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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.

Sunday 24 January 2016

JUST REPORTING IN

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday .. .. I hope you are having a good weekend.

Many thanks to everyone who has been checking in on me and enquiring if everything is all OK in the House of Hearts.

I am very happy to report that all is good .. .. .. just very, very busy and exciting.

I really don't know where January has disappeared to.  It seems to have passed in the blink of an eye .. .. I am just hoping that the whole year isn't going to speed along at the same rate!!

My time has been spent mainly on orders, magazine commissions and wedding work .. .. all being things that I can't share at this point in time.  I am also booked into a wedding fayre next Sunday and desperately want to get some new samples together to take there and get onto my website .. .. but I want to keep the customers I already have super happy first. 

Lots of new embellishments, ribbons, lace and cardstock to create with on the wedding front, and a brain buzzing with ideas .. .. .. but no time to put everything into action yet.  Oh I do hope the next week can be one of those long ones that lasts forever .. .. .. like when I was around 9 years old and a week at school felt like a month!!!  LOL!!!

But whilst having a bit of a relax last night I did create another little sketch for my library (yes, my brain doesn't switch off even when I am relaxing).  I must be so annoying to live with.. .. I am hyper all the time.

I haven't used all the other sketches yet  .. .. ..  but it is good to have them in reserve and I know that quite a few of you are enjoying using them too.  I am pleased about that.

So here we go:

Sketch Twenty Four which went into the library this morning


Have fun if you decide to have a play with it .. .. and let me know so I can come and have a peep!

Fingers crossed I get chance to make something to share this week .. .. but for now I am off to carry on with card cutting duties ahead of a mammoth printing session.  No rest for the wicked! LOL!!

So much for all the good intentions on my New Year Resolutions list .. .. hardly any of them have been put into action yet.  But I am not giving up on them. I will still be trying to improve where I can.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone and my apologies for not getting around to your lovely blogs at the moment.  I still love you all and miss visiting you lots!!  Mwah!!

Love

Monday 11 January 2016

SKETCH TWENTY TWO

Hi Everyone

I hope you all had a good weekend .. .. as usual things were pretty "full on" here in the House of Hearts .. .. but it was all very enjoyable.

I did at least get chance to play with Sketch Twenty Two and created this:




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3947K" Day-dreams
Sentiment:  Elzybells  (sadly no longer trading)
Backing Papers:  WeRMemory Keepers "Love Notes" (clearance bargain from TKMax!!)
Enamel Dots from Hobbycraft
ProMarkers
X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch
Diamond, Starry Night and Fruit Punch Stickles
Glossy Accents
Ribbon from my crafty stash box
and then Sketch number twenty two from my little sketch library (feel free to use it - along with any of the others from my library if you would like to).




I am also entering the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where this month "anything goes" (provided it is Penny Black related of course).

Hoping to be here with Teeny Tiny Tuesday this week .. .. so fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Love

Friday 8 January 2016

ANOTHER NEW SKETCH

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!

I have another new sketch to share with anyone who wants to play with it .. .. Sketch Twenty Three .. .. and I haven't even used Sketch Twenty Two yet!


This week has been very, very busy and jammed pack full with wedding and magazine work.  But a good chunk of the wedding work was collected today and the most urgent commissions were posted off so that means I can get on with some much needed general cards over the weekend.  

Who knows, I might even get chance to play with the un-used sketches (as well as being a much needed Mrs Wishy Washy in the old House of Hearts).  It is a sad day when you look forward to doing a bit of housework  LOL!!

Catch you soon.

Love

Monday 4 January 2016

HAPPY MONDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope your week has got off to a good start .. .. the first day back at work for lots of folk and back to school for our local kids.  

Getting back to a sense of normality after a good Christmas break always seems extra tough don't you think?

Many thanks for your lovely comments on my post of yesterday.  I was asked about the cute image on the new baby card .. .. it is Baby Rosie from Digistamp Boutique and you can find her here.

The new Quick Cards Made Easy magazine is going on sale tomorrow and I thought you might like to see a card from two of the commissions I was fortunate to be asked to work on. 

My favourite from the Watercolour Effects Commission was this one (though to be fair I loved each and every one and really enjoyed making them all).  Must make time to get my paintbrushes out more.


and the second commission was a Foiling commission and this stepped wobble card was my favourite from this set.


So that is me for today.

I'll hopefully catch you again soon.

Love

Sunday 3 January 2016

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a lovely Sunday .. .. very wet here weather wise .. .. just perfect for escaping to the old craft pod!

I started good and early today by clearing the remnants of Christmas crafting away and having a much needed tidy up. Whilst clearing I came across a couple of images I had coloured but not used so decided to use them both for a rare appearance in Pixie's Snippets Playground where we are encouraged to use up all our offcuts and scraps (and I certainly have a lot of those).

In 2014 I managed to play in the snippet playground far more than last year, and when I did I would always post two cards .. .. with one being a Christmas card.  It certainly made the approach to Christmas 2014 much more relaxed so I am going to try hard to do the same this year .. .. wedding work allowing of course! (apologies to the people who hate to see Christmas cards when it is no-where near Christmas).

So here we go .. .. my first Snippet makes for 2015 (whoops that should be 2016).





I am always lazy on a Sunday and do not list my ingredients .. .. but if there is anything you wish to know just ask and I will try my best to answer.

Enjoy the rest of your evening.

Love

Saturday 2 January 2016

NEW SKETCH FOR THE LIBRARY

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all having a good weekend.

Not only am I struggling to decide what day of the week it is .. ..  there is now a new year to bring into the equation .. ..  eeekk!!!

Sketch Twenty Two has been added to my little sketch library today.  


I was secretly hoping to have time to make a card using it at some point today .. .. but no!  No sooner am I home than weddings have taken over the day.  But never mind it is sitting there in my library ready to play with another day.  

Feel free to use it if you like the look of it.

Love

Friday 1 January 2016

HAPPY 2016

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday and Happy New Year!!

I hope that the new year is going to be kind to everyone and that Christmas has been special.

Mr Heart and I have spent Christmas in London with the London Kids and our youngest Son.  A really super special week .. .. apart from one thing!!

I managed to drop a really big clanger - but thankfully one which didn't have any serious consequences - and one which didn't cause any real harm .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..  .. but this is the photo evidence of my senior moment.



and to reach this conclusion all you need to do is put an electric kettle onto a gas hob and fire it up!! What an idiot!!

I managed to reach the point of flames coming from the base before I noticed .. .. and the smell was awful!! 

Drinks (of the non-merry kind) ended up being prepared using a saucepan until we could escape to the shops and buy a new one in the post Christmas sales!

Anyway, we have now returned home today and my itchy fingers are really looking forward to getting my crafty goodies out .. .. but of course the washing machine needs to go on overdrive first!!

Enjoy the new year .. .. and the calendar/diary that has all those blank spaces just ready for us to fill .. .. and of course the torturous and never ending new years resolutions list. I love the start of a new year and dreaming of what it might hold.

Have a good one everyone and be careful what you are doing with your kettles!!

Love