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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.

Saturday 30 April 2016

HAPPY SATURDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday .. .. and happy Bank Holiday weekend.  I hope that it is a good one for everyone.

A little share today featuring a cute little stamp I gained from Ebay this week.  Can't believe it has taken me so long to realise how many lovely crafty bargains can be had from there!


This used:

Image:  Stampin Bella "Claudia has a Candy" 
Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat (sadly no longer trading)
Backing Papers:  TinkerNcodigital "English Garden"
Die-Namics Die Set:  "Blueprints 14"
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Diamond Stickles
Ribbon from my crafty stash box

The mention of yesterday's "liberty bodice" sparked off some great conversations .. .. and memories for lots of folk.  I loved reading those .. .. thanks for sharing them.

In the afternoon I went to spend time with my Mum and she asked me what I had been doing and I told her about my blog post and everyone's comments and she really enjoyed hearing them all .. .. and it sparked off lots of memories for her.  She then began telling me about other things she  could remember as a child (but don't worry, I won't go into all of those!).

Mum was connected to the internet earlier this year as she wanted to download more games to play on her tablet and to join Facebook so she could see what her many Grandchildren were up to (not bad at nearly 86 - even I don't do Facebook!!).   So we then ended up searching for all the things she could remember which then sparked off even more memories for her.  I think she really enjoyed reminiscing .. . and I certainly enjoyed listening.

Who would have thought all that would have come out of encountering a rubber button whilst ironing!!  LOL!!

Anyway, time to get ready for today's "happy couple" now .. .. but I will hopefully catch you again tomorrow.

Have a good day!

Love

Friday 29 April 2016

HAPPY FRIDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday ... ahead of what I hope is going to be a good Bank Holiday weekend for us all.

Mine is going to be pretty full on work wise . .. but I shall enjoy it as it is all crafty work and happy couples .. .. I have pretty much got  all of the boring housework sorted:-)

Plus I shall have the added bonus of Mr Heart being around for an extra day.

Today's share is another wedding anniversary card




This used:

Image:  Kaisercraft Clear Stamps "CS246" Treasured Moments (for the butterflies)
Sentiment:  Penny Black Clear Stamps "30-176" Sentimental
Backing Papers:  Dovecraft "Sweet Paris"
Nestabilities:  Squares
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Silver Embossing Powder
X-Cut Heart Punch
My Trust Sewing Machine

I was up with the lark today and have got lots done already, including getting all of the boring ironing out of the way .... and whilst ironing a new top that Mr Heart has just bought, I was taken in just a split second down memory lane because when I put it on the hanger and fastened the top button I was surprised to find that the buttons were made of rubber .. ... just like I used to have on my "liberty bodices" when I was a little girl.

Does anyone else remember those or am I really showing my age now?

For you young spring chickens out there .. .. they used to look like this and you would wear them over your vest in winter.


At the start of winter they would be lovely and thick and super warm but by the end of winter they would be much thinner, and all the lovely soft fleece type lining would be matted and flattened.  All of those buttons down the front were made of rubber and I used to love them. They would squish in your fingers and feel so different to the plastic buttons of today.

It might seem a weird thing to wear .. .. but you have to remember there was no central heating in those days so you needed lots of layers .. .. plus of course that lovely roaring coal fire! I bet that is why families of the past spent more time together.  If you wanted to be warm there was only one place to be .. .. next to the fire with the rest of your family.

Isn't it funny how your brain works and how just touching a button can bring back so many happy memories.

The sad thing is I got this image off a museum website .. .. today I feel quite old LOL!

Have a good day everyone and a great Bank Holiday weekend.

Love

Thursday 28 April 2016

THURSDAY ALREADY!

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

I can't believe the week is disappearing so quickly!  

Our weather wasn't quite so bad yesterday .. .. more what you would expect from April, a spell of sunshine then a little rain session .. .. what a very dear old friend I met many years ago when I first started work used to call "growing weather".   He taught me lots about gardening and is the only chap I know who could pull up nettles with his bare hands and not get stung.  I am guessing he had tough, hardworking hands!

Anyway, my shares today are projects I completed for the most recent issue of Quick Cards Made Easy magazine which went on sale this week.

I was fortunate to be asked to work on a couple of commissions and here are my favourites from each of the commissions.

The first is a card from a silhouette commission


and this second card is part of a spotlight technique commission 
  

I really enjoyed both commissions, but because we work so far in advance it seems quite a while ago now since I made them.

So that is me .. .. nice and early again.  Oh I do hope this can become a good habit!  I am getting lots of lovely emails and comments about how nice it is to see me posting more regularly again .. ..  thank you for those .. ..  I promise I will try my best to keep it up!!!

Catch you again soon and have a good day today.  Once again we are starting off with lovely sunshine but the local radio is talking of "winter scenes like you would see on a Christmas card" not very far away!!  Brrrr!!!!  Sounds about right for a Bank Holiday weekend!  LOL!!

Love

Wednesday 27 April 2016

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday!!!

Gosh .. .. this new posting routine seems to be going well .. .. I wonder how long it will last? LOL!!

I don't about you but yesterday we had just about all the seasons in one day!  Huge snowflakes, thunder and lightening, rain and even beautiful sunshine and blue skies.  The blinds in my craft pod were going up and down, up and down, like a chimney sweeps brush all day.  One minute I was being blinded by the sun and the next it was dull.

Today is starting off with a good frost and sunshine .. .. so let's see whether we get another repeat of yesterday!

Anyway, just a simple and cute anniversary card from me today




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3608J" Love Tail
Sentiment:  Mama Elephant "Bountiful Blessings
Backing Papers:  TinkerNCodigital "Grandma's Attic 2" (careful if you dare to link - lots of beautiful downloads)
ProMarkers
Josy Rose: Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Glamour Dust
Glossy Accents
Lace and Ribbon from my crafty stash box


So that is me for today .. .. bright and early again .. .. woo hoo!!!

Time now to go and line up the work for the day!  

Order of Service and place name printing, invites to design, some general orders to complete and lovely magazine commissions to work on.  

I think I will have enough to keep me quiet! LOL!!

Have a good day everyone.

Love

Tuesday 26 April 2016

TEENY, TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!

Well no problem posting a card today .. .. because this is the teeny tiny card I made for last Tuesday and ran out of time to post!

For anyone new to my teeny tiny makes, they measure a whole three and a half inches square .. .. so are probably smaller than they actually appear on your screen!

I love putting them together and always make a tiny envelope to go with them.




This used:

Images:  Card-io Clear Stamps Sets: Veranda View, Pleasant Pastures and Sweet Birdhouse
Sentiment:  Penny Black Clear Stamp Set "Gratitude"
Backing Papers: Craft Sensations "All Time Favourites"
Memento Dew Drop Ink Pads
X-Cut Heart Punch
Glossy Accents for adding to the heart (there should be no trouble finding it today!)
Flat backed pearls from my crafty stash box
My trusty sewing machine
We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

and that is me for today!

I am definitely feeling a little hyper at the moment with lots of things buzzing through my head that I want to do .. .. which is probably a good thing as I have plenty to be getting on with.  I think it must be Spring Fever .. ..  LOL!!!

Have a good day and I'll catch you soon.

Love

Monday 25 April 2016

MONDAY'S MALE

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!

Bright and early again for me today.

I am trying a new routine here in the House of  Hearts in an attempt to get more of my creations onto my blog.  After all it isn't as if I am not making things .. .. they just don't seem to make it to my blog.

Probably the mistake I have been making is to dive head first into my "crafty do list" and then run out of time at the end of the day to actually post anything.  So perhaps I should turn things on their head and post first!!  Sounds like a good plan but we will see how it goes LOL!!

Today's card is one for the boys




This used:

Image:  Lili of the Valley "Super Striker"
Sentiment:  Die-Versions Corner Concepts Die "Happy Birthday"
Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat (sadly the boutique is now closed .. boo hoo!!)
Nestabilities:  Squares
X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch
ProMarkers
Diamond Stickles
Ribbon from my crafty stash box

and it would appear that I gave a few people a bit of torture treatment on Friday.. .. so just to put you out of your misery this is where the heart was:


in the bottom right hand corner.

So that is me for today folks .. .. .. see you tomorrow!

Have a good day.

Love

Sunday 24 April 2016

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday!

Well after making a rather late appearance yesterday with the latest sketch for my little library .. .. I am early today with a card that uses the sketch along with a collection of snippets from my snippet mountain!!!





and here is the sketch .. .. ..




As some of you will know I am lazy on my blog on a Sunday and do not list my ingredients .. .. but if there is anything you wish to know then you only have to ask and I will do my best to answer.

Just of to share in Pixie's Snippets Playground and then it is time for lots of computer work today .. .. .. place names and meal choices to type up and order of service booklets.  But at least I can do all that downstairs in the company of the lovely Mr Heart!

Have a good day today.  I hope you get a bit of sunshine somewhere along the line.  

Love 

Saturday 23 April 2016

SKETCH TWENTY SIX

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday!

I hope you are having a good day.

As promised I have added sketch number twenty six onto the sketch tab at the top of my blog and it is here too.


Feel free to have a play if you fancy the look of it.

Hopefully  I will be putting it to good use soon.

Love

Friday 22 April 2016

ODE TO JOY

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!!

Well .. .. what can I say?

So much for me sharing a Teeny, Tiny Tuesday card this week .. .. the sad thing is, it was made but I just didn't have time to photograph and post it :-(  But that does mean I already have one ready for next Tuesday!!  Woo hoo!

This week has disappeared in the blink on an eye .. ..  but as long as I am ready for my new "happy couple" who I am meeting tomorrow all will be good.

So a quick share today that I simply had to make using a stamp I have been longing to own for a while now .. .. .. and I managed to win it in an Ebay auction last weekend




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "1657K" Ode to Joy
Music Image:  Hero Arts "CG222" Music Background
Sentiment:  Hobby Art "CS013D" Floral Greeting
Backing Papers:  Craft Sensations "All Time Favourites"
ProMarkers
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is it.  Short and sweet.

The music background stamp is actually a huge one .. .. so I masked the backing paper off with post-it notes and then stamped just a section of it.  Luckily the stripes on the paper made sure it ended up nice and even.

So that is me for today.  

Time to go and sort things ready for tomorrow and then head off to see my Mum .. .. once hubby gets back from work with my car.  His is still on the drive feeling bruised and sorry for itself .. .. and it isn't being collected until Monday .. .. I can't believe that the nearest garage that can look at it is nearly an hours drive away and it takes a whole week to fetch it and leave a replacement courtesy car!!!!  But that is what the insurance people have organised and who are we to argue!!  

Have a lovely evening and a good weekend everyone .. .. Sketch 26 is ready for going live tomorrow too .. .. for those of you who are collecting them.  

Love

Monday 18 April 2016

MEADOW

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!!

I hope yours got off to a better start than ours did here in the House of Hearts!!  No sooner had Mr Heart set off to work than he was back again .. .. and not a very happy bunny either!  Someone ran into the side of his car and left a big dent down the passenger side.

Thankfully no-one was hurt - it is just the hassle and time involved in trying to sort everything out. We have our fingers tightly crossed that they will repair it and not just want to write it off !!

Anyway, enough of that and on to nicer things .. .. like a card!  




This used:

Image:  Docrafts Clear Stamp Set "Meadow"
Sentiment:  Penny Black Clear Stamp Set "30-176" Sentimental
Backing Paper:  Craft Sensations "All Time Favourites!
X-Cut Punch:  Butterfly
Tim Holtz Distress Inks for the background
ProMarkers
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Ribbon and Gems from my crafty stash box

and that is it!!

Loving the Docraft stamp set.  It is made up of lots of little elements all stored in a sturdy wallet and it didn't cost the earth either


I think I will be getting lots of use out of this set.

So that is me for today .. .. rather late .. .. but better late than never.

Wonder if I will manage a teeny, tiny make tomorrow?  I hope so.

Love

Tuesday 12 April 2016

TEENY, TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!!

Today I was determined to get a teeny, tiny 3.5" card made before the "crafty do list" of the day started to get a bashing.

My life is about to go super manic busy on the commission/wedding front but I am in that strange place today where I am waiting for deliveries to arrive and brides to provide information .. .. so I am trying to get on top of general makes and card orders whilst I have the chance.  

So here we go:



This used:

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder:  Roses
Nestabilities Die Set:  Hearts
X-Cut Punch:  Flower (very old and probably not on sale any more)
My Trust Sewing Machine
Ribbon and Gem from my crafty stash box
We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

and because I gave myself an almighty fright last night by checking my work calendar for the year and then comparing it to the "how many sleep to Christmas" app on my IPad, I thought I had better make a Christmas card for the stock box too . .. .. a teeny, tiny one!! LOL!!



This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3986J" Crystal Wreath
Wow!Embossing Glitter:    Pink Sherbert
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Glitter Card
Ribbon, Pearls, Gems and Button from my crafty stash box
We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

and because both of these creations have used odds and ends from my never reducing snippet supply I am also skipping over to the Pixie's Snippets Playground to wave them about there.

So that is me for today folks .... ... you never know I might even manage to get a few projects behind me for sharing here over the next few days!!  Woo hoo!!!

Have a good evening everyone.

Love

Tuesday 5 April 2016

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday .. .. just!!!

I was hoping to have appeared with a teeny tiny Tuesday card today .. .. but sadly it just didn't happen.  Can't believe there wasn't even time to cover the front of a 3.5 inch card!!!  Shame on me!!

Life has been super exciting and busy over the last week or so .. .. not helped by the fact that I have had to endure one of those rather large birthdays and a wedding anniversary, both of which have involved lots of celebrating.

Mr Heart and I went away for a lovely little break .. .. not very far to travel and very enjoyable .. .. and there has been lots of celebrating with family and friends too.  No wonder the scales weren't very pleased with me this week .. .. boo hoo!!!  

But hopefully now that Mr Heart has returned to work, life might settle back into more of a normal routine.

As I haven't managed to make a card today I thought I would share a couple of makes from the commissions I worked on for the issue of Quick Cards Made Easy magazine that has just gone on sale .. .. though to be fair I could have shown you all the cards from both commissions as I loved every one.

The first comes from a Chalkboard Effect Commission that I really enjoyed completing


and the second used dies on a Fancy Edge Card commission.  


I loved this card so much!!  I even made one very similar for a very special friend to give me for my birthday LOL!!

So I have made an appearance .. at last.

Hopefully normal service will be resumed very soon .. .. not that I am sure what normal is any more in the old House of Hearts!

Take care everyone and I'll catch you soon.

Love