CardMaker Magazine :0)

It was a happy mail day yesterday! The new issue of CardMaker Magazine was in my box!
And in this issue I have been blessed enough to have two cards accepted :0) First is one of my favorites - The Spring Butterfly Surprise! Used a Gillian Roberts image and lots of butterflies!

Then in the Mother's Day section I have one of my favorite older Sarah Kay images - Picnic Time - Had fun with a more vintage look with this one.
And while doing this post I realized with all the excitement of CHA I never did scream about the March issue of CardMaker Magazine!

They chose a fun bright colored Tina Wenke Easter Parade image card -

And then another Tina Wenke image Mouse in a nutboat. I ADORE how this card turned out... it is a woven and sewn card, has that cozy quilt feel to it.
I feel like I won the lottery to see my cards in one of my all time favorite crafting magazines!!! I had quit sending in for publications for a while, no was getting hard to hear. But then all of the sudden I decided to start trying again... and then I had some chosen! So that is where the saying "Never Give Up" comes from huh?

HUGS and have a great Thursday!

Me and My Space - My Sewing Machine and Thread

I have had a few emails asking me about what sewing machine I use. And so today I thought I would share my machine I LOVE and a great thread box I found.

So this is my baby. Since Hubby built me my craft room and I was able to finally have the space to use my Dad's large drafting table as my desk, I have had the space on my desk to just leave my machine right there next to me. That is one of the reasons you see me sewing on most all of my projects. I love the look... and well it saves a ton on adhesive! LOL

I guess I need to be fair here and give credit where credit is due. I have a Janome machine, because my sister Melanie NAGGED me to get a Janome. Not the tiny craft machine, a real sized Janome. Yes it was just a bit higher in price compared to other Singers and Brother machines. But well... I have had both in the past few years. First the Singer, it was a few years old when I started using it for my paper crafts. Then it started jamming and acting up. So I went out and got a Brother, was so excited about it cuz it had like a million different stitches. And less than a year later... jamming and tangling. The repair shop asked what I was sewing to create all the fuzz in the machine. The plastic gears were totally jammed up. And can you believe he was shocked when I told him cards!! Paper is really hard on sewing machines evidently.

So long story there to say my next machine I saved my pennies until I could afford a Janome. Doesn't have the million stitches, but enough for what I really need. The main thing about the Janome for me is that the machine has all metal gears and is sturdy. Very well made and holds ups. I have this machine now for over two years, and I think in all that time it has jammed only once... hope that doesn't jinx me now :0)

So my Sister was right... man that was hard to say!! LOL The quality of this machine really does stand out, and I just LOVE my Janome.

Now while in the sewing subject. I thought I would show off my thread storage. I do think I may have shown this before, but I love it so much I am just so happy with it, I'll show it again!
This is a ArtBin Thread Box - I got mine at JoAnn's... you can see it HERE, and it is on sale!!! hmm.. wonder if I need a second one? LOL I also have a bobbin box in my box -

Don't all the colors just make you smile?? I use to change thread colors with every card I made. But well... I have gotten a bit lazy and use white most all the time now. But when I want a color I have them :0)
Now for my fun personal item this week... thought I would show you a few of my mini donkey items on my shelf above my desk. I LOVE my Eeyore Disney punch... it just makes me smile to have a "punch" with a donkey on it. And then there are three little donkeys that are treasures. I have two Eeyores and One Donkey from Shrek. These were gifts from my Niece KayLynn... she is too sweet for words, and she always chooses donkey items for me whenever she can. Even if it means giving up the free toy for herself. I have a hundreds of donkeys in my donkey collection - but the ones from KayLynn are some of my sentimental favorites :0)

Hope you enjoyed today - have a wonderful Wednesday!
HUGS and-

A Spoon Full of Sugar - EASTER! and The BLOG CANDY WINNER!

A Spoon Full of Sugar this week is getting us ready for Easter... wow... Easter is coming quick isn't it???

Well for my card I knew the second I found out what the challenge was which image I wanted to use. That doesn't happen very often... I sit and go through images and work around and decide... but this one. Nope, got up from the computer and went straight to EASTER CHICK!
Love this image from Stampavie and artist Penny Johnson. Just the perfect cute Easter image! I colored my image with Copics. I then cut it out with an Oval Nestie... then I cut the bottom off. Why..I don't really know, LOL maybe to make it look more like an egg?
Then my card - I pulled out papers from Reminisce, their Easter collection from last year I think. And then I matched them with a cream colored card stock for the base, then a blue and yellow card stock. The two colors just so I could punch the Martha Stewart Chick Border punch and layer them to show off those chicks in the yellow they were meant to be. I sewed everything down with a zig zag stitch for some added fun. Then to the flowers.
Love these flowers!! These are some of the new spring flowers I got in the floral section at Hobby Lobby. These are paper and foam. Love the colors, and the look of them. I tried to match my colored flowers on the image to these.. LOL tried.

And I just had to show a close up of those chicks... love this punch :0) And then for some extra - I added two rows of pearls across the striped paper band.

Hope you enjoyed my Easter card - but do make sure to visit A Spoon Full of Sugar and see all the DT's fun Easter projects!

How about announcing the winner of the Letraset Aqua-Markers??? So excited here!!!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

10

Timestamp: 2011-03-28 21:21:14 UTC

That means that the winner is :

"Marilyn said...

Another gorgeous creation Michelle. What fun to have someone contact you with the markers!"

So Marilyn - email me at michelleo@hughes.net and send me your mailing address :0)
Congrats!!!!

See ya Later -
HUGS and

STAMPAVIE DESIGN TEAM CALL!

I just had to pop back in today and shout out and let you all know that Stampavie has just opened up a Design Team Call!!! They are adding 4 new members..... maybe one can be you? See the details HERE!! Good Luck!!

Dust It Off Sunday - House Mouse - You are What you Eat!

Happy Sunday- DIOS day and today I have a card that was a lot of fun to put together. This image always cracks me up.. that with the sentiment..

This is one of my very first House Mouse images I think .... my card is all about the cherries. I used a piece of Magnolia paper, matted on white and green. Then a piece of scraps pink and red matted on red on a white card. And all sewed down with a zig zag stitch. And what do you think of my cherries? Pretty good huh. I punched out two circles and then free hand cut the stems and the leaves. All the punches I had of leaves were just too small. So I had to wing it myself. I shaded with my Copics and high lighted with a white gel pen.

The image is colored with my copics and then matted with a scalloped rectangle nestie.

Funny aren't they? As long as they are doing funny things on my cards and not coming in my house that is!
I added Dimensional Glaze to the cherries... they are really shiny.

Seriously it all just cracks me up.. and I think a fun card to send to give a smile to a friend. Hope it made you smile ;0)

Only a couple of days left to enter my Letraset Aqua-Markers Candy... link at top of my side bar.

Have a wonderful Sunday -
HUGS and -

Animal Crackers - Donkey Hugs

Saturday! Animal Crackers day, and first up how about some Donkey Hugs? LOL

I love how the donkeys do this "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" thing. Always looks like Donkey Hugs to me! This is Darlene and Macie... two of my "Big Beautiful Girls" They are a bit on the heavier side, when pregnant... and when not! LOL Still a ways off from babies, even if they look like they are about to deliver any minutes. They are my girls... I just tell them they are Big Boned, like Mom, its all ok....
Miss Jazz - such a pretty girl, and super friendly. She always has beautiful coloring to her, and her fur always gets a frosted look to it by the end of winter - Starting to shed now as it is getting warm here....
Very warm in fact. It is only March still right? It hit 89 degrees, more than once, here this week! The water buckets are now being filled twice a day - Ted E. Bear is taking in a gallon or two here... he is a big boy.. one of the standards.

Any one want a goat? No SERIOUSLY... Jack, needs to find a new home .. a stunning handsome Buck now. And a mistake for us. You see we didn't "fix" him when he was young, he was just so good looking and those gorgeous ice blue eyes like his dad, we thought he would be sold as a buck for someone. And well... now he really needs to go!!! Can't keep him out of the pen with all of his female relatives... NOT GOOD!!! He needs to GO!... Darn he is handsome!
Libbie... this is how she spends her time outside... standing at any fence barking at anything. Here she was barking at Ted E. Bear... I mean after all he was drinking water!!!!!! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!! ( man did that comment date me or what!! LOL )
Chica... Look at those LEGS!!! Cute but man... LEGS... This lanky stage is so funny... Stilts here is really fitting in well. Just really need to get this potty training under control. Great one day, bad the next - sigh.

The Slow Motion Run.... HA! Can't you see it? He is such a funny little dude - My Handsome Man. OOPS.. (Hubby you are my "real" Handsome Man.. ) But even Hubby will agree that Autie is our little man, I just can't get over how sweet he is. A lover and a looker!
Had to share this one! Cracked me up. Chica is starting to get the best of her Mom.... Libbie starts the rough housing, and when she is done she stops it. But lately, Chica is holding her own and it really is funny to watch. Autie ALWAYS backs down from Libbie. But Chica... well this girl may be more like her Mom and want to have control... So who will be "Top Dog"? It is important to let you know... they play hard, but they don't hurt each other. As soon as one sequels they all stop to see who yelped. They do love each other. (oh and that is Hombre, our "fake" donkey... they never play anywhere near the real donkeys)
One last photo... Had to show you the peach tree!! Spring is here - and the peach trees are covered in flowers. We need to get them planted... ( we had to replace ours that we planted two years ago... The Donkeys ate them... ) These will be planted behind fences this time!


Hope you enjoyed today's Animal Crackers :0) Hope the weather is wonderful where you are and you have a beautiful weekend!
HUGS and-

Just Magnolia and Hanglars - Eyes Down

Howdy - Ok.. so you are saying Eyes Down? What? I know I did the same thing. But really it is totally fun! A sort of tic-tac-toe of challenges. LOL There is a chart over at Just Magnolia and Hanglars Challenge. And the challenge is all up to you! Pick three across, down or diagonally then make a project with those three items. Totally Cool huh?

I chose Distressing - Flowers - Paper Piecing

I did the paper piecing first. This is so fun, brings out the child and paper dolls for me :0) I used one of my new Hanglars, one cuz she hadn't been inked up yet, and two cuz she is larger and more fun to "dress up" I then cut out her feet and the bottom of her dress, and ran it through with a circle Nestie to cut the rest out. Sort of as if she is sitting in the bottom of the circle. OH .. and the rest is colored with my Copics -
For my card I went with October Afternoon papers again. I just am so in love with these papers!! I distressed everything on the edges and then inked them, and sewed down to a dark brown card stock mat. I also used a Papertrey Ink satin ribbon... hmm wonder if that broke the rules using ribbon too? Uh OH.. may get a slap on the hand for it, but I do love it :0)

So I have the Distressing, and she is Paper Pieced ... so that leaves my flowers!

Love them!!! Ok, so I have had the two Martha Stewart Hydrangea punches FOREVER - the one larger flower, and then the three smaller in one punch. Got them on clearance ages ago. I don't think I have ever really used them. Well.. I will now! Look how awesome these came out. I used Core'dinations card stock and sanded the edges and folded the petals up. Then attached small pearls for the centers. A few MS Branch punches for the leaves and I totally really love these! So need to use my stash more!

Now you go and play with the Just Magnolia and Hanglar Challenge! Too fun this week... and GREAT prizes!!!


AND DON'T FORGET!!!! I HAVE BLOG CANDY FROM LETRASET GOING... CLICK THE LINK AT THE TOP OF MY SIDEBAR IF YOU HAVEN'T LEFT A COMMENT YET! :0)

See you tomorrow for Animal Crackers!
HUGS and

Me and My Space - Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Flowing Ribbon

Hi - And Happy Wednesday! Before we start today's Me and My Space Post - wanted to remind you that I have some wonderful Letraset Blog Candy on yesterdays post :0) See post below or the link on the top of my sidebar -

Now today I wanted to show you some Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Flowing Ribbon. I have showed you on a past MAMS post how I store my smaller ribbons. You can see that HERE. But today I wanted to show you my Ribbon Rings - This is where I hang my larger ribbons and where I put the ribbons I use the most. I love this "system" - It really helps me see and use my ribbon more and adds color to my surroundings. I am addicted to ribbons and it just makes me happy to see it.
This is one of my rings - I hang it right near my desk, as these are all my Papertrey Ink ribbons. I totally ADORE their ribbons - mostly the plain satin and dotted ribbons, but I have lots of their twills and other ribbons too :0) But back to the system...
When you purchase this system, they come in two sizes for different size ribbons. They are a plastic tab thingie, with slits and a hole at the top. They are not expensive at all. They then just hang on clasp rings. I use the big rings.. for more room for more ribbons!

This is a photo of the right corner of my craft room I took last year. In the corner you can see all the other rings that I have hanging. Now some have asked me "don't they get dusty?" In my house???? Uh well.. yea I have lots of dust, I live in the country, I have animals, and well I hate to dust. But I just take the ring and shake them out and all clean again :0) Seriously - I don't worry a lot about dust....... just ask my Hubby :0)

But I do love these rings - I found them awhile back on a blog - went and found them online and placed an order. That is what I love about blogs... the enabling HA! So in case I enabled you today the link to their website is HERE

Hope you enjoyed :0)

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Ribbons - Rhinestones - Flowers and a BIG Letraset OH MY!

Hello and Happy Tuesday!! I am so excited about something in today's post.. so read on through and see at the end :0) But first - Today's Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge!

The theme for today is a bit of a list to check off - You need Ribbons - Rhinestones (or Pearls) and Flowers to complete this weeks challenge. All fun stuff for us right?
I totally had a blast with this one! First I went with the the new Stampavie Tina Wenke image "Mailing Letters" - love this one! And I had lots of fun with the bold Letraset Aqua-Markers! I matted with red card stock then went to my Tilda papers for the pattern papers. I hoard these papers as they are really hard to come by here in the US. Sewed down the layers, and then went for the required items on the list. I wove ribbon through a piece of lace, then layered some gorgeous mulberry red roses and Martha Stewart frond leaf punches. My sentiment is cut out with a oval Nestie, then a Spellbinders fancy tag. This is where I put my rhinestones.
Love the Aqua-Markers bold colors - you can make them as light and as bold as you like. That is one of the fabulous things I love about them.

Now before I go on and on about the markers - I do want to make sure you remember to pop over to A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge when done here and see all the DT cards - then play with us for an awesome prize!
Now Some LETRASET news!!!! I was contacted by their Online Marketing Executive - who thanked me for using them, and showing them off here on my blog - Well Hello ... I am the one with the huge Thank you to them for letting me play with their fabulous new markers! They are really awesome to use, and I have been having a blast with them - and then..... You ain't gonna believe this.... :0)
He offered to let me share a set with one of you!!! YEP They want to send out SET one, 12 of their AquaMarkers to one person who leaves a comment here! TOLD YOU Too cool!!!! Anything I can do to spread the word about these great markers I will love to to do. And now after they have asked to share set one with one reader of DonkeySmiles... well anything Letraset would like me to do for them, I am here! LOL Love to share great products don't you?

So all you need to do is leave a comment here on this post. And Next Tuesday I will have a winner announced - Doing the happy dance here.. how about you? Can't wait to see which of you get to play with these great markers too...

Ok.. better get to work now, see you tomorrow for Me and My Space!
Hugs and- Good Luck!

Mr. Fix It

I just love this new image from Stampavie's Laurence Collection - "Mr. Fix It" - the perfect Handyman Guy Card -I colored him my Copics - Don't you just love a Bear with tools?
For my card I went with an easel card. I thought this image was perfect for a Father's Day Card. That got me thinking of a few scraps in my stash. I have this man paper from a class I taught many many moons ago. Wonderful embossed, paper. And it matched well the core'dinations embossed cards stock sanded to show off of course. Cuz a guy would appreciate sanded paper :0)

But my favorite part was the screw brads! Love those!I am loving the new collections from Stampavie - and there are lots of other images perfect for guys in these collections. But I think a bear with tools is my favorite :0)

Hope you enjoyed my guy card - See you tomorrow for A Spoon Full of Sugar -
HUGS and-