Our family is GROWING!

We have some new babies at home!

And this time, they are not from me! ;)

My sweet little son wanted a hamster for Christmas so badly, standing right

next to Santa at the mall telling him "I would like a boy hamster for Christmas. A light brown one so I can name him Sandy.  Sandy Cheeks.  Like from SpongeBob SquarePants ... except that Sandy Cheeks is a squirrel. I don't want a squirrel.... just a hamster."

The look on Santa's face when he panned the crowd and saw me there, each of us sharing that look of bewilderment-amusement on our faces, and me thinking "Wonderful! It's Christmas Eve ... this should be fun!"  

My daughter and I later raced to the pet store where much to our surprise - they had two absolutely adorable hamsters alternatively snuggling and playing.  We couldn't take one without the other, both girls. 

 Christmas morning, my son was so excited ... and then said "wait ... they're girls?"  Poor kid has 3 older sisters ...  imagine his dismay, LOL!

WELL .... much to OUR surprise, one of those little girls was a mama-to-be!

And the other one?

  ::: plot twist!::: 

 A boy!  

He was too young at the time to know he was a boy and it's been a whole lot of fun on "Hamster Watch" :)   Sometime in the wee hours of the night on January 2nd, mama had her wee babes and we're excited to see what they look like, how many and we are spoiling Sandy Cheeks in the meantime. 

My oldest daughter was made it her personal mission to spend hours researching what we should do and how to take care of each of them.

I felt it was only right to make her a card :)

Except I'm fresh out of hamster stamps!

bwahahahaha!

But I do have some absolutely adorable House Mouses

and that's pretty close :)

I colored up this House Mouse called yawn,

and appropriately how we felt staying up for hours that night!

I wanted to play along in the current House Mouse challenge to use

Silver or Gold.

Oh me oh my, a challenge indeed!

But here it is .... a gold baby card, a first for me!

 

I found some metallic cardstock I had leftover from Thanksgiving

and got to work ~ using scraps of dsp from different mat stacks.

I found this great sketch to get me going from Sketch Saturday

and this card came together pretty quickly after that.

 Here's my card:

Whew, sorry to be so long winded tonight!

If you made it to this far, thank you!  It's been a fun week in our home :)

Here is a quick peek at the new additions ~

Isabelle is the new mommy hamster (left, black)

and Sandy Cheeks is the (now) boy hamster (right, light brown)

I'll be sure to post how many/what we had in the next week or so,

as soon as Isabelle let's us venture closer.

 

 I'll enter my card into the House Mouse Challenge #160 - Use Silver/Gold

and  Sketch Saturday #291- used the provided sketch

   Opus Gluei - Leftovers!  

and Cupcake Inspirations - Colors/Palette 
Crazy4Challenges - Inspiration Photo/colors

ColourQ - colors
Gruffies and Guests - AG

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

 Card #6/100

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You're an Angel!

Blessings on this beautiful SON-day!  

It's to believe Winter Break is over here and the kids will be 

venturing back to school tomorrow, sniff sniff!

 I have a quick post today~

this card is one of two I made with this same image.

I had some leftover images and 

a whole lot of thank you cards that needed to be made.

I was playing around with papers and colors

and image matching ~ 

like playing Barbies, but with paper! :)

This card was VERY hard to photograph for some reason ~
either the image would be washed out or the background paper would,

including  the small amount of Wink of Stella I added to the halo and wings.

IRL, it looks much nicer! :)

We're off to the park to bike and picnic ~

I hope your day is equally blessed!

 This is card #4 (and 5) in the 100 x 100 challenge - woot!

  Card entered into:  Allsorts Challenge ~ Anything Goes
LovesRubberStamps Challenge ~ New Year's Resolution (be kind, pass on goodness)
 Musically Challenged ~ Movie Soundtrack (Phantom of the Opera - Angel of Music)
My time to Craft - Music/Movie Inspired (Phantom - Angel of Music)
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
 


Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

Hello, my friend!

Woot, it's Friday!  

This paper might look familiar ~

yes, you saw it yesterday! :)

I saw this fantastic sketch earlier this week

and thought what a great way to use up scraplings!

I kept the smaller pieces from yesterdays card 

to create this simple yet heartfelt one today.

I'm always in awe of the CAS style cards and

am really tickled with how this one turned out :)

Though I love me some layers and layers, but this year

I'm branching out from my current style and creating new(ly).

And did you notice ......... no buttons on this card either!!

Of course, I will always love/use buttons!!
I had some left over sequins from my son's

school winter project so I added a sprinkle of those

(after all, there is a sequin craze going on in the craft world!)

I wish you wonderment this weekend.

I'll enter this into the Freshly Made Sketches challenge #117

and CAS-ual Fridays - after all, life is having wonderful friends :)

 and

And .. this is card #3 in my 100 x 100 cards!

100

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

Hi! What's Perking!

 Good Morning ~ what's perking!

I'm lucky to have some free crafty moments this winter break ~

as well as lots and lots of my favorite ... coffee!

 

As part of my goals for this year, 

I am continuing to ink up my treasured stamps.

And you might know from visiting me previously 

how much I adore TAWS stamps!!!

I inked up my Breakfast Club stamp set that has been patiently

waiting for me to ink up due to a hectic past month(s).

It's always fun to play along with the TAWS challenges 

and I try not to miss them if I can help it - they are very inspiring.

As a HUGE coffee fan, this set was a must have for me

and as soon as I saw the challenge photo, an idea arose.

Rather than go with a Christmas theme, I used the photo to

inspire more of a welcome to January card!

 I pulled from the 4 colors of the stockings and used that

as  my paper choice.  I paper-pieced the coffee cup and added

scattering of pearls, as well as using a blue card base like the mantel.

Here is my card:

And the inside of my card:

You can see the inspiration photo here:

 

I used the wonderful sketch from cardabilities to build my card base.

Here is their sketch ~  

I'll enter this into their challenge #90. 

 

 I was recently inspired by several of my friends on SCS to join 

a 100 cards in 100 days challenge.  This is actually my 2nd card of the year.  I won't be doing a card a day or daily blog but will aspire to complete a collection of needed cards to use through-out the year

and that's a great source of inspiration!

Nothing on this card used today was a new purchase ~ just new to use! 

100 cards

 
I'll enter this card into one of my favorite stops~
Word Art Wednesday challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

 Card:  Cardstock:  Bashful Blue from Stampin' Up:  Dsp = MME

Stamp = TAWS "Breakfast Club"

Prismacolor markers, Cuttlebug, nesties, scissorbees, momento ink,

kaiser pearls, glitter cardstock, tombo, 3D dots

Word of the Year ~ Welcome 2014!

*Happy New Year*, friends!

2014, I welcome you!

Each year, I find a scripture and 'word of the year' 
to serve as my inspiration.
I don't make resolutions ~ 
I make goals and aspire towards them.

Why a word of the year?
Aside from something I adore doing each year,
it is a powerful little choice that guides me. 
One day after reading my daily scriptures,
one particular verse just jumped right out at me 
and I just KNEW.  God is good like that!

Last year was the year of Simplicity,
one I held fast to in all areas of my life.
This year, I am embracing as my Word of the Year .... 

Endurance!

 After reading Romans 5:3-5  {my scripture for this year!}

 one thing I noticed  from last year ...
I was tired.
I don't mean sick and tired!
I have a VERY blessed life ♥
As a busy mommy to 4 busy kids, life has a way of not stopping 
and 5 minutes for a Starbucks, 5 minutes for a shower,
5 minutes to read my bible scriptures (etc)
became more of a reality each and every day.


When I put my goals to use this year, I will endure!

I will allow this word to help shape me to seeing the world
in a different light and going the distance - making it to 
the end of every goal I set for myself.

I even found this SUPER COOL new journal at an off-brand store
for $2 - it will be filled with all the things I plan to do
this year :)

2014 - Let's Rock!

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

I've joined other moms and linked up to Only a Breath
and 5minutes for mom for my Word of the Year :) 

2013 - Card Year in Review!

 Farewell, 2013!

This is such a fun post every year, one that I really adore!

For my 2013 cards Year in Review,

 I'm doing it a little bit different than previous years ...

 rather than pick a 'favorite' card from each month,

I thought I'd reflect on crafting goals that I met, adventures I took,

sidesteps that didn't go quite as planned, friendships made and sustained :)

In all - many blessings!

January

 I began the year with a mantra to use my un-inked SU! stamps

and my crafting goal was to try new techniques.  I succeeded with both!

While I didn't use all of them, I sure put a dent in my unused/unloved SU stamps!  And tried new things.

Like this one. 

 I dusted off my aqua painter and my water color crayons!

February

For 3 wonderful months,

I was a guest designer for Bugaboo stamps ~ total fun!

March

I got lucky in March!

Okay ... um .... let me rephrase!  :D

I'm lucky that I have a great group of friends for the Dueling Darlings group,

 a group I dreamed up years ago and here we are - still dueling!
This card was created from a kit from sweet Kadie!

 

April

 This card was created from the generosity of a special friend

who sent me this fabulous birthday stamp! Thank you!!

She's also in one of my other fun card groups - The Calendar Girls.

  Hi!  I'm Miss February! ::: waving :::

Thankfully, there is NO swimsuit competetion ...

Just sayin'!

May

 My firstborn daughter graduated High School and 

jumped right in and started college in the summer term!  

So proud of her!

 

 June

I tried my hand at continuing my year of simplifiying ~

I drooled over a dahlia stamp in the SU! catty but couldn't afford to buy it 

at the time and found a digi stamp that was almost spot on for $2!

What a bah-gain!

AND this turned out to be my favorite card of the year :)

Who knew!

 

July

 The kids are officially out of school ~  I love having my babies home! :)

There is such great joy in having them close by and

 doing all the silly, fun, happy things kids do -  and they sometimes join in! :P

 

 August

Another fun card for a special group I'm in - the Stamp Addicts!

What a special, wonderful group of ladies - welcoming right from the start

and throwing down a guantlet of challenges. This one was probably my 2nd

favorite card of the year - the spotlight technique :)

 

 September

The Crafters of Faith, another wonderful group of faith-filled women, and 

another group I dreamed up after I had one night after a long night of prayer

and particularly grueling bible study I could not grasp.

I think God truly whispered in my ear "Try, try again .."

We had a free month to create an Anything Goes card :)

 October

 Spooktacular greetings brought to you by Riley - 

my favorite Moose EVER!!!

He just could not be any cuter!

I'm SUPER blessed to be on this DT :) 

 November

Earlier in the year, my dh rec'd a beatiful box of fruit from one of his Dr. colleagues.  When it arrived, all my crafty eyes did was

zero in on the gorgeous box!  The kids had yummy pears and plum and more, but what did my crafty self see?  The fuax stamped images on the box :)

Here is one small piece I saved .... and a lovely card it made!

Tis the season to be grateful after all.

December

Alas, due one super crazy life, my laptop dying and virtually

zero access to the internet/blogging, my December craft life

was pretty dismal! 3 cards people.  3!

In.  one.  month.

  Here's to a better next year!

However, one of the cards that culminates how the year was overall,

and the future ahead, was this one.  Amen!

Blessings and CHEERS to 2014!!

Thanks for your visit today

and I look forward to another year of crafty, friendship goodness

in the year ahead.

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

I'll link this to Just Add Ink link up
and Debby's ( Scrapjourney's)  Favourite Five here!

Calendar Girls - Anything Goes!

Oh. My. Goodness.  

It's almost a brand new year!  

Can you believe it!  

I truly think this is one of the fastest moving years I can recall ~ 

I blinked and nearly missed it, it went by so fast!

My husband's busy work schedule has kept us close to home

this holiday and let me just say, God is good and knows

our needs, even long before we do.

While I dreamed of a white Christmas, romping in the snow

and hiding in some cabin in the mountains,

we are home and resting, relaxing, rejuvenating :)

Since today is the 28th of the month,

that means the Calendar Girls post a card with a chosen theme.

This month's post was optional as was a theme of Anything Goes.

I was so excited when I spied the November issue of Papercraft Inspirations

(back in October!)

with a free stamp set of Forever Friends inside!

I literally squealed out loud and did a little hop right there in 

the magazine aisle of Joanns! 

I love Forever Friends stamps!!

So of course I had to ring in the end of this year with

a shout out to Christmas-time with this little Christmas Forever Friends teddy.

I am in LOVE with this stamp ♥

  

 

The inside is stamped with a TAWS stamp sentiment
and I chose this one because it truly represents my heart's feeling
towards all the gals in the Calendar Girls - I'm thankful
for them and another year of wonderful card making, challenges
and a friendship lasting through the years!

I'll see you back again in a couple of days with another
card and then it's countdown to the new year! :)

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

I'll enter this card into:

Little Red Wagon:  Anything Christmas

Word Art Wednesday - Christmas 

Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes/Cmas
Southern Girls - Christmas Wishes

Merry Grinch-mas! :)

Hello friends!

Can you believe it - just 4 more days until Christmas!

  Wow, this month is just flying by, much like Santas sleigh :)

Most of it for me has gone by in a blur since 

I'm going about 1,000 mph!

It's nice to finally get into the home stretch of Christmas

with the family and enjoy the beauty of this holy week!

I absolutely LOVE this Riley and Company stamp! He's truly

one of my very, VERY favorites - Riley as the Grinch :)

I loved the movie as child and still to this day

and literally squeeled when this Riley was released.

Speaking of Riley and Company releases,

stay tuned for January - you will not want to miss

the yumminess coming up ahead in the new year!

I'm SUPER excited!!

 

The latest Riley and Company challenge is

to create a card/project using snowflakes.

My paper is an old SU! holiday paper pack with snowflakes.

I do love the use of color and even enjoy making

non-traditional cards ~ adding in a touch of pink, or brown,

or orange or something with a twist of fun to a holiday card 

always makes me smile!  

I adore green and red Christmas cards but added

a small touch of brown in this one to coordinate with

the Grinch - I mean, Riley :)

You can find the challenge here on the blog,

along with the DT samples using Snowflakes!

We'd love to see what you create, of course!

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!

~Kelly

I'll enter this into:  Alphabet challenge "W for whatever you wish"
Craftyhands Challenge - Happy Holidays

A Little Bit Crafty - Christmas Cheer
 

Dueling Darlings/WOYWW #237

Hi, beautiful people! 

 I'm baaaaack!!! 

After an excrutiatingly long time without a computer 

or ability to blog (properly),

 my laptop is back as the best holiday gift :)

Not to mention the almost unfathomable busy-ness life has

been the past few weeks with the schools, activities, shows, birthdays

and more!  

5 minute prayer, 5 minutes to enjoy a Starbucks, 5 minutes to shower ..

that's all I got! :)

 And ...

thank you SANTA in the form of my absolutely fabulous

brother-in-law for fixing my baby ... you absolutely ROCK!

 I'm so very grateful!

Angels we have heard on high!

 

Now for my very, very, VERY late Dueling Darling card!

I wanted to play along with the WOYWW #237 again

so I'm linking up there as well ~ if you aren't familiar with

Julie at Stamping Ground, you can find her here.  It's a wonderful

peek at the creations around the globe and

always makes me smile to visit and admire :)

 

My kitchen table, doubling as a craft haven/desk this past week!

 

 For my card today, Jeanette and I were the hostesses

of the card kits this month.  Our chosen theme was 

"A Christmas Story".

For this card kit, I really wanted to reflect the beauty of the birth of

Christ, Our Savior, and the significance during this holy season.

I love, LOVE my very old Inky Antics stamps and thought

it was time they see ink this holiday.

I stamped up both the Angel Gabriel and Away in a Manger

and allowed the others who rec'd this kit to chose their favorite.

I also included in the kit Carta Bella "winter fun" papers in 

a variety of colors and patterns - oh how i just love this stuff!

It wasn't 'religious' per say but that was part of the challenge - 

make it work! :)

I chose Angel Gabriel for my card and the matching sentiment.

My card is pretty simplistic over all because ...

I didn't make myself a kit, LOL!!

I competely forgot when I was buying everything and packing it up

to make one for me!  

I'm improvising from having at least the paper on hand!  

 

The inside of my card!

Another part of the challenge was to share a special Christmas

memory from past or present.

Honestly, as a mommy now to 4 kids of my own,

there are just too many memories to have a favorite,

including from my childhood.

I'm blessed that even having had 3 of my children born in December

so close to Christmas, causing quite possibly one of the 

most choatic and busy months a mom could possibly handle,

we know that they are an absolute blessing.

I'm lucky to have such good kids, kind at heart and strong in faith.

They are wonderful children, good friends to others, and bring great joy to my life in so many ways!

So while they were Christmas gifts and mere newborns just days old

under the Christmas tree 3 times, 

I would not change a single thing in my crazy life :) 

Sending blessings to all of you!

I'll be by to visit you now that I have the means to do so!

Please stop by and see what the rest of the Dueling Darlings 

have made with "A Christmas Story" kits from Team Jeanette 

and Team Kelly - you can find all of us in my sidebar!



I'll enter this into Papertake Weekly Challenge "Christmas Cards",
and Tuesday Throwdown "What Cmas means to you"
and Cute Card Thursday's #299 Christmas Catch Up.

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly