85th birthday

 Hi Everyone, February and March is a busy month for birthdays in our family, so be prepared for lots of cards hahaha. Anyhow todays card is for my eldest #1 brother (I have/had 4) and a card with a story. 

He started his working life as a Fireman on Steam Engines in 1952. At Old Oak Common in Swindon. Put the clock forward nearly 70 years and he and my SiL went somewhere, it could have been Bridgnorth. They, or at least he, likes to visit places where he can see working Steam Engines. On one of their visits he came across this engine and realised, by it's number, it was the first engine he worked on, can you believe that? He was so thrilled, he told the Driver of the engine the story and he asked if my brother would like to go onto the footplate (where the driver and fireman worked.) He jumped at the chance and the driver even gave him his hat to wear for the photo. My brother still has his Fireman hat he had worn on the railway.

He had sent me the photo and I thought, as it meant so much to him, to use it for his birthday card. In Photoshop, I added a mask to make the photo a little more interesting, then printed the papers I had chosen and layered them onto black card then to the base card. I also generated the greeting in Photoshop. I don't know if you can make it out, but the layer the photo lays on, is a picture of coal, well! he did handle a lot over the few years he was on the Great Western Railway, known as GWR or Gods Wonderful Railway to enthusiasts.

My #2 and #3 brothers were also Firemen on the GWR, and I remember them sitting together on a visit home once, listening to a vinyl record of a train going through The Severn Tunnel, yep! they love the Steam Engines hahaha and relating what the fireman and driver would be doing, step by step, going through this long tunnel and being enveloped in smoke. Ah! wonderful times even for me, listening to my brothers reminisce and enthuse about the sounds and memories.

If you are an enthusiastic, ahem! you can find everything about this engine HERE

back papers - Summer Driggs, Vintage Oreos (2015)

coal paper - Photoshop Creative Magazine freebie (2009)

Photoshop CS2020

This is the insert with the larger photo, which

 I also masked to make it more of the engine and my big brother.

Just a little something, I have "prove you are not a robot," coming up when I make comments, has anyone else got this problem or is it just me, if it's just me, how do I stop it - please? 

Dragon Army

  Hiya Everyone, my first DT card today is for 

the 44th Challenge at

 2 Crafty Critter Crazies  

     Now, our November Challenge!

We are excited to be sponsored this month by

The Paper Shelter!

The digital stamp has uncoloured and ready coloured images and background and I loved it, then thought I needed a challenge to make this different. My card today is from a second attempt! Why? because I thought Halloween, forgetting this post would be after it! So my second attempt is Winter / Christmas and do you know what I'm pleased with it, I hope you like it too.

I used the uncoloured digital stamp and a background I have used many times, but is perfect for lots of images. I coloured the image and I HAD to have a red dragon of course. (It's on our Welsh flag in case you didn't know!) I paper pieced the image digitally and added the sentiment, it had to be "warm" wishes didn't it? I print and cut it with my Silhouette, when printed the image's skin was paler than I liked, so I coloured the skin with markers. 

I had cut three images out, they were layered, with sparkle pen used on the sword and shield and part of the helmet also the fire and smoke. I added glaze to her eyes. Before I added her to the card, I stamped some trees and added white pen and glitter, also to the snow area of the paper background.

background - Carin Grobe Design (I've had it since 2011)

image - My Little Dragon Army The Paper Shelter

paper pieced papers - Summer Driggs (no longer available)

stamps - Simply Cards & Papercraft #208 freebies

ink - Papermania

sentiment -  Create with TLC 

markers - Spectrum Noir

sparkle pen - Spectrum Noir

glaze - Nuvo Crystal Drops

showing the sparkle and layers,

 although the sunlight has actually made the card lighter than it is.

 I've added it to a tent fold card,

 anyone any ideas how to stop it opening up while placed to display?

I'm hoping to see you in the challenge.

This was my first creation done in Photoshop, the Halloween version, I wasn't going to add it, but actually like it, so thought I would share the digital version with you.

Lady & flourishes

Hi Everyone, my card today is for my Godsons' wife, I thought I would combine it with the Outlawz sketch challenge and DragonsLair Design FB progressive challenge.

Image Vintage Lady DragonsLair Designs

paper pieced and coloured in PS

DP flourish paper Summertime Designs, sadly no longer available.

die Johanna Sheen, freebie in her magazine

ribbon from stash

flower pearls from stash

gold paper from stash

Uni-ball gold pen on image flourishes

DSC # 104 "Chocolate and cream" (colours of brown, cream, beige etc...)

It's time for a new challenge at

 Digitally Sweet Challenges

the Theme is 

"Chocolate and cream" (colours of brown, cream, beige etc...)

sponsored by  Lunagirl

I have made my "page" today with several images from Lunagirl, mostly because I couldn't make my mind up what I wanted to use, as they are all gorgeousness in themselves.

I have tried to do a "proper" digital make up, by making the cake and plate with PS shapes, digi paper and elements, with Lunagirl images leaning on it and pictures for the "wall" and a label for the cake. 

I also made the text into "chocolate" style with some playing in PS. I got the quote from the web. I also did a light effect! 

I'm not sure I got away with the cake and plate, but it's a start!

Chocolate wraps and birds - Lunagirl

DP - Summer Driggs, Chocolate sprinkles

Pixelberrypie - Heart digi paper blog hop 2014

Elements - Gina Jane, Grahams

Ribbon - Just So Scrappy