NSD and Happy Mother's Day :)

Edited to add my son's Mother's Day card :) This was just the cutest!

Translation:  My age - Thank you, son!  You are too, TOO kind!!

My favorite food is Weight Watchers (ROFL - not!)

and my favorite activity to scrapbook :) Love that row of stamps on the top shelf

and my prisma markers on my desk :)

 WHEW, finally one free second to stop in and say hi - still making long over due blog rounds, I know I've missed so many of your creations!  Little man has us hopping with upcoming Kindergarten graduation (how cute it is!) and my dd14 just had her 8th grade Prom - so sweet!!  Can't wait to scrap those!!  Having 4 children and being busy with their schools nearly being over, it's crunch time - dress rehearsals, practices, end of the year shows, TaeKwanDo, soccer, Scouting, bible youth group and so on and so forth - it never ends :)  Is it SUMMER Yet?!!!!!!!  ;)

Today is National Scrapbooking Day and I thought I'd share a repost with you one of my very favorite scrapbook pages.  It's not fancy or detailed, but it's special to me as it captured beautifully the moment that my little Victoria was goofing off outside with the hose.  She was always the funniest of our babies, so happy go lucky and always a smile on her face!  It was just a few short weeks after this that she had a near fatal accident and we nearly lost her, but the grace and mercy of God sustained us and here we are!

Blessings to you and the happiest wishes to you all celebrating Mother's Day!  I wish you joy and happiness and hope that the day for mommies, sisters, grandmas, aunts, friends and beyond is a beautiful one for you :)

Blessings as always!

xoxo

~Kelly

Entered into these wonderful challenges:

The Greeting Farm - NSD

Sentimental Sundays:  Anything Goes

SSCC #88 - Something Beautiful!
The Pink Stamper - Make a Scrapbook Page!

BLOG HOP! FBD is hittin' the Beach!

Happy Wednesday and welcome to the FBD *new release* blog hop!

 Partying and laughing in the sun

Waves rise and crash as the children run.

Girls in bikinis, a lemonade stand,

Wiggling our toes in the sand.

Summer is most fun; you'll see,

We get to play and be carefree.

Dreaming of mermaids and magical things,

We close our eyes as the ocean sings.

Sand, sun, ocean, fun;

Thank goodness Summer has just begun!

Aloha!!! Welcome to the Fresh Brewed Designs Blog Hop! If you are getting here from ........ blog you are on the right track. If not, please go back to the start at the our beach babe Linda's blog.

We are getting a head start on SUMMER FUN here at Fresh Brewed Designs! This hop will be featuring the new summer themed Rubber Stamps just released to the shop. Heather has created 8 super sassy, sweet and fun beach themed rubber stamps that are a must for all of your summer crafting needs! But no, she did not stop there! She has created 5 adorable summer themed digis. Join us in welcoming Baby Ellie, Baby Elvis, Daisy and Scooter Elephant to the FBD family. I know that all of these things bring the cuteness meter to the tippy top, but we are taking it one step further. Heather has added beautiful, shimmery, fun and AWESOME Creative Inspirations Paints to her shop!!! YES!!! These paints are amazing! You can find three colors in her shop: Tickled Pink (the perfect summer pink!) Aquamarine (Beautiful bright ocean blue) and Fairy Dust (a MUST HAVE because it goes with EVERYTHING!!!)



Along the hop you will see many of these items, so sit back and be prepared for all the complete cuteness that awaits you. For this release, I created with the stamp "Beach Bums" - ROFL!  (cute, huh?!!)

Inside: A sentiment that I say often, LOL ;)

I live in the land of forever flip-flops!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope that you are getting ready to break out your coconut bikini top, the self tanner and throw yourself a beach party! With the weather being as crazy as it has been, you deserve it ;)!!!
From here you will surf on over to the amazingly talented Carolyn's blog!
Here is the hop order for you if you wipe-out along the way :)

: Linda

: Kelly {You are here!}

: Carolyn (guest)

: Stacie

: Lawren (Guest)

: Rhonda

: Jeanette

: Stacy

: Heather

Be sure to keep on hoppin' - you will love what you see!

  Blessings!

~Kelly

Deets:  Stampin' up:  Lavender Lace, Melon Mambo, PTI White;  DSP = K and Company; Image = Fresh Brewed Designs "Beach Bums"; Cuttlebug; Tombo, flowers and bling from I-Rock; prismacolor markers, pc sentiment

Summer Reading with Riley and Company! :)

Good Morning to you!  I'm So So SOOO excited to have my first post as a DT for Riley and Company :)

Today is National Teacher Day! 

 In honor of our teachers, this week's theme at the Riley and Company blog is anything school related.  One of the things that I do with my children during the summer is keep up their reading - they have summer reading lists and they keep a reading log :) 

For my school related card, my Riley's are all a bit summery (the newbies are still en route - woohoo!) - Hammock Riley is available in the store!  I made it work for just what my kids will need - a reading log with Riley and a book mark!

Here is it, nestled together.   The card reading log, Riley Bookmark and belly band.

Bookmark outside!

Close up of reading log

Set side by side

Since it's for the kids, that's lemonade in his glass, LOL!

Thanks so much for peeking at my blog post today!

I hope you can join us at the Challenge blog ~ you can upload your challenge cards here!

If you upload your card to SCS, please use the Riley0911.   Be sure to stop by the rest of the girls and be inspired:Stop by and see what the DT have created and get inspired by these beautiful paper creations!

Riley & Company Blog
Cindy Haffner
Frances Byrne
Heather Prince
Jovita Torres
Joy Stagg
Juliet Huang
Kelly Santi (you're here!)
Laurie Clout
Margie Cortina
Michele L
Sarah Gough
Silke Kittmann
Therese Boyd

 Blessings!
~Kelly~

Used:  SU! Close to Cocoa, Old Olive; GKD White;  K and CO dsp; Image - Hammock Riley; Colored with prismacolor markers; American Crafts Ribbon; Tombo; Trimmer; MM Eyelet; Crop-a-dile

A Sunday bike ride with the KitCats!

 Hiya!  It's the 1st Sunday of the month, which means it's time for a Kit-Cat post!  If you are a new reader to my blog, that basically means a group of us friends that met on SCS take turns sending identical card kits with 1 stamped image and designer papers and a few embellishments and we all have to create a card with it!  Fun, Fun, FUN!  We call ourselves the Kit-tens due to, hee hee, the kit!  This month, our hostess was the uber sweet and joyous Susan!  I absolutely loved every ounce of her kit, so much so I used everything but the ribbon and buttons ... and that was only because my Aileens was supah dry from one of my kiddies leaving the lid off! :)

I decided to use another fun fold - I have been so stuck in a rut with my card making.  I enjoy a challenge and going outside my comfort zone to see what is new and innovative and something I may want to try again - some maybe not!  *wink!*  I love the vibrant colors to the papers she sent which match the theme of her image - SU's Time for You bicycle!  Such sweet memories I have of biking as a kid - even in Europe, my brother and I would take off on our bikes down the old European cobblestone streets and roam through the towns or castle ruins.  I have a harder time now - we live in a busy suburb where cars and missing sidewalks and busy intersections and shopping centers make it a little harder :)  But I love to ride my bike still and loved going down memory lane while creating.  Thank you, Susan!

Would you like to see what the other *kittens* have made with this stamped image and papers?  Here they are!

Susan *  Jeanette  *  Lorie  * Michelle


Next month,  its' my turn to hostess!  I already  have my idea and most of the kit ingredients, so stayed tuned next month and see what surprises awaits the other kittens! :)

Muah! 
Blessings to you!
~Kelly

Entered into:  House of Gilli - Stripes and bling

Card deets:  SU! Old Olive, Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo;  DSP from Susan's kit - K & Companys' Sweet Nectar - DCWV cardstock squares; SU stamped image:  Time for you; Darice flower, Darice pink bling; Tombo

You're invited to a Beach Party! :)

All the girls here at FBD are super excited, silly, smiley and ready to PARTY!!! and YOU are INVITED!!!

It is time for Fresh Brewed Designs next rubber stamp release!!!

To celebrate we are having a PARTY

over at The Latte Lounge FBD group!!!

 

This party will include LOTS of fun and chatting, prizes, challenges and release the stamps. We already have a PEEK at the two challenges up at TLL Group. You can join and take a peek and get ready for tonight. The challenges will only be open until noon tomorrow (April 30) so go ahead and get ready NOW!!!

***Invite your friends!!! ***Get a new member signed up and bring them to the PARTY and you automatically get a free to be released digi from the release!!!

Our DT will showcase a few lovely projects t the party. But Lucky for YOU, you will also get to see MORE at the blog hop May 4-7 :)

Did you guess what my card was?  Well, wait no longer ........ here is sunbathing Daisy!  Isn't she a hoot!   She is just adorable in her polka dot bathing suit!   I colored it with my prismacolor markers in matching hues to the paper, which I found over a year ago at the Target $1 bin - lol!  How neat is that!

Hope to see you there!
~Kelly

T.I.P. #5 ~ "They didn't have it in Red..." {Psalm 10:17}

 Hi there!  Back again with another post for this evening ~ I've moved my Tuesday's Inspirational Passages post to Thursdays!   My card for you today is simple, but it was one that most fit the TIP of the week :)  I haven't put a sentiment inside yet, so I'll be sure to repost pictures of that, too!

The Psalms have long captured my love since I was very little and I was especially drawn to 10:17 for this post.   One day last week, I was leaving the toy store and I saw a little girl about 5 throwing a huge temper tantrum in the parking lot outside as her exasperated father tried his best to console her.  Before I could look away, he caught my eye and said "It doesn't come in red."  Torn between sprinting off like I didn't hear a thing or asking if he needed some help, my maternal instinct won and I stayed. 

Now, she continued to kick and scream and point to the store, he repeated himself.  "The balloon.   It doesn't come in red."  My heart ached for her, and for him.  I noticed right away that she was a child of special needs - I have a most beautiful niece with Asbergers Syndrome and I have been that aunt in the store as she cried for the one that wasn't there.  Even as a parent, I immediately connected to the powerful understanding that it has to be "the one."  Not the pink one with white flowers or the green one with stripes, but the red one.  The one they didn't have.  

God works like that so much in our lives!  He lives for you, for me :)  He wants your day to be filled with happiness and learning experiences, all bringing us closer to Him.   Psalms 10:17-18 tells us "God can be trusted to hear us in our distress and defend us with his might."

Even in our times of weariness and discouragement - look up!  We can know and trust and be confident that Our Savior will renew our strength and hope and dispair.  Trust in Him.   We may not always get our red balloons, but we will always have Him.   For me, that's more than enough :)

And before I go, I wanted to remind you that we are having a Beach Party!!  It is time for Fresh Brewed Designs next rubber stamp release!!!  To celebrate we are having a PARTYBlessings to you today!
over at The Latte Lounge FBD group!!!

 But LUCKY for YOU, you will also get to see MORE at the blog hop May 4-7!

Would you like a sneak peek?  Here's one! 

Hope to see you there!

~Kelly

Entered into these challenges for consideration: 

 Craft your Passion - layers!
Simon says Stamp! - Anything Goes

Splish, Splash! It's the Calendar Girls! :)

Goooood morning to you!   It's the 28th and that means the Calendar Girls get to post our fabulous card creations!   This month, our hostess was the Fab Miss Terry!  She chose a fabulous theme for us to create a card with using the old adage "April Showers bring May Flowers!" Love it! Her challenge for us this month, in her words:

My challenge to you is to show me your April showers!

I have 2 requirements for you:

1. Use an image with a duck, a puddle, an umbrella or anything resembling rain or water!

2. Use a fun technique on your card that is “water” related!

Was I ever excited to ink up my Pure Innocence image that has sat w/out use since I bought it!   That was my 1st requirement :) I paired a bunch of papers together from the Togetherness papers using the kite/cloud papers - my idea was to show that even on a rainy days, there are always rainbows and sunshine to follow the clouds :)  I paper pieced her umbrella and little rainboots to match one of the DSPs I used.  

 Second, I attempted to make a gel card using the port hole card template I found on SCS and it turned out quite bad!  So back to the drawing board - and playing it safe - requirement #2 - I used my aqua painter and watercolor crayons!  I gave her a slight background of a blue-ish hue.  The inside is just an added bonus so I could put the sentiment  I hope I passed the test on this month's card creation from Terry!  Thank you, m'dear, for a wonderfully inspired card idea!  I wouldn't have used this set if it weren't for your challenge and even know exactly where this card is heading ;) 

  Want to see what the other FAB CG's are making with the challenge?  You can find them all here! 

April = April's Alley

Barb = Barb's Inkin' into Retirement

Carol = Lost in my craft room

Debbie = The Ink Igloo

Jeanette = Cre8tive Play is Cheaper than Therapy

Kelly = Sandcastle Stamper {me!}

Michelle  = Ink'n General

Paola = That's Amore

Tami  = BlueInks Design

Terry = It's Totally Terry

Thanks for stopping by today! I still have to get my T.I.P. post up and running so I'll BBL!
Blessings to you!


~Kelly, Miss February

Card deets:  Cardstock - Blu Raspberry; Cameo Coral; So Saffron; PTI white:  Image - MFT Pure Innocence "My Umbrella"; Prismamarkers; Cuttlebug, Nesties, glue pen; MM brads; Fiskars border punch, etc!

Wedding Wishes for William and Kate! :)

How exciting that the Royal Wedding is this week!  I remember watching in wonderment when Charles and Diane were wed and will be equally excited to see this blessed event!   Dh and I toured Europe last summer and one of the places we visited was London - the girls talk excitedly of being at Westminister Abbey, the wedding site!  {see below for a bunch of W.A. Pictures!}

Along the lines of wedded bliss, dh and I celebrated our 18th Wedding Anniversary on Easter Sunday :)  I'm truly blessed and know that I am so lucky to have such an amazing husband :)

My card for you today is a fun fold just with a creative twist ~ it semi-joy fold ;)  The image is a new FBD release called "Beautiful Bride" and just in time for the June weddings!  I added the bride to the inside of the card and matched the flowers to the ones in her veil and bouquet.  I chose the soft blue as a backdrop color for the "something borrowed, something blue" but gave it a little pop of pink floral in the front.  Finishing touch with some pearls and a computer generated sentiment and voila!

This card is entered into these challenges:
  The Pixie Cottage - Weddings
 Oldie but a Goodie - #17 Fit for a Princess

I wish you happiness abundant today and hope you can join us this week at the Fresh Brewed Designs Challenge Blog! 

Blessings!

~Kelly~

Some pictures from Westminister Abbey - Such a magnificent place - it stirred my soul to be there!

 While my dd listens to the audio tour, my son strikes a pose ;)

This was delish! :)

SO excited to be a Moose-Mate!

::::: Squealing with delight! :::::   I have some super excited news to share ~ I was so happy to get the news a little while ago that I was chosen to be  on the Design Team for Riley and Company!  It was hard to keep it under wraps!  I'm a new Moose-Mate and couldn't be more thrilled!  Riley and Sophie were some of the first little stamps that I fell in love with when I first arrived at SCS.  My DT term starts in May, but I couldn't wait to create a card for this week's challenge!   I humbled and thankful for this opportunity to serve on the DT with some pretty amazing people - thank you, Tanya! 

I also wanted to share that since Riley and Co sponsor a bi-weekly challenge on Tuesdays, I'll be moving my T.I.P. posts to Thursdays - the only other day I could find in the week where I wouldn't have to change the abbreviation, LOL!  *grin!*

Did you know that Riley has his own Challenge blog?!   Right now, there is a challenge:

The colors are Aqua, yellow and any shade of brown.

For my card, I used Laundry Riley - always one of my faves and just cracks me up :)

It's a running joke in our home that I cannot iron for anything ~ it ends up with more wrinkles than when I start!  So this week, I wanted to make a card using the challenge colors and came up with this one!

We'd love to see your creations, too!  Stop on by and see what you've been moosing!  Please be sure to link your creations here :)  Also, if you upload your card or project to SCS,  don't forget to include the keyword RILEY0811.

   Blessings!
~Kelly

Deets:  SU: Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, GKD Carribbean; PTI white;  Stamp - Riley and Co, Laundry Riley, Basic Grey papers; cuttlebug, nesties; tombo, aileens, Paper Crate ribbon; BG button; twine; Kaiser pearls, colored with prismacolor markers.

So... How ya Bean? :)

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a most blessed Easter holiday!  Ours was hopping from start to finish but truly the blessings are many :) 

Today I wanted to stop in and show you a card for Deedee's Digis Happy Monday Challenge ~ this week's theme is Make a card for the Eldery in your life.  This Week's Challenge: Reaching Out to Our Elderly.  As the Challenge blog states: 


Once each month we ask you to make something to meet a specific need in our community. Your challenge this time is to make a card or other handmade project to appreciate or just give a little extra attention to a senior citizen. This could be someone you know, or someone you reach through your church, a local retirement home or senior activity center, etc.

 Although I'm not really sure where I'll send this card exactly, I did want to show it to you!  I cased a similar card from this lovely blog I found.  This set I'm using is from Deedee's Digis "Coffee Time Teddies" and they are as absolutely adorable to see and color!  You can find them here, in the prestashop.

I'm sorry my post is so short :)  I have a lot of news to share, but each day gets busier and more challenging -  today I'm off to an unexpected dr's appt and know that He'll be with me as I go today.  

   Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  ~ John 14:27

Blessings!

Thanks for stopping by today!

~Kelly

Card deets:   Chocolate chip:  SU!, Crushed Curry SU!  PTI white;  Coffee Time from Deedee's Digis; DSP by Peebles; Cuttlebug, nesties prismacolor makers; Aileens, Basic Grey Buttons; Tombo

Time to Sparkle and Shine!

Happy Afternoon!!  It's a good day here - the mail arrived with my brand new camera chip - yay! I have been camera less and quite dismayed!  I have missed several picture occasions but luckily had a back-up with my friends :)

And that also means I can show you my Fresh Brewed Card with this week's Challenge theme - Sparkle and shine!  Bring out your sunglasses, this week you will be dazzled by all things bling! 

I used the FBD "Cutie Pie sitting pretty" from the Cutie Pie series.  I made a little peek-a-boo card with shimmery, shiny paper from the Ciao Bella collection that I forgot I had - lucky me, it was like shopping for free in my scraproom!  :)  I kept the bling theme going with the darling blingie butterflies, lime green stickles and Martha Stewart super fine glitter to the wings.  Her dress is paper pieced with another glittery paper dsp and some tiny little shine to the corners and voila!

Stop by here to enter your Let is Shine and Sparkle card at the challenge blog - we'd love to see your cards and show you some love!

I also wanted to cordially invite you to the new stamp release party!  You can find all the details here! 
Please check back at the challenge blog for placing this in your sidebar and hyperlinking it back to the FBD blog!  Can't wait to see you there - you wont want to miss it! x0x0

                                                   Blessings!