Calendar Girls ~ With Sympathy ...

 

For me, sympathy cards are the very hardest for me to make.

Truth be told, I'd rather trek myself down to the nearest Hallmark

and pick one up!

 

Baby cards have been known to stump me,

masculine cards have me crafting in circles and scratching my head.

But sympathy cards ...

eh, I stare at the paper, ink and markers with a wary eye, indeed!

 

But the reality is ... part of being an 'artist' is often challenging

ourselves to stretch beyond what is comfortable for us.

I love that part of art ~

adventuring into the unknown,

not really having a direction or inkling of creativity.

No spark, no idea, no plan :)

 

Pen to paper.

 

The Calendar Girl's theme this month is presented by Terry,

and this is the theme she gave us to work with, in her words:

 I have recently (within 2 weeks time) had 3 friends lose parents. Very sad situations for all of them.
With that and the anniversary of 9-11 coming up I would like you all to create a Sympathy card.
Unfortunately, we will all need them at some point. It's a sad thought, but reality.
As an added challenge, I would like you all to share a memory of someone you lost and what that person did to change your life.
 

This is my humble offering.

 

The person that I've lost that influenced my life was my sweet

Grandma, Thelma.  She passed away at 89 on Halloween, 9 years ago,

the same year as my dad.

She was a woman of faith, strength, courage and spunk!

 

Grandma Thelma had 12 kids at a time when just one was too many,

and times were tough ~ VERY tough.

I remember her telling me stories of having to make a meal

to feed everyone from a small sack of flour and an orchards filled

with apples and peaches because "that's all there was."

More than that, she was filled with an incredible faith

and gave my mom her first bible,

which in turn became mine.

 

We didn't get to see Grandma Thelma very often as she

lived on a farm in California and we were traveling all over the world,

often so far way, letters would take weeks to arrive.

But she always wrote!

She always remembered us and stayed connected to the far away family that we became and reminded us that family and faith were two things

that can always remain unbroken.

Love and miss her muchly ♥

 

Be sure to stop in and see what the rest of the Calendar Girls

have created with their cards -

you can find them in my sidebar.

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

 

 

Riley and Company's *New Stamp Release!* Blog Hop!

Good evening, everyone! 

 

 *It's time for a Moose-tacular Riley and Company new stamp blog hop!*

The Riley and Company Design Team are stamping up the fun for this blog hop with the release of 49 new Funnybones stamps.

 

If you are just arriving, please start at the Riley and Company blog

so that you don’t miss out on anything ♥

If you are hopping along, you should have arrived from Kerin's creative blog.

Before I get to my 2 cards, I wanted to share this month's specials with you ~

 

Special #1:  Buy the entire unmounted set of 49 new Funnybones (3 full plates) for only $125! (Save $120!) (Offer not available to wholesale customers.) Limit one per customer. Offer ends October 12th.

 

 Special #2:  You can also get a set of 3 FREE Funnybones stamps (our choice) and a limited edition logo stamp during this release by simply placing an order of $30 or more (before tax) in the first 24 hours of the release! (One per customer please.)

  

 Special #3:  But wait - there's more!  As an added bonus, we are giving EVERYONE FREE SHIPPING from Thursday night at 9 pm CST until Sunday night at midnight CST! Just enter FREESHIP in the coupon code section!

Here's my first card ~ "I swear it will be funny ..."

My card is showcasing the sentiment because it's just so fabulous!

I added several banners underneath to give it a little color and pop

but this would be the funniest card to send to the parents.

Especially if you are a college kid, away from home.

 

HAHA!

JUST KIDDING!

 Next up, 1 day of coal!  I paired it with Elf Riley, who graces

the inside of the card.

And, if I were a moose-behaver, I'd probably take my chances, too! *grin!*

I went with bright, fun Christmas papers to match this Funnybones stamp.

I CASEd one of my own cards from awhile back, using

a similar design which I looooooved - so it's making a comeback :)

 

 

Thanks for hopping along with us!

From here, you'll hop on over to Monica's marvelous blog!

 

Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend ♥

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

 

Riley "Sneak Peeks" ~ Day 4!

 

Have you been behaving this year?

 

Santa knows! :)

 

I know .... we've all been good! ♥

  But how cute is this upcoming new Riley and Company stamp

for the kids wish-lists, cute holiday cards, Christmas tags and more!

  Oh, the possibilities of fun :)

 

 

Don't forget tomorrow is the new stamp release ~ 

You even have the chance to win new stamps!

* Join us for our release Blog Hop this Thursday 25th September 10 PM EST, starting on the Riley and Company Blog
 

* 49 Funnybones Sayings to be released and ...
 

* the new release stamps are available in the Riley and Company Store from Thursday 25th September 10 PM EST.

See you then!
Big hugs, Bigger Blessings! ♥
~Kelly

Riley "Sneak Peeks!* ~ Day 3!

Hi there!

 

Did you know there is only 37 more days until Halloween? 

 I know, right!

I can't believe how fast the year is zipping by.

I'm not a fan of Halloween but our kids get a kick out of carving the pumpkins,  dressing up in costumes and visiting our neighbors ~ enjoying the age old adage of ringing the bell and shouting Trick or Treat ♥

 

This brand new Funnybones stamp "Spider Web" had me rolling

when I stamped it out and read it - LOL!

Oh so true!

This has happened to me more times than I'd care to admit

and I'm sure anyone watching while I was 'brushing it off'

was quite entertained :)

For my card today,

I stamped out Spidermoose as a compliment to the funnybones sentiment.

I originally colored him 3 different colors/ways,

however, in the end I decided I liked it left uncolored for a nice contrast.

Honestly, the paper alone gives me the willies!

Those big 'ol spiders popping around on the card - eeeeewww!

Good thing we're all laughing ...

especially at the fact that we aren't tangled up in some web

doing the Spider Dance :)

  

 

Don't  forget to check out all the Riley and Company Design Team’s blogs for more sneak peeks everyday!
You even have the chance to win new stamps!

* Join us for our release Blog Hop this Thursday 25th September 10 PM EST, starting on the Riley and Company Blog

* 49 Funnybones Sayings to be released and

* the new release stamps are available in the Riley and Company Store from Thursday 25th September 10 PM EST.

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

Riley *Sneak Peeks* ~ Day 2!

What is Retirement?!

 

 

It's Day 2 of the new Riley and Company new stamp release -

 49 new Funnybones in all!  That's a lot of smiles! :)

 

For today's card, I'm using two Riley and Co stamps -

one new release Funnybones called "Retirement"

which I've paired with fabulous Ethel from the Retro Folks collection,

already in the store.

 

 

 

I also gave this card a slightly '50's' look with this paper

from the DCWV "Kitchen stack",

SU! Groovy Guava ribbon ('membah that! I've had it for YEARS!),

and a button to finish it off.

Perfectly easy,

perfectly fun,

perfectly ready for having a retirement card on hand ♥

 

For a quick recap:

* Don’t forget to check out all the Riley and Company Design Team’s blogs for more sneak peeks everyday!

* Join us for our release Blog Hop this Thursday 25th September 10 PM EST, starting on the Riley and Company Blog

* 49 Funnybones Sayings to be released and

* the new release stamps are available in the Riley and Company Store from Thursday 25th September 10 PM EST.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Be sure to come by tomorrow for another fun new sneak peek!

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

Riley *Sneak Peeks* ~ Day 1!

*Squee!*

  

 

It's new stamp release time for Riley and Company Stamps ~

that CUTEST lil guy in the Moose-iverse ♥

Today is day #1 of 5 days of sneaks and for this card

I've used the new stamp "You are Amazing."

The stamp was inked in Momento and then cut with a circular punch,

and a small section of patterned paper is below -

add washi tape and enamel dots and a CB butterfly and my card was done!

This stamp and many more will be available

at our Riley and Company blog hop on September 25th,

10 pm EST!

49 new Funnybones Stamps will be released!

 

Be sure stop in and see the cards made by the DT -

you won't want to miss them!

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

 

Card entered into:  Amy and Natalies' Challenge:  Things with Wings

Crafty Hazelnuts:  Patterened Paper

Sparkles Challenge:  Things with Wings

LIve and love crafts: Things with wings

 

You are my Anchor - Mystery #24!

Goodness gracious, imagine it's 11 pm and

 you realize your card is due .... in an hour!

Yes, that's me!

 

However, I managed to throw a card together for the Mystery Swap.

This is the 24th mystery image round and this month,

I was the hostess.

I chose MFT's a la mode' stamp "You Keep me Anchored" -
such a sweet image and sentiment,
especially for the great group of women ♥
Every other month, the hostess sends out a mystery image to the group.
We don't know what it is 'til it lands in our mailbox and reveal it on posting day.
Except this month, I only had to walk as far as my craft Cabana! :)
 

  

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

I'll enter my card into:  Sweet Stampin' - Spots and Stripes
Fab n Funky:  Button
Clear it Out Challenge - Polka Dots!

Riley's OFF THE EDGE! :)

 

Woohoo, Happy Tuesday!

 

Lucky, lucky me! Today is my turn to post the challenge on the

 Riley and Company Challenge blog!

I decided to think really outside the box

and throw down a "Off the Edge" (of the card!) challenge.

 

So I inked up one of my very favorite, love him so much, bestest Rileys EVAH -

Hot Air Balloon Riley!

I colored him, the background sky and basket w/ my prismas

and paper-pieced the balloon w/ designer paper.

 

I also decided to be a bit bolder and make my own 'mountains' and

cut out a few circular patterns with my nestabilities and adhered those down -

ta-da! Instant mountains! :)

 

 

 

And of course I had to decorate the inside of my card!

I used the uber fabulous FunnyBones sentiment, also from Riley and Company,

as this is one of my VERY favorite quotes of all times.

I used it for my daughter's graduation 2 years ago

and it just speaks volumes while being light-hearted and whimsical!

  

 

 

SPEAKING OF RILEY AND COMPANY ....

Time to get *SUPER* excited!!

We are about to have a brand new stamp release!

**Squee!!**

 

Stay tuned - there will be a hop, lots of DT inspiration,

and a chance to win!

The sneak peeks begin on September 21st ♥

 

And, if you'd like to play along, and we'd love it if you did! ♥,

hop on over to the challenge blog or gallery of your choice.

Please use the keyword Riley1914 so we can find your card/project.

 

That's it for me -- have a best, blessed day!

 

Big Hugs, Bigger Blessings

~Kelly

 

DDD: What's Cookin'?!

 

Hi everyone -- I hope your weekend was fabulous :)

 It's the 15th of the month ~ our Dueling Darlings posting day!

Today we post our monthly card kits:

 Barb for the Divas and Debbie for the Dazzlers
 w/ this wonderful theme:

 Recipe Cards!

 

I was so excited to see Barb's kit this month!

First, she is one of the most generous ladies and her kits are always

so full, you could make cards for days upon days!

This kit was just stuffed full of amazing, wonderful papers and embellishments!

Second, the theme made me smile as my I've been making my

daughter a recipe book for a couple of years now.

She's quite an accomplished chef at just 19 and one day will

enjoy cooking for a husband and family of her own ♥

So when making my recipe card, I asked her for one of her recipes

that I haven't scrapped yet and she gave me her quick mac 'n cheese.

Yum! :) 
 

Recipe card is 6 x 6, scalloped



Here's the recipe since it's hard to read above! :)

 I was ambitious and actually made a place card as well ~

Barb's kit was stuffed full of goodies!

I think I pretty much used all but a few ribbons ♥

I just adored those wooden spoon and fork embellies :)

 

Barb also asked us to share why we picked this recipe.

Honestly, it's not the one I would have picked.
 Tt was the one my daughter gave me when I asked for one

so it's the one that was showcased. 
It is yummylicious though!
She makes a fried lasagna noodle dish w/ organic tomato sauce
that is out of this world! 
And, her homemade minestrone soup w/ veggies from her own garden will pretty much knock your boots off! ♥

I have always loved cooking and enjoy it so very much when time permits.
But it's also nice that when dd feels ambitious, that she gets her cookin' on!
And even though we are the busy, need to be too many places family,
and dh working longer/later hours,
we hold fast to one of our family commitments that no matter what, 
we make it home to have dinner together as family. 
 We eat dinner together - all 6 of us! -
EVERY.  SINGLE.  NIGHT! ♥\

 

Thank you, Barb, for fabulous kit to play with and to Barb/Deb for this theme.
Please be sure to hop on over to the rest of the DDD
Divas and Dazzlers to see what they've created
 with the dueling them of recipe cards ~ 
 you can find their links in my sidebar.

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

Birthday Friendship ♥ (Carriers of Faith/Cornish Heritage Farms)

 

 

 

What a special day today is ...  

 Today our little man is 10 years old!

Our 'baby' of the family is turning another year old,

joining his 3 big sisters in the "double digits" category!

 

Though he is far from little .. I'm a wee 5'3" and he's already

passing my chin in height :)

Such an incredible little gentlemen he is,
with such compassion for the world, a gentle soul and incredibly bright
and funny ~ oh, how he makes me laugh on a daily basis!
 I'm blessed to be his mommy ♥

 

So imagine how practical it was that today is the day

 the Cornish Heritage Farms posts our challenge cards with a theme by Amber:  Boy/Masculine themed birthday cards.  Perfect!

 

And ...it's also the 9th of the month,
 which is the day that Carriers of Faithpost our cards, too
~ this month, our hostess is Jeanette.

Her challenge this month is a friendship card with the scripture
of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
In our home, we are very close to our children and they to each other
(though I must confess 3 teenage daughters was so not as fun as
I'd imagined it would be, LOL!).
Most of all, they are amazing with their little brother
and I'd imagine that if one falls down, they'll help the other up
as He intended for us to do with our brethren ♥
The scripture tells us that if one is overpowered, two can defend
themselves but a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
I imagine my 4 together and hope that their close bond will be forever!

So, here's my card!
I used a digi from Cornish Heritage Farms called Teddy

  

 CHF61 - link it to the challenge blog

 

*Fabulous Fun Flowers!*

Happy Friday!

It's my turn to post on the Just for Fun Stamps blog today

so I'm showing you the Trio of cards I made ~

I call them the Fall-Winter triplets! ♥

 

 

Using the fabulously fun Stamptangle Zen Flowers stamp,

I stamped it out (Momento) 3 times:

Using Oranges/yellows for Fall,

Reds/greens for the Holidays,

and Blues/silvery for the New Year/Winter!

 

 

Each card has a color coordinated piece of twine ~

pretty quick and easy

and great for cards being sent out to family, friends

even the teachers now that school is back in session :)

 

 

For Fall/Christmas, the flower is cut out twice and propped up on 3d foam

for added dimension and a little pop.

 

 

If you're on Facebook, we'd love for you to find
Just For Fun stamps and 'like' us ~

for upcoming releases, new stamps, and DT inspirations!

 

You can find this Stamptangle Zen Flower (G3752)

in the shop along with many others ~

you can find them all here :)

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Big Hugs, Bigger Blessings!

~Kelly

Riley is getting "sketchy!"

  

Good Morning! 

 

 Doesn't it feel like a Monday?!

The long weekend sure threw off my schedule

and with the week ahead, it's already shaping up to be a whopper!

The kids are already on overdrive with school, projects, assignments,

lessons, rehearsals, club meetings .......... ahhhh!

 

 

PTL, I'm armed with my Starbucks!

As my son likes to say ...

"I got this!" :) 

Today's Riley and Company Challenge

is brought to us by Heather ~ a sketch challenge.

Here's the sketch ...

 

And using the Funnybones stamp "depresso",

here's my card.
 

 

Oh this sentiment just cracks me up :)

 

We'd love for you to play along!

If you'd like to link up your cards to a gallery like SCS,

please use the keyword Riley1814.

And check out the cards from the DT using this sketch -

you won't want to miss their inspirational cards.

 

Big Hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly
 

 

 Linking to: PDE Linky Party - Puns
The Crazy Challenge - 3 of a kind (enamel dots)