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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 June 2014

FRIEND

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good start to the week.

Time for a quick play tonight .. .. and I ended up with this creation :




This used:

Image:  Hero Arts "H4772" Collage Friend
Backing Papers:  American Crafts "Amy Tangerine" Plus One
Martha Stewart Punch:  Deep Edge Flower Bed
Woodware Punches:  Daisies
ProMarkers
Distress Ink Pad:  Old Paper
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Ribbon and Brad from my Stash Box

and talking of ProMarkers.  There was a brilliant offer on at our local Hobbycraft at the weekend.  All these lovely pens for £10.00 .. .. and such gorgeous colours.


I know they are last year's limited edition colours but some of my other pens are 5 years old and they still work perfectly .. .. so I knew these would.  

So that is me for today .. .. late again!!!

Edited to say I think that even Mr Blogger must have been fast asleep when I posted this yesterday because he has only just added it to my dashboard!  

Catch you again soon.

Love

Sunday 29 June 2014

JUST IN TIME FOR SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good weekend.

Running very late here in the House of Hearts .. .. busy, busy day and not enough done for me to say it has been a successful day .. .. but never mind.  Tomorrow is another day.

So two creations for taking over to Pixie's Snippet Playground Challenge:





Just in time to say it is Sunday so I am lazy and not listing my ingredients .. .. but only just!!

Best link up quick!!

Hope the coming week is a good one for everyone.

Love

Saturday 28 June 2014

HAPPY CAKE DAY

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a lovely Saturday.

Mine has been lovely.  Nice and chilled and productive (in a crafty way) .. .. which is a good job as there is lots to be done here in the old House of Hearts and I am so excited about it all.

I wish I didn't need to sleep LOL!!

I started the day off with a major clear up in the craft pod .. .. hubby was nearly as impressed as I was .. .. until I told him it would only look like that for around 2 hours!!  

How come with a whole desk to call my own I always end up with just a 12" square to work in LOL!!

Anyway, before the challenge ends I think I need to stroll over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the theme this month is "Boys, boys, boys" and here is my entry .. .. I wouldn't send this to a girl so it must be a boy card:




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "2068K" Party Pooped!
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font Mr Sirloin BTN Rare
Backing Papers:  DCWV "Citrus Stack"
My Favourite Things:  Die-namics "Traditional Tags Stax"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Spellbinders Nestabilities: Classic Squares
ProMarkers
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Glossy Accents
Glamour Dust
Metallic Cord and Eyelet from My Stash Box

and that is me.

Off to link up and then tuck into some yummy spare ribs!

Catch you again tomorrow with my snippet makes.

Love

Friday 27 June 2014

FRIDAY SKETCH CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

Friday is here again .. .. woo hoo!!

I hope your day has been a good one.

Lots of rain here today .. .. which carries its own blessings.  No washing (so no ironing) and no having to water the garden crops at daft o'clock. I always panic that I might miss a delivery so get everything watered super early in the morning.  I have been known to have deliveries as early as 7.45am!!

Anyway, not having those jobs to do meant more creative time, so I joined in with The Friday Sketch Challenge and here is my take on the sketch:




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "2863J" Lovin' & Huggin'
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Caeldera"
Backing Papers:  Docrafts Forever Friends Kraft Notes
Woodware Punches:  Daisies 
Martha Stewart Punch:  Traditional Scallop
Nellie Snellen Punch:  "FLP008" Floral Branch 2
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Diamond Stickles

and if you fancy playing along this is the sketch I used (but I rotated it)


Enjoy what is left of Friday and have a lovely weekend.

Love

Thursday 26 June 2014

TOO BEAUTIFUL TO COVER UP!

Hi Everyone

I hope your Thursday has been good.  

Mine has been super busy ..  .. but still time for a little share.

When I was linking up the Pink Petticoat papers for the card I shared on Tuesday I had a very pleasant surprise when I saw there was a new paper pack release .. and how gorgeous and beautiful it was.  I downloaded it instantly and printed off all the papers in the collection first thing yesterday morning .. .. I drooled over them for a while but sadly had to put them to one side until there was time to put them to good use.

I picked my favourite tonight and then decided it was too lovely to cover up ..  .. so I have gone for a card that left the majority of the paper on view:



This used:

Image:  Pink Petticoat "Strawberry Blooms Pattern Paper Pack"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Woodware Punch:  Heart
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Lace from my Stash Box

Isn't it super scrummy!?!?!  I would love my bedroom walls wallpapered in this pattern with a quilt cover and matching pillow cases . .. .. but I would draw the line at bedroom curtains .. .. I think that might be "overkill".

But this is only one of the papers .. .. there are others I could use for the curtains LOL!!!

Enjoy the rest of your evening everyone.

Love

Wednesday 25 June 2014

HAPPY RUDOLPH DAY!

Hi Everyone

Another day has whizzed by in the blink of an eye .. .. I hope yours was a good one.

As today is the 25th of the month that means it is time for Sandra's Rudolph Day Challenge where she likes us to make "at least" two Christmas cards.  Such a strict headmistress but of course we will all be thanking her come December!

I was actually prepared and ready for taking part this month .. .. woo hoo!! .. .. and am trying to get some flat ones into my collection.  It doesn't take much to stop them travelling though that small "standard letter" gap does it?!?!?

So here are my "flat" .. .postal friendly makes:




These used:

Image:  Penny Black "4203K" Snowscape  (stamped just the once and cut in half)
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Mr Sirloin BTN Rare"
Backing Paper:  Pink Petticoat "Jingle Bells Book Print"
Impression Obsession Dies "DIE100-F"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Distress Inks:  Tumbled Glass and Milled Lavender
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist:  Iridescent Gold
My Trust Sewing Machine
Diamond Stickles
Pinking Shears

and that is me for today.

Have a lovely evening everyone.

Catch you again soon.

Love

Tuesday 24 June 2014

SKETCH SATURDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a lovely Tuesday.

It seems ages since I have had chance to play along with a sketch challenge .. .. so I really enjoyed playing along with the Sketch Saturday challenge this evening and came up with this:




This used:

Image:  Penny Black ""3344J" Rosy!
Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat (but sadly no longer available)
Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat "Pretty Printemps Pattern Paper Pack"
X-Cut Punch:  Small Flower
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine
ProMarkers
Diamond Stickles

and that is me for today!

If you fancy playing along this is the sketch I used:


Time to battle with a bit of the ironing mountain now!!  That's the down-side of beautiful weather .. .. I always manage to find something to wash LOL!!!

Enjoy the rest of your evening.

Catch you soon.

Love

Monday 23 June 2014

MR HEART HAS DONE THE DRAW

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good day today.

The weather has been super gorgeous here.

No share I'm afraid  .. ..  but I do have the results of the sequin draw.

All the names of the folk who wanted to win were put into a basket and Mr Heart kindly did the draw



and here is the winner




Yes, that is you Karen (PaulMonkey) .. .. if you could email me your address I will get in touch with the lovely Josy Rose and they will post your mountain of sequins out to you.

I know you will have great fun with them.  Mine have been getting lots of use .. .. I even put some into a shaker card today!

Sorry everyone who didn't win :-(

We have had a trip to the dentist this evening for our check up.  Thankfully all was good so no huge bills there!!  Phew!!!  But I made the dentist laugh because my face was twinkling with glamour dust even though I had washed my face lots of times trying to get rid of it before we went  LOL!!!

Enjoy what is left of your evening everyone.

Love

Sunday 22 June 2014

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good weekend.

Ours has been a lovely one .. .. the sort you don't want to end .. .. and only just enough time to make a couple of snippet makes and share them .. .. so here we go:





and in lazy Sunday mode I do not list my ingredients.

I was asked last week where the backing paper came from that I used for my last card .. ..  .. .. it was a scrap from American Crafts that was left over from a magazine commission I did last year.  Loved the papers and I am just left with small bits now :-(

Skipping of now to link up my makes in Pixie's Snippet Playground Challenge and I will be back tomorrow with the name of the winner of the huge bag of sequins (I used a few more of mine today).

Catch you soon.

Love

Friday 20 June 2014

TIME TO CELEBRATE

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday .. .. ahead of what is hopefully going to be a happy weekend for you.

Busy week here (again) but I really do feel I am starting to win with my "definitely got to do" list as I have even had time look at my "if time is kind" list LOL!!!

This week has seen lots of cards being done and dusted for "happy couples" who have returned after their weddings to order thank you cards to thank guests for their kindness.  Call me old fashioned but I love it when people remember their manners and say thank you when people have been kind.

I have also been working on drafting what I am sure will be longest order of service booklet I will ever do .. .. 12 pages long!!  But it has made the post today so that it can all be checked off prior to what is going to be a very mammoth printing session!!

My lovely Sis was asking for some cards for the salon too .. .. her request was for 32 .. .. I managed 8 .. .. but that was better than last week because she didn't get any then! LOL!!

Even time for a little share:




This used:

Image:  Digistamp Boutique "Alyssa"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Pass The Chex"
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Daydream"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Diamond Stickles
Glamour Dust
Ribbon from my Stash Box

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

Think I am showing my age there by giving Alyssa blue eye shadow LOL!!

So that is me for today.

If you fancy winning a humongous bag of sequins don't forget to leave a comment on my post here so you can go into the draw on Monday.  

Have a great weekend .. .. hope you see some sunshine and manage a bit of crafty time for yourself.

Love

Tuesday 17 June 2014

HOW MANY SEQUINS - AND WOULD YOU LIKE SOME?

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!

I hope your week has got off to a good start.

A special post today to show you something that arrived through the post a few days ago from the lovely people at Josy Rose.


How fabby are all of those sequins?  .. .. .. and so many of them.  Lots of great shapes too .. .. stars, multi-sized circles and squares, snowflakes, stars, crescent shapes and even .. .. yes, you guessed it .. .. lovely little hearts LOL!!!

The bag even includes little glittery bits that fall from the sequins when they are punched. Might have to order some of that as I think it would look lovely on my tables at the wedding fayres!  I always steer clear of adding gems and glass bits at the fayres in case a child comes and does something daft with them .. .. but little bits of sequin glitter can't do any harm can it? . .. ..  and it will sparkle beautifully.

I don't know about you but I love seeing how things are made and this little YouTube video here shows you how Josy Rose manufacture their lovely British sequins here in London.  The last surviving makers in the UK. That makes my bag of loveliness feel even more special.

So would you like a lovely big bag all of your own?  One lucky person can have just that.

You don't need to guess how many are in my bag .. .. because that would mean I would have to count them and I don't think I can count that high!

Simply leave me a comment before midnight on Sunday 22nd June with the words "Yes please, can I go into the draw" somewhere in it and I will put your name into a lucky dip draw.  If those words are not in your comment I will assume you do not wish to win the prize .. .. which is fine.  I do understand that not everyone loves the same things as I do.  Any comments received to this post after midnight British Summer Time on Sunday 22nd June won't be included in the draw which will take place on Monday 23rd June by making good use of the unique Mr Heart!!.

It doesn't matter where you live in the world .. .. Josy Rose will post the prize to anywhere so my overseas blog visitors can join in too. You don't need to make anything or follow any rules .. .. if you love pretty sparkly things then that is enough.  Though it would be nice to share the love and let your blog pals know so they can have the chance to win too.

Here is a card I made using a few of my sequins .. .. the centre of the flower looks like a button sequin but I actually used a die to cut one of the larger circles into a button shape .. .. cute or what?!?!?




This used:

Sentiment:  Stampin' Up "Blooming with Kindness"
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper:  "Daydream"
MFT Die-namics:  Blueprints 14
Metallic Cord
White Gel Pen
and a few sequins from my bag of plenty!  LOL!!
  
If you want to see more clearly some of the lovely sequins that could be in your bag then here is a good place to look at all the different shapes and colours.  Good luck if you decide to enter.  You certainly won't be disappointed if you are the winner.

Beware though, they are a bit addictive to use and I am finding them all over the House of Hearts.  There were four left in the bottom of the bath last night after I let all the water go LOL!!!

Enjoy your day everyone.

Love

Sunday 15 June 2014

SUNDAY SNIPPETS - TIMES TWO

Hi Everyone

Stranger alert!!!

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend .. .. and that all the Dad's out there have had a super special day.

We have done our best to spoil Mr Heart .. .. and I think he has enjoyed his special day.  

Things have been super busy here - hence my absence from blogland for so long .. .. and hence the reason that I have two week's worth of snippet makes to catch up on.

I didn't get chance to play with my snippets last Sunday as our eldest Son and his wife came to stay for a couple of nights so he could take part in his first ever half marathon.  Gosh .. how on earth anyone can possibly run that far (and why they would even want to) is beyond me .. .. other than the fact that he was doing it to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease.  

Then once the London kids returned home (boo hoo) work in the old craft pod kicked in big time.  Lots and lots to be cracking on with!!

But I have had chance to play with my snippets this weekend and have come up with a few things to share:









and now all it needs is for me to link them up to Pixies's Snippet Playground Challenge before Sunday disappears and I end up having to list my ingredients LOL!!.

I don't know if it is just me or whether Mr Blogger has fallen out with me for not being around for a while .. .. but it has taken me nearly an hour to post this.  Hassle, hassle, hassle all the way!!!

Never mind.  Perhaps Mr Blogger will love me again tomorrow. 

Have a good week everyone and I'll catch you again soon.

Love