"All that I am...I owe to my angel mother"

No, this is not a quote by me...it is in fact by Abraham Lincoln but it does say what I want to say on this card for my lovely Mum on her birthday, the whole quote is in the oval frame at the top left corner of the card.

Firstly I should warn you, I love the way my card looks...so there are a LOT of photos :-)

I used the sketch from The Sugar Bowl Challenges and I used the option "Lace".  The Sugar Nellie digi I used here is "Joy", I think she is perfect for the vintage look I was after, Digistamps 4 Joy wants us to use an image of a child, so I'm entering there.  Joy is coloured with Copics, Copic Creations has Use Pastels...this is pastel...and I'm pleased 'coz I don't "do" pastel very often!  I used paper from Kaisercrafts collection.  The image panel is cut with Classic Oval Nestabilities and the mat with Scalloped Ovals. Totally Gorjuss has Use a Punch or Die, so I'm in! Bizzy Becs has Borders and Frames as their challenge, I think this fits the theme nicely.

I coloured some of the lace and the doily, which are from my stash, with E51 - adding some to the edge of the image panel.

Stamp Something want us to Stamp Something Embellished, there's plenty of embellishments here...the oval frame is from a set of Christmas ornaments I've had for years, the sprays of crystal drops were part of my birthday goodies from my lovely son Chris.  The stunning flowers are frosted resin with crystals and pearls in the centres, I bought them at the big annual craft show we have in Perth...my mum bought them for me, after I drooled over them, so I think it's appropriate that she gets to see them in use.Cupcake Craft Challenges theme is Shabby Sparkle, I think this vintage style card with rhinestone centred flowers fits the bill, I hope so!  Creative Craft Challenges has 3D as its theme, this is VERY 3D so I'm entering there. 

For the inside of the card, I used the corner from a piece of 12" scrapbooking paper, adding some papers from the front of the card and some pearls.  The cameo is one I've had in my stash for years...at least ten years - I bought some when I first started egg decorating, and have used a few for jewellery and now I made up this little charm.

It's been pretty overcast today, and we had some more rain...though checking with some family in the UK, it's still warmer here than there.  Anyway, the point is that it means some of my (many) photos are a bit dark.  I would take them again tomorrow, and re-post but my dh and I are going "down south" to Margaret River wine country for a week and I don't know if I'll get internet coverage there; I bought a dongle today from Telstra as they claim to have better coverage than Optus, (how desperate am I???!!!)...we'll see!

I may not have time anyway, there's all that world class wine, cheese, fantastic wineries/restaurants, and art and craft galleries, the mud brick chalet (with luxurious fit out, of course, my "camping" days are a happy but distant memory!!) set in acres of bushland walks with resident kangaroos and other native wildlife, we're going whale watching,  and....so are ya jealous yet? lol. Did I point out the forecast is rain?! mmm, there's always the wine and cheese in front of the log fire...'tis winter after all!  If my internet works, I may be secretly happy if it rains, and can claim that I'm pleased only because it will add to our (admittedly pathetic) dam levels ;-)

Anyway, enough babble from me, until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee