Farewell, Waltzingmouse Stamps!

Anyone who has visited my blog knows I am a longtime fan of Waltzingmouse Stamps. So it is sad for me to see this small stamp company based in Ireland shutting its doors. To send Claire Brennan off in style, the gals over at the Waltzingmouse Fanatics Challenge Blog have issued one last challenge to share some WMS goodness. 

One of my favourite cards made with Claire's stamps is this one:

I liked how the sentiment fit so well in that space created by the embossing folder, and the contrast of the Antique Linen Distress Ink (one of Claire's faves) with the foiled gold sheet music.

Back in 2013 Claire featured me on her blog as a Friend of Waltzingmouse Stamps and the projects I made for that have not been shown here on my blog, so I am posting those shots below:

Claire was an innovator in her field, one of the very first designers to create stamps that match dies, for instance. And she designed a lot of gorgeous Christmas stamps that had a certain "olde world" charm that I have not seen elsewhere. In its heyday, WMS had the best challenges, design team, community forum and gallery around.  I know all these things helped stretch me as a card maker and kept things fun and interesting. 

I am glad I have all the WMS stamps that I do - they still give me so much joy when I reach for them. And just think - they will soon be collector's items! I hope we will see Claire around in the crafting community in some new capacity soon. She's a lovely person and incredibly talented, and I'm sure we have not seen the last of her creativity!