SaddleBrooke Gift Shop featured artist – Ann Rolando

Russell C. Stokes

Everyone who knows Ann Rolando describes her as friendly, detail-oriented with high energy and always ready to lend a helping hand.

Ann Rolando is the SaddleBrooke Gift Shop Featured Artist for the first month of this New Year.

Ann and her husband John moved to SaddleBrooke six years ago from Elm Grove, Wisconsin for the “lovely weather.” Ann met John while working together at the Hall Chevrolet Dealership in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. There Ann worked as an automobile sales person, sales manager and the dealership’s finance manager.

Many of us may recognize Ann’s smiling face as you enter SaddleBrooke One’s Administrative Office, Fitness Center or the Vistas Dining Room. Ann currently works part-time for SaddleBrooke One where she enjoys putting her customer service and organizational skills to good use. John is employed by the nearby town of Oro Valley.

Ann has been an active member of the SaddleBrooke Gift Shop for five and a half years. She was elected to the club’s board as the Gift Shop Assistant Manager. She served in that vital position for a number of years. She has been key to the Gift Shop’s growing success. Beginning this New Year, Ann will take on a role of Board Member at Large.

Ann joined the SaddleBrooke Gift Shop team in June 2012 as an outlet for her many artistic crafts; Ann’s hot-foiled and personalized stamped napkins, hand towels and note cards remain unique to the Gift Shop’s vast inventory.

Ann became interested in crafts some time ago. She was introduced to hot-foil stamping through a friend’s recommendation and liked it immediately. Foil stamping is a printing method in which pre-dried ink or foils are transferred to a surface at high temperatures. Many companies offer this printing option for a variety of reasons and occasions. Ann was so intrigued by this that she decided to give Hot Stamping a try. After researching the process Ann invested in a specialty machine, metal letters and the necessary dies to start creating her hot foiled stamped personalized gifts. Hot Foil Stamping is a craft Ann loves and “it keeps her quite busy.” When asked which specialty she enjoys most, Ann said, “I love to personalize the scratch pads, napkins, note cards and hand towels.”

Other crafted items that Ann loves to create and sell to SaddleBrooke Gift Shop guests are her ever popular hand knitted scrubby dish cloths, party lights in jelly jars, scarves, candles and her gift and greeting cards.

In order to have ample space to design and create her many craft items, Ann converted a small area in her home into her personal Art and Craft Studio. This special room is where she creates her magic and maintains her supplies and finished craft items. Ann’s favorite part of her art is developing new ideas and creating sentiments for her personalized gift items.

In Ann’s opinion, the SaddleBrooke Gift Shop “is a great place to work surrounded by so much beautiful art and craft work. There is so much talent here at SaddleBrooke. It is a pleasure to work with so many gifted, nice and helpful people. I love the fact that all the items sold in the Gift Shop are made exclusively by SaddleBrooke Residents.”

The SaddleBrooke Gift Shop opened in 1986 as the SaddleBrooke Artist Gallery. The Gift Shop is staffed alternately by 38 artists who volunteer their time to help ensure the shops success. When looking for special gifts, jewelry, art work or greeting cards please stop by and visit your resident artisans. The SaddleBrooke Gift Shop is located in SaddleBrooke One near the Clubhouse and next door to the Fitness Center. The SaddleBrooke Gift Shop is currently open seven days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.