Florist News

hello everyone, i need help, i have made loads of different funeral tributes in my time, but i have a rotten stinking cold at the moment and my brain isnt working, i have a lady coming in in the morning and she wants a footprints funeral tribute, and im looking at suggestions of what to offer her, the easiest option possible as it is on wednesday, and i feel like crap, i have made trophies and canoes and bikes but i cant think what to offer, as i said any suggestions would be appreciated

this might sound daft but here goes.... could you use a design board gently walk across it barefoot to make the footprints then paint spray it a sandy colour?. And as its oasis you can add a couple of sprays of roses or something.
Why does she want footprints- is it to do with that religious poem about god walking with you?
Bloody customers, the things us florists have to do to make some money!
Hope your cold gets better soon!
Jo

thats a good idea, i think it does have something to do with the poem, but i think shewants it to have quite a lot of flowers, i could do without this to be honest trying to prepare for mothers day and everything, thanks for the idea

well if she does go for it- don't make your cold worse hoping about in the shop with no socks on!! I have an image in my mind LOL!

You could just fill a design sheet with white double and then use a pair of trainers or shoes to replicate a walking pattern across the flowers. Yes you would be crushing them and it sounds disastrous and totally against the grain, but i would be interested to see the effect. As an alternative which may be neater you could mark out the footprints first, white double everything else, then fill in the footprints with 'white double petals' (just break them up and scatter). Perhaps trim the edges of the flowers around the footprint to give a clear shape. Then add a small spray in the corner to give it a 'professional' look.
And no..i've never tried this, so don't know if it will look right, but sometimes, just sometimes, the simplest way turns out best.

I would use designer board do footprints as Jo suggests pin over with sissal or moss then flower up remainder and do spray on one corner think it will look well whatever options you go for and would love you to post a pic ot it. Good Luck with it

well, the lady came in, wanted to see a picture of what she wanted that i had made and when i didnt have one, she turned her nose up and said " i will go elsewhere" charming

The nice thing is that you can vent your anger here rather than with your next customer (who just may be related to the other one!)

I can recall ages ago a chap phoned about having a 'boxing ring', complete with ropes, little stools etc. The funeral was 2 days hence. When i explained that as it was a monday, we didn't actually have all the flowers in stock, but could cope with it by working all night next day and that as a guide it would probably be over £100 . He then laughed and said "I think £35 is about right, can't you do it for that"
Sorry, but there is a fair bit of work involved, that won't be possible.
He then proceeded to tell me how 'Bl**dy useless i was and that he couldn't see how i managed to stay in business quoting those sort of prices.

Hey...you win some...

i had one not long ago, wanting a 4ft tall horseshoe on a stand, came in on a monday for a funeral on thursday, spent an hour with them deciding how to make it, would have meant buying wood and stuff from b and q, they wanted to spend about 300 quid on it, i said i would phone them later in the day to tell them the exact price and said they wanted no matter how much it is, phoned them an hour later to confirm and was told quite rudely that they had decided to go elsewhere- i hate timewasters