When I was a little girl, I discovered a children's art book called The Great Thumbprint Drawing Book by Ed Emberley. My sister and I spent many happy hours using a big red inkpad to make lots of thumbprint animals.

I came up with the idea of using thumbprint and fingerprint art to make my own line of handmade greeting cards in April of 2006. I started out by making cards for my family and friends and worked towards creating a variety of designs.

In December 2006, I began selling my cards, gift boxes, and framed art pieces under the name Thumbelina Card Company at local craft shows. In January 2007 I opened my online shop here on Etsy and then started selling my cards through a dozen independent boutiques and stores in Toronto shortly thereafter.

I poured all of myself into Thumbelina for 3 years before I decided to take my creative journey in a new direction. If it wasn't for my experience with Thumbelina, I never would have started learning how to paint. Thumbelina Card Company was an important stepping stone for me to new paths of artistic expression.

From 2008 through 2011, I took as many courses and workshops in watercolour, mixed media painting, expressive figure drawing, and Chinese brush painting & calligraphy as I could find.

Since 2010, I began teaching private classes in wet-into-wet watercolour techniques and soon thereafter began teaching watercolour and mixed media painting courses through the SSMU (Student Society of McGill University) Mini Courses program. I love the magic of watercolour and endeavor to share my knowledge and enthusiasm with all of my students.

My painting practice today employs traditional Chinese and Japanese techniques and materials such as brushes, inks, and handmade washi papers, in combination with gestural, expressive watercolour in an abstract, contemporary approach.

For the Christmas 2013 season I had a selection of my bestselling original Thumbelina cards printed at a local environmentally conscious print shop and sold them at Montreal craft fairs.

In the fall of 2014 I made the big move from Montreal out to Victoria, B.C. on beautiful Vancouver Island. I plan to continue my watercolour painting and teaching here but who knows, perhaps I will sell my enviro printed Thumbelina cards again too.

Thanks so much for all the love over the years from the etsy community.

-Emily xo
a.k.a. Thumbelina