Deb Jasinski
Tina Riddell
Professional Floral Designers
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
519.573.9039
flowerschool@livingfresh.ca

Deb Jasinski

The one thing in this world that I know I am really great at is creating floral art.  I have been working in the floral industry for over twenty years:  teaching, training, designing, managing, and coordinating.  I am a certified designer through Flowers Canada and soon I will be entering my 10^th year as the manager and head designer of a cutting-edge flower shop in Kitchener, Ontario.  This is where my friendship with Tina began to blossom. 

Before moving to Ontario almost 10 years ago, I resided in Quebec City.  In this majestic city, I was fortunate enough to work for various floral companies, providing flower arrangements for visiting dignitaries, swanky hotels, and elite weddings. 

Contemporary styles of design are how I challenge myself.  By incorporating the bizarre, the unexpected, and the obscure, I thrive on creating artful and unique pieces. There is an element of excitement in the manipulation of botanical ingredients in the making of an ultramodern piece. 

On the flip side, there is a part of my design taste that defaults to pretty, feminine, and organic.  There is something so beautiful about allowing flowers to mimic their natural surroundings in a classic piece.  A vase stuffed full of delicate, effeminate flowers in soft hues will melt my heart time after time. 

In my life, I play four very important roles:  mom, wife, friend and florist.  These four components keep me balanced and surround me with beauty every single day.  I love to blog about the pretty things I encounter at Purplefreesia Designs.  This site will give you a glimpse of the things that touch my life personally.  Joining the Living Fresh Flower School is a way for me to share the beauty on a professional level – helping to unleash the “inner florists” of my students.  Seeing, smelling, and touching flowers is lovely – everyone deserves to be enveloped by something beautiful. 

Tina Riddell

I am a flower geek; show me a flower and I will tell you what it is.  If I do not immediately know, I will figure it out.  I would love to spend every day arranging flowers but that would cut into my time creating amazing interiors for my clients.  When I am not playing with flowers or colour palettes, you can find me behind the lens of my camera taking pictures, most likely of flowers or interiors. 

I have always been creative and I could blame my mother for my love of flowers and interiors, but I would rather thank her.  Thank her for suggesting that I apply for that summer job at the local garden centre, which I would have never even considered.  Thank her for involving me in the decorating decisions of our family home where I spent hours and hours painting and wallpapering with Mom.  What if she never dragged me out of the house and into the garden to prune, transplant, weed, dig and move rocks?  I am sure if she had not encouraged these activities and shared her interests I would not be where I am today.  It is because of my mom that my passion for the things I do exists.  Living Fresh and my creative career exist due to that passion.  Thanks Mom! 

My journey as a floral designer and interior decorator began with my mom at our house and ventured into several unique and creative jobs that led me to where I am today.  Those jobs include managing and teaching at several garden centres in South Western Ontario, studying in a local flower shop and working as an Interior Decorator at Schreiter’s in downtown Kitchener.  I spent five years studying Floral Design and Interior Decorating at Conestoga College in Kitchener.  I am an accredited member of CDECA.

I thrive on creating honest and lasting relationships with my clients and students.  I have learned that really getting to know the people I work with helps with the creative process of each project.  I love being able to create interiors and florals that are specifically suited to my clients’ desires and needs.  Everyone has a unique personality and I love to tap into that uniqueness because I believe that the things a person has in their life and home should reflect their personality to tell an individual story.