TEENY TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you have all had a good day.

I spent some time at the weekend making up a stack of card bases in readiness for some cardmaking hyperactivity (she hopes!!) .. .. and of course this inevitably left me with an equal pile of "scrapling" cards (trimmed down a little to be 6.5 x 13.5cm).  These are going down just as well with my customers as my teeny tiny makes .. .. .. so there are going to be lots more of them in the pipeline.

So one of each today.  A scrapling and a teeny tiny make (which are just under 9cm square).

These used:

Images and Sentiment for the Teeny Tiny Card:  Clear Magic Singles Stamp Set "JGS573" Sweet Tweet
Sentiment for the Scrapling Card:  Wow! "Stamp Set 33" Big Words
Design Papers "Sizzix Little Sizzles" .. .. Country and Pastels
Distress Ink Pads:  Tumbled Glass, Twisted Citron and Bundled Sage
ProMarkers (for the tiny dots I didn't have the patience to cut out and paper-piece)
Gems and Sticky Dew Drops
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

I do love a good paper-piecing session!

CHRISTMAS LOVE

Hi Everyone

I hope your Sunday has been a good one.

A nice relaxing one here which has seen me working on a batch of intricate wedding invitations .. .. .. ..  whilst Mr Heart has been watching a bit of the old footie.

I decided to have a little break from the invites though and make a Christmas card as I am nowhere near the five I would like to have by the end of January (I thought five a month would be a good target if I could manage it .. .. and so far I only have one!!).

I decided to play along with the CAS Christmas Card Challenge for January where the theme is to "include a tag" and as I have included a penguin in my design I can also have another entry into the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is "penguin parade".

So here we go:

This used:

Image:  My Lovely Studio "Ice Christmas"  (sorry cannot see where to link to)

Backing Paper:  My Lovely Studio "Jingle Bells Book Print"

ProMarkers

Dovecraft Snowflake Embossing Folder

Washi Tape

Diamond Stickles

White Gel Pen

Ribbon

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today .. .. and Christmas card number two has gone into the stock box!

HAPPY SATURDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday .. ..  and a happy weekend too.  I hope it is proving to be a good one for you.

It was a cold and slightly icy start here but it turned into a lovely day eventually with some beautiful sunshine.  

It is possible that the gorgeous weather may have influenced my choice of colours today for playing along with the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge.  The theme for January is "Partial Die-cutting".   

I used the two compulsory elements of Partial Die-Cutting and Stamping and then my own choices from the optional list.  I picked masking, ink blending with a brush, watercolouring and splattering and here is my finished creation:

This used:  

Image:  Crafter's Companion "Flutterby Stamp and Metal Die"

Doodles and Flowers: Whimsy Stamps "CWSD226" FaDoodles

Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique Clear Stamp (sadly no longer trading)

Backing Paper:  Make & Create "Floral Feelings"

Distress Ink Pads:  Spiced Marmalade and Fossilised Amber

I did my partial die cut panel first and decided that it wasn't very clever to have such a delicate antenna hanging over the edge .. .. so I stamped and cut the butterfly out again from yellow tinted design paper, painted it and stuck it over the partial die-cut panel to strengthen the delicate parts.

Off to link up now!

For those who have enquired as to how my big crafty tidy up is going .. .. .. well all I can say is "slowly".  It is going to be a really long job as not only am I trying to sort my craft pod .. .. but the wedding room needs lots of tlc too.  But whilst there are still weddings to be finished it won't be a final clear up in there until probably this time next year!

Each day I aim to make some form of improvement and "hone in" on just one thing and sort that!  Some days it is just something small, but if it makes a clear space or empties a box when I have finished then it counts!!  It is surprising how much you can sort in 20 minutes if you put your mind to it and focus!

Hopefully catch you again soon.

BEEHAVE!

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!

Just calling in quickly with a card that came together nice and quickly using papers and card from my ever increasing snippet collection!

I have challenged myself to use up as many of these as possible this year because they are getting out of control now and way past a joke! 

So here we go:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "2083J" Beehave!!

Sentiment:  From a lovely clear stamp set by DigiStamp Boutique (sadly no longer trading)

Backing Papers:  From my snippet collection (but I could probably track down where they came from if anyone is desperate to know)

ProMarkers

Crystal Glamour Dust

My Trusty Sewing Machine

I am scurrying over to Pixie's Snippets Playground to share my little creation there.

.. .. .. and whilst you are over on Di's blog please take time to read this post here .. .. but be prepared to feel very sad after you have read it.  Even if you didn't know or have any contact with the lovely Mary (the lady Di is talking about)  .. .. I am sure your heart will go out to her.   I will definitely be going through my stash to see what I can donate.

Huge thanks also to Di who has the biggest and most unselfish heart I have ever come across!!  Bless you!  I feel honoured to call you my friend.

PHOTO HEAVY POST

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday .. .. well what is left of it!!

Where on earth is January disappearing too?  Is it just me or does Christmas feel like a lifetime ago already?

Lots happening here on the wedding and magazine front and no crafty playtime happening .. .. but things will calm down soon I'm sure.

The latest Make Special Cards magazine is on the shelves at the moment so I can at least share some of my favourite makes with you from that .. .. the stamps and papers were gorgeous!

As I am sure you will have guessed by now that I was working with a love, romance and French theme and my fellow designer Hazel France got to work with the cute little hedgehogs..

Catch you again soon hopefully.

A STITCH IN TIME

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!

A sparkly new week is upon us .. .. .. and I have lots I need to cram into it.

I have made a start on the "big crafty tidy up" that desperately needs to happen .. .. .. the first job being to clear a pathway to my sewing machine and get that up and running again. 

It is going to take ages to get everything organised and put away as it should be .. .. but I am going for the option of  "a little bit every day" rather than trying to sort everything all at once.

So with my sewing machine back in action this is what I came up with:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "1656K" A Stitch in Time
Sentiment:  Penny Black Tranparent "30-105" Gratitude
Backing Papers:  Craft Sensations "Mysterious Purple"
ProMarkers
Ribbon
Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine .. .. yay!!  

and that is me for today.

Catch you again soon.

YOU THOUGHT IT WAS ALL OVER

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!  (had to stop and think what day it was then!) LOL!!!

Well  you thought Christmas was over and done with .. .. well Christmas 2019 might be complete but for me I am going to do the same as I did last year and make Christmas cards all year .. .. and today is my first!  

It made such a difference in the run up to Christmas to have a lovely stash of cards behind me that I want exactly the same to happen this year .. .. .. and preferably with even more in the box.  

So here is Christmas card number one for popping into my currently empty Christmas box:

This used:

Image:  Lili of the Valley "Snowy Hugs" 

Sentiment:  Kaisercraft Clear Stamp Set "North Pole"

Backing Paper:  Paper Choice Printables "Tartan" via Etsy

Poppy Stamps Die Set:  Stitched Market Tag

Ribbon and Cord

Nail Heads

Glamour Dust

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Off now to add my project to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is "Penguin Parade".

Our tree and decorations are coming down over the weekend .. .. boo hoo!!  The house is going to look very dull and boring this time tomorrow!

Catch you soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hi Everyone

Happy New Year!  I hope that it is going to be a happy and super crafty one for everyone.

No super rash promises/resolutions from this end .. .. for the first time ever .. .. because I know this year is going to be super chaotic before I even get start on it.  Mainly down to Mr Heart who is taking early retirement at the end of March .. .. and I get the feeling that my life is about to change big time.  But I am hoping to try lots of new techniques this year alongside completing my last year of wedding work!

Anyway, back to Christmas.  I hope you all had a wonderful and happy time.  Did anyone else give themselves blisters by needing to chop far too many vegetables? 

Christmas in the house of hearts was lovely, with my little nest nice and full again as all the family came home .. .. just for a while.  But now they have all flown away again. Boo hoo!!

But I suppose all good things must come to an end .. .. and soon I will be back into the old routine for just a few weeks, before retirement chaos hits .. .. but not until all those sheets and towels have been laundered and I get my crafty pod back into some sense of tidiness. 

Just a quick birthday card to share today that was put together on the dining room table because I couldn't get to the desk or my sewing machine in the craft pod .. .. ..

This used:

Sizzix Thinlits Die Set "664163" Wildflower Stems #1
Paper Smooches Wise Dies "FBD120" Birthday Words
Make & Create Paper Pad "Sweet Colours"
Distress Oxide Ink Pads:  Frayed Burlap, Worn Lipstick and Festive Berries
Unbranded stitched square die set

The lovely Sizzix Die Set was delivered by Santa and I have been itching to cut and colour it all Christmas.  Today I finally got the chance.

Happy new year wishes .. .. ..

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all ready for Santa .. .. don't forget that glass of sherry and the carrots for the reindeer!

No new make from me but a picture of a card I made in 2015 which I love so much.  

This is probably my favourite Christmas make of all time .. .. and I would like to dedicate it to all of my lovely blog pals who have stuck by me even though my posts and commenting have been very sporadic since I have been spending more time with my Mum.  Thank you all so much.

I made this card in 2015 and it still sits waiting to knocked off top spot!

Have a wonderful time everyone and make sure you create some special memories - no matter how small or how big .. .. they all count.  

Thanks again everyone.

Happy Christmas .. .. have a good one!

NEARLY THERE

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!  I hope all is well with you.

How are all your plans going?

I have "nearly" completed my "must do" crafting list.  Just a few more days of keeping my head down and I will then be able to turn my attention to getting the house cleaned and decorated ready for Christmas .. .. .. which will then just leave the wrapping and delivering of our gifts.

A few more cards are still needed .. .. but not as many as previous years that's for sure .. .. thanks in part to the lovely Jo starting her Christmas Kickstart Challenge this year.

I have tried really hard to enter each fortnight .. .. but sadly missed a few times due to other pressures .. .. but even playing along when I could has certainly reduced some of the pressure.  Thank you Jo!  I hope you will be continuing with the challenge next year?  You came up with some wonderful challenge themes.

Jo's would like to see this fortnight "The Christmas Story" and here is my offering

This used:

Nativity Die:  Unbranded from Ebay
Sentiment and stars (or are they snowflakes?!?!?!?):  Stampin' Up "Star of Light"
Distress Ink Pads:  Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick and a bit of Dusty Concord
Versacolor Ultimate Pigment Ink - White
Glitter Paper
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Have a good weekend everyone!