If you missed the live show be sure to watch the April 24th Mornings with Mayesh replay either via video or podcast! I spoke with my special guest, Gretchen Sell, of DESIGN MASTER color tool, about tips on color shifting, how to reduce your waste, the 3 styles of Design Master color and their attributes - Translucent, Transparent, and Opaque - and more. See you for our next show on May 15th!
Gretchen holds a Horticulture degree and her 38-year floral career has encompassed floral retail, wholesale, design education, and product development.
Today she is the Creative Director for Design Master® color tool, inc. and promotes the use of color in both the floral and craft industries. She has presented two AIFD Symposium programs on color, is a member of the Color Marketing Group and researches and consults on color trends.
She has a wealth of knowledge to share with you and I'm so happy to have her on today's show!
Here are the podcast replay:
SHOW NOTES
INTERVIEW: GRETCHEN SELL
Question: Newer florists listening today probably have seen your products in our supply departments but maybe don’t know… What do Design Master Products do?
Color is such a huge part of floral design. As creatives, you understand the power of color to set the mood or stir the emotions. Mayesh rack pulls are a great example of how drawn we are to color. I’d venture to say they are probably one of your more popular Instagram posts!
Well, sometimes in the day to day of designing you find that you don’t have the color that best fits your needs. And you need a solution fast. Design Master offers a variety of Color Tools to help solve those problems. Whether needing to change the color of a container, accessory ribbon or even Fresh Flowers… Our color sprays change color of so many items and change them FAST.
Design Master was developed specifically to meet the unique needs of the professional florist. We’ve been an industry partner for 55 years! …We get what type of products you work with and the deadlines you work in. That’s why we have a diversity of color styles and quick drying products.
Today’s conversation will focus more on changing blossom color.
Question: Some listeners would wonder Why would you paint flowers?
I know, Mother Nature provides such an extensive palette of beautiful blossoms. It can feel unnecessary and even sacrilegious! Consider though, every morning women across the globe enhance their beautiful, natural faces with makeup… All in efforts to put their best forward. Coloring flowers is similar.
Concealing a blemish or shifting a color to enhance your design palette affords you opportunities to put your best forward too! - Say you have Casablanca Lilies with slight bruising. As pricier flowers, your bottom line can’t afford them tossed aside. Design Master can help hide blemishes with a misting of Flat White to make them useable.
With as much curating and planning you do, some flowers don’t arrive exactly the color desired. Design Master may help you shift that color to what you need. - It may be difficult to recolor bunches and bunches of blossoms but shifting the color of a couple, or even a few blossoms for her bouquet could satisfy a bride’s desire.
How you apply color all depends on what you are trying to achieve or your creative expression. Paint can be used to color blossoms in a decidedly fantasy look which is a trending art direction or finessed to look natural.
Question: Does spraying fresh flowers shorten their life?
No. The coating will help reduce moisture evaporation from the petals, acting similar to an anti-transpirant. The longevity of the blossom sprayed depends on its condition when the color is applied. The color does not shorten the life.
Question: Do you spray flowers the same way you paint a vase?
No. (description of the safe application method)
Question: Can spray paint from the hardware store be used on flowers?
No. Hardware store types of paints use a different formula system and are NOT safe to use on fresh floral product.
Question: Design Master has a few different color products, what are the differences?
Discussion of our 3 Color Styles:
- Translucent
- Transparent
- Opaque
When would you use the different types of color?
(Will review uses /benefits for the 3 types)
Question: Do you have any Tips for Color Shifting? (will show color wheel)
Will cover:
- Monochromatic direction
- Analogous direction
Don't forget about Shifting Foliage color! With trend emphasis on foliage, this can be a dynamic technique a foraged style bouquet… explain.
Question: As I remember, you have some Flower & Foliage Care Products that can prove useful, would you tell us how those can help us?
- Foliage Sealer: extends the life of greenery… again perfect for those arranged out of water. Think hoops, chandeliers, etc. Its NEW natural sheen pairs great with gathered stylings. Also, a good treatment for fresh-cut sprengeri varieties to reduce shattering. (Apply when fresh – if excess shedding has begun it’s difficult to prevent more)
- Clear Life: is our clear anti-desiccant that is particularly useful on blossoms arranged out of water… body flowers, cake flowers, chandeliers, etc.
- Petal Proofer: Reduces shattering of mums and similar blossoms. With the gaining popularity of new mum varieties, this is a perfect item to help reduce waste.
Other Tips:
- Customize or Revitalize rental times for reuse at a minimal cost.
- Ribbon sprayed with Design Master has frequently rescued florists who ran out of selected color. Satin and Sheers both color nicely with any of the sprays.
Where can we go to find out more information about Design Master?
If you think of new questions, you can post them in the comments here or use the contact form to send them to Yvonne.
Be sure to mark your calendar for May 15th at 10 am EST for our next Mornings with Mayesh. See you soon!
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