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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.

Monday 30 April 2012

SUPER FAST FOR ME TODAY

Hi Everyone

A super fast share from me today as I have a "happy couple" arriving very soon.

My share today is a card that I made for my ex-boss to give to his lovely wife whose birthday it is today (Happy Birthday xx)  .. ..  by now the card should be opened and on display somewhere.

My ex-boss liked it so hopefully his wife will too.

Here we go:





This used:

Backing Papers:  Hot Off the Press and Pink Petticoat
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Sizzix Die:  Sewing Room (again LOL!!!)
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder:  Roses
X-Cut Punch:   Butterfly 
My Trust Sewing Machine
Ribbon, Lace, Charm, Pearls and Rose from the Stash Box

and if you can't find a heart today then I will be a bit worried!!  LOL!!!

Sorry it is short and sweet .. .. but at least you get to have a little look at something.

Take care and have a lovely evening.

Love

Sunday 29 April 2012

SUNDAY SNIPPETS AND RUDOLPH DAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday evening.

A quick share of my snippet makes for today .. .. both are for Pixie's Crafty Snippet Challenge as they both involved those snippets that stay hanging about the place but the Christmas make is also making its way into Sandra's April Rudolph Day Challenge.

The poor Queen of the Playground .. Di .. .. hasn't been feeling too good so I am hoping she is feeling much better today.  Not that the weather is doing much to cheer anyone up at the moment!!

Anyway here are my makes







I am keeping with my lazy Sunday tradition and not listing any of my snippet ingredients.  But just shout up if you have any questions.

But having said that my day has been far from lazy and it hasn't finished yet so I will get back to it but before I go I will put a few people out of their misery and show you where a couple of hearts were that people have been struggling to find.

The first one is from Wednesday


and the second one from yesterday.


Should I be showing the hearts the following day or is that spoiling the fun?

Have a lovely evening everyone.

Love

Saturday 28 April 2012

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY

Hi Everyone

Wow .. .. two weeks on the trot I have managed to get to the Penny Black Saturday playground at the start of a new challenge.  

This week the theme is "May Day" and they would like to see your Spring creations.

Well it definitely looked a bit like Spring here earlier .. .. but now the black clouds are looming again ready for another downpour.  Luckily hubby has just got the lawns cut and I can smell the freshly cut grass coming through the windows!  Mmmmm.  Love that smell.

Anyway ... here is my card




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3347H" Duckling 
Sentiment:  Lili of the Valley
Backing Papers:  Nitwits "Grandma's Garden"
Martha Stewart Punch:  Daisy and Frond
Woodware Punches:  Flowers
Nellie Snellen Punch:  "FLP001" Stamen
Nestabilities:  Eyelet Circles
My Trust Sewing Machine
ProMarkers
Brad and Pearls from the Stash Box

.. .. and yes, I promise there is a heart LOL!!!

So that is my share for today .. .. just off now for a little dabble in the Nitwits sale!!  32.5% off .. .. .. I mean it would be rude not to look wouldn't it!!!  and then back to some wedding invitations.

I have just spent a lovely time with one of my brides (and her Mum) looking at her wedding photographs .. .. it is so lovely to see people after their happy day and to share in all the special memories and stories.

I really do think I have the best job in the world!

Have a lovely evening everyone and I'll catch you again tomorrow with my snippet make.

Love
  

Friday 27 April 2012

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all at home snuggled up, warm and dry!!!  What a day .. .. so much rain!!  Apparently it needs to rain like this until Christmas to get us back on track with our water supplies .. .. eeekk!!!

The good side of it raining so heavily is if it rains like this all over the weekend I can't be expected to go out into the garden and make any token gestures can I? .. ..  lazy madam!!  Just lifting the plants in and out of the garage to give them a taste of English weather will be enough I feel!!

So after a week of male cards .. .. I played with my pretty stuff tonight and it simply holds lots of my favourite things.





This used:

Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat
Backing Papers:  GCD Studios "Ella Blue"
Martha Stewart Punch:  Doily Lace
X-Cut Dies:  Speech Bubbles
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Leone Em Pty Punch:  Ash Branch
Marianne Design Dies:  English Rose  and  Butterfly 3
Glamour Dust
Ribbon and Pearls from the Stash Box

So there we go "a few" of my favourite things.

My pictures turned out much better tonight after my early morning clear up LOL!!  I feel a lot better for that.  


Sorry I am a bit of a stranger on everyone's blogs at the moment.  Not sure when I will be able to catch up with you all .. .. but I am trying I promise.  Sorry :-(

There is just so much I need to get done on the wedding front, and for card orders, that I am having to be super strict with myself and switch my computer off and just have emails going to my phone.  

Everyone is so kind in still calling by here - I do appreciate it.

Take care and have a good weekend.

Love

Thursday 26 April 2012

NOTE TO SELF !!!

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good day.

Mine has involved meeting another lovely "happy couple" .. .. hopefully I am going to come up with some creations they will love.

I then spent some time with Mum and arrived back late to make my final male card for this week .. .. pretty, pretty tomorrow .. .. yay!!!




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "2894J" Missed You!
Sentiment:  Lili of the Valley
Backing Papers:  DCWV "Citrus Stack"
Sizzix Die:  Grass
Nestabilities:  Eyelet Circles
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Cord from the Stash Box

Sorry only two pictures tonight.  The third was a tad wonky .. .. my own fault for having so many boxes stacked in front of my photo taking area.  I ended up taking pictures straggled across them.  David Bailey would not be impressed with me .. .. well even I'm not impressed with me!!!

So .. .. note to self .. .. tomorrow have a good clear up campaign and get the world organised and also  ... .. put the memory card for the camera somewhere where I can find it straight away .. .. instead of wasting 10 minutes searching for it .. .. then try and cross about 20 things of the do list !!!!   Eeekkk!!!

Catch you tomorrow in pretty, pretty mode!

Love

Wednesday 25 April 2012

SNOOZING STAN

Hi Everyone

I hope your day has been good and that you haven't got too wet today .. .. it has been pretty much constant rain all day here today and I have seen lots of drenched children making their way backwards and forwards to school.  Those poor kids having to sit in wet clothes all day :-(

Luckily I haven't had to venture any further than the dining room table and kitchen worktops today (yes I even take those over for crafty creating .. .. they are just the right height for so many jobs).

I am carrying on my theme of male cards for the week .. .. but have to admit to starting to get withdrawal symptoms from my "pretty things". LOL!!  

But here we go anyway:




This used:

Image:  Digistamp Boutique "Snoozing Stan"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Good Dog Cool"
Backing Papers:  Raspberry Road "Java Joe"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
White Gel Pen
ProMarkers
Chalk
Cord from the Stash Box

I am also going to enter this into the April Digistamp Boutique Challenge.

A bit earlier from me tonight and now I need to move all my crafty goodies from the kitchen and replace them with ingredients for dinner.  We fancied salad and jacket spuds when deciding what to have last night but on a cold and wet day like today that just doesn't feel right does it?

Catch you again tomorrow.

Love

Tuesday 24 April 2012

FANCY A PUZZLE?

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a good day. 

Busy day on the wedding stationery front for me and a meeting with a lovely happy couple this evening to design the table plan ready for their "big day".

This has left tonight's share needing to be super quick and easy .. .. but even so I love it.





This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4060K" Hedge-word
Script Image:  Memory Box "G1838" Vintage Dreams
Backing Paper:  Nitwits
Martha Stewart Punch:  Traditional Scallop
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Chalks

and that is it!!!

I showed Mr Heart my card and he was a bit worried about the puzzle the hedgies are trying to complete.  He says I need to black out some more square LOL!!!

This is the first time I have used the Script Image Stamp.  I bought it from the NEC in March .. ..picking it up and putting it down so many times during the course of the day it was unbelievable .. .. but eventually I parted with my hard earned cash.  So pleased I succumbed now.   I love script things .. .. be them papers or stamps.

OK .. bath for me now.  I really am running very late :-(

Enjoy what is left of the evening.

Love

Monday 23 April 2012

CARRYING ON WITH THE MALES

Hi Everyone

I hope everyone is well and has had a good Monday.

The weather has been quite good here today .. .. I have managed to dry loads of washing outside .. .. can't be bad!!!

I am carrying on with my theme of the week .. .. male cards .. .. and here is today's share.





This used:

Image:  Saturated Canary
Backing Paper and Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Teeny Tiny Eyelets
ProMarkers and Chalks

and that is all!!!

A few people asked me about the shirt stamp I used on my snippet make yesterday .. .. it is a stamp from Funstamps, Reference No. FP70 .. .. Gent's Shirt.

I had to go to the Post Office today to get some stationery posted off and whilst in the queue was intrigued when watching a couple of women trying to decide between buying a large jiffy bag or a postal box.  Then as part of their decision making process they put inside the jiffy bag a 2 pint bottle of milk and folded the top down to check it would still seal?!?!?!

Surely they weren't going to put that through the postal system?!?!?!  Eeeekkk!!!  

OK that is me for today.

Catch you again tomorrow .. .. have a lovely evening.

Love

Sunday 22 April 2012

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope your weekend has been good.

Mine has flown by .. .. and today .. .. well where has it gone?  and I still have lots to do!!

The Sunday roast is nearly ready, I have a hubby that wants a haircut, a pile of shirts that want ironing, a few wedding samples I want to finish and hopefully a bit of a sit down with "The Voice".

But at least I have managed my snippet make for Pixie's Crafty Snippet Challenge .. .. and this week it has been mainly the brown drawer that took a beating.




As always my Sunday is lazy where my ingredients are concerned .. .. but as always just shout out if there is anything you want to know.

So I think I had better go and get cracking with that list of "things still to do".  Hubby took me to get a load of wedding ribbons I need earlier today .. .. and it seems to have taken a huge (but enjoyable) chunk out of my day.

I also bought a gorgeous bag of teeny tiny heart buttons and the man adding up my bill looked at them and said "gosh, there small aren't they?".  I gave a cheeky smirk and was about to tell him about me hiding hearts on my cards when I decided "he doesn't want to know that" .. .. so I spared him and I just said "yes".  Tee hee!!!

Have a lovely evening everyone.

Catch you again soon

Love

Saturday 21 April 2012

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY

Hi Everyone

Well .. .. what makes you think the House of Hearts Craft Pod was opened up bright and early today?

As normal my Saturday started with a check on the Penny Black Saturday challenge for the week.

Sadly I haven't taken part for a few weeks (sorry ladies) .. .. but today I have made amends.

The challenge this week is to use "No Patterned Papers".  Well that speeded things up a bit and took some of the decisions away didn't it!!

Here is my creation




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "1644L" Say Cheesecake
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using Font "Marcello Handwriting"
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder:  "Numbers"
Martha Stewart Punch:  Embossed Zig Zag
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Ribbon from the Stash Box

Busy day here today so I will love you and leave you, and catch you again tomorrow.

Love

Friday 20 April 2012

MR FIX IT

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a good day .. .. and not got caught up in too much rain.

Definitely April showers in my neck of the woods all day .. .. but with little bursts of sunshine in-between.  What a late friend of mine used to call "growing weather".  I always think of him even more come April.  He was such a lovely man.

Anyway, round to my share for the day .. .. no flowers or fancy bits tonight because I have had a request for a load of male cards .. .. so it may be a week of those I'm afraid!!  Eeekk!!  No pretty bits!!! LOL!!!

So here we go:





This used:

Image:  Lili of the Valley
Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat
Backing Papers:  Nitwits
Fiskars Punch:  Threading Water
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Cord and Brad from the Stash Box

I hope you all have a good weekend and that you find a bit of crafty time for yourself.

Fish and chip night for me so I am off to start banging my knife and fork up and down on the table mat as I think hubby has just about finished cooking the culinary delights!!  LOL!!!

Everyone always comments on how lucky I am to have a hubby that will cook.  This is true.  I am lucky .. .. and I know that I am .. .. but he does make a heck of a mess!!  Come tomorrow I will find mushy peas splattered all over the cooker top and I have even been known to find them down the cupboard doors .. .. and I won't mention  the floor.

But having said that it always tastes good so a girl must be grateful.

Catch you again tomorrow.

Love

Thursday 19 April 2012

TWO SCOOPS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a good day.

It has been a busy old day in the House of Hearts.

My lovely Sis is on holiday from work this week and she spent the day at mine .. .. I was busy with my wedding stationery and my Sis was busy sewing hundreds of teeny tiny beads onto wedding bags.

Being the active one of the two of us she then went off to Zumba and I made my share for the day .. .. and here it is:





This used:

Backing Papers:  All Pink Petticoat
Image:  Basic Grey "Two Scoops/Swirlie" overstamped onto Pink Petticoat papers
Sentiment:  Anita's
Sizzix Die:  "656521" and "656640"
Martha Stewart Punch:  Traditional Scallop
Tim Holtz Distress Ink:  Black Soot
Silver Embossing Powder
Ribbons, cord, button and charm from the Stash Box

and that is me for today.

Time to fly.  We haven't eaten yet and my tummy is a rumbling!!!

Catch you again tomorrow

Love