Kays Flower School

Excellent throughout and very informative and well worth buying, the best thing about it is that once you buy it you have it forever, to refer back to if you forget any part of it. Great job ladies and well done. keep up the good work.

I first did the Mock Hand-tied arrangement with Kay’s Flower School back in 2016, using a shovel and 1/3 brick. Again, last year in the Level 4 class I studied this format again. In truth, in both instances although I was ultra–pleased with myself and my results, I have to be honest – I really did get more out of this Video Course. In addition to the various stages being broken down into defined sections that were presented in a manner/order that made complete sense to me, I found the camera work by Deidre really clever and very helpful. Rather than focusing on the ‘front on’ angle alone, there were overhead shots that illustrated very effectively the ‘7-point system of insertion’ as well as how to angle the roses to enhance their appearance within the arrangement. Much of the video is recorded in real time, but where there is repetition, once Jan is finished explaining what she is doing, Dee speeds the video so you see Jan in overdrive filling in the ‘cop-on spots’. This means you can see the arrangement take shape. It is worth watching the video in full before attempting the arrangement alongside Jan in real time, as there really is a lot to take in. The simple, clear instructions given – together with the demonstration – broke the lengthy course down into a step-by-step guide, making what is a fairly complex arrangement actually quite simple to achieve. Every important point is covered, explained and demonstrated leaving the student in no doubt as to what to do and how to do it. Jan and Dee are at pains to ensure that the student watching sees the arrangement from the front, back, both sides as well as overhead and there are close-ups as well as overviews of each stage - from the equipment needed right through to how to make the double bow at the end. Handy tips and insider knowledge on how to achieve effects are explained and demonstrated as well, and alternatives to the equipment and flowers used are also suggested. What is great with Kay’s Flower School is that even though this is the ‘video version’ of the class, those who purchase it also get the same privileges as students attending the Flower School in Dublin – in that you are welcome to email or text questions and queries to Jan and Dee or send in photos of your work for them to critique or offer advice – so you are never left to study on your own without back-up. That is priceless. Over the years I have done many many courses; only Kay’s Flower School offer you this ‘back-up’ service. It is also worth noting that only Kay’s Flower School offer you all their tricks of the trade – all other tutors I have ever had have always held back on tips and techniques. That’s what makes Jan and Dee’s classes, whether in the School or Online, really valuable learning sessions. They want you to learn and succeed and are not afraid to make sure you have the tools and knowledge to do it. That’s priceless! What did I like most about the course? Simply the fact that I could stop and start it and work alongside Janette placing greenery and flowers in sync with her and if I had to stop I just paused. I could also rewind and watch intricate bits again and again to make sure I understood exactly what I was meant to do. Another thing I enjoyed was that if Jan mentioned a wholesaler or mentioned an email, Dee had it on screen at the same time – so even if you are out and about and watching the video away from your studio/home, and don’t have a pen handy all you need to do is a screen shot and you automatically upload the email into your pictures which you can refer to in an instant without having to go back into the video again. This format of learning is versatile too – you can watch it on your phone, on an iPad or Tablet, if you have the technology at home or in work you can also upload it to your TV, which means you can freeze-frame and get a better look at the demonstration – something you simply cannot do in a classroom situation… You can also fast forward or rewind as much as you want if there is a part of the video you want to watch over again. There is also a slider at the bottom of the screen which allows you to skip through the parts you don’t want to get the place where you want to revise or where you left off. One thing that struck me is that these videos are a great back-up themselves for those who have done the classes in Dublin. I take volumes of notes and loads of photos in the classes – but having the video Another thing I really liked was that I paused the video to take a phone call and when I went back to the video half an hour later, I was able to simply press the ‘play’ icon and take up where I left off… so there was no faffing about or starting from the beginning again and scrolling through looking for the bit where I had to cut loose… with these videos you pick up where you left off. As far as I can see, the only drawback of this format of learning is I miss ‘the craic’… Anyone who has done the traditional Flower School classes in Dublin will know that the craic with Jan and Dee is mighty! That said, I can just imagine what Jan would say to me if I asked her to stop and start the way I stopped and started the video! I hope you enjoy this video course as much as I did. Thank you again Jan and Dee.