A Birthday Gallery…

A Birthday Gallery…

Hi there!
Thanks for popping in.
This time last week we were off to Rochester 
to meet up with my parents to celebrate my birthday.

Steve Me Dad Mum

Dave Me Dad Mum
Here we see Mum posing and Steve playing silly buggers 
in the alley!
Wonky building!

Topes for Lunch
Wow! The week with wheels!!!
Is it me, or does time seem to fly by much faster as you get older?
Dave laughed at me last Sunday. 
We were lying in bed, contemplating getting up, 
and discussing the fact that I had reached the giddy age of 57.
“Mind you,” I said, when you think about it, it’s taken a long time to get here.(57 years, in fact)
When you think about your life, right back to your earliest memories, it does go back quite a long way, doesn’t it?

One of the best things about my job is sharing arty ideas, and then watching others get creative.

On my birthday, I received some fabulous art-cards from your good selves, and I hope you don’t mind that I want to share them forward today, for others to admire and take inspiration from.
These cards are a gift too, because in showcasing them,
they actually give me this Sunday off. 
So thank you again!
Blogging every day is never a chore, but every now and then, 
it’s nice to be able to not have to think so much. 
Lynne 
Pat 
Jo 
Jane 
Dee 
Bernadette
Debby 
Linda 
Maya
Alison
Julie
Maggie
Shelagh

Many many thanks for the good birthday wishes 
and the wonderful cards and gifts
xxxxx
The gift of laughter.
Dave’s card made me howl with laughter, which is a gift, too.


I hope you appreciate these Art-Cards half as much as I do!
Kindness abounds.

Have a great Sunday.

love & hugs,

80 thoughts on “A Birthday Gallery…

  1. Some gorgeous cards there Barbara. I had every intention of sending you a card as your birthday is the same day as my daughter's. But what with work, some worries over my health and there only being 24 hours in a day I didn't even get round to making my daughter's card!! Me bad mother!! Lol. Hopefully next year eh?? Have a nice day whatever you are doing. Xx

  2. What beautiful cards! Enjoy your extra time off today and yes, I too feel that time seems to be going quicker as I get older or am I wishing my working life away, hoping to achieve an earlier retirement as the government pushes the goal post further away. Can't wait to have time to craft more..or is it that I spend too much time writing comments on blogs and Facebook and before I know it, another morning has disappeared? Oops best get on, the marking is sitting waiting again. Happy Sunday everyone xxx

  3. Thank you for sharing all your lovely cards with us. It . I shall enjoy looking at them again later on. It is lovely and sunny here in the Staffordshire Moorlands a good omen for the first day of spring I hope. Just going to get the washing out on the line.

  4. Morning, beautiful cards for a wonderful lady. Enjoy your day. I hope to get out in the garden shortly. Got to get my thinking cap on about the challenge – was going to enter my card and think its too similar to one of your DT image so something to think about while I am digging the garden.

    Crafty hugs Pen x

    1. Thanks Sheila, bit of a roller coaster day as its the day my Dad passed away 19 years ago. Getting out in the garden helped as it was Dad who started my love of gardening. I had a patch of ground that was mine at the age of 12 years and have not stopped gardening since.

      Have Barbs birthday in my diary now 🙂

      xxx

  5. I now seem to spend a lot of time being busy but achieving not very much or as I would say in the Scots tongue – scutter about. When I recall my Sundays of old – clean the house, iron Mike's fortnight-worth of shirts to take back to Holland, cook and eat Sunday lunch and all before 2pm when it was a trip to the airport then back to a bit of gardening before preparing my week's plans for school. Today, as it's sunny, we're off along Deeside to Braemar and hopefully snow-chasing and red deer-spotting. As for the housework – tomorrow is another day!
    Had a giggle at Dave's card. So pleased you enjoyed your birthday. ;~}

    1. First time we have been along there since the horrendous floods in Dec/Jan. A street full of little individual shops in Ballater are still drying out – people's livelihoods – back to bare brick walls; other evidence of this episode – a 17th castle shored up and now teetering on the brink of the river bank where there had previously been trees, new main road where the old one had been washed away, ruined washing machines and suites outside houses. Could go on.
      On the hillsides further up the valley, much larger areas of scree in evidence where the continuous and often torrential rain has torn vegetation away thus nowhere near the amount of red deer around. However, we did spot a single then a pair of black grouse. This was indeed a treat! ;~}

  6. Hi Barb,
    It is always lovely to see other people's cards and you've had some gorgeous ones( I hope that doesn't sound like me blowing my own trumpet) . Pleased that they've given you some time for yourself which you deserve. Daves card was really funny, I had a real chuckle at it. It reminded me of the lady at Catterick last year who was doing your little Groovi session and was a par her and said something about pricks to the front when referring to embossing and piercing. You had a right giggle at that I remember. It's a gorgeous day here in Durham today – good to be able to have the windows open instead of the heating on. Have a lovely day, hugs Alison xxx

  7. Such a beautiful array of artwork, and all so different! Sorry, no card from me, but I've been in bed with flu and missed most of my holiday to Rome, as well as your birthday sadly. Glad you had a good day, and enjoy some time to yourself today too. Susan x

    1. Hope you are on the road to recovery, Susan. Such a shame to miss your holiday, too. My mum used to say she always caught some illness or another on flights as the planes were filled with recycled germs! ;~}

  8. Beautiful, inspirational art-work. Trying to work out how some were done – especially Maggie's and Jo's and was the flying boy stamped after the parchment?
    I am sorry I was very re-miss in not sending a card. I too have had a bug and spoiled my diving holiday.
    However all my love and best wishes to you at the very young age of 57. Lots of life in the old girl yet and me too, I hope, who is a little older!!!
    Best wishes to all the bloggers and especially those who have a birthday coming. That includes myself, but going to hide under the covers this year.
    Anne (Reading)

    1. Thank you, Anne. Mine was a combination of a lovely only class with Maria, and one or two "happy accidents", so I was pleased with the result. Black Soot distress ink all over the stencil, a piece of stencil card on top with pressure applied, hand or brayer, That gives you the outline of the flowers, which are coloured with dried alcohol inks applied with a Ranger blender pen. Don't hide from your birthday. Make the most of every second and be proud of what you have achieved in your life. xxx Maggie

  9. Wow Barbara, what beautiful cards you had. Loads of inspiration there. Mine wouldn't have been up to that. Had a giggle at Dave's card. Lovely photos of you and your family on your birthday. Thank you for sharing it all with us. Have a lovely relaxing day. Love and hugs Pam xxx

  10. Hi Donna, Sheila, Diane, Brenda, Dot, Morag, Gilly and Alison, hope you're all ok and have a lovely Sunday. Dull here again today let's hope you have the sunshine. Good wishes to all the Clarity bloggers. Love and hugs Pam xxx

    1. Hello Pam, we had dull weather here too then the sun came out at about 5. I've been making quick Easter cards , can't believe it's next week! Hope you've had a good day xxx

  11. Some beautiful cards all so lovely ,, glad you had a good birthday , . I belong to a forum and we send birthday cards , and they are always amazing ,,. Yes another year older and wisher !!! ,,,,. Mine is coming up next month wouldn't it be nice if I got one from Barbara Gray ,,,,nod-nod,,,wink-wink ,,,,lol,,,,just kidding ,,,,. Xxxxx

  12. Really beautiful selection of cards Barbara and great photos of you all in the sunshine, and we can see that a wonderful time was had by all. I'm sure time does seem to go faster as you get older or is it that as you get into your sixties as I am you realise that life really is too short. I love the fun card Dave sent you which certainly caused a bit of a snigger. Enjoy your day today and it is cloudy here in Somerset at the moment but hope you have some sunshine in Kent. x

  13. This is an amazing range of cards. I can't choose which I like best because I like them all!
    Rochester is indeed a great place to visit!
    Lia xx

  14. Oh my you must have been so pleased and touched to have received so many beautiful cards and all so different. Glad you had a lovely day you are a special lady and deserve nothing less.

  15. Wow how talented people are and im sure you will have had some input in many of them in some way whuch must nake you so proud of your talents and products. Lovely photos too of your dear parents, precious times thats what I ssy about time spent with my parents who are both 85 and been married for 67 years.

    1. Hello dear blog friends Donna Dorothy Diane Brenda pam morag gilly Alison happy Sunday to you all and big hugs to all on the blog I've had a lovley weekend with my groovi it's so good to have some good days to be able to craft xxx

    2. Hi Sheila oh I hope this means your pain medication is helping, you must be so pleased to be able to craft and do some things you really enjoy and have some quality time with Tom. Sending hugs xxx

    3. Thank you Diana I'm writing down each day how I feel then when I see my GP on Wednesday we can chat to see where we go with the dose and comming down of my other strong pain meds it's so good to have a few good days hugs dear blog friend xxx

  16. Lovely cards. What a delight to receive such works of art. Love the snaps of you all in Rochester to. Only been there once when I had my English Bulldog – Bertie. It was raining and he absolutely HATED rain. Complete strangers kept commenting about how fed up he looked. He was a bit of a diva. My hubby's birthday today so we went to Helmsley on the North York Moors and had a birthday tea for him. Lots of family birthdays in March. Hope you have had a bit of a rest today from polishing plates. Much love Jayne

  17. Fab cards! People are just so talented ! Thanks for showing them. Dave is just a good picker of cards and plate maker !

    Lovely sunny end to the day here and I've managed a few Easter cards as I wanted, including a groovi one and then wondering how to mount it, I've done something a bit different to what I planned though! I know the lady across the road wants 3 so at least she has a selection to choose from instead of me saying hope these will do ! xxx

  18. Wonderful photos of your family. I have spent this afternoon with my brother, I love catching up with him. We both have large families so have to make time for each other. Love your cards, Dee is very talented. xx

  19. Hi Barbara, A lovely post today, these Birthday cards are beautiful, you are much-loved. I loved your piccies of your catch-up with your Mum and Dad, you are very much like your Mum.
    I had to laugh when I started to read Dave's card to you, so very funny.
    It is very true, as you get older time really does fly, the weeks and months have definitely been 'wound up'in my life, I can't believe how fast time goes, it is frightening really, we should definitely make the most of every single moment.
    Enjoy the rest of your evening.
    Lots of love from Patricia xx

  20. Hi Barbara
    What a lovely blog today, I've enjoyed sharing your birthday treat with your family with you. Rochester looks lovely,, hubby's family come from there so he knows it well. He says he will take me there one day. Your cards are beautiful, what a lovely collection. Davies card is a hoot. Hope you've had a good day.
    Love Diane xxx

  21. Happy Sunday Barbara. I hope you enjoyed your day with your loved ones. The cards are beautiful so well done to all the very talented Clarity Girls who created them.
    Hugs from Chris X

  22. Hi Barbara, thank you for sharing your birthday photos and special cards. You look so happy with your family. Glad you had a good birthday with them.

    Hi all my bloggy friends

    Sheila, great to hear you think they've finally cracked it for you. Hopefully it will continue and your quality of life will improve again

    love Brenda xx

  23. Hi Barbara, what gorgeous cards glad you had a great day you deserve it. We had great weather here in Scotland (near Glasgow) got a lot done in garden then went for a run and had lunch. Know the feeling about time going faster I will be 71 in May but we are off to Aussie in two weeks to visit our son who will be 52 this year not seen him for 10 years but thanks to technology we see him on FaceTime but it will be great to get a cuddle.
    Nancyd xx

  24. Fabulous family time and creative cards what better way to spend a Sunday – loved Dave's and kept returning to Debbie's – so amazing – couldn't work it out but drew me back each time

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