Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: MisterGandMe

**This giveaway is CLOSED. The winner was #35, EDJ. Congratulations!**

Hi! My name is Ashley and I love being crafty. I'm a 27 year old craft blogger, yoga teacher, wife, and doggie mama to the incredibly cute Mister G. I love knitting, sewing, baking, and thrifting. I also love to be outside-- camping, kayaking, hiking, and being on the beach. I have an Etsy Shop where I sell my handmade cards featuring my original photography.

I’m offering 25% off all orders with the code JAAJAN at checkout!

Crafting is a huge part of my life because it allows me to tap into my creative energy. Crafting has so many life parallels for me-- and I want to share a few with you!

1. Don't be attached to the outcome. This is a big one! It's easy to start on a project and want your work to turn out perfect. Don't! Crafting is all about the process-- just like life is all about the journey.

2. Stop comparing! Comparing yourself and your work to people you admire and look up to can cramp your creativity! Your personal style and skills are one of a kind! This goes for creative endeavors and life as well! Just be you!

Tina Fey is a huge role model for me. If Tina tried to be like everyone else and imitated other people - the world would sadly miss out on 30 Rock, Bossy Pants, and everything else she has touched and turned to gold! (and please! What would I watch while I’m knitting at night?) When I feel self-conscious about my blog, photography, or projects-- I remember that there are people really enjoy what I do. I have a responsibility to be me and stop comparing myself to people I admire.

3. Non-judgment / acceptance – I haven't always allowed myself to experience my creativity. In my teen years I began judging my and eventually let my self-criticism rob me of my creative joy. I let my insecurities run the show and stopped making art and crafting. In the past few years I've started to overcome the crippling self-criticism and strengthen my creative (and confident) muscles.

Don’t judge others either! You never know where your next big idea might come from. Be open to inspiration. Don’t close your mind and your heart and stifle your creative flow. You never know what will inspire you! This goes for people, places, and things too! The really “annoying” girl at work might one day have just the words you need to hear. Colors might speak to you at a really “stupid” party! The skirt that doesn’t fit after the holidays might be the perfect fabric for something beautiful! With an open mind, anything can happen!

4. Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! Crafting is an amazing opportunity to turn trash into treasure! It’s so rewarding to create beauty from something ordinary. There are so many crafts you can make with recycled and reused materials! Making something from reused items is great for Mother Earth too—and that’s something to feel good about!

5. See the best in everything. Make something from nothing. Take something old and turn it into something beautiful. This is an especially rich parallel. Choose to see the best in people and situations. A yoga teacher once said in a workshop that when you teach yoga you start with what is beautiful in a student’s pose and work from that point to bring more beauty and grace to the pose-- not working to fix what's "wrong". Shifting your perspective is a simple thing that can rock your world! In crafting this means to find what is beautiful in your work or materials and start from that point. Find your favorite part and work to enhance it.

Shop // Blog // Twitter

Ashley is offering one lucky reader a $25 credit to her lovely shop!

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1. Visit Ashley's shop and comment with your favorite item and e-mail address.

2.) Follow this blog using Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin.

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1.) Follow Ashley's Blog

2.) Follow Ashley on Twitter

3.) Follow Julie Ann Art on Twitter

4.) Like Julie Ann Art on Facebook

5.) Share this giveaway on Twitter using the share button below

6.) Like this giveaway on Facebook using the share button below

Be sure to leave an additional comment for each extra credit option! That gives you a total of seven chances to win! I will announce the winner, chosen by random.org, here in one week! Good luck!

**The winner of last week's giveaways were announced here and here.**