Hi everyone,
Today I am sharing a Retirement Card that I made for our local doctor who has just retired after 50 years service. He has been an amazing support to our family and we will really miss him.
The image is from Hunkydory Little Book of Moments and Milestones and I trimmed the plaid pattern on the top and bottom a little to make it fit better on my card. The designer paper is from an old paper pad by Bo Bunny called Timepiece Collection which I think dates from 2011.
The side panel was punched using my Fiskars Scalloped Border punch. All the layers were trimmed to 1/8" using my Perfect Layers Tools.
The sentiment is a stamp from Lili of the Valley (UK) and was stamped using Versafine Vintage Sepia ink, punched using a circle punch and I sponged around the edge using the same ink. Lili of the Valley no longer make rubber/clear stamps but you can buy this sentiment in digital form from their Etsy Store and is called "For You Circular Sentiments". I popped the sentiment up on dimensionals.
I was ever so pleased with how easily everything came together with my card. I knew straight away when I saw the image what paper pad would match. Sometimes everything just flows and it's very satisfying. I have never made a Retirement card before and I have only one Retirement sentiment stamp in my stash so luckily I had one that was suitable for the occasion.
Once I finished the card front, I popped it on a white card base using Tombow Mono Multi glue.
Finished card size is 6" x 6".
I must admit to struggling of late to be creative after going back into Stage 3 Restrictions here in Victoria (Australia) and haven't made alot of cards - and instead have been baking bread and learned how to make gnocchi - just different things to the norm in amongst the whole COVID-19 crisis. I have probably made at least a dozen loaves of bread and find it very satisfying. I hand-knead it and watch You-Tube card making videos whilst kneading so the time passes quickly - and gosh, the bread smells amazing when it is cooking and tastes delicious. A couple of years ago, I started making my own pizza bases so was used to working with yeast and it just seemed a natural extension to move to breadmaking. It seems to be a recurring theme this year that people have "discovered" breadmaking. My cousin has been making sourdough bread and really loving it too.
I have also returned to my Family Tree research after having a break for some years. I took a DNA test and it has been a fascinating and a steep learning curve to understand all the different terminologies related to DNA matches like Centimorgans. Back in 2004 when I started researching, I Googled my paternal grandparents' names just for fun and it bought up many family trees that didn't make sense with what I had been told. Many birth, death and marriage certificates later and getting in contact with various newly found cousins, I discovered that my Great-great-great Grandfather actually arrived in Australia from England as a Convict on The Third Fleet - and he married another convict. I had always been told that we were descended from 'English Blue Blood Aristocracy' and years ago, people were ashamed of convict heritage - but now people are excited. It's a shame really that my father never knew the truth (he died about 25 years ago) but then again, maybe he would be horrified! There are alot more online resources available now compared to 2004 when I used to spend many hours up at my local library looking at microfiche records. Anyway, I have thoroughly enjoyed delving back into my research and it's been a great way to quieten my mind.
Well, I have waffled enough. Thank you for visiting my blog today.
Jocelyn
Card Recipe:
Stamps: Lili of the Valley For You Circular Sentiments (now only available as a digital download)
Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia
Designer Paper: Bo Bunny Timepiece Collection 6" x 6" pad (2011) - retired
Accessories: Hunkydory - The Little Book of Moments and Milestones - Product Code LBK197, brown ribbon, Perfect Layers Tools, Tombow Mono Multi glue, dimensionals, cardstock - dark brown, white card base
Punches: Fiskars Scalloped border, Kaszazz circle punch