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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 31 December 2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

Hi Everyone

Happy New Year's Eve  .. ..  ahead of what I hope is going to be a very happy year for you all.

I know lots of people who have had a really rubbish 2016 .. .. I particularly wish them a much kinder year ahead.

After making a clear pathway to my desk this morning I have had my first play with my Brushos this afternoon and I love them!!

This is what I came up with:




This used:

Image:  Indigo Blue "SFL" Stylised Flowers
Sentiment:  A very ancient Pink Petticoat Download that is no longer available (sorry)
Brushos:  Vermillion, Orange and Lemon
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Star Dust Stickles

and that is it.

Not bad for a first play.

Can't hang about tonight . . . . we are off to see the new year in with my lovely Sis .. .. and I have volunteered myself the driver for the evening .. .. so no sore head for me tomorrow!

Best make sure Mr Heart has got my elder flower cordial in the drinks bag!!

Have a good evening everyone .. .. many thanks for all the good wishes and emails.  I'll catch you soon.  Mwah!!!!


Friday 30 December 2016

SANTA WAS VERY KIND

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a really lovely Christmas and have managed to make some special memories to think back on in times to come.

We had a great time in the House of Hearts .. .. but sadly the best of the fun has gone because our kids have now returned to their respective homes .. .. however Mr Heart and I are enjoying spending some special time together ahead of returning to work later next week.

I should really be making a start on that big crafty work list .. .. but I have to admit to having been rather lazy these last few days .. .. but I am looking on it as "training" .. .. because one of my new year resolutions is to try and play as hard as I work!!  But having said that it is all too easy to make rash promises to yourself in these lovely calm days that follow Christmas.  I can but try!

But having said that it is also hard to craft when the craft pod is still full of all the stuff that I just crammed in there ahead of all the visitors arriving.  It is a bit of an assault course to even get anywhere near my desk.  There is certainly some serious clearing up and organisation to be done in there!!  But all in good time!

I have been busy planning new designs and seeking out new suppliers for my wedding work and finding the location of an event's management company who I may be doing some work with next year.  No good being asked to attend a consultation if you don't know how to get to them!!!

I do have to admit to my fingers being very itchy though .. . especially where one of my Christmas pressies are concerned ..  because the kids arranged for Santa to bring me these little beauties:



I have them all ready for using .. .. though I do want to put little colour swatches on the top of each pot. The only slight problem I have is that now the pins are in place the lid doesn't close properly.  I know they will fit nicely into something like an old ice-cream carton .. .. but I much prefer to keep crafty goodies in their original packaging where possible.  Is that just me?

Looking forward to my first play and creation .. .. let's hope it is something worth looking at!!  LOL!!

Catch you again soon ahead of a sparkly, brand new year starting.  


Saturday 24 December 2016

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Hi Everyone

Happy Christmas eve ahead of what I hope will be a very happy Christmas for everyone.

Today is my favourite day of Christmas and already the London Kids have arrived!!!  In fact they arrived super early, let themselves in, switched off the burglar alarm, made themselves a drink and sat waiting for us to wake up. All that noise and we never heard a thing!!  They even sent a text message to say they were an hour away and we never heard that either LOL!!!  We are either going deaf or are shattered before we even start!

Not much crafting has been going on here over the last week because Mr Heart as been on holiday from work all week.  A few batches of Christmas cards for our use and lots of Christmas preparations but that is all.  My fingers are already well itchy to get creating again!

I did sit and paint up some pine cones yesterday with white Gesso and sprinkled them with Glamour Dust for hanging on the tree.  I have just added the ribbon and hanger to the first one:


and as you can see I am making use of my wooden wedding venue samples over Christmas too.  That pine cone will move to the Christmas tree once I have added the ribbon to all of the others, otherwise I think I will have a bit of a disaster on my hands when the candles get lit later!

So it is back to the kitchen for me now to create some more lovely cooking smells, but not before I wish everyone a super happy Christmas.

I wish all the best to all my blog buddies, to my customers "old" and "new" who love to visit my blog to see what I am up to, and also to anyone else who just happens to stumble across me on their trip around blogland!

Have fun!

Wednesday 14 December 2016

YAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday!

Some of you may remember that I made some "yappy Christmas" cards earlier this year, but today I am going for a "yappy Birthday" one instead.  

This one is for our Uncle's birthday tomorrow and was made and scheduled at the crack of dawn this morning ready for delivering tomorrow.  




This used

Sizzix Die:  "657687" Puppy Dog 
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Carbon Type"
Backing Papers are from the "off cut" box 
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

and that is it!

Short and sweet from me today as my crafty list is getting bigger instead of smaller .. .. and time is running out to clear it before Christmas.  Mr Heart breaks up from work on Friday and I never get as much done as I would like when he is around .. .. he is too lovely a distraction!  LOL!!

Though I have warned him there is a list being compiled of things to keep him out of mischief!!

Catch you again soon.

Tuesday 13 December 2016

TEENY, TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday .. .. another day that has disappeared in the blink of an eye!

It has been a wedding work day here in the House of Hearts today for the lovely Spring brides that feature in my 2017 diary .. .. plus Christmas makes which are still needed.  

But I have also pulled together a little 3.5" square teeny tiny card:




This used:

Sentiment:  Lili of the Valley Download - Block Sentiments
Backing Papers:  Kaisercraft " Key to my Heart"
Spellbinder Dies:  Classic Circles and Scalloped Circles
First Edition Dies:  Nesting Stamp Dies
X-Cut flower punch
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Ribbon
We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

and that is it!

Have a lovely evening.


Monday 12 December 2016

HAPPY MONDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!

I hope you have had a good weekend.

Ours was lovely and has seen us celebrate the on-coming of Christmas with friends, and the emptying of the roof space of all the Christmas decoration packages.  What a mess that has created everywhere .. .. on top of all the crafty mess I had already made!!  I definitely need to make best friends with Mr Dyson and Mr Sheen and Mr Muscle .. .. and smartish.  Strange thing is I am actually looking forward to getting super tidy.  I am ashamed to say that housework and me are definitely strangers nowadays and it is time for us to get re-acquainted. LOL!!

I am really starting to get excited now .. .. especially as the Christmas tree has been assembled and decorated.  But there is still a list of crafty projects that need completing for lovely customers and then I can start on my own Christmas makes.

Never a dull moment here!

But today I thought I would share some of my contributions for Issue 160 of Quick Cards Made Easy Magazine which is available now.

The first commission was a glossy effect technique project and my favourite from this set was a layered shadow box .. ..  not that the glossy effects are showing very well in my photograph


and this second one was for a die pairing commission .. .. where "again" I used that inlaid die technique that I love so much


So these are my shares for today.  Back to work now for me but hopefully I will have something to share for Teeny Tiny Tuesday tomorrow.

Enjoy your day everyone.


Wednesday 7 December 2016

GETTING THERE -

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday!!

I hope all is good with everyone.

Sorry for my lack of posts .. .. but life has been super busy here .. .. but I do believe I am coming out of the other side now so things should soon calm down.

There were so many things on my urgent crafty do list that I just needed to keep my head down and get on with them.  But now everyone I am currently working for is happy I can enjoy submerging myself in Christmas makes for a few day.

This was my favourite from today's batch:




This used:

Sizzix Thinlits Die Set "660978" - Woodlands
X-Cut Mini Sentiment Die - Merry & Bright
Backing Papers were from my left-over box but if anyone desperately needs to know where they came from I can do a search for you
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Josy Rose Nail Heads
Ribbon

and that is it .. .. another lovely flat card as once again I have used my favourite inlaid die technique. I really enjoy this technique .. .. it must be something to do with all those jig-saw puzzles we did as kids! 

So that is me for today.

I'll catch you again soon.