Heart Hugs

Paper Made Bakery

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Hi friends! FUN exciting announcement time!!!! I made the Paper Made Bakery design team!!! YAY!!!! I could not be any happier about this! It is such a great company with awesome kits! The value is AMAZING! The owner is sweet as can be and the design team is super talented! Check out the Paper Made Bakery Blog to see who else is on this fabulous team!

Ohhh, and go like the Paper Made Bakery Facebook Page, there's all sorts of fun giveaways over there!

Merci

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:11:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you are having a great week! I'm gearing up to go to CHA in a couple days and things have been BUSY! I've been trying to get things ready. I'll have a bunch of projects to show you in the coming weeks.

Here's a card I made using some fabulous ribbons, trims and a button from Martha's store. They are so pretty and easy to work with. You can see how easy it brings a card together. I love these large pearl buttons! They are perfect for the center of flowers and bows. The olive trim is so lovely, it's one of my favorites. The sentiment is from MTE Many Thanks. The paper is Webster's Pages.

Have a great day!

Monthly Maniac Snow Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you are well. I'm still sick. :( I'm hoping that I will be better soon, I was hoping to go to a festival this weekend but we shall see.

Today, we are kicking off the Month Maniac Challenge. This is a challenge put together and played by the old Paper Maniac design team as a way to keep in touch with each other. Paper Maniac was and probably always will be one of the best teams I was ever on. I love all the ladies that I got to be on a team with and miss working with them. I'm so glad we are doing this. The team that was chosen for this month is SNOW!

Here's my card for this month's challenge. It was made with Echo Park paper/stickers and an SRM sticker for the sentiment. I really embraced this snow theme. We don't get snow here where I live. Maybe once every 7 years and even then it will snow for an hour, max! We can drive a little way and play in the snow though.

Be sure to check out the rest of my Monthly Maniac friends doing the challenge today:

Emily
Tenia
Ceal
Ashley
Patti
Christine
Cindy

Have a great day, friends!

Washi Chevrons

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:33:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you are having a great week! I'm still under the weather but I'm almost convinced that it's nothing serious. Here's hoping that I'm better by the weekend! I have big plans to do something on my 30 Before 30!

Here's a card I made for the last Paper Crafts call that was rejected. I really thought it had a chance. Oh well. I made the chevrons with Hambly washi tape and some Paper Smooches sentiments. It's a one layer card and everything! ;)

Have a great day, friends!

November Cards Magazine Pub

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:08:00 +0000

Hi friends! I'm super sick but I thought I would put up a quick post and try to get some blogging out of the way. Last month was so busy that I forgot to share this card with you.

For more information about this card, check out the Nov 2011 issue of Card Magazine.

Have a great day, friends!

Getting to Know You Tag

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:46:00 +0000

My new friend April from My Captivating Images tagged me in a Getting to Know You tag. I thought this would be a fun thing to do. I've been trying to expand my blog from just creations to encompass more of my life.

First, 11 random facts about me:

1. I love penguins! I think they are just adorable. We have tons of penguin things in the house like a penguin cookie jar.

2. My "big toe" is actually really small. It's smaller than most of my other toes and it's totally weird.

3. I love naps! It just works for me to refresh in the middle of the day.

4. I don't like a lot of things that other people like for example avocados (even though I'm from California), Dave Matthews Band and The Simpson's to name a few. People think I'm odd.

5. I carry a thermos of ice water around with me almost everywhere I go and it makes a little noise that I find a little embarrassing.

6. I'm super clumsy. I trip over my own feet and ram into things all the time.

7. I just discovered a love for YouTube. I used to watch it every now and then but now I'm obsessed with watching tutorial videos.

8. I wanted 6 kids before I had kids. I'm not so sure anymore.

9. I get warm really easily. I often wear short sleeved shirts in the winter.

10. I'm obsessed with Kawaii (cute) things.

11. I enjoy couponing, bargain hunting and getting a deal.

Now I need to answer April's questions:

1. What is the number one thing on your bucket list?

Go to Paris. Sigh...one day!

2. What was your favorite childhood toy?

Magic Nursery Babies. They were like Cabbage Patch Dolls but they came in a hospital gown and hat so you didn't know what gender they were. You dipped this card thing in plastic to dissolve this papery stuff and it said "Congrats! You have a baby girl/boy!" I had like 6 of them.

3. What is your favorite book?

Eat Pray Love. I love Elizabeth Gilbert's view on religion! It was really refreshing to me. I also love her writing style and sense of humor.

4. Do you prefer a busy city or a calm country area?
I like the Suburbs. I think I might be the only one out there. I don't like to be too crowded or have to fight to get where I'm going but I also don't like being too far from civilization. I like being a 10 min drive from the grocery store, restaurants, etc...

5. Who is your role model and why?

I don't really have one. There are people who inspire me like Ghandi and Mother Theresa but I don't know that they are role models.

6. What is your special talent? (everyone has one, even if it seems small, it is not!)
I multitask really well

7. What do you do to relax when you have alone time?
Read, craft, watch a movie

8. If you could live anywhere, where would you live and why?
I have no idea. Maybe Monterrey because the pace is so calm.

9. What is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you?
My husband cleans the house. :)

10. What is your favorite time of day?
Bedtime for the kids? ;)

11. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Does Queen of the Universe count?

And now I have to give 11 questions:

1. What did you want to be when you grew up?

2. Where was your favorite vacation?

3. What's your favorite store to shop at?

4. If you could get one thing for yourself for free, what would you pick?

5. What is your favorite comfort food?

6. What is a tradition that you want to pass on to your children?

7. What's your dream pet?

8. Who is your celebrity crush?

9. What's your favorite scent?

10. What hobby do you wish you could get paid for?

11. What's your favorite TV show right now?

I'm supposed to tag 11 people to do this but I'm not going to. If you'd like to do this tag so I can get to know you better, I would LOVE that. Leave me a link in the comments section and I'll come check it out!

MTE Giveaway Winner!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:39:00 +0000

Hi friends! I want to announce the winner of my My Thoughts Exactly giveaway for Holly Jolly Tags. Random.org picked #17 and that is...

Savannah O'Gwynn said...

OH ASH! I agree--you have several styles! And this card is def. YOU!!! LOVE the lace and papers--love that little tag set! SOOOOOOO glad you are getting crafty--we need to do it together:) <3

January 7, 2012 8:56 PM

Love My Tapes Sketch #1

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:43:00 +0000

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!

My Thoughts Exactly DT Thurs

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you're having a great week! We are doing pretty good. The days just seem to fly by here. I need to try to blog more.

This week, I have my first DT Thurs post for My Thoughts Exactly. I had a great time working with these stamps. Right now I only have two sets, Holly Jolly Tags and Under the Sea. I had a lot of fun trying to combine these sets to make some birthday cards that can be used all year long.

My first card uses the ornament from Holly Jolly Tags as petals to a flower and the sentiment from Under the Sea. It's a little bit of a stretch. Perhaps next time, I'll use the back of the of the paper for just the shape. But it kind of comes out fun, don't you think? The paper is My Mind's Eye.

My second card is uses a tag from Holly Jolly Tags and the same sentiment from Under the Sea. I turned the tag upside-down to make the ornaments look like little trees. They would also be cute if you made them into lollipops. The paper is Echo Park and the twine is Cotton Candy Divine Twine.

Be sure to check out the My Thoughts Exactly Blog for all the other DT cards. Have a great day, friends!

Project 365 (+1) Deux

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you're having a great day! We are having a pretty good week around here. We are adjusting to Dustin's new work schedule and it's a little hard but we'll make it through.

If you have read my 30 Before 30 then you know that I'm reattempting my Project 365 which is a photo a day, every day for a year. The first time I got so caught up in what everyone else is doing, I lost sight of why I wanted to do this. I want to capture memories, the everyday ones. I just want to get in the habit of taking photos and hopefully, I'll learn to love it again.

Isn't it convenient that my birthday is the last day of the year? It just makes everything so easy when you start over in a new year. I think I might be a little OCD because having my photos match up with the day of the year really makes me happy.

Jan 1 - Brady taking a picture of me taking a picture of him.

Jan 2 - My friends Gina and Suzy got me cupcakes to celebrate my birthday! So sweet!

Jan 3 - My poor kids had to go with me to get Brady's kindergarten registration packet at 7am in the cold. I'm so glad we won't have to do that again.

Jan 4 - I found PINK MOSCATO sparkling wine at Trader Joe's. Seriously, have you met me? This is just SO me!

Jan 5 - Snuggling with my Parkie.

Jan 6 - Lemon and cherry candy cane. There are tiny holes in the candy cane that you can drink the lemon juice through. So yummy!

Jan 7 - My lovebug napping on the couch.

I'm linking up to:

My Thoughts Exactly Intro and GIVEAWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you are doing well! Dustin has a new schedule so we are in the middle of our weekend. It's kind of nice having him off on a weekday so we can get our stuff done without all the weekend crowds!

Today, I am up on the My Thoughts Exactly Blog. It's my intro onto the design team! YAY!! I absolutely LOVE these stamps and I know that you will too! The designs are awesome and the high quality stamps are SO easy to work with!

Here's a card I made for today's challenge. Alyssa challenged us to make a card that really showed off our style. Honestly, I should have made like 3 cards because I do a lot of different styles. I couldn't because the kids are so demanding of my attention right now. But I LOVE how this card turned out! No matter what style I do, a few things are always consistent with me: I use minimal embellishments, I LOVE patterned paper, and I love a little feminine touch on my projects. This card uses Holly Jolly Tags and Under the Sea. I love both of these sets and you can see how versatile they are on this card!

GIVEAWAY ALERT! Alyssa is letting me giveaway my FAVORITE My Thoughts Exactly set today! Woot! Thanks Alyssa! I'm giving away HOLLY JOLLY TAGS! I love this set! It's a fabulous Christmas set but you can use it all year round!

Here's how to enter. You get one entry for each thing you do, just leave a separate comment for each!

~Leave a comment, easy peasy

~Go like the My Thoughts Exactly Facebook Page

~Follow the My Thoughts Exactly Blog

~Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect

~Share this giveaway somehow (Twitter, Facebook, Blog) and leave me a link

That's FIVE chances to win! Giveaway closes on Saturday Jan 14 11:59pm Pacific time. Winner will be announced on Sunday Jan 15. Good luck!

30 Before 30

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:42:00 +0000

Hi friends! Did you know that last Saturday I turned 29? Yup! I've seen these 30 Before 30 lists a lot on the internet and really wanted to make one starting about 6 months ago. Alas, I procrastinated. I wrote my list up the day after I turned 29 and let me tell you, it's gonna make for a really fun year.

Without further ado, here's a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30 on Dec 31, 2012.

1. Read 30 books.

I love to read by often push it aside because I don't have time. This year, I really want to put aside more time for reading because I enjoy it so very much.

2. Send 30 "just because" cards.

I make SO many cards each year. SO MANY. And I never send them. I have piles stacking up and designing so much has taken away from the reason I started making cards, to make people happy. I wanted to make cards that were like a hug for someone's heart. Well, they can't really do that by sitting on my shelf now can they?

3. Lose 30 pounds.

I have a lot more than 30 pounds to lose but I figured I would start somewhere. My desire is not to be thin, just more healthy.

4. Go on a family trip.

We've only gone on a few trips as a family and none of them have been what I want for us. I want a memorable family trip where we can relax and enjoy.

5. Try 10 new restaurants.

I love food! I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone. We do get stuck in a rut though, going to the same places over and over again.

6. Learn to use my sewing machine.

That I got for Christmas...last year...that still lives in the box.

7. Get 6 projects published.

I love being published! I'm not gonna lie. I get excited every time I see my name in print. I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself. I think 6 is a good number.

8. Go wine tasting.

I've NEVER been. I live really close to wine country. Though I'm not super into wine, I really want to do this. And eat cheese! Mmmm!

9. Complete a 30 day "no buy"

I am constantly buying things. I LOVE new things! But we have so much and I need to use what I've got and rediscover the things I already own.

10. Start and maintain a skin care routine.

I'm not getting any younger people! ;) Honestly, I've really started to see some changes to my skin in the last few months and I feel a strong urge to try to keep my skin looking younger.

11. Keep a journal.

I have lots of thoughts, ideas, plans, goals, etc... I would love to journal them. I'm HORRIBLE at keeping a journal but maybe I can turn that around.

12. Make 30 new recipes.

Again, we get stuck in a rut when it comes to food. I really want to introduce my kids to new flavors and change up our dinner menu.

13. Project 365 -iPhone only.

The first time I tried Project 365, I lost sight of WHY I wanted to do it. I got caught up in lens, editing, taking artsy photos, etc... The REASON I want to do Project 365 is so that I remember to take pictures. So that it's a habit and I captured the memories.

14. Throw a dinner party.

I've had a dinner party or two in my time. BEFORE kids. I used to love to entertain, perhaps I can rekindle that.

15. Purge 30 bags of stuff.

I'm a pack rat. I'm a pack rat that loves to buy new things. It's bad. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't end up on an episode of Hoarders.

16. Finish a scrapbook.

It's probably going to be a small one. Maybe my December Daily, which I've made ONE page for. Gah! I can do it!

17. Save up and buy myself something expensive.

I've decided on a new (to me) Macbook. I never treat myself to anything that costs more that $20. I have no problem saving up $100 to buy my kids the Kinect but I really try to pinch pennies when it comes to myself. This is gonna be a hard one!

18. Get a spa treatment at a real spa.

Not a cheapy nail salon. No a pedicure at home. Not a haircut at Supercuts. Not a 5 minute thing at a craft fair. A REAL treatment at a real spa.

19. Dress up 30 times. No jeans, t-shirts, sweats, hoodies, or sneakers.

I used to dress up. I used to wear nice clothes to work. Then I became a stay at home mom and sweats and t-shirts became a uniform for me. I'm not even sure I have the clothes to dress up! Yikes!

20. Go see a play.

I love theater! Absolutely adore it! I think it's been a minimum of FIVE years since I've seen a play. :( How sad is that?

21. Get professional pictures, alone.

No hiding behind my family. I really badly need headshots done for all my design work but I am never happy with how I look. This is more than just getting my picture taken, it's working on my confidence as well.

22. Go to a festival.

There is so much that I want to experience. So much culture that I'd like to be emerged in. I don't think I take full advantage of what a melting pot of a community I live in. I need to be out there in it.

23. Take my kids fruit picking, not in our yard.

Growing up, we used to go to local orchards and pick our own fruit. It was such a great time and we made a whole day out of it, picnicking and taking pictures. Ideally, I want to take my kids to Apple Hill.

24. Make 30 things from Pinterest.

I love that site! I get stuck in creative ruts and make what I know. Well, I need to make what's on Pinterest instead. ;)

25. Sell my cards in a store.

Gulp! I'm nervous a approach stores. Really nervous.

26. Buy and wear a pair of heels.

I used to do this all the time. But now I don't even have a pair of heels that fit. I couldn't even wear heels if I wanted to right now.

27. Get a Parker inspired tattoo.

I have one for Brady. Parker is 2.5 years old. Pretty soon he'll notice.

28. Take pictures of every major holiday.

I used to love taking pictures. Then I spent a while working in photography and it killed my love of taking pictures. I need to get that love back. I need to capture these memories for my kids.

29. Take my boys on 1-on-1 dates, 3 each.

I think I neglect that sometimes my kids need me all to themselves. No distractions.

30. Research adoption and decide.

This is a big one. It's something I've been wanting to do for a really long time but life always got in the way of "finding the right time." Though it might not be the right time yet, I need to get information and really think on it.

Bonuses: learn to organize (I'm hopeless!), ride a train (not around a zoo/amusement park)

There you have it. A lot of reclaiming who I once was. A lot of starting over. A lot of trying to create some joyful memories. Wish me luck!

NEW Teams

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:06:00 +0000

Hi friends! Please excuse my tardiness! I just have been a mess with the kids this break from school and all the illnesses that they have incurred. I feel like I'm a chicken with my head cut off!

The beginning of this year brings a couple new beginnings for me as well. I've started two new design teams that I am THRILLED to be a part of! I can't wait to show you all the inspiration hat these amazing products have given me!

First up is the My Thoughts Exactly Stamp Company. They offer awesome clear stamps with tons of fun sentiments that you can build yourself, giving the the ability to really customize your cards. They also have a couple of cute little images in each set.

Next is Creating is Fun. This is an amazing shop owned by my friend Martha. She has all sorts of gorgeous trims, lace, buttons, doilies and other wonderful embellishment items. I love all the items that she finds for her shop, they are so unique!

Here's a card I made using products from both companies. The stamp is from My Thoughts Exactly Under The Sea. I also used the White Trim and some seam binding from Creating is Fun. The other elements are American Crafts.

Have a great day, everyone!

Bright Anna Griffin Card

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:08:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you are having a great week! I'm sorry that I've been so distant. I just haven't been well lately, both physically or emotionally. The last month has been extremely trying and I haven't crafted in a few weeks. I've been posting some older stuff and I've tried to force a few creations.

Here's a card I made last time I cropped with some friends here at my house. I used some Anna Griffin paper that I got from Joann Fabrics and some My Mind's Eye stamps. I used lace, a doily, and some Glitz Stickles to try to make it more vintage. I don't know if I succeeded but it turned out alright.

Have a great day, everyone!

Merry (late) Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 20:24:00 +0000

Hi friends, sorry that I've been so distant. We've been busy and SICK yet again. Oy! Here's just a quick post to show you our Christmas card.

Joy to the World

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

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!

Hoppy Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:52:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you are having a fantastic Saturday. I'm ok. I went to the post office and Target this morning and let me tell you, that was not fun! I stood in lines for a very long time! I don't think I'll be doing anymore shopping this week if I can help it!

Here's a card I made with Amber Ink Love Bunny Nosey. Don't you love these adorable Amber Ink bunnies?! They are so cute! I made this card using Jen del Muro's SFYTT December Sketch. The papers are My Mind's Eye and the sentiment is spelled out with Making Memories alphabet stickers.

Have a great day friends! And stay healthy, unlike us! ;)

Birthday Dino

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:24:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you are having a wonderful Friday!

I just wanted to do a quick post for the Pumpkin Spice DT Call. The theme for the call is things that make you SMILE! You know what makes me smile? My boys. Did you guess right?! ;) You know my kids love right now? Dinosaurs! And what's cuter than this smiling dino? Not much I tell ya! This whole Mr Boy collection from Bella Blvd is pretty adorable. I added some other things that make me smile like Blueberry Divine Twine and a sentiment from Wilson's Designs.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, friends! Have a fabulous weekend!

Advent Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:51:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you are well. We are a bit under the weather again. Please think positive thoughts for us that we are well for Christmas! I'm hoping!

Here's a project I made for the Whisker Graphics Blog. It's an activity advent calendar. Each Chevron Little Bitty Bag holds a different activity that we will do with the kids each day. I made this by stapling some Holiday Divine Twine to an inexpensive cork board and then using small clothespins to hold the Bitty Bags. I put Thickers numbers on each one and used Thickers and some Bella Blvd paper to make the sign at the top.

Have a great weekend, friends!

May Arts Ribbon Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:21:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you are having a great day! We are doing ok. We are getting excited for Christmas and Brady's winter break. There's still lots to do. I need to get my rear in gear but I'm so tired from all these illnesses!

Here's a project I made for the May Arts Deck the Halls With Burlap Challenge. They put out a call on the May Arts Blog for people who wanted to make a project with their fabulous ribbon and burlap to make a Christmas project. I decided to make a wreath with the ribbons they sent me and I think it turned out very pretty. The only things that aren't from the ribbon collection are the small wreath form and the flower. I love how earthy this turned out!

Have a great day, everyone!

PS Sparks: Warm Wishes

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:18:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:16:00 +0000

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!

Love My Tapes Christmas Blog Hop (Giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:46:00 +0000

Hi friends! I'm SO sorry that my post is late. Brady is sick. AGAIN! He managed to catch a cold right on the tail end of all of us getting the stomach flu. I am EXHAUSTED!

Ok, enough about me! Welcome to my stop on the Love My Tapes Christmas Blog Hop! You should start on the Love My Tapes Blog. The LMT team will be showing off fabulous Christmas projects using Love My Tapes! GIVEAWAY ALERT! Leave a comment by Tues Dec 13 by 8pm EST to be entered to win an awesome LMT PRIZE PACK! Winner will be announced on the LMT Blog on Wed. There's only 5 designers on this hop so it will be SUPER fast!

Here's my card for this hop. I decided to use some Beige Lace Tape and Red Striped Fabric Tape on my card. Of course, I adhered everything together with a LMT Double Side tape runner. The paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Dear Mr Claus and I accented with a doily and some Holiday Divine Twine.

Your next stop on this blog hop is GIOVANA! Happy hopping!

Here's the whole blog list in case you need it!

Ashley N. Newell

Giovana Smith

JJ Sobey

Lisa Tottle

Rita Barakat

FWF: Merci

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:10:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you're having a great week! We are doing ok. The stomach flu worked it's way on out of our house finally, after hitting all of us. So, let's hope that doesn't happen again. We are having a pretty laid-back weekend.

Here's a card I made for the Unity KOTM sketch challenge for Dec. I used stamps from When I am With You and paper from Echo Park's Be Mine.

Be sure to leave a comment because you don't know where the blog candy is hidden on this hop. Head on over to the Unity Stamp Co Blog to see all the participants on today's hop. Have a great weekend!

Just a Note(book)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Nguyen Newell) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:40:00 +0000

Hi friends! Today, I'm sharing a notebook I made for the Love My Tapes blog.

Altered notebooks are great to give as gifts or part of a gift. You can make any size and customize them for the person you are going to give it to. I used the Love My Tapes Lace Tape in Beige. The lace tapes are a perfect embellishment from notebooks because they are flat and adhered all the way down so they will not catch things when you place your notebook in a purse or a backpack. The paper is Cosmo Cricket and the sentiment is an SRM sticker.

Have a great day, friends!