Marlene Bovee relocated to The Villages to pursue her passion for card stamping.
When Bovee moved to Florida, she became involved in stamping and card making. She went to a car show in Eustis and discovered a stamping shop nearby, which she checked out.
“I was hooked after checking out only a few stamps,” the Village of Orange Blossom Gardens resident stated.
She has been creating stamping cards since 2002 and has also worked at a few cards stamping stores in Leesburg, Eustis and Mount Dora, where she taught some stamping lessons. Bovee moved to The Villages after the stores she worked at closed because she wanted to keep stamping and educating others.
In 2016, she started her own Stamping Design community in The Villages. The community meets at Lake Miona Regional Recreation Complex on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. Bovee creates kits by cutting up and purchasing all of the required supplies for members to make cards for various holidays and occasions, such as Easter, Christmas, birthdays and sympathy cards.
Members create greeting cards for family and friends.
Bovee has loved card stamping since she was first introduced to it. “It’s just fun,” Bovee explained. “I make cards for a wide range of people. It’s something I enjoy doing. It’s soothing. “
Bovee has given back by using her passion for stamping and card making. She’s made cards in the past and gave them to soldiers in the military. She gave out about 750 cards to those serving in the military one year to encourage them and express her gratitude for their service.
“It gives me a positive feeling. It gives them a nice feeling.”
During the pandemic, Bovee and Stamping Design member Edna Santana-Wales made and distributed cards to doctors and nurses at UF Health The Villages Hospital who were putting their lives on the line to save COVID-19 patients.
She intends to focus on more to provide to the hospital’s healthcare staff.
“In general, Marlene is the most kind-hearted, compassionate, caring person you will find on the face of the Earth,” said Santana-Wales, of the Village of Fenney.
Since joining the Stamping Design club, Bovee has taught Santana-Wales a lot about stamping and cardmaking.
Santana-Wales appreciated her time when she was a part of a club with the team. She tried other related groups before joining Stamping Design but wasn’t really focused until she took Bovee’s class.
She appreciates that Bovee assists people with their cards, even if they make mistakes, and that she will bring in any supplies that any member might require.
“Marlene would go to any length for you,” said Santana-Wales.
– Attributed Source, The Villages Daily Sun