POP UP BOOK FOLD

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all safe, dry and warm!!!

The floods on the news look awful.  So many homes and belongings spoilt :-(

Scary times!!

All is good here thankfully.  Lots of rain but luckily the drains seem to be handling it.

I thought I would share with you one of the cards I made for the Quick Cards Made Easy magazine which is currently on sale. I was pleased to be offered the "Card School" commission which is where you show readers how to make the basic card base and then make a few samples .. .. decorating them in different ways.

I loved this commission and the papers I worked with were gorgeous too.  Well pleased with the finished job and I think this one was my favourite (but ask me again tomorrow and I might choose a different one from the set  LOL!!!).

INSIDE

OUTSIDE

The shape makes for a lovely finished card and I think it would look gorgeous all boxed up for someone special.

Now round to last night's heart.  A few of you struggled a little.. .. tee hee!!  Naughty me!!

Here it was .. .. nestling on the carrot top:

Did you spot it?

Enjoy the rest of the evening and have a good weekend.

My Christmas is being packed away tomorrow ..  though it isn't quite as sad as it normally is because one of the sets of lights broke on the tree on Tuesday .. .. so my normally bright and beautiful Christmas tree looks a bit sorry for itself.

Perhaps I will be able to get some new ones in the sales now Christmas has come and gone :-(

Love

HAPPY HARVEST

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday .. .. it is Thursday isn't it?  Is anyone else super confused as to what day it is?!?!?

All the wedding work and orders were shown the light of day again come Sunday evening and reviewing everything it looks like I am super busy until towards the end of February!!  Then just plain busy after that LOL!!

My fingers were well itchy over the Christmas break and it is lovely to be playing with my crafty stash again.

No new crafting goodies came via Santa.  I am guessing from what I did receive that the world thinks I need to sit back and "chill" a bit more .. .. so I will try .. .. but it isn't easy when you are hyper all the time with a brain buzzing with ideas you want to try!! 

I did have a few Santa pennies from my Mum and managed to spend those on-line in the sales last night .. .. so watch this space for a lovely new stamp set and a gorgeous die or two that will be perfect for Valentine makes and the Christmas cards that I have vowed to make all year this year in readiness for Christmas 2014!!!   Eeeekkkk!!!

So round to today's share:

This used:

Image:  Trimcraft Cling Stamp "Basil Bunny - Happy Harvest"

Sentiment:  Hobby Art "GR1833B" Happy Birthday

Backing Paper:  Fancy Pants "Swagger"

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

Pinking Shears

ProMarkers & Chalks

Diamond Stickles

and that is me for today.

I hope the bad weather and floods that are being predicted for the country tonight and tomorrow don't turn out to be as bad as they are talking about.  All very scary for lots of folk :-(

Take care and catch you again soon.

Love

TIME TO CELEBRATE!

Hi Everyone

Happy New Year!!!

Time to wave the old year goodbye and welcome the new year .. .. whatever it may hold!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.

Lots of germs took residence in the House of Hearts .. .. but we are slowly recovering.  Just lovely hacking coughs left now.

The germs didn't stop us having a lovely time though and we enjoyed having the family all together.   I even started to learn what some of those buttons mean on the PlayStation controllers .. .. but no doubt I will have forgotten by the next time they get picked up!!!  LOL!!!

So at last a card to share .. .. especially to celebrate the arrival of 2014.

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "2098H" Bubble of Joy!

Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat .. .. but sadly no longer available

Backing Papers:  Docrafts "Wellington"

Nestabilities:  Classic Circle Large and Scalloped Circle Large

ProMarkers

Distress Ink:  Tumbled Glass

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

Glamour Dust

Twine from my stash box

So that is me for today.  

I hope that 2014 is going to be a good year for everyone and that you enjoy the happy and exciting times it will bring .. .. and that you find strength, good friends and family to help you through the not so happy times.

Take care everyone.

Love

CHRISTMAS LOVE

Hi Everyone

Just popping by to wish everyone a really lovely Christmas.

I hope it is a special time for you all, and one you can collect special memories from to look back on in years to come.

Our big family day is Saturday .. .. so I am going to enjoy a few days of  "calm before the storm" .. .. starting in around six hours time when hopefully everything I want to get done will be done.

Santa won't be bringing me anything craft related at all .. .. in fact I am hoping for a manual that will teach me how to switch off, stop thinking, chill and be lazy!!  Something I find very hard to do.  My brain always seems to be on overdrive.

I can never sit and do nothing .. .. but I will try .. .. very, very hard  LOL!!

My crafty share to wish you all a really happy Christmas, filled with love, is something I have created using Serif Craft Artist Professional (something I treated myself to a little while ago but haven't had time to play with properly yet).  I know it leaves a lot to be desired but it isn't bad for a first attempt.  I was quite proud of being able to add my curtains behind the windows .. .. but sadly I couldn't make it look like I had a decent front door LOL!!!  Mr Heart said I will just have to pretend it is open !!

It has all been super busy here on the wedding front recently .. .. hence the lack of posts and blog visiting .. .. but hopefully I will catch up soon.  

In the meantime I would just like to thank everyone for all your support, comments, cards, emails and friendship.  All very, very much appreciated.

Have a wonderful special few days everyone.

Love and Christmas hugs

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday!

I hope your day has gone well.

A quick share from me today which used up a few of those pesky snippets that seem to keep multiplying in my little craft pod. 

As always on a Sunday I am very lazy and do not list my ingredients .. .. but I will be taking my creation over to share with the playmates over at Pixie's Snippets Playground.  

So poor Luke Friend got booted off the X-Factor last night.  Shame :-(  

Enjoy what is left of the weekend.  I hope you have made some "in-roads" into those Christmas preparations.

Not sure whether I will manage to post anything for a few days as I have a mountain of work to get through before next weekend hits.  So I will just say that I will "catch you when I do".

Love

MY LAST CHRISTMAS MAKE FOR 2013

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday!

Well here it is .. .. my last Christmas make for 2013!!

All Christmas orders now complete and the craft pod has had a clearing away of all things glittery and seasonal.  Quite a sad feeling really because I do love making Christmas cards.

But the clearing away of Christmas stash now makes way for a mountain of general orders and wedding work which needs to be done.  

Today has been the preparation part for some of that work.  The drafting out of wording for invitations, table plans,  place names, menus etc (not my favourite part .. .. I much prefer the "putting together" of everything) .. .. but you can't do the latter without doing the former can you LOL!!.

So here is my last Christmas card for 2013 which I actually made yesterday .. ..

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3057K" Leaping Deer

Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat "Tiny (Christmas) Sentiments"

Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat "Twas the Night .. .. Script" and Snow Flurry from "Christmas Selection"

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

Distress Ink:  Tumbled Glass

Ribbons and Charm from my stash box

Time now to get my glad rags on as we are meeting friends for a pre-Christmas celebration and an exchange of presents.  We always set ourselves a price limit and a theme.  We enjoyed last year's theme so much that we did the same again this .. .. £5 worth of serviettes .. .. and the more obscure the better. You wouldn't believe how many you can buy for £5 LOL!!!

Have a lovely evening everyone .. .. and don't tell me who gets booted off X-Factor please.  I won't see that until tomorrow.  But please don't let it be Luke Friend.  I want to see him in the final!

Love

TAIL END OF THE CHRISTMAS MAKES

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!!!

I am on the tail end of the Christmas makes so this is probably the last time you will see this fabby die I invested in during 2013.. .. but it will definitely be here again next year that's for sure.

So here is my share for today

This used:

Memory Box Die:  Grand Merry Christmas
Backing Paper:  Nitwits "FQB Woodland Wishes"  (Random snippet behind the die cut)
Cuttlebug:  Snowflake die and Embossing Folder  .. .. I don't think this is still available though :-( sorry
Ribbon, embossing powder, charm and a brad (with its legs cut off) from my stash box

Short and sweet and very late so I will fly in an out.

Catch you over the weekend.  Have a good one!

Love and hugs

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday.

I hope your day is going well.

Another busy one here in the House of Hearts .. .. and one where I have today taken a huge weight off my shoulders and resigned myself to the fact that no-one will be getting handmade cards from me this year .. .. I just don't have time to make them amongst the wedding work and orders I need to complete before Christmas .. .. so it will be charity cards supporting our local Hospice from me this year. Phew!!!  Pleased that decision is made and strangely enough I don't feel guilty!

But I am still making Christmas cards for my lovely customers and here is one of my favourites from today:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3741K" Filigree Tree

Sentiment:  Lili of the Valley "Christmas Sentiment Tags"

Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat "Twas the Night .. ..  Script" overprinted with "Scandi Chic Snowflake" and "Pinstripes"

Distress Ink:  Old Paper

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Josy Rose:  Gems and Nail Head

Eyelet and ribbons from my stash box

I am going to take this over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the theme is "Christmas" .. .. that was handy!!!  LOL!!!

So that is me for today.

A mammoth cutting out session is planned for tonight and tomorrow .. .. so my snippets are going to increase still further with all those offcuts that I simply can't put into the bin!!!!  LOL!!!

Have a good evening everyone.

I'll catch you when I do.

Love

WOW! EMBOSSING POWDERS

Hi Everyone

I hope your week is going well and that the Christmas plans are coming along smoothly for you.

Things are progressing nicely here  .. ..  at the moment!!  Of course I am putting that down to my efficient "do lists".  LOL!!  At least if something makes its way onto the list I can stop thinking about it as my memory just isn't good enough to remember everything any more!

So with all the things on my list you would have thought I would be doing wedding work or Christmas makes .. .. but no.  I wanted to play with my prize that came on Saturday from the WOW! Embossing Powder Challenge and this is what I made.  After all a craft pod isn't just for Christmas and my list contains general card makes too!!  LOL!!

This used:

Image:  Hero Arts "S5316" Silhouette Grass (bet you thought I had lost this stamp as you haven't seen it for a while LOL!!)

Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat "Tiny Everyday Sentiments"

Crafter's Companion "Die'sire Dies "Scalloped Tags"

WOW! Embossing Powder, Earthtone Pepper, Earthtone Honey, Earthtone Olive  (plus I embossed some Neutral Ultra Shimmer Embossing Glitter onto the distressed butterfly wings)

Distress Ink:  Tumbled Glass, Spiced Marmalade and Wild Honey
X-Cut Punch:  Butterfly

Twine and pearls from the Stash Box

I couldn't believe how quickly my lovely prize arrived.  I only chose my six colours very late Thursday evening and my goodies were with me Saturday morning!!  No chance to use them until now .. but I am well chuffed .. .. and they all came in this fabby little storage case.  Thank you Tania!!

There is a fabby blog full of wonderful ideas if you fancy a nosey .. . you can find it here.

OK time to get into that there kitchen .. .. the breadmaking machine smells like it has worked its magic so I had better go and check it out!

Catch you again soon (I hope) .. .. have a lovely evening.

Love

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a good Sunday.

I have had a lovely day and managed a little play with my snippets for taking over to Pixie's Snippet Playground .. .. .. with "little" being the operative word:

This little creation measures a whole 3 inches by 3 inches .. .. and I faffed about for blinkin' ages with it LOL!!!!!

It has been a lovely day here with Christmas starting to come together.  The tree is out of the roof and already half decorated and the Christmas cards are out ready to start writing.

Plus the Christmas glass is out .. .. woo hoo!

No heart on the glass .. .. but all the ice cubes inside will be heart shaped .. .. Tee hee!!

I am trying to get ahead of the game Christmas wise as there is rather a lot of wedding work to get through on the run up Christmas .. .. .. and today feels like a good start.  Though I am nothing like as organised as the folk on Coronation Street .. .. all of the houses are full to bursting with Christmas cards and decorations and have been for weeks!! LOL!!

Enjoy the rest of this evening and have a good week

Love

TWEET BIRTHDAY WISHES

Hi Everyone

How goes it?

I hope your weekend is going well.

I have been dabbling in lots of things today, dreading washing, weddings, birthdays, .. .. but for some reason nothing related to Christmas!!! Something wrong there!!  But never mind there are still lots of sleeps to go yet .. .. aren't there ?!?!?!? 

Quite a few birthday cards needed here so I made the first port of call the Sketch Saturday Challenge Blog .. .. .. to take some of the thinking out of things for me, and this is what I came up with:

This used:

Image:  Digistamp Boutique "Cute Singing Bird"

Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font Candy Buzz

Backing Papers:  First Edition Papers "J'adore

Spellbinder Nestabilities:  Classic Ovals and Scallop Ovals

Papermania Punch:  Daisy

X-Cut Punch:  Corner Rounder

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

ProMarkers

Ribbon from the Stash Box

I am also sharing this with the Digistamp Boutique Challenge for December.

and here is the sketch I used .. .. in case you fancy playing along:

Time now for our Saturday supper .. .. hopefully catch you tomorrow with some snippet usage .. .. I didn't manage it last week :-(  

Serves me right for shooting off and entering three times the week before.   LOL!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Love

HAPPY COUPLE SHARE

Hi Everyone

I hope your week is going well.

Mine is flying by in the blink of an eye .. .. .. again!!!

Still no makes to share as it has been wedding work and commissions all week .. .. but I thought you might like to see the sort of thing I am making when I am absent from blogland for these long spells.

One of my lovely happy couples who got married in October sent me some lovely wedding pictures to look at this week .. and they kindly said they would be happy for me to share a picture of the table plan I made for them with you.

The frame was actually from a mirror but worked really well for the effect this lovely couple wanted to achieve.

I never find table plans easy to take pictures off :-(

Catch you again when I do .. .. sorry I'm not getting any blog visiting in at the moment.

Love

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good weekend .. .. mine has flown by.

We were determined to get more of the Christmas shopping out of the way and some of it took place in a local craft store where I spent ages talking with the lovely lady who was serving there.  So if you are the kind lady who helped me and you have come to my blog to see if there is a project on view along the lines of our discussion .. .. then I apologise for it not being here yet.  Hopefully I will get around to it soon .. .. and hopefully it will be worth looking at when it does appear.

But for now .. a quick card that uses snippets .. .. but I can't take it over to the Snippet Playground because the gates aren't open yet.  So I will have to use more snippets another day.  I should think that Miss Di is in shock at the moment because not only did she reach the elusive 60 entries last week .. .. but a huge 101!! Yay!!!  Well done Di.

As always on a Sunday I am lazy and don't list my ingredients .. but a nice lot of snippets got used up.

The spider is still "on the loose" and hasn't been seen again .. .. but it has been named "Pimpernel".  I still keep looking for it .. .. although the bride who was with me the night we saw it did email the following day to say that it could even have dropped to the floor and climbed into her handbag which she had put on the floor!!!  That would be a nasty surprise if it did!

Have a good week everyone.  

I'll catch you when I do.  Not sure when it will be .. .. lots to be done and lots of people to meet before this time next week!

Love