College - The Final Week - Fingers Crossed!!

As it turns out not quite the last week, but I now only have 2 arrangements left to go - both re-takes and both to improve my overall grade.  I can say now that the Diploma is in the bag so to speak it is just the final grades etc.

So this week I needed to complete my final written assignment and my final practical assignment, and then had 3 re-sits to get grades up from mere passes!

So the final written assignment was completed and sods law, throughout all the written work I have had no problems with the printer, well other than having to change ink carts.  So printing out the final draft of the final assignment the printer decides to jam, I had to get Mike to help, I left him to it and had a shower as I was starting to get a bit agitated, as you would well imagine.  He fixed it and it was printed off and put in it's folder.  I got a huge assignment back this week the shop display module and I had done well, so I've got a Distinction for that whole unit - so very pleased with that, lots of hard work and research paid off.

My final practical assignment was the circlet from the wedding unit, I had managed to get Distinctions in all the other practical work, so wanted to keep my grades up and decided to have another practice of this on Monday and then tackle for real on Wednesday.  The practice went well, a couple of bits I needed to tweak so on Wednesday I was all set and produced the circlet below, I was pleased and got the grade I needed - so I am now only waiting for my written work back to complete the unit.  I love the simple colour scheme here and the gold leaves were so useful, the timing of this piece is quite tight, 60 minutes and that includes having to cost it out too.  All the items in the circlet are wired and taped, which takes some time and then they are taped onto a stay wire, which sits on the head.

I did 3 re-sits which were the passes from previous attempts, the Double Ended Spray which I was not happy about when I first took, I did a lovely arrangement (in the tutors words everything was placed perfectly) but because I had used one chrysanthemum instead of another I only got a pass, I think she was being very harsh, but then she is somewhat notorious for being a hard marker - if anything is borderline she rounds down and never up.

So here is my first attempt, everything placed perfectly except she didn't like the green chrysanthemum! 

And here is my re-sit, I got a Merit, so in that case - job done!  Perhaps the other big difference between the two is the flowers and foliage, I took all my own in for the one below and didn't use college stuff, does the difference in quality tell, I think so.  Yes the one below is miles better but there is also another 4 or 5 months training on top too!

One item which had bugged from the test itself was the first practical when I really was all fingers and thumbs and went to pieces really - so I wasn't looking forward to re-doing it but had to - here is my first attempt

and here is the second, there is nothing spectacular about it - but enough to get a Merit and upgrade from the Pass, so again job done.

And finally I needed to re-do the posy with collar that I did a couple of weeks ago which I also made a total mess of.  Here is the first attempt (after I had done this and was packing for the day a couple of weeks ago, the head of dept came in and commented on it and I pointed out to him, that it was in my words crap - which is really was - he mentioned it to Janet - he really is a jerk)

And here is the up-grade, so again job done.  I have now got rid of all my passes and everything is Merit or above so I am really pleased with that.  Which has now left me with a pleasant dilemma which means I need to go in to do a 40 minute assessment and a 45 minute assessment and then I will be totally finished and free!!

Ciao

Sue
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Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban

Florsitry Course Week 10

A very busy week at college this week, so not much chat and a few photos.

We had an assessment day and here is my funeral - loose posy pad, I got a Merit for this arrangement, as this was the first time I had done it - I'd never practiced it in class I was pretty pleased with that!!
Below is my loose posy in a basket with handles, I got a Distinction for this design, and was very pleased, I took the basket and ribbon from home and some of the flowers too, to add to what was available from college, as with the arrangement above too.

My form linear arrangement too, I managed a Distinction for this one as well, I was pleased with this one, yellow Eremurus, orange gerbera, an anthurium leaf and monstera leaf, a very good interpretation of this modern and European style.

And here is my pew end, I managed a Merit here too, just missed out on a Distinction because the tutor thought it was uneconomical even though I had not worked out the price, in fact it came in at the £21.50 mark which was only slightly over the £20 costing we had been given, may challenge that one, there is no leeway in her marking whatsoever.

A planted design, which looks really nice, back into the normal classes again now!

Below is the space that we have to produce a window display it won't be there but in the college front entrance, I am working with J for mine and am looking forward to it enormously, that is going to happen on the 4th May which seems ages away.

This is the area where I have to put my planted design and maintain it for 6 weeks, this is on the college main reception desk, so I am going to have to think carefully about what plants I am going to put in there. Not sure when this design in going in situ yet, after Easter holidays I would think.

A different view of the spot my design will go, not sure what the conditions there will be like, time will tell.

And then on Thursday I was off for my third day at my work placement and I still haven't told them!! Am I being difficult about it with them, too bloody right, they deserve it.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

And the Rest of the Week

I had promised to put some of my drawings for my assignments on here and here goes. I am a long long way from being an artist of any description - so I got a little help with a couple of the pictures and then went for it on my own (these are all without any help). I really enjoyed the drawing and painting aspects and am pretty pleased with some of the outcomes. So much so that I will at some point go and take some classes purely for pleasure. But that doesn't mean that these are anything other than very basic beginners attempts.

This first batch are from an assignment about floral arrangements made in foam (oasis).

A line arrangement, in colour (to follow as I can't find it), in black and white, which I did on the computer and then the arrangement that I was trying to draw.

An all around arrangement, in colour and black and white and then the arrangement itself.

An asymmetrical arrangement, drawings and then the arrangement I was copying.

A parallel arrangement, I used pastels for this and they gave a lovely effect, they worked really well for the liatris and tulips.

And a vegetative arrangement

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

Spring Term Week 6

The final week before half term and I am now over half way through the course, which I find difficult to believe as there seems so much work still to be done. Below is an arrangement I did at home which was for the funeral unit, a textured cushion. Even though I say so myself a fantastic arrangement, but let down by my photography.

A textured arrangement has to be just that a variety of different textures and styles of material to create an interesting display, this would be for a very specific funeral and is not an incredibly popular style in the UK at the moment, but this style does have a charm all of its own. It is a style that can be adapted, if you were doing a tribute for a gardener, someone who had been interested in art or sewing, this style could be adapted to those interests and there are some good photos of examples of these to be found.

I have used everything from anthurium (which gives real impact at the centre), to cinnamon sticks, bark, different varieties of fir cones, eryngium or sea holly (the thistle looking blue flower) to narcissus and hypericum. I found some lovely and unusual ivy and have also used Spanish and Reindeer Moss. The rest of the girls were well taken with this design and I was very pleased with it.

Above is the start of a new unit, Weddings - which I have to confess I wasn't looking forward to this unit, as I know how much wiring can go into wedding work, but I have enjoyed it so far! Above is my first attempt at a boutonniere, which is a buttonhole, but made out of several small buds and flowers (all of the same type) to create something which is more elaborate than a buttonhole but not quite a corsage. The one above is a simple one of hyacinth flowers and ivy, but very pretty nonetheless.

We have also moved onto function decorating too and here is my first attempt at a pew end or chair decoration. Not a bad attempt apparently, but I wasn't really that thrilled with it. But I managed to get it onto the chair and it stayed in place quite happily. Below it is mounted on our 'pew' made of cardboard and fastened to the end of a desk, but it works very well indeed.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

Week 5 Spring Term

We started planted designs this week, I was looking forward to this module and am pretty pleased with the results. I have planted up one or two of these before so should be OK on this one too. Not a great backdrop used here but loved the arrangements.

Above is a pot et fleur, old fashioned name but a nice idea, a small arrangement in with a planted design, when the flowers die off, just remove them and you still have the lovely plants to grow on.

A garland, hung on the stair railings outside our classroom, not as difficult as they look, was pretty pleased with this one too.

This was an artificial design I did for an assignment picture, in a Jack O'Patsy jug, it served its purpose. Artificial allium, a collar and some wire for a bit of added interest, oh and some cinnamon too.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox

Week 4 - A Practical Assessment

This week we finally had a practical assessment (which is 1 of the 20 of this type of assessment that has to be done for the Diploma) and I am not happy with myself at all. We also had another assessment this week which was pricing up with which I was much happier.

The course is divided up into modules and each module has roughly 4 or 5 assessments in each one, some are practical (where a flower arrangement has to be created), some are practical but are identification, pricing up, maintaining a design, window display etc) and some are theory. I have done pretty well in all the theory assessments so far. I didn't do well with today's assessment, but I take some consolation from the fact that several of us for want of a better phrase fell apart!

Assessment on the course is marked at either Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail, so at least I can tell myself I didn't fail, but I only managed a pass. This was a pretty simple decorative cone wrap, something you would do in a shop possibly a few times a day, but possibly not in exam conditions and with a 15 minute time scale which includes writing a cost sheet too. 15 minutes sounds quite a long time, but boy did it go quickly!




So what did I do well and what did I do badly? The assessment sheets have a long list of criteria which have to be met, starting from being dressed properly (wearing protective clothing ie an apron, to covered shoes), choosing and using the correct tools (a fairly obvious one), to such areas as recession and economy (a less obvious one) to the expected of are the flowers protected, does it look pleasing etc.

The basics, clothing and tools were fine, the choice of flowers works well too, but I totally messed up on my wrapping and got nowhere near completing a cost sheet. I had chosen to use raffia to tie the wrap to save time of making a bow (we are not allowed to use pull bows!) Once I got the wrapping I felt like I was all fingers and thumbs and I couldn't make any of them do what I wanted so when it was finished it looked like a complete bag of nails!!

It looks even more of a mess as the tutor tends to pull things apart as she is marking them. I was not at all happy with this, my main consolation is that it is only a 15 minutes assessment, so will be able to slot this one in again at some point and up it from a Pass to a Merit.

Below is some practicing at home, which I did to take into college. It is a based cross - idiot that I am I never took a photo of the completed cross - sometimes I can be so stupid. It turned out well and I put a complementary spray using dark red roses which made it look very effective.

Basing is where the flowers are placed closely together to give an overall coverage on the oasis. It is important to ensure it is nice and even and where possible using smaller flowers on the outside and the larger ones in the centre. It is important to 'bond' them so that they are touching and there are no gaps, but that they are not so close that they distort their shape or the flower next to them. It is a skill that comes with lots of practice.


Above is a mitred corner which is the best way to get the ribbon looking perfect on a cross, or any design with a corner - again it is something which comes with practice and remembering the techniques. More of that to come once the course has finished - I hope to be able to show some of the techniques.

Above is a Chaplet, which is considered by some to be quite old fashioned now, but does have its place, especially for remembrance or military occasions. This design is based on a mossed wire frame and is a time consuming piece to make as all the salal leaves are wired onto the moss (Laurel is expensive and not readily available from college suppliers although that is the more traditional leaf to use). The complementary spray was difficult and wore my fingers down, as each flower or piece of foliage has to be wired and then pushed into moss and fixed into place. This is an assessment piece - this is a big oh my goodness how will I ever manage to do that especially in 1hour 15 minutes (aargh aargh!!)

We also had a pricing up assessment this week, which is where you have to work out wholesale, wholesale plus VAT, retail and retail plus VAT prices for 10 flower and/or foliages. This one I did much better and managed to get 100% so got my Distinction which I was pretty pleased with. Overall I am glad to have got one practical assessment out of the way as I know have more of an idea what to expect in the next batch of assessments.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 10/16 - currently reading Songbird by Josephine Cox