Growth

Growth. It is happening constantly, whether we want it to or not. It may happen slowly, as in the case of a hickory tree growing outside for a hundred years, or it may happen much faster than we want it to. My daughter is 12 and if that isn't a time of unmistakable and unstoppable growth, then I don't know what is.

Growth happens as people learn how to do new things or just how to be a better person. Businesses grow as they expand their client base or product selection.

And, of course, flowers grow, even when they are not real.

A simple center ...

Becomes a sweet little rosebud ...

And finally becomes a full rose.

Part of the fun of my job is getting to watch as the flowers grow and still having the chance to be surprised by the final outcome. Every rose that I make is as individual as the roses on a live plant. It does take time to make them special and unique, just as the growth of anything in nature takes some time, but it is always worth it for the beauty of the final product.

I have also been growing. I have been interested in art since a very young age and found encouragement from people around me to explore different types of styles and fields of artistic expression. While not all of those people are in my life any more, their words of encouragement and support still ring in my ears, helping me to keep on growing.

With the discovery of gum-paste, I found the area the best suits me, where I can use my talents and the techniques I have picked up over the years in a way which brings more joy and beauty to the world. That is why I do what I do and that is why I keep studying new breeds of flowers, honing my skills, and exploring different techniques. I love growing within this field and am so very blessed to be able to share my growth with readers and clients. (Hopefully part of that growth will soon include the ability to create lifelike hibiscus flowers. Those things have stopped me in my tracks.)

I hope that y'all will keep coming back and sharing in this growth process with me. I love that my work brings smiles to people and beauty to the world. If you are in the St. Augustine / Jacksonville part of Florida, please feel to contact me about purchasing flowers for use on your cakes and other treats.