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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.

Friday 28 February 2014

HAPPY WEEKEND

Hi Everyone

Just calling by to wish you all a lovely weekend!

Sorry I haven't posted any hearts for you to find the last couple of days (or done any blog visiting .. .. tut tut!!!) but it has been super busy here. 

Lots of wedding work this week and savvy new couples getting in with appointments and sample requests ahead of the wedding fayre on Sunday. There is still so much I want to pull together before then!!!  My head is buzzing with ideas for new lines and designs but sadly no time to put them to good use just yet.  

But there is still tomorrow!!  A whole new bright and sparkly day I can use to make a difference .. .. let's just hope tomorrow lasts for at least 72 hours .. .. which would make February a more normal month with 31 days LOL!!

Have a good one everyone and I will see you soon with a new heart to find  .. .. hopefully!!

Love and weekend hugs

Wednesday 26 February 2014

BIRTHDAY CANDLE BIRDBRAIN

Hi Everyone

A scheduled post from me today as I am nicely up to my neck with wedding ribbons and bling and wanted to hit the ground running  ... .. another head down and get on with it day!!

A fun card  using an image from a new digital place I came across the other day  .. .. I only bought one image just in case I wasn't happy with how they looked once printed out etc.  But they are fabby!!!  I feel sure this Birdbrain character is going to be a regular visitor to my blog .. .I lurv him!!

So a quick and simple card from me as time is short and precious here at the moment:




This used:

Image and Sentiment:  From The Heart:  "Birthday Candle Birdbrain" (the image came with lots and lots of sentiments)
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
X-Cut:  Small Flower Punch
Glamour Dust
ProMarkers
Chalk
My Trust Sewing Machine
Metallic Cord from My Stash Box

and that is me for today.

Edited to say that my lovely blog buddy Amanda kindly pointed out that the image I had used was the image of the month over at "From The Heart" so my creation can be entered into the Stamp of the Month challenge!  Woo hoo!!  Off I go to enter .. .. and thanks Amanda for letting me know xx. 

Have a good day everyone and I hope you find a bit of quiet crafty time for yourself somewhere during the day.

Love

Tuesday 25 February 2014

HAPPY RUDOLPH DAY - FEBRUARY 14

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday and happy Rudolph Day .. .. yes .. . the 25th of another month which means it is time to play along with Sandra's lovely Rudolph Day Challenge.

Two (or more) creations needed nowadays so that Christmas card storage box will hopefully fill up even more quickly.

An organised post from me today for a change (though I have had plenty of warning LOL!) .. .. I just wish that all my posts could be sitting there in draft form ready and waiting to be publish :-(

So here are my creations:





These used:

Images:  Penny Black "4268K" Crystal Drops and "3057K" Leaping Deer
Sentiment:  Digistamp Boutique "Simply Christmas Greetings"
Backing Papers:  Nitwit Collections  "Winter Wishes Too" and "Great White North FQB"
Nestabilities Die: Lacey Square
Impression Obsession Dies:  Snowflakes DIE100-F
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
WOW! Embossing Powder:  Bright White Super Fine
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Gems, Ribbon, Charm, Twine, Metallic Thread and Waste Peel Off Dots

and I think that is it.  Thanks for whipping me into action Sandra xx

A few bits of stray white embossing powder there .. .. but as my Mum would say "a blind man would be pleased to see them" !

Catch you again soon.

Have a good day and get those Christmas goodies out again and play along if you get chance.  You know you will be pleased come November.   There is a lovely prize to be won too .. .. a snowman "with a heart" stamp!!   Ahhhh!!!  LOL!!.

OK back to the wedding work now.

Love

Monday 24 February 2014

GARDEN FLOWERS SKETCH

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!

What a fast day .. .. all the other days this week had better not disappear so quickly as there is a lot to pull in!!

I am on a mission to use up some of the old paper pads I have stored away so this little creation uses a couple of pages out of one of them.




This used:

Image:  Hero Arts "H2817" Garden Flowers Sketch
Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat
Backing Papers:  Wild Rose Studio "Lilac Mist"
Nestabilities:  Deckled Rectangles
My Trust Sewing Machine
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Diamond Stickles
ProMarkers

I can't wait to see all of the flowers popping up again in the garden.  The daffodils are already through with buds on!

Before I go quite a few of you asked about the sentiment on my first Snippet Card yesterday.  Some people thought it was a computer generated one and wanted to know what font I had used .. .. .. sorry to disappoint you but it was a Penny Black rubber stamp.  "2908F .. .. to you"  (I wish I could type in that font!).

Enjoy what is left of your evening and I'll catch you again soon .. .. I hope!

Love

Sunday 23 February 2014

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a lovely Sunday .. .. ours has been nice and relaxing (though there is still the dreading ironing to do grrr!!!) LOL!!

My snippet creations for taking over to Pixie's Snippet Playground this week are all finished and ready for showing the playmates.  The Christmas card make each week is slowly becoming a habit and I have a nice little collection building up already.  I really must get their inserts added and pop them into their wrappers otherwise that is going to become a mission all of its own!

So, here are my makes:





As always I am super lazy on a Sunday and do not list my ingredients but if you need to know anything then just ask away.

Time for me to get that ironing board out :-(

Enjoy the rest of your evening everyone.

Love

Saturday 22 February 2014

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE - FEBRUARY

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday.

I hope you have had a good day.

It was quite a nice day weather wise her today .. .. almost Spring like!! 

The first bright sunny days of a year always seem super special and I get all excited about the prospect of hopefully a lovely summer coming .. .. .. but on the down side it shows up all the dirt that seems to have collected in strange places over the winter!  Eeeekk!!  Had to do a few "marigold" jobs this morning as I felt so guilty!!  LOL!!

I also realised that I hadn't joined in the Penny Black Saturday Challenge yet this month .. .. and time is running out .. .. so here is my offering




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "1301K" Hedgehog Kisses
Sentiment:  Elzybells (sadly no longer trading)
Backing Papers:  Docrafts "Forever Friends Kraft Notes"
Adirondack Lights "Pink Sherbert"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine
ProMarkers
Ribbon and Mulberry Flowers from My Stash Box

and that is it.

The theme this month for the challenge is "For Someone Special" .. .. mine is for for "someone(s)" special. Hope it counts!

Enjoy the rest of your evening and I'll catch you again tomorrow with my snippet makes .. .. you wouldn't believe how many of those pesky snippets I have made today!!!  Serious cutting out duties were needed for wedding orders and now I have snippet mountains to prove it!  

See you soon.

Love

Friday 21 February 2014

SWEET DAY

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a "sweet day" and wish you a "sweet weekend" too!

I'm afraid I got carried away with orders and wedding work today and didn't make anything new to share .. .. so instead I will show you one of my "stand-by" cards!

I make this card lots.  It is a great "stand-by" to make when you are in a hurry!




This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat but neither are available any more I'm afraid :-(
Backing Papers:  First Edition "Boho Chic"
Martha Stewart Punch:  Traditional Scallop
X-Cut Punches:  Large Corner Rounder and Flower Punch
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Diamond Stickles
Ribbon from my Stash Box

Catch you again soon.

Enjoy your weekend.

Love

Thursday 20 February 2014

WOW! FEBRUARY CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good Thursday.

My day has gone well again and I even managed a few samples ready for the wedding fayre a week on Sunday.  

Once the fayre is over some of the samples go to my lovely Sis's salon for the wedding cabinet and I thought it would be nice if there were a few different "props" to go alongside them .. .. so I made this:


  

This used:

A candle in a dinky jar (one of the £1 presents I was given at the Christmas table).  It looks huge here .. but it isn't!!
WOW! Stamp Set "Gratitude"
WOW! Embossing Powder "Neutral Ultra Shimmer"
Lace, Ribbon and Button from my Stash Box  

I stamped the hearts onto the ribbon using the stamp set and heat embossed the flower lots of times so that it was super shimmery.  I did feel cruel chopping the leaves off the flower but they just weren't needed this time!

I am also going to enter my little make into the WOW! February Challenge where the theme for this month is "Glass".

Hope you enjoy what is left of the evening.

Love

Wednesday 19 February 2014

SKETCH AND STASH CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday .. .. just!! 

A brilliant (and very rare) day in the House of Hearts .. .. as I was actually quite pleased with how much I crossed off that very long "do list". Not very often I say that!!  Mark it on your calendar as I may not say it again this year LOL!!!

My share today is for the Sketch and Stash Challenge.




This used:

Image:  Woodware "FRS160"  Patch Owl
Sentiment:  Computer Generated and stamped over with a blank Lili of the Valley label stamp.
Backing Papers:  Nitwits "Truly Madly Deeply" Collection
My Trust Sewing Machine
Crazy Daisy Flower Loom Winder for my twine flower (only one left in my little box now :-(  so I need to make some more)

and here is the sketch I worked with if you fancy playing along .. .. .


Part of taking part in this challenge is to use something neglected or new.  I went with the "new option" so that I could use my new download from Nitwits!  Love it!!!

Catch you again tomorrow .. .. hopefully a bit earlier than today!

Love

Tuesday 18 February 2014

DECO VASE

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday.

I hope you have had a good day.  Mine has disappeared again super fast!

Time for a quick make though .. ..




This used:

Image:  Magenta:  "19746" Deco Vase
Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat
Backing Papers:  GCD Studios "Soul Food"
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
and whatever that black woven strip is called I have machined over LOL!!

and that is me for today.

Time for a few turns of that Cuttlebug handle now whilst catching up with a bit of TV .. .. I need lots and lots of hearts for a set of wedding invitations/order of service booklets.  

Catch you again soon.

Love

Monday 17 February 2014

SKETCH SATURDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!

Well that sunshine didn't last long did it?!?!?

Today has been another big wedding day here in the House of Hearts with lots of samples done ready for happy couples to look at .. .. but before I started I was clearing everything away and found this little image that I had already tickled with my ProMarkers.  So I decided to put him to good use rather than transfer him to the "coloured and waiting to  be used" box!

Sketch Saturday Challenge to the rescue and a card was done in no time as I didn't have to think about it LOL!!!  Note to self .. .. must use more sketches!!!




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4082H" To Cake Moment 
Candle Background:  Stamps Happen "30023" Birthday Candes
Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat (no longer available)
Backing Paper:  Wild Rose Studio "Gorgeous Ginghams"
My Trust Sewing Machine
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Diamond Stickles
Nestabilities:  Classic Circle and Scalloped Circle Large
Metallic Cord from My Stash Box

and that is it!

If you fancy playing along then here is the sketch I followed:


Time to escape to the bath next!

I'll catch you again soon.

Love

Sunday 16 February 2014

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend.

We have had beautiful sunshine today .. .. so different to everything the rest of the week held!  Let's hope it is a taste of things to come.

So Sunday in the House of Hearts is snippet day and here are my creations for taking over to Pixie's Snippet Playground this week.

  



As always on a Sunday I am lazy and don't list my ingredients.  But as always just ask if there is anything you want to know.

I was asked a couple of things last week:

1.  How did I cover my snowflake with tartan on my Christmas snippet make last week?  Well actually I was well spoilt and the snowflake was already covered .. .. it just happened to match the paper I used.  They have sat in my little stash box for ages unused .. .. but last week they came into their own.  LOL!!!

2.  What font did I use on Mr Heart's Valentine card?  It is called "CarbonType"

I am also going to enter my first card into a new challenge that has been started by the lovely Mrs A .. .. one of the playmates from the Snippet Playground!!  It is called Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge .. .. follow the link if you want to find out any more.

Have a lovely evening and a great week and I will catch you when I do. 

Love