CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL!!

It is high noon here in Utah and it is HIGH TIME I announce the members of our NEW DESIGN TEAM!

But first let me Thank the over 100 talented stampers who applied for these positions...You all ROCK!! I really, really wish I could have taken you all, it takes real guts to apply for a position of this sort and I know not making it is hard! But take comfort in the fact the the competition was fierce and there were only 5 positions to fill...that is a small percentage to be sure. So pat yourselves on the back, it was a close race.

Now please join me in congratulating the 5 talented ladies who will be the Artful INKables Artists for the next six months.

The New Design Team Members are:

Jennifer Muraoka
Julia Aston
Kim Teasdale
Pam Miller and
Beth Thomas

Be sure to visit their blogs by clicking on their names and wish them a BIG CONGRATULATIONS!!

Then be sure to join us all here next week for the sneak peek of our FIVE NEW STAMP SETS!! These lovely ladies will be showcasing our new sets and soon as I get them into their hot little hands.

And finally I want to thank everyone for finding our blossoming new stamp company and spreading the news about our new venture. It was so much fun for me to read about all of you who had just found us and loved what they saw!! I look forward to hearing from you all again, and I hope you will feel free to share your AI artwork with us...and spread the word!

Design Team Call Update

Thanks to all the MANY applicants who have applied for our design team! The talent I've been shown blows me over and Im SOOOO going to have a hard time choosing a team!

If you havent heard from me after you sent your application, dont fret! Time does not permit me to send emails to all the applicants acknowledging my receipt of each application but rest assured I am giving each my individual attention! If your fear you application went astray for some reason, just send it again...I dont mind!

And if you havent applied yet, you have until June 18th and I wont make a decision on any application until after the due date. So dont be shy...send in your application! See HERE for all the details!

Get Well Thanks!

A big THANKS to Jennifer over at her Glitter in my Hair crafting blog for the lovely Get Well card she sent using AI stamps! I really appreciate you thinking of me Jennifer and I LOVE that you sent a card using our stamps...how cool is that? I'm posting her card here for all of you to enjoy but be sure to visit her blog for all the card making details.


And for those of you who have asked for an update on our healing: we are both doing well! Thanks! My daughter is all healed and has moved on. As for me, there were some setbacks but lots of progress. The setback...a broken foot bone that went unnoticed in the ER. The progress, I now have a walking cast boot which makes it much easier to walk. In fact I can get around the house without crutches and even take the stairs to bed. The less injured ankle is much stronger due to my physical therapy and is also making it much easier to get around. A few more weeks and I should be as good as new like my daughter.

Artful Inkables Design Team Call

First of all, I want to thank all of you who sent kind emails, posted comments of concern and sent get well soon cards since our accident! It sure helps in the healing to know there are so many concerned friends out there! You all are the best! I am still mostly wheelchair confined but feeling much better than I was a week ago and my daughter is all but over it! Thanks again! Now on to the exciting news:

We are delighted to announce that we are ready to set up a design team for Artful Inkables and are taking applications now.

We are looking for anybody who can create inspiring and beautiful work and is reliable and enthusiastic, no prior design team experience is necessary. Never been published? Don't worry! We want to encourage you to show us your best, even if you have not been widely recognized as a designer. This call is open to everyone - even if you aren't in the US or Canada you are more than welcome to apply!!

We will be releasing four new sets of stamps in June/July, plus some versatile sentiment sets. Our new design team members will receive these stamps and will be participating in the release. We will need our members to complete their sample cards quickly and post sneak peaks on their blogs. So please make sure you will have sufficient time in June/July to help out with the release before you apply for the design team.

As a member of the Artful Inkables DT you will be required to do the following:

- Create at least 4 cards 3D items or scrapbook layouts per stamp set and email a scan or photo of them to me for inclusion in the AI Gallery. The submissions must be photographed or scanned with good quality. Half of the cards/pages must be completed within 1 week of receiving newly released stamps so they can be published before the stamp release date. Older images can be submitted with 4 weeks of receipt.
- Include instructions with your sample cards for posting on the company blog
- Participate in the bi-weekly DT challenges and come up with a challenge/sketch when it is your turn.
- Post card samples, contest announcements, challenges and new releases on your blog.- Display the Artful Inkables logo on your blog
- Participate for a term of 6 months and sign a contract with Artful Inkables.
- Give feedback and suggestions for new stamps, the blog and marketing ideas.
- Leave comments on DT Member blogs and the company blog.

As a member of the Artful Inkables DT you will receive:

Product compensation including but not limited to: all sets released during your term as a designer for AI, various existing sets of your choosing, a 20% discount on all AI products and monetary publication incentives.

How to apply:
Send an email to artfullyinking@comcast.net (Please put DT Call on the subject line)

Please include:

-Your Name
-Contact Information (mailing address, phone number and email)
-Your online Blog or gallery information
-Your submissions should also include: an email of 4 or 5 cards/other samples displaying your best work. It is not required that you use AI stamps but you get bonus points if you do! Files should be in jpeg format and no larger that 150K each.
-Send in a bio that will be used on the DT webpage if you are chosen for the DT.
-List of any other DTs you are on and a list of any published works:
-If you participate on art related message boards and/or yahoo groups please list them.
-Please feel free to share why you wish to join the Artful Inkables Team and how your style would complement our designs.

The deadline for submissions is midnight June 18th, 2008 Mountain Daylight Time. Successful applicants will be contacted via email and an announcement will be made here and on the AI site on June 20th with the list of new Design Team members.

Please feel free to post this announcement on message boards you belong to, your blog or any other venue that will get the word out of our Design Team Call.

Thank you for your interest and we look forward to receiving your applications! Good Luck!

Feeling Quite Thankful

My youngest child and I were in a scary head-on collision this past Thursday and while I dont share personal experiences here often, I feel the need to share how grateful we are to have come through this awful experience fairly well. I have never been in any kind of accident that was more severe than a fender-bender...and let me tell you this was Scary!! We were going about 40 miles an hour when we hit a car that lost control and was suddenly in our lane, just feet ahead of us. After the initial hit, both airbags deployed and we veered to the right and ran into some boulders. At first, I couldnt feel my legs and my arms felt like they were on pins and needles...my child was screaming and shaking with fear and bleeding from the arm. As I looked around I realized there were already concerned citizens on the scene, taking stock of our situation, calling 911 and offering calming words. Shortly there after, the paramedics and fire trucks arrived and my child and I were quickly assesed, extricated from our vehicle, put on backboards and taken swiftly to the local hospital. Once there, it was determined that there were no major injuries sustained by my daughter...she was SOOOO lucky! There were some minor abraisions on her arms and a fairly deep cut at her wrist but it only required a dressing, a teddy bear and some stickers to fix her up! She didnt even need stitches and we are so greatful! She is doing so well and seems to have a happy sense of how lucky she is!! As for me, I didnt fair quite as well but Im still happy to say I came through the situation very well. There was some initial concern about my heart and my breathing but after the initial shock, those things seemed to straighten themselves out. It turns out that my injuries were mostly to my feet and ankles. My right big toe was majorly dislocated (sickeningly so) and both ankles were severely sprained. After tons of xrays, I was shocked to find there were no broken bones! So I my toe was put back into place and I was given 2 compression boots, some pain meds and a set of cruches and allowed to go home to my worried family. So, though I am fairly immoble since my ankles are too swollen, weak and sore to hold me up, I am SOOOOO Greatful to haven gotten away so easily! If we didnt have such a big SUV, the front end would have crushed in on us much more severely and we would have have been critically injured.

To further add to our blessings, our neighbors are all pitching in to help...providing meals, transportation to school for the kids and much more. My husband has rented me a wheel chair so I can get around the house more easily and my parents are coming tomorrow to visit and help out as well. The bottom line is we couldnt be luckier and we are so thankful for our good fortune! The only bad side...I dont know how much stamping I'll be getting done in the next few weeks, lol!

In Honor of Father

Mother's day is but a memory now, so my thoughts have already moved on to Father's Day. I made this card to give to my husband next month...I dont know about you all but I've always found that masculine cards can be a bit challenging! This little mini set makes it easy, though! Father and Son is only $5.50 and comes with both a greeting and an image. Plus it is simple to make quick fun cards for the men in your life with the solid stamp.

Inside

Sorry for the quick post but Im busy working on a new plate of images and I wanted to share this card with you all before the 'big day' actually came!

Shades of Green and Blue

Spring is finally showing itself here in Utah, we've broken the 75 degree mark and the tulips and crocus are shooting up and showing their pretty, colorful faces. And best of all, the lovely flowering trees are all in bloom. These gorgeous trees are the inspiration for the card I'm sharing with you tonight.

This card was made using the tree and a greeting from the AI Nature's Heritage set. They were stamped in black stazon on white card stock. Then I sponged Wasabi Green along the bottom quarter of the card and Brocade Blue along the top quarter of the card. After that, I masked the top and bottom of the card with pieces of torn masking paper, leaving the center (where the tree is grounded) uncovered. This area was sponged with the green first and then a bit of the blue along the bottom area to add depth. The mask was then removed and a bit of Summer Sun yellow was sponged along the top and bottom of the ground area that was just sponged. The tree is sponged in green and I filled in with green from the bottom, lightening my sponging as I moved up and adding a bit of the blue on the bottom and corners....again, for depth. This is how I got the 'rolling hills' look. I also filled in the same way with the blue sponging from the top, leaving the center area very light. To finish off the center panel, I used a small bit of white and pink acrylic paint and a tooth pick to dot flower blossoms onto the tree and under it. I like to use paint for this rather than a gel pen because the light colors just seem to pop more because they are more opaque. The card was finished off with Blush blossom, Brocade blue (stamped with the texture stamp from the AI Pond Friends stamp) and Wasabi green card stocks and a bit of blue and green swiss dot organdy ribbon.