Monday 19 January 2015

Simple Valentine Card

Good Morning Ladies,
Well I thought I would start the week off with some love!
I took a 6 x 6 deckle edged card and die cut a Heart in the centre of the front, I then left the die in place and took a heart Mask and ran it through the Grand Calibur with the emboss sandwich, this way
I could retain the crisp edge of the heart. I then cut another piece of card just slightly smaller than the 6 x 6 card and placed the card front over in the place where it would be stuck down, I then used a pencil and lightly traced around the heart onto the backing, this is so that I new exactly where to place the assortment of red buttons, which I did next sticking them with Cosmic Shimmer Glue,  I backed the aperture with some acetate, then surrounded the edge of the card with foam tape for depth and dimension and placed it carefully (making sure it was lined up) onto the backing card.
I tied a piece of red ribbon around the top of the card and tied a tiny metal key (to my heart) in the middle of the knot.
A very simple card by quite effective I think, you could use anything in the aperture and have it any colour for anniversaries, but this little card is carrying a HUGE amount of love to my valentine!
I would love to hear your comments and anything else you would like to talk about. Mind you I kind of like the sweet topic we have at the moment. How many more subjects beginning with 's' we have covered Soup and Sweets!
I would like to welcome both Sam and Maureen, who have both joined us for the first time this weekend, every time we have someone new, you would think I had won the lottery, a bit daft I suppose but this blog has bought happiness to my life! thank you all xxx
love and hugs
Sandra xxxx

31 comments:

  1. Hi Sandra. What a beautiful card. I love the heart mask, will have to borrow that one on Wednesday I think. The key just adds that special little touch doesn't it.
    So what's the next S subject going to be I wonder? I do love hearing what sweets everyone remembers. I have never seen cream soda crystals though, but did love the sherbert. Sherbert fountains do still sometimes end up on my trolley-now in a sealed plastic tube which is so hard to get into! Has anyone tried the "New" cream eggs? Cadburys Cream Eggs have been changed, so I have been told. No longer Cadburys chocolate and a change to the filling too! I wonder if the manufacturer hoped that they could get away with both changes without any one noticing?
    I do want to say that I love the direction your blog is taking. A beautiful card or piece of jewellery and then just about anything that is in your mind. It is such fun to read, thank you for the time and trouble you put into it. And thanks to the other followers, we may never meet but you all feel like real friends. Thanks again my lovely. Take care xx

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    1. Hi Sue,
      Thanks for the lovely comment, I will try and remember the mask, I don't use them very often. I haven't tried the new Creme Egg, I don't fancy it if it's not the same! Why bother changing it, when they knew the existing recipe worked, I know they said that it was never called Cadbury dairy milk cream egg, but you could taste that the chocolate was Cadbury, anyway my mouth is watering now, although we still have one or two boxes of chocolates left over from Christmas! I too was a huge Dan of the sherbert fountain t was paper then, there was something special about dipping that liquorice stick into the sherbet! Paul bought me a tin of sweets for Christmas, it has those sherbet lollies in and Palma violets, love hearts etc, it also had two sherbet dab things in, ( two sachets of sherbet with a white sweetie stick) but the girls had their eyes set on them from the start! Anyway I must go and get on with some crafting!
      Hugs
      Sandra xxxx

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  2. Morning Sandra, gorgeous Valentines card, looks very effective with all those buttons.

    Love & Hugs

    Jacquie J xxx
    http://jewelscardcraft.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Jacquie,
      Thanks for the lovely comment, I just wanted something a little bit different for a change!
      Hugs
      Sandra xx

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  3. Good morning Sandra. Love how you have done your heart card, using the buttons for colour is a lovely touch, I like to use buttons in different ways. Your young lady sounds very much like Anna ref the ironing and it going back in the basket unworn. At least now I don't do the ironing and I have told France's the new housekeeper to only iron her school shirts and trousers and to hang them down stairs in the boiler cupboard/airing cupboard, for one she has to come down and fetch them herself and to they won't end up on the floor. Been enjoying the comments on the sweets and things does bring back memories, and yes as children we had no TV or things and made up our own fun out doors. Plus yes we could eat what we liked, but we were limited to sweets once a week, not like today's children that have freedom to the sweet box. Have a good day. I am off out with Harris and hopefully won't go my full lenght like I did yesterday, I do ache this morning more than normal. Hazel x

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    1. Hi Hazel,
      Thanks for the lovely comment, I hoe Harris enjoyed his walk, it's freezing again today, although the sun is shining brightly!
      It sounds like you have Anna Sussed out, good idea getting the housekeeper to be one step ahead!
      We had a tv but we rarely watched it, there weren't so many programmes for children in those days, just a couple of hours at tea time, good old Blue Peter, oh how I wanted a badge!
      We only had sweets at weekends and we were grateful for that.
      Another thing I remember vividly was we never got a choice at tea time, you got what you were given and that was it, eat it or go without! No messing!
      Anyway must return from memory lane to reality and get on,
      Hugs my lovely,
      Sandra xxxxx

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  4. Good morning dear Sandra,
    I know you always say Paul is cute as a shirt button but this is taking it very literally, hee hee hee. Sorry couldn't resist, you put temptation in the my way and you know how my daft mind works. I have my mum's button tin to add to my shopping bag full and the buttons that my first boss at the CSA gave me that belonged to her Aunt who was a nun. In amongst them were a little plastic box with a piece of straw taped together which when i asked about it, Jacqui told me that it was given to her Aunt when she received holy orders as a nun at first and it was from the stable at Bethlehem. Now true or otherwise i really don't know but she told me to hand on to it, which as it was so prized by her Aunt i would have thought she would want to have kept it, but i really thought it a lovely thought that she gave it to me to keep, i still have it in my purse today and it is 13years later. I think because i was the only nut job that had come to the department (because i brought my knitting, sewing, cross stitch, etc), i don't think she had ever come across some quite like me before and i know she hasn't since. It's nice to know that i left an indelible mark on her like that, in fact i don't think they have seen anyone quite like me since.
    Anyway flower, what a lovely strikingly simple but effective card and i am sure your handsome Valentine will love it.
    I remember getting tuppence once a week to go to the sweetie shop where Jim and I would spend half an hour deciding which sweets would give us the most for our money and longest eating time. I didn't know we had a tv until we were about 8 as it was in a cabinet behind closed doors with a runner over the top and in our house it was a look but don't touch house when it came to mum's furniture. Crikey, you couldn't keep us in even if you wanted to as we loved being outside. Wellies weren't just for covering out feet, they were for making the biggest jumps into the middle of a puddle and hope that it didn't come over the top of them(sometimes it did and boy did we get into hot water). I don't think the children of today will ever have as much innocent fun as we had somehow.
    Have a good day flower and i hope that your knee is coming back under control, the wee lass is feeling better, Matt is managing to keep something down poor soul and your little fluffy four paws are all behaving,
    Love and crafty hugs
    Norah (Glenochil Village)

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    1. Hi Norah,
      Thank you so much for stopping by with your amazing story today you really should write a book, it souks be a best seller for sure!
      That little plastic box with the straw from Bethlehem sounds just amazing, what a treasure to own, the story is mind blowing!
      You are so right about children today not having the same fun as we used to, they lack imagination, creating something from nothing, I remember once making mud pies in the garden, I wanted mine to be special so I went into dad's shed and found a tin of emulsion, so guess what I used for 'icing my cake' yes you're right I emulsioned my mud pies, boy did I get into trouble for that, I was the eldest you see so was always reminded about 'setting the right example'!
      Thankfully everyone was well enough to go off to work and school today!
      I hope you have marked your anniversary in some small way today,
      Look forward to reading more from you my lovely friend,
      Huge hugs
      Sandra xxxx

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  5. Hiya Sandra. I, like Mrs B also love how your blog runs. You have no idea how much I look forward to entering your craft world. Like Sue's and the other blogs I love to visit, it makes me smile ( I dont visit many, just Hazel, Patricia, Lynda, Tina's and Pam') but they are all so lovely. Your card today is so imaginative, love the button idea. You are clever. Is it just my lack of imagination, or does anyone else find the smaller size cards difficult to do ? I always think it stands a chance of 'over dressing' it and it looking too in your face ! Ive made quite a few but stamped on most of them (litterally) sometimes LOL... No, Ive used the resist technique that I loked the look of on Kim's blog, and like I say, used smaller flower, or butterfly stamps Ive collected, they look ok and suit their purpose, but I find the 8x8 size cards are better seller's as are the 7x7 which I love using.
    I shall be doing a few 'traditional' Easter cards later on the smaller cards as I got SB Crosses 2 last week and the dies are brill for many uses. I also got some Tonic dies and feel so guilty, like Ive betrayed our Sue but I was SO desperate for a big frame and hoped Sue would launch a set that when I saw Tonic had a set of 14 square layering dies I knew I had to have them and they are fantastic. Im sure Patricia used one on her beautiful 'bit box' cards last week.
    So that's what Im upto later, just a few Easter cards ready to take to market next month.
    I wish you all a lovely crafty day. Stay warm, happy and safe today.
    Hugs.
    Lancashire Steph xx

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    1. Hi Steph,
      I am like you, I really struggle with smaller cards, I always go for 8 x8, I sometimes start off smaller and it just evolves into a bigger card by the time I have matted and layered the background. Like you I think the smaller cards quickly become too overcrowded, by the time you have your focal element in place and a sentiment your card is filled, I couldn't bare having no room for flowers and a little bit of foliage! Did you get all of your orders completed? And market stocks replenished?, you are so organised thinking ahead to Easter !
      Mind you I have seen the hot cross buns and Easter eggs in shops!
      I know what you mean about using other dies and feeling almost too guilty about mentioning them, I am sure even Sue uses other dies, she obviously has a huge range of Spellbinders, I personally have no tonic dies, most of them haven't appealed to me, but I have a few different ones, I use Sue's Dies more than any others but I can't afford to have dies sat there not 'earning their keep'! So I would stop worrying. How many cards could you make in one day Steph, I only manage to get one out, it's the design stage that takes the time, once I have decided it doesn't take long at all. I am a very messy crafter though!
      Enjoy your crafting my lovely,
      Hugs
      Sandra xxx

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    2. Hi hon.
      How many cards ? Well, during the pre Christmas panic, id get one 8x8 done then lose all interest as I just kept going blank, so Id then sulk, look at your blog then idea's would flood out so Id probably do another 2 cards but 7x7 just love that size, not too big but just a nice size to work with. Your designs really inspired me, not to replicate but just nudge me in the right direction, so thank you. As I never make 2 cards the same its the design that takes me longer than anything else unless I have to pass a die through 2 - 3 times, then its moved and double cut !!! Like Ive said I have no creative imagination so when I see a border die I SEE a border die and that's that, no imagination what so ever. So I think if I do have something in mind and I have no disaster's, and the juices flow, maybe 2 clean and simple and maybe a fluffy bit more detailed. Yep got my order done and ready for Andy to take to the PO tomorrow for me. As far as being organised, as Im not doing the market next week, which is the 3rd Sunday each month it means I don t have to make Valentine cards, I have a few Easter cards from last year, but I need a few more 'traditional' cards, and as I dont have too many to restock my baskets I thought rather than panic if I get brain freeze Id start and do a.few small Easter at a leisurly pace. I recently bought some of phils Birthday milestone stamps (jeez do they honk) they smell so strong of something, are quite expensive but the image stamps really nice, so I need to make some 'big' birthday cards from 18 - 100 ! Age that is not the amount LOL so when the Easter cards are done I can carry on with the birthday, have done 3 for a 70th then had to stop to concentrate on the order, on the last of the new baby restock, made another 4 Sympathy to add to the basket, so almost stocked up again... Bet you wished you'd not asked now, I do tend to waffle - sorry. Its a Lancashire thing (sorry Alison) I never waffled like this when I lived in Bham !! : 0 lol
      Now Ive sent you all to sleep, have a good relaxing night. xx

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  6. Striking and dramatic this one xxx

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comment,
      Hugs xxx

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  7. I have heard about the change to cream eggs why change something so good!? Apparently chocolate no longer dairy milk and fondant changed! I haven't tried as I have to avoid as can't eat one it's 3! If I eat sweet stuff I can binge so I try to avoid as not good at fat club!! Got a vintage box of liquorice pipes, wheels etc for Christmas fab!

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  8. Hello lovely Sandra,
    How clever you are with today's card.It's just lovely with the button's & the depth of your embossing with the heart mask gorgeous.
    Steph i'm with you on the small card's i would much rather make the 8X8 card's.Sandra how is your knee hope it's not so painful. Also hope Matt is better now.
    Love & Hug's Lynda xxxx

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    1. Hi Lynda,
      Thanks, I live buttons, got loads but don't use them very often!
      Those 'Special Touch ' masks are quite effective! Had this one a while. My knee is pretty much the same, I think it's something I am going to have to learn to live with.
      Hope tiny and Terry are well, hugs to Annie & Bambi xxxx

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  9. Hello Sandra,
    Oops, looked at this earlier and then forgot to leave a message, sorry. I'm busy doing ATCs and something jogged my memory, so came straight down to write to you.
    This is so clean, simple and gorgeous. When I say simple, I mean it's not too fussy, although fussy is ok sometimes - I'm stopping now before I dig the whole any deeper! I'm going to pinch your idea, hope you don't mind - I just love it. The little key is inspired, and I've loads of them collected over the years from small cases (beauty and attache) which are no longer in use. Having said that, Eleanor did a project about WWII last autumn at school and went to Beamish Museum. The children had to dress as evacuees and I gave her my little attache case from the late 40's, early 50's which I used to pack with my clothes when I went to stay at Aunt Mary's (everyone had an aunt Mary). When I think of all the clothes and shoes children have now, there's no way that little case would be any good!!
    I've never been keen on Cadbury's eggs, but my father used to love them. However, about 10 years ago we went on holiday down to beside Longleat, and when we were there we went to Cadbury World. Oh my, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven, free chocolates till the cows came home. Well not strictly free as we had to pay an admittance, but I probably ate enough to cover mine and about another two or three tickets. I don't know that I'd go now though as they've mucked about with the chocolate.
    I hope Matt and your knee is much better and when I've finished this last ATC, I'm going to make a Sandra card - do I have to pay you royalties lol xxx

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    1. Hi Maureen,
      Thanks for coming back to comment, I really appreciate it x
      I have never made ATC's I have seen plenty of them, I would love to see what you have created!
      We went to Cadbury World a few years back, to me it had got over commercialised and we had no free chocolate, it wasn't cheap either.
      I know exactly what you mean about the card being simple, I think they refer to it as CAS card (clean and simple)!
      Everyday is a school day!
      You are more than welcome to use my designs for inspiration, you pay he by coming and commenting, that is more than enough!
      My knee us much the same, I think it may just be deterioration and I am going to have to learn to live with it! , add it to the list!
      Matt went back to work today, so must have been feeling better, he was eating as normal by yesterday afternoon thankfully.
      I hope you got your ATC's finished, how many did you make?
      Look forward to reading your comments tomorrow!
      Hugs
      Sandra xxx

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  10. What a gorgeous card Sandra. You are so imaginative.
    Am I the only one who HATES cadburys crème eggs.
    Shoulder is agony so will sign out now Hugs Theresa (TOB)

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    1. Oh Theresa,
      Sorry to hear you are still suffering so badly, do pain meds not help?
      I know they often don't as I take regular morphine for pain and it's not touching my knee pain!
      I think creme eggs are an acquired taste, very sickly!
      Hope you are in less pain tomorrow!
      Gentle hugs,
      Sandra xxx

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  11. Hi Sandra,
    I too, love your blog! I am so pleased you are getting so much pleasure from it too as you are the one doing all the work!
    Today's card is lovely - I love buttons and even buy them regularly from The Bead and Button Company! I am not on commission - honest! I made wreath shaped button cards with the children at Christmas and they looked quite effective too. Just buttons and a bow.!
    My husband adores Pontefract Cakes! Cadbury's Cream eggs I planned to put in decorated egg boxes at Easter! Now what shall I do?
    The ironing is calling and I have been ignoring it!
    Have a good evening everyone.
    Pleased everyone is a little better Sandra.
    Lots of love and thanks!
    Myra xxx

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    1. By Myra,
      Thank you, I am so happy that you are part of my blog, such a lovely bunch of ladies!
      I think I may visit The Bead and Button Company!
      I think that they are rethinking the creme egg thing, as they are going to end up losing a lot of customers! Did you listen to the ironing, I would have ignored it!
      Love and hugs
      Sandra xxxx

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  12. HI Sandra
    You are so clever. Sorry I have been absent but internet has been off they came today and have done a temporary fix which means it keeps going off. They will ring on Thursday to set a date to dig up outside. Sorry to hear you had to cancel trip hope everyone is feeling better. Love Tandy

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    1. Hi Tandy,
      You are not with virgin are you? We are having the same trouble, I wouldn't mind if we weren't paying so much for it!
      Thanks for your kind thoughts,
      I hope they don't jkeep you off line for long, as if you are anything like me it's a lifeline!
      Hugs
      Sandra xx

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  13. Hi Sandra, Love the idea of the Red heart and the key -THERES A BUT COMING I would have to use something other than buttons. My mother had a bottom tin when we were children - I could not touch it !!! Can' t explain why, I just hated it. Our younger daughter was the same when she was about 4 or 5 yrs old, she would only ware a cardigan if it had a zip and refused to ware a coat, fortunately capes were in then and hers had a zip. Pleased to say she grew out of that fad, and non of her three children seem to have inherited it

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    1. Hi Brenda,
      I have heard of a few people having button phobia, I guess there is always something we don't like the feel of, you could use anything, tiny die cut red hearts would look good or feathers or strips of ribbon?
      Still giggling about your mums bottom tin, I wouldn't gave touched it either, hahahaha,
      Hugs mumma,
      Sandra <3

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  14. Hi Sandra. Lovely card, great use of the buttons. Does anyone else keep all the spare buttons that come with anything new and then end up with a big pot and not know what to do with them? No ! Just me then!!! I also have a habit of cutting out the "ribbon hangers" that things have and use them for crafting.
    Theresa, I'm with you re the creme eggs - can't stand the things. Loved your story about the piece of straw from the stable at Bethlehem Norah. Must go now because my brain is totally fried and I can't think or type straight! Sue xxx

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    1. Hi Sue,
      Thanks for the lovely comment!
      I too collect the buttons off of clothes, the ribbon hangers and if things come with a tag held on by twine like 'mantaray' in debenhams, I keep them too, in fact I have started collecting all things, I think it's as I age!
      I hope you got too rest your fried brain!
      Huge hugs,
      Sandra xxxx

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  15. Sorry curser stuck and the only way I could get it to move was to say publish. Even though I hadn't finished. iPad is brill most of the time !!!!!!!!!
    Anyway I really do like today's card it's just me and BUTTONS.
    Pleased everyone was well enough to go to work and school hope your knee is also feeling better.
    Just spotted I said my Mum had a bottom tin and I could not touch it (no she wasn't incontinant !!!) You do realise it should read BUTTON tin
    Saying goodnight before I make things worse, Love Brenda xx

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    1. Brenda,
      I love you, you so make me laugh! Your poor incontinent mum, with her 'bottom tin' haha xxx

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  16. Hi Sandra, what a great way to using buttons and that little key is such a sweet thing you have put on. My grandmother had a big box of buttons sitting in a cupboard for her knitting and sewing etc. and I loved playing with them. One thing I remember is using some string/wool, making into a hoop and put it through the hole in the button ( a big button ) twisting the string around a few times and letting it go by pulling the string back and forth and you got this funny noise,like music by doing it so lol , don't know if my "instruction" make any sense but it was fun times. As a child we never got much sweets it was only on the Saturday we got some. My favorites was kex chocolate, thin wafers with very nice chocolate in between, you can still buy them and is a must to have 1 or 2 when visiting home lol. we also had liquorice sticks with paper around them in a packet like cigarettes, oh how grown up you felt sucking on them...thank goodness I never took it up in later life. Sorry but not keen on the cream eggs, like their choc. but not the filling. omg ,first day of healthy eating and all I can think of is sweets and food, not good. :-(
    I can see the weather up north has plenty of snow and and it is bitterly cold outside but yes Austria(zell am see) is very beautiful and as my husband is half austrian we have been quite a few times.
    Any news about how the new GC working out? thinking of getting one but still not sure and the new electric machine(don't remember it's name) it's way to costly.... sorry I'm rambling away but having one of my nights, sitting in front of the tv,writing on blogs and listening to my hubbies snoring up stairs in bed lol will have to put the heating on over ride for an hour and make myself a cup of tea I think, it's getting cold in the house Wish you a good night and warm hugs Maria x

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