Christmas in June

Hi friends!  I hope you're having a fabulous week!  I'm doing ok.  I still have some coughing.  Tomorrow, is my Brady Bug's promotion from preschool.  I'm a bit emotional already.  :(  He's getting so big!

Here's a card I made for a call that wasn't picked up.  You win some you lose some.  Or a lot.  What can you do?  This card was made with Authentique Wonder and accented with some pretty May Arts ribbon.  Very simple.  

Have a great day, friends!  

March CARDS Magazine Pubs

Hi friends!  I just realized that I never showed you the cards that were published in the March 2012 issue of CARDS Magazine by Northridge Publishing so here they are:

Have a great day, friends!

Love My Tapes Mother's Day Blog Hop

Hi friends!  I hope you're having a fabulous day!  Today, I'm going in for my procedures so if you could spare a positive thought or prayer for me, I would really appreciate it.  I've never had any kind of procedure where I had to be put under before and I'm a bit nervous.

Let's get onto the HAPPY!  Today, we are having a Love My Tapes Mother's Day Blog hop.  There is a PRIZE, so be sure to hop along to all the blogs and leave comments.  There are only SIX stops so it will take just a few minutes to do the hop!  One person will win: 1 lace tape, 1 fabric tape, and 3 washi tapes!  You have until April 26th to leave your comments!  We also have giveaways on the Love My Tapes Facebook Page so be sure to come join us there too!  The blog hop starts on the Love My Tapes Blog.

Here's my card for today's hop!  I used black dot washi tape, 17mm beige lace tape, and Chloe fabric tape.  I used the fabric tape to make the flower on this card.  The papers are from Authentique and the bling is Recollections.  The letters are Thickers from American Crafts.

Next up on the hop is GIOVANA!  Enjoy the hope and remember to leave comments for your chance to win!

Here's the order for you, in case you get lost:
Love My Tapes Blog
Ashley N Newell (you are here)
Giovana Smith
JJ Sobey
Lisa Tottle
Rita Barakat 

Happy Anniversary Dustin!

Hi friends! Today is my 7th wedding anniversary. I've been so busy all day that I haven't gotten a chance to blog. I was taking care of the kids and trying to make some projects for the Paper Crafts Mag call. We had a lovely dinner while my friend watched the kids for our anniversary.

Here's a card I made for Dustin for our anniversary. I used this image as the prompt. The image is from the current Paper Smooches Sparks challenge. And I'm PRETTY SURE you have an idea of who gave me the idea for this card. It has a CARROT on it after all. It's Savannah. That gal loves carrot cards, did you know? I made her one for her birthday.

I was inspired by the colors in this image as well as the multiple lines of text. The patterned paper is Authentique Gathering. The stamps are Paper Smooches Vegtastic. I added some Cosmo Cricket and Making Memories letter stickers and some tiny attacher staples. I also did a little distressing with some Memento Rich Cocoa. I used a circle Nestie and a corner rounder as well.

Have a great day, everyone!

CARDS Mag Sketch

Hi friends! I hope that you're having a great day! I'm glad we're coming to the end of the week. I'm just so tired and I'm in need of some rest. I'm kind of sad because my wedding anniversary is on Monday and I don't feel well enough to do much. Perhaps we will go out to dinner or maybe just wait. Enough blabbering from me.

Here's a card I made for a challenge on the Create Blog from Northridge Publishing. The challenge was to use the sketch that is featured in the April issue of CARDS Mag. I decided to flip the sketch upside because I'm just loopy like that. I used a sentiment from My Thoughts Exactly More Big Thoughts. The stars are from Unity's Stylin' Stars. The paper is from Authentique Genuine. I used Lemon Divine Twine on the stars.

Have a great day!

My Thoughts Exactly April DT Post

Hi friends! I hope you are doing well! I'm on my last day of the kids being gone and I still can't sleep in. I guess my body just refuses to believe they are gone. ;) They are having a great time, yesterday when I called they were at the park and made some new friends. I'm excited to see them tonight.

I have some My Thoughts Exactly cards to share with you today. All of these cards use stamps from the new release which I love love love! Have you picked some up for yourself yet? You need to! My first card uses More Big Thoughts. I made this for Runway Inspired Challenge #9. If you haven't played along with this challenge, you really should. It pushed me outside of my box and I'm so happy with the results! The small patch of patterned paper is Cosmo Cricket Evangeline.

Next up is a card I made for a call that wasn't accepted. This uses More Mini Thoughts. The paper and wooden flower are from Kaisercraft. The string is May Arts.

Here's my last card, I used Big Thoughts for this one. I used the CardPatterns #157 sketch. The paper is from Authentique Celebrate and the twine is Black Licorice Divine Twine. I used some Love My Tapes washi tape as well.

Be sure to check out the My Thoughts Exactly Blog to see what the other girls posted! I'm posting with Jen and Lenae today!

MTE: April Release Hop (Giveaway)

Hi friends! I hope you are well! Today, is April 1 and that means that it's My Thoughts Exactly release day! YAY!

We are having a release blog hop with a GIVEAWAY! Your name will go in the drawing one time for each comment you leave on the DT Blogs so be sure to comment on each stop! Start the hop at Alyssa's Blog, the MTB Blog. That's where you should have come from because I am the second stop today.

I'll just jump in and show you my cards for this release. This first card is made using More Big Thoughts. I love that you can use this same sentiment for some many occasions! I made this card kind a generic so that I can use it for a wedding, engagement, or anniversary. The paper is Crate Paper and the lace is from Creating is Fun.

Next up is a card using Mini Thoughts. This set is perfect for small sentiment and making tags. With tons of interchangeable sayings, you'll have just the right sentiment for every card. The paper is Authentique and I used some Black Licorice Divine Twine.

My last card uses two of the bigger sentiments from Big Thoughts. Just in case you wanted to showcase your sentiment instead of having a smaller one. You can do this and make it a bit more bold. The paper here is Authentique and the string is from May Arts.

Go to the My Thoughts Exactly Store to pick up your new stamps! There are special bundle offers where you can save up to 20% off on the new release! Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win!

Head on over to BEE'S BLOG to continue the hop!

i{h}p Challenge

Hi friends! I hope you are well. Today was my first full day on my new medications. I'm feeling a bit of side effects but I'm still hopeful that this will work for me. Tomorrow, Brady has a field trip to the art museum so fingers crossed that I'm well enough to attend with him. If not, Dustin will go, it's his day off work.

Today, I'm blogging a card that I made for the i {heart} papers March Challenge. The challenge is to do the blog hop and be inspired by one of the creations. I choose to be inspired by THIS CARD by Lori Tecler. She inspired me to use the Mint Motif School Basics set. I also wanted to incorporate a circle into my card inspired by her design. The paper is Authentique Celebrate. I finished off with a tiny piece of May Arts string.

Hope you are having a fabulous night!

Best Friends (A Card for Sav)

Hi friends! Hope that you're having a lovely Sunday. My pain has gone up since I went to the doctor on Friday. I think it's because she was prodding around and feeling all my organs. Prayers would be much appreciated at this point since this seems like it's not gonna be something that goes away on its own and antibiotics have failed. Thanks for all the support, I truly appreciate each and every get well comment! It warms might heart that my friends from inside my computer care so much about me!

Ok, onto today's card. First I have to clarify. I have quite a few "best" friends so if you are in that said circle please don't think I'm "choosing" Savannah over you. Sav is my best crafting and Skyping friend. For some reason, talking to her makes me SO creative. I think she's my muse. I made this card while Skyping with Sav and I'm dedicating and sending it to her. :D

I'm submitting this card to the Sweet Stamp Shop March Challenge. The challenge is to create something with this month or last month's release stamps. I used Perfect Match. Oh my GOSH, I love this set! It's SO cute and I love all the little food stamps! I'm a foodie so this appeals to me on that level but I'm also a mom and these images are also fun for kid cards. The paper here is Authentique Celebrate and the jute twine is May Arts.

And I want to give a shout out to Sweet Stamp Shop. Ever since they came out, they've been SO wonderful to me. Offering wonderful service, awesome stamps, and fabulous inspiration. Recently, I won a Facebook contest where I got FIFTY percent off my whole order! (You can like Sweet Stamp Shop FB Page for contests like this.) When my package arrived, there was a note from Nicole (there always is) saying how she was praying for me to feel better. This really touched me! I'm used to the normal "thanks for the order" note but this was a PERSONAL note and it really shows that she cares. She knows who her customers are and takes the time to REALLY appreciate them. LOVE. I will be back to order again and again. Before this was just another cute stamp store but now, she has my heart.

Ok, friends! Enough rambling! Have a wonderful day!

Love My Tapes Sketch #1

Hi friends! I hope you are doing well! We are doing pretty well. We are prepping for my birthday party tomorrow. YAY! I'm having an ugly sweater party. :D I'll be posting pictures later.

I want to share with you my take on our current challenge here at the Love My Tapes Blog. Did you know that you can win a whole box of Love My Tapes goodies if you play along? What a great prize!! And Giovana made such a fabulous and easy to use sketch. What are you waiting for? You can view challenge details HERE.

For my card, I used the sketch as is but turned the label into a rectangle. I used the 13mm white lace tape on top of the Lemon Bar fabric tape. Super simple but lovely at the same time. This is a sketch that I will use over and over again. The sprinkling of the embellishments makes this so cute. The paper and die is Authentique.

Have a great day and don't forget to play along with our challenge! You have until Jan 27 to link up!

Joy to the World

Hi friends! I hope you're having a great weekend! I can't believe that Christmas is coming up so quickly! We are feeling a little under the weather still but let's hope that it clears up soon! Keep your fingers crossed!

Here's my card. I used some thin white Lace Tape and some Red Stripe Fabric Tape as well. These tapes add a fabulous texture and dimension to your project without adding a lot of bulk. These are great embellishments for mailing, they are very light weight. The papers are from Authentique and the little bling is from Recollections.

Have a great day, everyone!

PS Sparks: Warm Wishes

Hi friends! I hope you are having a great day! I'm feeling rather icky today. I'm hoping it will pass fast. The kids seem to be doing good though. vtttfff x cog << (That was Parker.) I walk away from my computer for one minute and he thinks that he can take over my blog. :) I might have to get him to make a video to post for you guys.

Today, I'm sharing a card I made for the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge. We were to be inspired by the photograph shown here. I was inspired by the colors and the clean and light feel of this picture. It kind of reminded me of Pottery Barn so I tried to go with that kind of feel for my card.

Here's my card using Paper Smooches Hot Concoctions. I paired this with some Authentique Gathering paper. The frame was made with some Nesties. Then I added some Stickles to this for extra shine.

Have a great day, friends!

Family is a Gift

Hi friends! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We are creating tons of Christmas memories this year and I'm SO happy about that! However, guess what?! I got sick! Figures, right? If Brady (or Parker) is sick then I'm going to get sick because I can't say no when my babies want snuggles and kisses. Let's hope this passes fast!

Ok, today I am sharing a card I made for the Authentic Sketch Challenge for Dec. I used my Authentique Splendid collection for this one. This is a paper I don't reach for as much and I don't know why because I LOVE the colors! I also used a die from this collection for the sentiment. I kept this really simple and I LOVE it! I just added some bling and done!

Have a great day, friends!

EAD Blog Hop: Elegant and Cute

Hi friends! I'm back for another Monday Blog hop for EAD Designs. I love guest designing for EAD the month! You should have come here from the lovely Joanna's blog. If not, please go back to the EAD Blog to start the hop. Don't forget to leave comments on all the blogs on the hop, there's a GIVEAWAY out there!

This week, I wanted to show you how versatile EAD Stickerz can be. First up, I made an elegant card with the Vintage Furniture Stickerz. I love these shelves! Isn't that a great idea? For this card, I used the Card Positioning Systems #241. The paper is Authentique Uncommon.

For my next card, I decided to make something CUTE. You know how I love cute things, right? Did you know that EAD has a co-branded line of Stickerz, Rub-ons, Wall Art and Cling-Its with Softpencil Studios? You can see them all HERE. Did you also know that I used to be on the Softpencil design team?! It's always a treat to work with Elizabeth's adorable designs. I used the Cupcake Stickerz for this card. This is based off the SCS sketch from last week. The paper is My Mind's Eye Fine and Dandy.

Next up on the hop is the amazing Lauren's blog!

Thanks for Your Support!

Hi friends! I hope you are having a wonderful day! I've been dealing with a bout of insomnia so I'm super tired. Other than that, we are doing good.

Today, I'm showing a card I made for a couple challenges. First is the the Breast Cancer Awareness and Thank You challenge for Ellen Hutson, next is the SCS sketch for this week, and third is the Link Up for Pink linking party to support breast cancer awareness. I ALWAYS pull this sassy stamp set from Paper Makeup Stamps out for breast cancer awareness month. Nothing says support quite like good undergarments. The patterned paper is Authentique, the lace tape is from Love My Tapes, and I added stickles to this as well.

Have a great day, friends!

Operation Julie's Smile Blog Hop (over $2500 in PRIZES)

***This post has been moved to the top of my blog until the end of the hop on Sunday night. Please scroll down for new posts.***

Hi friends! Boy, do I have a special event for you today! I am honored to be a part of the Operation Julie's Smile blog hop to benefit my friend Julie Ranae. You should have come here from Jennifer Rzasa's blog. If not, go back to the Sweet Stamp Shop blog to start the hop. LEAVE COMMENTS along the way, there are SO many prizes to be won!

Here's the reason we are hopping today:

“The creative blogging community is coming together this weekend to help one of our friends, Julie Ranae. You may know her as the Design Team Coordinator for many wonderful companies from bakers twine, die cuts, rubber stamps and more. What many people don’t know about Julie Ranae is that she has had some pretty major dental surgeries in her lifetime due to medication she had to take as a child. It was in her plans to think about having all of her teeth replaced at some point in the next 5 years, a decision that was pretty easy to plan out. But then it happened…she chipped her front teeth on a weekend a month ago. The dentist told her there was no way to save them & that it was his recommendation that she give in and have them all her teeth removed soon, but for that day, they needed to get her front teeth done so her gums could begin to heal. He said he would 'work out payments with her to have ALL this work done...but when she called to make her appt for the first step of impressions, they told her the amount of money that was needed and that the 'payments' applied only to the two teeth that were extracted that day. Her husband Paul was with her & that too, was his understanding as well. So this is how she has found herself in this situation…Needing at least $4000 to get started and another $3000 to finish the process…a total of $7000.

Nicole Rixon, owner of Sweet Stamp Shop put together this benefit after finding out about this situation and before Julie Ranae knew it, it took flight!

Because she is an event organizer by trade, she has taken on the job of organizing all of the blogs in this hop as her way of ‘working overtime’ for what she needs, the same as if she were able to work overtime at an outside job to pay for the work to be done.

It is the goal of all of these generous friends & sponsors to help make this situation more do-able for our friend so that she can share a brand new smile with all of us soon.

If there is anything you can do to help with a financial donation, there is a donation button ready for you to click. Any amount is appreciated and ALL DONATIONS will be eligible for prizes from our sponsor pool of over $2500.”

Here's my card for today. When I think of Julie, I always think of her joining her hubby at Barnes and Noble for a cuppa so that's where I got the inspiration for this card. I used Paper Smooches new Hot Concoctions for this card along with some new Free Bird paper from Authentique. The little roses are from my Etsy shop, Heart Hugs Designs. I used Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch 137 for this card.

MY DONATION: I'm always trying to teach my children to give what we can. For this event, I've donated 1 new in package Ippity Stamp set, a couple sets of cabochons from my Etsy Shop and some seam binding that I dyed myself.

I hope you enjoyed my card! Next up on the hop is MICHELLE MATHEY! Don't forget to leave comments on each stop of the hop for your chance to win one of the amazing prizes! If you can, please make a donation (button is in my sidebar) to help our friend get her smile back.

More WCMD Cards

Hi friends! Hope you are having a great weekend! We are about to head off to the Giant Pumpkin Festival. I'm pretty excited about this! :D I will have pictures to share later.

I'm sharing a couple more cards I made during World Card Making Day today. This first one was made for the Authentique Sketch for Oct. I decided to go with a pink card so I can link up to the Link Up for Pink linking party again! You MUST check this out! These girls really poured their souls into organizing something amazing! All the elements on this card are Authentique Uncommon, I made the epoxy with some Epiphany tools my friend Gina let me play with at her house.

Next is a card I made for the Lawn Fawn WCMD Challenge. The challenge was to make a card and send it. I used Lawn Fawn's Judy's Blooms and Sophie's Sentiments for this card. The paper is My Mind's Eye, the lace is from May Arts, and I added some seam binding.

Have a great day, friends!

Some WCMD Cards

Hi friends! I hope you had a great day! I got a migraine but was able to get it settled down enough to make a couple cards this evening. I'm gonna share a couple with you now as my last hurrah for this WCMD. :)

Here's a card I submitted to the I {heart} Papers Facebook Page contest. The challenge was just to use some IHP goodies on your card which is SO easy being that I have A LOT from that store, they sell everything I love! You could also enter this card over at Lawnscaping Challenges for the WCMD challenge. You can make ANY card with Lawn Fawn and link it up to win! Supplies: Lawn Fawn stamps, Cosmo Cricket paper, handmade flowers, lace and crotchet trim

Next up is a fun little card I made for a few challenges. This card uses the Card Patterns sketch 135. I'm linking up this card for the Link Up For Pink linking party. They are trying to raise money for their Relay for Life team and there's a HUGE link up party with TONS of prizes! If you're looking for a place to donate, they have a link on their sidebar to donate. I think this is a wonderful way to fundraise and raise awareness about Breast Cancer. I know several people who have or have had cancer and I will do anything I can to support research!

Speaking for breast cancer awareness, I also made this card for one of the Hope You Can Cling To challenges on Splitcoast. For the entire month of October, there will be new challenges everyday to show support, awareness and help the cause. There are prizes and they have a place where you can mail your cards. I made this card for Lydia's challenge to put a pink critter on your card. Supplies: Authentique paper, Paper Smooches stamps, button, punch, and string

Lastly, here's another card I made for the I {heart} Papers challenge. I used this week's SCS Sketch Challenge for this card. I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge. Supplies: Studio Calico paper, Hero Arts/Studio Calico stamps, seam binding, handmade flower, tiny attacher.

Hope you all had a GREAT World Card Making Day! I can't wait for next year!

FWF: Journey Together

Hi friends! I hope you had a great week! I'm so excited about this weekend! I'm having a sleepover with some of my crafty friends. Then we are going to a BBQ with some of our friends. Fun fun fun!

Here's a card I made with a Unity/Authentique stamp called On {this} Journey Together. I paired the stamps with Authentique's Journey paper to go with it. I used an EK Success border punch on this as well.

Don't forget to check the Unity Stamp Co Blog to see everyone who is participating in this week's hop! LEAVE COMMENTS on each blog, you never know where that blog candy is hiding! Have a great day friends!

RCC20 Get Punny with Savannah!

Hi friends! I hope you are having a great day! We had a fun one! I got to crop with a couple of my friends. Brady had a great day at school and we have our first play date with a little friend from school.

Now it's time for a new Ribbon Carousel Challenge. This challenge is Get Punny with my friend Savannah! This is a VERY Sav and Ashley challenge. We are PUNNY PUNNY girls. Remember, when you play along with the Ribbon Carousel Challenge, you need to use ribbon, trim, lace, twine or pretty much anything that comes on a spool.

The sponsor for this challenge is Lawn Fawn. You know how much I LOVE Lawn Fawn stamps! They are super duper cute! And they are having release week this week so check out the Lawn Fawn Blog. The prize this week is the Bows and Holly stamp set! Super cute!

Here's my card for this month. For my spool elements I used Ivory Lace, seam binding, and Lemon Divine Twine. The stamps are from Lawn Fawn's Sew Lovely. The patterned paper is Authentique Blissful. I used this week's Card Position Sketch for this card, sketch #235.

Be sure to check out the Ribbon Carousel Challenge Blog to see all the design team creations and to link up your own Punny card!