In the Spotlight: Featured uBloomer, Brittany Sheets

Brittany Sheets is a student at Purdue University and is getting ready to graduate this month. She is engaged to Andy Fox and is currently living in West Lafayette, Indiana.When did you first get interested in floral design?I started doing floral design through my local 4-H Club when I was 9 years old. After a while, people wanted to pay me for my 4-H floral designs, and of course I thought that was really cool! I continued with that until I entered college at Purdue.Tell me about your studies at Purdue.I started out majoring in Animal Science. I’ve been around farm animals all my life (my family owns cattle) so, it seemed like the natural choice - but after a while, I realized that it was not working for me. Up until that time, I thought that floral design was just a "hobby" of mine.However, after some soul searching and advice from my school counselor, I realized that floral design was my true passion and I needed to pursue studies that would enable me to enter the floral industry. That is when I switched my studies to focus on horticulture and business. I will be graduating December 21st with a degree in Interdisciplinary Agriculture.During my tenure at Purdue, I assisted my Floral Design Professor with her floral business. This was a side job where I was able to gain further knowledge and practice in floral design techniques as well as earn some extra spending money!What are your floral design aspirations?I would like to find a job working for a local florist so that I can get first hand experience in the day to day operations of a flower shop. After about 5 years, I want to look into owning my own flower shop. I enjoy working with silks, so I would want to sell both fresh and silk designs. Another goal I have is to earn my AIFD accreditation.What is your favorite flower?The Tulip! More specifically, Purple Tulips. I’ve loved them ever since I was a kid, and can remember when I used to go pick the tulips out of my neighbors yard. I’m sure they didn’t appreciate that!What kind of floral designs do you like making the most?I enjoy creating "everyday" interior arrangements that would be displayed (for example) on a dining room table or buffet stand.What is your personal floral design style?I am drawn to making collar focused, compact designs in complementary or monochromatic colors that have an additional "pop" of color. I consider my style Midwestern, Girlie Modern. I enjoy using interesting foliages and garden flowers in my designs. I like tropicals but I am not used to working with them. Besides, we don’t see tropicals much out here in Indiana!What floral trade magazines do you like to read?I subscribe to SAF Magazine, but I like reading Flowers& and Bride and Bloom magazines.Where do you draw your design inspiration from?Clothing fashions, color and fabric trends, architecture, sculpture, and different magazines.If you could attend only ONE floral design workshop, which one would you attend?Wow, there are so many good ones! I think that I would like to attend the SAF Convention. It has it all… great designers, lots of ways to network, a focus on the business aspect of flowers, and it also covers the latest in hardgood materials.Who is your favorite floral designer?Preston Bailey. He does AMAZING work!Describe what your ‘dream’ floral design would look like if you created it.I would create a "fantasy forest" design using lots of green and substitute topiaries in different shapes for regular trees. It would have a "Midsummer Night’s Dream" feel to it.Do you have any other hobbies or interests?I enjoy listening to books on tape. I listen a little bit everyday and find it relaxing. I also enjoy being active outside, kayaking, and belly dancing.What was the HARDEST thing to learn about floral design?Not to overstuff arrangements! Another hard thing to learn is making what OTHERS want even though I may not like the design.What was your FAVORITE thing to learn?I LOVE making arrangements that have a real purpose and not just to go set in a cooler. I find so much enjoyment in making designs for people and seeing how happy they are when they receive them.What is the most spectacular floral design you’ve ever seen?Some of the designs at the Chelsea Flower Show in England. I got to see some amazing designs up close. My favorite was a huge, 9′ x 9′, elevated urn on a pedestal that had flowers flowing out from it. It was so large that I could stand underneath the radiating flowers!If you could design flowers for any famous individual, whom would you choose?Prince Charles of Wales. I would LOVE to be his personal, full time florist.As a young designer, what do you see as the biggest challenge for you in the floral industry?To bring a more modern, floral design style to my area. Here in the Midwest, floral styles are very traditional and I think that it will be difficult, but not impossible to break that mindset.What do you see as the next floral design trend?A move from the popular round, hand tie designs to a more cascading, tear drop design with a new twist.