Susan R. Opel
Last month while teaching at a Creating Keepsakes Convention in Kentucky, I had the opportunity to meet Windy Robinson, a talented card designer who’s been published in Paper Crafts magazine. She told me an inspiring story about how she became the paper crafter that she is today, and I knew that I wanted to share it with all of you! So, read on for Windy’s story…
Windy’s story: Every year my best crafting buddy and I attend a CKC event. We’ve been fortunate enough to attend CKC-Louisville just two hours from our hometown of Cincinnati for the past two years, but I’ll admit that we’ve gleefully driven 5-6 hours to hit CKC-Nashville. You just can’t beat a weekend of quality crafting time with your girlfriends, abundant new products to buy and new things to learn by taking great classes from the pros.
It’s amazing what can happen in a very short period of time. I say this because it’s hard to believe that it was only a little over a year ago when I made my first card…ever! I entered it in the Paper Crafts Card Contest at CKC-Louisville.
Windy created her You Make Me Smile Card using product she bought at the CKC vendor faire last month.
Prior to making my first card, I was die-hard scrapbooker. I made my first scrapbooks over 12 years ago when I was in college, with magnetic albums and construction paper–yikes! After making that first card and taking a few classes at CKC, I instantly became addicted to card making. This addiction has been one of life’s little surprises for me. I never would have dreamt that I’d be a card maker, but what I hadn’t realized was that card making and scrapbooking naturally go hand in hand.
I began a blog where I shared cards that I’d made from the remnants of my scrapbook pages. Within a few months of sharing my work, seeing others’ inspiring work and playing along with the challenges at Paper Crafts Connection and Moxie Fab World, my card designs started to take over as the inspiration for my scrapbook layouts.
Windy’s classy and elegant style often includes a big dramatic silk ribbon.
As the months progressed, I started developing my style as a designer, submitting my work to Paper Crafts for publication, and building fabulous relationships with paper crafters from all around the world. The end result is that now I am a die-hard card maker (who scrapbooks), and I’ve even been asked to join the design teams for GCD Studios and Piggy Tales Academy!
I love to share and learn, and this wonderful craft enables us all to do that on so many levels. Better yet, I have learned how to define my scrapbook designs, and I’m loving my layouts even more now. The moral of this story is that you can surprise yourself, but only if you give it a shot. So submit, share and most importantly, don’t stop creating!
Windy and I pause for a photo after the Paper Crafts Card Swap at CKC-Louisville.
Thanks for sharing your story, Windy. And to think that it all started because of a fun and crafty weekend with her girlfriends!
Have you ever attended a CKC event? Follow this link and see if there’s one in your neck of the woods. It might well be a weekend you’ll never forget (for all the right reasons!).
Join me in giving Windy some Paper Crafts love!
Susan
P.S. You can see more of Windy’s cards in our current issue, as well as our May/June and July/August issues. Her projects will also be appearing in our upcoming special issues – Go-to Sketches (on sale March 23) and Card Creations, Volume 8.
woot woot for windy! I LOVE her style!
Windy is an amazing designer!!
Thanks Windy for sharing and the inspiration! I always love going to CKC’s all over. I even fly to be there sometimes!!
Congratulations Windy! You ARE amazing!
Windy is one talented lady! I can eat those bows, they look so good!
Love Windy’s style, it is totally recognizable in the craft magazines. BEAUTIFUL creations, girl!
Yay Windy! I have just recently discover Windy’s amazing talent for myself…she rocks!
I hope that you read your comments—I thought that the CKC was just scrapbooking. Is it also for card makers? I don’t do scrapbooking, and never will. We have the Riverside CKC about 50 miles away. Would you say that it’s worth the drive for someone like me? THANKS SOOOO MUCH.
I am not a huge scrapbooker and found there were plenty of classes & enough supplies to please me at my first CKC in Seattle last November.
I came home with a bag full of new stuff and lots of inspiration. 
Hi Sharon!
I’ll be at Riverside. I’ll be teaching for Paper Crafts.
This will be the first year I’ve ever taught at some.
But I’ve been attending CKCs for 4 or 5 years now as an attendee. My mom and I love to go together. They are two that are two by us. One is just about in my neighborhood. The other is a few hours away.
I’d say they are definitely for card makers, too.
There are usually a few vendors who sell scrapbook page kits and scrapbook-specific products, but most of the vendors at the ones I have gone to sell stuff that card makers and scrapbookers use (gems, brads, paper, glue and all that). There’s even been a few stamp companies.
There is a card contest.
There are lots of scrapbook classes, but there are also card classes available. I took one last year where we made 10 cards in a hour! It was madness.
One card class I really enjoyed in the past is actually a Paper Crafts one. That would be the Card Swap class. You make 5 cards in the class. You can also bring some of your own cards to the class and swap them out with other attendees.
It’s offered every year, and the cards taught in the class change every year. Both my mom and I really enjoyed it when we’ve taken it. I’m a little biased this year because I actually designed the cards for it.
Anyway, check out the convention page and you can pull up the classes to see what card classes are available.
And check out the convention’s exhibitors page. You can see who will be at the Vendor Faire.
Sharon, one more thing. If you decide to go, please make sure you say hi to me!
Teri
beautiful work, Windy! I named my doll Windy once upon a time…spelled the same!
Wow what an amazing story!
Hi all! Thanks so much for your kind comments:)
And yes, I’d agree that CKC definitely would be worth the trip if you are purely a card maker. I took my first Card Swap this year & it was awesome fun! I’ve already used several of the wonderful cards that got from some of the ladies in the class & learned some tricks that I would never would have thought to do myself. I also took a couple of other card and stamping classes that were very informative, plus the shopping rocks… I found a lot of goodies that were on my wish list.
Take care!
Windy – your cards are beautiful!!!!
yay for windy! i love reading other crafters’ stories of how they found this wonderful hobby. her cards are beautiful!
Windy (we are now happy DT buds)…..since we’ve found out we live pretty close. Can I invite myself to join you girls next year at Louisville. The only thing that stopped me from going this year was not having someone to go with.
Great story! I LOVE her style, it’s so elegant and beautiful!
Yay Windy! Beautiful work! I’ve been hoping to get to CKC Buffalo this year.
I LOVE Windy!!
Thank you so much for sharing… she’s so creative! 