Phi don't lie to me...

Phil, say it ain't so!  I thought Punxsutawney Phil said winter was done.  Boy did he get the wrong number! We were scheduled to do a rubber-stamp - art show in Clearwater Florida a couple of weeks ago and teach at Stamp Asylum in Plano, Texas on the way.  Well - the snow, ice and frigid temperatures in Oklahoma, Texas and some in Kansas kept us at home for 2 weekends in a row.  We had to bypass the Clearwater show, but for those of you in the Dallas area, we will be teaching the Altered Charm Sampler on both Sunday and Monday (March 6-7) & the Fairy Gate Book on Saturday (March 5).  I'm going to assume that Texas will be without snow this go around...

But we did travel on to Jacksonville Florida to teach at A Small Cleverness last Monday-Thursday.  We made lots of new friends and hope we can make our way back there again.  From there we traveled onto Columbia, South Carolina to do the Stamp Scrap Art Tour rubber-stamp show.  It had been several years since we had made it that way so we enjoyed reconnecting with familiar faces and of course all the vendors that have become our family away from home.  And of course an added bonus to our traveling south as a chance to spend the week in flip flops.

We're on the road close to home right now, but we'll take off again on Monday for Houston and the "Adorn Me" jewelry retreat.  Mark and I are both going to take classes so we'll come home with new skills and techniques to share with our Wichita friends.

Playing in Playa or Ding Dong the bells are going to chime...

We started off the year flying of to Mexico for our son's wedding to his beautiful fiance Brooke.  40 plus friends and family reunited and partied all week long.  What fun we had in Play Del Carmen.  Sorry I haven't even seen the wedding pictures yet as we are headed to St. Louis right now to visit for the night and share the picture experience.  I'll post some of the pictures soon.  We all had so much fun that we are planning on getting back together there again next year and doing art on the beach.  Anyone want to join us

Steampunk Mexican style.  I had to snap this picture of an old typewriter sitting on a shelf in a roadside cafe.

Tying up loose ends ~ 2010

I've been sooooo bad not writing in my blog!  So Mark is driving us down the highway in the mountains of Tennessee.  I'll try to get you updated on my blog without getting carsick going up, down and around the curves.  Let's see where we left off this story.  

Dateline Cincinnati August 2010...

We made our annual trek to the Stampaway Convention teaching and showing our wares with our traveling show.  I'm proud to announce that we once again won best embellishments.  FYI I believe class info for 2011 will come out early April.

Minneapolis in September finds us at the Creative Connection Convention.  What a fabulous collection of artists.  I had SO much fun shopping.  Check out our pixs from the show.  As the days went by I started to notice that everyone had on fun little shoes and lots and lots of boots so I started taking pictures.  Every kind of boot you could imagine was on parade.  Pink, orange, lime green cowboy boots, knee high and over the knee, chunky work boots and 5 inch stilettos, they were all there.  But I was the only one with flip flops.  Now mind you it was Minnesota, but it was still 80 degree and these ladies had come from all over the country.  I may not have had bright shinny cowboy boots, but it did have blue toes.  Do I get points for that?  Those of you that know me know that I always have blue toes.  Once in awhile it might be purple for Halloween or another occasion, but always colorful.   

To celebrate the season of the night, Mrs. O'Leary's held "Steampunk Halloween".  The place was all decked out as well as our customers and ourselves.  It was so much fun that I know we will do it bigger and better in "11".

Back to Texas in October teaching at one of our favorite stores "Stamp Asylum" Plano.  The following week we returned to Texas attending the Beadfest show in Arlington.  It took a couple of great classes including Kim St. Jean's fold forming class.  There are a couple of teachers I've met along the way that have a real knack for making things clearly learned and Kim is among that list.  If you ever get a chance to take a class from her, do.  The end of October found is in Oklahoma City at the big Affair of the Heart arts and crafts sale.  

November took us back yet again to Texas, this time Austin.  Our friend Joe asked us if we were going to grow steer horns as we had spent most of the fall driving back and forth to Texas.  We showed at the Texas Art Educators Ass. show and met lots of new friends.  

December found us back home working on all the wedding plans for Travis (son) and lovely fiance Brooke.  In fact, as most of you were setting next to your Christmas tree opening presents, we were making tissue paper flowers and hand dying banners.  I actually have to admit that I pulled a pre-lit tree from storage and plopped it down in the corner and that was the extent of my holiday decor.  No decorations, just the lights that came on it.  And sadly it still sets there today.  Maybe I'll just leave it there for a Christmas in July celebration.  I haven't been home long enough this year to do much but walk by it and sigh.  

But 2011 January started of in wonderful Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.  What fun we all had.  40 plus friends and family gathered for a week long celebration of parties and pleasure and of course a little shopping.  Check out the next blog posting that will start us out in 2011.