Today's Featured Artist is our very own Michelle!

Hello and good morning friends!! It's Friday which means it is time to feature a very special artist!! Michelle doesn't know it, but she's being featured today (surprise!!) We are very lucky to have Michelle on our DT. She is super talented, always around to comment and she's also came up with something to make this young lady grin from ear to ear. Lasting Memories was honored to take part in this Cards for Emily blog hop. Please meet Emily.

Emily Ziemathis is a 6 year old little girl that I just recently got to call my niece. I never knew my brother Sean until this past May of 2011 when my family was reconnected and we all met for the first time. :) He and his wife Jennifer have 4 beautiful children. Unfortunately, a couple of months ago little Emily took a turn for the worst.

Here is her backstory:

"At the adventurous age of six, Emily is the oldest daughter of four children to Sean and Jennifer Ziemathis. Although small, petite and quiet, she holds her own with her brothers and sister and has a heart the size her mommy and daddy admire. Arts and crafts, pink and purple, horses and kittens are items that will keep her content and comfortable for hours. Unfortunately, that comfort has been disrupted with the recent diagnosis of Leukemia."

She now lives in the Ronald McDonald house in Seattle, Washington where she feels like she belongs, with other children that are sick and going through the same things. Although other children may have other illnesses, she doesn't feel different or awkward due to the effects the chemo has on her little body because all the other children are going through it too.

Here are a few updates throughout her time there and her most recent update on how she is doing:

It all started when Emily began complaining about her legs and joints hurting, among other trips to the pediatrician. This is when her parents decided to take her to the children's hospital, where they found out the bad news about the Leukemia.

To find out more about this beautiful little girl and to read her current updates, please visit Michelle's Cards For Emily post to see how you can make her smile too!! Also, stay tuned because a VERY talented artist in the paper crafting world has got wind of this through one of our DT member's blogs and is currently creating "Stamps for Emily" but you'll have to wait to see who it is!!

Now, lets get to one of Michelle's tutorials!! I love this!! I've included a few photos, but to see this Halloween Wreath creation from start to finish, you have to pop over and visit Michelle as it's photo heavy and VERY detailed! I love it!!!! Again, I just grabbed a few photos, there's so many more to explain how she created it!! You'll want to make one too!! Best thing is, you could take these "rosettes" and add them to a layout!!!

Here we go and have a happy Friday!!!