BIRTHDAY SPARKLE

Hi Everyone

Yay!!! Big baby boy and his wife are here .. .. so just a quick post tonight.

Here is a quick share of today's make (as you will see the handbag theme is still going strong):

This used:

Image and Sentiment: Pink Petticoat
Backing Papers: Aimee Asher
Martha Stewart Punch: Daisy
ProMarker (just the one LOL!!)
Ribbon and sticky back gems from the Stash Box

and there we go!!!

Time now for me to get the table laid as hubby's lovely fish and chip supper is about ready!!

Then hopefully a quick hop around blogland whilst everyone watches a film. Thankfully I can do that on my lappy whilst still being "part of the in crowd" LOL!!

Have a lovely evening everyone.

Love

I HAVE MADE EVEN MORE SNIPPETS !!

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all well and have had a good day.  We were promised rain .. .. but it didn't make an appearance so hubby has just had a good old watering session.

We put some more lawn seed down on the little lawn at the bottom of the garden as it was very bare from where we had raked all the moss out .. .. now all the new grass is appearing and it is just like when you have a new carpet .. .. we keep walking round the nice new bits.  LOL!!

Well today I have spent quite a bit of my time preparing wedding stationery and cutting out favour boxes .. .. and my oh my have I made some snippets!!

I thought I was doing well to begin with when I only saved the big bits but then I looked in the waste bin and decided that I could cut flowers or stamp sentiments on the smaller bits .. .. .. oh dear .. .. .. I hope that one day I will be strong enough to just throw these bits away LOL!!! 

Anyway here is my share for the day .. .. the flower was made from one of the snippets I made today

This used:

Image:  Hero Arts "CL375" Big Flower Patterns
Sentiment:  Hobby Art Clear "CS016D" General Greetings
Backing Papers:  Aimee Asher
Sizzix Die:  "655217" Swirl
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Button and Chord from the Stash Box
Distress Ink:  Old Paper

I did actually stamp the flower and the dotty border with an Elusive Images stamp "32531" Script Background  ..  ..  but you can hardly see it and it probably looks a bit daft on the flower.

Well an exciting day in the House of Hearts tomorrow.  My big baby boy and his wife are coming for the weekend.  Can't wait!!  It will be lovely for us all to be together for Father's Day.  I am a bit worried about snippet production on Sunday though.  I might have to cheat this week and prepare a few ahead of time.

Have a good evening everyone.

I'll catch you again tomorrow.

Love

NEW HOME

Hi Everyone

A lovely day of wedding work again today .. .. .. including choosing some lovely diamante and pearl embellishments for my next lot of samples.  Oooo... I can't wait for them to arrive!!

Then suddenly time disappeared and I thought I had better get something made for my lovely blog .. .. so here it is .. .. a quick and simple make

This used:

Image and sentiment all one stamp:  Anitas (Gosh this took a lot of colouring LOL!!)
Sentiment Banner:  Pink Petticoat
Backing Papers:  Papermania Signature "Chatsworth Vintage Collection"
Woodware Punches:  Daisy
Leone Em Pty Punch:  Ash Branch
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Brads and ribbon from the Stash Box

and that is it!!  I love the papers and colours on this one.

That just leaves me time to have a quick dip in the bath before my favourite programme of the week .. .. The Apprentice!!

We are getting down the candidates now.

My blog buddy Keryn and I both choose three candidates each at the beginning.

Keryn has two left:  Zoe Beresford and Jim Eastwood

and I still have three:  Susan Ma, Natasha Scribbins and Thomas Pellereau  (just so you know who I am rooting for!!) 

Not sure I would want to go into business with any of them personally  LOL!!!

OK .. ..off I go.  Hopefully catch you later.

Love

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

I hope the day has been kind to you all!!

The weather has been glorious in my neck of the woods today .. .. .. could summer be coming back?  Oh I hope so!!

My share today is for the "Oldie But A Goodie Challenge" .. .. where this time the theme is "Where In the World".

So I had a quick rummage through my stamps and found my Sugar Nellie Cheerleader which reminds me of America .. .. so hopefully this will count.

This used:

Image:  Sugar Nellie "Cheerleader" 

Bunting Image:  Magnolia

Sentiment:  Free on a magazine ages ago

Backing Paper:  Aimee Asher (and no your eyes are not playing tricks on you .. .. that is how it is meant to look LOL!!)

Nestabilities: Standard Circles Large, Classic Scalloped Circles Large

Crystal Stickles

ProMarkers

Ribbon from the Stash Box

So that is me for today.  The evening has been spent re-potting in the greenhouse and  being grateful that no more courgettes have made an appearance  LOL!!!.  

Bath next and then a bit of a sit down and an early night I think. 

Have a lovely evening everyone.

See you tomorrow.

Love

A BIT OF A CHEAT

Hi Everyone

A very quick share from me tonight .. .. and a bit of a cheat too.

Sadly I ran out of time to make anything I could share today .. .. the whole day has been taken up on lovely orders and wedding work which I cannot share.

So instead I will share a card I made last week but didn't show.

This uses one of my favourite Penny Black stamps .. .. which is probably why he has appeared on my blog a few times now (but in different clothes every time LOL!!).

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "1037K" Lovin' Flowers
Sentiment:  Elzybells
Backing Papers:  Aimee Asher (but a mixture of sets I think)
Martha Stewart Punch:  Traditional Scallop
ProMarkers
Cord from the Stash Box

and that is it!!!

I did change the image a little.  The little sign in the plant pot should say "I love you" .. .. but that isn't always appropriate so I changed it on this occasion.

So that is me for today.

I hope you have all had a good day and that the rest of your evening is good.

Love

JULES' SUNDAY SNIPPET CHALLENGE - WEEK 23

Hi Everyone

Here I am at last with my Snippet makes for this week .. .. but sadly there are only two .. .. shame on me!!!!

The shopping excursion with my lovely Sis has cut down the amount of time I had available .. .. but never mind.  Even two snippets are better than none!!

We had a great time buying supplies for our next four ranges of wedding stationery and I also treated myself to a pair of non-stick Fiskars scissors.  They are coated with what I am assuming is teflon to stop adhesive sticking to them.  Oh I do hope they work .. .. I will know by the end of the week as I can usually gunk a pair up in a week!  

I have some pairs that I only use for card and paper so these stay nice .. .. but the ones I cut double-sided tape with can get quite nasty so the beginning of a week often starts by cleaning my scissors down with nail varnish remover to get rid of all the sticky bits.

Oh well .. .. we will see how the new scissors fair. 

So here are my snippet makes for this week

Again apologies for there only being two.

So who else enjoyed getting rid of the snippets from their craft space this week .. .. .. well a record SEVEN snippeters!!!  Woo hoo!!!  Thank you ladies for keeping me company and sharing your lovely inspiration

Here are the magnificant seven

Katina  -  who made a gorgeous card.  Such lovely colours and using some "really old" paper.  Shame it is so old as I would love some that looks like that!!  Great layout too.

Claire  -  who made three beautiful cards and using such a brilliant technique.   Even the smallest of strips of paper or card can be used up if you follow Claire's example!!  It makes for a lovely colourful end result .. .. love it!!

Carole  -  where the most gorgeous colour combo has come into play.   Such beautiful papers and layout giving a fantastic finished look.    (Wish I had made this one LOL!!).

Jenny  -  this creation is so colourful with a brilliant sentiment and image.  So very neat and I love all the faux stitching too.

Lynne - made a card which looks as though the papers were just "meant" to go together.  If Lynne had said they had come from the same design set I wouldn't have been surprised .. .. but they hadn't and they look great together.  I love the sentiment feature too!

Sandra  -  I think that Sandra is becoming one very serious user of snippets  and is determined to clear her workspace of them.  The card Sandra is sharing this week is so sweet and features "one" of my favourite techniques ... ... paper piecing.  I say "one" of my favourite techniques because I must have at least six!! LOL!!!

Then last but not least:

Kaz  -  who has made such a great personalised card that she has inspired me to get my die cut alphabet out for next week.   Thanks Kaz xx

So many lovely playmates and such great inspiration .. .. .. thank you ladies. 

I hope that you all get chance to pay visits to everyone.  This is a lovely way to find new blogs that carry wonderful inspiration and lovely blog owners.

Thank you so much for calling by to see what I have been up to and I will catch you again tomorrow.

Tonight should see me catching up on some of my blog visiting and hopefully leaving some comments.  Is anyone else having problems again?   I keep posting comments but getting an error message  .. .. grrr!!!

If you decide to play along with your snippets over the course of the next week please link below so that we can all come and see what you have been up to.

Love

ONE MAN'S JUNK

Hi Everyone

Hope your day has been good.

Mine has been very busy .. .. can you believe I haven't made a single thing?!?!?!?!??   

The day started early by taking my car for it's MOT.  Sadly it failed :-(  

I needed new brake pads .. .. .. so on top of my service and MOT I had to pay another £95  .. .. ouch!!!  Do they know how many rubber stamps I can buy for that?!?!?

But then there was a ray of light.  When I got back home Mr Postman delivered a couple of new Sizzix Dies I had ordered .. .. so I have had a play with those but not created anything to share.

But what I have to share is actually something I gained off my Mum yesterday .. .. a case of "one man's junk being another man's treasure".

Just look at this fabby treasure .. .. I lurve it!!

I was so happy with it and my Mum was just glad to see it gone.  She asked if I was going to take it home with me out of her way and when I replied "Yes please" she said "Thank goodness for that"  LOL!!  She is funny!!

I haven't found a home for it yet or  filled it .. .. ..  I am still deciding what to put in all the little drawers.  But treat of treats there were even a few of the original contents in the drawers and they smell delicious!!

So my lovely Sis is here now and we are going to sit and have a great planning session and a Chinese takeaway.  Then tomorrow we are out to buy new supplies for our next wedding fayre.   I am just hoping we are back in time for me to make some snippet makes!!

Catch you again tomorrow if Mr Blogger is happy again.  He is being a bit naughty at the moment!!!.

Love

BRIGHT AND SIMPLE

Hi Everyone

I hope all is good with you. 

Friday night .. .. woo hoo!!!  Here comes the weekend!!

A very bright and simple make to share today .. ..  I was feeling well summery today with the sun shining so found myself going for the brighter and bolder colours .. .. so sunglasses at the ready!!

Here we go:

This used:

Image: Woodware "FRW006" Skateboard Dude  (I love colouring this little chappie)
Sentiment Tickets:  Hero Arts "CL171" Sparkle Clear Tickets
Backing Paper:  Funky Hand Papercraft Factory "Colour Me Happy"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers

Nothing too fancy .. .. but I love it!!

So just time for a quick catch up on the progress of our garden crops .. .. you will remember that I mentioned our disappointing results with the courgette plants that we set so Hubby brought home a "yellow" courgette plant.  Well that one seems quite happy.

But separate to that we had already planted a few more "green" courgette seeds in the hope of getting a plant from those.  Well guess what?  We now have SIX .. .. yes .. .. SIX .. .. green courgette plants starting to grow!!!  Oh my!!!

I hope I can find some people to take five of them off my hands!!!!  Otherwise there are going to be little bags of courgettes at the end of my drive with a sign saying .. .. "pleast take me".  LOL!!!

There are only so many things you can do with courgettes!!

So it is my MOT in the morning .. .. keep everything crossed.

It looks like my followers have all gone AWOL again .. .. they must have gone away for the weekend .. .. I hope you all have fun!!  Sorry I can't join you - my lovely Sis is coming for a meal and a sleepover and I wouldn't miss that for the world!!

Love

CHILLAX !!!

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a good day .. .. .. the weekend is nearly here !!!  Woo hoo!!! 

Don't quite know why I am excited though as my car needs to go in for a Service and MOT on Saturday morning!!!  Oh I do hope it passes!!!

Anyway, here is my share for today .. .. Teddybo having a good old chillax!!  I think only a male would be able to relax this much .. .. what says you?   LOL!!!

This used:

Image:  Teddy Bo
Backing Papers and Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Chalks

and that is it from me for today!!!

Just time for a quick dip in the bath and hopefully a little saunter around blogland!!

See you again tomorrow

Love

A TAG FROM A RECIPE

Hi Everyone

Well I am a bit earlier today .. .. mainly because today it was my turn to post on the Get Funky! Challenge blog.

The challenge this month has been set by my lovely teamie Kathy and she gave us all a recipe to follow.  I had already decided that I wanted to make a tag this month (just to ring the changes a little)  so you can imagine my surprise when I read the challenge .. .. .. and the number of items I needed to fit on my tiny little tag!!!!

Should I change my mind and make a card instead?  It would be much easier!! 

No .. .. take on the challenge woman. 

So here is the recipe:

5 flowers

3 design papers

2 buttons

1 ribbon (which can be cut into as many pieces as you like - or kept whole)

All seasoned with a sprinkling of gems or pearls

So here is my tag:

This used:

Base kraft card (is the Funky Freebie this month) it is dead cool and you can get it here.
Patterned Papers are from the Funky Hand Shabby Saturday Download
QuicKutz Katie Alphabet
Woodware Punch:  Small daisy
Nestabilities Die:  Label
Pearl Seed Beads
Self Adhesive Black Gems
My trusty sewing machine
Pinking shears
Ribbon and buttons from the stash box
White Gel Pen

What a lot of stash for one dinky little tag!!!

If you fancy having a play along with Kathy's recipe it would be lovely to see you.  Just pop to here for the full low down.  You don't need to make a tag .. .. you can make anything you like provided it has all of the recipe ingredients and you use at least one Funky Hand product (and that could be that cool freebie!!).

So that is my share for today.

I will just finish of by letting you know that last night was a great night for my lovely Sis .. .. .. Take That didn't let her down and neither did the sunshine!!!  I am so pleased for her.  She was well happy today .. and is the proud owner of a yellow ticket that fell out of the confetti bomb things that exploded.  She could have had one of my yellow snippets if I had known a piece of yellow paper would make her that happy!!! LOL!!!

I won't say too much because I know that some of you lucky peeps will be going to their concerts .. but my Sister's words were "Robbie - he was the Best" and "today she feels dead young".  Bless her!! 

Have a lovely evening everyone.  It is the Apprentice for me woo hoo!!

Keryn lost one of her candidates last week and I still have three in the running.  We will see what happens tonight but I think my first one to go could be Susan!!

Love

AND ANOTHER NEW HOME CARD

Hi Everyone

Here I am with yet another new home card.  Not that I know anyone who is moving home .. .. it is just that my card stocks are a bit low on them.  But don't worry I will have something different tomorrow).

So here is my share for today .. ..

This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat  (edited .. .. apparently a few of you are looking for the image over at Pink Petticoat .. .. you can find it here as part of a little set)
Backing Paper:  Aimee Asher
Leone Em Pty Punch:  Ash Branch
Woodware Punch:  Circle (I then cut this into a spiral and wind it up to make the rose flower)
My trust sewing machine
ProMarkers
Scalloped edge is a blade that fits to my guillotine
Ribbon, lace, gems and pearls from the stash box

I hope you likey, likey!!!

It is my turn to cook this evening so I have chicken curry on the go .. .. .. nicely planned so that it is Hubby's turn to cook tomorrow when it is The Apprentice night!!!   You see I am a bit crafty in more ways than one!!!

I hope you have all had a good day.  We have had quite a bit of rain but it is nice now.  I hope it is this good for my lovely Sis at the Manchester Take That concert as she is outdoors!!!

She has been so excited today bless her!!  She gained the ticket as a last minute thing as one of her daughter's mates had to drop out for some reason. 

Can't wait to hear all about it!!

Have a great evening everyone.  I am off to add some more goodies to the curry.

See you tomorrow.

Love

HAPPY NEW HOME

Hi Everyone

Sorry .. .. I am late again.

Hubby came home with a new family member that needed welcoming .. .. no .. .. nothing animal orientated  -  a courgette plant that needed to be made to feel at home in our garden.  We have grown green courgettes before but these are YELLOW!!!  Oh well we can give them a go.

The courgette seeds we set were rather disappointing so we have sown some more .. so we could have a glut of courgettes plants now!!  LOL!!!

So on a new home theme .. .. a new home card

This used:

Image:  Not really sure.  I bought it at the NEC from a stand called "Butterfly Kisses" but it was handed to me just in a cellophane bag .. .. no packaging, no name, no maker .. .. and I can't find it on their website either.

Sentiment:  Hobby Art Clear "CS016D" General Greetings

Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat

Woodware Punches:  Flowers

ProMarkers

Chalk

Brad, charm and ribbon from the stash box

So I have a complaint. 

I left all of my ironing out last night along with a list of the blog buddies who also requested a call from the ironing fairy.  I can only assume that she liked the sound of your places better than mine because she left without doing a darn thing!!  You can't get the staff these days!!

My time has also been taken up talking to one very excited Sister.  She is off to see Take That tomorrow at Manchester.  I bet she won't sleep tonight or tomorrow as she will be so excited.  Bless!!

Thanks for calling by .. .. I will catch you again tomorrow.

Love

JULES' SUNDAY SNIPPET CHALLENGE - WEEK 22

Hi Everyone

Well what a mega productive day in the House of Hearts!!

Lots of gardening this morning .. .. washing done and blowing nicely on the line ... ..  Sunday dinner cooking away nicely in the oven and 3 Sunday Snippets to share .. .. what more could a girl want from her day??!?!?!?  (Edited to say .. ..  just fetched my washing in off the line and I decided a girl would actually like the ironing fairy to call by tonight whilst I am in the land of nod!!  LOL!!).

So here are my makes for this week

and the lovely playmates who kept me company this week were .. ..

Lynne  -  who created the most gorgeous personalised birthday card.  Loving the embossed lines, the snippet of patterned paper and the beautiful flower!  Very inspirational.  Thank you Lynne.

Carole  -  who has a few good ideas alongside her Snippet make.  All are lovely .. but the one made with the Snippet Challenge in mind is awesome.  I adore the colours and the lovely butterfly.  A beautiful make (and I hope your back is improving now Carole xx).

Kaz  -  then came along with not one, not two but THREE snippet makes this week.  You really do need to check them all out.   Each one is so lovely.  Kaz has an abundance of white card snippets she would like to use up .. .. and just wait until you see what she did with them on her third snippet make.  Not a hint of white card in sight!!!  Well done Kaz and thank you for being so hyperative.  You have shared some great ideas!!

Brenda  -  kept me company too this week and wanted to share a lovely creation she has made for her Son's first wedding anniversary .. .. and coincidentally she has an abundance of white card too.  But Brenda's stayed white .. unlike Kaz's.  Beautiful flower and leaf detail Brenda.  I felt quite honoured that Brenda played along this week as she hasn't taken part in a challenge for ages!!  

Thank you all very much ladies.  It was lovely to have some company and be inspired.

Lots of lovely ideas as to how I can use up some more of my snippet mountain LOL!!!

If you fancy playing along this week then Mr Linky is below .. .. so I don't miss any of you lovely playmates.

Have a lovely Sunday evening everyone.

Dinner is smelling good .. .. best go and take a peep at it!!

Love

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

What a strange day!!!

I woke up bright and early this morning ahead of my lovely Sis calling in .. .. .. and I could have sworn I was in Spain!!  The sun was so bright and warm and beautiful.

It put me in an even happier mood than normal (the sunshine and the thought of spending time with my Sis being a wonderful mix).

But unlike Spain the sunshine didn't last all day long .. .. it sadly disappeared and the day has finished up quite grey and overcast.

So much for me envisaging lots of BBQ's happening all over the country this weekend  LOL!!!

Well today I have had a play with the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the theme this week is "Doodlebug"  .. .. .. but not by way of linking it to an American self propelled rail car, nor a woodlouse, or a flying missile and not even connected to the 1997 film of the same name  .. .. .. ..  they just want you to get the bug for doodling!!!  Tee hee!!! 

This can be as simple as some faux stitching or a whole artistic doodle .. .. .. (of course I went for the simple option).

Here is my make

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "2068K" Party Pooped

Sentiment:  Penny Black "Critter Party"
Backing Paper:  Papermania "The Big One"

ProMarkers

Glamour Dust

Star Button from the stash box

It is quite apt that the backing paper stack is called "The Big One" .. .. .. it is huge .. .. .. and if I live to be 102 I don't think I will ever use it all.  I have had it for over a year now and have hardly made a hole in it (mind you some of the patterns do leave a bit to be desired!!).

So that is me for today.

I am hopeful of a good blog catch up over the next couple of days.  This week has been so manic that I haven't had much chance .. .. but everything "urgent" is now off my "do list"  so I can now have a bit of guilt free blog hopping!!  Yay!!!

Catch you tomorrow with my snippets.

Love

THEN THREE COME ALONG ALL AT ONCE !!

Hi Everyone

More glorious sunshine and more predicted for the weekend .. .. I bet there will be lots of lovely BBQ smells wafting about the country tomorrow.

I love a good BBQ .. .. but sadly my lovely hubby is not so keen.  I always thought men were supposed to enjoy them?  It isn't as though I even expect him cook!!  LOL!!!

I love BBQ's and picnics and my hubby doesn't like either :-(

Anyway another very quick post tonight as I need to get some inserts into some cards ready for collection in the morning .. .. then hopefully life will get to a more normal pace as it has been a bit manic this week.

You may remember me posting a card the other week shaped like a handbag.  If not you can find it here along with a link to the template.

Well this little beauty has been very popular so I have made a little batch of them today .. .. but it was a little difficult to get a photograph of them all!! 

These were all made using the  DCWV  Citrus Stack and a few leftovers from elsewhere.

The hardest part of this card was making a printed insert to fit and in the end I decided I was wasting far too much time in trying to achieve this ..  ..  ..  so I reverted to this option:

A little pocket and a tag.  I stamped the sentiment on the tag and then the reverse side can be used for a personal message to the recipient.

Much better idea!!!  Why didn't I think of that earlier?!?!?

So that is my share for today.  Off to get those inserts in as my lovely fish and chip supper will be ready VERY SOON!!!!!  Yummy, yummy yum!!!

Love