I ALREADY KNOW MY FAVOURITE MAKE OF THE DAY!!

Hi Everyone

I already know my favourite make of the day .. .. no matter what else I make today it won't beat the little creation that follows so I might as well post it now.

I nearly love it too much to part with LOL!!!

This paper stack (Ella Blue by GCD Studios) was bought last year and at the time seemed like a major investment (which in fairness it was as it cost about £18 .. .. but it is a 12 x 12 stack).   It wasn't an impulse buy .. .. .. I had been looking at the stack for months and months, just wishing that I dare spend my pennies and buy it. 

Anyway, eventually I gave in but have never regretted it.  It doesn't have a bad paper in it (though it is more like card than paper) and I have made so many creations with it that it is unbelievable.

No matter what I make with it I love it.  I don't know if it is the colours, or the patterns or the feel of it .. .. it is probably all of these reasons.

There are still plenty of pages left and loads more creations that can be made with it but I do feel I am going to have to keep my eyes open for a spare one .. .. ready for when the sad day arrives when I use my last page!!!!!  Sob!! Sob!!!

Anyway .. .. how long can someone dribble on about a blasted paper stack .. .. be quiet woman and show your make ...

OK

Here it is ....................

This used:

Backing Papers:  GCD Sudios "Ella Blue"  (surprise, surprise)

Nestabilities: Standard Circles Large, Classic Scalloped Circles Large
Marianne Design Die: LR0115 "Butterfly"  (I love this too)
Woodware Punches:  Daisy in various sizes
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Brads, Ribbon and pearls from the Stash Box

So there we go.  My share of the day.

I am here bright and early tomorrow as it is the launch of the Penny Black at Allsorts Challenge for April.

Hope you are having a good day/evening.

Catch you tomorrow.

Love

NEC GOODIES CREATION

Hi Everyone

Before I start talking about my share for the day I would just like to say one very big

THANK YOU

to all of you lovely blog buddies that left good wishes for me and my lovely hubby yesterday on our wedding anniversary.

We had a lovely day and a lovely romantic meal. 

Back to earth with a bang tonight .. .. chicken salad with a jacket spud!!!  But hey, mustn't grumble .. .. I will still enjoy it!!  In fact the table is still clear (miracle of miracles) so we could even sit up to the table again tonight! 

So now round to my share for the day ....

This uses some more of the goodies I bought from the NEC last week.

This used:

Image and sentiment:  Lili of the Valley (so now you know what two of the 4 stamps are I bought)
Backing Paper:  Aimee Asher

Little Spoon Charm:  from one of the £1 charm packets I bought last week (still lots to go at)

ProMarkers

Glossy Accents for the cherries

Crystal Stickles
Ribbons from the Stash Box

and that is it.

Now it is time to go and get the spuds in the oven and then off to the bath whilst they cook.

Hopefully then a jump around blogland to see what all you lovely crafters have been up to.

Love

HOW MANY YEARS?

Hi Everyone

Well here I am bright and early as promised ahead of my hot date tonight!!!

It is our wedding anniversary today and hubby and I always have a home cooked romantic dinner for two to celebrate.  When the kids were little they used to get sent to bed early so we could have the evening to ourselves .. .. but no need for that anymore .. .. our nest is now empty  :-(

So I am posting early and then computers will be switched off and my attention will belong to hubby and hubby alone!!!  Soppy aren't I?!?!?!?

I have cleared the table ready and now need to start preparing some of the food.  We will cook together (whilst sampling the red wine).  Can't wait!!

Anyway, just to show I haven't just been daydreaming about tonight all day here is one of today's creations

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3865K" Gossamer

Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat

Backing Papers:  Aimee Asher

Koh-I-Noor pencils blended with Sansodor Solvent

Tiny beads attached with Glossy Accents

Crystal Stickles

Ribbons and flower from the Stash Box

OK .. .. so that is me for today.  Time to go and get the table laid and the candles ready for lighting!!

Catch you again tomorrow .. .. oh and I nearly forgot .. .. how many lovely years are we celebrating being together  .. .. well just the 36 .. .. ..  but it feels more like 12 (which is a bit weird when we have lads that are 31 and 27)  LOL!!

So now you know how ancient I must be .. .. but I am very young at heart!!!!!!!!

Have a lovely evening everyone.

Love

WHERE HAS TODAY GONE?

Hi Everyone

Well another beautiful day has come and nearly gone .. .. I blinked an missed a lot of it!!

I am here just quickly tonight with a special make ready for tomorrow.  I need to get it up here quickly before my lovely Hubby returns home.  He is playing postman for me at the moment.

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary and here is the make I have made for him.  Poor chap won't have time to look on my blog so he won't spoil the surprise .. .. in fact I'm not sure if he ever does look at my blog!!!?!?!?  

This used:

Heart:  Marianne Design Creatables "LR0159"
Go Kreate:  "160014" Large Frames - Scalloped Squares
Sentiment:  Computer generated using "The King and Queen" font
Distress Ink:  Barn Door
Diamond Stickles
Ribbon and roses from the Stash Box

So tomorrow will be a romantic dinner for two at the dining room table.  That means I need to be bright and early posting here tomorrow or I won't be a popular date!!!

OK .. time to run and get this card in its envelope quickly and then make it look like I have been relaxing in the bath whilst hubby has been out and about!!  LOL!!!

Have a great evening everyone and I hope that everyone's Mr Blogger problems are now sorted.  It sounded like a few of you were pulling your hair out yesterday!!

Love

JULES' CRAFTY SNIPPET CHALLENGE - WEEK 12

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend .. .. .. and aren't missing that hour we have had taken off us too much!!

Personally I think it is a bit much to take an hour away AND expect us to contemplate our Census Forms all on the same day!!!  LOL!!! 

So this week my personal snippet challenge has returned to its rightful day .. .. Sunday .. .. and here is what I have come up with today.

This first once was inspired by a cushion cover I saw in a department store.  The whole cushion was covered in circles of fabric stitched as I have done below.  I decided to use double sided card for mine to add some extra colour interest. 

This next one wasn't inspired by anything .. .. it was just an excuse to use up some very strange shiny pinky/peach paper that I am getting fed up of seeing in my craft pod!!!

This next one uses the lovely rosette die I got from the NEC last week .. .. and an interesting background technique where I have lots of strips of paper cut with pinking shears and stitched onto a piece of backing card.  I think it would have looked more interesting if I had used more contrasting colours .. .. but I like the finished look all the same.  You can see better how it works on the close up.

and then I made a few more rosettes .. .. .. just because I could LOL!!!

I am not going to list everything I used as it seems to go on for ever .. .. but if anyone particularly wants to know what anything is just ask and I will let you know.

Two new folk played along last week.  Lovely to see you ladies!!!

Amanda  -  who created the most gorgeous card using her snippets and a super cute image from LOTV (By the way Amanda .. ..  I am blaming you for one of my NEC purchases last week LOL!!!). 

and

Lisa - who didn't make one creation .. .. but two.   Both are just so lovely.

Great inspiration pieces so do make sure you pay a visit to both ladies and see their wonderful work.

I now have a pile of shirts that I need to magically transform into wearable items for the coming week .. .. phew!!  A woman's work is never done!!  (Notice my priorities though .. .. snippets before ironing LOL!!).

Have a lovely evening everyone and if you fancy playing along at any time over the next week then just link below so we can all come and have a little look at how your snippets have been utilised.

Love

IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH!!

Hi Everyone

A quick catch up before heading off out for an Indian at a new restaurant that has opened up in town .. .. one of those where you can take your own drinks so it makes for a reasonable night out.

Today's share is to show off my very first envelope .. . woo hoo!!!  I am so happy!!!

A while ago a bought a Sizzix die to cut the lovely cards below not considering whether or not I could get an envelope to fit (lesson learned there).

I made some lovely wedding invites with it but have never been able to get any envelopes I was happy with so whilst at the NEC on Thursday I visited the Sizzix stand in the hope that they did a die that would cut a suitable envelope .. .. yes they did .. .. it was classed as an American A2 sized envelope and the die was going to be discontinued so was in the bargain bin.

I was well excited until I saw the die.  It cut loads of pieces that I was going to have to stick together!!  I felt it was going to take longer to make the envelope than the invitation itself.  Suffice to say .. .. I didn't buy the die.

Who do I see later .. .. the lady demonstrating the Scor-pal.  Will it do A2 sized envelopes I asked?  "Oh, yes" was the reply and she promptly made one.  

One Scor-pal sold!!

So here is the wedding invitation and it's custom made envelope.  I am well chuffed (it doesn't take much to keep me happy).  Not the right colour .. .. but hey .. .. at least my card fits in without sliding about everywhere like it did in all the pre-bought ones.

I am picturing some snazzy envelopes appearing!!

The card base was made with Sizzix Die:  "655970" Floral Flourish Card and my envelope done on the Scor-pal (and much more easily than it would have been using the envelope die I am sure).

I have just put a piece of double sided sellotape across the flap ready for peeling and sealing.

I have just shown my lovely hubby and he said that all I need now is a little something that will emboss on the flap with the words "Always With A Heart" and my little heart.   Mmmmm... I like the sound of that.  Anyone know where I would start looking to find such a wonderful thing?

OK - time for me to wander off and get ready for going out.

Have a lovely evening everyone.  See you tomorrow with my snippet make(s).

Love

PICTURE OVERLOAD

Hi Everyone

Another lovely day .. .. .. but it is a sign the weekend is nearly upon us though because our weatherlady is now saying it won't be so good over the next few days!!  Shame!!!

I got a few orders done today and then allowed myself a play with some of my goodies from yesterday.

Before I started my orders I did just cut and stick a few of the Tim Holtz Rosettes .. .. but it wasn't as easy as it could be.  Simply because I didn't have any extended cutting plates doh!!! 

But necessity is the mother of invention and I managed by cutting half of the die .. .. turning it round and then cutting the other half!!  Tee hee!!  Love them!!!

Couldn't wait to try out my Scor-pal out either so I decided to combine the two and this is what I made (prepare for photograph overload).

Sorry but it needed all the photographs to make sense of what I had made.  (Shame my paper is up-side down on the front - only just noticed LOL!!!).~

This used:

Sizzix:  Tim Holtz Mini Paper Rosettes
Backing Papers:  GCD Studios "Ella Blue"
Scor-Pal
Martha Stewart Punch:  Valentine Lace
Woodware Circle Punch

Hero Arts:  "CL375" Big Flowers Pattern  (for the leaves on the box lid)
Penny Black:  "3849E" Birthday Dreams

Ribbon from the Stash Box

This could have actually been a snippet make for Sunday as it used up lots of small pieces of paper.  I love this Ella Blue stack and have saved the tiniest pieces as you can tell from some of the ones used here!!  LOL!!!

There are lots of patterns and projects on the internet for using with your Scor Pal and this is where I got my little card design from.  It is only small and when folded up only measures 9cms square (get me going metric in my old age). 

You can find the card instructions here as I am sure you could make this even without the board (but I have tweeked the instructions a little to include the little pocket for putting some birthday pennies into.

The box I made using the Scor-pal again but without a pattern this time.  I just based it on the size of my card .. .. but I am sure there would be a project template somewhere.

Oh I am so excited about all the things I will be able to use my board for.  I still haven't tried an envelope for my awkward sized card yet though.  Might have a go at that tomorrow.

So now I have given you photograph overload I will go and have my bath whilst Hubby prepares the Friday night culinary delights.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Love

A SPECIAL DAY IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a lovely day.

Mine has been super exciting as I was able to go to the NEC for the Craft Exhibition.  Originally I was supposed to be going at the weekend as my lovely Sis couldn't get time off work .. .. .. but then at the last minute things changed and she was allowed the day off!!  Yay!!!  We got to go on Day 1 (before all the good stuff had been snapped up).

So another brilliant day with my lovely Sis .. .. and we have only been home about half an hour because the day has to be rounded off with a lovely glass of red wine!! Mmmm....

What did I treat myself to?  Well here is a little piccy ...

As you can see some lovely stamps (you will have to wait and see which LOTV ones I got .. .. ... I would have liked loads more but a girl can't have everything in life).  I don't know who makes their sample cards but they were totally amazing!!!  Someone is certainly uber talented.

I have a few dies for going through my machine.

A few stamps for my next wedding stationery makes.

Lots of lovely charms .. .. including lots of hearts.  I always stock up when I go.  Can you believe that these only cost £1 for a huge packet!!!

Then the thing I am itching to play with .. .. my Scor-Pal.  I have made some lovely creations in the past that I just can't find an envelope to put them in but now I should be able to make any size envelope or box I want to!!!  It will even be able to co-ordinate with papers and colours on my cards .. woo hoo!!  (Hope I am still as happy once I have used it LOL!!).

My little eyes are almost shut and I am wishing they could play .. .. but sadly it will have to wait until tomorrow.  I am in desperate need of matchsticks to keep them open.

So not only the excitement of a day out with my Sis, and the excitement of some crafty demo's and retail therapy .. .. .. but mega excitement at meeting someone I have been friends with for years.  Someone to whom I will always be grateful .. ..  for without her I would never have set up my blog and got into everything I have.

Who is this wonderful person?

None other than my hero and inspiration Kath!!  Aka my Fairy Godmother who has helped me so very much over the years and has never been too busy to help me where she can.  Thanks Kath xxx!!

Kath was super busy on the Fiskars stand running workshops.  She was one busy lady .. .. but not too busy for a hug and a kiss and little chat whilst all of her eagre students were busy crafting away.  It was great to meet her after so long.

I was surprised that some of the exhibitors who are normally there didn't make an appearance this time .. .. must be a sign of the times.

So now it is bath time .. .. something very quick to eat and then bed before my eyes shut completely.

Hopefully tomorrow I will get chance to play with some of my new goodies ready to share.

Love

TYPICAL !!!

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a good day today.

The weather has been lovely again here and I got lots of washing done  .. .. ..  it was lovely to hang it all out on the washing line .. .. .. but I am not not impressed now!!

The second lovely day of Spring and what happens?

You hang your washing out and someone has to light a bonfire!!!!!!!!  Grrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My once lovely smelling washing no longer smells nice.

Typical!!

Anyway now that is off my chest .. .. here is today's share:

This used:

Backing Papers:  Aimee Asher
Image:  Stampendous! "M214" Bloom Swirl
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Ribbon from the Stash Box

So that is me for today .. .. .. off to try and tidy up some of my craft space now.  Everything has made its way back upstairs from off the dining room table (and floor and cupboards and chairs and computer trolley LOL!!) - but hasn't been put into its proper place yet. 

Catch you again tomorrow

Love

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!!

Hi Everyone

What a beautiful day it has been today .. .. Spring really seems to have sprung!!

Such lovely sunshine .. .. and mad people walking around dressed like it is the height of summer LOL!!!

Tomorrow is supposed to be even better.  Woo hoo!!!

Just a quick share tonight as I am hoping to get a bit of blog hopping in too.  So many people I need to come and visit I feel it is going to take me for ever to catch up.

Tonight's share uses a lovely image that reminds me of when I learned to type .. .. on an old manual typewriter that was the size of about 8 loaves of bread all stacked into a cube.  Boy was it hard getting those little fingers to press the keys down .. .. and to make all the letters have equal pressure .. .. gosh!!  I remember it well.  Typewriting lessons used to be my second favourite lesson after dressmaking.

Anyways..... here is my share for today

This used:

Image and sentiment:  was Pink Petticoat but no longer for sale (sorry)

Backing Papers:  Funky Hand Download "Rainbow Polkadots"

A bit of paper ripped out of a notebook

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

Staples

Diamond Stickles

Ribbon from the Stash Box

and that is me.

My makes seemed to take ages today as I am really struggling to get out of wedding mode at the moment.  In fact part of me really wants to stay there and get some of the ideas I have put together.

We have booked our next Wedding Fayre for the 20th November and are already discussing our colours for that one  .. .. but I promise not to mention it every day until then LOL!!!!

Have a great evening everyone.

Hope I get as far as your blog tonight .. .. but if not I will be there eventually.

Love

JULES' CRAFTY SNIPPET CHALLENGE - WEEK 11

Hi Everyone

I bet you thought I wasn't going to play today.

Well I have .. .. but I have only had chance for one very rushed snippet make today.  Sorry!!!

Time has ran away with me whilst on the clearing up mission.

But one snippet make is better than none .. .. .. and here is what I made

This used:

The compulsory snippets

Sentiment:  My Sentiments Exactly "M379" Love Sentiment

Martha Stewart Punch:  Daisy

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Buttons, flower, brad and ribbon from the stash box

and sadly that is it!!  No more to share today  :-(  

I couldn't justify playing with bits of paper with so much housework needing to be done.

The biggest challenge would have been to make a creation with all the tiny little snippets I have cleaned up off the dining room floor and table today LOL!!!

Three lovely blog buddies share their inspiration last week on the "use up your snippets" mission.  I hope you had chance to see all their lovely creations.  They were linked to Mr Linky at the end of last week's post here so if you need a little inspiration nip to see them.  Once again some brilliant ways to use up all of those leftover snippets.  Thank you ladies.

I have popped Mr Linky on again just in case anyone wants to play along this week .. .. but no pressure .. .. you probably haven't got as many snippets as me to use up .. .. and I made loads whilst making my wedding stationery samples .. .. .. eeekkk!!!

A big improvement on the clean house front but work needs to continue tomorrow.  What a bad housekeeper I have been!!  No domestic goddess award for me this year................ not that I have had one any other year either.

See you again tomorrow

Love

WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY

Hi Everyone

What a brilliant day today has been .. .. far, far better than my Sis and I ever imagined.

Picture a gorgeous hotel with a beautiful conservatory in the middle of the most well kept grounds .. .. and we are in the conservatory.

The weather is glorious and we had a steady stream of the most lovely people visit our stand.  Not just prospective customers but the people from the other displays too.

Once we were all set up (which took exactly an hour from pulling up in the car park to being happy with our display) we wandered around to see what everyone else was offering.

We had agreed from the start that we were just going to be ourselves and people liked us or they didn't (but I just cannot imagine anyone not loving my Sis .. .. she is just wonderful).  We stood and chatted with most of the stands before visitors arrived and admitted to about three that it was our first Wedding Fayre and we were given lots of useful advise and told not to worry if people didn't place orders on the day .. .. they often come later.  Everyone was just so helpful and caring and then partway through the day people came to visit our stand to see how we were doing and if things were going OK.  We admitted to the organisers that it was "our first time" and it caused great amusement and we were Christened  "Wedding Fayre Virgins" for the day LOL!!

Here is one of our photographs .. .. not brilliant but it lets you see some of our wares "before play commenced".  I am hoping my lovely Sis has some good photographs too as her camera is "much posher than what mine is! LOL!!!

This is just one small corner of our display.

The sample table plan I did was a great success and seemed to draw people to our display and there was lots of interest in that.

We have met the most lovely couples and they stayed and chatted with us for ages. 

Quite a few samples now need to be made and posted out and we received some lovely comments.  A thoroughly enjoyable day and one we can't wait to repeat again in November. 

It was great to talk with the young couples and hear all of their lovely ideas.  All so very different and colour schemes and ideas that have never even crossed our minds.  Very inspirational and we are buzzing!!

We came home so tired but didn't realise how tired until we sat down. 

My aching legs have been soaked in a lovely hot bath and I am now going to sit and do absolutely nothing until tomorrow .. .. and then I will be tidying up, ordering card and goodies for samples that don't fit in with colour schemes I have already worked to, playing with snippets and ironing shirts .. .. poor hubby is down to his last one!!  What a bad wife!!

Thank you to everyone for all of the lovely messages, comments on the revealing of our websites and the good luck messages I received over the course of today.  You are such a lovely gang of blog buddies and gave us both a lovely boost ahead of our exciting adventure.

See you all tomorrow.

Love

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING FAYRE!! LOL!!!

Hi Everyone

Well all ready for the Wedding Fayre bar the final packing and the printer being on overdrive.

My hair is cut, my clothes are hanging up ready and my samples are all labelled up and ready to go.

Nothing to share tonight other than two website addresses.

One that will take you to the very raw beginnings of my website .. .. ..


http://www.alwayswithaheart.co.uk/



and one that will take you to the same for my lovely Sis with her gorgeous bags .. ..



http://www.thegirlbags.com/



We are both giving out business cards tomorrow with our websites on so if our customers can look then I don't see why my lovely blog friends can't look too.

Loads and loads and loads more work to do on the websites and squillions of photographs that need adding .. .. but all in good time.  Mustn't run before I can walk.

I hope you like what we have done so far and thank you very much to everyone for all the good wishes.  I will be back tomorrow with a report on whether it was a good or a bad day (please let it be good) LOL!!!

No snippets tomorrow folk .. .. it will be a roll over day and be Snippet Monday just for one week!!! 

Right off to pack away some things.

Sis is sleeping over and we are well excited!!!

Love

ANOTHER WEDDING SAMPLE

Hi Everyone

A huge thank you for all your lovely comments on my table plan yesterday.  You made me feel extra good about it.  Thank you!!!

I have had a bostin' day today and have got lots done .. .. .. I think I am nearly there!!

I still have loads of ideas in my head of things I want to do but hey .. .. this is only the first fayre .. .. I can just keep building on what I have done ready for the next.  Rome wasn't built in a day!!!

Just listing all of my wedding samples now and giving them all a reference number on a spreadsheet and printing little labels off to put on the back of my samples.  These will give the reference number and price band.  This seems to be taking longer than actually making them in the first place LOL!! 

So no time for extra makes today .. .. it has to be another wedding share.  I hope you aren't getting fed up with them?  Don't forget there are not always hearts on my wedding work :-(

Tomorrow will be the printing off of inserts to put into everything and sticking all the little labels on (once everything has been cross referenced of course LOL!!) and who knows .. .. I might even get chance to slip a few more wedding samples in alongside a haircut (should a lady call it a haircut or does it have a posh name?) and then a Chinese meal with my lovely Sis.  I wonder what we will talk about? Tee hee!!!

OK - back to my listing.

Sorry I have been such a bad blogger.  I promise I will catch up with everyone next week when this super busy and hyperactive spell is over.

I did receive one comment yesterday that really made me laugh.  One of my lovely blog buddies Di said

"Jules !! There's summat going on here! How many hours are there in your days? I'm sure there's at least 36 the amount of stuff you get done. Either that or you have a team of domestic staff we don't know about,lol."

Well I must admit I have been working very long hours .. .. getting up at daft o'clock to get any necessary housework done and then working through into the evenings .. .. but I can assure you there is no team of domestic staff .. .. as the state of my windows and messy carpets can confirm.  Lots of mess everywhere and "quick meals" all week.  

Who knows .. .. next week I might get some housework done and tonight hubby is cooking.

Woo hoo!!!!! 

Love

TABLE PLAN .. .. .. DONE!!!

Hi Everyone

Super excited Jules here .. .. .. I have finished my sample table plan!!  Yay!!! 

Very difficult to photograph though.  Perhaps because it is so big .. .. and I have just realised I am going to have to find a large safe storage place for it in-between wedding fayres .. .. oh heck!!!.

Anyway, as promised here it is for you to see. 

The frame looks a bit like a banana on this one .. ..
but I promise it is straight in reality.  LOL!!!

I am really pleased with it and have stood it on an easel in the spare bedroom .. .. alongside all of the other things we intend to take with us.  Every time I go upstairs I go and have another look at it. LOL!!!

Don't spend too long looking for the heart though because there isn't one  .. .. ..   I can't expect to always be able to include a heart on all of my wedding projects .. .. so for wedding work the heart is the love and care I put into the making.

Right .. .. time to clear up all the mess I have made this morning and then a bite to eat ahead of working on some more samples this afternoon.  Not every collection has an equal number of  samples .. .. and that won't do!!!

Catch you again tomorrow.

Love