Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to the start of my blogging experience.  My name is Susan (known as susanbri at Splitcoast Stampers).  I've been making cards for many years.

I'm a retired librarian (I worked for many years at the public library) and have happily reinvented myself since retiring six years ago.  I now split my life between my volunteering (more about that in a minute) and my home life where I make cards, garden, cook, knit, walk my dogs, get together with friends for wonderful food, and read (how could a retired librarian not be a reader?!).

In my volunteer life, I'm a Friend of the Garden at the UBC Botanical Garden, I teach dog obedience classes, and most relevant of all, I volunteer at Southlands Therapeutic Riding Society (STARS).  You'll see that stars play a big role in my cards, and also the majority of them are Christmas cards.  That's because I make many Christmas cards each year to sell, with the proceeds going to Southlands to help fund their Therapeutic Riding programs for children and adults with special needs.  I spend two to three days a week at the barn, helping to get the horses ready for lessons, leading the horses or walking next to riders who need extra help.  It's incredibly rewarding and makes my retirement so very rich.

I have been a member of Splitcoast Stampers since 2009.  There's a link to my SCS card gallery in the right hand column, if you'd like to take a look at my previous cards.  I'd always thought I'd just stick with posting my cards on Splitcoast Stampers, but my dear card-making friend, Loll Thompson (Stamping with Loll) has convinced me I should start a blog to share my future cards, my volunteer life, and my love of gardening.  I hope you'll take this journey with me.

Since a post with no picture is kind of boring, here's my favourite photo from the therapeutic riding.  You can't see me very well but I'm up at the front on the left leading the horse.  The young rider is confined to a wheelchair with a whole host of physical disabilities but when he's on a horse, he sits up straight with just a bit of support and smiles the most wonderful smile the whole time.

Helping to fund his riding (and other riders like him) is the reason I make so many Christmas cards to sell, so please enjoy all the Christmas cards posted throughout the year!

I have to end by saying I would not be blogging without all of Loll's help to set up the blog and to teach me how to use it!   Thank you so much, Loll!