JUST REPORTING IN

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday .. .. I hope you are having a good weekend.

Many thanks to everyone who has been checking in on me and enquiring if everything is all OK in the House of Hearts.

I am very happy to report that all is good .. .. .. just very, very busy and exciting.

I really don't know where January has disappeared to.  It seems to have passed in the blink of an eye .. .. I am just hoping that the whole year isn't going to speed along at the same rate!!

My time has been spent mainly on orders, magazine commissions and wedding work .. .. all being things that I can't share at this point in time.  I am also booked into a wedding fayre next Sunday and desperately want to get some new samples together to take there and get onto my website .. .. but I want to keep the customers I already have super happy first. 

Lots of new embellishments, ribbons, lace and cardstock to create with on the wedding front, and a brain buzzing with ideas .. .. .. but no time to put everything into action yet.  Oh I do hope the next week can be one of those long ones that lasts forever .. .. .. like when I was around 9 years old and a week at school felt like a month!!!  LOL!!!

But whilst having a bit of a relax last night I did create another little sketch for my library (yes, my brain doesn't switch off even when I am relaxing).  I must be so annoying to live with.. .. I am hyper all the time.

I haven't used all the other sketches yet  .. .. ..  but it is good to have them in reserve and I know that quite a few of you are enjoying using them too.  I am pleased about that.

So here we go:

Sketch Twenty Four which went into the library this morning

Have fun if you decide to have a play with it .. .. and let me know so I can come and have a peep!

Fingers crossed I get chance to make something to share this week .. .. but for now I am off to carry on with card cutting duties ahead of a mammoth printing session.  No rest for the wicked! LOL!!

So much for all the good intentions on my New Year Resolutions list .. .. hardly any of them have been put into action yet.  But I am not giving up on them. I will still be trying to improve where I can.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone and my apologies for not getting around to your lovely blogs at the moment.  I still love you all and miss visiting you lots!!  Mwah!!

Love

SKETCH TWENTY TWO

Hi Everyone

I hope you all had a good weekend .. .. as usual things were pretty "full on" here in the House of Hearts .. .. but it was all very enjoyable.

I did at least get chance to play with Sketch Twenty Two and created this:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3947K" Day-dreams
Sentiment:  Elzybells  (sadly no longer trading)
Backing Papers:  WeRMemory Keepers "Love Notes" (clearance bargain from TKMax!!)
Enamel Dots from Hobbycraft
ProMarkers
X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch
Diamond, Starry Night and Fruit Punch Stickles
Glossy Accents
Ribbon from my crafty stash box
and then Sketch number twenty two from my little sketch library (feel free to use it - along with any of the others from my library if you would like to).

I am also entering the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where this month "anything goes" (provided it is Penny Black related of course).

Hoping to be here with Teeny Tiny Tuesday this week .. .. so fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Love

ANOTHER NEW SKETCH

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!

I have another new sketch to share with anyone who wants to play with it .. .. Sketch Twenty Three .. .. and I haven't even used Sketch Twenty Two yet!

This week has been very, very busy and jammed pack full with wedding and magazine work.  But a good chunk of the wedding work was collected today and the most urgent commissions were posted off so that means I can get on with some much needed general cards over the weekend.  

Who knows, I might even get chance to play with the un-used sketches (as well as being a much needed Mrs Wishy Washy in the old House of Hearts).  It is a sad day when you look forward to doing a bit of housework  LOL!!

Catch you soon.

Love

HAPPY MONDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope your week has got off to a good start .. .. the first day back at work for lots of folk and back to school for our local kids.  

Getting back to a sense of normality after a good Christmas break always seems extra tough don't you think?

Many thanks for your lovely comments on my post of yesterday.  I was asked about the cute image on the new baby card .. .. it is Baby Rosie from Digistamp Boutique and you can find her here.

The new Quick Cards Made Easy magazine is going on sale tomorrow and I thought you might like to see a card from two of the commissions I was fortunate to be asked to work on. 

My favourite from the Watercolour Effects Commission was this one (though to be fair I loved each and every one and really enjoyed making them all).  Must make time to get my paintbrushes out more.

and the second commission was a Foiling commission and this stepped wobble card was my favourite from this set.

So that is me for today.

I'll hopefully catch you again soon.

Love

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a lovely Sunday .. .. very wet here weather wise .. .. just perfect for escaping to the old craft pod!

I started good and early today by clearing the remnants of Christmas crafting away and having a much needed tidy up. Whilst clearing I came across a couple of images I had coloured but not used so decided to use them both for a rare appearance in Pixie's Snippets Playground where we are encouraged to use up all our offcuts and scraps (and I certainly have a lot of those).

In 2014 I managed to play in the snippet playground far more than last year, and when I did I would always post two cards .. .. with one being a Christmas card.  It certainly made the approach to Christmas 2014 much more relaxed so I am going to try hard to do the same this year .. .. wedding work allowing of course! (apologies to the people who hate to see Christmas cards when it is no-where near Christmas).

So here we go .. .. my first Snippet makes for 2015 (whoops that should be 2016).

I am always lazy on a Sunday and do not list my ingredients .. .. but if there is anything you wish to know just ask and I will try my best to answer.

Enjoy the rest of your evening.

Love

NEW SKETCH FOR THE LIBRARY

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all having a good weekend.

Not only am I struggling to decide what day of the week it is .. ..  there is now a new year to bring into the equation .. ..  eeekk!!!

Sketch Twenty Two has been added to my little sketch library today.  

I was secretly hoping to have time to make a card using it at some point today .. .. but no!  No sooner am I home than weddings have taken over the day.  But never mind it is sitting there in my library ready to play with another day.  

Feel free to use it if you like the look of it.

Love

HAPPY 2016

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday and Happy New Year!!

I hope that the new year is going to be kind to everyone and that Christmas has been special.

Mr Heart and I have spent Christmas in London with the London Kids and our youngest Son.  A really super special week .. .. apart from one thing!!

I managed to drop a really big clanger - but thankfully one which didn't have any serious consequences - and one which didn't cause any real harm .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..  .. but this is the photo evidence of my senior moment.

and to reach this conclusion all you need to do is put an electric kettle onto a gas hob and fire it up!! What an idiot!!

I managed to reach the point of flames coming from the base before I noticed .. .. and the smell was awful!! 

Drinks (of the non-merry kind) ended up being prepared using a saucepan until we could escape to the shops and buy a new one in the post Christmas sales!

Anyway, we have now returned home today and my itchy fingers are really looking forward to getting my crafty goodies out .. .. but of course the washing machine needs to go on overdrive first!!

Enjoy the new year .. .. and the calendar/diary that has all those blank spaces just ready for us to fill .. .. and of course the torturous and never ending new years resolutions list. I love the start of a new year and dreaming of what it might hold.

Have a good one everyone and be careful what you are doing with your kettles!!

Love

FIVE FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS CARDS OF 2015

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday .. .. it is Monday isn't it?!?!?!?  The days are yet again all mixed up LOL!!

I hope everyone has had a good Christmas.

The lovely Debby is again asking us to share with her our "five favourite Christmas card makes" of 2015.

Sadly I didn't get chance to photograph and post to my blog many of the Christmas cards I made this year .. .. they were just made and gone in a mad flurry.  But there were certainly quite a few that have become my favourites this year .. .. and will no doubt be being repeated next year too:

This one was made lots of times in various forms
and various sizes and I loved them all!

This one was a teeny, tiny Tuesday favourite using one the sketches from my library.
 Love the cute image and for me you can't beat the traditional colours of Christmas.

Another favourite I repeated a few times which used a pre-loved stamp I gained from Ebay a few weeks earlier.
Had to smile because when it arrived it ended up sold by 
someone who lives about three miles away.  

Of course Christmas isn't Christmas without a sprinkling of those cute Penny Black Hedgies!!

Just love the Stampin' Up! window die on this card 
.. .. and I am looking forward to using it again next year. 

So there we go.  My favourite Christmas cards of 2015  .. .. ..  hopefully in 2016 I will get my act together and make more throughout the year so that I am well prepared.  As always I am busy making lots of rash New Year Resolutions ready for the weekend  -  lots of things I need to improve on!!

Yesterday was the wedding day of my lovely Snowflake bride.  No real snowflakes for her but hopefully a day filled with special memories for lots of people.

Enjoy the rest of your Christmas break.

Love

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !

Hi Everyone

Well, Christmas Day is here and Santa will have been off-loading his sleigh with goodies for all those who have been good.

Have a lovely time everyone .. .. and for all those I know (and even those I don't) who will be struggling over the next few days .. .. please know that I will be thinking of you often and wishing I could make things different for you.  If I had a magic wand it would be working overtime so everyone could have their Christmas wishes come true.

Thank you to everyone who has called by my blog and left lovely comments or sent encouraging emails .. .. you are all very kind especially considering that this year I have struggled a little to keep my little blog active as the wedding work has been so busy, and struggled even more to keep up with what everyone else is doing.  

To finish, here is a single shot of the last Christmas card I made in 2015 .. .. dedicated to all the lovely visitors to my teeny, tiny part of blogland (and if you can spot the heart you have done very, very well indeed!).

Take care everyone and enjoy this special time.

Love

p.s.  The package didn't arrive :-(   -   so much for ordering early for Christmas!!

OK .. .. PANIC OVER

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday, and happy Christmas Eve Eve!!

OK .. .. so the panic is over. 

A calmer and more relaxed atmosphere is starting to descend on the House of Hearts and we are "nearly" ready .. .. .. .. but keeping our fingers crossed that the post lady delivers a package we ordered last month in readiness for Christmas.  We have come to the conclusion that the original one that they posted out went astray so a second has been dispatched. Oh .. . I do hope it arrives.  Two more chances!!!  (Nah .. .. not today .. .. just one more chance now!!)

My lovely Snowflake bride has been and collected all of her wedding goodies ready for her big day on Sunday .. .. we only just managed to get everything loaded into her car.  In fact at one stage we thought it was going to take two trips LOL!!

Mr Heart broke up for Christmas yesterday, finishing with his works Christmas lunch .. .. .. so in a rash moment of madness (or was it envy?) I decided I deserved an office party of my own so took myself and my wedding website designer (aka my youngest Son) out for our own "works Christmas lunch". We really enjoyed it. I think that's the beauty of last minute surprises.

Then off to Mum to deliver her parcels and this card I made  for her:

This used:

Memory Box Die:  Snowflake Heart
Computer Generated Sentiment
Pink Petticoat Backing Papers
Glitter card in silver and aqua
Aqua Glitter
Ribbon, Pearls and a Gem from my crafty stash box

Not quite my last Christmas card.  Just one more to make for a lovely lady we are going to visit this afternoon.  An amazing lady in her 90's who just loves to receive a handmade card .. .. and after giving them to her for years she would wonder what had happened if she didn't get one this year.

Sadly I haven't been able to do the same for everyone this year .. .. must get something in place to make sure they are done good and early next year!!!  (Famous last words no doubt!!).

Love

PANIC !!

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday . .. nearly the weekend!

Today is always the day that starts panic in the House of Hearts .. .. .. as today is Mr Heart's birthday .. .. .. which means that this time next week it will be Christmas Day!  So close and yet still so very much to fit in!! 

Having said "panic sets in" ... .. .. I have to admit that I think that only applies to me!  Christmas always just seems to happen for everyone else in a lovely relaxed manner .. .. whereas I set myself up with a huge list of  things I want to get done.  Perhaps one day I will learn how to "get ahead of the game"  .. .. but I somehow doubt it if I haven't managed it after all these years.  Even if I was all up to date I would think of something else "I really want to get done"!!!  LOL!! .

But one huge thing I don't need to worry about this year is the Christmas dinner! This year I am having it cooked for me! Yay!!! Treat of treats!!

Anyway, here is the card I made for Mr H's birthday using another pre-loved Penny Black stamp I gained recently.

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "1587K" So Glad to Catch You!

Sentiment:   Docrafts Papermania "Relations" and a computer generated one too

Backing Papers:  Craft Sensations by Grafix "It's a men's World"

Die-Namics Die:  Blueprints 14

Silver Embossing Powder

ProMarkers

Metallic Cord

and that is it!!  Happy Birthday Mr Heart!!

I was asked what I had used to make the small star hole in the Christmas tags I posted on Tuesday .. .. it is a Fiskars star hand punch that I have had for many years that looks like this and is super strong. It punches through the front and back of a folded tag in one go:

I find it really useful .. .. along with another one that punches a tiny heart LOL!!

Right time to get started on the day - I have an order to finish and get into the post today .. .. .. not looking forward to the queue at the Post Office!!!

Have a good one everyone and I hope to catch you again soon.

Love

CHRISTMAS TAGS - FOR TEENY TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope life is treating you well .. .. .. and that you are "on-track" for a lovely Christmas.

Lots happening here and I seem to be juggling rather a lot of missions at the moment .. .. .. but I am enjoying each and every one of them so that is good!  I could just do with Christmas being another couple of weeks away!!

What a shame I need to sleep.  It feels like such a waste of time LOL!!

Anyway, just about all of the Christmas presents are bought .. .. they now just need wrapping and delivering .. .. .. but as always you get the Christmas tag box out and you only ever find the odd one or two "naff ones" left over from last year.  

So this morning I decided a little bit of Teeny Tiny Tuesday could be utilised in making a little batch of tags. Not the fantastic, super duper artistic tags that Mr Holtz specialises in .. .. just quick and simple ones .. .. 

The first two sets use a couple of Papermania metal stencils that my local craft shop were selling off as a "buy one get one free" offer.  I stencilled through them with some Sparkle Medium from Imagination Crafts.

But the favorite type, which I make every year are these little beauties.  

They are made by adding a strip of wrapping paper down the edge, which uses up the offcuts, but also means they will match a wrapped gift perfectly, It also reduces those peel offs that I have had for years! It amazes me how they are still super sticky after all this time.  (I am sure they multiply when I am not looking!).  

So there we go .. .. an appearance from the House of Hearts!  Shock horror!!!

I am in the middle of wedding work for my Snowflake bride at the moment.  Not long until her special day now!!  My last bride of 2015 .. .. and everything needs to be ready for collecting at the weekend. 

Enjoy the rest of your evening everyone.

Hopefully catch you again soon.

Love

BERRY TREE

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

I hope December has got off to a good start for you.

I am still in full on Christmas and wedding mode with work once again spread out all over the house!!

The kitchen is in use as it is the best place for cutting card to size ready for printing.  The worktops are at just the right height. I cut all my own card for wedding work as I haven't yet found anywhere that cuts everything perfectly square (much to my cost). Things only have to be a millimeter out to make things look completely not right .. .. but then I am ultra picky!! I feel I will never have a wedding couple that will be harder to please than me!! LOL!!

Mr Heart kindly agreed to me taking over the back bedroom earlier this year for wedding work .. .. and that is lined up with finished and part done wedding work.  I chip away at the weddings each day.

But Christmas becomes a mission all of its own.  I become like a kid in a sweet shop as most of my Christmas supplies get put away and only come out as the Christmas panic starts.  I buy Christmas goodies in the sales and stash them away ready for the excitement of festive creations.  So once production starts I delve into everything and make an almighty mess and the day always starts with a good tidy up before I can begin creating.. .. .. .. and today it seemed like a good idea to spread all the Christmas supplies out on our bed so I am not rummaging about and tripping over all the bits that get stacked on the floor ..  .. mmmmm... not sure Mr Heart will agree when he sees another room temporarily taken over!

I could read his mind earlier this week when he came home to find the kitchen piled up with stacks of cut card.  I just knew he was thinking "I thought being allowed the back bedroom was supposed to have kept everything up-stairs" .. .. but of course he didn't say anything.  He is super laid back.   I just apologised and commented about the worktop height being perfect for card cutting (and was secretly hoping that one day the back room can have something of an equal height).

Ooo.. .. and the dining room table has wedding supplies on it !!  But the bathroom is clear!  No crafty supplies in there (well except for a brayer that has had a clean and is having an air).

But hey .. . it shows I am keeping myself busy LOL!!

So after all of that .. .. a quick share of a card I really enjoyed making  .. .. I just love this card so much and am hoping to start a production line of them with different sentiments sometime next week (or the week after for the extra late Christmas makes!!).

So here we go:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4342K" Berry Tree

Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat 

Backing Paper:  First Edition Paper "Silent Night"

Distress Ink:  Stormy Sky

Stickles:  Xmas Red and Diamond

White Gel Pen

Ribbon from my crafty stash box

and that is it!  Probably a bit heavy handed with my water splodges but I think it looks OK.

Time to get cracking again .. .. still lots to cross off lots of lists .. .. but before I go I just wanted to share my official badge which arrived twice with two congratulations emails yesterday.  Woo hoo!

If you want to vote and be in with a chance of winning a crafty prize then tootle off to www.britishcraftawards.com .. .. you have until midnight on the 17th December to be "in it to win it". .. .. and if your favourite isn't listed then there is always an option of "other" where you can type in your own nominee.

The badge actually came with lots of other images etc for posting onto Facebook and Twitter but much to the disappointment of my lovely young wedding couples, I don't do any of those things .. .. it takes me all my time to keep my blog and website happy!! LOL!!

Right, Christmas songs on the radio and time to get the glitter out again!! 

Have a good day and I'll catch you soon hopefully.

Love

TEENY TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope your day has gone well.

The weather has been a little bit nicer here today .. .. with even a glimpse of a little winter sunshine and blue sky!

Today's share is a Teeny Tiny 3.5 x 3.5" Christmas card .. .. made with the help of Sketch Number Twenty One!  At last an opportunity to actually use it!!

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "Transparent 30-017" Holly Day Critters
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font Angsana New
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Vintage Noel"
Nestabilities:  Classic Ovals
ProMarkers
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Aspire Dekromounts Small Snowflake covered in Glamour Dust
Pearl and Gems from my crafty stash box
and that neglected sketch from my little library  .. ..

Time to be designing number twenty two!!

OK back to work .... my list is getting longer instead of shorter!!

Have a lovely evening.

Love