It's a String Thing #53

In this week 's It's a String Thing challenge from Tickled To Tangle I used on two tangles in my drawings: Onomato and Pokeleaf. I drew virtually the same design in both tiles with the tangles reversed. In the second one, where Pokeleaf is on the string line, it reminds me of my previous occupation. Read on to find out more.

I was a floral designer specializing in weddings and large parties. This tile looks like some of the bridal bouquets I would make. Yes, I have even included "bubbles" in the bouquet. When I first started, all the bouquets were hand wired and built one flower at a time. Every piece was wired and taped. The bouquets would weigh a ton, but they were beautiful. The wiring and hand building allowed for more depth and movement than the bouquets made today in the plastic holders. Of course, the bouquets of old had a very short life span compared to those arranged in wet oasis.

I loved this line of work. Flowers are so beautiful and fun to work with. I love the immediacy of the work. In the 70's and early 80's, I would have to be at work until midnight the day before the wedding and come in before sunrise the day of the wedding to complete it because once in a bouquet, the flowers did not have a water source. All the bouquets were made this way including the corsages. Once the plastic holders came out, we could assemble the bouquets a couple of days early and keep them in the refrigerator. It made life easier, but took away the excitement -- I think!

Working with flowers is like working with a large paint pallet and a variety of paint types. Every arrangement, bouquet, etc. was a work of art created by the designer. I started out in New Orleans and was fortunate to design large arrangements, bouquets, float decor, etc. for Mardi Gras. It was awesome.

Things are a little bit different today. Flowers are more readily available and much less expensive than they were when only florists carried them.