Here it is!!!!!

Hi Everyone

Just thought I would put a few bloggy pals out of their misery and "show the heart" on yesterday's creation.

The recipient loved my card and it didn't take her long to find the heart. (Drat).

So here it is.. .. ..

The heart is a little "see through" sticky plastic heart. I tend to put these on male cards normally as not everyone wants to sent cards to men with hearts plastered all over them. I have other little tricks I do to disguise them too .. .. .. .. .. but I won't share them now or the fun will be spoilt for the future.

Quite a bit of my stash research centres around trying to find "unusual hearts" - I am heart mad it is true!!!!! Unfortunately most of them are "obvious" though .. .. so to find some that aren't obvious feels like a real treat.

Well, nearly another bank holiday weekend!! Yay!!

It will be the last day of the football season for my hubby on Sunday. He is off to Watford for the day so it will be my last "full day" of crafting for a while. I am gearing myself up to be hyper-active!!!!

No creations to show today I'm afraid - but at least you know where the heart is on yesterday's if you didn't spot it.

By the way the stitching was done on my machine - not by hand.

Catch you again soon

Love Jules xx

All stitched up

Hi Everyone

Well here I am with my creation as promised.

This card is for "someone special" - you would never have guessed would you!

To make this card I began by stitching a wide piece of ribbon onto some white card. It is really pretty ribbon that has gold speckles already embossed on it.

I then stitched the white card to green card and stitched around the outside of the green card prior to sticking it to my card blank. Phew .. .. .. that was a bit of a ramble!!

For the card I used:

Backing papers - the green background card is from a huge scrapbooking pack I got from Costco over a year ago. It is going to last me a lifetime.
Sentiment - Inkadinkado 97600
Flowers - Cuttlebug die
Ribbons and nailheads from my stash box

I have had to be a bit more crafty with the heart tonight as I will be giving this card away tomorrow and it cannot be too obvious or some of the fun will be gone. (Tee hee).

Thanks for calling by.

Love Jules xx

NEW CHALLENGE BLOG ON THE WAY

Hi Everyone

Exciting news - there is a brand new weekly challenge blog on the way!!!

Kirsten (Kirstens Krafty Place) and Emma (metalicbutterfly) are starting the new challenge blog called the "Allsorts Challenge Blog".

As if this wasn't news enough .. .. .. they are also looking for 4 DT members to help them kick start their blog. Closing date for applying is 9th May. (I think I will try my luck and apply - you never know!).

Use the link above to visit and "read all about it".

Catch you all later with a creation.

Have a good day.

Love Jules xx

Japanese Dolls

Hi Everyone

What on earth has happened to the weather!!!!

Of course I have to take full responsibility .. .. I threw my boots away yesterday. They have had a huge hole in them for at least 3 months that let the water in .. .. but I loved them and they were comfortable like a pair of old slippers. Parting was such sweet sorrow and I would probably still have worn them today if I hadn't parted with them. (I always knew which foot I should put in the puddles and which one should step over them). Lol.

Well today's creation was started this morning before work and finished tonight after work.

This little creation was made using:

Image - Hero Arts "Three Japanese Dolls"
Backing Papers - Papermania "Love" paper pack
Nail Heads from Josy Rose

Woodware Punch - Multi Sunflower
Ribbons, Gems and Zig Zag Peeloffs from the stash box

To bring the image to life I used paper piecing and promarker pens

Well that is me for Monday - one day nearer a Bank Holiday weekend!!! Yay.

Thanks for dropping by.

Love Jules xx

My blog mate has blog candy - go get it!!!

Hi Everyone

Just to let you know that my blog mate Jackie has some blog candy on offer to celebrate 10,000 blog hits.  What an achievement.

Why not pop over and see if you can bag a bag of candy from her!!

I met Jackie purely through blogging and we have become great mates in a short space of time. Hurray for blogging!!!  

There are some people in life that you are just meant to connect with and Jackie for me is one of them.

Pop over to see Jackie and good luck with the candy (If you win because I sent you there then make sure I receive at least a strand of that gorgeous ribbon -  call it my "introduction fee"  LOL).

Love Jules xx

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

This week's challenge from Penny Black is entitled "Anything Goes". Not an easy challenge because there is just too much choice of what you can do/use.

But I had a go and below is what I created:

This card used:

Image - Penny Black "1651K ...Mice Day!"
Backing paper - The English Paper Company
Thread, buttons and heart from my stash box

.. .. .. oh and the Diamond Stickles had to make an appearance as he has sat unused for a while and was beginning to sulk!!

So not much used with this creation. I coloured the image with a mixture of Promarkers and watercolour crayons and handstitched a bit of cross stitch down the left hand side to tie in with the cross stitch and thread on the image.

Quite a plain card really - but I like it!

Love Jules xx

Meow...

Hi Everyone

Had a little delivery from The Glitter Pot today. One of my favourite places to shop (both "window shopping" and actual shopping).

I knew I was going to love the set I have used today well before it actually arrived. I stroked it a few times at the NEC earlier this year and somehow managed to walk away. But you know how it is - some things just stay in your brain, eating away, until you eventually get to own them.

This set will stay special for a long while .. .. and having used it once I know it will be used lots and lots.

For this creation I used:

Image - Woodware "Groovy Cats"
Backing paper - DCWV "Wedding Prints"
Woodware punch for the skeleton fish
American Craft Elements Ribbon - from my TYI prize (thanks Anne xx)
Bling and brads from my stash box

I coloured the image with Promarker pens and tried to tone the image in with the ribbon. I just know I will be making this card (or variations of it) again.

I am looking forward to the weekend and to the Penny Black Challenge tomorrow (love, love, love this challenge). Just can't believe another week has flown by.

Catch you again soon. Thanks for stopping by.

Love Jules xx

More effort than it looks

Hi Everyone

I have a card to share today which seems to have taken for ever to complete - and I am still not 100% sure. It was nearly in the bin a few times (a complete opposite to the card I posted earlier this week which was quick and easy and loved immediately).

My card started off simply as a plain white tag on which I wanted to try a technique which was new for me - clear embossing and then rubbing in metalic waxes to colour the remaining card which wasn't embossed.

This part I was happy with.

My problem was then - what do I do with a tag that I have probably spend over half and hour playing with? The colours I used just didn't seem to go with anything I had.

I attempted to turn my tag into a card but struggled until a little surprise package arrived from a special blogging buddy. My package contained samples of the Martha Stewart punch - just what I needed - along with some very special hearts!!!! How strange that the colours should be just what I needed.

So this is what I have put together now.

If I had an "undo" button for what I have done with this card I would probably remove the swirls I put on the bottom of the card - but hey - I haven't so they have to stay!

To make this - probably overworked - creation I have used:

Background papers - DCWV "Old World Stack"
Image - Two Scoops / Swirlie (used on the tag and the background)
Brilliance Moonlight White Pigment Ink for stamping the background
Wisteria for the swirls I would like to "undo"
Metallic Waxes
Cuttlebug flower die
PM Adhesive Pearls
Martha Stewart Punch and "special heart" from my mate's stash (ta Jackie xx)
Ribbons from my own stash
and far too much time .. .. .. ..

So that is it. A card that is completely different to what I normally produce - which is probably why it is taking some time to grow on me.

Have a great day everyone. We are promised some gorgeous weather today - shame to have to spend it in an office - but hey - I am going to have to save up and buy a Martha Stewart punch now (if I can find one).

Thanks Jackie for spending my money for me!!! LOL

Love Jules xx

Quick and Easy

Good Morning Everyone

A very quick and easy card to share. So quick I have managed to make and share it before heading off to work this morning!

No painting or colouring - in fact the hardest part was getting the eyelets set as the mounting card was quite thick.



This creation used:

Image - Stampendous P107 - Agapanthus Cluster (stamped in Wisteria coloured ink)
Background papers - DCWV from the Old World Stack
Bead, eyelets, ribbon from the stash box

Nice and fast and slightly more muted colours - which I don't tend to use too often.

Hope everyone has a lovely day and the sun shines for you.

Love Jules xx

Memory lane - my first ever stamp

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a great weekend.

I was having an email exchange with a blog buddy and we discussed our very first rubber stamp - you know - the one that was the starting point to spending all that cash on all those others that have followed!!

Well, I decided to look mine out again and below is my first stamp - a gorgeous little teddy. He was the start of everything.. .. .. and he looks so innocent!! Little did he or I know what we were starting when our friendship formed that Saturday morning all that time ago..

To make this card I used:

Image - G-1174 PSX Stamp .. .. .. poor little fella wasn't even given a name :-(
Backing papers - Funky Hand "Huge Funky Love" download
Clear Rainbow Drops

.. .. and that is it.

I used my sewing machine to do a bit of framing and coloured the image with watercolour crayons and a touch of Promarker pen here and there.

The Rainbow Drops look a bit "misty" but I think this is just the glue I used. It wasn't quite dry as I photographed my creation and even now the glue is starting to turn clear so eventually I think they will be as they should be.

(Patience is a virtue and all that - but the sunshine was disappearing and I needed to get a photo in quick!!).

Take care everyone - Love Jules xx

Penny Black Challenge - Week 45

Good morning everyone

I am up with the lark and hyper-active this morning.

Penny Black Challenge done and dusted and ready to roll with another creation.

This week's challenge is to work to a sketch. This is the sketch:

and this is what I have come up with

Quite a lot on this card for me. I don't usually go for multi-layers and multi-patterns - but I think I am converted. This is the beauty of challenges. They open up new horizons.

I loved the layout and will be using it again for sure.

My card used:

Image - Penny Black "2243K - Bee Costume" (Stolen from my lovely DIL - thanks Cat xx)

Sentiment - Penny Black "3502F - a wish ..." (This is a Christmas stamp really but I have masked some of it off)
Patterned papers - Pink Petticoat
Threading Water punch - Fiskars
Nail Heads - Josy Rose
Cuttlebug embossing folder - Distress Stripes
Paper Cellar flower - from my TYI prize (thanks Anne xx)
Brad and ribbon from the stash box

So there we go - mission complete. I wonder what will evolve on my craft table next????

Have a great weekend everyone. Thanks for looking.

Love Jules xx

My prize has arrived

Hi Everyone

My lovely prize package has arrived today from Anne at TYI - thank you very much. What a lucky girlie I am.

I have tried to take a photograph to share. Anne has also made me a lovely card which she had enclosed in the package. You can see this here too.

I also had a "restrained spend" at the local craft shop and re-stocked on some beautiful ribbons and lace from the lovely lady at the local market. I was spoilt for choice as always.

So, lots of goodies for me to play with.

I'll be back over the weekend with a creation or two!

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Love Jules xx

Lovely Babies

Hi Everyone

I have been asked to make some baby cards that are not pink or blue. I didn't realise how few appropriate embellishments I had in my stash collection - all the cute little things I had for babies were "pink or blue".

So without realising it I had gained a challenge.

I decided on pale yellow and produced the following:



As always photographing was not easy but I think I have just about got away with it. I knew when I took the photo last night that it wasn't going to be brilliant, and secretly hoped I might get another shot in this morning .. .. .. .. but no hope. It is lashing it down with rain here this morning and as dull as you can imagine.

My card used:

Images - Washing line - from "Forever Friends"
Butterflies - from the Penny Black "Critter Party"
Sentiment - Elzybells
Papers - Background paper - Funky Fairy "Gorjuss Ginghams"
Paper piecing - Free Designer Paper Collection from Simply Cards & Papercraft
Brads, flower, thread and ribbon from the stash box

It may not show up very well on the photograph but I have stitched a washing line for the clothes with some white and metallic thread.

I love this washing line stamp. I can see me doing this card again in different colour variations etc. I sadly really enjoyed cutting the clothes out and sticking them on the line - it reminded me of the happy days when my boys were "dinky". I used to love filling the washing line with their little clothes and watching them blowing in the wind. (I was sad even in those days).

Multiple hearts on this card - babies deserve lots of them!!

Have a great day everyone. I hope your weather is better than what I have here. I wouldn't get baby washing dry here today!!!

Take care.

Love Jules xx

A double whammy - 2 awards from Helen & Nicki

Hi everyone

Well back to work today - it takes a bit of getting your head around it feeling like Monday but being Tuesday!!

I have received a double whammy today - a lovely award from blog buddies Helen and Nicki - thank you both very, very much.

Thank you both - it is nice to think my blog makes people smile!

I think I should now be passing this award on to 5 or should it be 10? blog owners that make me smile - but I cannot choose 5 or 10!!!. 500 would be more like it and even then I would feel I was leaving someone out .. .. .. so if anyone would like to accept this award from me .. .. .. then please take it and display it proudly on your blog.

If I have visited you then you are sure to have made me smile as I haven't seen a blog that I don't like or haven't gained some form of inspiration from.

Have a great evening.

Love Jules xx

That's what Sisters are for!!

Hi Everyone

Well after a bad start to the day - things could only get better!

The thermostat decided to go on the water/central heating boiler this morning and the water in the tank reached boiling point and spewed dirty water all over my bathroom. I can only assume this dirty water is something to do with my radiators and the tank must have been boiling for a good two hours!! It was like a sauna in the bathroom but with most things covered in horrible black water. (There is no cover over the header tank casing and the airing cupboard - this is something we have being going to sort for .. .. .. .. well to save embarrassment lets say "ages"!!!!)

Thankfully it has been a good washing day because the whole contents of my airing cupboard have needed washing! So have the walls of the bathroom, the carpet, the door, the loo, the sink and the ceiling!!! (The bath and window escaped the disaster so I suppose I have to be thankful for that).

My finger nails have ended up so black that I have had to cut them as short as possible to try and make them look respectable!!

Once the world was clean again and hubby disappeared to football - I escaped to the best room in the house for a well earned play and here is my creation.

The flower idea came via my fantastic Sis. (Thank you Joey xxx). We had a craft session together on Saturday and she was making fabric flowers. One of them I decided could probably be made out of paper - so I had a go today and put it on my card. I think I need to work on the technique a little but I am pleased with the result - and that's what Sisters are for. "Having great times together and sharing good ideas!!!"

My card used:

Image - Penny Black 1444K "Hedgehog Bouquet" (can you tell I love my Penny Blacks?)
Background papers - Pink Petticoat "His N Hers Collection"
Heart Punch

The rest of the goodies came from my stash box - Eyelets, ribbon, flower and bling!!

I coloured the image with Caran D'Ache Neocolor II - water-soluble wax pastels. I haven't used these for a while and decided to give them a go today.

So, the Bank Holiday is nearly over. I have had a great crafty time over the last few days but it is back to work tomorrow - so the blog will slow down again unfortunately :-(

Enjoy the rest of the break everyone and I'll catch you again soon.

Love Jules xx

Penny Black Challenge - A Gift

Happy Easter Sunday!

Not much time for crafting today as I needed to look willing and help hubby in the garden. We both ache now after lopping and trimming a rather large row of conifer trees!!!

I have managed a little craft session this afternoon though and have done the Penny Black Challenge - which today was to make "a gift".

Well what better gift than a pocket full of chocolate!!!

Here is what I made - and it smells delish!! Only two little chocolate eggs popped in my mouth - honest! (and two into my hubby's).


To make this little gift (which has a ribbon attached so it would actually hang from a branch, door handle or hook) I used:

Image - Penny Black 3864F "Bohemian"
Backing Paper - Pink Petticoat (Spring Wishes - loving this set at the mo).
Woodware Punch - Multi Sunflower
Bling - wire - ribbon and peel-offs from the stash box
and the old Diamond Stickles which has made an Easter appearance too

No problem in finding the heart today!!

I hope everyone has had a lovely day - and a great Bank Holiday t0morrow too!! Yippee.

Love Jules xx

I promise the heart is there!!

Hi Everyone

I have had a brilliant crafting day today - but nothing new to show - everything is being taken away and no time for photos.

Never mind - there will be something new to show soon.

I thought I would put people out of their misery as to where the heart is on the card I showed yesterday.

On other people's blogs it seems possible to click on the photograph and make it bigger - but for some reason not on mine :-( no doubt I am doing something wrong.

Because the picture cannot be made bigger the heart may be difficult to see (until you know where it is). So I have tried to be clever and I am hoping this works .. .. .. and also puts people out of their misery .. .. ..

The heart was cut from vellum and tucked half in and half out the vellum band across the card.

It is nice to think that people actually look for the heart on my card.

That is what people tend to do whenever I give them a card and I try to make it as hidden as possible sometimes. A bit cruel aren't I really????

We have had lovely sunny weather here today. I hope everyone had the same.

Have a nice rest of the day.

Love Jules xx

Good Friday Creation

Hi Everyone

I hope that everyone has had a good, Good Friday. Is everyone full of fish and hot cross buns?????

I have tried to have a "clean the house up a bit" day today, ahead of what I hope is going to be a "craft fest" bank holiday weekend. The football fixtures have been kind and guarantee me at least two mega days.

I decided to get some of the housework out of the way early on in the holiday so that I could concentrate better. Then once I got bored of that I decided to make a card.. .. .. ..

This card used:

Image - Hero Arts H4772 Collage Friend
Background paper - Pink Petticoat Daisy, Daisy Papers
Woodware Punch - Multi Sunflower
Paper Heart punch (love this little punch to pieces)
Strip of Papermania Vellum
Hot fix gems and ribbon from the stash box

This was quite a simple card once I got started. I have paper pieced parts of the image to add a delicate touch of colour.

I decided to invest in a "Hot Fix Wand" for attaching the small gems as I was struggling too much trying to attach them with glue. My fingers aren't as nimble as they used to be. It is quite clever how the wand works - I just need a bit of practise. Some of the gems have gone a bit "off centre" but hey - that could just be the way it was meant to be!!!!

So you can expect a bit more "bling" on my creations for a while.

Believe me there is a heart there - it just takes a bit more finding than usual!!

Enjoy the rest of today.

Love Jules xx

Good and Bad News

Hi Everyone

Happy Good Friday everyone!

Mine has started as a mixed bag.

The good news is that I have won a prize from Tag You're It and I would normally be over the moon and bursting with excitement but unfortunately the prize comes with bad news attached to it. The Tag You're It Challenge blog is not going to continue.

Such a shame. I really enjoyed my Friday tag challenges.

I'm excited about the postman arriving - I hope he will be wearing his "go faster stripe trainers" next week.

I'll let you have a peek at my prize in due course.

All the best to everyone involved in the TYI Challenge Blog - I wish you all well for the future.

I will be back later - hopefully with a card to share.

Love Jules xx

Photographs in the Darkness

Hi everyone

Sounds like the name of a song or an Album doesn't it - "Photographs in the Darkness" - but no - it is just me up to my usual tricks and taking "photographs in the darkness"!!!!

Tonight's card is one that has been on the back burner for a little while.

My great crafty blog buddy Jackie kindly did a swap with me and send me "Henry Mouse" to have a play with. I painted him almost straightaway with my watercolour crayons but didn't get to finish the card until today.

That is because today I had a little delivery via the postman from Elzybells. Just what I needed to make little Henry complete.

So here we go:

To make this card I used:

Image - Whiff of Joy - Henry Mouse (thank you Jackie x)

Background stamp - Elzybells "Indulgence Multi"

Background paper - Funky Fairy "Hope Papers"

X Cut punch for my little "hugs and kisses"

Crafty Notions - Rainbow Drops

Ribbon from my stash

Diamond Stickles (it has been sulking because it hasn't made an appearance on the last few posts so I thought I should bring it out again today)

So there we go. One quick card once the right background appeared for me.

Take care everyone.

Love Jules xxx

I have fallen in love - again!!

Hi Everyone

What a fantastic weekend that was. Lovely weather with lots of crafting done .. .. .. what could have been better. (I even managed ironing, food shopping and cooking the Sunday roast - so not only is my mojo on overdrive .. .. .. the boring housewife in me is too!!!).

So, I have fallen in love again .. .. .. and the most unlikely suspect .. .. .. Messy Rabbit !!! Of course he is no threat to my marriage - you can't be married for 34 years and have your head turned that easily!!! But he has become very special in a very short space of time.

My main addictions are normally Penny Black hedgehogs and mice but when I went to the NEC I decided to give Messy Rabbit a chance and bought two tiny sets - they were £5.00 each - which I didn't think was bad.

So, this creative weekend I decided to let one of the sets see the light of day - and he is absolutely gorgeous. He will be being used plenty I can tell.

To create this card I used:

Image - Messy Rabbit "Toadstool" - painted with watercolour crayons
Sentiment - Penny Black
Backing paper - Free download from Funky Fairys
Ribbon - Free on the front of a magazine months ago

And that is it .. .. .. the small embellishments around the edge of the card were stamps in the same set which I simply stamped, cut out, painted and attached.

I can't wait to paint him again . . . I will have to get the second set out later!!!

Have a good Monday everyone.

Love Jules xx

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Hi Everyone

Don't you just love the weekends - especially if there is time to play with crafty goodies!!

The Penny Black Challenge this week is to make an Easter Card .. .. .. but poor Jules doesn't have any Penny Black Stamps that really resemble Easter in any way whatsoever. No eggs, no chicks, no fluffy bunny rabbits !!! Shame.

So this was a double challenge. The first being to choose an image that I could actually do something with and the second to then make the card.

Well here is my creation:


I am pleased with how it has turned out and photographing in the light is so much better than struggling with pesky flash lights and the stupid light those energy bulbs give off!!!!

To make my card I used:

Image - Penny Black "Contented" (perhaps this is because he ate the chocolate eggs!)
Backing Papers - Pink Petticoat download "Spring Wishes"
Sentiment - Computer generated

There isn't really anything else to this card other than the image was coloured with ProMarkers.

I love the Pink Petticoat download. Particularly the stripey paper behind the little dog - it brings back lovely memories of the flannelet sheets I used to have as a little girl. They looked just like this and were always warm and snuggly on winter nights.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. The weather here in Staffordshire is lovely. I should probably be washing and gardening but hey - if hubby can go to the football I can go to my craft space! Tee hee!!

See you again soon

Love Jules xx

It's party time

Hi Everyone

Today is a special day for the Tag You're It Challenge - it is their 1st birthday!!

Happy Birthday!!

So the challenge this week is to make a birthday tag in celebration.

Lots of ideas here but this is what I finally decided on:

To make my tag I used:

Candle shaped tag cut freehand
Background paper - scrapbooking paper from Partners (a few years ago!!)
Stamped cake image - Hero Arts
Stamped present - Whispers/Docrafts
Small flowers - Woodware punch - attached to curled wire
Diamond Stickles
Glamour Dust
Papermania Adhesive Stones

My idea ended up quite a big and busy tag in the end - but special birthdays should be celebrated in a big way!!!

See you all again over the weekend.

Love Jules xx