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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 March 2018

MARCH RUDOLPH DAY CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday!

I hope you are all having a lovely Easter break.

I am now home for two nights whilst my brother and sister are on "Mum duties" .. .. and I am happy to report that things are progressing well.  Still a way to go but every day sees some improvement and we can't ask for more than that can we?!?!?

So once home I realised it was my last day for playing along in the March Rudolph Day Challenge ..: .. and I am playing along using a gorgeous stamp I won in the January Rudolph Day Challenge.  Isn't it super cute?  Thank you Mo!




This used:

Image:  Stamping Bella "Santas Loot"
Sentiment:  Stampendous "CRH296" Joyeux Noel
Snowflakes:  "Memory Box" Snowflake Heart Die
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Stampendous White Fun Flock
Distress Oxide Ink Pad:  Broken China
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is it.

One more lovely flat Christmas card into the box!  Yay!!

Right better go and link up quickly before time runs out on the challenge.

Enjoy your Easter break everyone.


Friday 30 March 2018

GUEST DESIGNER POST - DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday .. .. in fact Happy Good Friday!!!

My card for today is one I made using the limited supplies I had taken to use whilst staying with Mum.  This week I did make sure I took my printer .. .. that was the thing I missed most last week (apart from Mr Heart of course!!).

My card was made for giving to Mr Heart, as we celebrated our wedding anniversary yesterday.  We went out for a romantic dinner for two on Wednesday evening and I even got to sleep in my own bed for a night whilst my lovely Sis took over caring for Mum for the night.  This also meant I could sneak a quick photograph at home before I popped my creation into its envelope. 




This used:

Image:  DigiStamp Boutique using the set "Tweet Hearts Collection"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font Dragonflight Pro Regular
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Sweet Nothings"
X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch
ProMarkers and Chalk
Hairspray
Glossy Accents
Eyelets and Eyelet Setter

and that is it

But before I go I would like to thank everyone for all the well wishes you have been sending for Mum .. .. they certainly seem to be doing the trick because this week has definitely seen some improvement.  Still a way to go but we are starting to win.  Yay!!!

Enjoy the Easter weekend whatever you are doing.





Tuesday 27 March 2018

FOUR AND A HALF DAYS TO GO

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday .. .. I hope you are having a good day.

I am still with Mum and have spent some time today having a little crafty session on a little lap tray whilst Mum looked on.  She quite enjoyed watching me make a card and was asking lots of questions.

She asked whether I was OK working on such a small area and I said it is quite a big area really  .. .. .. if I was working on a desk I would probably be confined to an eight inch square!  LOL!!

Quite a basic card though because I have very limited equipment here at Mum's and I only the one photograph too unfortunately.

So, four and half days is when the customer competition ends over at Digistamp Boutique .. .. .. Saturday the 31st March.

This month, for the first time, the lovely Sally-Ann moved the competition over to Facebook and anyone who enters will receive this cute little image and sentiment for free just for entering.    You could use it the following month if you fancied ?!!?

But the overall winner will receive a lovely £10 voucher to spend on the website.  Simply pop over HERE  to  join the group and enter your project.  You can add anything .. .. as long as it uses one of Sally-Ann's gorgeous images.



This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Digistamp Boutique "free to March competition entrants" but for sale on the website from April
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Blank Canvas"
Chalks sprayed with cheap hairspray for the background
X-Cut Palm Punch:  Small Flower
Stitched Square Die
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Black Fineliner Pen
Gems and Ribbon from my crafty stash box

and that is it.

Sorry for the photograph.  This is the best I can do under the circumstances.

Hope everyone is well.


Saturday 24 March 2018

GUEST DESIGNER POST - DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday!

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

I have returned home for a couple of days after spending time looking after my Mum following her much longed for discharge from hospital.

She is still quite poorly and has good days and bad days but we feel we are making progress .. .. slowly.  I have been sleeping on Mum's settee, and will continue to do so until she is back on track.  Luckily I am able to be with her all week, day and night .. .. I have set up office in her living room to get urgent work completed .. .. but any work that doesn't fit into the time-frame I currently have has had to be turned away .. .. and that is how it will be until Mum no longer needs me as much as she does now.  Thankfully all of my wedding couples and customers are being very understanding.  

But now it is the weekend and I am back home with Mr Heart and my lovely Sister, Brother and Sister in Law are looking after Mum.

So with my crafty fingers itching, and a few urgent cards needed, I thought I would see what I could create using one of the new "Quick Print" pre-coloured image/sentiment sheets that Sally-Ann has just added to the boutique.  The sheet I have used here is called "Flower Vases". 

I started by creating a card in a box .. .. using an image and sentiment for the card and another for the outside of the box.





and then a little teeny, tiny 3.5" card just to complete my set for today.

 All super quick to make .. .. just print and create!  

No stamping or colouring necessary .. .. just perfect for those "pressured crafty times" 
(which I know only too well at the moment LOL!!)



Love the colours used for this set very much and the dotted border around the larger images.

So that is me for today .. .. .. not sure when I will be here again .. .. it is just a case of "as and when" for the time being.

Thank you for all the lovely comments you left on my previous posts.  I appreciate them very much.

Don't forget to alter those clocks tonight!!!  One less hour in bed :-(



Thursday 15 March 2018

BLOGLAND STRANGER

Happy Thursday everyone!

Just a quick message to apologise for my lack of anything anywhere in blogland at the moment.

My Mum has been really poorly and I have been trying to nurse her back to good health .. ..but unfortunately I am clearly not up to the mark in that department because she ended up being admitted to hospital yesterday with suspected pneumonia.

Left the hospital around 10.45pm yesterday and am back again this morning at 9.00am for the results of yesterday's tests. 

Mum definitely didn't want it to involve a "sleep over" so she is not a happy bunny on a few counts.  No doubt today every other sentence will be "but I'm going home today" . .. . and that won't be a question it will be a statement.  Then when I say "we will have to wait and see what they say" she won't be happy because it isn't the answer she wants to hear :-( 

She has done quite well really to have never been in hospital before .. .. and at the age of nearly 88 that can't be bad.  Lots of people would like to be able to say that I'm sure.  

Anyway, best get a wriggle on.

Take care everyone. 





Friday 9 March 2018

GUEST DESIGNER POST - DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!!  .. .. .. almost the weekend!  Yay!!

Here today showcasing another new image that the lovely Sally-Ann from Digistamp Boutique has added to her boutique.  So many new things being added that it is hard to know what to play with!!  Truth be known I want to play with them all, I just love colouring the cute images .. .. but I don't think my "happy couples" would like that somehow!  LOL!!

Today my card uses "Treadmill Ralph" . . . I think he makes a great male card





This used:

Image:  Digi Stamp Boutique "Treadmill Ralph" (as a new image he is on offer for a short while)
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Inkston Sans"
Backing Papers:  We R Memory Keepers "Love Notes"
X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch
ProMarkers
Ribbon
Buttons that have had their shanks cut off "ouch"
My Trusty Sewing Machine

So there we go .. . 

and just a reminder that you can enter any of your cards/projects using a Digi Stamp Boutique image into the monthly competition.  The prize is a fabulous £10 voucher to spend in the Digi Stamp Boutique Store.  This month the competition has moved to Facebook!  Pop over HERE and join our Group to join in.  

Plus, if you enter the competition this month you will receive a free image that you can use next month if you choose to.  More details about that on the Digistamp Boutique Facebook page.

So that is it from me .. .. have a great day ahead of a lovely weekend.



Wednesday 7 March 2018

WHITE CARD WEDNESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday!

I hope you are all having a good week.  It is so much different to last week isn't it?  In fact today was almost bordering on early summer with lovely sunshine.

I got back to my white card Wednesday theme today (the first time in ages) and after my dabble at a CAS Christmas Card on Sunday I decided to have a play with the CAS Watercolour Challenge for March where as well as watercolouring you need to include the theme of "garden".

Here is what I came up with .. .. 




This used:

Image:  Hobby Art Stamps "Poppy Bloom"
Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique Clear Stamp Set  "Everyday Sentiments"
Winsor and Newton Watercolour Paint Palette
Dashed Square Die
Ribbon

Quite enjoyed getting my watercolours out for a change.

Catch you again soon.


Sunday 4 March 2018

CAS CHRISTMAS CARD CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday!

How is your snow doing?  We still have some here and were given an extra sprinkling overnight. 

Yesterday I noticed a new challenge that has been added to Bonnie and Loll''s challenge collection called "CAS Christmas Card Challenge" where the theme for this month is "Holly".  

I must admit that I am not very comfortable with doing CAS .. .. all that white space scares me .. .. but only when I see it on my own work for some reason.  I admire the CAS look that other crafters create and share very much.  

So in an attempt to wean myself off all the layers and papers here is a card I have made for this first challenge.




This used:

Image and sentiment:  Digistamp Boutique "Christmas Frames"
X-Cut:  Small Polka Dot Embossing Folder
Dashed Square Die
ProMarkers
Glossy Accents
Glamour Dust
Glitter Card

So another Christmas card to add to my collection .. .. and a flat one at that!!

Enjoy your Sunday everyone.


Friday 2 March 2018

GUEST DESIGNER POST - DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!

I hope you are all well and are safe and sound if you have been subjected to the strong winds and snow.

Today I am sharing a card I have made for posting to the DigiStamp Boutique blog .

This uses a new clear polymer stamp set that has just been added to the boutique called "Heart Bunny".  As you can imagine anything that involves a heart catches my eye instantly LOL!!

The set is made up of a cute bunny peeping through a heart along with seven sentiments.




This used:

Image:  DigiStamp Boutique "Heart Bunny"
Backing Papers:  We R Memory Keepers "Love Notes"
Die-namics Die Set "Blueprints 14"
ProMarkers
Acetate
Sequins
Button
Ribbon
Glamour Dust
Dimension tape
My trusty sewing machine

I used the bunny image to create a little shaker style topper filled with pink and green sequins.

Don't forget you can enter any of your cards/projects using a Digi Stamp Boutique image into the monthly competition.  The prize is a fabulous £10 voucher to spend in the Digi Stamp Boutique Store.  This month, we've moved our competition to Facebook!  Pop over HERE and join our Group to join in.  We look forward to seeing you.

So that is me for today.  Stay safe and warm everyone.  There is a definite lack of school children around and about so all of their wishes must have come true and they got another day off school. 

It is a long, long time since our kids were at home and we would snuggle under the covers in the "big bed" listening to the radio hoping that they were going to announce their schools as closed.  Happy days!!  So long ago and yet it feels like yesterday!

I am hoping Mr Heart and I are hibernating this weekend .. .. I have lots of wedding ribbons to tie!!

Thursday 1 March 2018

PRETTY FLOWER VASE

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday .. .. and happy March too! 

We have had even more snow all day today .. .. and such strong winds!  The poor little birds in the garden were struggling to get to and from the bird feeder!!

I need to get cracking on some Mother's Day cards and this is my first one for this year: 




This used:

Image and Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique "Pretty Flower Vase"
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Paper Flowers"
Nestabilities: Circle and Scalloped Circle
ProMarkers
Corner Rounding Punch
Glamour Dust
Glossy Accents
Acrylic Stones
Pearls 
Ribbon
My Trusty Sewing Machine

Our schools were all closed here today .. .. so the local kids all had an unexpected day off.  I wonder if they will get another one tomorrow?  I bet lots of little folk are hoping they will.

Stay safe and warm everyone.