**Revealing can be quite therapeutic... {plus a little news}**

{what? well it can! WAIT...not THAT kind of revealing silly...this kind:}

**warning -- post is picture heavy and kinda long...I apologize in advance

I guess I just had LOTS and lots to share!**

It's time to show you the July gallery at Label Tulip!

Did you see our guest designer? Donna Downey!

How cool..I've always LOVED Donna and her work!

Check out the gallery right here: Label Tulip Gallery

Don't forget to check out the challenge right here: LT Challenge

AND the member lift this month is by my friend Amy Coose!

Check out her layout right here: Amy's LT Layout

and check out her blog here: Amy Coose's Blog

(check out her work, she's FULL of talent!)

So in all honesty...I was SCARED to the GILL (what does that mean, exactly???)

to make this album by Donna Downey. I was afraid I'd mess it all up and poor

Donna would be like......"ummm what exactly IS that?" LOL!

Anyways...I decided to put my fear aside, give this my all,

hold nothing back...this is the final outcome of add on # 2 (port of call)

((which by the way is SOLD OUT...wow!))

Alright, here goes...here's my book:

(cover, I rolled the material for a dimensional effect. the flower

has been litereally DOUSED in Glimmer Mist and it's layered with 3d

glue dots to make it stand up a little...)

I took the flower, traced it on some cardboard, used the cardboard

as a mask and painted all around it for the cover. Then added

the other dimensions (fabric, flowers, buttons, etc...) this was fun

to get all grungy! I'm a fan of the grunge...

first page...I doubled the fabric houses. The pink one I sprayed

glimmer mist until my fingers were bleeding pink...no joke.

It' s bubblegum pink. the BEST pink out there! Anyways...I sprayed the house

& the tags. the house on top had a pattern so I painted over it with green paint.

I added fabric in the windows then tied fabric at the door...

(this book was intentionally supposed to be a quote book filled with

favorite quotes and I decided to shorten it up a little and put

a few words to one of my favorite christian songs, a bible verse (seen here)

and just a few other quotes surrounding the photo's...)

my girl!

oops...I dropped a lid from my Glimmer Mist into paint and "had" to use it

as a polka dot maker (I LOVE polka dots). That's how this page came to be.

My boy -- gosh he's growing too fast!

yep, you guessed it. Glimmer Mist AGAIN. I love that stuff. Can't get

enough! It took me forever to try it. Once I did I can't put the bottles down.

I seem to think that almost everything HAS to have some sort of

GM added to it...silly me. the page, the bird and even the tag...all

loaded with glimmer mist. (I cheated and used my heat gun to

dry my things....shhhhhhhhh)

Yep, once again. But added with paint and rub ons.

I gm'ed the lace under the kids photo (and you'll see this photo again

soon on a layout...well ok so you'll see ALL of these again on layouts, they're

new and I gotta scrap 'em, LOL)

SEE? Can't get enough...I used the lace that came in the kit

as a mask. Glimmer Misted away.....(even a bit on the flowers)

and here..used an arrow as a mask. I have no idea what it is

about that photo but it is one of my faves right now! He's

starting his senior year in a month...wow.

Last page...remember that flower I was telling you about I used

as a mask for the front cover? Here it is. LOL! See the paint?

I added the Hambly rub ons on toop and a silver pen for detailing...

(had to add my favorite Dr. Seuss quote..)

this is the very back page of the book.

I tried something kinda odd...

I doused this bird with a glue pad. Then loaded silver embossing

powder. I know I know..what WAS I thinking? Well...

I kinda like how it turned out. The smell though? It smelled like

burning rubber...LOL I stopped once I saw the bubbles come up.

the wing I sprayed gm first THEN did that with the glue and powder.

I think I'm afraid of NOTHING when it comes to scrapbooking.

I just proved it to myself here...LOL!

Not sure what the kick is lately with the grungy feel...maybe it's

a phase...let's hope, right?

So here's a few close ups of some of the things I did in my book:

(painted where I wanted to journal, waited for it to dry,

then went to journaling town)

while the stem to the flower was still wet with glimmer mist

I curled it with my rub on tool and let it sit overnight. this is

what it looked like when I was finished.

and now for my layouts:

my challenge layout. this IS the best thing to ever happen to me.

I could type for days and days about our whirlwind love. it's

the best love ever...especially when you know you can survive

living in 2 states FAR far away from each other.

(him - bellflower, california. me - arlington, texas.)

FFFFF AAAAAA RRRRRRR.

3 hours by plane.

2 days by driving straight.

forever and a moon away (to this silly teenage girl)

ANYWAYS....

this picture is actually from halloween 2008. We were

at the HS football game to support our daughter and her band

and took this silly picture. I have NO IDEA why it turned out like this.

I wasn't going to scrap this picture actually, then I found it on my

computer and decided it was truly depictive of our courtship!

Soooo here it is...the story of my layout. LOL!

as if that wasn't enough...you want a close up too, right?

and my final layout.....which is my member lift (Amy Coose, see above)

Clingman's Dome , in the Great Smokey Mountains, is a place we

went to last summer...it's BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

So for this technique I simply stamped the LT stamp and used

silver embossing powder, embossed ON the cardstock

and a few other places surrounding the layout

(on a sheet of cardstock I put in a circle,

on the photo itself, and as a border...)

I also did a COOl thing..well to me anyway, LOL. Using the

chipboard from this add on kit I coated the arrow and the circles

with glue, emobssing powder and used my heat gun. In person

you can tell how silvery and fun the effect is...I layered it twice

so it would be thick...that was fun! BUT you should have seen my desk.

Whoa...embossing powder everywhere!

Closeups so you can see a little of the techniques:

and one more....

Want to hear something fun I can finally share?

(stay tuned, there's still something HOT HOT HOT coming

in September!! Hopefully I can share THAT soon...)

I'm so excited...I've been asked to join the Scrap For A Cure kit club!!!

(click banner to check them out)

these ladies are incredible!! they are all about giving back. All for a

cause, all for a purpose...and that is exactly why I wanted to be a part

of this group!

Be sure to check out the Scrap For A Cure Blog (<-----click me)

So fun, I get to work with some girls I've worked with before!

I adore Danielle C (she's their DT coordinator) and am just thrilled

to be a part of such a wonderful team. You have to check them out!

Go to: Scrap For A Cure. Check out their kits,

BUY them! You will love them!

My first kit is on its way to me now and

I can't WAIT to dig in and play play play!

Thank you again for asking me to be a part of you!!

Hope you all have a super rest of your week!

We pick up the girl tomorrow! I can hardly wait!

We're going to make a fun road trip out of it...

stopping in a few small towns on the way back for some family pics.

I'm not sure when we'll all be able to do that as much when she hits the college

life for good August 20th...so we're going to take advantage of it for sure!!

Can't wait to stop in West, Texas at the little Czech village stop (<----click there)

for some amazing kolache's and pastries to bring back home!

Hugs all!

**Label Tulip Sneaks**

Are you ready for Label Tulip's July kit? The BIG reveal's tomorrow!

(6 pm PST/ 8 pm CST/9 pm EST)

Here's a few more sneaks at some things I did using the kit:

(main kit and add on kit sneaks!)

Check back tomorrow for the rull reveal! OHHH and don't forget!

There's only ONE MORE DAY until the big Birthday Bash!

Check it all out here on the blog: Label Tulip Blog

(there's a FUN new prize, go go go!)

I miss our girl! We go Friday morning to get her...I'm so looking forward

to it! I'm such a GOOD MOM...I'm waiting for her to get home to go

see the premiere of Harry Potter! (because of course I so would

have been there tonight at the midnight showing)

Hope everyone has a great week!

**This is the Story Of A Girl, her Bear, a boy & a monkey.........**

This is the girl...

my girl.

my princess!

who leaves today for a week's long camp at her college.

we take her down tomorrow------->

(click on that picture to see how COOL this camp is...)

my fave part? SHE had to leave her iPhone at check in...

if you know my girl, you KNOW that phone is tattooed to her hands.

Not kidding....LOL. Love that...

Isn't she CUTE next to "Joy?" This is one of the Baylor "BEARS".

they have this cool living habitat for Joy & Lady (the 2 bears right now)

SO CUTE ...how we got Dolly to perform for us...we have NO IDEA!

This was taken a few weeks ago at Orientation...

To find out more about the Baylor University Bear Habitat

click here: --------------> Baylor Bears

and one more:

she has officially picked her major. Yep..the girl wants to be

the next "Elle Woods"...hee hee!!

the boy isn't able to go with us today, he'll be playing

in a golf tournament with his grandfather.

But here he is...so cute with his new haircut:

Umm...my only question is...

when did HE get so big?

he's going to be a senior this year....WHAT! LOL!

I didn't want to leave this post without some scrappy-ness.

Here's one of my sneaks for the July kit at Label Tulip

Don't forget in just a few days it's LT's big BIG big GINORMOUS

Birthday Bash <-------------click to find out more information!

OHHH and just a little sneak of something I just did:

I'll be sharing the full thing in just a few days...

it's something I did for a guest spot at a very FUN company!

and...

keep checking back for the very fun thing that starts Sept. 1st....

Have a lovely week!

hugs!

We are Waco bound in a few hours.......

**Birthday Bash, a bitty bit of a sneak, questions galore..oh my!**

For all of the following:

--countdown to the BEST Birthday Bash

--a sneak of a July kit that aims to please....

--silly questions answered and one more asked

head on over to the LABEL TULIP BLOG

(you'll see we're on day 6 of our sneaks, counting down to

5 more days until the BIG birthday bash not to mention some

questions....)

***********************************************

AND as if THAT wasn't big enough?

Keep checking my blog....

coming up in September?

BIG news. Fun news. I can't wait to share.....

it will be quite the challenge to keep this one under

wraps....(ha ha!)

I hope you have a fantastic day...

much love to yall!

xoxo,

me.

{p.s. be back soon with a fun mini I made for a fun company, it's

kinda banana's around here. hee hee.......}

**The Girls Loft -- The Place To Be....**

"to dress up life!"

-- the kit is live now to order...I believe there's a waiting list, get on it,

you WANT THIS KIT! Trust me!!

GO here to check out the kit: Girls Loft

Be sure to check Girls Gallery for all of the inspiration needed by all of the DT

including the incredibly talented, cute and nothing short of sweet Guest DT girl..

Here's what I did with the July Girls Loft Kit:

My girl and her best friend going to their high school senior prom

with a big group of friends...

Aren't the colors in this kit GORGEOUS!! Margie sure put

together a unique and fantastic combination of all elements in this kit.

I LOVE it! I know you will too...

I had alot of fun distressing the Prima flowers with paint, medium, embossing

powder and glitter...

closeups:

and another layout I did...

nothing was short of being distressed..I know, I got

somewhat carried away. Trust me...once you start, its hard to stop!

LOL!

and my minibook I did...

there's a story behind the title, I'll make it short...

but first here it is:

My sister went to Baylor a while back. She bought my little girl

the CUTEST Baylor Bear sweatshirt @ 18 months old (good grief,

Shaypher was only 2 months at the time...whoa!!)

Looking back -- who'd have ever thought just 18 SHORT years later

my little princess @18 months would be the 18 YEAR old girl going to

Baylor in the fall and becoming a "bear!"

She was our little Goldilocks (she was SO blonde) going to live

with a big group of "Bears".

here's the inside:

isnt she the CUTEST little Bear there?

{the pictures you see of her @ 18 YRS. were taken by

Andie Smith @ Eight18photography.com}

little close up details of one of the pages....one where I was paint happy...

all things you see here are created using the Girls Loft July kit

(except for the actual minibook-- I had a 4x4 Jenni Bowlin book

I was just DYING to use!!!!!!!!!

************************************

Do you...

Remember I mentioned a party?

Did you see this?

it started today....

It's ALOT of fun!

Be sure to check out the Label Tulip boards for all questions

and information..click on the birthday invitation - it will

take you right to the site (click on message boards)

I sure hope you're having a wonderful week!

Fill me in on you and what your summer is like!

Hugs to all....

~me

**Ready for another CMK Blog Hop? What about a PARTY?**

I can't believe it's time to showcase the July kit @ Create My Keepsake!

Time's flying...slow down time s..l..o..w....(hee hee)

The kits called: Family Picnic -- too cute!

Hurry and get it while you can!

It's amazing...full of gorgeous goodies.

Check it out here: Create My Keepsake July Kit

Here's my little part in the blog hop today:

all using the main kit -- ("family picnic")

isn't it full of yummy colors?

Be sure to check out the CMK BLOG for the rest of the hop

and to see what beautiful things the other girls created

(or you can click on the links to their blogs to the right)

Here's a few close ups:

That's a snapshot I got of Princess S while we were waiting

to eat at "Babe's" ( a Texas family fave!) -- she's so cute!

Speaking of her, she:

-- just got home from orientation @ Baylor (it was so fun!)

--just left for church camp all week (I miss her!)

--is getting things ready for moving in (August 20th)

--has "Baylor Line Camp" in a few weeks

and to update on him:

--he is a-ok...the pathology report came back with a perfect result...it's all fine!

--he's almost back to 100 %

-- got his hair cut so cute..I need to get a pic to show you..

--is talking about where he's wanting to apply to for college (he's next, eek!)

OHHH and just wanted to see if you're in the MOOD TO Party!

We like to party we like we like to party...(great now I'll have that tune in my head

all night!)

If you're in the mood, keep checking back as Label Tulip is growing and

has a fun birthday planned!!

Look here:

****************************************

things are good here at the ashe abode...

life's more than a box of chocolates, it's a pinata!

Fun stuff..crazy stuff...

I love it that way!

I've got lots of pics to share soon -- editing them now that my screen's all calibrated.

Have a wonderful week & thank you for

your prayers for Shaypher!

xoxo,

**Oh WOW.....Sorry Blog!**

Hope you're doing well!

We are...crazy, fun, all out busy -- the way we like it :D

Lots going on with the girl,

lots going on with the boy

and lots going on with this mrs. and that mr....

so....

Here, grab yourself a seat,

get comfy.....

relax.....

I'll be back soon with lots of updates.

Thank you for checking on us!

**Shaypher's doing wonderful!

he had his recheck today - great report, he's healing nicely!

Be back soon......keep watching!