CIRCLE FLOWERS

Hi Everyone

I have been out today to take shopping to Mum and to sort things out for her.  The shopping trip en-route was completely different with the little local supermarket now being "one way", with no backtracking, and sectioned off into 2 meter squares.  If someone was in the square in front of you then you had to wait in your own square until they moved.  Other people had to queue outside the supermarket until someone left the store so they could be let in.  Definitely a big change from what the store looked like when I last visited.

Mum can't quite get her head around it all and doesn't realise just what a state everywhere is .. .. not helped by the fact that she doesn't watch the news "because she is fed up with it all".  Bless her.  I hadn't the heart to tell her it could be like this for another 6 months!

Once home this evening my fingers were itching to have a little play and this is what I came up with:

 

This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Woodware Clear Magic Singles "JGS492 Circle Flowers"

Distress Inks:  Tumbled Glass and Worn Lipstick

Glossy Accents

Crystal Glamour Dust

My Trusty Sewing Machine

The stamp set was one of my crafty Mother's Day presents and I have been impatiently waiting to use it.

So that is me, with my itchy crafty fingers suitably satisfied for today .

Tomorrow I need to make the last of my Christmas cards for March!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Hi Everyone

I hope all is ticking along nicely for you and you are finding lots to keep you amused whilst we are confined to barracks.

Today is the last reason to add even more greeting cards to our display .. .. we currently have on show Mother's Day cards, Retirement cards, Birthday cards and now Wedding Anniversary cards.  

All lovely celebrations it would have been so nice to share with our family .. .. but sadly it wasn't to be.  But never mind, it won't stop us celebrating as a couple again tonight as today is our wedding anniversary.  Hard to know where all those years have gone .. .. until you look at our two six foot something sons .. .. .. they make you realise just how quickly time is passing. 

Anyway, here is the card I made for Mr Heart:

This used:

Heart Die .. .. .. unbranded from Amazon (a bit of a devil to cut and taking several passes and shims but I got there in the end)

Sentiment:  Computer Generated

Ribbon

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Gems

Love Embellishment (I got these to do some wedding samples with a few years ago but as they tend to "bunch up" .. .. as on the top two photographs .. .. I relegated them from "wedding stash" to "general stash".

and that is me for today.

Time to start getting that table laid and the candles lit!

Stay safe everyone and thank you for all the lovely wishes on Mr Heart's retirement (no we didn't think ahead and get paint and wallpaper supplies in .. .. but there are plenty of other jobs to do that only require a bit of "hard labour".  I'll keep him busy LOL!!!).

HAPPY RETIREMENT

Hi Everyone

Well the big day has come and Mr Heart has today been enjoying his first day of retirement.

I allowed him a "lie-in" this morning but told him not to make it a habit LOL!!

Sadly all plans for celebrating outside of the home have had to be cancelled but we did cook and share a special meal together last night and will be doing the same on Sunday for our wedding anniversary. 

This is the card I made for him .. .. .. (I think he took the hint)

This used:

Image:   LOTV Simply Print "A Lick of Paint"

Sentiment:   Computer Generated using fonts "Paint Drips" and "Aracne Condensed Regular"

Backing Papers:  Make & Create "Grunge Dreams"

Ribbon

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

I hope you are all safe and well and have been able to get your hands on some essential shopping items!!

QUICK AND SIMPLE

Hi Everyone

I hope your day has gone as well as it could .. .. and you have all been good and obeyed our lockdown rules.  We certainly didn't expect this when we were celebrating bringing in the new year just a few weeks ago did we?

I was just relieved to hear that I was going to be allowed to travel to continue looking after Mum .. .. .. otherwise it would have been a case of me taking up residence with her and sleeping on her sofa again.

I did a tiny bit of "crafty sorting" first thing and all my scrapling card bases, made from the offcuts left over after cutting my base cards, now have their own designated box.  I was rather surprised at how many I have accumulated already .. .. so used one of them to make a quick and simple card using one of my favourite Penny Black stamps  .. .. .. great for anyone and any age!

So here it is:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3212K" Much Gifted!

Sentiment:  Polkadoodles Clear Stamps "PD8024" All About Her Sentiments

ProMarkers

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is it.

Take care everyone and stay safe.

MARCH CHRISTMAS - TWO OF FIVE

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all safe and well and have enough supplies to keep you going.

Little did I know when I wrote my blog post on Tuesday just how big a "new way of life" was going to unfold.  Scary times or what?!?!?   

A super manic week for me which has seen lots of my "happy couples" being "not very happy couples at all"!  Those who were getting married soon are no longer able to go ahead and those with later dates are not sure what is happening.  So although I vowed there would be no more wedding work after December 2020 .. .. .. that will no longer be the case.  

Thankfully Mum is doing OK.  I am just hoping with all my heart that she remains that way.  She is vulnerable on a number of counts so we isolated her ourselves nearly a week ago.  Not that she was happy about not being able to eat out at her favourite Toby Restaurant with my Sis on a Tuesday evening!

But alongside everything that is going on at least we can escape into our crafty worlds .. .. .. I am sure most of us will have enough goodies to keep us amused .. .. .. perhaps we will even be ready early with our Christmas cards this year!!!

I have completed my second Christmas card for March (still three more to go) and this is for taking over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme this month is "Christmas Cheer AKA Alcohol".  I have to admit that I was stumped for a while with this one.  Not much in my crafty stash that would fit the bill .. .. .. but then I remembered this cute little image:

This used:  

Image:  LOTV Christmas Cheers! 

Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "Sweetheart Script"

Backing Papers:  Sorry not sure, a download that had been printed and part used ages ago.  Must seek it out again as I have fallen in love with it again.  

Snowflakes: Memory Box Snowflake Heart (the snowflakes are the waste .. .. but I keep them all)
ProMarkers

Glamour Dust
Glossy Accents
Gold Gems
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Enjoy your weekend everyone, Happy Mother's Day for tomorrow, and be happy doing whatever you are allowed to do .. .. .. .. and above all stay safe and well.

A NEW WAY OF LIFE

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all keeping safe during these scary times.

The news on the TV has started off this morning by saying we now all have "a new way of life" .. .. well it is definitely true here in the House of Hearts .. .. .. I have just waved Mr Heart off to work for the last time .. .. EVER!

He hasn't been working on a Monday for a long time now, but yesterday he got a message from his boss to say that everyone was now going to be working from home .. .. so this morning he has left to go and collect his belongings and the work he is going to do from home for the remaining two weeks of his employment!

What a strange end to his working life (not that I won't be having him working once his retirement hits!  LOL!!!).

So once he returns home in a few hours time we are excited to think that we are hopefully going to  be spending every day together now for years and years and years to come!  No more alarm clocks, no more checking every morning to see whether traffic jams mean he needs to travel via the "back route", and no more making "pack-up" the night before in readiness for an early get away (not that I ever made the "pack-up" that was Mr Heart's responsibility).   

Just a few more days of him working from home then he will be "all mine" .. .. yay!!!  A time we have been looking forward to for a long time now (not that we are going to be allowed to travel anywhere and the celebrations I had been secretly planning and saving for have all had to be scrapped!) but never mind.  There will be plenty of time for that later .. .. .. I hope!

.

I am sharing a quick, teeny tiny, card today (a whole 3.5 inches square for anyone new to my blog) 

This used:

Image:  LOTV Download "Thanks A Bunch"

Sentiment:  LOTV Download "Block Sentiments"

ProMarkers

A short little list for a very little card.

I hope you and your loved ones all keep safe.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday!

I hope you have had a good week and you are staying safe .. .. .. and away from all the germs that are appearing all over everywhere!  Scary times!!

Mine has been another busy week but I am slowly making headway.

I haven't worked on anything at all this week that I can share, but can show you some of the samples I made for the latest issue of Cardmaking and Papercraft.

It comes with a great cover gift .. ..  

I really enjoyed playing with the set and used it to make shaker style cards using acetate and vellum, and I also cut the balloon die into thin card and used that as a stencil. 

Here are some of my favourite makes:

  

Have a good weekend everyone and I will see you again soon.

I am hoping for some serious crafting time over the weekend .

SNOWY IS OUT AND ABOUT AGAIN

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a good Sunday.

Here today with the first of my March festive makes .. .. which is also for taking over to Fezziwigs Festive Frolic Challenge where this fortnight the theme is "Oh Christmas Tree" and here is my offering:

This used:

Images:  Polkadoodles Stamps "PD7990" Jingle Bells (for the trees)
               Penny Black "2521K" Snowy
Sentiment:  Penny Black "30-140" Christmas Cheer
Tumbled Glass Distress Ink for some subtle inking
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Fine Glitter
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Running very late with jobs here so short and sweet this evening.

Catch you again soon.

MAD AS A MARCH HARE

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday, happy weekend and what I hope will be a happy March too!

I can't believe we are already nearly a week into another sparkly new month!!

I'm not liking that my days are disappearing so quickly .. .. but clearly that is what happens when you are keeping your head down and trying to get lots of work done.

But the hard work does mean that everything is finished and ready for picking up this weekend so I had a play with a stamp that has been on my "one day I would like" list for ages .. .. .. and it finally dropped through my letterbox yesterday!

.. .. .. and this is what I did with it .. ..

This used:

Image:  Hobby Art:   CS124D - March Hares
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using font "2peas barefoot professor"
Marianne Design Mask Stencil PS8024 - Clouds & Sunburst
Distress Inks:  Tumbled Glass and Peeled Paint
ProMarkers
Dewdrop Memento Ink Pads:  Bamboo Leaves, Sweet Plum and Peanut Brittle
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Hopefully I will have some crafty makes to share with you over the weekend.