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A very warm welcome to my teeny, tiny part of the huge world of blogging. This is where I share my passion for making hand made greeting cards. So - why "Always with a Heart"? Well this is for two reasons. Firstly, it is because every card I produce carries a heart on it somewhere. This can be big and bold or small and almost hidden - the fun sometimes is just trying to find it! Secondly it is because I put my heart into everything I produce. I hope that any visitors enjoy seeing what I post. If you drop by then please leave me a comment so that I know you called. It would be nice to know that you have found my heart in what I do.

Saturday 29 May 2010

THE SKY CAN'T ALWAYS BE BLUE !!

Hi Everyone

Did the rain fall in your neck of the woods today?

It has rained pretty much all day here. Quite pleased really as it meant that I didn't need to go out and do more gardening .. .. .. .. I wouldn't make a very good farmer would I? They don't get a choice. Rain or no rain they would be out and about!!!

Hubby and I decided to go out on two missions today .. .. both of which failed.

The first mission .. .. to go and buy two hanging baskets. There was an advert on the front of the free newspaper for a local garden centre selling buy one get one free hanging baskets and we decided to go and investigate. We thought because they were "buy one get one free" there would be hundreds of the blighters - but no hardly any?

I saw another lady clutching her cutting from the newspaper and noticed the sales assistant pointing and giving directions so I thought I would follow her. She stood happily looking at individual plants.

Time to re-read the advertisement!! Yes, we had read it wrong .. .. buy one hanging basket "plant" and get another free!! Not a whole hanging basket!! Doh!!

The plants were two expensive to buy and make our own (even if we got every second one free) and to buy two hanging baskets ready made they wanted £50 !!!! Do they know how many Penny Black stamps I could buy for that .. .. .. .. and they would last much longer than the 6 months the hanging basket will!!!

Never mind - mission abandoned we went on to our second task. Fill up with diesel at Tesco on the way home .. .. but no chance .. .. Tesco have no diesel!!!!!

Best go home and just make some cards and let hubby watch the football .. .. ..

This is one of the projects of the afternoon
This used:

Image: Friends Stamp "029J" Beach Scene
Image: Friends Stamp "002B" Small Rowing Boat
Image: Hero Arts "S5316" Silhouette Grass
Sentiment: Hobby Art Clear "CS016D" General Greetings
Nestabilities: Circles
ProMarkers
Distress Inks
Eyelets and raffia from the stash box

Well this card finished up nothing like I thought it would when I started. I just love it when that happens.

I coloured the whole image with promarkers and then went over it all with distress inks. My sky ended up a bit darker than I intended it to but then when I looked out of my craft pod window I decided it wasn't that much different to what I can see here at the moment. The sentiment was actually a straight acrylic stamp that I was able to curve on my block to run around the outer edge of the circle.

You may not have heard of the "Friends" range of stamps .. .. they are lovely and stamp so well. I bought mine from Simply Stamps when I was at the NEC but have recently found that they also sell on-line.

Their on-line store is called Stampers Supermarket and they are well worth a visit. They sell a good range of stamps with a great selection of new and also second hand stamps.

You can find the on-line store here if you fancy a nosey .. .. but don't blame me if you cannot resist a little spend LOL!!!

Julia who owns the store is working on her advertising banner and has just started her own blog. Julia is very raw recruit into all this blogging malarky so if you get chance to pop over and see her and give her a warm welcome to blogland I am sure she will appreciate that very much. (We can all remember those first few scary weeks in blogland can't we LOL!!!).

Anyway, I hope you have had a good Saturday .. .. I bet you are all excited about the Eurovision Song Contest this evening aren't you? (not).

Catch you all again soon.

Love Jules xx

25 comments:

Emma (metalicbutterfly) said...

HI Jules

Great card its lovely like the dp you have used
and the image looks so peaceful...

Emma xxx

Fleur said...

Fab card Jules, great layout & lovely image
Hugz Fleur xXx

Jackie said...

Lovely card Jules, sorry you had a wasted journey to the garden centre, you know what they say something about if something seems too good to be true it usually is!

Have a good weekend my buddy, we need to catch up soon.

Jackie
xx

Debs said...

Hiya Jules
Love this card - it looks so serene.
Would love to take a walk along that shore.
Hope the weather picks up for you.
Take care
Debs xx

Sally H said...

Your card is gorgoeus! Remind me to buy silhouette grass next Saturday! Sorry to hear about the hanging baskets and the diesel. The weather here has been pretty wet too. I drove up to my Dads in it this afternoon to take him a bit of shopping and share a cuppa. I'm just hoping the rain is washing off some of the dust from the car!

Kerry said...

Hi Jules,

Love the card and the scene.

Reminds me of the summer & happiness!!

Love,

Kerry xx

Shell Shearer Swinscoe said...

gorgeous card hun, love your sky looks just perfect...wish we'd had a bit more today, been raining on & off & blinkin cold..

As for your baskets hubby got mine & plants from Wilkos I have 6 & they were only £2 each and the plants were £2.50 for a tray & they are all out flowering and look gorgeous..will ask him to take pics when its not raining lol

huge hugs shell xx

PS thank you for your lovely comment yesterday xx

Tracy said...

Hi Jules,
Been over to Julia's and become a follower, boost her confidence a bit. Mind you she's done some lovely creations. I love your seaside scene so gorgeous, calm and serene, wish I was there.
Happy crafting
Tracy x

chris said...

Hi Jules
perfect, perfect, perfect, You have painted this so beautifully (would like to see this in the flesh) love the scene, would love this stamp, may have to go and look.
lots of hugs chris xx
see you soon!!

Kate's Makes said...

Jules this card is so so lovely - i've been gazing at it for ages - everything just fits perfectly :o) These stamps are now on my wish list as they are beautiful! Kate x

Little K Smith said...

Hi Jules
Lovely card, great image and papers. Love the raffia too.
Hope you have a better day tomorrow :)
Kelly.x

craftimamma said...

This card is gorgeous Jules. I love the stamped front with the lovely scene in the aperture. Really lovely!

I went to fill up with fuel too at Asda and they had run out of unleaded. You should have come for a cuppa and filled up at the same time, Lol!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful image, so well coloured!!!

So well done!

Jacee said...

What a lovely card, your colouring is fabulous, very very effective, love it Jules.

Anonymous said...

This is gorgeous!!

jem (jane elizabeth middleton) said...

Hi Jules
you might have found a nice and cheep hanging basket at tesco's, supermarket plants are ok.
Your card is more than ok it's simply stunning, i love it.
janex

April Diva said...

Hi Jules, I love, love, love this card. As others have said it's so peaceful. I daren't go over to Stampers Supermarket, I spend far too much last time lol! Hugs, Pauline x

Allison said...

what a lovely image- great card
Have a great rest of the weekend
AllisonX

Lexxie said...

What a beautiful scene you have created Jules, fantastic stamping and fab design,
Love Sarita xx

tiggertastic said...

this is amazing, how you have created this, really draws you into the card like a window

hope you are having a enjoyable bank holiday weekend, sarah x

Pop's Cards said...

This is fab honey just gorgeous hugs Pops x

Beryl said...

I knew I shouldn't have looked. I do have some of their stasmps and love them - I think I'll be going back there soon to pick up some scene stamps. I love the one you've used on this card as apart from the island in the sea - it reminds me of Wells Next Sea - a place I used to visit a lot when I lived in Cambridgeshire. Your design and bp is lovely too.
Beryl xx

Nicola said...

What a beautiful card almost feels like your there!!! I still don't know what I'm doing in blogland have to keep asking when I get stuck... Will have a look at the stamps though. Hugs Nicky xx

coldwaters2 said...

Oh wow Jules this is one awesome card the image your design this has a lovely serenity about it makes me wish I was on holiday.
Hugs
Lorraine x

simply stamps said...

Hello Jules,
I love your 'beach scene' card. I have always really liked this design, but not seen such a lovely card. It really is gorgeous. Thank you so much for telling people about my blog and also for mentioning the site. When I read the comments about your card, people did really seem to like the designs - so thank you for that.
One of my favourite 'Friends' stamps is the 'owl buddies' which is three owls sitting on a branch. I will post a sample card of this one.
I hope you have a good bank holiday monday, hope the weather is kind to us and that you have more luck with your plants!
x Julia
ps I will take your advice re the direct link.
You really are helping me get along in blogland, both practically and making sure I keep active!