TEENY, TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday .. .. I hope your week has got off to a good start.

Another scheduled post today to share another of my teeny tiny cards .. ..  which to anyone new to my blog is a whole 3.5" square.  I love making these so much and as sad as it sounds I even love making the little envelopes too!  As Mr Heart always says "It doesn't take much to keep me happy" LOL!!!

 This used:

Image:  Docrafts A5 clear stamp set - Meadow 

Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique clear stamp set (sadly Sally-Ann is no longer trading boo hoo!!)
We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board
Stampin' Up Punch (they don't do exactly the same one any more but have a similar one)
Distress Inks:  Sage Green, Fossilized Amber, Shaded Lilac and  Chipped Sapphire 

Sakura Jelly Roll Pens (which haven't seen the light of day for a while but still worked beautifully)

White Gel Pen
Pearlised Twine
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.   A tiny post for a tiny card!!

Before I go though I would like to apologise for the lack of any blog visiting on my part  .. .. rather a lot of work to get through before the end of July so every minute is feeling extra precious at the moment.  But I promise I will catch up with everyone as soon as things calm down again.

BRING ON THE HAPPY

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday .. .. ahead of what is hopefully going to be a good productive weekend.

I am here with a scheduled post as I want today to be a "get your head down and get on with it " kind of day.  If all has gone to plan my day started hours ago with a good old clear up and my "list of things to achieve before Monday" has started reducing already.  It is a very long and unrealistic list that contains some quick missions and others that will take several hours to achieve .. .. but I do love a list and the feeling I get when I cross work off it.  

To be ahead of the game I made today's card last night at "daft o'clock" as I had an idea floating around in my head that I wanted to try.

I called in on our youngest son on my way home from being with Mum yesterday and as often happens he made me a cup of tea and we put the world to rights whilst sharing a few music videos.  It is always dangerous going to my son's home though because I relax "too much".  There is a lovely sense of calm that hits you as soon as you walk through his front door and it is so hard to drag yourself away from it .. .. it is certainly far removed from the atmosphere I create for myself when I am at home.  LOL!!!

My son played one video that showed a band performing behind what I can only assume was a huge muslin sheet strung across the front of the stage.  The lights shining through the fabric, turning the band into muted silhouettes and giving shots of color to the perimeter of the muslin sheet. 

I wondered if I could get a similar effect using stamps, an aperture card and a piece of organza.

Sadly the finished result was nothing like what I had in my mind .. .. .. more experimenting with the organza needed .. .. or perhaps ditch the organza and try vellum?!?!?  But I ended up with something I didn't feel was too bad.  More attempts will follow at some stage as I am already thinking of what I "should have done" instead of what I "actually did".  Yes, definitely thinking vellum might be the way to go!!!

But never mind, life is all about trial and error.  That is how we learn. 

This used:

Image:  Inkylicious "French Rose"

Sentiment:  Penny Black clear stamp set "30-297" Sprinkles and Smiles

Pink Organza (behind the aperture and also tied into a bow and crinkled with a heat tool)

ProMarkers

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is it.  Quite a short little supply list really .. .. so why is my desk and surrounding floor area looking like I have used every item in my craft pod?!?!?!  Although hopefully by the time this goes live it will all have been cleared away and I will look and feel organised again .. .. for two minutes!!

Have a good and productive day everyone. 

CAKE OR JAM TART ANYONE?

.. .. .. or both if you like!!  LOL!!


Hi Everyone

Hope your week has been going well.

I am mostly on wedding duties this week but did dip into the box of images I sat and coloured in the garden the other weekend and found one that was perfect for using to enter into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the theme for this month is "anything goes" plus an optional theme of "food or drink".

No drink at this picnic by the look of it .. .. but the food looks good!!

This used:

Image:  Penny Black Slapstick "40-016" Hedgehog Birthday
Sentiment:  Penny Black Clear Set "30-297" Sprinkles and Smiles
Backing Papers:  We R Memory Keepers "Love Notes"
ProMarkers
Ribbon
Nail Heads
Glossy Accents
Crystal Glamour Dust
Pearlescent Chalk
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Just off to link up to the challenge and then back to the wedding work.  There's no peace for the wicked!!

Have a good day and I hope you find yourself a bit of crafty playtime at some point!

SUNDAY CHRISTMAS SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a really lovely weekend.

Mine seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye ..  but I did at least manage a quick Christmas make amongst everything else that has been happening .. .. which always feels good. 

This used:

Image:  Forever Friends (a very, very old stamp from my early days of crafting)

Backing Paper:  Snippets from First Edition Paper "Merry Little Christmas"

ProMarkers

Distress Ink Pads:  Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky

Spellbinder Nestabilities:  Circle Dies

Nail Heads

Metallic Cord

Crystal Glamour Dust

Christmas Ribbon

My Trusty Sewing Machine

I am entering this into Pixie's Snippet's Playground which I sadly haven't visited for a while (and it cetainly isn't because I have run out of snippets that's for sure!!!) and also the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where this fortnight the theme is "your hot beverage of choice". 

and that is me for today.  Running very, very late .. .. but happy that Christmas card number 32 has made its way into the stock box!!!

Catch you again soon

NEARLY THE WEEKEND - AGAIN

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday ahead of what I hope will be a lovely weekend for you all.  I don't think the weather is going to be as amazing as last weekend .. .. but at least it looks dry on the forecast which is something.

It is still all weddings and magazine work here .. .. lots of excited brides at the moment hoping that the sunshine is going to last for them.

Whilst out walking with Mum yesterday I noticed that Issue 19 of Make Special Cards has made it to the supermarket shelves .. .. so I can now share some of my favourite makes from that lovely commission.

The idea of this magazine is that you can make lots of different projects using the stamps, papers and toppers and sentiments that are provided.  I got to work with the squirrels in the collection whilst the other designer, Hazel France, worked with some scrummy peacocks.  

There are a mixture of simple and more difficult projects in the magazine and I love to think that perhaps a "newbie" crafter will pick up a copy "just to have a play" and end up getting hooked on an exciting, enjoyable and very addictive new hobby.  I can remember only too well being that "newbie" and just one purchase changed my life completely .. .. so much so that paper crafting in its many forms has now consumed my world (and home) completely!!

Anyway here are my favourite makes this time round:

These two cards are from a stamping commission .. .. I love the tree design paper on the first one sooo much .. .. I would buy a pack of it if I could!  The colours are just gorgeous!

along with a little gift box .. .. that uses that paper again LOL!!!

Next up are some "quick makes" using some of the toppers and sentiments that are provided

and finally a couple of card fold makes .. .. .. one using a topper and the other is stamped

.. .. .. and after picture overload that is me for today.

I will catch you again over the weekend.  Have fun until then!

GLITTER, SPARKLE AND SHINE

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a good weekend .. .. wasn't it lovely to see some sunshine for a change?

I didn't get quite as much crafty time out in the garden as I would have liked yesterday as I needed to disappear on a good deed mission .. .. but we did manage a couple of hours late afternoon.  

We were hoping it would be nice enough to do the same again today but it has been a bit too breezy .. .. so we did some of the gardening we kept looking at yesterday instead and crafting happened indoors.  Well, I didn't want my coloured images blowing away now did I!!

Anyway .. .. determined not to miss entering the Christmas Kickstart Challenge I needed to get my glitter, sparkle and shine out as that is the theme for this fortnight .. .. and this is what I made:

This used:

Image:  Whipper Snapper "BY802" Let It Snow Snowmen

Sentiment Die:  Memory Box "98680" Merry Christmas
Glitter Card
ProMarkers
Crystal Glamour Dust
Peel Off Waste

So that is me for today and Christmas card number 31 goes into the box.  Short and sweet and sparkling and shining .. .. .. as I now have glitter all over my face .. .. again!!!!

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my post of yesterday.  You are all so very kind and understanding.

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

Happy sunny weekend!!!  I hope everyone is well and able to enjoy the lovely weather we have been promised for the next couple of days.

Sorry it has been so long since I posted anything.  What can I say other than life is busy, busy, busy!!!

My poor little blog and followers will be thinking I don't love them any more .. .. which couldn't be further from the truth.

I have really missed visiting all of your lovely blogs and catching up, but life has been very, very busy on the wedding, and magazine front .. .. and it is going to continue to be that way for quite some time yet as I have lots to do for both on my work list.

But apart from drafting up some table plans and working on a couple of invitation samples the whole of this weekend is going to be dedicated to the rather large list of "general cards" which are desperately needed.  So if all goes to plan I will be making lots of mess and creating what I hope will be "a nice pile of cards" .. .. who knows I might even get to take some colouring out into the garden as the weather is promising to be gorgeous!  My imagination sees this afternoon with me sitting at the table outside under the sun umbrella, colouring and painting away at a pile of images with Mr Heart immersing himself in his latest reading book alongside.  That would make for a really nice afternoon.

So here is my first card of the day and it is for taking over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  Their challenges are always "anything goes" but they also add an "additional" twist and currently that is "partial stamping" .. .. which can mean stamping off the edge of your card or only inking up part  of a stamp and here is my offering.

This used:

Images:  Penny Black "3782J" Lazy Days and "3811J" Winsome
Sentiment:  Kaisercraft "CS301" Bombay Sunset
Backing Paper:  Mixture of pads from The Works (some lovely ones available at the moment)
ProMarkers
Nail Heads
Ribbon
My Trusty Sewing Machine

My "off the edge" stamping was done using the "Winsome" stamp.  I cut the design paper square for the base then another smaller square from scrap copy paper.  Held the scrap paper in place and stamped the Winsome image all around the edge to create a narrow border.

... ... and now to confession time .. ..

So with my head held low in shame I have to admit that I have now officially broken my new years resolution on the Christmas card front!  No festive makes for the last two weeks apart from magazine ones.  With everything else being so busy and I just couldn't warrant spending any time making any.

But on the bright side my resolution lasted until mid June and I have 30 Christmas cards in my box (so far) so I am at least pleased about that.  I will just have to make it my mission to make the same resolution next year and try and keep it for longer.

But I am not giving up.  I shall still be trying to keep increasing those Christmas card numbers ahead of December as I am determined this Christmas is going to be a "stress free" one!  Hope those aren't famous last words!!! LOL!!!

Enjoy your weekend everyone .. .. don't forget the sun cream .. .. you don't want to end up looking like a lobster come Monday!!  It's not a good look!!

PAPERCRAFT INSPIRATIONS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a happy Monday!

My days spent with Mr Heart have been wonderful and really enjoyable .. we have had a really good week .. .. even though it has poured it down with rain for the majority of the time.  But don't worry .. .. he will be returning to work tomorrow (boo hoo!) so I am guessing the weather will make a dramatic turn for the better.

Come tomorrow though I will need to whip myself into action and get my head down as there hasn't been an awful lot of crafting done here.  Just ordering materials, making of wedding samples for interested couples, the posting of proofs and a trip to IKEA for some table plan frames is as much work as I have done .. .. tut tut!!  I did work extremely hard the week previous though, and far too late, so I haven't felt guilty .. .. and must admit I slept far more last week than I have in years!!!

Today I was with Mum and found that Papercraft Inspirations Issue 193 was on the supermarket shelves .. . so to wake my blog up I will share my creations for this edition which was all about paper piecing and masking using some wonderful new stamps from a company called Picture This.  They make the most amazing stamps which also look wonderful watercoloured .. .. or even just stamped and nothing done to them at all!!  Just amazing!

This first card is the beginner card which incorporated lots of colouring a paperpiecing.  I wish I owned the building on the right.  I could open the bottom as my wedding stationery shop and live above it .. .. with a floral roof!!  LOL!!

The second card was much more labour intensive and was all done with just four stamps (one of those being the sentiment).

The card folds to meet in the middle and then opens out to create a huge scene.  It took a bit of planning to get the background to look like it was one continuous stamp but the stamps are so well thought out it worked beautifully.

Paperpiecing, ProMarkers, Distress Inks and Glossy Accents all working together to give an interesting finished look.  Not easy to photograph but I did my best.

So that is me with a woken up blog .. .. .. and a forfeit to pay for not posting a Christmas card last week!!  That will teach me to be far too relaxed for my own good!!

Catch you again soon.

NUMBER 30

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a really lovely weekend.

Running really late this week with my Christmas make .. .. trying to fit far too much into a day (as always).

My Christmas card for this week is for taking over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge number 12 .. .. where the theme this fortnight is "The Elves and the Shoemaker"

This used:

Image:  Polkadoodles "Hollybobs Little Elf"

Sentiment:  Penny Black "30-310" Believe

Backing Paper:  Free with a magazine years ago

X-Cut Small snowflake punch

ProMarkers
Crystal Glamour Dust

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is it!

Christmas card number 30 in my stock box!!  Woo hoo!!

Catch you again soon hopefully.

I spent all last week trying to get on top of as much work as possible (hence the serious lack of blog posts) as Mr Heart is on annual leave this week.  This of course means my little world will be plunged into even more turmoil than usual .. .. .. and the weather forecast for the week .. .. .. rain, rain and more rain until Friday!!  Typical  LOL!!

NUMBER 29

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a really lovely weekend.

I am flying in super quickly with my Christmas card for this week which I am entering into the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme for this fortnight is "Christmas Kids".

This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat (now known as The Lovely Studio) "Ice Christmas"
Backing Papers:  Winter Wonderland Paper Pad from The Works
Ribbon
Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Crystal Glamour Dust
A little bit of chalk for those rosy cheeks!!  

So that is me for today.

I decided that a card for a child doesn't need loads of layers and stitching .. .. .. .. they just want a fun image and bright papers.  But now I have finished it I must admit I wouldn't mind receiving this card myself.  Perhaps that means I am still a kid at heart .. .. .. I hope so!!!

So this puts Christmas card number 29 into the box!!  Yay!!! 

Enjoy the sparkly new week that is just around the corner.