NEW SKETCH IN THE LIBRARY AND A GREAT LINK

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday .. .. .. .. the weekend is nearly here and the sun is shining!!  

Just a quick post whilst munching on my sandwich.

I know I won't get time to share a card today as I am super busy on the wedding front at the moment, but I have added a new design onto the sketch library tab .. .. which means we are on Sketch Nine already!!  Soon be double figures.

My learning curve with the Serif Craft Artist 2 is coming along and as you will see from the new sketch I can now draw triangles .. .. woo hoo .. ..  and I have mastered grouping those little circles together and spacing them out properly .. .. it doesn't take much to make me happy does it !?!?  Baby steps I know, but at least I am learning (slowly).

So the great news is .. ..  we aren't stuck with rectangles, flowers and circles forever!!  LOL!!

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives and thank you for all your lovely comments and emails of encouragement on the sketches. They seem to be coming in useful for folk .. .. which to me is what crafty blogland is all about .. .. sharing what we can .. .. where we can.

Talking of sharing .. .. has anyone else seen this fabby calculator over on Carole's brilliant blog.  It is for using alongside your We R Memory Keepers, or Stampin' Up envelope punch board.  You can make any size of card, put the finished card measurement into the calculator and it will tell you what size of paper you need to cut and where to score it!  Fantastic!  How did I manage without it?

Don't just look at Carole's calculator though .. .. look at her blog too.  Lots of great ideas and things to be learnt!

Catch you soon.

Love

A SUPER EASY HEART TODAY !

Hi Everyone

I hope you are having a good week and are managing to get a few creative, crafty moments to yourself somewhere along the line.

My week has been nearly all weddings .. .. and annoyance at being "ruled" by my computer!

So I don't lose any of my work it is scheduled to back up every evening .. .. but for some reason it seems to throw in a random back-up whenever the mood takes it.  Today has been one of those days and it has taken hours!!!!!!  Surely I haven't done that much work .. .. have I?!?!?!?

I don't mind really, so long as my work is safe, and accessible if my computer ever decides to throw a wobbly, but what does annoy me is that whilst doing the back-up it won't allow me to access my emails.  Luckily emails go to my phone as well .. .. but that's not the point .. .. I don't want to only be able to email when the computer "kindly lets me"!  GRRRR!!  

Anyway, moan over and here is my card for today:

This used:

Images:  Stampin' Up "Gorgeous Grunge"

Sentiment:  Penny Black Clear Stamp Set "Sentimental"

Backing Papers:  Docrafts "Kraft Notes" and some Pink Petticoat leftovers from "Perfect Papers"  (sadly no longer available)

Die-namics Die Set:  Blueprints 14 (I don't why I bother putting this die set away .. .. it always seems in use)

Sizzix Die:  "658232" Leaves & Vine

My Trusty Sewing Machine

White Gel Pen

Versafine Ink Pad, Clear Embossing Powder and ProMarkers for the Sentiment

Platinum Embossing Powder and Buttons from My Crafty Stash Box

That scrummy heart used to be a button that has had its shank cut off.  Wish I had more than just this one :-(

OK.  Back to work for me now.  Save the Date proofs to get finished and into the post  .. .. ready for this time next year when I will be needing to do everything for the happy day!  It feels a long way away at the moment .. .. but I just know it will be here in the blink of an eye.

Enjoy the rest of today and I will catch you again soon.

Love

TEENY, TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!

This week my teeny, tiny 3.5" x 3.5" creation has joined forces with Sketch Six from my Sketch Library.  I am definitely finding the sketches are making for speedier creations here in the House of Hearts and I hope you are finding them useful too.

All of the bits on today's creation were already sitting on my desk after a crafty session yesterday .. .. they just needed a bit of trimming here and there.

So here we go:

   

This used:

Sentiment:  Computer generated using font "Honey Script"

Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Bella Rose" 

Nestabilities:  Classic Circle and Scalloped Circle

X-Cut Palm Punches:  Daisy

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Pearls from My Crafty Stash Box

We R Memory Keepers:  Envelope Punch Board

I love the colours in this paper stack .. .. and an off-cut of Pink Petticoat dotty paper came in perfect for the little envelope.

I am on place name duty again today .. .. lots of August and September weddings keeping me out of mischief and making my days speed by in the blink of an eye!  

My days seem to disappear so quickly that when I first wake up in the morning I struggle to know what day of the week it is .. .. and yesterday I had the fright of my life.  We wake up to a radio alarm and the DJ said it was the 27th August!!!  What a panic .. .. .. and for a split second I believed him .. .. but a quick grab and check on my phone made the world OK .. .. I hadn't lost a month overnight! LOL!!

Have a good day everyone and Sketch Eight has made its way into the Sketch Library for anyone who is collecting them.   

Love

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Sorry for not getting as far as my blog yesterday .. .. it turned into a "W" Day!

• Wedding work
• Washing
• Walking (yes, Mr Heart and I decided to go for a stroll together whilst the weather was decent .. .. and as it has thrown it down with rain for the majority of today I am pleased we made the most of the sunshine)

then it finished off nicely with "wine and food" at an Italian Restaurant to celebrate a special friend's 21st birthday.

A very enjoyable day all in all!

So today is the day to share my snippet makes for taking over to Pixie's Snippets Playground and this week I came up with these:

Woo hoo!!  Another Christmas card!!

Both cards were based on sketch seven which has made its way into the sketch library today.

I am super lazy on a Sunday and do not list any of my ingredients but just ask if there is anything you would like to know (other than the winning lottery numbers - I never get those right).  LOL!!

Enjoy what is left of the weekend everyone.  I hope you have better weather than I have here.

Catch you soon.

Love

BOT - FIRE AWAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!

Is anyone else feeling a tad chilly?  Jumpers have been out and in circulation again this last couple of days in the House of Hearts .. .. please don't say summer has gone already!!!  I do hope not - Mr Heart hasn't finished the patio work yet!!!  LOL!!

Anyway, here is my share for today:

This used:

Image:  Funky Hand "Bot - Fire Away"
Sentiment:  Computer generated using font "Chauncy"
Backing Papers:  Grafix Craft Sensations "It's a men's World"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Diamond and Gold Stickles

Mmm...  I wonder if I find a huge rocket and dig out one of the lad's old skateboards I could whizz through everything on my list a bit quicker?!?!?

OK, off on mega printing duty now.

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives everyone.

Love

GIVING SKETCH THREE A GO

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday .. .. ..  I don't know about you but I am certainly not happy about how quickly this week is going!!  

Slow down you manic calendar/clock .. .. you are in far too much of a rush for my liking LOL!!

Anyway, a quick airing of sketch three today from my little sketch library:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3864F" Bohemian

Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat (sorry can't see them in the boutique any more)

Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Paper Flowers"

Spellbinder Dies:  Classic Circle, Scalloped Circle and Tudor Rose Collection

ProMarkers

Glossy Accents
Distress Ink:  Shaded Lilac

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Pearls from My Crafty Stash Box

and here is the sketch I used .. .. but I moved the flower to the opposite side. (As it is my sketch I decided that it was allowed)   LOL!!

Thank you for all your lovely comments and emails about my sketches.  I am pleased that so many of you are enjoying them.  Sketch number six made its way into the collection yesterday and you can find that on the sketch tab at the top.

Enjoy your day everyone.

I am just off to prepare for a new bride who is calling by soon. First job .. .. boil the kettle up ready!!

Love

ONE DAY LATE !

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday!

Sorry folks that my Teeny Tiny Creation never hit yesterday.  If I had known how the day was going to disappear (or I had an ounce of common sense) I would have scheduled it.. .. but I didn't so here it is .. .. one day late.  My teeny tiny 3.5" x 3.5" creation for this week:

This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Wow! Stamps "Gratitude"  (Love this let so much)
X-Cut Punch:  Tiny Butterfly
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Button and Teeny Tiny Pearls
We R Memory Keepers Envelope Board

and that is it.  Hope it was worth the wait.

Short and sweet today as I have a huge mountain of projects to get through this week.

Have a good day everyone and I will catch you again soon.

Love

HAPPY MONDAY!

Hi Everyone

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

I love Monday's with the great feeling of having a whole week spreading ahead of me.

Time to share with you my favourite makes from the commissions I did for this month's Quick Cards Made Easy Magazine which should be in the shops this week.

My first commission asked me to be inspired by patchwork quilts and this was my favourite (I feel sure everyone will find the heart on this one LOL!!)

  

The second commission was to use distress inks in lots of different ways .. .. and the following card involved a bit of  paintbrush work and adding ink through a stencil (more easy hearts LOL!!).

When my magazine arrived I saw a brilliant project inside that was created by fellow magazine designer Vicky Sheridan which I really want to try and have a go at myself when time allows.  

Vicky made a gorgeous ribbon tidy and all the instructions are in the magazine to make your own.  I don't have a picture of it to post, but if you click the link here it will take you to the magazine's Facebook page and you can see it in the header and the body of the page and it is also showing on the magazine link at the start of my post, you just need to turn the pages of the magazine a few times.

How fabby is that?  I could make one (or possibly two) for my most frequently used ribbons and that would definitely keep them super tidy.

Anyway, that is me, nearly time to give in for the day and close the door on the old craft pod for another day :-(

Enjoy your evening.

Love 

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope your weekend was a good one.

All super busy and super manic this end .. .. but still time to pull in a couple of snippet makes for taking over to Pixie's Snippets Playground this week.

Another Christmas card for the box too.. .. yay!!

So here are my makes:

No ingredients on a Sunday .. .. but I did use Sketch Five for them both, which I added to my little sketch library this morning .. .. and it looks like this:

Sorry for being so late .. .. and it isn't as if I have even done the ironing!!  Shock horror!!

Catch you again soon.

Love

GARDENING NUT

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday and happy weekend.

I hope you are having a good day.

My happy couple of yesterday will have had a brilliant day.  The weather was gorgeous for them .. yay!!

My card today probably describes Mr Heart .. .. he has got into gardening these last couple of years and most of his spare time at weekends seems to be spent there.  Better late than never!!!

I intended this card to be one that could be sent to a lady or a man .. ..but I asked Mr Heart if he would think it strange if he received a card with a flower on it .. .. and he said he would.  So perhaps it is just a card for the ladies now and I will have to come up with something else for putting on the male version :-(

This used:

Image and Gardening Nut Sentiment:  Bugaboo Digi Stamps "Gardening Nut"

Top Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "2 Peas Barefoot Professor"

Backing Paper:  Craftwork Cards "The Potting Shed"
Die-namics Die Set:  Blueprints 14

ProMarkers

Twine from My Crafty Stash Box

Many thanks for your lovely comments on my creation of yesterday.  I was asked by a few folk how I had used the embossing folder.  So rather than try and describe it I have done another four squares and taken pictures for you to see:

THE DISTRESS INK WAS RUBBED
 OVER THE SIDE OF THE EMBOSSING FOLDER
WHERE THE FLOWERS ARE INDENTED

CLOSE THE FOLDER AND RUN THROUGH
THE DIE CUTTING MACHINE

INK WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE BACKGROUND
AND YOUR FOLDER WILL NOW NEED A WASH

APPLY INK TO THE FLOWERS
USING A SPONGE FINGER DAUBER
.. .. I FIND THESE GREAT FOR INKING SMALL AREAS

AND THERE WE ARE .. .. FOUR MORE SQUARES
FOR MAKING ANOTHER CARD.

I hope my pictures explain things clearly enough and are helpful.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll catch you again soon.

Love

ESPECIALLY DESIGNED

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday .. .. woo hoo .. .. the weekend is nearly here!!  

I am hoping for good weather today as one of my happy couples gets married this afternoon. Whenever a wedding day arrives the couple are on my mind all day and I imagine them getting ready, making their vows, travelling to their wedding venue, having their photographs taken, making those nerve wracking speeches then celebrating and dancing the night away.  Half of the time I even know what they will be eating at various times of the day, and I joke with them and say that I feel I could even seat all their guests for them after working on all the place names and the table plan. Sometimes I really do think I could!  Especially if it has been a table plan with lots of changes to it.

So "happy wedding day weather" is my wish for today.

There is one particular favour box that I make quite a few of that leaves me with loads, and loads, and loads of 5cm squares of card .. .. and being perfectly square it seems a shame to just ditch them .. .. so today's share uses up a whole five of these pesky squares.  Four for the background and one for the butterfly:

This used:

Sentiment:  Digistamp Boutique "Essential Sentiments Set"

Backing Paper:  First Edition Paper "Desert Blooms"

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder:  "Stylized Flowers"

Die-namics Die Set:  Blueprints 14

Distress Inks:  Crushed Olive and Worn Lipstick

Stampin' Up Punch:  Scalloped Tag Topper

X-Cut Punch:  Corner Rounder

X-Cut Die:  Butterfly (free when I stumbled upon a craft demo at our local garden centre and sat and watched for a while)

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Ribbon, Flower, Wire and Pearls from My Crafty Stash Box

and .. .. tah dah .....

SKETCH FOUR FROM MY LITTLE SKETCH LIBRARY

DESIGNED ESPECIALLY TO USE UP THOSE PESKY SQUARES

There is a tab at the top of my blog 

if you want to look at the rest of the sketches (not that there are many yet!).

I am also entering my card into the Digistamp Boutique Competition for July

So that is me for today.

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives.

Love