BOO HOO TIME

Hi Everyone

Big apologies for my rather long absence from blogland .. .. and continued apologies because I am not likely to be back in a hurry!

The weddings are manic and those alongside my magazine commissions have been keeping me ultra busy whilst still helping Mum (who is continuing to do well but does still need some TLC on a regular basis .. .. like we all do!!).

Quite a few weddings have come and gone over the last few weeks and I have had the pleasure of meeting lots of new couples too.

Mr Heart and I did a wedding fayre a month ago and I am still getting enquiries following on from that as well as taking orders on the day .. .. .. but we also have another one booked for next Sunday .. .. and my brain is buzzing with new ideas I want to put into action to take with us.  

We did escape for a few days last week to re-charge our batteries so fingers crossed this week time is going to go ultra slow and my re-charged energy levels will make it a super productive one. All so very exciting!  

But sadly my blog is suffering and I haven't been making anything I can share .. .. sorry!!

Thank you to everyone who has emailed to make sure all is well though.  I promise it is.

But now it is time for some sad news .. .. after today Sally-Ann's Digistamp Boutique images are no longer going to be available anywhere .. .. .. boo hoo hoo!  I am gutted.

I love, love, love Sally-Ann's work so much and I am going to miss using and seeing new images and sentiments pop up very very much!

I have done a lovely top up of Sally-Ann's gorgeous images from the LOTV website and was hoping to have shared some of the new ones here before everything folds .. .. but sadly that wasn't to be .. .. time just hasn't allowed it.

So instead I will share one of my favourite cards which I made when I was super happy to be on Sally-Ann's DT

This uses one of the gorgeous mermaid images .. .. and describes Sally-Ann perfectly

MER - MAZING

Thank you Sally-Ann for having shared your talent with everyone for so long and for being such a lovely caring and kind person.  If only the world could be filled with more people like you.

So .. .. if anyone else needs to "top up" before midnight then click quickly over to here lots of  special offers.

Take care all my lovely blog buddies .. .. I hope all is well with you.

HAPPY NEW HOME DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE

Hi Everyone

My apologies for being absent from my blog for a while .. .. ..  lots of lovely wedding work and a couple of hospital appointments with Mum have been keeping me well busy!

But I am here now to let you know that

DigiStamp Boutique has moved home today!!  

The lovely Sally-Ann is taking up residence with Lili of the Valley and going forward her gorgeous images are going to be sold from there.

To celebrate the launch there are two new gorgeous characters added to the range.  A cute hippo and a beautiful mermaid .. .. and because I couldn’t decide which to play with .. .. I played with both!  LOL!!

This used:  

Image and Sentiment DigiStamp Boutique "Mermazing Mermaid" 

Backing:  Created with Distressed Oxides: Twisted Citron, Faded Jeans and Broken China and splatters of water

Sizzix Thinlits Dies:  Garden Greens
Glitter Card

ProMarkers

Crystal Glamour Dust

Metallic Cord

Charm

Pearls

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Dimension Pads

Peel-Off Circles

I created the background first and then once well dried printed the sentiment directly onto it.

and this is my second card.  Such a cute little character. :

 This used:

Image:  DigiStamp Boutique "Hippo Birthday"
Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique "Hippo Huge Wishes"

Backing Papers:  Make and Create "Sweet Garden Roses"

X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch

First Edition Craft "Bunting Die"

ProMarkers

Crystal Glamour Dust

Chalk

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Ribbon

I really enjoyed making these little creations.  One card that I simply coloured and layered up and another where I had fun inking up an ocean background  .. .. and that is me for today.  

It just leaves me to wish a 

"Happy New Home" to  DigiStamp Boutique!

MONDAY'S MALE

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good Monday.

Here rather late so I will jump straight into it and share a card I have put together this evening using an image from my "coloured up and ready to use" box.  It has been getting nice and full recently so it is time to start turning some of those images into cards!!

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4130K" You make me bob!

Sentiment:  Digistamp Boutique "Everyday Sentiments" Clear Polymer Stamp Set

Backing Papers: Avery Elle "Everyday Collection"

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

ProMarkers

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today!

A good day .. .. because I got to take Mum around all her favourite shops!  A big leap forward in her recovery.

I will hopefully make it here tomorrow with a teeny tiny creation!

I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS .. .. .. I THOUGHT EVERYONE DID!

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!

Hope you had a good weekend and enjoyed some sunshine.

We had friends round for dinner Saturday night and then Sunday I seemed to struggle to stay awake .. .. so I didn't!  LOL!!  I spent the day pottering about the place and snoozing .. .. in the hope of it making me hyperactive for this week.

I seem to be off to a good start .. .. and Mum was pleased with our efforts today so that was good!  LOL!!

Anyway, just a quick share today to show you the lovely free image and sentiment that Digistamp Boutique will be sending to everyone who enters their competition during April.  Still a few days left if you wish to enter .. .. all you need to do is use a Digistamp Boutique image on your creation.  Full details can be found here.

So here is my creation:

As well as it being a day for believing in unicorns (who doesn't?!?!?), it is also the last day for buying the current April newbies at a discounted rate and for making the most of the 40% discount on the new baby images.  Offers end tonight (Monday 23rd) at midnight UK BST.

So much to share from the lovely Sally-Ann.  She has been beavering away creating lots of new designs (lots of exciting things on the horizon) .. .. it is always hard to know what to play with first!!

Anyway, must fly.  One of my happy couples have ordered some extra invitations so I need to get card chopping!  Now Mum is improving I need to start catching up with the wedding world too.

Enjoy what is left of your evening.

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday!

I hope you have had a good day.  The weather has been very dull and miserable here .. .. .. but perfect for crafting!

Sunday is the day I try to use up some of my snippets and visit Di at Pixie's Snippets Playground to share what I made with them .. .. and this is my offering for this week:

As always on a Sunday I am lazy and do not list my ingredient but if there is anything anyone would like to know then please just ask.

So that is me for today .. .. short and sweet.

NEW LOOK THURSDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!!

I can't believe the weekend is nearly in touching distance already!!  Once again time seems to have whizzed by!

So as mentioned earlier in the week, Thursday on my blog is going to be renamed.  It will no longer be "Thursday's Child" but instead be known as TIMMAY day LOL!!

OMG what on earth is that?

Well I couldn't come up with anything better to call it .. .. and really it means:

THOSE I MUST MAKE ALL YEAR

which of course means Christmas cards!!  

I have decided that the only way I am going to keep myself sane in the future is to introduce them into my weekly routine.  So all my Christmas stash has been re-organised to be more accessible and organised and I am taking on the challenge.

It doesn't seem bad come this time of year but of course come the start of 2017 I know it really isn't the type of card that people want to look at .... but it will make my life easier later in the year ....so anyone who doesn't like to see them will just have to steer clear of my blog on Thursday's  LOL!!

So I am kicking off with this little number:

This used:

Image: Digistamp Boutique "Winter Rosie Set" 

Sentiment:  Computer generated using font "BaaBookHMK"

Backing Papers:  DCWV "Rose Tinted Christmas" 

Snowflake Die:  Penny Black "Crystal Trio"

MFT DieNamics Die Set:  Blueprints 14

My Trusty Sewing Machine

ProMarkers

Glitter card

Glamour Dust

Ribbon, Charm and Pearl from my crafty stash box

I am also going to enter this into the Digistamp Boutique Customer Competition for September as I have used one of Sally-Ann's scrummy images.

So that is me for today.

Life is definitely easier if you have cards made in advance ready to just finish writing the post for! Hope I can keep this up (but of course I am not holding my breath so please don't hold yours!).

Love Jules xx

WELL I WAS ON TRACK!

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday .. .. ahead of hopefully a happy weekend for everyone!

Well after my ambitious post of Wednesday where I proclaimed to the world that I was "back on track" .. .. well I was .. .. but it only lasted for a day LOL!!

How quickly things can change.  A couple of emails, a meeting with a bride, and a new wedding enquiry and suddenly everything goes off at a tangent.

I did work on a quick "Thursday's Child" card and once it was finished I decided I would also turn it into a sketch for my little sketch library.  Can you believe it has taken me longer to produce the sketch than it did to make the card!!  I had to give up on Thursday because the task was using up too much time (and hurting my head and testing my patience in the process).

Why?  It looks far simpler than a lot of the others!

Well it took me ages and ages to work out how to have just two rounded corners on the top panel.  I could have four straight away .. .. no problem.  But not two!  If I had let everything go off the edge of the base on the left it would have been easy too.  But that wasn't what I wanted .. .. and I hate things to get the better of me.

Eventually I managed it .. .. .. but already I have forgotten what I did!!  Clearly I need to repeat the process around 100 times in the hope it will become second nature LOL!!!

I am determined to master the Craft Artist 2 Professional programme, because it is so very, very useful.  But not being particularly computer savvy doesn't help!!

Anyway, after all that here is my card .. .. hope it was worth the wait:

This used:

Image:  Digistamp Boutique "Funtime Dan" Set 2

Sentiment: Computer Generated using font "Calibri"

Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat .. sadly no longer trading but I am still loving the papers very much

ProMarkers

X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Wink of Stella on the little fish and frog .. .. but you can't really see it in the pictures

and here is the patience testing new sketch which was added to the library today:

Tee hee!!!  Not much to it really is there!

Anyway if you feel the urge to use it .. .. or any of the others in my little collection please feel free to do so.  They are all on the tab at the top of my blog.

I am also linking up to the Digistamp Boutique Competition for July as I have used one of their scrummy images.

Enjoy the rest of today .. .. and your weekend.

Not sure if I will be making an appearance on my blog over the next couple of days.  It looks like a weekend of wedding samples and wedding work for me!!! Woo hoo!!!

Love Jules xx

WHAT IS IT?

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday .. .. the weekend is nearly here!!  Yay!!

Not sure what this card is.  It started off as my Thursday's Child card but as it didn't get finished until this evening it could even be my Feminine Friday card . .. . .. but whatever it is at least I have something to show. (Unlike the last couple of day).

To say life is very busy would be the biggest understatement ever at the moment.  But I will come out of the other side smiling eventually!  

Anyway, here is my share for today:

This used:

Image:  Digistamp Boutique "Rosie and Ice-Cream"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Rational TW Text"
Backing Papers:  TinkerNCo Digital "Modern Kate"
ProMarkers
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Ribbon from my crafty stash box
and Sketch Fifteen from my little sketch library at the top of my blog

and that is me for today.

I am also going to add my little creation to the June Customer Competition over at the Digistamp Boutique.

Not sure whether I will be able to make an appearance or not over the weekend .. .. it just depends on how all the work goes and if I feel on top of it enough to have a little dabble in my craft pod.  So much computer work to do that it is unbelievable!  If only I could persuade Mr Heart to retire from his day job and be my PA/researcher/banker/buyer and head of postal services my life would be so much calmer.  LOL!!

One thing's for sure though .. .. the weekend definitely needs to start with a crafty clear up.  So many things need returning to their rightful place.

Have a good one everyone.

Love Jules xx

THURSDAY'S CHILD

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

Many thanks for your lovely comments on my white on white creation of yesterday .. .. I must admit it didn't look quite so bad this morning in the cold light of day! Perhaps it is just me and I am someone who likes to see some colour in her life!! LOL!!

So Thursday is the day that I share a card for a child . . . . a theme I am much more comfortable with .. . and one that will fit nicely into this month's Penny Black Saturday Challenge where they are celebrating their 8th birthday and would like to see a birthday card.  Simples!! 

The Penny Black Saturday Challenge was the very first challenge I ever entered when my blog started in 2009 .... gosh how time flies.... and it has always been a favourite.  In those days it used to be a weekly challenge.  I am pleased to say my cardmaking and photography has improved a little since then.  If you fancy a laugh here is my very first Penny Black Saturday entry.

Happy birthday ladies!!

Here is mine:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "1445K" Partying
Sentiment:  Woodware Clear Magic Singles "FRS009" Make a Wish
Backing papers:  Tinker N Co "Little Cottage Cottons"
ProMarkers
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Ribbon and gems from my crafty stash box

and that it!  

Much easier to photograph than yesterday's creation .. .. though removing a huge fingerprint off the lens of the camera  probably helped!!  LOL!!!

Nearly time to put some more sketches designed and put into that library .. .. but not today.  Today is all about weddings with lots of ribbon tying and cutting out to be done. 

Just thought I would have a little break and post this up in-between missions.

Have a lovely day.  I hope you have some sunshine .. .. and the chance for a little crafting!!

Love Jules xx

THURSDAY'S CHILD

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

I hope you can see some of that lovely sunshine where you are .. .. we are definitely off to a promising start here!  A real improvement on all that rain we had yesterday!

So Thursday here on my little blog means a card for a child .. .. and here is today's offering:

This used:

Image:  All Dressed Up Stamps:  "Fairy Magic"

Sentiment: Lili of the Valley "Sentiment Tags"

Backing Papers:  First Edition Papers:  "Paper Flowers"

Martha Stewart Edge Punch: Daisy

X-Cut Punch:  Flower

My Trusty Sewing Machine

ProMarkers

Glamour Dust

Ribbon, Pearls and Gem from my crafty stash box

and that is me.

I won't hang about as I need to hit the ground running today .. ... there is a lot to be crossed off that list if my head is to stay above water!!

Edit:  Just noticed that I am in time to enter this little creation into the All Dressed Up Challenge.. .. so have just linked it up!

Have a great day everyone.

Love

THURSDAY'S CHILD

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

It is looking like we are in for another lovely day here today.  The sun has got his hat on already (and the washing machine is working its magic)!!

So today starts the next theme for my blog .. .. Thursday's Child where I am going to be posting anything child related. 

This is my (rather bright) creation for today .. .. .. 

This used:

Image:  Bugaboo:  Frame It - Bears Birthday  (whilst linking up I noticed there is a 50% off sale happening until the 8th May!!)
Sentiment:  Kolette Hall:  Party! 
Backing Papers:  Wild Rose Studio:  Polka Dots
ProMarkers
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Glamour dust used with a glue pen for the frame
Glossy Accents for the bears noses
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is it!

I must admit I think that bear at the bottom of the frame looks a bit worried. I wonder if he forgot to order the birthday cake!!  

My themes are nearly all complete now.  Friday is going to be "Feminine Friday" as named by the lovely Eve.  I was planning on calling it Female Friday .. .. but I much prefer Eve's title.  (She is clearly much more sophisticated than whot I is).   LOL!!!

Just Saturday to sort out now and that will be my week complete .. .. and if all goes to plan those themes will result in a nice mix of cards for my stock boxes.

Have a good day everyone.  Must dash .. ..  the crafty "must do" list is VERY long and I need to be extra hyper today!!  Certainly the lovely sunshine will help.

Love

BOT - FIRE AWAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!

Is anyone else feeling a tad chilly?  Jumpers have been out and in circulation again this last couple of days in the House of Hearts .. .. please don't say summer has gone already!!!  I do hope not - Mr Heart hasn't finished the patio work yet!!!  LOL!!

Anyway, here is my share for today:

This used:

Image:  Funky Hand "Bot - Fire Away"
Sentiment:  Computer generated using font "Chauncy"
Backing Papers:  Grafix Craft Sensations "It's a men's World"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Diamond and Gold Stickles

Mmm...  I wonder if I find a huge rocket and dig out one of the lad's old skateboards I could whizz through everything on my list a bit quicker?!?!?

OK, off on mega printing duty now.

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives everyone.

Love