Happy Valentine's Day, Mrs R

It's been ages since I have blogged or even done anything crafty, but I managed to make a Valentine's Day card for the lovely Lisa. And it's not even a digi card, it's a real one!

Anyway, here it is

The To My Valentine stamp, using Fired Brick Distress Ink, is from the Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Love Struck collection,  I then added shading with a Copic Ciao pen. The heart borders are from Sizzix and I used the Spellbinders scalloped circles small and scalloped labels one dies as frames. The With Love sentiment is from a Paula Pascual stamp set.

The photo doesn't show it, but the To My Valentine frame is raised on foam pads.

It was very well received by Mrs R this morning and tonight we shared a romantic chocolate cake baked by our daughter.

It tasted as good as it looks and it was so light and airy.

Hoping everyone has had a lovely Valentine's Day too.

Thanks for looking,
Alun x

That'll Keep Them Quiet

Hi everyone. I am digi scrapping again, having fixed my laptop, which is a tale in itself.

This is my latest lo. The photos were taken over 5 years ago now. It just goes to show how time flies.....
 

The Materials used are from DaisyTrail's At The Zoo digikit.

It is based on the following pencillines sketch:

Thanks for looking.

Alun
x

At The Beach

Hi everyone. It's been a long time since I posted. I really must try harder.

I managed to complete one layout at the Meadow Barn retreat earlier in the month.

This is the sketch it was based on - Pencillines Sketch 44.

This is the layout I created. It shows the children at Weston-Super-Mare beach. It took me a while to come up with the seashell embossing folder and matching border punch effect - that's my excuse anyway!

The elements and alphas are from Sahlin Studio's Life's a Beach digikit. The background is a photo I took of Weston beach with the Watercolour effect added.

Thanks for looking. Hopefully, I will be back with more layouts soon.

Alun
x

Ssshhh!!!

I thought I would have a go at the monthly challenge set by the UKS social group I am in called Twilight Addicts. I'm only really in the group because my wife is, but these challenges give me the motivation to learn new techniques in Craft Artist.

The sketch chosen for the challenge is from Pencillines by Anna Bowkis:

This is my take on it:

The photos are of DD when she was a toddler.

The elements are from Daisy Trail digikits Paper Town, Sweet Dreams and Swirling Memories.
The font is Traveling Typewriter from dafont.com.

I hope to blog some more digi layouts soon.

Thanks for looking.

Alun
x

And About Time Too......

I finally managed to finish this layout using Craft Artist, which I acquired a few weeks ago. The photo is of DS1 when we were on holiday in Cornwall in 2008, taken during our visit to the Dr Who exhibition at Land's End.

It is based on Pencillines sketch 193 by Anna Bowkis:

Hope to blog again soon with some more digi layouts.

Thanks for looking.

Alun

15 Years Ago........

....on July 22nd 1996, I first met Lisa.

But first a bit of history.
I grew up in Bath, while Lisa moved around the country and spent her formative years in the North East.

Here we both are at 4 years old.

 















And at 11 years old.

Lisa moved to Swindon in 1989, around the time I was sunning myself in Greece whilst wearing dodgy sunglasses!

Anyway, back to July 22nd 1996.....

I was none too happy when I got up that day, as it was my first day working with my colleagues who had already been relocated to Swindon from Bristol, meaning a 100 mile round trip from home instead of the 10 mile round trip I had been used to before. I managed to persuade my boss to let me stay in a hotel for the first 2 weeks so that I could settle in. I was asked if I wanted to stay in a big hotel or a homely one. Homely please, says I.

So around mid-morning my boss suggested I go and book myself in to the hotel.

Well, I rang the doorbell and this lovely lady answered and smiled the biggest smile I'd seen for ages.

And, of course, I smiled back, but with a bigger smile than in this photo!

Lisa was running the hotel I was staying in, so we took advantage of her boss being away and would just chat during the evenings for hours. When it came to the end of the second week, I realised that I was going to miss her now I was going back home. As I was a shy sort of chap, I gave Lisa my phone numbers - all 3 of them!
I still needed to go to Swindon several days a week, so I did my best to meet up with her whenever I could as well as keep in touch by phone.

We often reflect on that day and all the twists and turns that were involved in us meeting. If I had not gone to Swindon, or if Lisa's boss had been there and answered the door, would we still have met eventually? I could even have been staying in a completely different hotel. We both agree it was fate that brought us together.

Our wedding took place two years to the day after we met, on July 22nd 1998.

and we went on honeymoon in Spain. You might need your sunglasses for the photo of me!

And here we are now, 15 years and 3 children later, still as close, if not even closer, than ever.

I hope you enjoyed our story. Bye for now.
Alun
x

One Lucky Dad

I had a lovely surprise on Father's Day when I opened the handmade cards from the family.

This one was from Tessa and Ethan.

This one was from Dominic, which he made at Cubs.

It even has a model of me inside!

This card was from Lisa.

Thanks for looking.