Clay Flowers with DK Designs

Just spent 3 days with Diane Phillips from DK Designs learning the art of deco clay flowers, and all I can say is that it exceeded my expectations and more. I've been enjoying the art of sugar flowers for over ten years now, and I'm always on the look out for new techniques in flower making....this class sure hit the spot.

We covered A LOT of flowers in three days and I was skeptical, at first, if we would finish it all. In sugar flower land, there's the cutting of petals, wiring, drying time and of course dusting. Well...I had to throw that way of thinking out the window...literally people! We made hydrangeas, lilacs, lilly of the valley, peony, ranunculus, tuber rose and bud, plumeria, hibiscus, cymbidium orchid and gardenia. Phew! And it was all thanks to the type of medium we were using, Clay Craft by Deco.

Best part of the class...each flower was done by hand with no cutters. Why is this important? Huge? Monumental? One, it shows you that you don't necessarily need to rely on cutters to achieve the flower you are making. Two, hand techniques, which some might call "old school", are good to know and shows you that you don't necessarily need a fancy tool for everything. And three, the proof is in the final product. How you get there is personal preference in terms of technique.

As people in the class can attest to, it was light bulb moment after light bulb moment for me taking this class. I highly recommend taking a class in this medium. Even though we weren't working with sugarpaste, alot of the techniques used can be transferred over to the art of sugar flowers. If you ever have the opportunity to take a class with Diane, I highly recommend it. She's a fab teacher, and ticks all of the important boxes in the instructor department. Most importantly, Diane readily answered any and all questions. Trust me, I had more than my fair share of questions. However, if California is a bit out of the way for you, which is where Diane is located, go to the Deco Clay Craft Academy web page for a list of certified instructors, local and international.

Thanks again to Chrissie Boon and Justin Kozak, from Icing Inspirations for hosting Diane Phillips from DK Designs. It was a great class and I continue to enjoy the wide selection of instructors you bring to Kitchener, ON. Thank you again Diane, for crossing the border and teaching a few Canucks the beautiful art of clay flowers.