BLOOMING HEART

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good day .. .. .. but if you haven't then I hope that things improve and that you feel much better soon.

Our promised snowfall is just starting!!!  We have been warned to expect six inches .. .. that is an awful lot of snow!!!  Eeeekkk!!!

Whether the prediction is correct we can only wait and see .. .but if it is then I foresee an awful lot of chaos on the roads tomorrow.

My card tonight features a beautiful new stamp that I was sent just before Christmas by a very special friend (thanks again - you are very kind xxxxxx).  She selected it especially for me .. .. I can't imagine why? LOL!!!  Aren't I a lucky girlie?

So here is my first play with it .. .. and I am also running along to show it off in the Snippet Playground.

I am also entering into the WOW! Embossing  Powder Challenge for January.  The theme is actually "Ice and Snow" but I am hoping my lovely Bright White, Super Fine embossing powder will count me as eligible for the challenge. 

This used:

Image:  Hero Arts "K5298" Blooming Heart
Sentiment:  Magnolia "I Love You (Text)"
Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat "Pinstripes" - printed in black onto kraft card
Wow! Embossing Powder:  Bright White
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads and Gems
Buttons and Button Twine from my Stash Box

My little "I love you" label was cut free hand.

So that is me for today.  A little bit earlier than last night.

I'll catch you again tomorrow.

Have good evening and stay safe if you get snow and need to go out in it!!

Love

MY VALENTINE

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday .. .. I hope you are all managing to keep warm!!

Our snow has just about disappeared now but we are promised quite a dollop of the old white stuff come Friday morning!!!  Eeeekkk!!!   We will have to wait and see!!

Wedding work has been the order of the day today so my share is something I created during my "no internet" stint last week and continues the Valentine theme!

 

This used:

Papers:  First Edition J'adore
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Nestabilities:  Heart
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Silver Embossing Powder
Ribbon, Skeleton Leaves, Pin and Metallic Cord from my Stash Box

There is a special happening going on in blogland and the lovely lady who is Darnell (and Mr Mister) are celebrating their wedding anniversary today .. .. sorry I couldn't post an anniversary card for you today .. .. .. but a Valentine card is a pretty close second.

I hope you have had a wonderful day Darnell .. .. and thank you for always making me smile xxx  (Anyone in need of a good chuckle on a regular basis needs to sign up to Darnell's blog.  She is a laugh a minute.

Have a good rest of the day! 

Love

JUST AN OLD FASHIONED GIRL

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!!

I hope you are all well.

Where have I been?  Well nowhere jolly that's for sure .. .. .. in fact I am lucky I have any hair left!!

The House of Hearts has been away on a journey into the world of installing Super Fast Fibre Broadband .. .. a journey which started last Tuesday and has only just finished .. .. .. three engineers and one week later!!!

Boy have I missed by internet connection!!  You just don't realise how much information you search for and how many times you use it .. .. until you can't! 

Thankfully my emails still came through onto my phone so I didn't miss any enquiries or orders but it wouldn't let me leave even the most basic of messages on my blog .. .. so I am sorry if you have been wondering where I was .. .. and thank you so much to all the people who enquired as to whether all was OK in the old House of Hearts.  There are so many lovely people out there in blogland and I was quite touched to have been missed.

So what have I been up to?  Apart from pulling at my hair out and testing my patience to the limit  .. .. 

Well the next two big events for me are a Wedding Fayre at the end of January at the new FA Training Ground .. .. St Georges Park .  I am expecting lots of interest from even the grooms at this event .. .. even if the couples aren't getting married there I can imaging the men folk wanting to attend to have a look around the place.  (Even Mr Heart has volunteered to help unload the car!!  Not something he would normally offer to do LOL!!).

So I have been getting my head around some new samples for taking to the wedding fayre and also Valentine's Day is only just round the corner .. .. and being super soppy I love making things for this "lovey dovey" occasion.

Here is one of the creations I have made (which doesn't want to photograph too well because of the glass in the frame.

This used:

Pink Petticoat Papers: Just An Old Fashioned Girl (my all time favourite of all Liz's collections)
Pink Petticoat Alphabet:  One of the fonts on the Big Fella Mix Alpha Set
Nestabilities:  Classic Square
Red Die Cut Heart run through "Roses" Cuttlebug Embossing Folder that had been rubbed with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink First.
Gold Embossing Powder
Tiny Self Adhesive Pearls

So at least you can see I have still been creating during my absence .. .. and I have met up with some lovely new "happy couples" too .. .. yay!!! 

Thankfully now my internet is back I can do some research for some "extras" I need for some wedding samples and can also catch up with all my lovely blog buddies to see what you have all been up to.  I feel I haven't visited for ages and ages!!!  The old internet is going to get a hammering tonight that's for sure LOL!!!

The final exciting news is that my lovely Sis has finally got her blog up and running.  Well done Joey!!! xxx  She has been working on some lovely ideas for posting later and I managed to have my first glimpse this morning.  Can't believe the day she went live I couldn't view.

If you fancy paying her a visit you will find her here.  (I just need to persuade her to take her comment moderation off!!  Is it just me or does everyone end up typing in the words and numbers at least three times before you find one you can read and enter correctly LOL!!!).   But I know she would love to receive a bit of bloggy love if you have any to spare!

Woo hoo!!!  Lovely to be back!!  I have missed you all.

Catch you soon.

Love

BACK TO NORMAL POSTING WITH A SNIPPET MAKE

Hi Everyone

Well after all the fun of the Christmas Quiz I am back to normal makes and postings and I decided my first port of call should be the Snippet Playground .. .. as I have been absent for two weeks without any letter from my Mum!!!!

Di won't be impressed.

So here is my first snippet share of 2013.

As it isn't Sunday I am not allowed to be lazy so here is what I used:

Backing Papers:  GCD Studios "Soul Food"
Sentiment:  Hobby Art "CS016D" General Greetings
Marianne Design Creatables Die:  Butterfly 3
Crafty Notions:  Double Sided Adhesive Sheet 
Lakeland Fine Glitter (from the days when they used to have a yummy craft section)
My Crafty Sewing Machine
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Ribbon from the Stash Box

The butterfly is based on the same idea I used on this Christmas card here. But this time I didn't remove the second layer of protective backing from the adhesive sheet and simply glued the body down with strong glue.

I tried to layer the glitter colours across the butterfly but unfortunately some of it has strayed into areas it shouldn't have .. .. but never mind.  I like it anyway.

So a quick catch up from the House of Hearts .. .. the London Kids headed off at 3.30am this morning.  So I got up at 3.15am to grab one more hug (because I could), to wave them off and grab a few more things to put into their "to last you until you get your shopping in" bags.

I decided at that point I might as well put a load of washing in and then return to bed .. .. only to find that once there I couldn't get back to sleep.  So I'm not sure how long I am going to be able to stay awake this evening !!!!!  My eyes are nearly shut now LOL!!!

Hopefully I can be awake long enough to have a little womble around blogland later on as I have missed so much over the Christmas/New Year break but I have been super good and got my accounts bang up to date.

New Years Resolution (well one of them) .. .. do my accounts when my bank statement arrives!!!.

Catch you soon

Love

WINNERS OF THE NAME THOSE STAMPS QUIZ

Hi Everyone

Well the time has come for my little Christmas Quiz to come to an end.

Thank you to everyone who took time to take part .. .. I am just sorry that there can only be two winners.

So who was the first to name all those images correctly?

Well it was the super fast

AMANDA 
From Panda's Paper Playtime

who responded with the correct answers within the first hour to say :

Well Jules, that was a fun way to wait for the turkey to cook.

1 1590f loving mice
2 4118h mimi's heart
3 3295k rose heart
4 1873h xmouse ornament
5 2985l duck-noel
6 1506j just wishing you
7 3212k much gifted
8 4239k scented message
9 1652j cheesecake wish
10 1670k sugar sweet dreams
11 3980k team effort
12 1342k hugs and kisses for you

have a great christmas and thank you for all your words of encouragement.

hugs

amanda 

I'm pleased I wasn't responsible for a burnt turkey!!!!! (Well I'm assuming I wasn't !!)
Well done Amanda

The next winner was "landed" by Mr Heart himself.  LOL!!!

The London Kids kindly recreated one of the lovely games my Sis and I used to play as kids
(whilst I had a lovely soak in a bubbly bath) and we sent Mr Heart magnetic fishing
.. .. using a heart with a magnet attached as his bait
and a magnet on the back of all the eligible winners.

So before fishing began everything was fairly set out like this

and Mr Heart fished at arms length and  caught the second winner (blurry action shot there LOL!!)

Yes the winner of the second prize is

Eve is one of my lovely email followers and I think I gave her a bit of
late night torture.

She doesn't have a blog at the moment that I can link to .. .. but is trying to pluck up courage to start one

Eve wrote:

Hi Jules,

              hope you had a lovely Christmas and best wishes for 2013. That's the nice bit out of the way, I must tell you that I have large bags under my eyes and a crazed look on my face - with the amount of penny black stamps that I have searched through I could now go on mastermind!! You can go off some people you know!! I made the big mistake of just having a 'quick' search at 11:00 o'clock last night and 2 HOURS later for picture number 2 I thought it was a snowman eating a cookie and for picture 5 I thought it was a duck with a trumpet!! Crazy!

Anyway well done you meanie! Here is my entry :

Picture number one

1590F

Loving mice

Picture number two

4118H

Mimi's heart

Picture number three

3295K

Rose heart

Picture number four

1873H

Xmouse ornament

Picture number five

2985L

Duck-noel

Picture number six

1506J

Just wishing you

Picture number seven

3212K

Much gifted

Picture number eight

4239K

Scented message

Picture number nine

1652J

Cheesecake wish

Picture number ten

1670K

Sugar sweet dreams

Picture number eleven

3980K

Team effort

Picture number twelve

1342K

Hugs & kisses for you

phew!

The other thing that I noticed was the brilliant cards on your blog and why I follow it! keep up the great work

best crafty wishes

Eve x

Thank you so much to everyone who took part and congratulations to
Amanda and Eve

I hope you enjoy your prizes as much as I have enjoyed
putting them together for you. 

Here are all the pictures and answers and the names link to the creations on my blog.

PICTURE ONE
1590F
Loving MICE

PICTURE TWO
4118H
mimi's heart
This one was a little naughty because
you needed to do a bit of searching
away from my blog once you had found
the image.  Sorry folks .. .. but you
did have 12 days!!!

PICTURE THREE
3295K
or 40-095 (cling version)
Rose Heart

PICTURE FOUR
1873H
Xmouse Ornament!

PICTURE FIVE
2985L
Duck-Noel

PICTURE SIX
1506J
Just Wishing You ...

PICTURE SEVEN
3212K
Much Gifted!

PICTURE EIGHT
4239K
Scented Message

PICTURE NINE
1652J
Cheesecake Wish

PICTURE TEN
1670K
Sugar Sweet Dreams
I also accepted Sugar Sweet Dream
for this one because that is how it
showed on my blog.

PICTURE ELEVEN
3980K
team effort

PICTURE TWELVE
1342K
Hugs & Kisses for You
I also allowed Hugs and Kisses for You
and
Hugs n Kisses for You

Have fun with your prizes ladies.  I hope you like them when they arrive.

I know some of the image names have exclamation marks
and capital letters in strange places and random full stops
but I didn't worry about any of those when checking the answers
.. as long as the picture number, image number and image name were correct
they were allowed into the selection pool for a swim about
waiting to be caught by Mr Heart  LOL!!

Sorry there has to be so many disappointed players .. .. but at least I can make two people smile!

If you could email me with your addresses ladies I will get your prizes away to you asap
and will also let you know how to claim your wonderful prize from
Liz over at Pink Petticoat (thanks again Liz xx)

... ... and for anyone not lucky enough to win then there is a fabby sale on over at Pink Petticoat
with colour collections on sale for £1.00!!!!
I even managed to find a few I hadn't got in my collection woo hoo!!!.
BUT THE SALE ENDS TODAY (SUNDAY 06.01.13)

Our visitors will be leaving tomorrow morning at "daft o'clock" and hubby returns to work so

my blog and craft pod should be returning to normal!!  Well as normal as it ever gets LOL!!

Happy Sunday everyone .. .. I am off to share my last day of freedom with my big baby boy and his wife

before they return to London tomorrow  :-(

Thanks for your help London Kids and Mr Heart!  xxx

Love

NAME THOSE STAMPS - CHRISTMAS QUIZ

Hi Everyone

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
I wish everyone a healthy, good and happy 2013

Sorry folks .. .. I am a little late in up-dating the
prize box today.  I have been too busy amusing myself
with turkey and stuffing !!!  LOL!!!

All organised now with two six foot tables laid end to end
with twelve place settings ready for
the celebrating to start.


So the time has come for the final prize box up-date
for the

"Name Those Stamps" Christmas Quiz

Day Twelve  .. .. finishes the box with
"things to tie" .. .. as in ribbons and string

So here is the final prize box

Day Eleven .. .. Washi and Fabric Tape
Day Ten .. .. Fizzy Moon stamp and a surprise package
Day Nine .. .. Buttons and Bows
Day Eight .. .. Crochet Flowers and  sequins
Day Seven .. .. Wooden Embellishments
Day Six .. .. Pearls and Butterflies
Day Five .. .. Ribbons with Hearts 
Day Four .. .. A £15.00  Pink Petticoat  gift voucher donated by the lovely Liz (thanks Liz xx)

Day Three .. .. Things that look metallic

Day Two .. .. Lace and Spider Web Netting

Day One .. .. Flowers and Leaves

-- ooOoo --

As my little banner below says the quiz will run across the whole 12 days of Christmas

 .  .  . . starting (Christmas Day) 

and ending on the 5th January at 12.00 midnight GMT
 (with the winners being announced on the 6th January).

There will be two winners who will both get identical prizes.  

One prize will go to the first person who correctly tells me the name and number of each of the 12 Penny Black images shown below, 

and the second prize will be done on a lucky draw basis from all the remaining correct entrants. 

Small sections of all the 12 images are below.

Anyone is welcome to play along .. .. 

whether you are a follower of my blog or not and wherever you live

 .. .. .. .. and if you enter and guess correctly and

also post my little banner and a link to this quiz post on your blog, 

then your name will be entered twice into the draw

 (which in itself will be unique and would only be done in the House of Hearts LOL!!!).

I should have also added that it is fine to enter by email 

.. .. you will find my address on my profile.

I have quite a few people who don't have their own blog but 

leave me lovely comments on my posts .. .. it would be nice to know they are

in with a chance of winning a prize too!!!

PICTURE ONE

PICTURE TWO

PICTURE THREE

PICTURE FOUR

PICTURE FIVE

PICTURE SIX

PICTURE SEVEN

PICTURE EIGHT

PICTURE NINE

PICTURE TEN

PICTURE ELEVEN

PICTURE TWELVE

Hopefully there are enough images there to keep you amused for a little while

.. .. and all of the stamps they have been taken from have been used on my blog at some stage.

Just leave me a comment listing:

The Picture Number

The Image Reference Number

The Image Name

for each of the twelve cropped images above 

and also let me know if you have added the banner to your blog 
so I can enter your name into the draw twice .. .. woo hoo!!

Note to entrants 30/12/12 onwards

Because so many people are taking so much time and effort in playing along with my little quiz can I please ask everyone to take care when entering and make sure that you provide all three pieces of information.  

1.  The picture number, 

2.  the stamp image reference number and 

3.  the image name.

I am getting a number of entries where only two out of the three pieces of information have been given, and therefore I am unable to include these entries into the draw .... which is a shame when people are spending hours taking part (and tearing their hair out in the process). 

I have emailed those people requesting the complete information be provided if they wish their entry to be considered for the draw.

If you haven't heard from me then your entry was complete.

Good luck everyone.  I hope you have fun and in case you are struggling with any of the images there is a lovely Penny Black link here .. .. but don't blame me if you fall in love with lots of the gorgeous stamps whilst looking. 

So the quiz finishes tonight at midnight GMT .. ..  ready for the draw tomorrow.

Have a happy day everyone!!

Thanks to everyone who is playing along and for your lovely messages
.. .. I am pleased you are all having fun .. .. and I apologise to those who
are going through a bit of torture treatment with it.  Sorry :-(

Love

MY FIVE FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS CARDS

Hi Everyone

Happy Christmas Eve!!

Woo hoo!!!  My favourite day of Christmas!!

Today I am playing along with my lovely blog buddy Debby and sharing my favourite five Christmas cards from 2012.

Not in any particular order and all chosen for different reasons

This one I chose because I just love the snowflake edge border 
and that cute image and sentiment .. .. well actually I loved everything I used .. .. 
including my sewing machine.

This is a recent make that I was pleased with .. .. just love that cute image (which was a freebie) 
and the Sketch Saturday layout I was able to utilise.

This card started off a new craze for me .. .. over printing my Pink Petticoat papers!!
Expect to see more of this in 2013 as I am now addicted LOL!!

For no other reason than I love it and enjoyed water colouring the image!

This one used my very first Memory Box die .. .. something else I have fallen in love with!!

So there we go .. .. my favourite five Christmas cards from 2012 .. . but I could have added another 25 at least!!!  

It just remains for me to to wish everyone happiness over the Christmas holiday .. .. and if you cannot be with your loved ones then I hope you at least get to speak with them .. .. or can take comfort in memories of happy times when you were together..  

Take care everyone and I will be back tomorrow with the launch of my little Christmas quiz.  Time now to become best buddies with Mr Dyson and Mr Sheen!!

Enjoy Christmas Eve everyone!!

Love