Father's Day... Finally!

First of all I'd like to say a quick hello to my new Followers and my old, no wait a minute, that doesn't sound right... my Loyal Followers, that's better!  I finally got around to dragging one of my cards out of my "ready to blog" folder and actually BLOGGING it, lol.  I've got another ten at least sitting there twiddling their, whatever they twiddle!!  For today, it's the card I made for my Dad for Father's Day (which was the first week in September, where did that time go??!!)

I made an easel card... I love easel cards and so does my dad ("Right clever that is... ", he's Welsh - well Australian now, but if you're born Welsh... you can take a boy out of the valleys but you can't... and so on, lol)  The Paper Shelter has For Someone Special for their challenge, Dad is, I'm in :-) Cuttin' and Stampin' has Anything Goes with a Family Twist so I'm in there too.
The cute image is from Di's Digi Downloads, this is Henry's Hazy Days, I used it as a tongue in cheek reference to the fact that my Dad, despite being 84 and long since retired is just about NEVER "allowed" to kick back like this - courtesy of my 83 year old hyper active Mother :-)  She is convinced that it's what keeps him going - constant activity mainly in the garden (they have a large garden and only got a lawn mowing contractor this year when Dad couldn't start the petrol mower any more, he tried an electric mower, hated it, tried another smaller petrol mower, couldn't start that - gave in!!  Two grandsons each now have a shiny near new mower of their very own, lol. 
I coloured the image with Prismacolor pencils, it gives such a lovely soft finish.  The papers are from Kaisercraft's Save the Date pad, the brown and blue matting are American Crafts.  As You Like It has What's your favourite; Spots or Stripes, I love both, but tend to use stripes more on men's cards, don't ask me why!
I used some of the cazillion gold border stickers (peel offs) I have in my stash for around the image and sentiment panels, as well as on the edge of the brown strip punched with a punch my Mum and Dad brought back from their last trip to Malaysia (they go at least once a year, stay at the same hotel as they have since 1989 - they are great friends of the staff there, attending one wedding and at least one christening over the years, I think it's cute!) 
The blue stitched ribbon is from my stash, as is the Covent Garden Card Candi and the tiny gold flat back pearls. Digi Makeover has Stitching for their challenge so I'm entering there.
The sentiment is/was a freebie from Create with TLC - I added "It's Father's Day".  I used Nestabilities Large Scalloped Squares to cut the mats for the image and sentiment (there's one "inside" for the jotting panel too, but I can't find a photo of the inside) Crafty Creations and Addicted to Stamps both have Punches and Dies challenges so I'm entering them, Pile It On has Show Us Your Tools, apart from my paper trimmer, corner punch (used here on the image and sentiment panel) and ATG (I LOOOOOOVVVVE this tool, I don't know how I applied glue before I had it!) the tool I use on almost every card is my Cuttlebug - so that's me showing my tools :-)

Love to Scrap, Make It Monday, Fab'n'funky Challenges, Whimsy Inspirations Challenge, Card Mania Challenges and Through the Craftroom Door all have Anything Goes challenges so I'm entering there.

Anyway, sorry this was a bit of a ramble, and not just showing my card.  I have a DT card to show on Sunday, so I'll be back then - and I'll try to be succinct.... stop laughing I CAN do short posts, really, I CAN... well I can TRY :-)  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna