Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Paper Crafts Swan Song Blog Hop


Today, a bunch of us crafty girls are getting together to say goodbye to Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Magazine.  The blog hop starts on the amazing Jennifer McGuire's blog.  You should be arriving from Emily Liephart's blog.  If you just stumbled onto my blog today, make sure to go back to Jennifer's blog for all the inspiration and memories.

About 8 years ago, I fell in love with stamping.  (I was awful at it, by the way.)  Soon after buying my first handful of supplies, I had grand dreams of being on design teams and being published in magazines.  It took me a while but I finally got my first acceptance letter from Paper Crafts magazine and it felt like the heavens were singing!  My dream had come true and along the way I met so many people.  I've made friends who I hope to have in my life forever.

It breaks my heart to say goodbye.  It doesn't just feel like the end of a magazine but the end of an era.  Though I haven't been published in PC&S since June 2013, I always had it in my mind that one day I would go back but now I can't.  We are living in a new world of Pinterest, bloggers, ebooks, and apps and I'm not sure I'm quite ready for it.  I've never liked goodbyes but this one leaves so much sorrow in my heart.

How do you make a card to close a chapter of your life?  I struggled so much with this.  In the end, I needed to go with a forever friendship theme.  I fear that the progression of the craft, the decline of the economy, and technology will make my people obsolete.  But that's silly because as long as their is love and the desire to create, we'll always be here.  My dear PC family that includes all the sweet souls that have helped me on the journey to the crafter I am today.


Thank you Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Magazine!  Thank you for the trends, the inspiration, the meet and greets, the Go-To Girls, the happy emails, the motivation to push myself further.  Thank you for being the center of the most loving and amazing industry in the world.  Thanks for the friendship, the belief in us, the love, and thanks for the memories.

Check out THIS VIDEO that Bethany Stellpflug made of the pictures we posted to the planning group.

Next up on the hop is Jennifer Rzasa.  (JRza if you're awesome.  ;) )


25 comments:

  1. Wonderful card. Your color palette is stunning.

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  2. Love these papers and love the sentiment! Great card!

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  3. This is a beautiful card & a lovely tribute! Awesome job, girl!!

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  4. Thank you for a sharing a beautiful card.

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  5. Beautiful card and beautiful sentiments for today.... XOXOXO

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  6. This is a beautiful card. Glad that this hop has led me to such wonderful blogs to follow!!!

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  7. You are a DOLL, Ashely! !! I love that about you! The photos of you (at CHA) in the video were so cute! Thanks for sharing this gorgeous card! You made it with such LOVE!! HUGS!

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  8. Oh Ashley, this is such a sweet card! What a lovely sentiment to send to those who have kept us inspired for so very long.

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  9. There's no doubt PPC was a determinant factor in helping our paths to cross, and for that I'll be forever grateful. Meeting someone for the first time and feeling you've known (and liked, and loved!) her forever doesn't happen everyday :) Love you, Ashley! As for the card... gosh, it's publishing material for sure. What a beauty!!!

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  10. Your card is beautiful! Thank you for the wonderful comment you left on my blog post :). It means a lot to me and I, too, am so glad that we've "met". And that is all because of the wonderful paper crafting community!

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  11. Beautiful card and heartfelt post!!!! :)

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  12. you card is adorable! I agree, I always had intentions to start submitting again and even had for the final call that never came to be. I feel sick over missed opportunities but happy for the great memories!

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  13. Oh what a completely sweet card! Their hearts will surely be touched, Ashley!

    ~Bev

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  14. Such a cute card and beautiful layers :)

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  15. A very sweet post, Ashley! It really stinks, doesn't it, when something is gone that you'd been meaning to reconnect with. Love your card that was made with such heart!

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  16. Fitting card for this situation. I'm with you, skeptical of the takeover of technology. Keep on creating!

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  17. A perfect tribute! Love the layers on your card, and the use of patterned paper. Gosh, it all goes together so perfectly!

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