Ashley Rice created her first greeting card for Blue Mountain Arts as an undergraduate student at Princeton University. She went on to receive her master's degree in fine art from Boston's Emerson College. Today the Dallas- based illustrator and writer's adorable characters and positive messages of encouragement, love, and friendship are a mainstay in the Cheerful line and appear on cards, calendars, mugs, magnets, and bookmarks. Her work is loved and adored by 'tween and teen girls (and grown ups, too) around the world. She is the creator of several popular illustrated books, including girls rule, Love Is Me and You, You Go Girl… Keep Dreaming, and You Are an Amazing Girl. For more information please visit www.ashleyrice.com.

Joseph Jammer, aka Lyndale the Literary Lion, has a B.A. degree in Theatre/Cinema from Texas Southern University. While earning his degree Joseph was a member of the Texas Southern University debate team. Joseph began his professional career with The Ensemble Theater located in Houston, TX. Currently Joseph works as a Library Associate at the Hampton-Illinois Branch of the Dallas Public Library. He has been an employee of the City of Dallas since 1999. For seven years Joseph worked in the Children's Center of the library. Joseph's stories and talents as a storyteller and puppeteer quickly became a favorite to visitors of the Children's Center library.