MESSAGE FROM ABOVE

Hi Everyone

Happy Good Friday!

What a fabulous day it has been.  

Lovely sunshine here .. .. and Mr Heart was even able to cut the lawns!  I love the smell of freshly cut grass.

But what I want to know is how come in the week we have super early alarms (we need three of them to wake us up!!)  .. .. .. but come the weekend and bank holidays when the alarms are switched off and I have the chance to lie in I am awake even earlier than when the alarms would normally go off? What's that all about?

If you have ever seen the film Frozen .. ..  Mr Heart decided that I am the little girl "here" who wakes up hyper and announces "The sky's awake so I'm awake" .. .. but to be fair I'm not quite that bad .. .. but I do whisper in Mr Heart's ear "the sky's awake"! 

Yes .. .. I am annoying!!  But Mr Heart just smiles and goes back to sleep and I get up and play LOL!!  Not many men would put up with me that's for sure.

Well in today's early morning play time, I managed to make a card using my new sketch from yesterday (I just needed to machine stitch very slowly so as not to create too much noise at "daft o'clock".. ..  so here it is:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "2617J" Message from Above

Sentiment:  Cardio "Sentiments"

Backing Papers:  Kaisercraft "Treasured Moments"

MFT Die-namics:  Blueprints 14

My Trusty Sewing Machine

ProMarkers

Pinking Shears

Ribbon and Pearls from my crafty stash box

and Sketch Number Twenty Five from my little sketch library tab

and that is me for today.  

Enjoy the rest of the Easter break.  Hopefully not too many of you are having to work through it.

Love

A NEW SKETCH

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday ahead of what I hope will be a lovely Bank Holiday weekend for everyone!  The weather doesn't sound too promising but never mind.  

I am pleased to report that sketch number twenty five has made an appearance in my little sketch library today.

Sadly there has been no time for me to put it to use yet .. .. but at least it is sitting there ready for when I get chance!

So here it is:

If you fancy using it then please feel free to do so .. .. along with any of the other sketches that are in my little sketch library.  You will find them all in the little tab at the top of my blog.

Happy Easter everyone - and don't eat too much chocolate (just "nearly" too much) LOL!!

Love

TEENY TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!

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

Mine has been quite productive so far, and today started with a major clear up as I needed a completely clear desk for my next mission.  

So whilst clearing I of course came across a few little snippet of card that I couldn't possibly throw away .. .. .. and rather than add them to the huge snippet mountain I decided I would turn them into a teeny, tiny 3.5" square card for taking over to Di's Crafty Snippets Playground.  It also gave me chance to have a quick play with that cute little sheep die I bought from the NEC last week.

So here we go:

This used:

Marianne Collectables Die "COL1385" Sheep

MFT Die-namics Die Set:  Blueprints 12

X-Cut Flower Punch

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

Weathered Wood Distress Ink Pad

Computer Generated Sentiment using font"Zipty Do"

My Trusty Sewing Machine

We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board 

and a tiny scrap of ribbon for the bow

and that is it!

First outing for my little sheep die.  

Off to mess up that tidy desk now!!  I bet it will take all of 20 minutes to look as messy as it did before I had the tidy up LOL!!!

Catch you again soon.

Love

NEC 2016

Hi Everyone

Happy weekend.

I had a fabulous day at the NEC yesterday .. .. though I can't say the train journey there and back was fabulous.

Hardly any carriages and everyone crushed together .. .. .. far worse than I have ever experienced on the London underground .. .. so every time someone needed to get off the folk standing in the door area needed to get off to let them through .. .. and you just hoped you were able to get back on again along with all the new passengers that were being let on!! 

Anyway, I won't moan any more (except to perhaps mention my still aching feet LOL!!!).

I thought you might like to hear about my favourite stands and see what I was too weak to resist:

These first two were my very favourites stands.

The first one because of the amazing demonstrations and the patience of the lady demonstrating who answered everyone's questions .. .. whilst at the same time twinkling with glitter!!

This was Card-io - where I got these lovely goodies.  I am just hoping I can re-create some of the fantastic cards that were being demonstrated.  No need for blending tools or duster brushes .. .. just a dry baby wipe and tiny little ink pads produced the most amazing results.

 I see from their website that they are on Create and Craft on Wednesday so I will definitely be getting that lined up to record.

Then my other favourite was Inkylicious

Again fabulous demonstrations but also the most amazing collection of stamps and sentiments backed up with the most beautiful sample cards which had all been made by the owner and her Mum.  Each one made you want the stamps to recreate them .. .. I had to be super strong on this stand (but will definitely be visiting their website again (when my crafty pennies have  replenished themselves).

Next the essentials in the form of kraft card stock and charms and then a set of Extra Large X-Cut circle dies.  I am hoping to use these to make pages to go inside a circular guest book made from two records.  Looking forward to trying that!!

Then some lovely shaped dies that I am keen to create with - the little ewe looked great all made up on the sample cards. 

So that was my fabby day and fabby purchases.  Can't wait to have a play .. .. but lots of orders and commissions to do first.

.. .. and that is me for today .. .. but before I go this is a message for the lovely ladies I spoke to on the Stampin' Up! stand who I had a great conversation with.  They were super excited that the MISTI is now available in the UK and I said I would link to where I got mine from for them.  Lovely to spend time with you ladies and here is the link Dies to Die For.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone.

Love 

TO SAY THANK YOU

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

I hope the week is being kind to you.  The weather definitely seems to be taking a turn for the better here! 

I wanted to say a proper "thank you" to everyone who left me such kind comments and supported me recently in the 2016 British Craft Awards.  I truly can't thank everyone enough for all the kind words and encouragement I was given, and for continuing to visit my blog even though work pressures in my little wedding stationery business often prevent me from posting and visiting in blogland as often as I would like to.

It really means a lot to know I have such loyal followers .. .. who are happy to overlook my sporadic postings and continue to visit on the off chance I have made an appearance.  I can't believe that in the past I had time to post and comment every day .. .. I do miss that.

So as a thank you I have decided to do a little surprise giveaway.

To decide who should receive my little giveaway I took all the comments that people had kindly left on my original post here .. .. .. where I announced I had been nominated .. .. and the post here .. .. where I shared my excitement at actually winning one of the categories I was nominated for, and popped them all into a box along with those from people who do not have a blog but leave me lovely comments and messages by email.

The box was held up high above the head of the "now famous" Mr Heart to pick out a winner.

.. .. .. .. and that winner is

The lovely Eve 

from The Purple Paper Puncher blog

The lovely thing is that I felt I really knew everyone who was placed in that box.  I knew little things about everyone in there and would have loved anyone and everyone to have won. I feel so blessed to have made so many lovely blog buddies .. .. some who I know I will never ever meet and yet feel so close to.

Is anyone heading to the NEC tomorrow (Friday)?  My lovely Sis and I are going for the first time in about five years!  A fun day ahead and I can't wait!!

Enjoy today and I will hopefully catch you again soon.

If you could get in touch with your address Eve I will get your goodies in the post to you.

Love and hugs and thanks to everyone .. .. 

TEENY TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!  I hope everyone is well and life is being kind to you.

At last my world is starting to slow down into a more normal pace (well normal for me) after a very manic start to the year .. .. it has seemed like every time I have crossed something off that crafty "must do" list it has been replaced by another three items that are equally as important.  Hence my non-appearance in blogland recently.  Where is 2016 disappearing too!!?!

Anyway, I am pleased to say that I have manged to create one of my teeny tiny 3.5" square cards for sharing today.

This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Stampin' Up Clear Stamp Set "Garden in Bloom"

Memento Dew Drop Ink Pads:  Dandelion, Cantaloupe, Tangelo, Pear Tart, Pistachio and Tuxedo Black

Accent Beads - that have been lurking in my bead collection for years and never seem to reduce

Glossy Accents

My Trusty Sewing Machine

We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

and something a bit naughty!!

Confession time .. .. .. I have been longing for a MISTI stamp tool for ages, and ages, and ages, and when I saw earlier this year that Tracy at Dies to Die For was accepting pre-orders for them, I decided I would order one ahead of my birthday later this month .. .. and put any birthday money I was lucky enough to receive towards it.  Big birthdays hurt and deserve a big treat!!!

Well it arrived at the weekend but Mr Heart was clearly of the opinion that it shouldn't be used until my birthday. What torture.  But I was a little bit naughty today and used it on this card with a layered Stampin' Up set.  I couldn't wait to use it any longer .... and it is so fabby!!!  I love it!!!

My theory is that if I have paid for it with my own money so far .. .. then it isn't a birthday present.  It will only become a birthday present once I receive birthday pennies!!  Does that sound right?  Well it works for me. LOL!!  I have put it all neatly back into the box now though so Mr Heart may never know.

My lovely Sis and I did another wedding fayre on Sunday and I still have everything to pack away! What happened to that promise to myself of being super organised .. .. clearly it went out of the window along with the new year resolution to make Christmas cards all year.  I have made a grand total of one so far!!!

Sigh!!!

Hopefully it won't be too long before I am back with another creation.

Love 

DUCKLING

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!!!

Yay!!!  The weekend is nearly here .. .. not that the weekend is particularly different to the rest of the week for me .. .. it is crafty fun all the way.. .. but it will mean that Mr Heart is around, which is nice.

A quick share today:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3347H" Duckling
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Candy Round"
Backing Papers:  Dovecraft "Floral Muse"
Nestabilities:  Classic Circle, Classic Oval, Scalloped Circle and Scalloped Oval
Joy Craft Dies:  Flowers 2
ProMarkers
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Pearls from my crafty stash box
and Sketch Number Twenty Four from my little sketch library - which you can find on a tab near the top of my blog

That now means I have caught up and used all of my sketches at least once  . .. .. . must get some more made!!  It saves me load of time to just click on the tab and choose a design to work with.

Have a good weekend everyone, and a happy Mothering Sunday to all you lovely Mums out there!

Love