September Friendly Feature–Charmaine Stack

Few fans of Waltzingmouse Stamps are as involved in promoting the brand as much as Charmaine Stack also known as Tweedcurtain on the WMS forum.

Charmaine has been a WMS forum member since March of 2010 and has been active in many challenges and activities every since. We are please to have Charmaine as a guest blogger today and are excited to have her share the creativity that we have come to love.

Hello - Charmaine Stack here from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is an honour to be featured on the Waltzingmouse Stamps blog. I discovered Waltzingmouse Stamps on November 10, 2009 when I innocently asked on the Splitcoaststampers.com forum if stamps were being made to coordinate with the label Spellbinders dies. The first response back was a recommendation for Claire's stamps. I was smitten with her fresh take on vintage, and the rest, as they say, is history.

One of the things I like about WMS stamps is their versatility. It's fun to combine different sets, which is what I have done here. Those who have been WMS fans as long as I have (or longer!) will remember the Mad for Plaid phase we all went through. Claire has a great tutorial on the WMS website for making plaid.

I decided to dust off that technique for the background for my 6-inch square card using stamps from Pic-Nic Patterns and Off Beat Backgrounds. The "vase" is actually the candy jar from Candy Jar Christmas Fillers, coloured with Copic markers. The Camellia blossoms were stamped with Rose Bud Memento Ink and then coloured with Copics and shaded with a white pencil crayon. I used Distress Stickles Dry Glitter to highlight the petals. I was unable to get an accurate photo of the glitter. Trust me - it is a subtle, transparent sparkle, not the milky white showing here. I used the cut files to cut out the blossoms and leaves on my Silhouette Cameo. The sentiment in the corner is from the Vintage Garden - Seed Packet set.

One of the best parts of new releases is visiting the WMS design team to see what they have dreamed up, and I can always count on Julia Aston to have some sort of cool packaging, gift container, bag or box. So I was thinking of Julia when I made this little treat box to match the card.
The box started out as a Lori Whitlock cut file, but I added an acetate window and frame to show off the Lemoncello Almonds inside. (Roasted almonds covered in white chocolate and lemon cream - a new obsession!) The box measures 4.5H X 3.25W X 2D inches.
Thanks for joining me here today!
What fun and creative projects! In addition to seeing some of Charmaine’s inspiration, we asked her to answer a few questions that will help us get to know her better.
When did you get into this hobby? 1990.
What is your favorite kind (manufacturer) of cardstock? For bases, Die Cut With a View (DCWV)  and Bazzill Basics. For stamping, Neenah Classic.
What is your favorite WMS set or one that you reach for over and over? I try to spread the love around, but lately Compact Sentiments has seen a lot of ink. My very favourite WMS stamp is the Vintage Christmas Backgrounder. I really liked that pattern when it was just a strip in one of the early Christmas sets, and now I can cover a whole card front!
Do you have a favorite technique? Burnished Velvet Glitter Technique. Sometimes in my "high powered day job" I will be sitting in a board room and look down and see glitter on my sleeve, and it makes me smile!
Do you own a die cutter? What kind? I am on my second Cuttlebug and own a Silhouette Cameo.
What is your favorite color combination? I am an autumn gal, but lately have been trying to break out of that palette.
If money wasn't an issue, what crafty stuff would you buy? My first thought was cardstock, ribbon, inks and markers that all match. That is appealing when I am trying to pull something together and nothing seems quite right. However, it's often "making do" and "happy accidents" that lead to more exciting outcomes, so then less is more.
Who is your most admired crafter - or the person that inspires you or challenges you? I honestly cannot single out one person because there are so many talented people out there in the blogosphere (and on the WMS design team), and each have their own unique gifts and approaches. Currently I am learning all about the Silhouette Cameo, so I have been paying attention to some people that are doing pretty neat things with their machines. For me, stamping is all about learning new techniques; keeping it fresh and interesting. I am definitely a “jack of all trades and master of none”, so whoever is the renowned expert on (insert technique her) will be the crafter getting my attention at that moment.
Please join us in thanking Charmaine for guest blogging today and for being such a great cheerleader of Waltzingmouse Stamps!