Moving with the times...

   Well it's been awhile friends! I am posting this from...wait for it..... my "new to me" cellphone ! I can hear my dear old friends falling off thier chairs in incredulus laughter "she has entered the present century!" But i assure you i still would be "lost in space" if it wasn't for my son needing to upgrade! I 've only had it 6 days so i àm still struggling....took me 45 min the other day to try to enter a contact # only to give up and wait for my son to help me!
Our computer died some months ago so i am posting from my cell...without autp correct so this taking forever!
I will keep it brief as the cramping fingers  won't cooperate.  I am amazed at these past months happenings..It was hard work but Ihave finished my floral design certificate and graduated with 95%! I am now a floral designer! I was offered a new job for a well established floral shop . They have me at their newly opened second shop in an area that is growing quickly. I am going to miss my manager and team at the house of flowers but this new job has great hrs ! The challenge will be great! My greatest fear has been that id stop learning...that won't happen there.  
My second aged son just got a job at the grocery store ...that's two now growing up !  keep che king in and when i figure out how to add pics from my phone i'll share some beauties!!¡!
blessings,
jody.

New Year - Thankful Start

                       

 Happy New Year Everyone! 

I am so happy to leave the old year behind and welcome a new year in ! 
This past year has been a year of change,dark days, heartache,sickness. and some overwhelming challenges...but today I am hopeful...today I choose to look at each step, struggle, and tear as a chance to learn more about myself and those closest to me, how I will learn from it all,and how I can grow in the midst of it. I am so thankful for an amazing family and for friends who have stood by us and encouraged us .I have a deep faith in the Lord and that sustains me too as I have always kept this truth closest to my heart.... He loves me more than I do- and all that He allows in my life is for my (eventual) good and for His glory.It may sound glib to some but thru dark days this truth  keeps me sane,pulls me thru,keeps me hopeful, and alot of the time -after the smoke clears- I can see the good that came out of it -for me- and for others.Today I just want to be thankful....today I am thankful.

Some 2013 Thankful snippets:
I haven't written since Oct so there is LOTS to cover - I'll try to pare it down ....


I'm thankful to be attending Mohawk College taking the Floral Design certificate so I can be a floral designer. Meet my teacher...

 This is my Floral Design  teacher Vesna- she is fantastic ! I am so thankful for her hard work and willingness to go above and beyond investing in me ! Thanks Ves - hope I make you proud  ! xoxoxo

                   thankful for ability to apply what I'm learning from school at work in The House of Flowers !
                                                          I love my job!!!!!!!!!!!!!

garland making...

                                                                kangaroo paw anyone??

                                                      planter making in my old sap bucket....

                                                                groupings......

                                  my exam piece....I had to set the scene of a Victorian Theme for my exam piece- the Victorian Rose Posy.....and what fun writing to 'lovers' letter in Victorian code thru the flowers....

   Interesting Historical tidbits.... In Victorian times they had their own dictionary of Flower meanings...they sent flowers to each other with hidden messages thru the meanings of the flower choices...

                                                                        peace planter......

Christmas Silk.....

My Class mates- thankful for these great bunch of girls, you all make class so fun !!!!

                                                                       

                                                                     

                                                                     

                                                                     

                                                          

There have been other great creative ventures that have taken place this past year such as The Yellow Iris taking on some of my creations. My items for sale in her shop have been my Floral Brooches, Folk art wool felted pillows, quilted bathmat series, and this Christmas - my silk wreaths , garlands, and candle holders. Angela has been a great encouragement to me ! !  I have also had the pleasure of linking up with -DuGarage- my sisters' vintage shop in Montreal ! She has taken on some of my  floral brooches  too, and what great fun it was  to purchase vintage floral vases and containers from her shop to have on hand for future flower arrangements ! Thanks Sandy and Angela ! Special thanks to George and Andrea at Reebok CrossFit Firepower in Milton for your constant support and the display of floral arrangements at the gym ! You guys are super ! I started working at The House of Flowers this fall and it has been amazing so far ! My manager has been incredible- and so encouraging as well! I have had the blessing of working with some special woman there. It has meant alot to me to have the opportunity to apply what I'm learning from my college course on a daily basis and having the challenge of stretching myself and learning more on the job as opportunity arises. I have had to make three large  sympathy tributes and some bridal bouts alone this month - those times are stressful but the confidence my manager has in me has helped to bolster my confidence to just dive in .....and I'm learning so much hands on...which is my best learning style !
Creatively this has been an exciting year for me- a new start after so long of holding back... I look forward to what lies ahead and anticipate with great wonder of all that I might learn and experience in the coming year!
My hope for you is a year filled with joys= great and small,a thankful heart.May you be filled with wonder at what lay ahead ! 
                                                            blessings in 2014!
                                                              Jody
                                                                                                   
                                                                                             coming next : Rebecca's quilt....

Fall - ing ...

                 FALL-ING...I love everything about FALL !The cool, crisp days, the changing leaves here in Canada, the geese flying overhead signaling it's time to prepare for winter...I  especially LOVE  Thanksgiving and the opportunity to walk in the woods, searching for just the right leaves,cones,gourds,dried plants,ohhh ya bull rushes if your in the areas to find those, and well picking up anything that can be used to decorate with !...not to mention it was the time of year I was born !!!
I so enjoyed making this wreath yesterday...

I thought I'd better make another one for someone special...

I have an amazingly sweet neighbor who helps our family out sooo much, she drives our sons to school if they miss the bus, cuts our family's hair( she is a hair- stylist by trade), and even walks our little guy to school on my days for my design course so I can catch a ride to the college early and not have to take the hour bus ride...and she is such an encourager ! I wanted to prepare a Fall wreath for her door too...
I tried to pick some other materials so we didn't look like 'twin' doors ! lol...

 (sorry it doesn't show up as nice on the wooden background!)


I picked up a black wooden letter "N" for their family name and added it to the wreath just beside the ribboned flower arrangement of sunflower,brown spider mum ,red-orange chrysanthemum,and green berries...

took some pics and then went to deliver.....

She really loved it and had me hang it on her door right away ! I love that she loved the gesture of friendship and thanks for all she does for us :) 

I hope during this season of Thanksgiving you take the opportunity to express your love and thanks to those around you who do sooo much for you ....you know it means a lot to a person to KNOW they are loved and cared about ...

May God bless you with a heart FULL of thanksgiving offerings this season ! 

Happy FALL -ING everyone !

Pretty in Pink

Pretty in Pink....

Week 3 in our Floral Design class we created two lovely monochromatic designs I'd like to share with you . The first we created was the Cresent Design in pink !

 Our teacher is teaching us how to green in and create our line...

 Here is teacher Ves's finished Cresent....

                                                                            \ . /
Here is mine .....

 My same arrangement ..pic taken at home in different lighting...and "tweaked" as I needed to 'firm up' my line on the right-hand curve...

Lovely in pink,,,,snapdragons,roses,gerbera,pitt,leather and myrtle...


Next design segment was on the Hogarth's Curve.....Ves has us prepare our mechanics....

 Teacher Ves' Hogarth curve almost finished.....

                                                                              \ . /

My Hogarth's Curve completed in class...

 I love the flower choices of Dendrobium Orchids, Bells of Ireland, Lillies, pitt ,leather,and myrtle...lovely combination together!

 I sure hope you are enjoying these beautiful designs Vesna is sharing with us as much as I am ! I am passionate about design and hope to be creating as a  Floral Designer as a future career when this class is completed. I love how much technique we are learning ,and the elements of design that are incorporated in every creation! There is soooo much to learn still ! I think one might always be learning in this craft as so much changes and trends and styles change so quickly...you need to be able to adapt quickly....to change!


Cheers to change !
Jody

Creating a beautiful A-line...

 Creating a beautiful A -Line...

   Who knew creating an A-Symmetrical arrangement could be so enjoyable !
 Yesterday was our 2nd  Floral Design class working on round mass arrangement in triatic ,and a-symmetrical arrangement in direct complementary. I loved working with the  A-symmetrical design ! I was not impressed with other A-symms that I'd seen previous to the class, so I wasn't to thrilled at doing one of these, but as always our incredible teacher Vesna, surprised us with a lovely design, and the flower choices and colours were so me! I fell in love with the Bells of Ireland and the orange Voodoo Roses were spectacular, the Spider mums were so pretty, and the Pitt was a great foliage addition! I have come home with a load of flowers to  practice,so I best get busy ! I can't wait till our next class...each week is such inspiration !
               Hope you enjoy !

                                        here is our incredible teacher Ves prepping the greens and
                                                           creating the A-Symm Line

                                         here is my A-Sym finished and photographed in class

     same arrangement -pic taken at home in different lighting  

                                                    my round- mass - pic taken at home

                                                  I have lots of flowers in my home today !!!!
                                 Check in next time...till then have a beautiful week friends !
                                                And YAH..please take time to smell the flowers....

take care.........

                   

Like I promised...

   


Like I promised....

   I am adding this quick post to keep my promise to show you a quick peek at my fabric flower brooches I     am making with Vintage buttons and beading, some netting or tuiling added for drama .... keep in mind some of these are NOT completed...they are a work in progress.....hope you like them :)

I am also creating some more for a bridal bouquet .....  wait till you see how the deep purple one turns out!



Want to see what I'm up to today?...homework for my Floral Design  course....fun stuff that is !

Well back at it then...chat soon dear ones.....till then

all my love !

Quick post

 Quick Post

These past couple months have been busy  preparing for school !! Yes school for everyone... including me!!! I never thought it possible for me to be attending college courses at my age, but after a difficult year and lack of 'skill set' to find work - interesting work- in something I love to do, I had to really contemplate my next move.... After much discussion with my husband , we decided I need to follow something that feeds into my creativity...'cause that's the way God made me :)   I love my quilting and sewing but realize that I will not find steady work within that area at the moment. I had always wanted to get my floral certificate so I pursued that avenue...I signed up at Mohawk college for the Floral Design Certificate courses. I had an amazing first class and this was my first attempt at a Complementary Symmetry arrangement!

There are 9 other students in the class that are such great fun ! We all enjoyed the first day ! I have alot of homework to do preparing a portfolio for last class, cost sheets, and assignments. Looking forward to learning a ton with the amazing teacher we have! Vesna has owned her own floral shop for over 17 yrs. and is still busy arranging ! I will keep you posted on my progress!

I have been busy this summer creating fabric floral brooches and pins, and creating masses of flowers for a bridal bouquet!- no not mine- LOL !!! I am hoping as I learn how to put arrangements together that I will learn ways to improve on creating more anatomically correct flowers and assembling them into bouquets properly. I get nuts about the little things....

I need to take pics to upload to show you before I bring them to a local gift shop to sell.

I am really intrigued by creating fabric floral pieces and am hoping to get enough funds to purchase wool to make 3D wet wool flowers....they are soooo incredibly beautiful  ! I will share some websites on this later.....

I must run...we are off to the fair !