ISSN 1835-131X

Issue Number 31

the CHOICE of PROFESSIONALS

freshProducts, news and ideas to help create inspirational floral arrangements

© Smithers-Oasis Australia Pty Ltd 2019. All rights reserved.Neither the whole, nor any part of the images or copy in thisliterature, may be reproduced in any form without expressprior permission from Smithers-Oasis Australia Pty Ltd.

contentsFresh Talk 2Read about the designs featured inthis issue.

Upwards and Outwards 3Stand an OASIS® Floral Foam Brickupright to enable horizontal placementof flowers.

Made for Mum 4 & 5Bind Coconut fibre with OASIS® RusticGrapevine Wire to create decorative garlandsand sticks.

Into the Night with Noir 6 & 7Test out the design potential of the latestOASIS® Floral Foam now available in black.

Moments in Time: WA 8 & 9See the award winning Designz® Cuparrangements from Mandurah.

National Designz® Cup Award 10Meet the winner of the 2018 Designz®

Cup.

Blast from the Past 11Revisit some winning Designz® Cup designsfrom the previous decade.

Wedding Warmth 12 & 13Fold Aluminium Wire into a “Versace” patternthen decorate two complementary bouquets.

Product Finder 14 & 15Discover details about OASIS® products.

fresh talkWelcome to another issue of fresh. We hope that you had a happy festive season and some respite before 2019 kicked into gear.

Once again our first issue for the year takes advantage of Mother’s Day being just around the corner so we bring you a couple of designs. It’s also an opportunity to showcase our latest products. OASIS® Bio Floral Foam is now available from several floral wholesalers as well as www.oasishobby.com.au which is our new online shop. Independent testing on this product by the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) in test ASTM D5511 found biodegrade of 51.5% within 365 days in biologically active landfill conditions.

This is great news for anyone who is concerned about minimising landfill. Further information will be provided as new updates on test results are received. OASIS® Bio Floral Foam also has excellent water retention and takes just 60 seconds to soak fully in water. Optimum texture and density holds stems in position while the colour brown identifies the biodegradability of this foam.

The other product we feature is OASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam Maxlife which is available from the same outlets including ourselves and comes in a stylish black colour. This means by inserting less flowers and foliage the foam can become a design feature – perfect for creating wedding pieces, funeral tributes and everyday arrangements. It blends into the shadows between flowers eradicating that compulsion to cover every millimetre of foam making it a cost-saving option. Super-fast saturation, low drainage and superb grip will hold your stems in place while extending their life at the same time.

This issue also features the Designz® Cup results and more of the 2018 theme that encouraged entrants to explore Moments in Time. Judges saw everything from Noah’s Ark to 9/11 with the overall winner’s design appearing on page 10. All participants received two compulsory pre-soaked OASIS® products prior to the event along with a complimentary OASIS® Gift Pack. Many creative themes have been explored by entrants since 2000 but with declining interest despite great support from a couple of states it’s time for a break. We look forward to updating our competition in the future.

Happy Reading!

Lynette Todd, Editor

WA Designz® Cup entrants outside the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre after their event in 2018.

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and OutwardsUpwards

The latest OASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam Maxlife Brick has been used in this design to form a black

tower. This means extra linear height for the flowers inserted into the top of the brick.

It also encourages the horizontal placement of leaves, twigs and other flowers. Leave some out if you wish to

expose the black floral foam as a design feature.

Increase design options with the vertical placement of an OASIS® brick.

Step 1. Soak OASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam Maxlife Brick and place vertically into the ceramic container.

Step 2. Insert three stems of Philodendron leaves on one side of the brick to form a wall. Place another

stem into the top of the foam to make a canopy.

Step 3. Create a collage of focal flowers using disbud Chrysanthemums, Asiatic Lily and a tuft of

Hydrangea. Extend the line by adding buds of Asiatic Lily, spray Roses and Hypericum berries.

Step 4. Add some height with another Asiatic Lily, Dahlia buds and Hypericum berries stripping stems to strengthen the visual

line. Counter balance the visual weight by inserting a twig into the base of

the arrangement.

Spray the completed design with FloraLife® Finishing Touch.

FLOWERS AND FOLIAGEAsiatic Lily Dahlia buds Disbud Chrysanthemums Hydrangeas Hypericum berries Philodendron leaves Roses Twigs

SUNDRIES Ceramic Cube Green & CreamFloralife® Finishing TouchOASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam Maxlife Brick

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Floralife® Finishing Touch

Ceramic Cube Green & Cream

OASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam Maxlife Brick

All products available at www.oasishobby.com.au

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for MumMade

FLOWERS AND FOLIAGEAsiatic Lily Cordyline leaves Dahlia – small & large headsGrape Ivy leaves Hawthorn leaves Hypericum berriesLimoniumLiriope leaves

SUNDRIES Coconut Fibre MatFloralife® Finishing Touch*Hessian Container* OASIS® Bio Floral Foam Brick*OASIS® Floralife® Quick Dip*Rustic Grapevine Wire*

The secret behind this design is the coconut fibre matting. It has been bound with Rustic Grapevine Wire to create parallel lines along with a curving garland below. The placement of flowers and foliage gives softness and contrast to the underlying structure. Follow the instructions to achieve a similar result.

Indulge a special lady with a design that oozes optimism.

Step 1. Cut an OASIS® Bio Floral Foam Brick to fit into a hessian bag container then soak. Bind coconut fibre mat with Rustic Grapevine Wire to create “coco garlands”. Repeat the process twice but this time incorporate two sticks of different lengths for stability.

Step 2. Insert both wired “coco sticks” into the floral foam then weave the “coco garland” underneath. Base the arrangement with Hawthorn and Grape Ivy leaves then place Cordyline leaves adjacent to the sticks.

Step 3. Dip stems of Asiatic Lilies into OASIS® Floralife® Quick Dip before inserting into the arrangement along with stems of Dahlias. Accentuate with Hypericum berries.

Step 4. Capture negative space by looping Liriope leaves into the design before spraying with FloraLife® Finishing Touch.

*These products available at www.oasishobby.com.au

Floralife® Finishing Touch

OASIS® Bio Floral Foam Brick

OASIS® Floralife® Quick Dip

Rustic Grapevine Wire

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Glass vase:

Step 1. Pin dried Ivy leaves onto both OASIS® SEC Floral Foam Netted Spheres using Diamante Pins. Wrap Metallic Wire over the spheres winding it around the pins to anchor leaves.

Step 2. Wind the LED lights around the spheres just like the Metallic Wire and light them up. Insert the 12cm lit sphere into the vase and then the 18cm one above it. Top the vase with a soaked OASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam Maxlife Brick.

Step 3. Wedge a bundle of reeds next to the foam then add Amaranthus to counter balance the reeds. Insert Queen Anne’s Lace opposite the reeds then add clusters of short stem Roses as focal flowers.

Table Arrangement:

Step 1. Place OASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam Maxlife Brick on ceramic dish then place twigs at ends to capture negative space. Insert stems of Queen Anne’s Lace and Liriope into the foam.

Step 2. Add clusters of small head Roses before including open large head Roses as focal flowers to tower above them. Insert Amaranthus and sprigs of Fairy Statice to add textural contrast against the Roses.

Spray completed design with FloraLife® Finishing Touch.

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NightInto the

with Noir

All foliage and flowers will bounce brilliantly out of OASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam. This variety of foam has been further enhanced with Maxlife

technology to sustain foliage for longer.

Try it out in larger designs where it can be exposed to great effect while reducing the amount of foliage required.

Use black floral foam for extra contrast and accent.

FLOWERS AND FOLIAGEAmaranthus

Dried Ivy leavesDried ReedsDried Twigs

Fairy StaticeHawthorn leaves

LiriopeQueen Anne’s Lace

ReedsRoses: large & small heads

SUNDRIES 12cm OASIS® SEC Floral Foam Netted Sphere18cm OASIS® SEC Floral Foam Netted Sphere

Ceramic DishClear Vase

Diamante Pins*FloraLife® Finishing Touch*

LED Battery Operated LightsMetallic Wire*

OASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam Maxlife Brick*Rectangular Dishes

Tall Glass Vase

Floralife® Finishing Touch Metallic Wire

OASIS® Noir Ideal Floral Foam Maxlife Brick

OASIS® SEC Floral Foam Netted Spheres

*These products available at www.oasishobby.com.au

AUSTRALIAMARCH 27–31, 2019MELBOURNE INTERNATIONALFLOWER AND GARDEN SHOWRoyal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardenswww.melbflowershow.com.au

APRIL 19 - APRIL 22, 2019Easter

MAY 12, 2019Mother’s Day

INTERNATIONALAPRIL 3-7, 2019SAN FRANCISO FLOWER & GARDEN SHOWHistoric Cow Palace2600 Geneva Ave.Daly City CA 94014www.sfgardenshow.com

APRIL, 2019SINGAPORE GARDEN FESTIVAL18 Marina Gardens Drive,Singaporewww.singaporegardenfestival.com

MAY 21–29, 2019RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOWRoyal Hospital Chelsea,Londonwww.rhs.org.uk

Events Calendar Moments

Left: Tara Rees decorated two hoops to acknowledge the blending of cultures that began here in 1788. Her design came second.

One hoop was loaded with Australian natives including Banksias, Geraldton Wax and Golden Wattle. The other hoop was wrapped in Ivy and cradled Roses and Solidago to represent the English culture that came with Captain Cook. Since that date many more cultures have arrived on these shores.

She used the compulsory OASIS® Ideal Floral Foam Bricks and OASIS® Petite Florettes to keep her foliage secure.

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Far right: “I have always been inspired and interested in the fashion and designs of the 1960s and 70s as well as the bohemian lifestyle that Woodstock represented,” said Kaylie Bickers.

Her third prize design included macrame and weaving to capture the fashionable garments and décor of the era. Chrysanthemum disbuds became the focal flowers and were inserted into the compulsory OASIS® products along with Snap Dragons, Chrysanthemum Daisies, Yellow Bells, Green Trick and Chamomile flowers.

“My favourite thing about floristry is the opportunity to be creative in many different aspects every day and I love being surrounded by nature!”

Right: Jordan Richie was Highly Commended when she created this tribute to Joan of Arc.

Middle right: The horror of the holocaust was portrayed by barbed wire and a cage of blood red flowers in this design by Man Nga Chung. It was also Highly Commended.

A dinosaur emerged from an egg to symbolise the beginning of life while other arrangements focused on characters like Joan of Arc and Princess Diana. The Mandurah Performing Arts Centre was an excellent venue for the Festival of Flowers where the Designz® Cup was one of many attractions. Kaye Baylis and Alan Randell-Smith awarded the following results:

1st Prize Emmelee Newman-Martin South Metropolitan TAFE

2nd Prize Tara May Rees South Metropolitan TAFE

3rd Prize Kaylie Bickers South Metropolitan TAFE

Highly Commended Man Nga Chung South Metropolitan TAFE

Highly Commended Jasmyn Hill South Metropolitan TAFE

Highly Commended Melissa Maiorana South Metropolitan TAFE

Highly Commended Jordan Ashlee Richie South Metropolitan TAFE

“I am a reptile enthusiast and have bred lizards. Dinosaurs are reptiles so my ideas evolved from there,” said Emmelee Newman-Martin.

“I chose the Cretaceous period as this is when flowers first dominated. Bees also evolved at this time so flowers no longer had to rely on beetles to pollinate them. I made a dinosaur hatching from an egg to represent birth and new beginnings marking the beginning of the era of flowers. Therefore I named my piece First Bloom.”

Emmelee used the compulsory OASIS® Petite Florettes at the back of her design while OASIS® Ideal Floral Foam Bricks formed the circular shaped nest around her egg. She filled the foam with Proteas, Anthuriums, Sea Holly, Orchids, Ivy, Moss, Philodendron Xanadu, Monstera leaves and roots along with Fish Bone, Silver Lady and Leather Ferns.

The egg was constructed from paper mache and tile grout before being painted then Emmelee used Aluminium and Bullion wires to make her bees. She spent three weeks manipulating OASIS® Bindwire to form a shape that would be recognisable as a cretaceous dinosaur. Aluminium wire became the eyes, teeth and claws.

“My pet lizard inspired my dinosaur sculpture. I wanted it to look as realistic as possible with muscles and form so that's why I used Bindwire. It's easy to manipulate. I chose to make it look like a raptor which is a recognisable cretaceous dinosaur,” explained Emmelee.

Many memorable moments made it to Mandurah and inspired seventeen designs.

in Time

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DESIGNZ® CUP 2018 WESTERN AUSTRALIA

“I love to create art, I love flowers and I get to do this every day. Now I’m discovering and learning about products and techniques I can add to my creations which makes floristry even more exciting to me,” said Emmelee.

Moments in TimeNational Winner

DESIGNZ® CUP 2018

The previous year’s national winner was also from South Metropolitan TAFE in Western Australia so this floristry provider continues to turn out talented students. So do the colleges in the four other participating states that have all won the national award at least once but it may not happen again.

The event will not be held this year as we explore other exciting formats for budding florists across the country and we hope to continue to bring you their designs. Over the eighteen years of the Designz® Cup there have been many wonderful creations inspired by a variety of themes. Everything from fairy tales to dance to movies and even architecture.

On this page we feature Buddha. He is Emmelee’s pet Western Bearded Dragon that is now famous for being the model for the dinosaur emerging from an egg on page 9. Refer to that page for extra information on how she constructed her masterpiece. Meanwhile Emmelee continues to study at South Metropolitan TAFE to complete her traineeship in Certificate III Floristry.

She is also employed at Balshaw’s Florist in Bicton, WA which she really enjoys. “I am grateful every day for this opportunity and thankful for all the support from the people involved in teaching me to become the best florist I can be,” said Emmelee.

All entrants are greatly thanked for participating in our competition as are their tutors for encouraging them. Alan Randall-Smith has been assisted by many judges over the years and all of them have been essential to the success of the Designz® Cup. Many winners have progressed to greater glory both nationally and internationally. That requires a special thankyou to all the judges and especially Alan for his ongoing loyalty.

We bring you Emmelee Newman-Martin once again. She’s jumped from the middle pages into the Designz® Cup National Award having attained the highest marks across participating states in 2018.

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DESIGNZ® CUP

from the BlastPast 2010 1st NSW and National Award:

Michael Cordeiro Theme: Wedding Wizardry In a Country of your Choice

2014 1st WA and National Award: Bettina Van Dijk

Theme: Bring a Book to Life

2011 1st SA and NationalAward: Michelle Arland

Theme: Painting with Passion

2016: 1st VIC and National Award: Kathleen HortonTheme: Tribute to a Painter

1st NSW 2013: Fiona TaminTheme: Tribute to a Fallen Star

2015 1st QLD and National Award: Sarah Lawrence Theme: Beauty Down

Under: Architecture or Landscape

2012 1st WA and NationalAward: Lauren Black

Theme: The Magic of Movies

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Step 1. Mould Aluminium Wire to create a “Versace” pattern (square-edge folding) in lime-green and pink. Glue Hypericum berries to the ends of the lime-green wire.

Step 2. Insert stems of cascading Eucalyptus foliage around the OASIS® Grande Bent Handle bouquet holder. Add tufts of Hydrangea, Scabiosa and open Roses.

Step 3. Complement with sprigs of Limonium and add wire to both bouquets. Gather a handful of stems and bind with OASIS® Mossing Twine.

Step 4. Wrap an OASIS® Bouquet Wrap around the bouquet holders of both designs to hide the stems and to replicate a hand tied bouquet.

Spray both bouquets with FloraLife® Finishing Touch to keep them fresh.

FLOWERS AND FOLIAGEEucalyptus leaves HydrangeaLimonium Roses Scabiosa

SUNDRIES Aluminium Wire*Floralife® Finishing Touch*OASIS® Bouquet Wrap*OASIS® Floral Adhesive*OASIS® Grande Bent HandleOASIS® Mossing Twine*

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*These products available at www.oasishobby.com.au

Aluminium Wire

Floralife® Finishing Touch OASIS® Bouquet Wrap

OASIS® Floral Adhesive

OASIS® Grande Bent Handle

OASIS® Mossing Twine

WarmthWedding

These complementary bouquets feature Roses emerging from a soft bed of Hydrangea, Scabiosa and Eucalyptus leaves. OASIS® Aluminium Wire has been folded and added to both bouquets for decoration.

Trailing lime-green has been used for the larger bridal bouquet and pink for the bridesmaid’s.

Explosive colours like orange bring light and radiance to an autumn or winter bouquet.

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