ANOTHER NEW SKETCH

Hi Everyone

I hope your weekend has been a good one. 

For some of my weekend fun I decided to try and create another new sketch using Affinity Designer .. .. I am still very slow but hopefully the more I do the quicker I will get.  In fact it took longer to draw the sketch than it did to make my card LOL!!!

As my rectangular sketches are trailing way behind the square ones that is what I decided to create:

A super easy sketch with lots of potential and I am already looking forward to using it again. 

To make the corner triangles I simple cut a square and chopped it in half diagonally. 

This used:

Image:  Lavinia "LAV834" Christmas Joy 
Sentiment|:  Hobby Art "CS059D" Winter Wishes
Backing Papers:  First Edition Papers "Vintage Noel"
Christmas Red Stickles
My Trusty Sewing Machine

So that is Christmas card number 2 woo hoo!

Enjoy the sparkly new week when it arrives.  I wonder what this one will hold?

WE CAN STILL BE FRIENDS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend.

A new challenge has started over at The Snippets Playground so in that never-ending attempt to reduce snippet mountain I enjoyed a little play and came up with this creation .. .. ..

This used:

Image and Sentiment:  From the Heart Digital: Birthday Candle Birdbrain  (More about From the Heart Digital Stamps below)
ProMarkers
Glossy Accents
Julie Hickey:  JHD-CUT-1003 - Layers, Frames & Banners Rectangle Die Set
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and these are the snippets I started off with (proudly displayed on that well worn cutting plate LOL!!) .. .. .. 

Not many snippets used up .. .. but every little counts.  (Still far far too many lurking in the background - you could lock me away in my room for a whole year and I still don't think I would run out of them).

In my quiet moments with Mum I have been re-organising my digital images on my laptop and From the Heart Stamps came to the fore.  This was a site I frequently used to visit due to the fun designs and sentiments - especially those relating to the "Birdbrain" character. But sadly the founder and designer, Faith Skrdla, passed away back in 2017 - such a shame.  But I still love her images and will treasure the talent she had and shared.  Thank goodness I purchased some of her lovely work back in the day. 

Anyway, if any of you have any snippets you could put to good use, be these in paper/card format, fabric, ribbon (or any other kind of snippets that would surprise the challenge) be sure to use them and share them with Di and Sarn over in the playground.  Believe me, there is always lots of fun and mischief to be found there!

My brain is now ticking over as to what could be the most unusual/inventive snippet you could enter the challenge with LOL!!

Enjoy the rest of the week.

WARM AND COSY

Hi Everyone

Flying in quickly today with a card for sharing in the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is "Winter Warmers".

Nothing says warm and cosy at Christmas than a lovely open fire, so teamed with a comfy sofa and a pretty Christmas tree what more could you want .. .. other than perhaps a little glass of sherry! LOL!!

This used:

Image:  "Watercolour Winter Living Room" by AuroraCraftery
Sentiment:  Computer generated
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Vintage Noel"
Corner Rounding Punch
Sheer Ribbon
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Crystal Glamour Dust on the Christmas tree that you can't see in the photograph.

and that is me for today.

Short and sweet as there is a lot on the "must do list" today before heading to Mum.

USE YOUR FAVOURITE SKETCH

Hi Everyone

I hope your week has got off to a good start.  Today was gorgeous sunshine here which is always lovely to see.

Things have been really busy with Mum these last few weeks but in little fits and starts I have managed to pull in a bit of "crafty time".  Crafting is my escape place where I manage to switch off and calm my rather over-active worrying brain.

This is a card for taking over to the As You Like It Challenge where they would like to see you put your favourite sketch or layout put to good use.  

So with 57 square sketches in my collection and 24 rectangular ones I wasn't short of sketches to choose from, the only problem deciding which was my favourite because I like them all.  

I have always had a soft spot for Sketch #2 though which looks like this  -  mainly I think because some of my favourite cards have been made using this layout and it uses up lots of snippets 

 .. .. and this is what I created with my choice of sketch .. .. 

This used:

Image:  Watercolour Butterflies Digital Bundle - SandyJprintables (sadly currently sold out)
Backing Papers:  DCWV "Nana's Nursery - Baby Boy
Sentiment:  Polkadoodles "PD7995" Super Sentiments 

Tag Die from The Works (very old)

Nail Heads

Ribbon 

Small flower punch

My trusty sewing machine

I know quite a few people don't enjoy working with sketches (we are all different, thankfully) but I must admit I find they save me loads of time as they take away a lot of decision making.  Once I have selected which one to use I know exactly where I am going before I even start creating.  

One of my missions at the moment is to use up some of the design paper pads I have which have only a few pages and snippets left in them, and utilise images I already have ready and waiting to be used and this card did just that.

Anyway, that is me for today and I will hopefully catch you soon.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all having a lovely week .. .. and the sun has been shining for you.  Definitely a bright and pleasantly breezy one here today.  It would suit me fine if all of summer was like today.

It has been a busy time with Mum recently so not much crafting time (and not much posting/blog visiting either.. .. sorry) .. .. but I have managed to pull this little creation together slowly during a couple of  Mum's beauty sleep sessions. 

This creation felt like a jigsaw because I cut the framework and inserts out at home and then pieced everything together once at Mum's:

My creation used:

Framework Die:  Lawn Fawn Giant Outlined Happy Birthday - Portrait
Background Papers and Card:  All from Snippet Mountain including the little glitter bits which you might just be able to see.

As this has reduced my snippet mountain "just a very, very, tiny amount" I am taking it over to show the playmates over in the Snippets Playground Challenge.  Sadly I didn't take any pictures of my snippets beforehand though (bad move), but as I am only playing for fun I will hopefully be excused.

Enjoy the rest of the week. 

IT JUST HAD TO BE DONE!

Hi Everyone

Well the sun has been out and shining beautifully, the washing has been going outside to dry and the heating hasn't needed to be turned on at all .. .. .. how wonderful is that!

So with that "feel good" factor in the air what do I do?  Clean the windows?  Start some Spring cleaning?  No .. .. .. I make my first Christmas card for 2025! LOL!!

Some may say it is a bit too early .. .. but I need to start my Christmas stock box in readiness so I am not doing them last minute.  So it might be early, but I am only just in time for running over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is "Positively Poinsettias".

Not too many Poinsettia themed craft goodies here .. .. .. but I did have this little chappie .. .. .. 

This used:

Image:  Amanda Jane Designs "Poinsettia Penguin" (once again I am not able to link to him - as an individual image - he was part of a Christmas digital bundle that no longer seems to be available)

Sentiment:  A strip of printed cotton ribbon by Bertie's Bows

Backing Papers:  From my Christmas Snippets Box (but all originally from those never ending large paper pads they sell at The Works).

ProMarkers

Corner Rounding Punch

Diamond Stickles

Glossy Accents

My Trusty Sewing Machine

So that is my crafty fix for today before I head off to Mum.

I always take something crafty to do with me when I go .. .. just in case it turns out to be a day when Mum is doing a lot of sleeping .. .. so who knows.  There might be more crafting time once the chores are done, but then again, perhaps not.  It all depends which Mum I have today.  The very sleepy and out of it one .. .. or the social chatty one.  But at least I have a Mum .. .. .. and I count my blessings for that.

Enjoy your day whatever you are doing.

MAKE IT SEW!

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all recovered from the Easter "sugar rush" and life is being kind to you. 

I am happy to say I have managed a bit of crafting this week .. .. which is always a lovely bonus for me.

Last night whilst having a little womble around blogland I saw that the challenge over at "Little Red Wagon" was entitled "Make it Sew" .. .. which meant they would like to see sewing featuring on your creation .. .. .. which can be "real or fake, a stitch effect die, or sewing as the theme in general".

Being an avid machinist on my cards anyway I obviously went for "real sewing" along with one of my favourite style of cards to make .. .. mainly because I just love rummaging through and mixing up my paper snippets and of course sewing.  

This used:

Snippets of paper and card
Spellbinder Circle and Scalloped Circle Dies

Lili of the Valley Digital Block Sentiment Set

Ribbon

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

HAPPY EASTER

Hi Everyone

Flying in to wish you all a very happy Easter .. .. .. try not to eat too many chocolate eggs (not that I know how many is too many) LOL!.

This used:

Image:  Purchased via Etsy from Amorclipart "Bianca - Floral line clipart" but sadly I am unable to find it on their site to link to now.  I simply copied and flipped the image to create a "sort of" frame

Sentiment: Computer Generated

Backing Papers (snippet mountain strikes again)

Butterfly Die Set:  Penny Black Creative Dies "Flourish and Butterflies"

ProMarkers

Ribbon

Diamond Stickles

Circle Dies

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Enjoy the bank holiday break!

TEENY TINY WEDNESDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope you are enjoying your week .. .. and that you are managing to cram a little bit of crafty time into your week.

My play today was just a teeny tiny session before I headed off to Mum.  It used a cute image and snippets of paper that have been loitering on my desk for the past week  .. .. always nice to use up bits that are hanging about.

So here we go .. .. .. a teeny tiny card measuring a whole 9cm square

This used:

Image:  Pre-coloured from Polkadoodles "Springtime Smiles" collection
Papers:  From Snippet Mountain

Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Corner Rounding Punch

We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Time to get the washing up done and the laundry put away at Mum's and then I am homeward bound to see what Mr Heart has been up to in my absence.

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope that you have been enjoying a nice relaxing weekend.

It has been a nice crafty one here .. .. just for a change .. .. and I have been enjoying it very much!

Can you believe that on Tuesday we will have been in our new home for a whole year!!  We have been sitting here saying "thank goodness it isn't this time last year!" LOL!!!  Certainly a lot has happened over the last 12 months.

Part of my crafty playtime saw the culling of a few more of those ever increasing snippets and this time the patterned papers all came from the same paper stack.  It is one I have had for many years  .. .. but I am determined to use up all the remnants that still lurk alongside the very few "full pages" that still remain.  It has been a very loved and well used pad, although the paper is quite thin.

So here is my creation for running over to the snippets playground with, for challenge no.504.

This used:

Papers: Hot Off The Press "HOTP 7235"
Julie Hickey "Happy" and "Birthday" word dies and backing dies
Spellbinder "Classic Squares" Die Set
My Trusty Sewing Machine

these were the snippets of card and paper I started off with

and as you can see there were still a few edges of white card available that I was able to cut a few more tags from .. .. ready to string up and add to the stack I already have for taking to the charity shop.  

We delivered quite a few tags and bits to them a couple of  weeks ago and the assistant got all excited and did a little dance while swinging the bag around saying "yay!! more tags, more tags.  LOL!!  It doesn't take much to make some people happy does it!

The charity store have a little crafty corner too and of course I always have a little nosey.  I have certainly picked up some lovely bargains (as well as donating things I no longer need/use).  

Last time I picked this little beauty up for a whole £15.00 .. .. probably the best £15.00 I have spent in a long time because it cuts wonderfully .. .. even dies that my Cuttlebug and Big Shot Pro struggle with.

Although mine came with a Sizzix Extended Multipurpose Platform.

Anyway, time for a bit more crafting while Mr Heart watches the football.

Take care everyone and I hope the week ahead is a good one .. .. soon be Easter egg time!!!

GET WELL SOON

Hi Everyone

Many thanks for the lovely comments on my previous post .. .. they were all very much appreciated.

Amongst all the excitement of everything that was happening, unfortunately, in the days prior to our celebrations my brother-in-law was taken very poorly and was rushed off to a nearby hospital to be sorted.

Quite a long recovery ahead for him (as well as more intervention) but for now he has been allowed home to build his strength back up in readiness.

He is such a lovely chap and idolises his pet dog .. .. so he was pleased to get home to make a fuss of it.

So when considering what to put on the front of his "get well soon card" I thought this might amuse him .. .. .. .. and it did.

This used:

Image:  Digital download from Serendipity Studio ID via Etsy "Dog In Cone Clipart"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated

Corner Rounding Punch

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Hopefully catch you again soon.

CELEBRATING A SUPER SPECIAL DAY

Hi Everyone

Once again apologies for my absence.  Life has again been getting in the way of me escaping to my craft pod as often as I would like to.

March is always eventful here in the "Home of Hearts".  I get to have a birthday, Mother's Day often falls around the same time, along with our wedding anniversary.  So lots of celebrating just had to be done!

The wedding anniversary side of it was super special this year as Mr Heart and I have now been married a whole 50 years!!! 

We can remember it snowing quite heavily in the days prior to our wedding and the people I worked with at the time joked that we would be playing "spot the bride" with our wedding photographs.

In those days we bought a house for £5,500, our wedding cake cost £25, my wedding dress was £30 in the Co-op Sale and we bought our wedding invitation cards from John Menzies and had to hand write them ourselves, and I can remember writing them like it was yesterday.

Not the poshest of weddings by any stretch of the imagination .. .. .. but it provided what we wanted .. .. a marriage that has always been full of love that has lasted the test of time, even though we were both told at the time that we were far too young to be getting married.  

My up-bringing was quite strict in comparison to most kids today and I always had to be home by 10.45pm (or I would be in big big trouble) and the night before my wedding was no exception.  Really weird that one day you were still controlled by your parents rules and the following you could do whatever you wanted without needing permission.  

It certainly doesn't feel like we have been married 50 years.  If it wasn't for having kids in their 40's I would say 15 years at a stretch! LOL!!!  Must be because we are both still very young at heart and still very much in love.  I don't feel any different inside today than the day we became husband and wife.  It is just the outside that looks a bit different!

But to be fair we have crammed a lot into our time together and made millions of special memories, the best being creating two wonderful sons who we are both very, very proud of.

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

and I had been asked by a special friend many weeks previous to make her a golden wedding card .. .. .. .. along with lots of other cards  .. .. and surprise, surprise I received this one back again in the post LOL!!!

The first card uses a die set from Apple Blossom called "Perfect Puzzles - Heart" and the second uses an unbranded die from Amazon .. .. .. and both used up lots of lovely snippets.  I really enjoy making these type of cards .. .. they feel a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle .. .. and I really enjoy combining lots of different snippets together.

If I had been sensible I would have taken some photographs of my snippets when creating but I am hoping that the playmates in the Snippets Playground Challenge will still enjoy seeing my snippet makes anyway.

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend, all you Mum's had a great Mothering Sunday and everyone has seen some beautiful sunshine .. .. .. just a shame we had to lose an hour by moving the clocks on .. .. .. but never mind.  We will get it back later.

Enjoy this sparkly new week.

TIME FOR A NEW SKETCH

Hi Everyone

Hopefully your week has been going well and you have seen some sunshine .. .. nearly time for another weekend .. .. can you believe it?!?!?  

Some of my week has involved sorting out dreaded computer problems I have experienced recently, which have thankfully now been rectified by a computer technician who actually knows what he is doing .. .. .. the only part we haven't been able to return to its former glory is the old beloved Serif Craft Artist download I purchased years ago.  So the time has finally come for me to be "forced" into getting my head around the Affinity Designer programme. I know I will love it .. .. eventually .. .. but it is a serious step up for me from Serif Craft Artist and I feel like I am learning a whole new language.  

But I am determined that I will master it and get there eventually.

It took me quite a while, but I have finally managed to create "something" worth looking at .. .. a new sketch for my rectangular collection.  Yay!!!

I am now keeping my fingers crossed that I can remember how I did it, and also how I eventually managed to get it onto my blog (because that took me ages too LOL!!!).  

There will be lots of fun to be had with the new programme, and thankfully there is lots of help on the old 'tinternet, so I am looking forward to delving in deeper once the pressures of life allow.  My overactive brain is thinking I could perhaps even design some digital backing papers of my own!! 

But for now this was my first successful creation, and I went to bed last night feeling quite chuffed that I had at last mastered something that I have tried to do so many times. Baby steps I know - but at least steps in the right direction.

As the saying goes "if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again" .. .. .. .. .. but it has taken a lot of trying for me to create something that looks as simple and basic as this .. .. .. LOL!!! 

and this is how it looks when put into action:

This used:

Backing Papers:  Isabelline from Pink Petticoat/The Lovely Studio (very sadly no longer trading) 

Sizzix Die "664164" Wildflower Stems"

LOTV Digital "Stamp Block Sentiment"

Spellbinders:  Circle and Scalloped Circle Die
X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch

Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine

Hopefully it won't be so long before another sketch appears!  Have fun if you decide to have a play with it and please let me know if you do, so that I can pop along and have a look at what you did with it.

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives. 

SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND CHALLENGE #501

Hi Everyone

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and got to see some beautiful sunshine.  

It wasn't "hot" sunshine here but still beautiful to see in a lovely clear blue sky!  Let's hope it is a sign of things to come.

A play in my craft pod yesterday created a card for Challenge #501 over in the Snippets Playground. This challenge encourages us to use up papers and card that have been leftover from other projects.

I started out with an image which I coloured with ProMarkers and then grabbed a wallet of snippet papers which I knew would work beautifully alongside. 

Whenever I purchase a set of digital papers I print off the ones that appeal to me the most, and once used I store any leftovers in their own labelled wallet ready for the next time I want to use them, knowing everything will match beautifully without needing to search through my large collection of random snippets.  Anything in these type of wallets in my craftroom started life as an A4 printed sheet. 

Below is my finished offering .. .. ..

This used:

Image: Amanda Jayne Designs (via Etsy) - Bee With Balloon
Design Papers:  Nitwits Collection "Beelightful"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
ProMarkers
X-Cut Flower Die (very, very, very old)
X-Cut Corner Rounding Punch
Nail Heads
Crystal Glamour Dust
My Trusty Sewing Machine

Have a good week everyone.  

TEENY TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

.. .. .. so now in the blink of an eye another week disappeared and a shiny new one appeared yesterday.  I wonder what this one is going to hold?

I am seriously hoping that the whole of this year isn't going to disappear at this fast a pace!  I can remember a week at school lasting way way longer. 

There was a chance for me to have a stint in my little craft pod today.. .. .. and below is one of the creations I made.  A whole 9cm square, these little cards are popular with customers and recipients alike.  I usually just add a blank insert inside so that they can be used for a variety of occasions. Some have sentiments on the front but not all. 

I find it surprising how many folk like the teeny tiny cards, and when I query why they invariably say "because they are just so cute and small and get to stand in front of any other cards" people might receive.  Some folk attach them to gifts they are giving instead of a label.

This used:

Image:  Artcult .. .. a great source of images, but sadly I can no longer see the one I used here in the store - it was called Sweet Bird Cages.  I can see it as a collection of circular images but no longer a square set.  (They re-size beautifully too).
Backing Papers from Snippet Mountain
Lace
My Trusty Sewing Machine
We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

I must admit I don't really like to see birds in cages .. .. in real life or in pictures .. .. but this one looks like he has a little escape hatch so he is free to fly to his hearts content .. .. which I feel all birds should be able to do .. .. otherwise what is the point of having wings?!?!?!?

Hopefully catch you again soon.