My photo
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 31 October 2009

ALLSORTS DT CARD - WEEK 25

Good morning everyone

Saturday has come around again and it is time for another Allsorts Challenge.

This week it is the turn of Amanda who has set the theme of "weddings". Your creation can be anything to do with weddings - be this a wedding card, anniversary card, wedding invitation - lots of possibilities.

Please pop over and see what my Allsorts playmates have created. They are all wonderful. I think we must be a romantic lot!

Here is my creation:


This used:

Image: The Greeting Farm "Caketopper"
Backing Papers: Pink Petticoat "Fairy Lights"
ProMarker Pens
Flowers and ribbon: From my local market - tied together and attached with silicone glue
Nail Heads: Josy Rose

I just adore this image and love colouring it.

Have a great weekend everyone and I hope you get chance to fit a bit of "craftiness" in!!!

Love Jules xx

Friday 30 October 2009

WHAT MORE HOLLY?

Hi Everyone

Normally my Christmas Cards are covered in snowflakes and snowmen but I seem to be in "holly mode" at the moment.

I really need to get a mountain of Christmas cards done so you may be sick of seeing them here soon - but I promise I will try to throw in the odd non-Christmas card here and there LOL!!

Here is one I have put together this morning using some new goodies.

This used:

Image: Penny Black 4008J "Overdressed duck"
Backing paper: Pink Petticoat "Fairy Lights"
Sentiment: Pink Petticoat "Tiny Tag Sentiments"
Nestabilities: Standard Circles Large
ProMarkers
Brads and cord from my stash box

I already owned the tiny tag sentiments from Pink Petticoat but "treated myself" to the Fairy Lights download.

There are some gorgeous things on the download and there is a saving to be made on it until the end of October so if you are wondering whether to invest - well now is a good time!

Off to make something else!!

Catch you again soon

Love Jules xx

Tuesday 27 October 2009

BRING BACK THE LIGHT NIGHTS!!!

Hi Everyone

Bring back the light nights - I've had enough already!!!!

Well I certainly didn't enjoy driving home from work in the dark today and I definitely haven't enjoyed trying to take a picture of my creation in the dark either!!

Perhaps I am going to have to be super efficient and make all my creations in advance and photograph them all at the weekend .. .. .. .. can't see that happening somehow! LOL!!

Here is my creation for today:


This used:

Image: Penny Black 3842K "Cinnamon"
Sentiment: Studio G "Party Time"
Backing Paper: Funky Fairy download "Boys and Girls"
ProMarkers
Nestablities: Large Scalloped Circles
Fiskars Threading Water Punch
Woodware Circle Punch
Papermania Sticky Pearls

Catch you again soon and thank you for calling by.

Love Jules xx

Sunday 25 October 2009

HAVE FUN WITH YOUR EXTRA HOUR!

Good morning everyone

Isn't it wonderful when you forget you have an extra hour and are "up and about" before you realise you have one!!! It took me a while to realise why my bedroom clock said one time and my computer another .. .. .. obviously still half asleep!!! LOL!!!

I wonder how many of us are planning to use that extra hour for a bit of extra crafting?

Today my card is for two challenges where both of the themes are "Halloween" .

Firstly, Penny Black and secondly Funky Hand.

Unfortunately I do not have any Penny Black stamps that would help with this challenge so I have had to improvise using an image that my DIL very kindly donated to me and I just made a pumpkin balloon to finish it off.

For the October Funky Hand challenge you just need to use one of their papers somewhere on your creation. Well worth entering as you win a voucher for £20 to spend in the on-line shop. I won this challenge last month and was spoilt for choice. (If you don't have any Funky Hand papers then there are some you can download from here for free).

Anyway, here is my creation

This used:

Image: Penny Black 1745K "Like it or Not!!!"
Backing Paper: Funky Hand "Salt & Pepper" download
Ribbon: From my lovely lady on the market (she has some delicious ribbons)
Sentiments: Computer generated
ProMarker pens and chalks for colouring
Inkssentials Glossy Accents

I hope everyone has a lovely Sunday and that you get to do what you like doing best with your extra hour.

Thank you for calling by.

Love Jules xx

Saturday 24 October 2009

ALLSORTS DT CARD - CHALLENGE WEEK 24

Good morning everyone

Saturday morning and it is time for another challenge over at Allsorts.

This week the challenge has been set by my team mate Debs and her theme is for you to feature"Furry Friends" on your project.

The challenge has been sponsored by Wild Rose Studios this week and the DT were very fortunate to be provided with a choice of four digi images to work with. Below is the image I chose but if you pop over to Allsorts you will see what all my Allsorts playmates did with the other three.

This creation used:

Image: Wild Rose Studio Digi Download
Backing Papers: (Panic - can't find any cover sheet to the pad and I have had it at least 2 years!!! Will try to find out!!)
Punch: Fiskars "Threading Water Punch"
Ribbon: From my lovely lady on the local market (looks like it should be on a lovely box of chocolates!) - love the rich colour
ProMarkers
Glamour dust
Brads, peel off dots and sticky gems from the stash box

Don't forget to check whether you were the winner or a top five entrant on last weeks challenge!

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Love Jules xx

Friday 23 October 2009

HOLLY DAYS

Hi Everyone

Phew - struggling to catch my breath after my holiday - but thankfully things are starting to calm down a little. I can't believe that I have been back home nearly a week and still have so much to catch up on.

I have had lots to sort out but am nearly there - and I now can have a few days of crafting (hopefully) so am looking forward to getting lots of creations made. Some to share over the next few days and some I can't share until later!

Here is today's share:

This used:

Images: Woodware FRCL031 "Traditional Christmas"
Letters: Funky Hand "Minty Madness" Download
Watercolour crayons
Diamond Stickles
Metallic cord from the stash box


Thanks for taking time to visit my blog - I am hoping this weekend gives me chance to done some serious blog hopping. So very many people I want to catch up with. If only I didn't need to sleep I would be fine!! I just can't spare the time LOL!!!

I am looking forward to my hubby's special Friday night supper tonight (some of you regular visitors will know that my lovely hubby always cooks on a Friday night - fish, chips, mushy peas and potato fritters) - haven't had these for three weeks so really looking forward to them. Mmmmmmmmmmmm......

Catch you again tomorrow with my Allsorts DT Challenge card.

Love Jules xx

Tuesday 20 October 2009

A VERY QUICK MAKE BUT FOR A VERY GOOD REASON

Hi Everyone

Made my way to my craft room finally - at around 9.00pm - as I needed a very quick card to celebrate some fantastic news.. .. .. my youngest son has been offered a job!! Yeah!!!

He was made redundant earlier this year but has this week been gainfully employed again and it was his second day today (lots of lovely training for him). He looks so happy. Well done Dude - I'm proud of you!!!

My card is plain and simple (and not a very good photograph) - but has been made with a very happy heart! I am so pleased for him.


This used:

Image: Forever Friends "Champagne Celebration"
Sentiment: Do Crafts - (repeatedly stamped)
Sentiment (congratulations): Woodware FRCL009 "Must Have Retro Words"
Crystal Stickles
Watercolour crayons

I haven't had chance to have a good craft session yet unfortunately since I returned from my holidays - and my craft room looks like a bomb has hit it but hopefully over the next few days I will get back in control. LOL!!!

Catch you all again soon.

Love Jules xx

Sunday 18 October 2009

BACK FROM HOLIBOBS AND THANK YOU!

Hi Everyone

Here I am - back from holibobs.

Nothing to show you in terms of a creation today but I just wanted to catch up.

Thank you to those who visited my blog during my absence - it certainly felt weird asking Mr Blogger to post creations and messages whilst I was away. But thankfully he did everything I asked of him. Well done Mr Blogger xx - I might put extra glitter on your Christmas card this year LOL!!!

I took lots of colouring with me to do on holiday but it just didn't feel the same as having all of my craft goodies to play with. I really missed my craft room (aren't I sad).

Just before I went away I heard that I had won the Funky Hand Challenge for September with a card I made for my youngest son's birthday. Woo hoo!! Not only do I get a gorgeous blinky to add to my side bar but I have also won a £20 gift voucher to spend in the Funky Hand on-line store. Lucky, lucky me. I love what Anice produces. I just didn't get chance to share my good news amongst all the mayhem of preparing for our break and scheduling all my posts.

So far I haven't had time to take part in this month's Funky Hand Challenge where the theme is Halloween but hopefully I will be able to before October is finished!!! Wow - only two weeks left already!!

Whilst away it was my eldest son's 30th birthday so we had a lovely celebration. I snook birthday balloons and banners etc into my case and we decorated the villa whilst he was and about fetching the morning newspaper with hubby. Can you believe the sun was so warm that any balloons outside kept bursting and we had to move them all inside!! I hope he enjoyed his celebration.

We found a fantastic Chinese restaurant at the end of our first week. It was a buffet style restaurant but with a difference. All the starters were ready made and sitting waiting for selection - and wow how many were there!!! So hard to know when to stop and "move on" to the main meal.

When it came to the main course you then selected your own ingredients from a range of the most wonderful and fresh foods I have ever seen and once selected they were cooked right in front of you in a sauce of your choice.

Once you were full to bursting you then had deserts to contend with. I have never experienced such brilliant value for money added to which there was the most fantastic restaurant manager.

It was wonderful. Oh for service like that in my home town! Thankfully we only found this restaurant on our second week or else I have a feeling we may have overdosed completely and not cooked for ourselves at all!!!

So now it is back to reality and a good "catch up" with everyone. I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone has been up to in my absence and to getting some crafty creations of my own created. I have missed you all lots.

Catch you again soon - lovely to be back.

Love Jules xx

Saturday 17 October 2009

ALLSORTS DT CARD - WEEK 23

Good morning everyone

This should be my last scheduled post (hopefully Mr Blogger loves me enough to have played along with me whilst I on holiday) and tomorrow things should be back to normal.

It is Week 23 on the Allsorts Challenge blog and this week's theme was set by my team mate Brenda.

Brenda has chosen a theme of "Monochrome Christmas" along with a sketch.

Now when this theme was set I assumed my card would need to be black and white but apparently the true definition of monochrome is "a picture done in different shades or a range of tones of a single colour".

So here is my Allsorts creation for this week:

Here is the sketch for working to

My creation used:

Image: Penny Black "Filigree Tree" PB/3741K
Sentiment: Woodware "Circular Greetings" FRCL128
Backing Paper: Computer Generated
Cuttlebug: Snowflake Dies
Gems, Eyelets, Diamond Stickles, Ribbon and Glamour Dust from the stash box

I should be back from holiday now - but in the realms of preparing for a late birthday celebration for my eldest son's 30th. Last minute plan suddenly thrown into the cooking pot so lots of frantic shopping and teamwork.

Back to some sense of normality craftwise tomorrow afternoon!! Yay!!

Take care everyone and catch up with you soon.

Love Jules xx

Wednesday 14 October 2009

BY THE CUTE AND GIRLY - 3RD AND FINAL PROJECT

Hi there

Here I am showing off my third and final creation for the "By the Cute and Girly" challenge blog.

Our theme was "Autumn Glory" and as a team we were asked to produce a variety of creations along this theme. What fun we all had - we really enjoyed seeing what each other was putting together.

My third creation is a bracelet.


So easy it make it is unbelievable.

I purchased the basic bracelet from my local craft shop and it was simply a case of unscrewing the end of the fastener (the little ball on the end) threading on beads of your choice and then replacing the ball. Of course you could completely fill the bracelet with beads if you wanted but I like the look I have gone for here (along with the compulsory heart of course! LOL!!)

As I hadn't filled the bracelet completely with beads I did need to stop what I had used from moving around the bracelet - and to do this I just used a little bit of superglue to keep the first and last bead in place.

I hope you like it

If you haven't been over to see the new challenge blog yet then why not pay them a visit by clicking here. By now I am sure there will be some wonderful creations for me to look at when I return home. (Can't wait to look - but in no hurry to return home LOL!!)

In fact, thinking about it, if Mr Blogger posts this when he should then my holiday will nearly be over .. .. .. .. .. oh I wish I hadn't thought about that :-(

Take care everyone.

Love Jules xx

Saturday 10 October 2009

ALLSORTS CHALLENGE WEEK 22

Hi Everyone - back again with another scheduled post (I hope).

Here is my DT card for the Allsorts Challenge.

This week the theme was chosen by my fellow team mate Gro - and she has chosen "Halloween".

I enjoyed making my creation for this week using a download from Pink Petticoat called "Spooky Doodlies".

This used:

Pink Petticoat download "Spooky Doodlies"
ProMarkers (for minimal colouring)
Nestabilities: Classic Scalloped Circles Large
Brads from the stash box


So off you go. Create your spookiest Halloween creations and try to scare my fellow team buddies!! LOL!!

Sorry - still no comments from me this week as I am away for a little while longer.

It seems funny scheduling posts .. .. .. ... .. by this time this one (hopefully) appears my holiday will be halfway over!!! :-( .. .. .. .. and yet I haven't even started it as I write!!

I bet I am really missing everyone by now!!

Take care everyone and have a lovely weekend.

Love Jules xx

Wednesday 7 October 2009

BY THE CUTE AND GIRLY - 2ND PROJECT

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all well.

Just a quick reminder about the By The Cute and Girly Challenge that started this month and a glimpse of my second creation.

Everyone on the team was asked to bring variety to the challenge blog and to show creations that were not just cards. I hadn't realised just how "card orientated" I had become. My first thought always goes to a card - and yet there are just so very many other options too - and I really enjoyed thinking about other crafts and actually "doing" other crafts. This could bring a whole new dimension to my blog!! Yay!!

I previously showed you the card I had made - well my next creation is a burnt flower. I saw this idea months ago on Caz's blog and instantly fell in love with the idea and the look.

I dropped Caz an email to see if she would mind if I "made and showed" a flower using her inspiration and linked back to her blog for the instructions. Caz very kindly agreed (thank you Caz x) and full instructions are here. (Beware though - once you visit Caz's blog you will be hooked - she does the most amazing work and you will be there for ages).

Here is my creation using autumn shades.




I put a small brooch pin on the back of my flower so that I can wear it on my clothes - but it looks equally nice attached to a bag, a card or a present.

Once you make one you can't stop - you will be swarmed out with them I tell you!

I hope you are enjoying the "By The Cute and Girly Challenge" and are perhaps getting chance to enter a creation.

I am still away on my holibobs but will catch up with what everyone has been doing on my return.

Love Jules xx

Saturday 3 October 2009

ALLSORTS CHALLENGE WEEK 21

Good morning everyone

I am hoping that Mr Blogger is my friend and is posting whilst I am relaxing in (hopefully) sunshine!

We had lots and lots of entries in last week's Allsorts Challenge - thank you everyone who took part. It was a very popular theme.

This week the DT were very fortunate to be given a wonderful download from Liz at Pink Petticoat to work with called "Big Fella". Wow what a wonderful download it is too -thank you Liz x).

There is a free download available as a prize from Pink Petticoat this week - with the added twist that if you use pink petticoat products to make your entry you can add the link to your entry twice on Mr Linky and have double the chance to win a fab download.

I created a card for my youngest son to give his "big bro" as it will be his 30th birthday whilst we are all away on holiday.

This used:

Pink Petticoat Download "Big Fella" (all papers used on this card are from the kit)
Cuttlebug "star" die
Cricut for "no. 30" (can't believe I will soon have a son this old!!!)
Spellbinders Nestabilities "Large Deckled Rectangles"
Diamond Stickles
F
iskars "small star" punch
ProMarkers

I am sorry that I am not going to get chance to visit your entries this week - but my fellow team members will be popping along to check your creations out.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Love Jules xx

Thursday 1 October 2009

BY THE CUTE AND GIRLY DT WORK - WEEK 1

Hi Everyone

I bet you all thought I had already gone on holiday due to my lack of posts this week!!! Sorry everyone life is manic ahead of escaping tomorrow.

Today though is a very special day as it is Week 1 of the new "By the Cute and Girly" challenge blog which I was invited to join a few weeks ago.

Please take some time to go over and have a look at what we have all been up to - lots and lots and lots to look at - with the theme for this month being "Autumn Glory".

You have a whole month to produce and enter your creation(s) and you can enter as many times as you like during the course of the month providing each entry is a different type of craft. If you visit the challenge blog it is all explained beautifully there and as you will see there are three prizes on offer this month!

You can see all the inspiration from the team by clicking here. Well go on .. .. .. "click" .. .. .. you know you want to!! LOL!!!

Here is the first of my creations for this month



This used:

Leaf Image: Stampendous! N136 "Leafy Block"
Heart: Funstamps F-A60 "Heart Patch"
All papers: Funky Hand CD "Funky Seasons"
Punches: Woodware
Straw, brads and button from the stash box

The beauty of this challenge is that you are not restricted in what you create. As you will see from the inspiration the DT have provided the world is your oyster.

I have really enjoyed doing other crafts apart from cardmaking - I hope you like what you see and that you have chance to enter. We have some fantastic sponsors!!!

There is also a section on the blog to take you to "freebies" we have found and various tutorials on the techniques that have been used to make our creations.

I will be away on holiday for two weeks from tomorrow but will be rushing back to see what everyone has created.

The packing is nearly all done - just last minute things to cram in. We are away as a family so lots of exciting and special times ahead with my two sons and my daughter-in-law. Just waiting to see how many "little spaces" are left in the packing cases so that I can slot a few more craft bits in. (I always take images to colour on holiday with me - and have infected my DIL too so we will both be sitting painting and colouring to our hearts content LOL!!!).

See you when I get back - though if Mr Blogger is still my friend he will be posting a few scheduled creations whilst I am away. (Missing everyone already!!!).

Love Jules xx