, lotus and so many others add interest to bouquets; succulents and unusual foliage of begonias, some ferns, heart-shaped leaves of cyclamen are great choices also.  Are you intrigued? Check out some examples:

Jamie Bosworth

Jamie Bosworth

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Even though the selection of flowers and texture is certainly limited at this time of the year, the choices of white blooms shine. Early bulb flowers, such as tulips, anemones, paperwhites, ranunculus, cyclamen and hyacinths are here!  Add to these the year-around availability of freesia, roses, sweetpeas, lilies, iris and phlox and voilà, the choices are abundant. Kale, parsley, brussel sprouts, small fruits, succulents, berries, evergreen foliage and vines from the garden will complement the arrangements beautifully!

An easy project in winter is to force paperwhites or hyacinths in water or soil; watching them grow steadily is fun and once they bloom, their fragrance will fill the room. My Mom used to force hyacinths every winter;  their scent always elicits fond memories.

Thank you Joni and Jamie for photographing these winter arrangements!

Joni Shimabukuro

Joni Shimabukuro

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July 25, 2009

Wedding Site: Abernethy Center

Photography: Shannon and Alec Varis with  Redcouch Photography

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September 6, 2009

Wedding site: Viewpoint Inn

Photographer: Jessica Hill

Cake: Dream Cakes

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