Meet Ms. September!

Since we started the Bombshell Stamps Blog after the reigns of Ms. September, Ms. October, and Ms. November, we'll be playing a bit of catch up. At some point we should be able to post the interview of the guest designers in their actual months!

But I digress.

Introducing Meredith Winston, Ms. September!!!

Here are the questions and her responses.

1. Brief info about yourself, including your name, where you live, your family (if you want), etc.
Hey All - I'm Meredith Winston. I live in a quiet town called Medway about an hour outside of Boston. I'm married to the love of my life, Ian. We've been married for 14 years and we've been together for 20. We met the summer after just before I left for my first year of college. So if you do the math I'm 37=). We have two amazing children. Kendall is six and Tyler is four and three quarters. We have a gorgeous Pitbull mix dog named Katie.

2. How long have you been stamping and/or crafting?
My entire life. Art runs in my blood. I have been doing fine art, crafting, sewing, knitting, collage, and photography for as long as I remember. My Mother was a lover of the fine arts, particularly oil painting. I vividly remember making book report covers in elementary school (with a little help from her) using charcoal to make etchings and then shading them in with colored pastel chalks!!! I used to sneak into the living room and pour over the coffee table books on Van Gogh, Cassatt, Manet, Degas, Monet, and Renoir. As the years went on my styles changed constantly.

In college I seriously studied Fine Art, Art History, and Costume History along with Fine Art restoration and preservation. I have always loved making things with my hands. I find, specifically with cards and alterable projects, that having a smaller “canvas” to work with is much less intimidating than having a huge piece of stretched art canvas standing on an easel in front of you -- which is why I never had tremendous luck in the art of oil painting (too intimidating!). I’ve also ALWAYS been drawn to mixed media projects which are why cards, alterables, scrapbooks, etc fit perfectly into my creative vibe!!!

3. What are your favorite Bombshell sets and why?
In this order:
1. Bombshell Angel -- ever versatile, always a "go-to" and she has unbelievable outfits!!
2. Girl's Ruin -- She's hot AND she's in a GIANT stiletto?!!!! What more could a girl want???
3. Rise & Shine -- Just beyond hot, sexy and gorgeous!!!

4. What kind of projects do you like to do?
Hmmmmmmmmm My first loves are cards and layouts. I love using templates/tutorials to create something like an Explosion Box. And I truly love art journaling -- mixed media all the way!

5. What are your favorite coloring mediums?
1. Copics and Prismacolor markers
2. Prismacolor Pencils
3. Acrylic Paints

6. Describe your crafting "style".
Hmmmmmmmm I like that I have the ability to be all over the board. I can go from clean, crisp and "preppy" to dark, deep, and gothic from one card to the next. I'm driven mainly by whatever image I'm working with combined with the mood that I'm in.

7. Describe your crafting process. Do you start with a stamp set? A sketch? A technique you want to use?
I'm on a few design teams so for that it depends on the issued challenge. Beyond that, I start with my stamps be it rubber or digi. Then I go for colors -- solids first then coordinating (or not so much) designer paper, starting with my scrap drawers and boxes first. I then open my embellishment drawer and pull out things I may or may not end up using. I check my ribbon hangers but wait to snip until I'm ready to start adhering as depending on the orientation of my card, or sketch or whatnot, ribbon may or may not work. I most often incorporate stitching into my projects as I love the finishing touch it lends to a project.

8. Do you have any other hobbies?
Photography is a passion of mine as is Fashion. I'm a Vogue and W Magazine addict. I love following the trends from season to season and mixing and matching my wardrobe to be funky and fun and veering constantly from the norm!! In terms of photography, in a standard year my husband and I can easily take upwards of 50,000 photos. =) It's a passion for both of us!

Creating with my children is a MUST for me on a daily basis. We are always creating something together. I want them to have art in their blood from the very start just like I did!!

9. Free for all including little facts, etc. about you.
I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'll tell you anything you want to know (sometimes to a fault) about myself. I try to reign myself in and am learning to guide myself a little better in that regard. I've fallen madly in love with regular and hot Yoga within the last year; it helps keep my Zen in check. I also run to keep "somewhat" trim ;). Both activities help to calm what I call my "insane" artist's mind. (I know you're all laughing because you can relate!!! All of us artists can!) My husband and I are moving towards creating a very Zen household and we're loving every minute of it.

I have a tattoo on my lower back and each of my inner wrists is tattooed. And I CANNOT WAIT to get another!!

I love reading but don't have a TON of time to do it as I am a very slow reader - which is why magazines and I get along famously. My favorite book of all time is The Mists Of Avalon. And my favorite movie is The Big Chill.

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Here's a link to Meredith's Bombshell gallery! Click on over for lots of inspiration!

Lastly, here are some of Meredith's favorite Bombshell creations!