It's certainly been a while ...

At the start of this blog many years ago, I was very behind. All my crafty friends had started blogs years before me and I wasn't going to give in and write one as I knew I wouldn't keep it up. And here I am, years later, having not kept it up!

However, I have kept my crafting up, unlike a lot of my friends whose lives have often taken them in another direction.  That's almost the same for me although my new life involves crafting.  Along with my husband Daren, on 1st January 2013 we started our new business.  He has been a graphic designer/Artworker since he left school many moons ago and he's good at it.  As I am a papercrafter, the obvious business to start at the height of the recession was Wedding Stationery.  So because of lack of work from both  sides (I was at that time audio transcribing TV and radio programmes) after  me sitting upright in bed one morning and trying to convince him that I'd finally 'got a great idea' Pennies from Heaven was born!

And here we are over two years later, 83 couples down the line and many more in the pipeline, we are going great guns with our wedding stationery business.  Daren already had an office at home and after our eldest moved out, we decided to turn another larger bedroom into my very own craft/production office so exit the remaining furniture, in come the in-laws, paint brushes along with  all the decorating accessories you could wish for to create the perfectly decorated room, and in a matter of days I had a very light lime green and pinky purpley room to match the purple carpet that had been left behind!  It was fantastic and I was so pleased with it.  In went the furniture, most of what we already had from my little old craft room, although a cupboard and a couple of desks were added.  In came the Mac for my emails and sourcing materials and I was perfectly set up.

So here we are two years later enjoying meeting engaged couples and making their beautiful stationery of their choice.   If you know anyone that is getting married and may need wedding stationery, find us at www.facebook.com/penniesfromheavendesigns Come and say hello!

Another competition entry for The Cupboard Trilogy

This is my second entry into The Cupboard Trilogy/Sarah Lawrence heart stamp competition. I like the mix of brown and pink so decided to stamp her hearts in pearlescent brown dew drops. I also used a Leanne Ellis stamp for the first time and coloured it in with matching promarkers. I have mat and layered the card onto pink glittery card and edged it with cream cotton lace and matted it onto cream bazill. Finished off with pink card candi. This card took me quite a while as I knew I wanted it to be 8" x 8" but couldn't quite decide how to finish it off to show the beautiful stamp in the best light. I hope you like it.

The Cupboard Trilogy: Valentines Day ....

The Cupboard Trilogy: Valentines Day ....

The Cupboard Trilogy Valentines Day challenge

So here I am as promised! Back with my latest creation. It's one of my entries into The Cupboard Trilogy Valentine's Day challenge, as a tribute to Sarah Lawrence who died suddenly in December 2011. Sarah was the owner of Craftynotions and was a well known and respected mixed media and texture artist and author and designed the stamp that came free attached to February's Craft Stamper. I have stamped and embossed the stamp 8 times in black and once in pink to make the heart stand out. I have mounted on pink card and then black card and stamped black floral swirls on the actual card before mounting the hearts. I finished off with a black grosgrain ribbon and bow. I hope you like my creation in memory of Sarah Lawrence.

.... As I was saying .....

Oh it's been a long time since I've been here. Nearly 2 years and I cannot believe I've got 6 more followers than I had when I was last here!!! Watch this space ... I may surprise you in the not so distant future ......

Birthdays, birthdays ....

I was so pleased with this notelet, I actually made two of them as I'd inked a whole A4 paper. The intention was to send it to my gorgeous Godmother, Janet who lives in Shrewsbury. She recently felt quite ill suddenly and this was her get well card. I hope I made her day as I stuffed it full of photos and good wishes. In case you read this, get well soon Janet, thinking of you always. x

As I was saying, I was so pleased with it I couldn't resist making the other one for my lovely friend Tina, whose birthday was this week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINA!!!! I hope you had a brilliant day. x The card was made with three distress inks, milled lavendar, broken china and shabby shutters. I was quite recently taught better ways with inks and stuff by Linda Elbourne, www.acraftingjourney.blogspot.com who is brilliant at all that and I decided to spray mist my white pearly glimmer mist onto my swirly stamp and subsequently onto the blended inks to complete the background. It worked a treat so I am going to try different colours on some new cards in the next few weeks. I completed the card by ripping a rectangle and twice wrapping it with white organza ribbon, stamping a tree branch and birdy in black staz-on. To be honest I think it would have looked better in brown but you live and learn .....! I inked shabby shutters around the very outside of the card, stuck it all together and was pleased with the result. I hope you like it.

Over the next couple of months, I should be blogging a few more cards than usual: A friend of mine is having a charity day at her salon to raise money for children who are born with cleft palates in third world countries so she is going to sell some of my cards on the day too ... of course, all proceeds will go to her charity. She is hoping to raise £500 which will help 4 children to get much needed operations to correct them. So, it's busy busy busy for me ... watch this space!!!

It was Alison's birthday ... that came round quick again! Yes, yes, I know it was in February but I've only just managed to take photos of one of her birthday presents. I made her a tissue box to match her lounge. She was so pleased with it and I was so thrilled that when the girls and I went there for dinner recently, it was full of tissues and she was actually using it!!!! Isn't it brill, when a plan comes together like that?! I used some delicious papers bought from www.scrapbooksisters.co.uk especially for that use, covered it in full, went over the patter in glossy accents to brighten it up a little, added some ink to the edges, some minky coloured pearly stones and minky coloured ribbon. Et voila, one tissue box and a very happy friend!