MISSION COMPLETE

Hi Everyone

Happy, happy Friday .. .. the weekend is in touching distance!

Nice and early today with my final snippet make for this week.  My mission is complete .. I managed the three I promised on Sunday!

Good news in itself .. .. but even better news is that Di has managed to reach (and surpass) her elusive 60 entries!!  Well done Di!!  In fact, as I write, this entry will go into Pixie's Snippet Playground at number 70 and there is still time to enter if you get chance! 

It has certainly been a very busy playground this week and I do hope some of the new playmates have had fun and decide to come and play again.  (I think Miss Di needs lots of folk for the "crowd scene" in the Christmas Play LOL!!).

So here is my last snippet share for Challenge 100:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4268K" Crystal Drops

Sentiment:  Lili of the Valley "Christmas Sentiment Tags" (20% off sale starts midday on Monday!!)

Backing Paper:  Pink Petticoat "Christmas Scripts"

WOW! Embossing Powder:  Opaque White

Glamour Dust

X-Cut Punch:  Small Snowflake

Josy Rose:  Gems

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Twine, ribbons and thread from my stash box

As will all things blog related this is much more sparkly in real life!!!

I was hoping to have posted this creation late last night but when a bride called by in the evening to pick up her invitations we sat chatting and talking about what she still needs to do ahead of her wedding when she said "Do spiders bother you .. .. because you have a very big one over there" and she nodded towards the corner of my dining room.  

I turned around and what a shock.  There was, what I can only describe as the biggest spider I have ever seen just hanging high up the wall.  Big and black!!!  We both looked at it, looked at each other with our mouths open, looked back at the spider and at that very split second it dropped itself .. .. but to where I don't know!!  Eeeekk!!!

I don't mind spiders but he was rather large and I wouldn't like to think of it crawling on me.  

We don't kill spiders .. .. we catch them in a bug catcher thing my hubby bought a couple of years ago .. .. but the span of its legs was so large I am hoping it will fit inside .. .. otherwise it will be back to the old glass and paper technique (oh .. another use for snippets).

I told hubby about the spider later and he said "I know".  

"What do you mean?  You know?" I asked .. .. and it transpires that this little critter has been living in our midst for quite a while now and hubby has sometimes seen it run across the carpet .. .. but so fast he hasn't been able to catch it.

So last night I started on the spider hunt as I couldn't stop thinking about it.  I hope it can't climb stairs!! LOL!!  

Anyway time to get cracking on my day.

Have a great Friday everyone and a lovely weekend.  Hope you find some craft time.

Love

MIGHTY WISHES!

Hi Everyone

Super late in the old House of Hearts today!

It has been another busy old day .. .. and I have a feeling I am going to have a busy old few weeks ahead of me judging by all the boxes I have filled today with supplies for making wedding invitations, favour boxes, table plans and table stationery.

I felt quite sorry for the delivery man as he struggled up the drive with a huge box.  He carefully placed it on the floor inside the front door whilst I signed for it and then off he went leaving me the lovely job of splitting it all into the various storage boxes for the relevant couples.

I get tricked every time when I open the box and see samples on the top and my heart always skips a beat when for a nano second I panic that I have ordered the wrong colour LOL!!  Every time it happens LOL!!!

Anyway, time for a quick share that for a change doesn't involve a Christmas card .. .. 

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "2074J" Mighty Wishes!

Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat (no longer available I'm afraid .. .. I have had them years and years)

Backing Papers:  Docrafts "Best of British"

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

X-Cut Punch:  Corner Rounder

ProMarkers and Chalk

Diamond Stickles

White Gel Pen

Metallic Cord

and that is me for today.

Not sure I will get chance to share anything tomorrow as I have a full "seeing customers" day ahead of me  .. .. but I will try my best.

I hope everyone's week is going OK and my apologies for not getting much commenting in at the moment.

Love

MORE SNIPPETS BITE THE DUST

Hi Everyone

I hope your week is going well.

Sorry for the "no show" yesterday. 

I experienced one of those magical days that don't come along too often where you seem to fly through lots and lots.  Then just as I was expecting my lovely hubby to come home he sent me a text to say he was staying at work to do some overtime as they were busy .. .. so I carried on with my wedding work .. .. but then completely ran out of time to make anything to share on my blog.

Never mind .. .. I can't expect to win in all directions .. .. but I would like a whole week of days like yesterday.  It was "fandabidozi"!! 

Anyway, as I promised on Sunday I am going to try and enter Di's Snippet Challenge a whole three times this week in an attempt to get Di to reach 60 entries.  My entry today will log in at number 36 (if no-one else jumps in first) .. .. so things look to be on track!

I am also going to scurry along to the last Rudolph Day Challenge for 2013. 

So here is my share:

This used:

Backing Papers:  Nitwits "Still Joyful Hearts Too" (you know when you haven't got too many downloads if you can still recognise which paper collection a snippet comes from).

Sentiment:  Digistamp Boutique "Simply Christmas Greetings Mixed" (fabby new download that is going to be super useful)

Marianne Design "Bell and Bauble" Die Set

Glamour Dust

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Diamond Stickles

and that is me for today.

Time to link up and then crack on.

Have a lovely day everyone.

Love

SNIPPET PLAYGROUND - WEEK 100

Hi Everyone

Special celebrations this week over at Di's Snippet Playground Challenge.  

It is now a whole 100 weeks since Di took ownership of the keys to the Snippet Playground Gates so it is party time!  

Some of you who have followed my blog from earlier days may remember that I initially opened the snippet playground gates in an attempt to use up on a Sunday some of the snippets and scraps I had accumulated throughout the week.

But things started getting busy for me and I knew that once the first year was over I could no longer keep the challenge going  .. . which was a brilliant thing for blogland because Di kindly volunteered to take things over from me, and she has turned it into a place that is far more fun and exciting than it ever was in my day.  She has worked wonders and gets lots and lots of entries every week.

Well done Di .. .. thank you for all your hard work .. .. you deserve a medal!!!  I know how difficult it was to keep track of things in my day and it was far less busy then and certainly didn't involve any fabby prizes!!

Each week the entries "nearly" hit 60 .. .. wouldn't it be lovely if this special week Di could reach her dream of 60 entries .. .. or better still 100 to celebrate the special landmark!!

As you are allowed three entries I am going to try really hard to play three times to boost numbers from my end.  Goodness knows I have enough snippets so there is no excuse there!!    LOL!!

If you fancy playing along then that would be great.  Just use up some of your snippets (otherwise known as scraps or leftovers) and take them over to share with the other playmates.  A more mischievous and fun gang you will never find anywhere LOL!!.

Here is my arrangement of snippets for today .. .. some of which never even made it into storage.  They were used off my desk:

On a Sunday I am super lazy and do not list any of my ingredients .. .. I am also too lazy today to go and re-take my photographs so I can get a sideways view that is decent .. .. but never mind.  Two pictures will do LOL!!!

I hope you get chance to play along with Di and all the other playmates this week as we all celebrate this fabby landmark, and the fact that we have such a fun and lovely keeper of the playground keys.  

Love

ALL FINISHED

Hi Everyone

I hope your weekend has been a good one so far.

We did really well with our Christmas shopping today .. .. lots of £1 presents ready for the Christmas table and some of the more "serious" ones too .. .. which is a good job really as I have loads of wedding work to do over the next few weeks.   

If the crowds in town today are anything to go by the sooner it is done the better .. .. it was heaving .. .. and people seemed very grumpy and irritated already about the queues everywhere!!!

Anyway, I used the little image I created last night to make this .. .. and I used the lovely sketch that is over on the Sketch N Stash Challenge at the moment

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3057K" Leaping Deer
Sentiment:  Hero Arts "F4176" Santa's Reindeers
Backing Papers:  First Edition "Silent Night"
Distress Ink Pads (every shade of blue I own LOL!!)
Clear Embossing Powder
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Diamond Stickles
Cord and charm from my stash box

as part of entering the challenge you need to use a new or neglected piece of crafty stash.  Nothing brand spanking new on my card but the Hero Arts sentiment stamp which lists the names of all of Santa's reindeers is very neglected.  I bought it second hand when a local craft store was closing down.  It has been used a few times on Christmas tags but never on a card before.

Here is the sketch I used if you fancy playing along:

Have a lovely weekend.

Love

I STARTED !!!

Hi Everyone

Woo hoo!!  The weekend is on its way!!

Well tonight is a bit of a "let down" share wise .. .. it is a "work in progress" .. .. but hopefully the start of something worth looking at tomorrow.

If it is finished and on my blog tomorrow then I was happy with how the project progressed .. .. if it isn't then it has been a waste of time LOL!!

It has been a busy old day here which started bright and early and involved meeting up with a lovely couple I met at the Wedding Fayre my lovely Sis and I did in October.  It then progressed into birthday mode for two people I couldn't possibly "not " make a card for .. .. then Christmas card mode because I was meeting up with my lovely Sis tonight and she needed more cards for the Salon.  

I spent time with my Mum late afternoon and whilst with her punched out lots and lots of tiny flowers and stuck some tiny gems into the middle of them ready for putting onto invitations over the weekend.

Then once home I made this .. .. .. 

my little work in progress.

I have an idea as to where this project should be going in my head .. .. we shall wait and see if it materialises.

No intended heart yet .. .. though I can probably see a few .. .. but that might just be my heart shaped brain LOL!!!

Time to have my lovely Friday night fish and chip supper now so "off I go".

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.  I think a bit of Christmas shopping is on the cards for the House of Hearts.  I need lots of £1 presents for sharing at the Christmas table and I am hoping not to be predictable and go where everyone else will go!!  LOL!!

Love

IT IS CHRISTMAS IN THE HEART

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good Thursday .. .. it has been another day that has flown by in the blink of an eye here in the old House of Hearts!

Wedding work all day today .. . but I had to have a little treat this evening and play with the new Pink Petticoat download that I spotted this morning!!

How cute is this backing paper?!?!?  I love the little soldiers.

This used:

Backing Paper and Sentiment "Nordic Christmas Duo"  (the little dotted paper is a Pink Petticoat Snippet from my overflowing collection of bits I can't throw away).
Nestabilities:  Classic Circle and Scalloped Circle
Distress Ink:  Old Paper
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Dimension Pads
Ribbons, cord and charm from my stash box

and that is it!

Time now to have a lovely soak in a hot bubbly bath .. .. though I am not sure how long it will last.  Earlier this evening I stupidly offered to give lifts to my lovely hubby and his pal "if needed" at the end of their evening out. What's the betting as soon as my shoulders submerge under the water the phone rings and they are ready for being picked up LOL!!!

Catch you tomorrow folks!!

Love

IT WORKS FOR ME

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday everyone (had to work out what day it was then LOL!!)

Here is the card that was "nearly" ready for posting last night .. .. all finished this morning.

It isn't really a Christmas image .. .. but it works for me!

I was rummaging in the Christmas stamp drawer and came out with the sentiment stamp which made me immediately think of this cute little chappie .. .. he is one of my favourite stamps.

This used:

Image:  Whiff of Joy "Henry Hugging Heart" I think
Sentiment:  Penny Black "3502F" A Wish
Backing Papers:  Dovecraft "Back to Basics" Vintage (again!!)
My Trusty Sewing Machine
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Wooden embellishments, ribbon and pearls from my stash box

I enjoyed colouring my lovely Henry so much that I think my Henry Christmas stamps need to come out next!!  But not now .. .. those wedding invitations are calling me!!

Enjoy the rest of your day.

Ours started off horrendously weather-wise but is now lovely - I can't believe the difference.

See you soon

Love

TIME TO PUT YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERY

Hi Everyone

Well what a nippy start it was this morning .. .. and they have given minus 3 for tonight!!  Brrr!!!

Anyone would think it was nearly Christmas LOL!!!

So what about the heart on Sunday's card?

A few of you were unable to find it .. .. and I bet you thought I had forgotten all about it amongst all my "gold dust" shenanigans .. .. but no it was there .. .. or rather is was here:

right in the middle of that letter "O".

No new card to share today .. .. it has been another admin day with lots of wedding stationery wording needing drafting and lots of materials needing to be ordered for new "happy couples" (not to mention finalising paperwork ready for the accountant).  Life is a lovely blur at the moment and I am so excited by it all!! 

So with all this going on my share is still under construction and the need for food has got in the way of spending any more time in the old craft pod!  

So I will love and leave you and see you tomorrow.  Anyone who couldn't find the heart will sleep soundly tonight now they know where it was! LOL!!

Love

HI

Hi Everyone

Bright and early posting for me today!

I have made my card for delivering to my friend on the way to the bank .. .. and then it is a whole day of admin work!!!  No more crafty creations for me today unless all the paperwork gets done in super fast time .. .. but I think there is too much to do for that to happen.

Plus posting nice and early will take that gold dust Christmas card off the top of my blog .. .. which will be nice LOL!!!  This morning there is still gold dust to be found everywhere .. .. even the bathroom floor has a luxury twinkle all of its own!!

Anyway here is the card for my friend:

This used:

Backing Papers:  GCD Studios "Ella Blue"

Sizzix Dies:  "656521" Flower with Leaves and Stem #2 and "657837" Word Play Alphabet

Martha Stewart Punch:  Daisy

Ribbons, buttons and charm from my Stash Box

I decided not to put happy birthday on the front so that my friend can pop this into a box frame if she wants to and hang it on her wall.  She loves putting things into frames with some of the loveliest pictures on her walls being postcards!

OK off to it.  Lots to get through ..  I don't want to have to have another admin day tomorrow do I?

Enjoy your day .. .. hope you find a bit of crafty play time!!

Love

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope your Sunday has been good.

Thank you for all your lovely comments yesterday .. .. particularly in relation to my lovely Sis's bags.  She will love reading them.

I have had a play with my snippets quickly today.. but not totally successfully.

Normally when you mention "gold dust" in my eyes it means something wonderful .. . but the gold dust on my card has been a nightmare.

No matter how many times I have brushed it with a soft make-up brush I can't get rid of all the spare "specks".  Perhaps I should have used a scrubbing brush and try to get the wole lot off!!

Just moving the card into another position seems to produce more!!  LOL!!!

Anyway, at least I have tried .. .. and this is what I came up with for using up some of those snippets and taking over to Pixie's Snippet Playground .. 

Wish I had used what I call "normal" Glamour Dust now!! Or even none at all LOL!!!

Enjoy the rest of your evening everyone.  Time for us to eat now but I'll catch you again tomorrow as I will need to make a card first thing to give to a friend tomorrow and I will be able to share that.

Not sure what I will make yet .. .. all I can say is there will be no "gold dust" on it that's for sure.

Love

BACK TO CHRISTMAS WISHES & EXCITING NEWS

Hi Everyone

I hope your weekend has gone well so far.

Mine has been super busy with my "happy couples" .. .. lots of work to be getting on with now!!!!

But in-between visits I managed to make this little creation which I am going to be entering into:

The Sketch Saturday Challenge (what better place to go when you want to make a card in a hurry and don't want to think about a layout LOL!!).

and

The Digistamp Boutique Challenge for November

This used:

Image:  Digistamp Boutique - part of the "Bailey Reindeer Set"
Sentiment:  Digistamp Boutique - part of the "A4 Simply Christmas Greetings Set"
Backing Papers:  Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas - Vintage
Martha Stewart Punches:  Traditional Scallop and Glacial Snowflake
Distress Ink:  Tumbled Glass
ProMarkers
Glossy Accents
Diamond Stickles
Cord from my stash box

and as if I haven't had enough excitement for one day ..  we are now meeting up with friends for a Chinese takeaway!!  Yummy, yummy!!!

There is also some exciting news that involves my lovely Sis Jo .. .. who makes those gorgeous bags.  She has been super busy making lots more bags for her website and to adorn her salon shelves, but has also now opened up her own little on line store on her website.  

If I have done it right if you click on her lovely new logo above you will find her website and a little store that is perfect for the crafty people among us who like to make their own bags (or who would like to try) but need to get their hands on some of the supplies needed to make them.  

She has lots and lots on her site (but more to come I am sure) .. .. even a tutorial on how to make her very popular Joey Clutch Bag.  I don't know how she has found the time but she has also started a knitting dictionary with links that take you to little videos .. .. I am beginning to think that hyperactivity runs in our family LOL!!!  

Have a great Saturday evening everyone and if you want to play along with the Sketch Saturday Challenge here is the sketch for this week

See you tomorrow with my snippets (if I can find any LOL!!!)

Love

WHAT? NO CHRISTMAS CARD!!!

Hi Everyone

The weekend starts here .. .. hope you have something nice planned for yours.

I have had a lovely productive day but surprise surprise I am not going to share any of the Christmas cards I made .. .. I decided a birthday card would make a welcome change for you.

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4239K" Scented Message

Sentiment:  Lili of the Valley

Backing Papers:  Docrafts "Kraft Notes"

My Trust Sewing Machine

Distress Ink

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

ProMarkers

Ribbon (from the odd ends of ribbon drawer that needs sorting out)!!!

The Docrafts paper pad was one I saw "dirt cheap" in the clearance section at The Range .. .. simply because the corner of the pad had been flipped through several times by some of us nosey crafters that like to see what we might be buying .. and the corner would no longer lie flat.  I knew that by the time I had trimmed the paper to fit on my card front the damaged part would be cut off anyway .. .. so a lovely bargain made its way home with me to be loved!!

Enjoy the rest of your evening.  I'm not sure if I will be here tomorrow or not.  I am meeting up with three happy couples at various times of the day so may not find time for a crafty make for my blog .. .. but I will try!!

Love