My Family & Other Animals

Wednesday 13 June 2012

"A Wop Bop A Loo Bop A Wop Bam Boo!..."

Hey, Hey, Hey. How are you today? I am actually feeling very buoyant at the moment. Yesterday was my 48th Birthday - only two to go 'til the big 50 hits (I doubt very much I will be feeling quite as buoyant this time two years from now though!!) and I had a really nice day with my wife and son. Birthdays really don't bother me much these days but like most people who have hit this particular time in their life (or older) you do spend a fair bit of time looking back. I don't suppose anyone ever really feels their age but I don't think I feel any different today than I did when I was sixteen and a half and I left home to join the Royal Air Force. Obviously I have learnt a lot more and my responsibilities no longer feel like responsibilities, they are just 'life' now but inside, well that's a whole different ball of wax.
Part of the reason for feeling so nostalic lately probably has a lot to do with the repeats of Top of the Pops on BBC4 every Thursday. They are showing episodes in chronological order from 1977 and it was around this time (aged 13) that I started to take a lot more notice of what was happening in the charts. I never really got into punk but looking back at some of the dross that was on the Pops I can understand why it happened now. They had a song on last week with a woman singing to a Mr. Punch doll!! and the bloke who wrote the theme to EastEnders was singing a song from the 1920's (seriously, "We'll Gather Lilacs In The Spring Again" - can you imagine!), it was too awful to even contemplate. Still, you know what they say - nostalgia ain't what it used to be!
On to some good news and I am delighted to be able to share this with you, I have been selected to join a couple of new design teams, Squigglefly and Kenny K's (currently called Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenges, hope that name is gonna change!!), how awesome is that eh! I always knew my gift was too big to hold me back for long!!
Colouring has been a revelation for me over the last year or so. What started me off on the road to realistic colouring was the Magnolia Ink magazine and seeing just how good you could get with even really simple images. I used to really study those first few issues and then I discovered tutorials on YouTube and that was that, hooked. Now all those hours sat on the sofa with a mountain of images to colour has started paying off and I am getting a bit of recognition for what I do and it is made all the sweeter because I am self taught. On the other side of things, I still need to learn a whole heck of a lot about putting a card together. I get it right some times and in general I am usually happy with what I post but I look at some ladies out there in the blogosphere and I am so jealous of their talent, I just know that mine aren't a patch on theirs and it makes me work harder at getting it right!
Finally, on to this weeks card and this weeks challenge at I ♥ ProMarkers (Challenge #121) is Tuti Fruti. When I first saw this I had no idea what it was (other than an Ice Cream flavour and I have never even had that either!!) but good old Google showed me the way to go and in the end I really loved doing this card. The images are all from Magnolia and the papers are from Basic Grey (for certain) and Dovecraft (I think). The die for the bunting is from Memory Box and the gems came from Create and Craft (again!! what am I Like?), I hope you like the finished product as much as I do.
That's all for now, take care and I will be with you again real soon,
Andy
x
Entered Into:
ATC's and Cards with Attitude Challenge #16 - Anything Goes
Crafty Ann's Challenge #67 - It's A Girl Thing
Fat Pages and Cards With Attitude Challenge #16 - Anything Goes
Inspire Me Friday's Challenge #63 - Anything Goes!
Polka Doodles Challenge - Summer Scene
Stamping With The Dragon Challenge - Anything Goes!
Tilda's Town Challenge #5 - Lazy Days Of Summer

21 comments:

  1. This is gorgeous Andy. Coloured perfectly and love that citrus backing paper. It definitely meets the challenge brief.
    Happy Birthday for yesterday hope it was a good one, the time to start to worry is when your next birthday is 60 :), or should that be :(?
    60's and 70's were my era, strange how I still know the words to most of the songs from those years. Strange how something can really change how we do things. Until February I was a decopage adict and now rarely do one. I think I didn't stamp as I really didn't know much about shading, still have lots to learn, but thats the thing about this hobby, always learning something new.
    Eileen x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your card is fantastic Andy!!!
    It's always nice to see that even men love cardmaking!!! I just discovered your blog and I'm impressed!!!
    Thanks for joining us at Tilda's Town Challenges this week!!
    Hugs, Tina

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ooo lovely summery card and beautifully coloured. Thanks so much for playing along with us at Polkadoodles.xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations on the design teams - your colouring is all self taught *thumbsup* to you. Well done its fab. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy belated birthday, well done on your DT teams. Just love your card amazing as always. Thank you for joioning us at Fat Pages and ATC's With Attitude this fotnight. Abbie (Co Owner) xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. wow what a lovely card :) well happy belated birthday and congratulations well done :) thank you for joining us at fat pages and cards with attitude and good luck emma xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Birthday!!!!
    Well done on your new DT posts too.

    I've been watching TOTPs too!! 1977 being the year I was born! Can't get mahnamanah out of my head and Pans People dressed as flowers and a bumble bee!!!

    What a fab card, I just love the colouring especially on her dress, brilliant!
    Thank you for joining us over on ATCs & Fat Pages With Attitude.
    Hugs Alison x x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Andy
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and congrats on your new DT work.
    This card is scrummy, you could almost eat the ice cream. The colours and colouring are fantastic.
    janet

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Andy!!!! Welcome to the Kenny K family!!!!! Happy belated birthday and see you on July 1st :))

    Hugzzzz
    Tammy xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Andy!!!! Welcome to the Kenny K family!!!!! Happy belated birthday and see you on July 1st :))

    Hugzzzz
    Tammy xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Really gorgeous card Andy, I love the sweet tilda image, your colouring is amazing and I love the layout. I hope you had a lovely birthday
    Lindsay xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's stunning-a beautiful card.Thanks for sharing it with us at ATCs and Cards with Attitude

    ReplyDelete
  13. Andy, we have been watching those vintage TOTP's on BBC4 since last year. I swear I dont remember the half of the stuff they had one.

    Bernie clifton the other week - who on earth was he! :) lol.

    and that punch and judy thing - well the most annoying song ever! :)

    Its great they are showing these, I just want to fast forward and get onto 1979 when Gary Numan came on the scene - first record I ever bought! :)

    hugs

    xxalisonxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Superb colouring, lovely card. Thanks for sharing with it us at Crafty Ann's.
    Jen x

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love the way you've put this card together Andy, thank you for sharing it with us at Crafty Ann's
    Ann x

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh my goodness, now I have the Tutti Fruti song in my head! LOL! Gorgeous card. Great coloring and layout. All around super creation! Thank you much for joining us at Fat Pages and Cards with Attitude! You can enter your same card in our sister challenge, ATC's and Card with Attitude. The link is on our Fat Pages site. Great sponsors over there, too! Hope to see you again.
    Manderly
    xxxooo

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is just fab Andy! Your colouring is stunning and the bright colours are gorgeous. Congrats on your new dt, you certainly have a wonderful talent for colouring. Well done
    Thanks so much for joining us at Tildas Town, good luck ;o)
    Hugs
    Kat x

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for playing along at Polkadoodles! Fab card xxx

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Andy, I love your card, the colouring is fab, thanks for sharing with us at Fatpages and cards with attitude, xx

    ReplyDelete
  20. We are therefore advised to use cucumber juice
    in combination with systemic drugs. Follow step-by-step instructions on how
    to clear up acne killer.

    It does go away but for some sufferers it leaves behind a red or purple hue to the surrounding teeth.
    Most develop the condition but will be permanent.
    Skin problems are nightmares for people of all tastes; and they've become as important a part of youth. Because they work So you can simply keep working on it until you do sweat.

    ReplyDelete
  21. So while how to get rid of acne is not curable, but can take a
    look at Charlie's so very cool outlook on what really matters. Other traditional Chinese remedies also raise eyebrows, move eye muscles, stress on forehead skin while concentrating. Eitherivermectin or milbemyclin oxine are used in these medicines.

    ReplyDelete

Please feel free to leave a comment, I welcome constructive criticism.