First of the Season...

Spring comes early to the Valley of the Sun and the garden is loving all this rain we have been getting lately. This is the first Iris of the season...hopefully there will be many more for us to enjoy.
These Violas, planted in the Fall, are spreading out and filling the flower pot...

I call it my Phoenix Suns garden...get it...purple and orange... the "Suns"...

A Short Busy Month

Yes, yes, I know I haven't blogged in over a week...and I have heard the complaints! For a short month February was very busy. I did some holiday designing for a local flower shop. Valentines is such a big flower holiday, shops call in "holiday help". I had never worked with the other designers...but we all knew some of the same people...so that was fun. As soon as Valentines was over I brought out the box marked "tax stuff"...must get all that organized...not fun.
Mom stopped by and spent the night on her way back from Tucson to Flagstaff...and all that snow! The grand kids spent the night...that's always an adventure. And Tucson Sister (and my niece) came up for an afternoon.
The exciting part of the whole month was starting my new job at Scrapbook Barn.

All the ladies there have been great help breaking in the "newbie"...
Each day has been different from the other...which makes it fun and interesting. I started just after CHA, so I get to see...and put out, all the wonderful new scrapbook products...I want it all!
I will start teaching my Heritage Scrapbooking Class in March. The first class will be Friday the 12th of March 4:30 to 6:30. This is the class with all the information you need to get your ancestors out of the shoe box and into a Heritage Album. You can call Scrapbook Barn to sign up. Friday the 26th of March 4:30 to 6:30 is the Heritage Scrapbook Workshop. Bring the project you are working on ...learn a technique, and receive some coaching to help move your project along.
March is already looking like it will be another busy month.

One last Valentine

The flowers on the table are still fresh...there is a few chocolates left in the heart shape candy box...so it's not too late for one last Valentine.
My mom had asked if I would make a card using this photo of her sister Mary, as a child, sitting in a bushel basket. Mom thought it would make a great Valentine. I had already started working on the "bird" card, but I told her I would give it a try.
So this year I sent out two Valentines...some received the Victorian Bird Valentine ...and some received Aunt Mary sitting in a bushel basket...with the text..."I love you a bushel and a peck...a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck".
Aunt Mary, who lives in Texas, called to thank me for the Valentine...and to tell me she was honored to be on one of my cards.
THANK YOU AUNT MARY for sharing the picture with me!

Be My Valentine

Happy Valentines Day!

The Valentine card I sent out this year was made using this fun image that heyjupiter21 shared at Flickr. The bird was too fun to pass up! He is backed with part of a pink paper doily and some pink vellum that has been deckle trimmed. Once again I used the magic pen and Stickels to highlight and outline the bird and his rider. The heart in the middle of the daisy is a red glitter-y brad.

Another One!

Every year for Valentines, my sisters and I exchange handcrafted cards. It is always fun to see what creative cards we can come up with...we all have different design styles. Last post was the card from Flagstaff Sister...Today I received this Valentine from my Tucson Sister. The colors are very festive!
Thank you TS!

First Valentine

I got my first Valentine card in the mail today. This is from my Flagstaff Sister. It's kinda hard to see from the photo...there are red heart watermarks on the red background...

Pretty cool hun... Thank you FS!

Ch-Ch-Ch-CHANGES

The news stations reported this week that 20,000 people lost their jobs in January...I was one of the 20,000. I received a phone call from my boss at the flower shop where I design on the 3rd of January...he said he was closing the shop. That was it...a flower shop that had been in operation for 52 years was dead. Which meant I had to go looking for a job! Over the last year and a half I have seen other florist in the area lock their doors and walk away. Whether it's the economy, grocery stores, or the Internet , the floral industry is dying a slow death. There are a lot of designers looking for a job and I had joined their ranks. I sat down at the computer and punched up my resume, made copies and headed out to find a job I knew probably didn't exist.
As long as I was making a change what did I really want to do?
On the first of February I started at The Scrapbook Barn...not only do I get to work there...I get to teach too...and that's what I really want to do!

P.S. Please support your local florist! Stop looking on the internet...pick up the phone and call them!