Its me age

yes it has been awhile (again)
but I have just hit my half century and life has been a bit hectic.
I celebrated by having a day shopping in Exeter with Carys (I had a necklace and some flannels. I know how to live) followed by a fear conquering trip on the big wheel in Torquay.

Now that is done I don't have to do it again do I?

We went on our long family holiday to (welsh) Newquay. Just after this photo was taking we had our one and only sighting of a dolphin all holiday despite this being the dolphin watching capital of the WORLD (well, Wales anyway)

(look how much taller than me my baby is now...)

We returned to celebrate number 2 son doing very well with his degree (Yay! I always feel able to boast when I am rubbish at what they study) and then my friends from school came down to visit for more birthday celebrations

(shenanigans slighty tempered by me having to get up and work the next day....)

So crafting has been sorely neglected lately - except for the last two Daring Cards,

Last week there was a sponsored dare by Ruby Rockit who sent us an amazing bundle of goodies... our theme was Birthday Rock with the added challenge of some ruby red colour in as well...

I took one of the tags we were sent and stuck lots of wooden numbers onto it. If I do this again I will be more careful with the glue because the glimmer mist I used to paint over it resisted some of the glue splodges over the side :( With a red pen I made the little cardstock cake have more of a red trimming than it had been. I die cut a star from vellum and embossed it, used a Paper Smooches stamp (first time I think) then mounted it all on some paper from a Simple Stories Say Cheese 2 pad. My "rock" element, aside from the message are the little crystal rocks aka stick on gems.

This week the theme is New Beginnings - and Nat is our lovely host.  
Apart from a little bit of patterned paper my card is all hand drawn and painted.

I used my Kuretake Clean Colour (I know they are Color really but I can't write that) pens along with a Black Soot Distress Pen. Those pens have such beautiful colours I think. 
The first card base I wrote "New Home" on, I wrote it too far up - even this time I had to cut a little off the bottom of my drawing to get the balance right - doh! A few more sparklies and job done. I think the secret to this sort of writing is to add the grey/platinum pen afterwards as it gives some extra dimension.

oh and some Wink of Stella pen to the heart and trees. Hard to see on photos but so pretty in real life