*Echo Park & Epiphany Crafts Blog Hop*

Welcome to the Echo Park Paper Co. and Epiphany Crafts Blog Hop!

On this hop you'll see the amazing things you can create when you combine

Echo Park Paper Co. paper and embellishments with the amazing tools from Epiphany Crafts.

Here's a project I created just for the hop:

I LOVE the Epiphany circle! My flower center actually happened by

accident. I was trying to cut it in half & it cracked - well...I LOVED how it looked.
I even have a friend here from out of town & before I said anything about

how I loved it - she said she LOVED it! So..it stayed.
Then I made another one, cut it in half & used it on the side of my card.

Just goes to show you...all scrap accidents are not trashworthy!

Now all you have to do is:

Hop from one blog to the next to discover entirely new ideas for using

these amazing tools with our beautiful products.

Leave a comment on each designers' and company's blog to qualify

for the drawing for an Epiphany Crafts Heart Button Tool and

Heart Button Epoxy stickers, as well as, two collection kits

"Yours Truly" and "A Boys' Life" from Echo Park Paper!

We hope you enjoy all the inspiration created by these two amazing teams.

Winners will be announced on Friday, February 3rd

on the Echo Park Paper blog and the Epiphany Crafts blog.

All comments are due before midnight EST on Wednesday,

February 1st to qualify for the drawing:

Here's the Hop order...
Start at Epiphany Crafts blog:       www.epiphanycrafts.com/blog

Then.....

Audrey Pettit  http://audreypettit.wordpress.com/
Nicole Martel  http://www.nicolemartel.blogspot.com/
Aly Dosdall  http://alydosdall.blogspot.com/
Keri Babbit  http://kensingtondesign.blogspot.com/
Julie Walton  http://seejuliescrap.blogspot.com/
Rhonda Van Ginkel http://snapwhiz.blogspot.com/
Linda Auclair http://elendae.wordpress.com/
Wendy Sue Anderson: http://wendysueanderson.blogspot.com/

Leslie Ashe: <-------------you are here

Amy Heller: http://www.amyheller.typepad.com/
Jennifer Gallacher: http://jengallacher.blogspot.com/
Kandis Smith: http://www.mycreativetreasury.blogspot.com/
Tamara Tripodi: http://happylifecraftywife.com/


and finally.....
Echo Park Paper Blog: http://echoparkpaper.blogspot.com/


OH! Before I go...did you notice anything different (for all my  2 readers??)

You're right on...
my blog has totally changed!
my sweet friend Wendy Hammer totally whipped this up for me
while she is here visiting!
I'm dying. I ♥ it.
Thank you my sweet, sweet SWEET friend!
I love my new look!
(even more than coffee! ha!)

*Baby Love, My Baby Love*

There are lots of things I call myself -
(if you can't poke fun at your own self...who can you? LOL)
There are lots of things I DON'T call myself.....

So when I saw one of my assignments for Echo Park
was to do an "expert blog post." it made me giggle.

only because...I could never EVER see myself as that.
expert? me? no way.

BUT - I'm sharing my project I made for my
"expert blog post"   "not so expert blog post"
I *might* be admitting I came up with my idea
& felt like I was "winging" it the entire time.

Here's my project:

Go HERE to check out my post (it's photography related)

that's it for me today!

oh wait...have I introduced you to my new "grand" baby?

Meet Lilly.

She's 8 weeks.

She's a chihuahua mix. (they think a "chiweenie" meaning...dachshund)

She's 3 lbs.
Savannah adopted her from the DFW Animal Shelter in Irving (a no kill shelter!)

Lilly & 5 of her siblings were dropped off with their mom.
They were still nursing!
Mom is a full blood chihuahua & is still up for adoption here:  Mia

(if you're in the DFW area...you should check this shelter out! it looks like a 5 star hotel!)

Lilly just had her first vet visit - she was making a WEIRD honking noise...
come to find out the little thing had an upper respiratory infection & had to have

an antibiotic & cough syrup . She's much better today - 48 hours later!
She's stolen our hearts already...

*Wreath Week at American Crafts*

{just adding  - the Echo Park blog hop below is STILL open...don't forget to check it out!}


this week is wreath week at the American Crafts Blog
& I thought I'd share the wreath I made:














I had so much fun making this! It's so easy too...
all I did was wrap jute (I used a thick jute)  & hot glue
all of these hand cut hearts in different sizes...so easy, so fun
& looks SO CUTE in my scrap studio!

for a complete supply list - be sure to check out the American Crafts blog!

here's a few iPhone pics when I first started:

hope you've enjoyed my wreath!

Be sure to check out all the wreaths on the blog this week.
you will definitely find some inspiration!
i'll be back tomorrow with another fun post.
(one of my new year's resolutions:  be a better blogger. i'm trying! baby steps, baby steps.)

here's a little sneak of my post tomorrow:

see you then!

xo.

*Echo Park - Yours Truly Blog Hop!*

Hi!
Welcome to the Echo Park Paper "Yours Truly" Design Team Blog Hop!

(

If you've come from my sweet talented friend Wendy Sue Anderson's blog -you're in the right place!!)

Today the Echo Park Design Team

is showcasing projects highlighting the "Yours Truly" collection:

Yummy, right?!

::sw♥♥n::

Here's what I made:

Just a simple card...
So simple in fact I'll share with you how I made it!

-I trimmed the honeymoon patterned paper 6" x 12", then folded & scored

-I hand cut a heart (eyeballed it - it's about 3" in width) from adore, then

-I used letters to spell out "l -ve" on the left side of the heart, adding a small ♥ sticker.

-I used letters to spell out "let me call you" around the top left side of the heart.

-I used the "sweetheart" sticker on the bottom part of the heart, using 3D adhesive.

-using a black pen - I drew stitching around the heart as well as inside the heart.

see? SUPER easy! ♥

Here's the Hop List:

Wendy Sue Anderson

Leslie Ashe     <------------ that's me! you are here ♥

Linda Auclair

Amy Heller

Kandis Smith

Tamara Tripodi

Echo Park Paper

Leave a comment on each designers' blog,

as well as the Echo Park Paper blog to be included in the drawing.

This fun hop starts today (January 15) until Sunday, January 22nd  midnight!

ONE winner will be selected to win the "Yours Truly" collection kit.

All comments are due by midnight MST, Sunday, January 22 to qualify for the drawing.

The winner will be announced on Monday, January 23

on the Echo Park Paper blog -  so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

Enjoy your hopping!

*jubilance*

I never did a goodbye to 2011 post, did I?
I never shared my new word for 2012, did I?

I'm a bad, BAD blogger.

Maybe it's because I was SO ready for 2011 to be over.
I don't even want to remember it.
No, I'm not bitter...
2011 just wasn't the year for any of us.
Sickness, surgeries, heart conditions, changing of colleges...
there's so many "yuck's" I could list...but I won't.
I picked the perfect word for 2011 - Strength.
It sure got tested. Well...no more!
Here's to kicking 2011 to the curb.
Sayonara...goodbye.

Hi, 2012...I'm one happy girl you are here.
I welcome YOU with open arms.
I can't wait to see what you have in store for me.
For our family, for our life.

I have a new word for you - 2012.
It's jubilant:
1)  exultingly joyful
2) expressing joy

This year will be full of it, I just know!

We've already had 1 jubilant event -



















(taken with my iPhone)

somebody turned 21!
here's a few more iPhone pics of the 21st....
we did just what the b-day girl wanted...
had a FAST lunch then
saw a movie:

then came back home for a quick change of clothes, then off to

her favorite restaurant for dinner:

(BJ's)

(here she is on the left in front of the restaurant with her best friend)


and last but not least...a pic of us - mom & daughter:
(she's HALF my age now, WILD!)

and I'm pretty sure we'll have many MANY more.
January is a great month.
my birthday is next, then our sweet great niece turns 1 at the end of Jan.

(photo by me!)

and...
the day she turns 1, a friend of mine is coming in ALL the way from
Las Vegas, Nevada!! (well, she lives in Henderson...)
She's coming to see me & the family....

Wendy & I have been friends for 5 years.
I consider her one of  my long lost sisters...
we had a little "bump" where we didn't talk for a couple of years..
we both
just got a little busy with life - but we decided to never
do THAT again!
I'm excited about her coming to Texas...she's never met Alan or Shaypher!
This will be so much fun...

so you see? jubilance at it's best so far...
it can only get better, right?

Can't wait to see what's around the corner for us in 2012!

Oh, before I go, have you been to the Echo Park blog?
The new team for 2012 was introduced!
Hurry over & get to know everyone!

That's all for today...
back soon!!

xo

*21 in 12*

today is kinda special.
oh who am I kidding? today is SUPER special!
my little girl  princess is 21 today!
seriously...I think I went to sleep, woke up and POOF:
she turned 21 (it happened way too fast!)

Happy 21st to you, Princess!!
We are so proud of the woman you are.
We love you so very much.
You're so kind hearted, sincere, loyal, AMAZING!
(I could go on and on and on and on!)

In honor of my girl's day - I've picked some layouts that are some of my FAVES!

Happy 21st, sunshine....you are the light of my life!

 

xoxo.