My last birthday celebrations

On Sunday I celebrated my recent birthday with the rest of the family. It really was a special time, surrounded by those closest to me
I know I don't often put photos of me  on my blog but I thought I would share a couple. I think it sums up the happy time I had. Our lunch was delicious and then we came back to our house for party tea and cake made by darling Hb. For those who saw his creation on my previous post yes it was as good as it looks. The lemon flavour was perfect and for his first ever bake it was incredible. I shall have to put my order in for next year. Here I am admiring the fab cake my Hubby made.

My darling granddaughter Daisy Jane runs everywhere now....it's so hard to take a photo with her standing still.

 

The weather up until Sunday had been disappointing for Easter but as we sat in the restaurant the sun began to peek through and by 4pm it was warm enough to be outside.
 My DD, SIL and Daisy stayed overnight and we enjoyed lunch with them yesterday before they went home.

 Do you think I love this little person just a little ;0)

The sun has continued to shine non stop since and my Hb and I have really enjoyed our time off.

My card today is the one I made my brother for his recent birthday. There are 3 years and 10 days between us and although he left home when he went to uni at the age of 18 I have such fond memories of the childhood we shared. He is a busy university professor and spends a lot of time abroad so I only get to see him once or twice a year. However when we do get together it is as if we never spend a day apart. He was such a good brother and never got tired of my endless games or sitting being made cups of tea with my tea set. I had a Cindy doll and he had Action Man and we would spend hours in the garden creating scenes and playing. 

He was in New Zealand for his recent birthday so I decided to find one of our old photos and make him a card using it.

This is my brother and me in the garden in the 1960s, I would guess I was about 3 and he would have been 6 years old. Don't you love my furry slippers and the protective arm he has around me :0)

This is the card I made him.

I wanted a very spring theme and used distress inks which I blended and then added more through some stencils to create the background.

I die cut a tree using Kraft card and used a text stamp and added some extra highlights with ink.

I used some Kraft corrugated card which I coloured, to mount the photo and I also melted some frantage in the grooves.

The butterfly is another of my T Holtz textured ones which I coloured and added crackle paste to.

I used my favourite quote stamp.

and here is one last close up showing my butterfly

I also added some very relevant remnant rubs.......in those days we really did live life simply and I treasure my childhood memories I shared with him. Life is indeed very precious and time keeps marching on. I am looking forward to catching up with my bro in the summer at my niece's wedding.

I would like to enter my birthday card into the following fun challenges;

Crafting Musketeers It's a man's world
Art with heart spring break
Not just cards anything goes
That Craft Place easter/spring
Crafting from the heart anything goes
Try it on Tuesdays they who have wings
Creative Inspirations anything goes
Noor! anything goes
Die cut Divas in the garden
The Artistic stamper flora and fauna
Papertake weekly anything goes
Country View use kraft card
Loves rubberstamps anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays anything goes
Simon says stamp Mondays A is for... altered, I have altered the tree die, the butterfly and even the backing card and card base.
Stamp and Createanything goes

It's back to work tomorrow for me but it is such a bonus that for the first time this year we enjoyed lunch in the garden in the warmth of the sunshine. Billy loves for us to be outside together. He has been helping me spring clean my garden studio ready to get back outside for my crafting.

 We have even had bees buzzing in the bushes and my daffs have been nodding to me.

I have cherished the moment.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x