Happy Father's Day!

To my Husband and Dad - and all other dad's - a very happy day! Here are 2 cards that I just made for my Dad-in-law and girlfriend's bday! These were fun to make and got great inspiration from all the great blogs that I subscribe to as well as CHF Forum! Thanks for looking!

Dad's Day Card Supplies used: CS - Java from Bazzill, Patterned and pumpkin colored papers from We R Memory Keepers; Ink - Burnt Umber and Cognac Palette Hybrid Ink Pad; Copper brads - source unknown; Stamps: The Angel Company, tree from Spring Time set, greeting from Trendy Greetings set (retired); brown grosgrain ribbon Offray; scalloped scissors Fiskars; circle punch 3/4" EK Success.

Bday Card Supplies used: CS - White Georgia Pacific and scrap gold strip; Stamps: The Angel Company flower from In Bloom set, greeting from Little Tidbits set; Ink - Noir Black and Cognac Palette Hybrid Inks; Scor-Pal; White and Silver Gelly Roll Pen by Sakura; gold sheer ribbon Offray; brass brads - source unknown.

With Inky Fingers,

Michelle

Positive Thought: You can have peace of mind, improved health and an ever-increasing flow of energy. Life can be full of joy and satisfaction. ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Owl Princess

In the last few weeks the birthday parties, graduation parties and kids baseball and softball schedules are going to keep me making cards for a very long time!!!!
Don't you feel SOOO bad for me? Ha!



So, I am totally inspired by the Cornish Heritage Farms Forum - that is where I stamplifted this card. Thanks for looking!

Supplies used:
Cardstock: DCWV Tan, Black & Pink CS Source Unknown.
Stamps: CHF Stamps by Kim Hughes, URA Hoot, Bold Curls, The Angel Company's Small Things set, Impression Stamps small flower. Ink: Palette Hybrid Inks: Snow White, Budoir Blush, Claret, Noir, Jardin Moss. Color Pencils: Prismacolor Pencils & Blender Pencil. Stickles. Chalks for shading. Paper flowers, rhinestone brad, sheer ribbons, sources unknown. Scor-Pal for brick score lines.

Caio for now!

With inky fingers,

Michelle

Positive Thought: Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that. ~Norman Vincent Peale

I am so honored....

...my screen door card was awarded 2nd place for Country Woman's Magazine's Bazaar Craft Contest. I submitted my letter and card samples last September 2007!!! Well, I just got my letter today! Then to top it all off, I won $350!!!! Wow!!! I am so excited and humbled. I am so grateful that I am able to share my creativity talent with you all!!! Click here for a subscription to Country Woman's Magazine - and in their Oct/Nov. 2008 issue, see my card(s) and probably the blurb I sent them about my card!!! Yea! I'm so exicted!!!

So, today was my kiddies last day of school! Yikes! It's summer vacation - and I get a little jealous when my "creativity" time gets eaten away.... I will post as often as I can.

For now, I am sharing another teacher appreciation card for our kid's music teacher, choir director and all around super nice teacher!!!

Supplies used: Ivory & Black CS, Stampin' Up; Lt. Blue CS, source unknown; Patterned paper, K-Ology Addison Paper; music notes die for Cuttlebug, Provo Craft; Big Shot machine; Blue rhinestones, K Marcella; Twill Tape, Martha Stewart Crafts Color Cloud; Black ribbon, source unknown; stamp by Close to my Heart; Ink, Palette Hybrid Ink.

Thanks for looking!

Caio for now!!!

With inky fingers,

Michelle

Positive Thought: If you paint in your mind a picture of bright and happy expectations, you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal. ~Norman Vincent Peale

Teacher Appreciation Card

Teacher Appreciation Cards and gifts only remind me of one thing - OK, 2!

1. Summer is here and less running crazy like I did with a Mom and her 4 kids plus all their after school activities!

2. Oh yeah, the kids will be home all summer long - less time for Mom to get into her studio to stamp, color and play with paper!

Well I guess it's not that bad, I can usually get around them. It will just have to be with a little more effort!

Here is the card I made x4 for the kids' teachers. Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Supplies used:

DCWV cardstock and patterened paper.

EK Success Punch

Marvy Uchida Punch

RicRac: Walmart

Misc. Gold star brad

Red Scrapper's Floss

Word Stamp: The Angel Company, More Abundance set

Ink: Brilliance Tsieunko "Poppy"

White Jelly Roll Pen by Sakura for "stitches"

Positive Thought:

One of the greatest moments in anybody's developing experience is when he no longer tries to hide from himself but determines to get acquainted with himself as he really is. ~Norman Vincent Peale

Bringing Spring Inside!

I brought spring to me this year. Living in Chicagoland makes spring so late and we just had the most awful winter. I went outside one cold blustery April day with my twig snips in hand. My kids thought I jumped off the deep end when I brought dead branches inside. I used my paper punches to simulate paper dogwood flowers layering white, pink and fuscia papers and different flower punches. I even made buds by folding the flower and green leaves in half. Then I used my Glue Dots to adhere them to the branches here and there. Voila!

I brought spring to me!

With Inky Fingers,

Michelle

Positive Thought: Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all. Norman Vincent Peale

An ILoveYou Creation!

Here is an explanation to what my little symbol means up there in my header picture! The "An ILoveYou" creation came from years of learning sign language as my foreign language of choice in college. While in college I met my DH! When you configure your fingers like this, you say "I Love You" in sign language. Obviously, it caught on while we were dating - even today with my kids. That is our little symbol to each other instead of a simple wave goodbye!

What's really ironic is that back in 1989 I purchased this stamp below. It is an Inkadinkado Stamp - it has the big red handle sticking straight up from the wooden block - very old (not me, the stamp!). Way before my sign language interest, before our dating or even now how we say goodbye between all of us. My first rubber stamp - and yes, I never throw anything away!!!

Here is Adirondack Chair card, inspired by Inkadinkado's Project section. It reminds me of the beach and the wind and sand and warm breezes. I can almost hear the waves crashing on the beach....ahhh.

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Barely Banana, Bordering Blue, Certainly Celery, Vellum CS
Stamp: The Angel Company - Everyday Event's Set
Palette Hybrid Ink Pad - Burnt Umber
Decorating Chalks by Craf T Products
craft knife
bronze brad - source n/a
hemp string - source n/a

Until next time!
With inky fingers,
Michelle

Positive Thought: "Change your thoughts and you change your world."
~Norman Vincent Peale, Power of Positive Thinking

WOW!!! I am so far behind!!!

With family, life, kids, laundry, dishes, friends, and a DH - so much time has gotten away from me! Sorry about that. My intentions are good - but time, that nasty little thing. It's a four letter word - seriously!

My Birdy card was inspired by Kim Hughes' great stamp designs at Cornish Heritage Farms (CHF) - check out they're great website, forums, galleries, & more!!!



Recipe for Birdy Card:
Stamps: CHF, Kim Hughes Collection
CS: Stampin' Up
Pattern Paper: My Mind's Eye - Wild Asparagus
Buttons: DCWV
Prisma Color Pencils & Blender Pencil
Ribbon: Misc.
Purple Marker: Zig
White Marker: Gelly Role Glaze Marker by Sakura

This penny spinner card was so much fun to make! Inspiration came from Splitcoast Stampers - HERE you can find instructions as well as great examples for even more inspiration!

Recipe for my Airplane Spinner Card:
Stamps: Stampin' Up
CS: Stampin' Up
Inks: Palette Hybrid Inks, Seascape & Noir
Ribbon, Brad & Flower: Walmart
Scalloped scissors
Airplane die: Sizzix used in Big Shot
Metallic CS: Archivers
2 Pennies

Thanks for looking!
With Inky Fingers,
Michelle :)

Positive Thought: "if it is to be, it is up to me" ~Norman Vincent Peale, Founder of Guideposts Magazine, Power of Positive Thinking - see a new quote from NVP at each publication!!!