My Magical Day in Zindorfialand…..

Are you all ready to hear my wonderful story of my journey to Zindorfialand??? Isn’t that card to the left a beauty, if I do say so myself? (Nothing like loving your own stuff, but I do love that card….) Let me back up….. For a long time, I have admired, more like drooled over the work of Michelle Zindorf who has a wonderful gallery at Splitcoaststampers.com – that’s where I have my gallery and when I’m not checking my own cards to see how many hits they have had, I am looking at everyone elses. Michelle’s cards stand out on a page…..so I went to her gallery a few times and read her profile, and low and behold I found out she grew up in Dayton, OH which is where I work! So one day I left an innocent (??) little comment on one of her cards saying that I realized I live very close to her…..I would never have boldly just said what was on my mind which was, “Hey, I am stamper starved, I have no friends around me who stamp…..and actually, I have very few friends period since I only moved here less then 2 years ago, and this is actually a desperate worm I am throwing out there in an attempt to fish for friends…….” (Sorry Michelle if you are reading this, but there you have it…..) I never dreamed that the great Zindorf would send me an email msg back in about 1/2 hour that was subjected, “Let’s get together to stamp” – Can you picture me, doing the happy dance??? Picture it sister, cuz that’s what I did. It’s no secret that I actually love my own stamping,,,,,,but Michelle’s stamping is a notch above anyones that I know, including and definetely my own. :):):) She is actually a watercolor artist first, and on her blog you can see some of her beautiful watercolor work. I tried to act nonchalant, but it was hard. Let’s see, let me check my calendar, is later this afternoon okay? Ha-ha – For all my fine NY/NJ friends who know me, I am a social kinda gal, I NEEEEEEED friends, and as far as stamping goes, I crave friends that I can share what I do and they can share what they do……and now I have one!! YIPPEE!! To make a long story short – OH….quick look to the left – and that is the card that Michelle helped me make step by step at her house, (I wormed my way in pretty fast, huh??smile……) And the rest of these are me playing with her wonderful brayered sky technique ad: obsession like I do everything……help me – I can’t stop – how much FUN is this???? So anyway, we met for lunch….at a wonderful quaint little restaurant called the Twin Creek Tea House, and turns out Michelle is no more bold then me but wants a stamping buddy too!! 🙂 Must be a GOD thing…..but what fun!! We ate at the cute little restaurant, (anyone who comes out here to see me I am going to drag you there for sure, it’s so cute and has well,,,,,,you know how they use the term “chick flick”? Well, this place has a “chick menu” – like stuff your husband would say, what’s up with this place, where are the hamburgers…..where are the french fries, no -they have stuff like quiche, and fruit salad, zucchini bread, and iced tea, and the BEST carrot cake you ever ate!! Definetley girlie stuff…..so come see me and I’ll take you there!! Okay- so anyway- we ate, we tooled around the gift shop(Cindy and Fran, it has Vera Bradley….come to Ohio….come to Ohio…..come to Ohio…..) and then we went to Michelle’s stamp room for the afternoon and she gave me a lesson in this brayered sky technique…..it’s so darn cool…….and if you want a tutorial, hey- go to Michelle’s blog,,,,,cuz you know ME and tutorials, they tend to be pretty, well, um…. S-H-O-R-T……but Michelle’s is awesome AND you can see her original creations instead of mine!! 🙂 But isn’t God good….cuz he not only gave me a stamping friend, but an ARTIST!!! How cool is that???? (If you are reading this Michelle, I promise you I really am NOT stalking you……..just thanking God that we got to meet and stamp) and now I have invited Michelle back to my house in a couple of weeks and I will take her to my favorite restaurant in Miamisburg, what it lacks in charm and possesses in downright tacky decor, it makes up for in the best THAI food I have eaten around here and equal to my favorite restaurant in NY!! And then I will bring her back here and I think I will show her my Black Magic stuff and see what gorgeous twists she will make with that technique!! Everyone on SCS accuses her of having a magic brayer……but hers really did LOOK just like mine….hmmmmmm…….the only thing was that once I accidentally started to pick hers up instead of mine and that was the only time she got borderline violent the whole time I was with her….other then that she seems so nice….hmmmm… do you think she really DOES have a magic brayer?? Anyway, Michelle is very humble and down to earth – she is a flippin celebrity in the SCS world….. and I have gotten more, “I’m so jealous comments” on my cards….cuz I got to have a lesson and they didn’t – come on, grow up, cry me a river, build me a bridge and GET OVER IT ladies……… just kidding………JUST KIDDING……… but I do feel so blessed to have spent the day with Michelle not only because of her amazing talent – but because she’s just plain sweet!! Do you like this birdy one? There is no end to the possibilities with this technique……good thing I started on Wednesday night, cuz man, I stayed up so late I was like sleep walking at work……have to save that for the END of the week, Friday we have no patients, and that’s a good thing cuz I was borderline comatose today………diet coke to the rescue…. several times!!! Anyway- here comes another one at ya, these last two were my first two
attempts, and I wasn’t too sure about placement ~ but I liked the finished product……can you believe these start from whisper white cardstock? yep, they do…… Okay- now – you all know I don’t do maps, right? well there’s another thing I don’t do……..sorry guys but I don’t do “links” – ain’t I a sorry excuse for a blogger?? I DON’T DO LINKS!! This is my round about way of sending you to Michelle’s gallery and/or blog…. Go to my gallery which Claire put a link to on the right side of this blog up a ways…….from there you can go to that elephant card, or for that matter almost any of the cards that use this brayered sky technique and Michelle Zindorf, aka, the GREAT ZINDORF has left comments for me, (I ASKED her to leave at least one comment so all those jealous groupies of hers would know I don’t come from la-la land and it was really the truth that we met…..) From Michelle’s comment, you can go to her gallery or her blog….cuz they say gallery and blog and you just click and voila!! Hey, while you’re in there, you can leave me a comment to , cuz after you see HER creations, you won’t think mine are so great anymore,,,,,,haha…….give me a little glory while I still have your respect, okay??? In fact, you might decide to visit her blog instead of mine after this…..boo-hoo…..it’s okay, I can stand it…… after all she actually explains what she does in terrific tutorial fashion…….but remember who sent you there, okay? Friends? Yeh, you’re gonna love me for this……haha. Well here is my last first creation here, I mean the last on this blog, but actually my first solo attempt at a Zindorf
brayered sky inspired creation!! It’s a kind of a fantasy card……a magical mystical place….. Don’t ask me why flowers would be like out there, in the desert with a purple sky……with swirls coming up around them……this is Zindorfialand and it’s MAGIC and anything can happen!! Thanks for coming along on my journey with me….and don’t ask me if you can borrow my brayer either, cuz the answer is NO!! (Or my white gel pen for that matter either…..)unless of course you come to Ohio to stamp with me, and then you can borrow anything you WANT!! That’s all for this chapter ladies, keep on stampin!

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26 Comments
  • Anonymous
    May 2, 2008

    Karen, you are a fantastic stamper, but I’m finding out you are even a better comedian, lol. I think you were hiding that sense of humor from me last weekend! Were you afraid of scaring me, ha ha!
    Here is a link to my blog:
    http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/

    So glad you updated your blog to showcase your super wonderfully creative cards!

    I think the two of us should see if we can’t get a bunch of SCS gals together for a stamping workshop. Some of them say they will travel. What do you say?
    Oh, by the way, you are not allowed to go to the tea house without me, lol!
    Big Huge Hugs!
    Michelle Zindorf

  • Laura (scrapnextras)
    May 3, 2008

    WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! You are so lucky to have had the pleasure! These are simply amazing…you are very talented and a quick learner! I love Michelle’s work, but can’t get the brayer to give me anything unless it’s on glossy! Fabulous, inspiring cards!

  • Amazing. I want to go to Zindorfialand!!!!! How do I get there?

  • Penny
    May 3, 2008

    Oh wow, what amazing cards you’ve created!!

    I must have been living under a rock or something because I’ve never seen Michelle’s work *shock*…off to check it out now…

    So happy you found a stamping buddy and a pal – eating and stamping, 2 of my favourite things. You’re a lucky , lucky girl! And a talented one to boot!

  • Gloria
    May 3, 2008

    Karen – I am so glad you found a new stamping buddy, right there in your own “back yard”. So how far from your house is that Twin Creek Tea House. . . or we love Thai, too!!! See you soon.
    gloria

  • Erika H.
    May 3, 2008

    Karen…you are SO funny. I, like you, am a complete Zindorf fan too, am I absolutely LOVE your creations. Great cards.

  • Renée
    May 3, 2008

    These are absolutely gorgeous! I wish I lived nearby!!

  • Anonymous
    May 3, 2008

    You are a very lucky woman – but you know that. Your cards are great, and I have to agree with you the technique is addictive. Every time I see a good sun rise or sun set I think how could I make that into a brayered card. I thought i was extremely lucky to have been able to purchase her original cards – it was like buying a piece of art. But you- you lunched, you gal paled around YOU STUDIED with the master!!!!!! You crazy gal you.

    By the way did you ever live in NJ? For some reason your picture looks very familiar.

  • Unknown
    May 4, 2008

    these cards are indeed over the top gorgeous dear friend!! i’m so happy for you and michelle to be sharing your trade secrets and your love of stamping and art… together!! what amazing creations you two will come up with!!! i need to learn too (: your forever, if distant frend ruth

  • Nancy
    May 4, 2008

    Karen, what fun to have found a new stamping friend. Now you know how I felt when I was first introduced to you. Can’t wait to see what new techniques you have to share with us.

    Nancy B.

  • Tamara
    May 4, 2008

    Karen, I was wondering what stamp set you used for the elephant and tree. It is beautiful. My son and law just returned from a mission trip to Africa.
    Tahanks

  • Anonymous
    May 4, 2008

    Ooooh, I’m jealous! What I wouldn’t do for an accomplished stampin’ pal like that . . . and I moved to Ohio 4 1/2 years ago! Oh, where is the justice? 🙂 Next time you make the N.E. Ohio trip, bring The Great Zindorf with you so there’s double the fun.

  • Cindy Lawrence
    May 5, 2008

    Oh Kar, these came out AWESOME!!! What a fabulous technique! You need to show me how to do this!!!! I’m soooooo glad you found a stampin’ buddy nearby! Who wouldn’t want to hang with you??? Love you lots! ~C

  • Connie Babbert
    May 5, 2008

    Hey Karen…next time call one of your OTHER friends in OHIO!!! I’d love to learn in Zindorfialand, too!!!! And the Tea House sounds awesome… There is also one in Springfield…halfway between Dayton and Columbus! Meet you there???

  • Anonymous
    May 6, 2008

    Karen, these are drop dead GORGEOUS! I’m so glad you found a friend to stamp with and someone with whom you can share your awesome talents. Michelle’s work is beautiful, just like yours! Now that you’ve got us all drooling, you’ll have to do a tutorial on your blog and show us all how it’s done! (oh come on…you got the music to work, didn’t you? You can do this!) 🙂

  • Anonymous
    May 6, 2008

    oh my goodness-just checked out Michelle’s site-guess you are off the hook Karen, cuz she has already done some terrific tutorials showing her watercoloring technique…

  • LindaH
    May 10, 2008

    What a great story! I too am a Zindorf fan and I think I will now become a Karen Barber fan too!

  • Monika/Buzsy
    May 11, 2008

    Awesome cards… every one is so pretty… love the colors and images you used! TFS!

  • retiredheather
    May 14, 2008

    I want to gooooo. I only wish it was possible but I live in Canada. Your work if fantastic. Such a great student. I do so love Michelle`s work and now I love yours too. You lucky girl. Keep us all informed and share your talent.
    Retired Heather

  • Kylah Marro
    May 22, 2008

    Hey Karen! I love these cards THEY ROCK!! I would love to make the blue and green tree card….can you tell me which colors you used? I am not very good at trying to figure that out…If you have time…I know you are busy!
    Thanks so much!
    Kylah Marro

  • Linda
    May 27, 2008

    Karen,
    Could you share who makes the lovely tree stamp and the elephants you used to make that stunning card? thanks
    Linda

  • Karen Barber
    May 28, 2008

    The elephant and tree stamp – it’s all one stamp – made by a company called INKBLOCKS, but warning- it’s probably 10 years old……at least 8……and I have not been able to find it again and the store I bought it at went out of business a long time ago…..it’s awesome though, huh? It’s one of my all time favorite stamps…..sorry SU……(I am such a loyalist I feel guilty saying that…..)

  • Karen Barber
    May 29, 2008

    I STAND CORRECTED – A lady who left a comment on my card asking where I found the stamp, FOUND IT! Go to ibrakeforstamps.com and you will see it- it appears to be a smaller image then mine but maybe they are not true to the size shown. Anyway- the elephant/tree stamp is on that website- under animals!! 🙂

  • Dawn
    May 30, 2008

    Oh fabulous! The cards – restaurant, new stamping friend, etc. I AM jealous! If only you guys lived near me…

  • Maureen
    June 13, 2008

    Karen – you don;t actually know me in person – but I am an INKredible sister – Tracy Altemose is my “mama bear” ( my affectionate title for her as my upline!! LOL Anyway – these cards are THE BOMB baby! Woo hoo! Makes me want to grab up Claire and drive right out there this summer so you can show us…guess I’d have to ask Claire first though – now wouldn’t I??!?!?!!? LOL anyway – I am so proud my INK-y sistah has a celebrity friend….even though you stand as celebrity out here in Tina’s world! Thanks for sharing the beauty!!
    Maureen

  • Anonymous
    June 29, 2008

    OMG I am out of breath.Can I come to Ohio please? Do you think I could make it by lunchtime on my bicycle all the way from the UK?

    You are a scream girl.Reading your blog has certainly put a smile on my face.You lucky, lucky lady having all those friends to share some inspiration with….make sure you keep ’em.

    I will be checking out Michelle’s blog as I too have a brayer although no magic dust in it yet as I haven’t been able to bond with mine.Hoping that Michelle can make the connection.

    Speak Soon…P.S Love ya cards you really did learn fast eh!!!

    Samantha ( aka billybea SCS name)