My photo
A very warm welcome to my teeny, tiny part of the huge world of blogging. This is where I share my passion for making hand made greeting cards. So - why "Always with a Heart"? Well this is for two reasons. Firstly, it is because every card I produce carries a heart on it somewhere. This can be big and bold or small and almost hidden - the fun sometimes is just trying to find it! Secondly it is because I put my heart into everything I produce. I hope that any visitors enjoy seeing what I post. If you drop by then please leave me a comment so that I know you called. It would be nice to know that you have found my heart in what I do.

Saturday 31 March 2012

A WEDDING SHARE

Hi Everyone

No chance to do anything but wedding work today .. .. busy, busy, busy!!!!

But one of my lovely happy couples who got married last week called by last night to return an easel they had used for displaying their table plan  .. ..  and we shared lots of lovely stories about their wedding day.  

I am looking forward to seeing some official photographs .. . hopefully there will some of the venue all set up which will be lovely to see.

They were more than happy for me to share the pictures I have of their stationery so until the official ones come through here are a couple I took.

Aren't their colours stunning!!! I am sure you can guess what colour the bridesmaids were wearing.

This is the invitation front and a little favour box that just manages to hold four yummy Thornton's chocolates!!


and here is the table plan.















A little difficult to take a picture of the table plan as it is behind glass.  Hopefully the official photographer has done a little better than I did.

The pictures at the top of the table plan show where the lovely couple got married and where they held their reception.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.  I can't believe I have only just switched my computer on at 6.00pm .. .. and now I have to switch it off as we are seeing friends tonight and I need to run and get ready.

Sorry I haven't made anything to share today .. . but I am sure you have enjoyed seeing a little of what I do when I am shirking on my commenting duties!!!  I promise that I will catch up with everyone eventually.

Catch you tomorrow with a snippet make.

Love

Friday 30 March 2012

PALE BUT HOPEFULLY INTERESTING

Hi Everyone

Well the title to this post could relate to two things .. .. either my share for the day .. .. or myself !!

Both of us are very pale!!    LOL!!

I think I should have perhaps got a bit of that sun we were blessed with earlier this week on my face .. .. but as always I find far better things to do inside.

Here is one of the pale objects from the House of Hearts .. ..





This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3976K" Acrobat
Sentiment:  Hobby Art "CS016D" General Greetings
Backing Papers:  DoCrafts "New Arrival"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Ribbon and Button from the Stash Box  (what makes you think I bought a lovely bag of button hearts from the NEC? LOL!!!)

So that is my share for today.

Thank you so much to everyone who left good wishes on our Wedding Anniversary yesterday.  We had a lovely evening .. .. perhaps I should switch my computer off and pack my crafty goodies away early more often!!

That said .. .. we did fall asleep on the sofa and woke up to go to bed at around quarter to one in the morning!!  Eeeekk!!!  Not clever when you have a 6.00am alarm.

No packing away early tonight for me though.  I have a project on the go that I need to get finished!!

Have a lovely evening everyone.

Catch you again tomorrow.

Love

Thursday 29 March 2012

ROMANTIC DINNER FOR TWO DAY!!

Hi Everyone

Well I am well chuffed with myself today.

My share and post done super early as today it is our 37th Wedding Anniversary (which in the eyes of special anniversaries is not a landmark that warrants giving it a special name .. .. we have to wait another 3 years for our Ruby Anniversary until it is seen as an achievement LOL!!!).

Here is my share:




This used:

Image:  Sizzix/Hero Arts "65778" - Playful Flowers and Butterflies
Sentiment:  Debbie Moore "C2.0003" Birthday Definition
Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder:  "Happy Birthday"
Nestabilities:  Tag Die
Ribbon, Cord, Button and Black Pearls from the Stash Box

So that is my share for the day  .. ..  done and dusted so it doesn't interfere with the "romantic dinner for two" that is on the cards for tonight.

I have instructions to make sure the table is COMPLETELY clear ready for setting the table (so I had better get on with that next).  

This time 37 years ago we were actually married by now and it was Easter Saturday.  It snowed during the week running up to our wedding .. .. nothing like the lovely weather we have had this week that's for sure.  At the time I am posting this we would be tucking into ham salad in the Church Hall which was a stones throw from the Church. 

Gosh how different things are today.  

Some of the multi course meals I put on my "happy couples" menus nowadays sound out of this world.  Certainly more exciting than our ham salad followed by a piece of wedding cake LOL!! .. .. .. .. and they pay more for just the hire of a venue than we paid for our first house!!!   Mind you a car today costs more than our first home. 

Anyway, best get on with the clearing up ready for our special evening.  I don't want to see Mr Heart's face drop if he walks in and sees wedding stationery still strewn across the table and all around the dining room!!

Have a good evening everyone

I'll catch you again tomorrow

Love

Wednesday 28 March 2012

READY FOR TOMORROW

Hi Everyone

Well .. .. tomorrow is wedding anniversary day in the House of Hearts.

How many years have we managed?

Well believe it or not 37 !!

We were married very young .. .. and advised by many that we were far too young to be getting married and for it to last!!   LOL!!!  What did they know!!

I have just finished my card ready for handing over in the morning.





This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Lili of The Valley (chosen especially last week at the NEC)
Backing Papers:  Raspberry Road (I think).  Sorry they were hanging about waiting to be used and just seemed to go together
X-Cut Punch:  Heart and Kisses
Martha Stewart Punch:  Heart
Nestabilities:  Classic Circle and Scalloped Circle
ProMarkers
White Gel Pen
Flower, Pearls and Cord from the Stash Box


Although we were young when we met and were married we weren't THIS young!!.

A bit of a cute card for a chap I know, but I am sure he will love it (or he will say he does anyway LOL!!).

So a quick (and hopefully early) share tomorrow ahead of a romantic dinner for two.

Catch you soon

Love

Tuesday 27 March 2012

NOW THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL A HEART !

Hi Everyone

I hope the day has been kind to you .. .. as well as the weather.

A very hectic day here and we still need to have baths and eat so I will be super, duper quick with today's share:





This used:

Image:  Fiskars Continuous Stamp "Flowers"
Backing Paper:  DCWV "Black and White Prints" and Pink Petticoat for the stripes
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Pinking Shears
Snippet of Lace and one yummy, scrummy button!

The Fiskars stamp should actually fit onto a stamping wheel .. .. but I don't have one of those and simply stuck the stamp onto a cuttlebug plate and stamped it as normal.

Thank you for all my birthday wishes yesterday.  I had a lovely day and evening.

Off to that there bath now .. .. .. and I'll catch you again tomorrow.

Love

Monday 26 March 2012

A BABY BOY

Hi Everyone

What a glorious day it has been .. ..in fact it has been so sunny that I have been forced to clean my front windows and door as I couldn't stand looking at them with the sunlight on them any longer!!  

The sunshine makes them look ten times dirtier than they really are (well that's my excuse and I will be sticking to it LOL!!).

Another pastel share today:




This used:

Image:  Lili of the Valley (one of my NEC purchases)
Sentiment and Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat
Martha Stewart Punch:  Traditional Scallop
My Trusty Sewing Machine
ProMarkers
Ribbon, cord, eyelet and pears from the Stash Box

So that is me for today .. .. bright and early as I am celebrating my birthday today with a Chinese takeaway with my lovely hubby and little baby boy.

Bang goes the "watching what I eat" diet this week .. .. .. and it will only get worse as it is our wedding anniversary later this week too!!

Have a great evening everyone.

Love

Sunday 25 March 2012

SNIPPETS AND RUDOLPH DAY

Hi Everyone

Another beautiful day.

Have you all remembered to alter all of those clocks?  Otherwise you will be an hour late for work in the morning !!!!

We still have a few to change here.

I am always thrown into confusion on a day when we change the clocks as I am always wondering whether any given clock has already had its time changed or not LOL!!!

But even though we lost an hour I was up bright and early to make two snippet cards.  Both used up more of those lovely snippets for joining in with Pixie's Crafty Snippets Challenge and one of them is also in honour of Sandra's Rudolph Day (the 25th of every month is Rudolph Day and should be celebrated by making and sharing a Christmas make  .. .. or more if you feel the desire .. .. in the hope of feeling a little more organised when Christmas looms upon us!!).








As it is Sunday I will be my usual lazy self and not list any of the items I used to make them.  But as always if there are any questions then just shout.

In fact my Sunday has been a very lazy day for me all round as my lovely Auntie and Uncle took hubby and I out for Sunday dinner and we have only just returned.  Yummy scrummy finishing off with my favourite desert .. .. bread and butter pudding!!!

What a bonus .. .. ..  no kitchen full of roasting tins, messy saucepans and vegetable peelings to contend with.

So instead of tidying up a kitchen I am going to get ahead of the game for tomorrow and print off a load of wedding stationery inserts whilst hubby catches up with the football match he recorded whilst we were out.

I hope everyone has had a lovely happy day.

I'll catch you again tomorrow.

Love

Saturday 24 March 2012

TULIPS - TAKE 2

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday.

Hasn't it been a brilliant day?  A foggy start but once the sun forced its way through it was glorious.

A quick share today which is the pastel version of yesterday's tulip card all painted with distress inks.

I think I prefer the pastel version .. .. well I do today anyway LOL!!!





This used:

Image:  Imagination Crafts"Tulip"
Sentiment:  Lili of the Valley
Backing papers:  Pink Petticoat
Nestabilities
Distress Inks

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Martha Stewart Punch:  Traditional Scallop
White and Blue Embossing Powder
My Trust Sewing Machine
Diamond Stickles
Ribbon from the Stash Box


.. .. ..  and that is me for today!!

Did I get my lie in this morning?  Well I did a "little" better than normal .. .. but wasn't helped by the fact that my lovely hubby was the one that wanted to get up bright and early today .. .. normally it is the other way round.  LOL!!!

Have a lovely evening everyone and a great Sunday.

Love

Friday 23 March 2012

TULIPS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a great day.

The weather was lovely here for my "happy couple" who got married today .. .. though a tad chilly for standing around in dresses with no sleeves (that would be the bride and bridesmaids .. .. not me!!!).

The service was beautiful and the church was filled with candles placed on nearly every little ledge or shelf you could see.  All very romantic and the bride and groom looked so lovely.

They were a lovely young couple and I have to admit to having a few little tears as it was all so special!

But after the service it was a case of taking a few photographs and then heading home to get cracking on other wedding projects and then a little play with some more of my goodies from the NEC yesterday.





This used:

Image:  Imagination Crafts"Tulip"
Sentiment:  Lili of the Valley
Backing papers:  Wild Rose Studio "for the gingham" and Aimee Asher "for the white crackle card"
Nestabilities
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Ribbon and Pearls from the Stash Box

and that is me for tonight.

I have to admit to feeling much better than I did this time last night.

I was well and truly shattered after the NEC and fell asleep on the settee after my bath  .. ..  no matter how many times my hubby nudged me I just couldn't stay awake .. .. LOL!!!

I wonder if I will manage a "lie-in" in the morning?  I somehow doubt it!!  

Just for one day I would love to wake up and not feel the urge to dash out of bed and get cracking!!  It is hard being hyper-active you know!!!  LOL!!!

Have a good evening and a good weekend everyone.

Love

Thursday 22 March 2012

I JUST HAD TO PLAY

Hi Everyone

Well here I am .. .. back from the NEC and just about dead on my feet.

My legs are killing me and my eyes are struggling to stay open.

We had a brilliant day but boy what restraint I showed!!  I am so proud of myself.

I went with a "little" list of things I was hoping I would find .. .. the little set I used to make today's share being one of the items on my list.





This used:

All stamping:   Sizzix/Hero Arts Stamp and Die Cut Set "657776"
Backing Paper:  My Minds Eye - free with a magazine ages ago
Nestabilities:  Classic Ovals Large and Deckled Edge Classic Ovals Large
Memento and Distress Inks
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Ribbon from the Stash Box

I am really pleased with the Stamp and Die Set (and also bought another as there was an offer if you had two).  These were my major purchases of the day.

I had a little spend on the Lili of the Valley stand.  But I was very restrained.  The samples on show were absolutely fabulous.  Very inspirational and beautiful.  What a fab Design Team they have!!!

What else fell into my basket?  Well a non-stick craft mat.  Some small punches and duster brushes and some funky buttons.  Plus lots of charms.  I raided those first as the heart charms tend to disappear very quickly.

What didn't fall into my basket that I would have liked?

Well there was a world shortage of Penny Black stamps there that's for sure.  I was expecting that really .. ..  and only found a very small selection across the whole of the exhibition.  There were 3 I would have liked .. .. but I left them there for someone else.

I also went with the intention of getting a Memory Box Die or two .. .. but didn't succumb in the end as there were just far too many and I couldn't decide which one to get.  LOL!!  (Unlike the lady who looked like she was having at least 10!!!!!). 

I did want a new guillotine as I have worn the lines off my small Fiskars one but didn't come away with one of those either!

No new nesties, no coloured metallic cord was there and no new papers were mine either.

But I am sure I will cope LOL!!!

So I was quite a good girl really.  

I also got to go and say hello to my lovely and super talented blog buddy Kath .. .. a short and sweet meet as she was very busy with a workshop for Fiskars .. .. but it was very nice all the same.  

OK then . .. so that is me for today.  Time to go and give my aching legs a soak in the bath.

Another exciting day tomorrow as another one of my happy couples will be getting married in the morning.  I do hope the weather is as beautiful for them as it has been today.

Love
 

Wednesday 21 March 2012

SEE .. .. .. I CAN BE EARLY !!!

Hi Everyone

I hope the day has been a good one for you.

My share today is showing off a brand new stamp that I won from my lovely blog buddy Debs. (Thank you very much Debs - I promise to take good care of it and ink it up frequently so it feels loved  xx)

Debs accidentally bought two of the same stamp and very kindly offered the spare in a candy draw last week.

Mrs Postlady delivered the little beauty yesterday and I couldn't wait to put it to good use.

So here we go .. .. my first make with my new stamp:




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3779F" Love Conquers
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Backing Papers:  Raspberry Road
Tim Holtz Distress Ink:  Tumbled Glass
ProMarkers
Glossy Accents (which could have done with being allowed to dry a little more but I am short of time)
Crystal Stickles
Cord from the Stash Box

My make is a bit earlier today as I am having a surprise "stay over" by my big baby boy.  He has been attending a course in Shrewsbury and rather than drive back to London when the course finishes this afternoon he is coming for a "sleep over" here and then heading back home very early doors!!  Which has meant clearing the bed in the spare room .. .. again!!!!

Little baby boy is coming round too so he can catch up with his brother .. .. so all the men in my life together again for an evening.   Woo hoo!!!   Can't wait.

Shame my DIL isn't with us :-(  .. .. but hopefully she is finding something to keep her out of mischief.  If I was her I would get all the craft goodies out and make lots of mess .. .. just because she can!!

So an exciting evening followed by an exciting day tomorrow because my lovely Sis and I are off to the NEC.  Yay!!!  

If anyone else is going tomorrow you will be able to track me down easily as I will be the one smelling of garlic .. .. we are having a prawn and pasta meal tonight that calls for lots of the smelly stuff!! Eeeewwww!!!  How unsociable .. .. but very yummy and a family favourite .. .. so it has to be done!! 

Have a great evening everyone

Love

Tuesday 20 March 2012

I SHALL FEEL MUCH BETTER AFTER THIS

Hi Everyone

I hope your day has been good.

As per normal mine has flown by far too quickly!!!

I got up super early today so that I could back-track and find all my lovely blog friends who kindly passed on to me The Versatile Blogger award.  Thank you ladies.

More about that later .. .. I will start off with my share for the day.




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "40-015" You are the Bestest
Backing Papers:  Funky Fairy (sadly no longer trading)
Martha Stewart Punch:  Daisy
ProMarkers
Ribbon from the Stash Box

I might have to start colouring in those flowers on the ground in different colours.  They look like a splattering of poached eggs!!!  LOL!!!

So now round to my award



I received this lovely award from the following very thoughtful blog buddies.  I trawled back and hope I have found everyone who kindly gave me this award .. .. if I have missed anyone then I am very sorry :-(

Christine (Kent Crafter)

Thank you very much ladies for thinking of me.  You are all so very kind and if any of my visitors fancy a little hop around blogland then the links I have added will take you to some gorgeous and inspirational blogs!  

Of course there are always things to do alongside accepting such awards .. .. .. the first being that I need to tell you seven facts about myself.

Well I have revealed so much about myself throughout my blog that I feel sure there can be hardly anything you don't know about me .. .. but to keep the fun going here we go (if any are repeats from my past then I apologise).

1.  My craft pod is sited in the smallest bedroom in our house (personally I feel I should have the biggest LOL!!) and in there I have crammed anything and everything so there is only just enough room for me and no-one else!!!  I love it in there!!!  Especially when it is tidy!!!

2.  My days and weeks are always far too short.  I start a day and it is ending .. .. and start a week and that quickly ends too.  That must mean I am having fun.

3.  My wedding work is slowly taking over most of my craft time but I still have to make at least one "non-wedding creation" to make my day complete.  The weddings have started to become my "day job" and then my blog creation happens early evening normally.

4.  I try really hard to post a card every day onto my blog.

5.  As I get busier I'm afraid I just can't keep up with commenting.  But I do try .. .. I promise!!

6.  I find blogland such a fabby place but have to restrict myself on the visiting front as it is so easy to lose track of time.  I tend to visit early morning before the day takes hold .. .. and if I do manage a daytime visit it is when my left hand is holding something together that I have glued .. .. whilst my right hand does the typing!!

7.  Point 6 proves that I can multi task  .. .. ..  confirmation also that I am female.  LOL!!!

Phew I feel so much better now that is done.  A bit like emptying the ironing basket!!

The hardest part of accepting an award though is when you have to pass it on to other bloggers but  how can I choose out of all of the hundreds of blogs that are out there which inspire me day after day after day!   We are so lucky to have all this inspiration at our fingertips.

Plus it doesn't have to be a cardmaking or craft blog to give me inspiration.  I can get ideas from looking at anything.  A dress, a car, a building or even a kitchen layout  .. .. and it isn't because I want to own these things .. .. it is usually the way things have been constructed or the colours/textures!!

So I am afraid I am going to chicken out of the nominating part and simply say that anyone who visits my blog is more than welcome to take this award because if you have visited here the chances are I have visited you too and found a lovely big dollop of inspiration!!

A couple of answers to questions too.  The Teddy Bo card I posted here actually came coloured like this .. .. it was just a print and go jobbie.

Then there is the case of the "not so easy to find heart" from here.

Here it is .. .. lurking on that lovely bottle of red!!



Have a lovely evening everyone.

Love