Friday, August 10, 2012

Flutter By Wednesday's: Let's Meet the Flutter By Team Day 1

The new team has been chosen and we're gearing up for the return of Flutter By Wednesday's next week so I thought I'd take a few days to introduce you to the team!?

I like big happy Flutter By Teams so our team is on the large side but that just means more inspiration for you! I have broken the introductions into 3 days so be sure to stop back by tomorrow and Saturday so you meet the entire team!! And don't be shy, feel free to stop by all the team member's blogs and leave some love!


Danni--that's me--the owner/creator of FBW!

My team said this was hard to write about themselves and I agree..LOL! Let's see...US Army wife to Sam, mostly a SAHM to Matthew who will be 11 in a few weeks and Annabelle who will be 8 in September. I recently went back to work after 11 years of not working at my local Curves--very part time. I truly love it!?

I have been scrapbooking for over 14-15 years and always swore I wouldn't get into rubber stamping as I knew I'd be hooked. I was right, I had a stamp party about 7 years ago and the rest is history as they say. I don't do much scrapbooking these days but I love making cards.

I love butterflies and fairies and that is why I started this challenge 4 years ago. I am happy to be back as I missed it so much.

Michelle- Sponsorship Lead (also known as my right hand gal)

Hi, I'm Michelle Van Patten and I'm thrilled to be fluttering with Flutter By Wednesday again!? I've been married to my college sweetheart for 21 years and we're into the teenage years raising our two sons.? I'm a SAHM, who really spends more time chauffeuring her boys everywhere than she does staying at home!? {lol}??

I also believe I have been abundantly blessed and I try to give back with a lot of volunteer time at our church and school. ?In addition to paper crafting, I enjoy just hanging out with my family, visiting friends, long walks, long talks, a good book, board games, playing fetch over and over again with our dog or snuggling with my purring kitty. I attended my first stamping workshop over 12 years ago and started with one stamp set, a black ink pad, a pack of white paper and chalk pastels.? From those humble beginnings grew a passion for card making.? I love the joy of creating cards and sharing them with others! ?{big smile}

Kathy- Sketch Designer for FBW

Hi everyone! I'm Kathy and I've very excited to be a part of the Flutterby Wednesday's DT. I've loved crafts for as long as I can remember. I grew up making lots of projects with my mother and grandmother. I started scrapbooking about 14 years ago and then rubber stamping ?8 years ago. I usually do my crafting at night, since my family keeps me hopping during the day time! I've been married for 11 years and have 4 great kiddos (3 boys and a girl). I also enjoy reading, cooking and reality TV. Really looking forward to seeing everyone's fluttery creations!

I have been married over 30 years to my best friend Bruce and we have one daughter, Lexi, who is 22 years old and three sweet and fun cats. Bruce and I retired in 2008 and are loving it. I have been stamping and card making for about 7 years and have been on several vendor DT but now I am just having fun being on DT such as FBW where I can use any vendor's products - and I have lots of butterflies and fairies from lots of companies!? When I am not stamping I am knitting scarves, chemo hats and newborn hats for charity, working at a local food pantry or traveling.

See you tomorrow for more introductions!!

Source: http://flutterbywednesdays.blogspot.com/2012/08/lets-meet-flutter-by-team-day-1.html

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Analysis: Iran seeks to save pivotal Syrian ally

LONDON (Reuters) - Iran, dismayed at the plight of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is seeking to shore him up and counter a perceived drive by Western and U.S.-aligned Sunni Muslim nations to roll back its own power in the Middle East.

A hastily-convened conference in Tehran on Thursday looked like an attempt by the Islamic Republic to forge a coalition of friendly countries opposed to Western and Arab support for rebels determined to end four decades of Assad family rule.

Iran, handed geostrategic windfalls in the past decade by Washington's elimination of two of its main enemies, Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan, now fears the pendulum of regional influence could swing the other way.

Success for the Sunni-led uprising in Syria could have grave implications for the Shi'ite rulers in Tehran and their vaunted "axis of resistance" against Israel and the United States.

The axis has already lost one cog, Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni Islamist group which turned against Assad months ago for his bloody repression of foes including the Muslim Brotherhood.

Assad's fall would weaken a pivotal component, Lebanon's Hezbollah, for which Syria has provided arms, support and a route for weapons from Iran, the Shi'ite group's main patron.

It would also complicate life for Syria's eastern neighbor Iraq, whose Iran-friendly Shi'ite-led government fears that a mainly Sunni leadership could take power in Damascus in place of one dominated by Assad's Shi'ite-rooted Alawite minority.

Western officials have accused Iran of providing funds, weapons and intelligence support to Assad in his struggle to crush opposition. Syrian rebels also says Tehran has sent Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah fighters against them.

How far Iran will go in backing Assad, widely perceived across the Arab world as a tyrant killing his own people, is an open question - and one sometimes debated openly in Tehran.

"RELIGIOUS POLARISATION"

"There are rational views versus radical ones, but this is Iran. It's very difficult to be more flexible, to argue for change," said one Tehran-based diplomat.

The political and military hardliners in control say Syria stood by Iran in its hour of need, the only Arab nation on its side in the 1980-88 war with Iraq, and deserves loyalty now.

They also view the conflict in Syria as an extension of a sectarian power struggle with Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, as well as a U.S.-led campaign to shackle its nuclear ambitions by sanctions or if necessary by military force.

"Iran doesn't accept this is about opening Syria up to democracy. It's not at all democratic," said Mohammad Marandi of Tehran University. "Saudi advocates Wahhabi Islam and Iran believes it's pushing for religious polarization."

Iran said it had won support at Thursday's conference for its call for a halt to violence in Syria and dialogue between Assad and his foes on the Syrian leader's "reform" program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said outside interference was worsening the crisis. "It will be a mistake to think that with the continuation of pressure and unwise moves, the Syrian leadership would finally collapse," he added.

Iranian officials have in recent weeks offered to host talks between Syria's government and opposition, although Assad's foes have shown no interest in such a dialogue with the man they want to topple, let alone one organized by Tehran.

Iran may be seeking a diplomatic role after the failure of Kofi Annan's U.N.-backed peace plan, but its chances of success appear doomed from the start, as perhaps its authors know, since Tehran's policy is predicated on keeping Assad in power.

"Iran is trying to take control of and redirect a failed diplomatic process, even though these endeavors will likely fail," said Anthony Skinner of the Maplecroft risks consultancy.

"Tehran is attempting to offset pressure from allies of the armed and unarmed opposition in Syria. It might also show that Iran is running out of ideas on what to do."

HONEST BROKER

Salehi, in an opinion piece in the Washington Post on the eve of the Tehran meeting, presented Iran as "part of the solution, not the problem" - as the United States contends.

"As the world has witnessed during the past decade, we have acted as a stabilizing force in Iraq and Afghanistan, two other Muslim countries thrown into turmoil," he wrote, alluding to U.S.-led military interventions in both states.

Salehi also said Syrians should decide their own destiny through a forthcoming presidential election, decreed by Assad.

Tehran has resisted any negotiated transition requiring Assad's exit and the loss of a partner who has helped Iran flex its muscles in Lebanon and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Earlier this week, senior Iranian envoy Saeed Jalili was in Damascus for talks with Assad, declaring that his country wouldn't allow "the axis of resistance, of which it considers Syria to be an essential part, to be broken in any way".

Next week President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will attend an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Countries set to focus on the Syrian crisis. Iran will want to prevent any attempt to suspend Syria's membership of the Jeddah-based OIC.

While Iran has repeatedly denounced Turkey and Qatar, alongside Saudi Arabia, for supporting Syrian rebels, it has been forced to seek their help in securing the release of 48 Iranians kidnapped by the insurgents last week.

Syrian rebels accuse them of being elite Revolutionary Guards sent to assist Assad's forces in crushing the opposition.

Salehi has acknowledged that some are retired Guards or soldiers, but said they were religious pilgrims, not fighters.

Maplecroft's Skinner said concern over the captives might in part have motivated Iran's flurry of diplomacy.

"If they are serving members of the Guards, then Iran's diplomatic initiatives may be linked to the hostage-taking because of the sensitive information they may have," he said.

For Iran, "losing" Syria would be a damaging blow, but prolonged post-Assad instability might offer opportunities to a country adept at pursuing its interests in a conflict-ridden region, as it has shown in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

"Assad is far from gone and even when he is, things are going to be chaotic for a while," said Dina Esfandiary of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. "

"And Iran thrives in that kind of context."

(Additional reporting by Peter Apps; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-iran-seeks-save-pivotal-syrian-ally-162929229.html

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