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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.

Wednesday 28 February 2018

BE MERRY

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good Wednesday .. .. lots of really weird snow storms here over the last couple of days.  Nice when you are warm and cosy indoors but not so good if you have to venture out into it.

It suddenly dawned on me rather late this evening that it is the last day of February and I haven't entered the Rudolph Days Challenge .. .. so I grabbed a few dies and created this using one of my favourite techiques "in laid dies":




This used:

Lawn Fawn Dies:  Scripty Merry, Scripty Be and String of Lights
Backing Papers:  Free with a magazine and begging to be used up
Glitter Card
Silver Metallic Card

and that is me for today.  At least that is one more Christmas card made early.  Just three behind where I should be at this stage!!

Better fly to enter the challenge or I will miss the deadline!


Monday 26 February 2018

MONDAY'S MALE

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a good Monday!

It has been trying to snow here all day with heavy flurries .. .. but nothing that settled for long.  We are promised much worse over the next day or so though ... eeekkk!!

Here today with my Monday's Male card .. .. and also an entry into Pixie's Snippets Playground where we are encouraged to use our snippets of card etc rather than cutting into sparkly new sheets.

So this is what I created with my snippets:




and whilst I was at it I decided to make a second one .. . so I had one of each!!  LOL!!!


Only the blue one is a snippet make though.  I had to print the papers for the pink one so that doesn't count .. .. although the white and cream card were snippets!

These used:

Image & Sentiment:  Digistamp Boutique:  Bunny Baby Clear Stamp Set
Backing Papers:  Nitwits Collection:  Up, Up and Away
X-Cut Heart Die
Joy Craft:  Flower Die
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Dimension Pads
Ribbon and Buttons from my crafty stash box

and that is me for today  .. .. rather late in the evening .. . but better late than never.

Have a good week everyone.  Stay safe if you get the snow!!!!


Thursday 22 February 2018

GUEST DESIGNER POST - DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

I hope you are all well and if not that you feel much better soon.  A lovely bright, but nippy, start to the day here.

My day once more for posting to the DigiStamp Boutique blog.

Today I am sharing two cards that I have made using a new digi release from DigiStamp Boutique called Kokeshi Dolls.  There are four images in the set and today I have used two of them (I love the images sooo much .. .. aren't they just the cutest?).

My cards are 11.5cms square.  I think this is a great size for creating little notelets.





These used:

Images:  DigiStamp Boutique "Kokeshi Dolls"
Sentiments:  DigiStamp Boutique Clear Stamps "With Love" and  the "Thinking of You" stamp that is going to be making an appearance in the catalogue very soon.
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Floral Fusion"
Nestabilities: Octagons
ProMarkers
White Gel Pen
Black Fineliner Pen
Vellum
Gold Embossing Powder
Ribbon, Brads and Ancient gold peel off lines (can't believe they are still so sticky after all these years).

So that is me for today.

Catch you again soon



Wednesday 21 February 2018

TEENY, TINY TUESDAY - ON A WEDNESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday!

As mentioned on my last post I am in desperate need of quite a few teeny, tiny cards .. .. I was hoping yesterday was going to see my stock of them increased whilst my printer was churning away on wedding duties.

But things didn't go quite to plan and by the end of the evening I was left with just one part made teeny tiny creation.  So first thing this morning I decided to at least get that finished and shared.

For anyone new to my blog these cards are a whole 3.5 inches square - and I love making them - and often use this size to experiment with things.




This used:

Image printed onto kraft card:  DigiStamp Boutique "Sweet Bird House"
Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique Clear Stamp "Big Hugs"
White Embossing Powder
Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils (need to play more with these - things don't look quite as I would have liked)
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Pearls from my crafty stash box

It is all weddings here in the House of Hearts at the moment and the next few days are scheduled for the cutting up of card, ribbons, die cutting and printing ahead of the assembly of said parts.  

I am also waiting for deliveries to be able to start another lovely wedding order  that I gained at the weekend .. .. which means I also need to make some more space in the "wedding room".  

Now when I mention the "wedding room" does that conjure up an image in your mind of romance and prettiness and make you think it may smell of roses?  Well nothing could be further from the truth.  It does smell nice .. .. mainly because there are some lovely small scented candles in there that people like to give as favours .. .. but the rest is just the practical storing of everyone's orders and supplies with boxes stacked in various places to keep each wedding separate.  It looks like we have just moved in and use this room to store the boxes we aren't ready to unpack yet!!  LOL!!

It is a good job the London Kids aren't due a visit anytime soon because I don't know where I would put them.  Last time they visited they jokingly suggested us investing in hammocks .. .. perhaps I should look a bit more seriously into that .. .. tee hee!

Anyway, I will love and leave you and start prepping for another wedding.

Enjoy your day.  I hope you manage to find a little bit of crafty time for yourself.

Monday 19 February 2018

MONDAY'S MALE

Hi Everyone

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

A super busy weekend here on the wedding front .. .. but this evening I have had chance for a little play and have come up with this creation which I am taking over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the theme is "anything goes" along with the optional choice of "use some scraps".  Well I certainly have more than my fair share of those!  LOL!!!

So here we go:




This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4082H" To Cake Moment
Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique "It's Your Birthday"
Backing Papers:  Nitwit Collection "Farmhouse Collection"
Nestabilities:  Classic Square Dies
Ebay Circle Dies
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Twine
Glamour Dust
Black fineliner and White Gel Pen

and that is all for today.

I am hoping to be able to pull in a teeny, tiny make tomorrow.  There is a bit of a world shortage of them here at the moment.



Friday 16 February 2018

GUEST DESIGNER POST - DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!

Brrrrrr!!!!  A cold start here today with a good old frost making everywhere magically glisten!

A change of day for me this week for posting to the Digistamp Boutique Blog and I chose to work with a brand new digi image called Easter Egg Bunny.  Isn't he the cutest bunny ever?!  (nothing to do with the fact that he has lots and lots of chocolate eggs to share LOL!!).

So here is my creation:




This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Easter Egg Bunny
Backing Papers:  Nitwit Collection "FQB Egg-stra Special Collection" 
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
ProMarkers
Pebbles Chalks
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Glamour Dust
Fine Coloured Glitter
Ribbon 

Once my image was coloured with ProMarkers, I used the chalks to add a subtle bit of blue to the  background - applying it with a little cotton wool ball.  Then I sprayed the image at arms length with some cheap hairspray to set the chalk.  I wonder how long my card will stay smelling nice for!!?

So that is me for another week on this lovely DT.  How quickly they are flying!

Is it just me or does Christmas seem like a long distance memory already?!!

Enjoy your day and have a good weekend when it arrives.

Wednesday 14 February 2018

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Valentine's Day  .. ..   I hope you all have a good day.  

Today I am sharing the Valentine's card I made for Mr Heart.  I gave him this before he left for work and I hid the little teeny tiny one I posted yesterday in his work bag.  He has already found it and feels extra special at having had two cards!  Tee hee!!

So here we go:




This used:

Backing papers: DCWV "The Foiled Elegance Stack"
Sentiment and little birds:  Computer Generated
Heart Punch
Twine
My trusty sewing machine

and that is it.  A short list of ingredients and a short post from me today.

Lots to do .. .. and my working day is going to be cut short because it is romantic dinner for two this evening.  Mmmmm .. .. looking forward to it already.

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my blog over the last few days .. .. things are so busy that I haven't had time to return many comments for a little while now .. .. .. and I feel very guilty.  But I will catch up eventually I promise .. .. we will blame all those lovely brides!!  LOL!!




Tuesday 13 February 2018

TEENY, TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday!

I hope all is well with you all and if not that things improve smartish!

Sorry for not being around much the last few days.  It has been super busy here with lots of crafty work to complete.

So as I have lots to crack on with I will hurry up and share my teeny tiny make for today .. .. nice and early.  

For anyone new to my blog my teeny tiny cards are a whole 3.5 inches square.




This used:

Image and Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique:  "Valentine Stewie Set"
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper  "Rose Garden"
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Glossy Accents
X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Ribbons and Pearls from My Crafty Stash Box

and that is me bright and early so I can crack on and cross some more things off that crafty list.

Oooo .. .. and a little reminder.  It is the last day for entering Sally-Ann's clear stamp Facebook giveaway.  For details and to enter click on the DigiStamp Boutique Giveaway picture at the top right hand  side of my blog.

Best of luck if you enter.

Catch you soon.




Thursday 8 February 2018

GUEST DESIGNER POST - DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

Time once more for me to post to the Digistamp Boutique Blog .. .. gosh these weeks are flying by.

This week I chose to work with a digi image set called A4 - Simply Moving Home.  The download consists of three A4 sheets of images.  Some with sentiments and some without.

Here is my creation:




This used:

Image and Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique "A4 - Simply Moving Home"
Backing Papers:  Docrafts Forever Friends "Kraft Notes"
Memory Box Die Set:  Marshmallow Clouds
ProMarkers
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Glamour Dust
Ribbon and Charm from my crafty stash box

You can simply cut the images straight from the A4 sheets but instead of doing that I did a bit of cropping and enlarging.

To begin with I worked with the sheet with no sentiments, copied the images to a blank sheet in "Word" and cropped them to just leave the house image I wanted to work with.  I then re-sized the cropped image and printed it.  I did the same with the car image and the sentiment I wanted to use and then enjoyed having a little colouring session.   

The car image was added using dimension pads to raise it up and give a 3D look .. .. but I was secretly wishing I had one of those springy backed things to make the car wobble when it was touched.  But there was no point in me searching my little craft pod to try and find one because I know I have never owned one LOL!!

So that is me for another week.

Don't forget to enter Sally-Ann's free clear stamp giveaway on Facebook.  You can find all the details here.

Enjoy your day.  I am pleased to report we haven't seen much of the snow they were threatening us with .. .. let's hope it stays that way.



Sunday 4 February 2018

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

In a desperate attempt to us up some of my paper scraps I have been doing a little paper piecing .. .. a technique I really enjoy.

I took my supplies downstairs last night and sat stamping, cutting and piecing everything together whilst listening to "The Voice" and came up with this:




As always on a Sunday I don't list my ingredients but ask away if there is anything you wish to know.  

I am going to share this over in Pixie's Snippets Playground where the lovely Di encourages us to use up our scraps .. .. .. and not just paper ones!

So that is me for today but before I go I just wanted to give a little "shout - out" about a fantastic freebie that the lovely Sally-Ann of DigiStamp Boutique is giving away on her Facebook Page here.

These three fabulous stamp sets.


I personally don't do Facebook .. .. but apparently all you need to do is simply like, comment and share .. .. but you will see all the details on the Facebook post.

Best of luck if you join in. Closing date for comments is the 13th February at 11pm GMT.

Enjoy the rest of your day.  We actually have sunshine here .. .. and there is washing pegged on my line!!  But then there is a yellow warning of snow for Monday and Tuesday eeeekkk!!!  Let's hope they got that one wrong!

See you soon

Thursday 1 February 2018

GUEST DESIGNER POST - DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday - and happy February too!  

Thursday is my day for posting on the DigiStamp Boutique Blog and this week I have been playing with another new digi release called "Perfect Cup of Tea"




This used:

Image and Sentiment:  DigiStamp Boutique Digital Download "Perfect Cup of Tea"
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Storyteller"
Worn Lipstick Distress Ink and Duster Brush
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Black Brush Pen
Ribbon, mulberry paper rose, pearls and glitter from my crafty stash box

Quite a bright card for me .. .. and one that involved no colouring .. .. just paper piecing.

I printed the image three times.  Firstly onto a plain mustard sheet of design paper and then twice onto patterned paper.  The patterned paper images were cut out and the edges inked with a black brush pen to hide the white cut edges.

The mustard coloured base layer was cut to size but before adding the pattern sections I used a duster brush to add distress ink to the lower section of the image.  I love paper piecing!!

So that is me for today .. .. anyone for a cuppa?!?!.   

Have a good day whatever you are doing and many thanks for your lovely comments on my blog yesterday.  Very much appreciated.