CHRISTMAS CARD MODE CONTINUES !!

Hi Everyone

Oh I am having so much fun .. .. .. I love Christmas and am slowly getting that "giggly tummy" feeling!! I must be unbearable to live with because I just get so excited.

Lots of Christmas cards to make and I am getting quite a few made and thought I would share a very quick one with you here. Really simple and quick (which is just what I need) but "different" in that it uses what are not traditionally seen as Christmas colours.

I treated myself to a set of Koh-I-Noor pencils and decided to try them out on a simple image.

I love these pencils!!! You need to blend the pencils with paper stumps and Sansodor oil but it was so easy and I think gives a really good effect - and this used only one of the 24 colours in the set. I don't think I did bad for my first time!!

I got my supplies from Elzybells - and if you also visit the blog you will find there are tutorials to show you different ways to blend and shade your images.

So, here is my creation

This used:

Image: Great Impressions G271
Backing Paper: Funky Hand Download "Funky Little Christmas"
Sentiment: Computer Generated
Nail Heads and gems: Josy Rose
Snowflake (still don't know who made this lovely little punch)
Diamond Stickles

Back now to more creations - thanks for calling by.

Love Jules xx

ALLSORTS DT CARD - WEEK 29

Good morning all

I hope you are all well and are looking forward to the weekend.

As usual mine starts with a new challenge from Allsorts.

This week we are being sponsored by DigiSparkle and my teamie Lisa has set the theme of "buttons".

DigiSparkle very kindly provided the DT with an image of their choice to work with .. .. .. here is my choice of image and below is what I did with it.

This is the first easel card I have made - after seeing so many gorgeous ones in blogland I decided I needed to have a try. I must admit I really like them. There could be a few more of these being made in my little household!!

So .. here is my creation

I really am hoping that I will be able to take some better photographs today and replace this image (but it isn't looking very promising at the moment).

My creation used:

Image: DigiSparkle "Robbie Robot"
Backing Paper: Craft Creations SRo48P "Space Stars"
Sentiment: Computer generated
Cuttlebug "Star" die
Promarkers
Buttons from the button jar!!

I really enjoyed making this little creation. It was a change from what I normally do.

Robbie the Robot is normally bigger than he is shown here - but I shrank him down a little for the main image and then shrunk him down even more to make a line of Robbies to go across the bottom.

By the way don't forget to check whether you were the winner of Kirsten's challenge last week or one of her Top 5 .. .. .. and then go and get your button jar out!!

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Love Jules xx

A FRIDAY SHARE AND CATCH UP

Hi Everyone

Well where has the week gone?!?!? Is everyone else's time flying by or is it just me?

My week has been spent trying to get on top of my cardmaking orders and special makes. It is a bit like the olden days. Craft goodies all over the dining room table (and floor).

I am needing to craft early morning, all evening and weekends at the moment (good job I love it so much) but in order to spend time with my lovely hubby too then some of my goodies have needed to come downstairs. Of course everything I need is always upstairs so I am running up and down the stairs like a woman demented!! Who would have thought cardmaking could be a keep-fit workout too?

I am well into Christmas card mode at the moment but even though I am making lots of them they are not mine. Just don't know where I am going to find time to make my own (if I do at all?).

Just thought I would share a quick creation with you this afternoon because I have had the rare treat of some sunshine and thought "quick .. .. .. take a photograph of something whilst the light is good".

Here is my creation:

This used:

Image: Penny Black Slapstick "Here comes Christmas"
Sentiment: Elzybells
Backing Paper (Blue): Funky Hand Download "Blue Christmas"
Backing Paper (Brown): Funky Hand Download "Funky Little Christmas"
Promarkers and Watercolour Crayons
Small snowflake punch (Panic!!! Don't know who made it!!).
Diamond Stickles
Ribbons and gems from the stash box

So off to make something else now and hopefully get it photographed whilst there is still some nice light.

Have a great rest of Friday and a wonderful weekend everyone.

I had a little panic at work yesterday when I suddenly realised that in a month's time it would be Boxing Day!! Of course I needed to share this information with my work colleagues and was told "oh - stop it!!" LOL. Sounds like I am not the only one who is nowhere near ready yet.

I'll catch you all again tomorrow with my Allsorts DT creation.

Thanks for calling by.

Love Jules xx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANICE - HAPPY SHOPPING FOR US!!!!

Good morning everyone

Today it is the birthday of Anice from Funky Hand. (Happy Birthday Anice!!!)

This little spring chicken is 41 years young today and to celebrate Anice is offering everyone the chance to buy anything from her website at a whopping 41% discount!! Woo hoo!!! (Thanks Anice xx).

So from today 25th November until 26th November you can get the discount on everything you can find at http://www.funkyhand.com/.

Just enter the code 41TODAY when you check out and the discount will be deducted automatically. You can use this code as many times as you like over the discount period so go and grab some last minute Christmas downloads or treat yourself to one of Anice's CD rom collections.

Better still why not persuade someone else to buy them for you by saying you would like something from here for Christmas. LOL!!! (I promise you won't be disappointed).

If you have never used any of Anice's products then you really are missing out. There are backing papers, word books, digital images, alphabets, digital ribbon - just so much to play with. One CD will keep you amused for weeks if not months!!!!

Why not pop over and see all the inspiration from the DT - there are masses of examples showing what you can do with each product.

So - off you go. Have a great day and Happy Discount Shopping!!

Love Jules xx

PENNY BLACK CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

It seems ages since I was here last because I have been doing so much.

I spent a lovely time away with my hubby over the weekend - we stayed with two special friends and had a lovely meal out on Saturday and a good old "catch up".

On the way home on Sunday our friends drove partway back with us and we all stopped off at a huge shopping centre at Bristol and can you believe it - I managed loads of Christmas shopping all in one store - no trawling around different shops!! (Thank you Mr Lewis for having just the right things).

I then managed a "very quick" trip into Hobbycraft - and I really was quick - just as I promised hubby I would be!! (I can be a good girl sometimes).

Today I have been busy creating special makes that I cannot share just yet and I have had a lovely trip to the dentist.

I needed a filling replacing because the old one was "leaking".. .. .. whatever that means. Lucky me .. .. .. and I am now only just thawing out from 3.00pm!!! I don't think I have ever been so frozen in all my life. It was a lower back tooth that was the culprit but nearly the whole of the left side of my face was numb - even my ear and up into the temple of my head. I was a bit worried in case it didn't wear off as it was lasting so long!! (My lovely hubby said that I must have been given an elephants dose!!) I chose not to take offence. LOL!!

I needed to post some wedding stationery off to Australia after the dentist and that proved interesting - trying to talk with only half a mouth working properly!!

Anyway, all's well that ends well - I am back to normal now and have my Penny Black Challenge card to share. This week is a very special week over at Penny Black so make sure you have a little look:

My creation used:

Image: Penny Black 1505H "Wishes for Kisses"
Sentiment: The Unmounted Stamp Company XM-GR-07 "Happy Kissmas"
Backing Paper: Papermania
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder: "Snow"
Spellbinders Nestabilities "Large Deckled Rectangles"
Snowflake Brad: Sparkle Burst Brad from Karen Foster Design
Diamond Stickles
Brads from the stash box

So that is all for today folks. I hope you have had a good day and thanks for calling by my blog.

Love Jules xx

ALLSORTS DT CARD - WEEK 28

Good morning everyone

First of all let me apologise for being AWOL since Wednesday. What a busy week I have had .

Lots of card orders to get done and just no time for playing and posting. Sorry folks!!

So today starts off another week at Allsorts. The theme has been chosen by Kirsten and she would like us to be inspired by a Christmas Carol or Song Title.

I chose "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and here is my creation:

This used:

Image: Stamps Away J1032 "Reindeer"
Image: Dec 25th - Dovecraft DCRS87
Sentiment: Computer Generated
Backing Paper: Funky Fairy "Blue Xmas" (this was part of a free download last year)
Snowflakes: Cuttlebug Dies
Glamour Dust and Thread from the stash box

If you took part in last week's challenge then don't forget to check whether you were the winner or whether Emma chose you as one of her top 5.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Love Jules xx

HAPPY WEDNESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday!!

You just wouldn't believe the places I have been trying to take photographs that are half decent!! Even the bathroom got a try out!!

Everywhere is just so dark !!

So this is the best I have been able to do this morning .. .. sorry!!

This little creation used:

Image: ? There aren't many clues on the wooden block. Just a copyright sign followed by the name Heather and then a number R-50-HK
Sentiment: Do Crafts "25271"
Backing Papers: My Mind's Eye
Promarkers
Brads and Diamond Stickles

Have a good day everyone. I hope your weather is better than mine (it won't take much beating).

Off to work and catch you again soon.

Love Jules xx

NEW RELEASE FROM FUNKY HAND

Good morning everyone

Exciting news!!

Funky Hand have moved into "Digital Stamps" and as a member of the DT I have been allowed to "play with them" ahead of time and have created a couple of samples ahead of their release. The collection is called "Festive Fun" and at £1.99 for all the images it is great value for money.

Why not pop over and check out all of the images available in the collection and also have a look at the stunning creations my fellow DT mates have produced. Lots of brilliant samples and inspiration.

But before you do .. .. .. .. below is what I have created using just two of the images.

The backing papers for this card came from the "Tis the Season" word book download. I love the green shades!!!!

The backing papers on this creation came from the "Blue Christmas" word book download.

As you can tell the weather was being a bit kinder when I took these photographs. It is simply pouring it down with rain here this morning!!

Have a great day everyone.

Love Jules xx

NEW HOME CARD

Good morning everyone

I hope your weekend is going nicely.

Today is starting off fairly bright here where I am - let's hope it stays like this as I would like to take some photographs that look half decent.

I had no choice yesterday though.

In order to share my creation I needed to take a picture before we left home as we were going to a little house-warming party.

A new photo taking position was found (necessity being the mother of invention) and with the help of one of my many "furry friends" I managed to get this little shot.

Still not brilliant I know but it is better than nothing I suppose!!

This used:

Backing papers: DCWV "The Green Stack"
Image and Sentiment: Woodware FRCL059 "On the Move"
Nestabilities: Classic Scallop Rectangles Small & Classic Rectangles Small
Ribbon (flowers already attached): A present from my blog buddy Brenda (Thanks B xx)
Rafia, charm, cocktail stick and brads from the stash box

I paper-pieced the image using up some of the many thousands of small bits of paper I just can't throw away!! LOL!!!

Have a good Sunday everyone.

Love Jules xx

DT CARD FOR ALLSORTS CHALLENGE

Good morning everyone

Phew!! What a week last week was over at Allsorts. A record 177 entries into the challenge!!

Today is the start of another challenge and this week Emma has chosen the theme which is:
"for a child".

Here is my creation:

This used:

Image: Penny Black 3981K "Team Teddy"
Sentiment: See-D's #50159 "Celebration Messages"
Backing Paper: Pink Petticoat
Martha Stewart: Zig-zag Punch
ProMarkers
Chalks

Lots of crafty creating needed from me over the next few days!! Let's hope the weather is bright and we get chance to take some decent snapshots!

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Love Jules xx

NEED HELP WITH WEDDING IDEAS?

Good Morning everyone

A special post this morning.

I am hoping to help my blog buddy Chris from Craftling's Cosy Corner sell more of her lovely Wedding Stationery CDs.

(No heart on this creation so stop looking now!!!!! This is one of the lovely samples on Chris's CD).

If you pop over to Chris's blog by clicking here you can read all about the CD and the reasons for Chris selling them - but in brief they are being sold to raise funds for the Papworth Trust.

In total Chris is hoping to sell 10 of her CDs - she has sold 4 so far and has another 6 to go!!!

I am one of the 4 and I can tell you the CD isn't only for creating wedding stationery - it gives you inspiration for creating cards suitable for engagements, weddings and wedding anniversaries as well as special/romantic cards in general.

But of course if you are hoping to break into the wedding market , or perhaps make stationery for your own wedding - this CD is just what you need. There are 100 project ideas (complete with instructions for making each project), sample wording, as well as lots of hints and tips and techniques.

Chris is selling her CD for £9.99 with free P&P which I thought was wonderful considering all that is included in the CD (and you get to help a worthwhile cause too).

I do hope I manage to help Chris with her fundraising!

Have a good day everyone and I will hopefully be back later with a little creation to share.

Love Jules xx

DOES BLACK LOOK BAD FOR CHRISTMAS?

Hi Everyone

I have made a card using some of my purchases from the NEC - I love it but am not sure. I have a dilema. Do Christmas cards in black look depressing or designer?

Here is my dilema card

This used:

Image: Penny Black 3880K "Fantasy" (new stash from the NEC)
Embossing Powder: Cosmic Shimmer "Black Sparkle"
Backing Paper: Costco (no they didn't have a stand at the NEC - this is old stash)
Ribbon from my local market
Heart Charm: NEC
Nail Heads: Josy Rose

I just love the effect of the Cosmic Shimmer - it twinkles in so many different colours - but you cannot really tell from the photographs :-(

I will just have to leave my card standing around on the shelf for a while whilst I decide.

Love Jules xx

PENNY BLACK CHALLENGE WEEK 74 AND ONE HUGE CATCH UP

Hi Everyone

Phew what a wonderful and mad weekend!!!

Will tell you all the news once I have shared my Penny Black challenge card for this week.

The theme is to make a card that fits in with the lyrics or title of a song.

Here is my card - I have chosen the song title "Strawberry Fields Forever".

This used:

Image: Penny Black 1670K "Sugar Sweet Dreams" (from the NEC at the weekend)
Backing Papers: My Minds Eye "Wild Asparagus"
Sentiment: Pink Petticoat
ProMarkers
Woodware Hydrangea Punch
Gems and Ribbon from the stash box

So that is one of my creations for today - others I cannot share just yet.

Now for a good old catch up. What a fantastic time I had at the NEC.

I was super lucky this year and went twice. The first time I went with my lovely Sis on Friday and the second time on Sunday with my bestest blog buddy Brenda. I had a fantastic time with both - thank you ladies!! I am just so lucky to have a fantastic Sis and a fantastic mate. It was great to spend time with both - talking and laughing for England!!

The two days were just so very different (apart from both being expensive LOL!!). It was like I looked at one type of thing with my Sis and a completely different kind of thing with Brenda.

It was also very interesting to compare the two days. Friday there was just so much stock on all the stands but by Sunday a lot of it had gone. There were so many things I wanted to show Brenda but they had all gone!! Can you believe that The Paper Mill stand had sold out of all their card by Sunday!!

What surprised me most was that this was Brenda's very first craft exhibition. Oh - I do hope she wants to go again. We were both sad when our day had ended and we had to say goodbye - we have been looking forward to for ages. Our better halves and my youngest son spent their time in the Music Live exhibition. They have all played or play in bands so it wasn't as if we cast them aside just anywhere. They had just as good a day as us. (We did give them a choice - they could have gone to the "cake decorating" exhibition).

So after my crafting extravaganza with Brenda I have completely new stash. I now have a little draw that I have labelled my "Get Down and Dirty" draw. This contains a lovely range of Glimmer Mists and Tim Holtz distressed ink pads ready for me to play with when life calms down a little. (No pressure but I know Brenda is just waiting to see what I produce with them - thank goodness she has done a tutorial on her blog that I can crib from!!). I already owned a couple of distressed ink pads and I just wish you could all have seen Brenda's face when I told her what I had been doing with them. LOL!!! (Too ashamed to share with the whole blogging world).

I have lots of new things to play with - but I never saw anywhere a stand that was selling "Bags of free time". Perhaps they too had sold out and gone home Thursday evening!! Shame.

I have lots of other things I want to share but this is turning into a very long post so I will save some for tomorrow.

I also need to go and do some commenting as I haven't done any of this since Saturday evening. It is my challenge over at Allsorts this week and it has gone mad!! So many lovely entries and I need to go and check them all out. At this rate I may hold the Allsorts record for the highest number of entries!!

Catch you all again tomorrow

Love Jules xx

ALLSORTS CHALLENGE DT CARD

Good morning everyone

It was my turn to set the challenge over at Allsorts this week and I have gone for "Bring out your Bling"!.

So I am expecting to see lots of sparkle over the next week!!!

As a design team we were all allowed to make our own choice of image from DigiStamp Boutique and the winner this week will also win their own choice of several images too.

Please pop over and see what my fellow DT mates have created with the images they chose and also visit DigiStamp to see what you could win! Lots of choice.

Here is my creation:

This used:

Image: DigiStamp Boutique "Ruby Fairy"
Backing Papers: Funky Hand "Funky Daze"
Sentiment: Studio G "Make a wish"
Nestabilities: Standard Circle Large and Classic Scalloped Circle Large
ProMarkers
Glamour dust and Diamond Stickles
Gems from the stash box

So I am hoping you are all going to be "blinging creative" over the next few days. I felt it was a challenge that would fit into any theme of card be this birthday, anniversaries or Christmas. All it needs is a bit of bling!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Love Jules xx

PENNY BLACK CHALLENGE 73

Hi Everyone

To begin with I would like to thank everyone who left me good wishes /comments on my fantastic Funky Hand news of yesterday. I couldn't bring myself to post this entry last night as I wanted to keep my happy news at the top of my blog just a little longer.

But I am here now with a rather late Penny Black challenge entry!!

The theme this week is "White on White" .

I thought this was a really good challenge and I did enjoy it - but how many shades of white are there in my card box?!?!?!? Unbelievable. I thought black was the most difficult colour to be consistent with but now I am thinking the same about white too.

Here is my creation

This used:

Sentiment: Penny Black 3555D "Merry ..."
Cuttlebug embossing folders: Swiss Dots and Snowflakes
Cuttlebug die: Snowflake (covered with Glamour Dust)
Nestabilities: Classic Heart and Classic Circle
Brads, ribbon, gem and diamond Stickles from the stash box

I am loving the finished look and would like to thank the Penny Black challenge team for pointing me in this direction. I feel a few more similar creations may be in the pipeline!

Thanks for calling by.

Love Jules xx

WOO HOO !!!!!

Big, big news in the world of Jules
and
"Always with a Heart"

My hearts have shone through and I must be one of the luckiest people in blogland .. .. .. Anice has asked me to join her design team over at Funky Hand! Yeah!! It took a whole half second to make the decision!

I have been bursting to tell everyone for the last week or so and now it is official and I can share my news with the world.

I keep popping over and looking at my name on the DT list. What am I like?!?!? I just can't believe it.

As you will know from my blog I love Funky Hand papers and use them quite regularly so I am going to have so much fun.

Anice's next CD is called "Dreams Come True". How appropriate. My dream has come true and this will be the first CD I get to use as a DT member!!! Woo hoo!!! How excited am I?

Sorry no card - just major excitement!!

I will be back later with a card to share if I can sit still long enough to make one!

Love Jules xx

THE QUICKEST CHRISTMAS CARD EVER

Hi Everyone

Here I am, still in Christmas card mode - I thought I would give you a break from holly today though LOL!!

Today's creation is a really quick Christmas card and one I think I will be making a lot more times over the next few weeks. I have already made three! Everyone who sees them loves them.

Everything on the card has come from the Pink Petticoat Download "Fairy Lights" other than the sentiment which was computer generated and the metallic cord and star dust Stickles which came from the stash box.

An ideal card if you have lots and lots to do and not much time to do them.

The tree is a paper pieced image on the download and it is on the download in other colours too.

So, off to make another Christmas card.

Have a great day - I hope the weather where you are is better than here. I have rain, rain, rain and more rain!!

Take care.

Love Jules xx

BY THE CUTE AND GIRLY - CHALLENGE 2

Hi Everyone

The start of another month and the start of another challenge theme over at By the Cute and Girly!

Last month was the launch month and there were some lovely creations entered.

This challenge blog is a place where you can enter lots of crafts - not just card/papercraft but anything that you have made which follows the theme.

For the November challenge the theme is "WINTER" and this was chosen by my Cute and Girly Team mate Lora.

Here are the items I made and a little bit about them.

Firstly my favourite make (so you get two pictures LOL!!)

This was made (twice) by adding beads to wire shaped as a snowflake. It was purchased in a pack of 6 from my local craft store. I just had to choose and add my beads then twist the end of the wire into a loop to stop the beads falling off.

I made the snowflake once and noticed that I had missed off one of the tiniest of beads - and being someone who can't leave things alone I took it all to bits to make it again. Unfortunately though in the process one of my large clear beads broke and so my snowflake is not perfect!!!

I still love it though and because my Sis and I both love Christmas (and each other) so much I am going to give it to her to hang on her Christmas tree. (Hope you like it Jo - sorry it isn't perfect but then neither am I xx )

My next creation

This is a tea-light holder made from a crackle glazed glass candle holder.

I attached strips of mulberry paper and punched mulberry paper shapes and attached them to the outside of the glass using a mixture of PVA glue and water. I mixed them together in equal quantities and applied the glue to the glass with an old childs paintbrush which I have had since the year dot.

I just finished the top edge off with a peel off to make it look neat.

My last creation - wait for it - a card with even more holly!!!

This used:

Image and Sentiment: Elusive Image Unmounted Theme Plate "Holly Script"
Gold embossing powder
ProMarkers
Diamond Glaze
Paper ribbler (for putting my gold background card through)
Woodware "Holly Punch"
Small beads for berries
Ribbon from Costco
Nail Heads: Josy Rose

So there are all my creations for the Winter Challenge over at By the Cute and Girly.

Make sure you pop over and see what everyone else has made - there is some great inspiration.

I hope everyone has a lovely Sunday and thank you for calling by.

Love Jules xx