Riley and Company - Birthday Celebrations!

Hi friends!

There's a new Riley and Company Challenge today and this week,

I'm the hostess!

Since March is a popular month for birthdays,

I thought that would be a fun, easy challenge this go 'round ~

create a birthday card using Riley or Sophie!

 

For my card today, I created what I call a "Surprise Inside" card ♥

I used the clear stamp set called

"Popping out of the cake Riley Clear Set" which is so versatile!

On the front of my card, I stamped the sentiment "You take the Cake"

(comes in the stamp set!)

and on the inside .............

 

Surprise!

After stamping Riley, I paper pieced the cake and gave it a quick

color over the ribbons and confetti.

 



 

When the card is open, it pops up and the image is revealed.

However, this card folds completely flat into an A2 size card!

 

 

 

 

Please be sure to stop by and see what the DT has created today

to celebrate birthdays!

If you upload your card to a gallery, please use the

keyword Riley0614 and link up your cards to the Challenge Blog.

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

Simple Sundays .....

 

Good Morning and

 a blessed Sunday to you!

 

  

 

 

For today's Simple Sunday I'm showing you a

simple card I made this week.

This lovely bird on a dogwood branch stamp is from Stampavie

and is the image Tracie sent us in the Secret Sisters

card group as a Mystery Image -

 until the image arrives, we don't know what it is!

I adore it!

I own quite a few Stampavie stamps but have not seen this one

and am so grateful Tracie sent this one out to use ♥

 I knew I wanted to make a shadowbox card when I was looking around

for ideas on fancy folds + this one jumped out at me to try.

At first, the image frame shadowbox had a layer of dsp,

but it covered up too much of the image and the bird

 faded too far back into the card.
So I started again with a new box panel but left it plain.

I loved this image so much,
I am already working on my 2nd card - stay tuned! ♥



 

 

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

 

I'll enter this card into the RRR #91 ~ Think Spring w/ Ribbon

Creative Corner Challenge - Birdies

Kitty Bee Challenges - Things with Wings

 

This is card #83 in the 100/100 challenge ♥

 

 Deets:  SU! Kiwi Kiss, PTI Royal Velvet

Image:  Stampavie ~ Bird on a Dogwood Branch

Prismacolor markers, MS score pal, trimmer,

DSP square unk (stash pile!), SU Kiwi Kiss ribbon,

Prima flower, Sew Easy floss, Basic Grey Button, Tombo

 

 

DDD ~ Umbrellas!

Hi friends! 

 Oh how long it's been since I've been able to get online!

Life as mommy to 4 with many hats to wear has taken me away
 from online life and into the whirlwind of real life! 

But as my kid's say, it's all good! :)

 

Today is the day that the Dueling Darlings post our cards - yay!
This month, our duel was hostess by LJ (Team Divas!)
and Terry (Team Dazzlers) with a fun Umbrella theme.

This is what LJ said:

 It's time for the March duel! Like most of you (except Kelly - who I am throwing
virtual snow-balls at right now) I am so ready for spring and summer! One of the
many signs of spring is rain and umbrellas, and as March is National Umbrella
Month, we are going with an Umbrella them this month.
I have added a little bit of a twist to the challenge
 (Terry is not doing this - that I know). I found these 7
Gypsies Manilla Folders awhile ago at HL and I thought it would be fun for us to
use these as your card base. It's not required, but It's just an idea I thought
I would toss out there. :)

So using LJ's own challenge, instead of creating my card on cardstock,
I chose the fabulous mini manilla folder - it's super cute!
I used 4 of the papers that she sent in various folds and
colored the Unity Umbrella image with my prismacolor markers ~
here is my card, inside and out!

Be sure to stop in and see what the rest of my team created
with LJ's card kit and what team Dazzlers created with theirs ~
you can find them in my sidebar!

Before I go, here is a picture of me as a wee babe!
Scary to think of how many years ago this was, LOL!
My blogging friend Lisa is celebrating her 3 year Blogaversary
so I'm linking up my baby picture to help her celebrate ♥

 

Thanks for stopping by today!
Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

This is my 82nd card in the 100/100 challenge :)
I'll enter this card into:  Time Out Challenge 1 ~ Dancing in the Rain
Paper Crafting Journey ~ Photo Inspiration


Supplies:
Stamps (image and sentiment) : Unity Stamps
Paper: Cosmo Cricket Earth Love Collections (Includes Journalling type cards)
Accessories: Buttons (mostly PTI and Basic Grey), Ribbon (SU!, American Crafts,
Offray), Vanilla Brads (SU!), Hodgepodge Clips & Ribbon Holder (SU), Mulberry
Paper Flowers (Prima), & 7 Gypsies Manilla Folder.

Simple Sundays/Carriers of Faith!

Blessings to you this Sunday!
If you are here to read my Simple Sundays or Carriers of Faith,
please scroll down - this post is one in the same! :)

First, thank you all for the wonderful 'virtual' hugs on my hand which

has started to heal - yay!  The dryer (company) is definitely going to be in trouble as dh simply is not going to stand for this, he says ;)

 

I actually LOVE LOVE LOVE line dried clothes!

I mentioned I'd be just as pleased to hang the clothes outdoors,

much to an eyebrow raising and a kiss on my hand to tell me

"Oh no, that just won't do."

I'm married to a most wonderful man, indeed :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For this Simple Sunday installment on my blog,
 I created another CAS card literally using all scraps from my desk
 from recent card makings. 
Each piece, small andl large, are all part of something else!
I love creating for Simple Sundays because it gives me a serenity and calmness knowing that this post is never rushed, purposeful other than to be thankful in the blessings in my life.

 From the leftover burlap to the small daisys using a punch and the small wooden tag which I stamped with Archival ink, I came up with this.
This card was designed after seeing a similar one on Pinterest
(unable to find the link now )
 where she used prima flowers and yellow brads and a paper banner.
  I wanted to keep an earthy feel and went with a wooden banner which I stamped onto the wood.
My first attempt with Momento had the worst bleeding - the ink ran into the wood and just spread outward.
I tried it again with Archival and it wasn't as bad - not perfect - just okay.
If anyone has any tips on how to stamp into the wood without bleeding,
please share it with me!  I have many more of these wooden tags
and would love to stamp on them again :)

Today is also the day the Carriers of Faith post to our blogs

with a chosen topic and photo.

This month, our hostess is Zella - who gave us this theme to reflect on:

March Challenge: Thankfullness

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you ~   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I've been thinking a lot about prayer lately. Then last night I was talking with a friend at church and she said "don't you sometimes feel like our prayers are list a list of requests?". That really challenged me. Yes, we are supposed to take our needs and requests to Him. But our prayers should also be about praise and worship - about thanking Him for ALL He has done for us. These verses are short - but the are packed with power! "Rejoice evermore". It's a choice you know? I chose to rejoice because He has made me exceedingly glad! I chose to rejoice even when things are difficult because He will bring me through and He is right by my side!

So what am I asking for with regards to your posts and pictures? Two things:
1. Share about something that you are thankful for....not the big things that everyone is always thankful for - but those little things that we seem to overlook...that we take for granted.
2. Share about why you rejoice and why you worship Him.
(And of course share photos!)

Thank you, Zella!  What a beautiful scripture and prayerful words to think about.
Being thankful is something I strive for every day and try to incorporate it
in the smallest of ways.
There are days where I do just that, grateful to the heavens and back
for all the joy and wonderful things I have.
And then there are so days where I fail miserably.
But to pray without ceasing is a gift you not only give to yourself,
and back again to our Savior, but to those around you who you touch by witnessing. 

It's hard to narrow down one thing I am thankful for!
So I will share one of the things that touched my heart this past week.
I lost my dad on March 3 when he passed away, 8 years ago.
This is always a difficult time of the year for me
and I'd had a particularly bad week (everything that could go wrong, did!)
I love to sit in my backyard and enjoy the beauty that it offers -
either a leisure dip in the pool and floating around on a lounge chair,
or reading a book at the table, sipping coffee ...
even swinging on the kids swing set, even when they aren't home :)
Thing is, I feel closest to my dad out there, too.
He loved piddling around in the backyard, picking at the weeds,
watering plants, feeding the bird and talking to our dogs we had at the time.
When he passed away, we planted a memorial tree in his honor.
The girls were little at the time (and my son just an infant)
and they picked a 'pretty tree!' at the plant nursery - turns out it was a hibiscus.
This tree has not grown a single blossom ALL YEAR.
Could be this crazy cooky weather we've been having down South -
blazing hot one minute and then freezing the next.
Our citrus trees have gone overboard and we've learned don't stand under
it unless you want to get hit in the head with oranges!
They are literally DROPPING - just like that, no warning!

But dad's tree?
Nothing.
Bare.

Until the first of March.
I saw the first bud sprouting and smiled.
This flowering tree finally heard my prayer and so did Dad ...
I just know it.
Would you believe, on March 3rd - I came outside and there was not just
one beautiful bud open to a gorgeous bloom ...
but 5!!!
It's like I tell my kids -
believe in your heart and it will be so.

I was very thankful indeed :)
Here is one of the gorgeous blooms ...

Wow, what a long post!

Thank you if you made it this far :)

 

This is my 73 card of the year in the 100/100 challenge

 

 

This is a hop and from here you will be off to visit Barb.

Hopefully you arrived from April's blog.

The COF blogs are not always linked

up in blog hop fashion so I merely invite you to stop in and visit

all the COF girls if you can and see what they have to share with you this day.

 

As always, I'm thankful for each of you!

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

 

Card entered into:  HIMCR - Super Scraps

 Word Play Satruday - AG

Lisa's Blogger Challenge - Flowers

 

 

Frolicking in the Forest :)

Hi friends ~ I'm so glad this is Friday!  

 What a week this has been - whew =)

 

Right now, President Obama and the First Lady are at my daughter's

High School where they have the honor of singing the National Anthem!

What an absolutely wonderful once-in-a-lifetime moment,

 one she will look back on and treasure in the years to come.

Not too many people can say they met/sang for the President of the United States ...

except maybe Forest Gump, LOL!

 

I managed this week to reach too far back into the dryer

and burn my hand, causing a trip to the ER for 3rd degree burns.

See, housework is dangerous - we shouldn't do it! :/

I had to fill in as a chaperone for my daughters' choral group for MPA's

 and watch them get a standing ovation

and straight Superiors, earning them a spot to State next month!

Go Cuda Chorus! ♥

Being Room Mom, I was able to celebrate Dr. Suess's birthday week

(my favorite week!) with cute crafts and yummy treats -

I made Lorax buckets and green eggs and ham cookies

{pictures soon!} and

Put away books in the library where I volunteer x2 per week,

all with one hand while the other bandaged one heals up ...

 

But sadly, one thing I didn't catch up on was my card swaps!

eeek!

This is one that is heading to my friend, Jeanette,

who is leader of the friends in the Forest swaps.

I think she's had like 110 of them by now!

Each one has a different theme, and this round was

Frolicking in the Forest.

Doesn't that sound like fun!

 

 

 

 

If you look that up in the Urban Dictionary,

it says "Prancing around like a fool"

I can do that!

I can prance!  I can be cool!

Oh wait, it says fool ....

=)

 

Anyway ... I am really, really not happy with the way my card

came out but I didn't have time to redo it or keep fretting over it =(

I so love Elzybells and knew I wanted to ink up this stamp ~

I hope swinging is considered frolicking!

On the inside, I used a sentiment from MFT.

 

And that's it from me today!

I hope to visit you super soon,

I'm behind in my blogging and blog round visits but I'll be by!

This is my 65th card in the 100/100 card challenge.

 

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

Card entered into: Unruly Paper Arts - photo inspired/colors
 

Got Game?!

Hi all!

We have some *super* news at the Riley and Company Stamps -
our Design Team has grown!
We have 6 new talented and wonderful new designers
joining the team ~ we're excited to have you on board!
*Welcome!*

It's also time for another Riley and Company challenge!
This one is brought to us by DT member, Frances.  In her words ....

 Apparently the first public basketball game was played on the 11th March in 1892.

 So for our challenge today create a card with a sporting theme,

 it doesn't have to be basketball.

 

I happen to have Basketball Riley so it was fun to ink him up!
I used the Cuttlebug to cut out several circular nesties and then ran one
through the swiss dots folder for the basketball.  I ran it through
again with a black piece of card stock and then cut out tiny strips and glued them down.  Riley is colored with prismacolor markers.

Here is my card front:

And on the inside, I used the sentiment
Nothing is Impossible
I thought it was fitting for all the kids who play and
 for those who sit on the sidelines and cheer :)

This is my 64th card in my personal challenge this year ...
eek, gotta catch up! :)

Be sure to join us on the Riley and Company Challenge!
If you upload your card to a gallery, please use the keyword 0514.

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

I'll enter my card into:  Crafting from the heart - AG/use dies
Corrosive Challenges - Animals

 

Simple Sundays ....

Blessings, friends :)
 

 

I just love Sundays! 

It's my favorite day of the week, including posting my Simple Sundays ~

a place to journal my thoughts, connect with ideas and let creativity flow!

 It's such a refreshing day spiritually, too ...

Jeremiah 31:25 ...
 "For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing
soul I will replenish."
We've so much to be thankful for,
 recollect blessings of the past week, and forging ahead in faith!

Today's card is Simple :)
I'm absolutely in love with blue and yellow lately!
Such contrasting hues and they just pair together so nicely,
I just going gah gah every time I get the chance to use them together :)
I inked up for the first time (woohoo!) the Country Morning stamp set
from SU! and propped up the bushel of flowers by using a 3d foam dot.

And as you can see, I played with cork!
This is a positively WONDERFUL element to card making.
Unlike it's cousin 'the burlap', LOL, it was so easy to use,
 pliable and very craft friendly.
I can't wait to dabble with more cork colors and make cork creations ...
the DCWV mat stack is filled with colors of this fun stuff!

The sentiment that comes with this set is very small ...
it's hard to read the quote, but it says

"there is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."
by Ralph Blum

Amen!
Thanks for stopping by ~
Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly


I'll enter this card into: Word Art Wednesday - AG
Inspired by Stamping - Flowers
Just be Creative Crazy - link party
Crafting from the heart - Flowers
 

 

Fancy Schmancy Fabulous Fabric!

 

Hi friends ~ Happy Friday! 

 Today is the day the Calendar Girls post our monthly card

creations with a chosen theme. 

I'm Miss February! 

That means, I'm hostess of this month's card group challenge ~ woot, woot! ♥
 

We girls have been together for a few years now and I thought
 it would be *sew* fun to challenge the girls to do something
 we've NEVER done before ~
Use Fabric!

 

I call it the:

 Fancy Schmancy Fabulous Fabric February Challenge! 

 I asked the girls to create a card using fabric – fabric scraps – fabric flowers, panels, and/or the whole card! Think flowers, trees, houses, even holiday ornaments, etc – BUT ....  no stamping our cards this month!

{sentiments are okay but the fabric/elements should be the focal point!}

 

Here is what I came up with this month ~ two cards!

and the fabric I chose: Burlap and lace!
 

I used burlap as my panel backdrop for my first card

with a panel of gorgeous 3" lace layered on the top.

I cut out a second piece of burlap to create the heart.

I wanted to keep the "rustic" look all through-out so I added

a wooden button and some jute string.

The inside is simple with a saying I chose for my dd19

(who inspired this card with her love of all things country!)

 

 

 

I grew up in a waste not, want not household

so I decided to make a second card with the cut-out of the heart!

I put the lace behind this one and used Really Rust

as a backdrop color. I also added some smaller hearts from

even more leftover burlap and a fabric orange button for some pop!

 

 

 

 

I'm tickled with how these cards came out :)  I plan to dabble with burlap again soon!   I love the rustic, romantic look this has. 

However, burlap is a tricky material.  It's finicky and unforgiving. 
If it starts to unravel, so will your project ;)  It will redefine the borders on your card if it starts to fray.  One trick I would say helped was having a small bottle of tombo all purpose glue on hand.  I placed a small dot of glue the palm of hand and rubbed to where it was not sticky but you could feel the substance and I lighted 'palmed' the edges all around.  Worked like a charm :)

 

Here is one last look at them together :)

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!  I hope you stop on in and see my other Calendar Girl friends and see what they 'stitched up!' 

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly



 

I'll enter this card into:  asyoulikeitchallenge (use 3d Texture - Love the country look!)
Charisma Cardz - Something not for crafting (Burlap paneling)
All About the Vintage - Use Lace
 

It's TOOS-Day! :)

 

 

What a wacky, whimsical kind of day this has been!

 

The sit back and just laugh kind of day ~

indeed an original TOOS-day!

That's a cross between the humorous cartoon character I feel like

and the reality of a busy, odd day ... hee hee!

 

One of the things I challenged myself to do this year

(in the year of Endurance),

I wanted to play along with some of the challenges I find refreshing. 
 There are a couple of stamp companies that just bring
 a wonderful integrity and refreshing burst of faith to the table

and I hope to give them a little bit of recognition in my little corner of blog world :) 

From the Heart Stamps is just one of those companies ~
lots of fabulous little digi stamps with a little something

for everyone, from the funny ones to the ones filled with faith.

 

They have a monthly progressive challenge where if you buy/have the

stamp from the month before, and you play along,

you will receive the one for the next month.  A win/win!

So, using this charming Birthday Candle Birdbrain,

I created a simple yet cheery "bird-day" card :)

I wasn't sure where I was going with my card design at first,

so I decided to 'wing it' - haha, get it?  LOL!

 

This set was so full of wonderful sentiments,

it was hard to know what to chose.

 

Here's my Bird-day card:

 

 

and the inside:

 

 

Off to get dinner on the table for my hungry crowd.

 

And would you believe it is ........

CHICKEN!

 

I know, that's just messed up, right :)

Fortunately, I am making a brand new honey lime Dijon

recipe using fresh lemons and limes from my daughter's tree that is overflowing with fruits!

I'll let you know how they like it

(I'll be having a salad, NO CHICKEN for me!)

If it's a hit,

I'll post the recipe :)

 

 

I'll enter this card in the FTHS Monthly Challenge and

Clear it out Challenge - Birthdays (Stash - crochet flowers)

Oldie but Goodie Challenge - (Buttons + crochet flowers x3 years old!)

Tuesday Throwdown - Anything Goes

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

another Simple Sundays :)

Blessings to you, friends!  

 You may remember if you visited me for this post

how much I adore Sundays. 

 Not just for the blessing of worship but the calmness the day brings. 

 With 4 kids, it's not often that we are still ... and that's okay :) 

 

On Sundays, I hope to post a card that I've made that reflects

the beauty of this day.

In our busy week, I often miss the solitude of our lush and

vibrant back yard that we have.

The quiet mornings in the backyard, sipping my coffee,

watching the birds come to the feeding house my son just built.

My dad's memory tree in full bloom - gorgeous, fiery red hibiscus

flowers are opening to the morning sun.

Even our two funny dogs chasing each other, playing tag

and barking excitedly when stops to sit beside me as if to

say "Come on, brother - there's playin' to do!"

 

This week, my card reflects the simpleness of the moment.

I created this CAS card - and can't believe how much I love it!

I've been trying my hand at CAS cards and
 just can't quite get the hang of it :)

here is my card ...

  and the inside of my card ...

 

 

 

That is ... until this fabulous Retro Sketches #103 caught my eye.

I was also inspired by the bold color combo at the Dynamic Duos Challenge.

And as luck would have it, Addicted to CAS is having a coffee challenge -

as a Starbucks aficionado, I jumped to play along!
I inked up my treasured TAWS Stamps and added a few dew drops,
to emulate 'coffee beans' (looked good in my head!) oh! And it's paper-pieced :)
I'll link this up to PIO - Thinking of you challenge.
 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today and I wish you a joyous,

simple, very blessed Sunday!

 

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

You're PUUUUR-fect!

Good afternoon!

I hope you are "Feline" fine today :)

 

It's inspiration time at the All Dressed Up Challenge Blog

where I have been delighted to be their GDT this month.

For my inspiration card today, I've used their new release

digital stamp "You're puuuur-fect" - so cute!

 

For this card, I decided to print out the image onto a cream colored

cardstock rather than white.  The texture and pattern of the paper

gives the image a little more definition and was easy peasy to color.

This little kitty cat is just delightful - those big expressive eyes

are just dreamy and sweet!

Here is my humble card:

 

And the inside - please note, this image
also has a matching sentiment!
You can see it here.

I don't always have a plan for my cards but this one will is en route to my wonderful friend, Maggie.  She's one of the most generous ladies

to her fur babies in her neighborhood, giving refuge and much needed

help to kittens and cats from food to keeping them warm and getting them

much needed medical help.  She's not only opened her home to these

kitties, but her heart as well ♥  Being a big animal person and one who

feels strongly about animal rescue and their plight, I am so proud of

Maggie for all that she does in her little corner of this great big world

and the light she brings to the lives of many in need :)

Thank you, Maggie! ♥

Be sure to stop by the Challenge blog this month and see
all the wonderful DT inspirations and the all month
long challenge going on.

Thank you, ADU, for this opportunity to work with
your stamps - its' been a pleasure!

Big hugs,
Bigger Blessings ~
Kelly

Go for the GOLD!

Hi there!

It's the time again - the Winter Olympics!

Oh how much I adore these games and watching the various

sports, rooting on our favorites and wishing well to all :)

My daughter and I are always glued to the tv when the Ice Skating

 events come on {probably the only time I even watch tv :)}

We were thrilled to see David and White bring home the

GOLD last night in Ice Dancing - what a breath-taking moment!

Naturally, I channeled that for my card today for the new challenge

at Riley and Company's Challenge blog ~

brought to us this week by DT member, Michele.

She asked us to make a card with a matching envelope.

Easy peasy!

I used the new Figure Skating Sophie for my card today.

I chose gold colored papers for my card backdrop

and used these gorgeous floral papers I've had in my stash -

and ended up with a dark blue card base to pull off the colors in the paper.

You can find the challenge and the DT samples here!

If you link up your cards to a gallery,

please use the keyword Riley0414.  We'd love to

stop by and see your Riley and Company Creation!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today :)

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings :)

~Kelly
 

I'll enter this card into:  Fan-Tastic Tuesday - Happy and Bright

Craft Your Passion - Girly Girl

Eureka Stamps - Animal Friends

TTCRD - Anything Goes