In March 2012,
I bought Tim's wood-grain and wallpaper stamp set.
I had been
looking at Tim’s wood-grain and wallpaper stamp set on-line, trying to decide
how much I may really want to buy it. I had no project on the go
that would utilize it (March is the only month that I don’t have someone or
something to make cards for) I just liked (really, really liked) it. I
decided that, if, I could buy it today...I would, if not, I didn’t need it. Hedging my bets, I drove to The Scrap Yard,
to scour the great wall of Tim.
Lori Wilson-Bunda
has this...(hard to describe full force super-high-five) energy and enthusiasm
that is extremely contagious. Whatever
she is making, working on, or teaching you are immediately drawn to want be a part of. She is always encouraging; wanting people to
push themselves creatively, to try new things, get out there, do it, show-off
your stuff. She’s the one who convinced
me to start blogging.
The Scarp
Yard is an overwhelming curated collection of awesome that also sells scrapbooking, card making, and creative must-haves. I never leave without snooping the little
pails and the tiny drawers. Lori’s
secret stash has saved me from more than one paper-craft/card making crisis
(yes, I have those...I assume everyone does...please don’t tell me if it’s “just
me”).
I have had many amazing (sometimes unusual) conversations
with Lori over the years. We often talk
about the latest posts on the various blogs we’ve been reading many of them by
people she has met and I aspire to meet (Lori, I live vicariously through you), articles from magazines, things she has
found on Pinterest (I’m still not overly invested in my Pinterest boards so
these are more ‘she talks-and-shows, I mostly ooh and ahh’ conversations). We talk about new and up-coming product
releases, trade shows and crafty events – as one might expect given the nature
of her business. We have also talked
about art school, family, small business, mega-corporations, travel, food,
health the economy (both American and Canadian), stuffed toys and tea towels
with recipes on them. I’ve left, on more
than one occasion, wondering during my drive home how we got on these topics in
the first place.
On this
particular day we started talking about enameled metal; more vividly than the
topic, I remember the sample of Tim’s Faux Enamel she quickly pulled out from a
binder ring full of swatches. Looking at
and touching the surface of the tag, I proceeded to tell her how this finish had been achieved (I had remembered everything but the clear embossed top coat
– so close). She flipped through and
selected another, then another and another all the while me figuring out (sometimes knowing) how each was produced and Lori filling in the missed bits of specialty
surfaces, primers and scientifically constructed craft chemicals; and when I
had to confess, “I don’t know, how this…” her smile would grow big and her eyes
would twinkle - she couldn’t wait to tell (teach) me.
This show-and-tell naturally flowed into her sharing with me the "making of" her rings of samples, her experiences at Ranger University (I never wanted to go
to back school so badly in my life) and becoming a Ranger Certified Educator, the
facility, the classes and the instructors (she modeled – à la Vanna White- a colourfully
decorated photo of herself and Tim). We
talked Tim, tags and techniques for two hours (maybe less? but I like a little
alliteration).
I almost
forgot what I had come in for, I was after all, on a mission to buy Tim’s
wood-grain and wall paper stamp set.
As she is
ringing my lone stamp set purchase through, she asks me if I’m making Tim’s 12 Tags for March. Pausing, confused as to
why she would think I was about to make something Christmas-y from December, I
replied no, but questioned why she would be asking…in March?. She starts explaining that for 2012 that Tim
is making 12 tags, one for each month (but not January). Eager to share the tag she already knew she
quickly got on the internet and pulls up timholtz.typepad.com,
we looked at his then she showed me hers ~I
should really reword this prior to posting~ and I stood speechless. I was trying to keep up with a creatively charged mind that was now racing. I thanked Lori as I left (but not nearly enough in hindsight*).
It raced the whole drive home, Yes, I wanted to make this tag now, I needed to.
I wanted to compete play-along compete (challenge myself) compete. I made the decision that day, I was going to start making
a (Tim) tag every month, for me.
In March 2012, I never made a tag.
In April
2012, I never made a tag. I made a card inspired by Tim’s tag - not a tag, not for
me - for my Grandmother.
In May
2012, I never made a tag. I made a card inspired by Tim’s tag – not a tag, not for me –
for my Mother.
In June
2015, I made a tag inspired by Tim’s March 2012 tag. This is my 100th blog post; three years and three months late, this is the first tag I never made.
