Thank you 'sew' much......

I have a sewing machine, but it's gathering dust in the cupboard under the stairs. I used to make my own clothes many moons ago- I even made all of my maternity dresses when I was expecting No1 son. I've also made curtains, cushions etc, but now the poor old machine is lying neglected and lonely in the dark!
I love this little sewing machine although it isn't the one that goes with the sentiment (I used a different cart for the machine) The papers are freebies - Nitwits I think from Creative Cardmaking mag- and the machine was cut from silver cardstock and Papermania shimmer cardstock. The machine was adhered to an embossed scalloped circle which, in turn, was adhered over a cotton lace border trimmed with white satin ribbon and a satin rose. I cut three small scalloped circles and adhered a button- two polka dot and one plain- to each of the scalloped circles. I threaded some embroidery thread through the buttonholes before I stuck them onto the circles- buttons always look better with the holes filled in! The scalloped circles were adhered with foam pads along the edge of the central panel. The sentiment was cut from white shimmer cardstock shadowed with blue, then adhered with foam pads. Three teeny pearls on the sewing machine completes the card.
Carts used:
Sewing machine- Nifty Fifties
Sentiment- Everyday Pop-Up cards
Scalloped circles-Winter Woodland
Plain circles- George
Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend!
Heather xxx

Showering Thanks.........

This card is very appropriate today...it's chucking it down! It's another card from my fave 'cart of the moment'. I used papers from First Edition's 'Daydream' 8x8 stack. The umbrella was cut from silver mirri and two different papers, and the sentiment was cut from Papermania shimmer cardstock in green and lavender with a dark purple shadow. The umbrella was adhered over a punched, ribbon trimmed border with foam pads. A WOC rose was adhered to the bow. The sentiment was layered up then adhered above the umbrella with foam pads. A smattering of gems completes the card.
Cart used:
Umbrella & sentiment- Everyday Pop-Up Cards
Thanks for dropping  by today!
Heather xxx

Hearty Congrats......

When I was making this card I wasn't at all sure about the black, but when the card was finished I was really pleased with it, and it looks much prettier IRL!
Again I used my fave cart and papers from First Edition called 'Birdsong'. I punched one long edge of a piece of black cardstock and trimmed it so that the pattern was equal ( I can't abide uneven punched borders) then matted some plain cardstock and patterned paper onto it. I added some sheer black ribbon and a bow. The completed panel was adhered to the front of the card with foam tape. The sentiment was cut from Papermania pearlescent textured paper, embossed with a teeny heart embossing folder, layered up, then adhered to the panel with foam pads. A pearl was added to the dove  and some heart shaped adhesive gems to the top two corners. A multilayered bloom and a trio of gems on the ribbon completes the card.
Cart used:
Sentiment- Everyday Pop-Up cards
Thanks for dropping by!
Heather xxx

Vintage Anniversary........

It was my brother and SIL's wedding anniversary last Sunday (not yesterday) , the day after my SIL's birthday, and this is the card that I made for them. I used papers from DCWV Garden Party 8x8 stack. I had a vintage picture in my library that I'd downloaded months ago and decided to use it for this card as the colours on the photo are a good match for the papers. I printed the picture onto textured cardstock and it came out pretty much perfect. I adhered it with foam pads over a punched border wrapped with cream grosgrain ribbon. I added a large Prima silky bloom and a few WOC roses. I snuck a few pearl strands in there too! The mat that the blooms are on was cut from a Marianne Creatables doiley die. 'Happy Anniversary' was cut from gold cardstock, shadowed with vanilla cardstock, and adhered with foam pads. I added my bro and SIL's initials and a pearl heart to the top right hand corner of the picture to complete the card.
Carts used:
'Happy Anniversary'-Sweethearts
A & K- Winter Woodland
Thanks for dropping by today!
Heather xxx

Happy Birthday, Karen.....

It was my SIL Karen's birthday last Saturday and this is the card that I made for her. There's a bit of a tale of woe behind this card. I'd made the card base, cut out the bird and name, but still needed to cut out the birdcage. I knew that there were four beautiful cages on the Serenade cartridge but could I find it? Looked everywhere for it to no avail. Unfortunately it's walked at either a Workshop or a Swarm so I've had to buy another one! None at Craftsulove for £19.99 so I had to pay full price at SmartCrafts! Oh well! No other choice as I need it for my Swarm tomorrow!
Anyway, back to the card. The papers are new First Edition papers called Summer Breeze. I finally cut the cage from Car Decals (it wasn't the one I wanted but what's a gal to do?!) using Papermania shimmer cardstock. The bird was cut from green shimmer cardstock and I cut another bird from patterned paper and adhered it with foam pads to the flourished bird (the solid bird should actually go behind). I punched some teeny flowers from patterned paper, added a pearl to the centres, then adhered them to the flourish. The completed bird was then adhered to the cage. The front of the card is made up of two panels, the top one edged with a border punch. Ribbon was wrapped around the border and secured behind. The panel was then matted and adhered to the card. I added a tag with Safmat sentiment and a Prima vintage flower. 'Karen' was cut from shimmer cardstock and adhered with foam pads above the ribbon/bow. A pearl eye on the bird completes the card.
Carts used:
Cage-Car Decals
Bird on flourish-Wall Decor & More
'Karen'-Winter Woodland
Tag-George
As requested by some of my ladies who attend the Swarm here are some carts that you'll find useful for the project that we'll be doing:
Wild Card
StoryBook
Lyrical Letters
Martha Stewart cakes
Love Struck
I look forward to seeing you at the Swarm tomorrow!
Thanks for dropping by!
Heather xxx

 I've got a couple of baby cards for you today. Now we all know that every baby is a miracle, but some are more of a miracle than others. This card would be good for parents who's baby was a long time in coming or whose arrival was against all the odds. The layout is very simple with a patterned panel at the top and a plain white panel with a punched edge, below it. The join is covered with beautiful glittery ric-rac that I picked up from the local Pound shop. The cute little baby feet, cut from glittercard, are mounted onto a doiley cut from a  Marianne Creatables doiley die.

I added a bow made from thin baby ribbon above the feet, and a flower painted with irridescent medium to the ric rac ribbon. A large pearl (from Dunelm Mill) was adhered to the centre of the flower. 'Miracle' was cut from more glittercard  and adhered flat to the plain white section below the border.
Carts used:
Baby feet- New Arrival
'Miracle'- Inspired Heart
Thanks for dropping by!
Heather xxx

Butterfly sorry.......

Did I tell you how much I LOVE the Everyday Pop-Up Cards cart? Yep!- I think I did! Here'e another card from the best cart yet. I used freebie papers again from Creative Cardmaking, glittercard and Papermania peralised textured card. The panel on the front of the card was created with two different papers and a Dovecraft punch. I wrapped a piece of spotted sheer ribbon around the pnel before matting it onto white and lilac cardstock. I painted a bloom with some Windsor & Newton  irridescent medium (love this stuff!)  added another with a pearl centre ( from The Works but Papermania make them too) then adhered it to the  bow. The beautiful, delicate butterfly was cut from lilac pearlised cardstock (Papermania) with a glittercard solid behind it, and the sentiment was cut from two shades of purple glittercard shadowed with pearlised cardstock. Both elements were adhered to the card with foam pads. The butterfly 'trail' was created with different sized gems. I added some Papermania glitter dots to the butterflies body and some gems to the ribbon to complete the card.
Cart used:
Butterfly & sentiment- Everday Pop-Up Cards
Thanks for dropping by today!
Heather