A card for a man in my life!

Morning all,

Today is my Fathers Birthday, "my old Dad", as he says himself.
One morning last year, the Queen was announcing the OBE's (Order of the British Empire) for the year when Dad announces, " I have an OBE" he clarified that by saying "Over Bloody Eighty!" :)

**********************

This is the card I sent him for this year.

The panel on the left, is actually masking tape adhered to card, then inked up with different colour distressed inks. Once the ink was dried, I misted it with some Smooch Spritz just to give it a bit of a sheen. I really cased the idea for here but I did change the dimensions, I used a square Kraft card and just cut the front panel to suit me.

I mounted the inked panel onto cream card than on the front of the card. I die cut out two shapes in cream coloured card, I used the second shape, for the sentiment in the inside. D.A.D. is computer generated, I cut out the letters and coloured them with promarkers than mounted it onto the front of the card. I cut out a larger shape in dark blue and backed it on to the front panel.

I mounted designer paper, from a Papermania pack (I have it so long, I don't have the name of the pack), onto cream card and then onto the Kraft card. I stamped the sentiment onto the second cream die cut shape and mounted it onto the DP hiding it behind the large blue die cut shape.

Recipe:
Designer paper: Papermania.
Die Cut Paper: core'dinations - Super assortment.
Die Cut: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels 4
Distressed Inks: Ranger - spiced marmalade, rusty hinge, antique linen.
Sentiments: DAD computer generated, Happy Birthday - Papermania Sentiment.

Entering into:
Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog - Challenge #54 Dad Daddy Papa

Baby Cards

We have just finished a Bank Holiday weekend here, all back to school and work today so have time for myself again. Yeah!
The weather was good, actually better than good, usually Bank Holidays happen to be wet and windy here but this weekend was sunny with some showers Sunday evening and yesterday afternoon.
Saturday and Sunday were quite but yesterday afternoon I took Sonny to an athletic competition. We don't have an athletic club here but he does like running and is fast. The competition was between local Primary Schools rather than a club meet.
There was a small enough turn out, but Sonny did great, he won his 100m race. He has qualified for the Primary Schools Finals in a few weeks. He was extremely happy with his gold medal. The up side of all of this, is that there is an athletic club about 40mins away from us, so we are heading there tomorrow evening.

   ************************

I got into a slight roll after making a baby card for my g-nephew a few weeks ago and I made two more. One in blue and one in pink, yeah, I am a traditionalist. lol.
The sentiment "Fáilte" is Irish for "Welcome"

The image is a Mo digital Pencil "Robin". I like Mo's images as they all have "personalities". I coloured them with ProMarkers, cut them out with x-Cut die and mounted them backing paper. The sentiment I used a nestibility die.

I chalked the die cut, just to help the image pop!

Recipe:
Backing Papers: Blue Gingham - Papermania "Sweet Nothings",
                           Dotty Paper - Pink Petticoat download.
                           Pink - Papermania "Sweet Nothings", DCWV - The Blossoms Butterflies.
Image: Mo digital Pencil "Robin".
Colouring Medium: ProMarkers.
Die Cut: Spellbinders Nestibility -  Fancy Tags, xCut
Ribons: Stash.
Sentiment: Computer Generated.


Entering into:
Creative Belli Blog: Belli Challenge #143 - New Baby/New arrival.



Hope you like,

Family Day

We celebrated our 6th Family day two weeks ago.
 Family Day is a day we set aside for ourselves,  we keep it to 22nd April because that is the date we, the 3 of us, came home from Ukraine to start family life together.
This year it fell on a Sunday, the 3 of us were free and there wasn't any matches on or any other disruptions.

A few weeks ago I asked Sonny what he wanted to do on the day, he said that he would like to go to the Aquarium. We had not been there for a few years even though it is only in the road, sorted. "A fish(watching)ing we will go"
He wanted salad for dinner - I went WHAT, salad. He went yes, salad, salad it was. Hubby wanted chicken legs!!!
We had salad for starters - a green salad, bacon and egg salad and a Greek salad. That did us for both starters and veg with main course. Main course was roasted marinaded chicken legs and roast potatoes (with salad!). Then for desert, my choice, stewed pears with (homemade) chocolate sauce. It was a yummy scrumcious dinner, if a little unorthodox.

We headed to the Dingle Oceanworld (Aquarium).
Here are a few photos of the afternoon.  What is the last thing a photographer should do before leaving home? Yes, check batteries. When I went in and turned on camera the battery low indications started flashing so you will have to forgive photos, the quality is not 100%, we were not allowed to use flash and also you have to understand that we were taking photos again glass, in some you have a some reflection. Now that my excuses have been made have a look!

  A very nice Piranha!

Don't remember what this one is, but it is a nice colour!

Coral Reef and it inhabitants. There are some beautifully coloured fish here but they were all moving so fast all I could get was a blur! (Low battery problem! ;0)

Sharks!

I was a little disappointed with this tank, the last time we were there there was a lot more fish and it seemed brighter. Said this to Sonny - his answer," the sharks eat the other fish". D'oh! I thik they were in a bad mood, they would not pose for any photos - hence they are blurry! (Actually one looks like a "flying saucer")

These just looked nice.

These kill by inflecting poison into there prey.
This one  looked like an elderly lady dressed in flowing chiffon.

Another one that looked nice but I cannot remember what its name is!

These are what we came to see. Penguins, I took lots of photos but the glass was so wet they were not great, will have to go back and get better ones another day. I don't know what it is about Penguins but every time I see some either on TV, magazines or in real life, I break into a real big silly grin. :) They were so funny, they swam and they were playing (interacting) with the people while they were swimming around and if one of them caught you looking at them, they would come up to the glass and stare back.
Hope they were having fun too!

After the Aquarium, Sonny and I watched a movie together, Hubby had to get some work done. It was a lovely FAMILY day.

Hope you like,

Catching up.......

I have major catching up to do with my blog, I have been busy with work (which is a good thing) but it takes me away from what I love doing and that is crafting and blog-hopping. Now work is almost finished so it is back to normal, almost.

While I was "away" a few things happened in my life, first off I am a new Gran(d)-Aunt. In Ireland a standard answer to a salutation like;
How's the going? (How are you?) Grand.
Isn't the weather grand?
That's a grand pair of shoes you got there! (Lovely shoes)
Get my drift? Grand means - great, fine, the best
So I am not a Gran-Aunt (yes I am!) but I am a Grand-Aunt.

My nephew and his wife had a lovely healthy little boy on the 18th April. Baby Ronan.
They also have a little girl, Leah who is fast approaching 2yrs. but going on 22, you know the kind. lol
I eventually got a card made and sent, its not like the birth was a surprise or anything!

The backing paper is from Pepermania "Sweet Nothings" paper pack which I have had for ages. The scalloped yellow backing paper is DCWV Carstockt,"Brights".  The image is google download coloured with pencils and the giraffe's spots are glazed using Sukara (clear) glaze pen. The bow is from Papermania Capsule Collection which is mounted on blue satin ribbon from the local haberdashery. The candy dots are from stash "no name" bag!

The Scalloped circle opens up and reveals -  ta da!

Inside label is computer generated with the little chic coloured in pencil.

The verse inside the card (I had written the card before I photographed it!) reads:

Ten tiny little fingers that always want to play,

That never stop exploring

the wonder of today.

Ten tiny little fingers that from the very start,

Will reach out for tomorrow

yet always hold your heart.

Recipe:

Backing paper: Pepermania "Sweet Nothings".

Scalloped paper: DCWV Cardstock "Brights".  

Die Cut: Nestibilities - scallop circles.

Image: Google.

Colour medium: Pencils and Sukura.

Embellishments: Bow - Papermania Capsule collection.

Hope you like,

Birthday Card

 On Monday, Hubby asked me to make a card for the bar-maid in the local pub, which he frequents each Sunday night. She was celebrating her 50th on Wednesday and we were invited to a "shin-dig" in the same pub.  That was great as, I already had some cards ready that would suite the occasion, no pressure.

Wednesday afternoon Hubby phoned me - the party that night was been co-celebrated by her and her twin BROTHER. Hair pulling out time, as the cards that I had earmarked for her were very feminine cards, with flower and butterflies and I had none suitable. Holy Moly ( or words onto that) what was I to do now?!!!

It was late afternoon, I still had to get the dinner and sort Sonny, I also had to go to a meeting that evening, so time was in short supply. And what do I do when in need of immediate inspiration for anything, I Google. Google images have been a life saver for me in the past, and last Wednesday was no different.

This is the finished product.

With the rush to get it finished, I could only think of blue, which would represent the masculine side of things while the rest of the card is quite feminine, well, I think so anyhow.

The sentiment, "Breithlá Sona Duit" is Irish for Happy Birthday. I printed it out on to white card in a dark blue Gaelic font. It is mounted on a soft blue scallop circle, than on to white circular paper and that on to a darker blue scallop circle.  The patterned paper is from Pink Petticoat printed out on to white card. That is mounted onto a dark blue paper. I wrapped the two ribbons around the P.P. printed paper.

It is a very simple card and fast, (which is what I needed......) No colouring, no images, no bling!

Here is the inspiration.

Recipe:

Dark blue and soft blue paper: Icon Craft - Paper craft kit.

Designer paper: Pink Petticoat - Lola's Boudoir Rainbow collection.

Circle Die: Nestabilities - Circles and Scallop

Sentiment: Computer generated.

Ribbon: Stash - local haberdashery.

Hope you like,

Hope you all surived Easter.

I am a little late in sending Easter wishes, instead I hope you all had a very one a good one.

I have two cards to share with you today.  I used the same backing papers and colour combinations so decided to share together.

I covered the top of a blank card with Do-Crafts "Spring Chic" paper it covered in Easter eggs so suited the purpose perfectly. I cut some DCWV card stock to fit the lower part of the card and edged the top of it using a X-cut punch.  It cute image is from "The Crafty Pad", it is a digital download, they have lots of other cute digi, but it's" just one at a time" for me! I used pencils to colour the bunnies and log. The sentiment "Hoppy Easter" is from a Waltzing Mouse Stamp set, L'il Buddies.

The second card is an easel card, I used the same backing papers as the first card.  The image is a googled download, coloured this time with ProMarkers and I used Sakura white glaze pen to colour the ears, cheeks and tail.  You can't see in the picture but the glaze gives a slight shiny finish.  I mounted the image on die-cut backing using X-cut nesting die. The brads are pink and  "fuzzy" from Papermania. Easel cards are easy to make, must try a twisted easel next!

Recipe:

Backing Paper: Do-Crafts "Spring Chic" and DCWV card stock.

Images: The Crafty Pad - Bunny Fun on Log and "Google Bunny" (my own name for it, hehe).

Sentiment: Waltzing Mouse Stamp  - L'il Buddies.

Die-cut: X-Cut nesting die - Ornate Frame.

Punch: X-Cut Decorative Border Punch - Flower Doily.          

Colour medium: 1st card - pencils, 2nd card - ProMarker and Sakura White glaze pen.

Brads: Papermania

Hope you like,

 

New Template

Welcome to my new folowers, hope I can keep you entertained now and again. Leave a comment, I do like reading them.

I have just changed my blog template. I have been thinking about it for a long time and today I "bit the bullet" and went for it. I am sure there are lots of things I can to to improve and I am sure I will over time. There is one thing, the font colour, is it too light? I think it's okay but maybe a little hard to see for some people - and no I do not mean you!!!!

Let me know what you think, please. I would like to thank those who commented on the change of justification a few weeks back, I like the centre justification so I will stick.

Hope you like,