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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.

Thursday 30 March 2017

ARE YOU AFTER TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS OXIDE INK PADS?

Hi Everyone

No card to show you .. .. my weddings are super busy today!!

But I did want to give you a quick "heads up" that Joanna Sheen has the full set of 12 Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pads on offer at the moment 
here 

and as I write this there are still some available but I know they are very sought after and not likely to last long.  (My birthday pennies have headed in this direction .. woo hoo!!!  Can't wait for them to arrive).

If they are already out of stock by the time you hit the link then simply register to be informed when they are back in stock . . . which is what I did.  I know that more are on the way!!

Good luck if you head that way in an attempt to part with your crafty pennies .. .. sorry not everyone has had a birthday to boost the funds up a little though.  


Wednesday 29 March 2017

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY WEDNESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday!

Get me .. .. two posts on consecutive days!! Wow!!

I know today is supposed to be a day when I share creations made using "just white card" .. .. but today is special so I am breaking my own rules!  What a rebel! 

Today is Wedding Anniversary day here in the House of Hearts!  

Mr Heart and I have been married for a whole 42 years!  Not sure where all of those years have gone .. .. all I know is that each and every one of them have been happy years which I am truly grateful for. I think it is only when we look at our six foot something Sons that we realise how time is passing.

I was a whole 19 and three days old when we got married .. .. .. and now you can do the maths and work out exactly how very very ancient I am!  But I don't feel it.  I am still the giggly, excited and full of life and dreams person I was then .. .. but probably just more annoying and impatient now.  Mainly because there is so much I still want to achieve and time seems to be disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The only thing I was impatient for all those years ago was babies .. .. I couldn't wait to be a Mum.  

But anyway, enough of memory lane, here is my card for Mr Heart .. .. made far too late last night!  I mean .. ..  I have only known all year that it was going to be needed!  LOL!!




This used:

Image:  Lili of the Valley "Hearts and Flowers"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using front "Sweetheart" and Lili of the Valley "Sentiment Tags" (though mine are the stamp version)
Backing Papers:  We R Memory Keepers "Love Notes"
ProMarkers
Crystal Glamour Dust
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Ribbon from my crafty stash box

So that is me for today ... with a soppy post and card to share.

Lots more printing and tying of ribbons for other "happy couples" for me today, ahead of clearing the dining room table and getting it set up with candles and flowers ready for our romantic dinner for two this evening.

Enjoy your day and evening .. .. whatever you may be doing.


Tuesday 28 March 2017

TEENY, TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!

I hope your week has got off to a good start .. .. and that all you Mummies out there had a great Mother's Day on Sunday.  Mine was extra special because it was also my birthday .. . so double celebrations.  Shame I had to loose an hour of sleep though by altering the clocks!!  

So many lovely cards and presents from family and friends .. .. and a Windows 10 laptop made its way into The House of Hearts courtesy of Mr Heart.  Not that I dare even switch it on yet.  I wonder if I should get a Windows 10 for dummies book to talk me through it all? or do I qualify for Windows 10 for seniors I wonder?!!  LOL!

So far I have avoided Windows 10 like the plague and declined all the offers of free upgrades etc on my current laptop for fear of it messing up all my wedding templates etc and it not supporting all the programmes I use .. .. but my old laptop is starting to show signs of not being very happy .. .. so I guess it is time to take a leap into the unknown and slowly master Windows 10 whilst I still have the old laptop to fall back on. Oh how I hate change!

Lots for me to do on all fronts this week .. .. wedding work, magazine work and general card orders so a real mixed bag for me. Let's hope it is a long, slow week, so I can get lots done ....

But as it is Tuesday I decided to try and pull in a quick teeny, tiny card to share with you whilst my printer is on overdrive with wedding invitations .. .. and here it is . .. my little 3.5" square creation:



This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3347H" Duckling
Backing Paper:  Tinker & Co Digital "Oopsy Daisy"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
White Gel Pen
We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

and that is me for today .. .. just a super simple make .. .. but hopefully one that somebody somewhere will be happy to receive..

.

Wednesday 15 March 2017

WHITE CARD WEDNESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday .. .. another lovely day with some beautiful sunshine!  

It is surprising how the start of spring lifts your spirits and gets you excited about the thought of summer.  (But we won't mention how grubby the windows suddenly look though LOL!!).

So Wednesday is the day I try and use up some of my offcuts of white card .. .. and today I took inspiration from the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge where the compulsory elements this month are to include "Stamping and Smooching" on your card and for the "free element" I included some stitching and used a bit of modelling paste through a stencil.

It is the first birthday for the challenge .. .. and it doesn't seem two minutes since Loll and Bonnie announced it starting.  I love to play along when I can because it makes you think a little differently, and there are always lots of links for learning the technique of the month.  Well worth checking out if you haven't yet played along.

Here is my creation for this month:




This used:

Image:  Lavinia Stamps "Zen Butterfly"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Sweetheart Script"
Colourcraft Brusho Set (Sorry but I can't tell you what my Brusho colours were.  I got a little carried away and ended up with a sprinkling of quite a few before I spritzed them and "smooched" my card through them). 
Tim Holtz Stencil:  "THS023" Woodgrain 
Winsor & Newton:  Modelling Paste
Nestabilities:  Classic Circles and Scalloped Circles 
Die'sire Dies:  Scalloped Tags
ProMarkers
Ribbon and a button from my crafty stash box
Crystal Glamour Dust
Glossy Accents
My Trusty Sewing Machine

.. .. and that is crafty me for today.

Take care and hopefully I will be around tomorrow with another creation.


Tuesday 14 March 2017

TEENY TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!

I hope your day went well.

I actually got washing on the line for the first time this year .. .. it will be lovely to have laundry that smells of fresh air again!

As promised here I am with one of my teeny, tiny creations (3.5 x 3.5 inches square for those of you who are new to my blog).

A while ago Lili Of The Valley had a fabulous offer on their digi images so I indulged in readiness for when I would have time to use them .. .. and the great thing about digi images is that you can re-size them.  So I have squeezed this little mouse down to fit on one of my little makes.  He didn't squeak so I don't think it hurt.




This used:

Digital Image:  Lili of the Valley "Three Kind Mice" (a set of three images)
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Dragonflight Pro"
Backing Papers: Wild Rose Studio "Wintry Christmas"
ProMarkers
My Trusty Sewing Machine
We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

So there we go.  

Take care everyone and have a lovely rest of today.


Monday 13 March 2017

WAKEY, WAKEY LITTLE BLOG

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!  

I hope all is well with everyone and life is being kind .. .. if not then I send you tight squeezy hugs and hope that things improve very, very soon.

Life here has been as busy and exciting as ever, with plenty to keep me out of mischief.  I certainly don't need to shake myself back into action .. .. just my blog!!

As well as lots of wedding and magazine work I have also been attempting to re-organise things a little ahead of the annual stock take that will soon be needed.  My accountant tries to throw some brightness on it by saying "you never know, you might find something you forgot you had" . .. . but nah! I know exactly what I have .. .. I just can't always remember what home it was given in the last round of re-organisation LOL!!

It has been all systems go on the wedding front with new couples signing up to be on my "happy couples" list, but as I am now waiting for deliveries, and information from happy couples, I am going to take the opportunity to knuckle down and get a stack of general cards made .. .. so all being well I will have some creations to share with you at long last!

For today though I thought I would share some pictures of work I completed for the current issue of Quick Cards Made Easy Magazine (Issue 163) which is now on the shelves.

I was happy to be asked to work on a couple of commissions .. .. this first one being part of a set showing ways of using die cut borders:


and another entitled "Jewel Effects".  This one used something quite new to me .. .. Nuvo Jewel Drops and these were great fun to try.


So there we go .. .. at last I have woken up my little blog .. .. and tomorrow I will be around with a Teeny Tiny Tuesday creation.

Have a lovely evening everyone.