My stamping friend Mike Funke (you raved about his past work) has two more amazing cards to share as today's Guest Stamper. When he emailed these tr?s cool beauties to me using the Stampin' Up! Thoughts and Prayers stamp set (113252), my mouth dropped and I said "yeah, baby!" Does this guy know how to take card design to a new level or what!
those tiny scraps we all save!. The card is made of Very Vanilla card stock. I
used a Making Memories 1/2" punch and punched all the squares. Attached them to a piece of Basic Black card
stock. Then inked up the tree stamp with Basic Black Classic ink. The flower
is made from a Creamy Caramel punch from the Trio Flower punch and a Basic Black
punch off center. A Basic Black brad finishes it off. It is mounted to the
card on a Stampin' Dimensional. Strips of Basic Black card stock are topped
with strips of Creamy Caramel.
From Mike: The "Thinking of You" card was created on Whisper White card stock, front
and back corners were rounded. I printed the tree stamp four times–once on
YoYo yellow, once on Kiwi Kiss, and twice on Old Olive. The Scallop Oval Punch (114889, Occasions Mini catalog) was
used to punch out the left and right sides of the tree from Old Olive and the
center from Kiwi Kiss. The three ovals were matched up with the impression
on the Yoyo Yellow card stock and mounted using Stampin' Dimensionals. Thinking
of You… was printed in Basic Black on Whisper White card stock, notched and
mounted on the YoYo Yellow card stock. The YoYo Yellow was notched with the
Ticket Corner Punch and mounted to the Kiwi Kiss card stock. 5/8" white
Grosgrain ribbon was tied around the Kiwi Kiss and the entire section was then
fastened to the Whisper White card stock base.
Let's give it up for Mike!!!! I almost have him convinced to do a blog . . . However, I DID convince him to get a watermark–that's Horus the Egyptian God. 
Need a FREE Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog? Just email me your name and address (US) and I'll pop it in the mail promptly.
OMG!! Mike, you need a blog….and STAT!
One of my downline just asked me for tips on how to use cardstock scraps… I am totally sending her this link! Such great ideas!
TFS!
Cindy 🙂
Mary and Mike–THANK YOU for sharing. You’re both amazing. Mary Jo
Thank you all so much for all your positive comments. I’m almost embarrassed! (Almost! ) It certainly does inspire me to come up with more designs. And I agree with Kylie who said SU needs to rethink the “Hostess” term to another less gender specific if they want us guys to participate more. However I don’t mind being though of as “one of the gals” with a great bunch like you!
Mike
I agree. This man is great. I love all the details and the colors are so pretty. Thanks for sharing his work with us. Tell him he is wonderful! Will you do this again? And if he does a blog, keep my address, ok?
WOW!!! Amazing I love that set and what Mike did with it is Fabulous!!!
Well…you couldn’t possibly let ALL of these women down could you?
WE WANT MIKE! WE WANT MILE! There…ya got a name for the new blog-Just like that!
I believe that it should be a sin not to share a gift/talent with the rest of us!
You could always try it and if you don’t like it you really haven’t lost anything, right?
Is any of this working?
I really am trying my best to convince you for very selfish reasons- you really do have alot of style!
Wow!! Amazing!! I can honestly say I have never seen anything like these cards before! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Charline Ratcliff, Author
thecurseofnefertiti.com
I agree…where the heck is your blog Mike??/
Awesome cards!!!!
HOLY SMACK… WOW.. annnnnddd WOW… I still have my jaw on the floor.. GET THE HECK OUT… Mike you Rock… Man OHH MAN… ok off to try to pick my jaw off the floor… 🙂
Mike you are just to good not to have a blog. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us………….we do so appreciate……..patm
Okay, Mike!!! I love the way you made the tree in Thinking of You. Great idea for a scrapbook page! Thanks, Mary for sharing Mike with us!
YIkes, Mike, These cards are gorgeous!!
Uh, at the risk of offending…are you sure you’re a man? Just kiddin’.
WOW! Mike you are a wonderful artist. Please, please, please start a blog! The last time your work was shown here, I fruitlessly looked everywhere in the post for a link to your blog. Please! I, for one, would check it every day.
Wow, Wow, Wow Mike! I wish I thought of that! Very artfully done!
You the man Mike!! These cards are awesome! I agree, you do need to start blogging so we have a daily dose of your talent!!
There are just no words for how amazing you are Mike!
Positively stunning work, Mike!! I agree with Mary–u gotta do a blog, baby’!! I visit Mary’s daily and can’t wait to add yours to my favorites list!! Keep the excellence coming, buddy!!
Holy cow!! These are GORGEOUS!!!!!! I love the CREATIVITY!!!!!!!
Mike, we NEED you to start a blog!! You work is absolutely INSPIRING! Please keep it coming.
Wow… Absolute genius using the oval scallop punch with the tree branches stamped on them for a beautiful tree.
Wow, those cards are really amazing. What a talent you have!!! Keep it up!
Mike your creations are amazing! Wow I am impressed very detailed and love the color combos….Do you use the color wheel?
Amazing! Simple but “out of the box” Wow.
Dude! I keep trying to find “myself” (my own signature style 🙂 in my crafting, and you come along and BAM! You already have yours! Your talent is distinctive and fresh, and outside the box. Thanks for keeping us girls on our toes!
Great cards Mike! You really, really, really need to get a blog started. You already have many loyal wannabe fans. 😉 Love the out of the box thinking on these cards!
Mike, you’re giving the girls a run for their money and I thank you for inspiring the men out there to show off their talent.
Mary, thanks for showing Mike’s cards. Good job.
Mary’s right, Mike. Get a blog going, dude! We’d be all over it like a fat kid on Smarties! Right after we checked out Mary’s blog, of course.
Your man Mike has done some HOT cards (can you describe sympathy cards as HOT?).
Wow- what a lot of work- I love these cards!!! Get a blog, Mike- you rock!!
wow they are incredible, my husband does them too – I have him as a guest stamper on my blog, and he gets more comments than I do. You guys are doing great!! I think stampin up might have to review the word “hostess” don’t you think??? and move to “host” just a suggestion!! Great job mike, bruno will be inspired. And yes get a blog!!
Yowser, these are great! What patience to put together all those little squares, but what a super payoff! And I absolutely LOVE the scalloped punches on which the tree branches are stamped. So clever and a wonderful effect.
I’d definitely visit Mike’s blog if/when he starts one!
Mike your work is amazing! You have a tremendous amount of talent. Please start a blog….you’d have some loyal followers already.
AMAZING!!!! I had just given up on all those half inch wide scraps I save, but I need to make a mosaic card. Thanks for sharing Mike’s inspiring work, Mary!