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Sunday 10 July 2011

Gap Year Card and Blog Candy Winner

Thanks to all of you who took part in my blog candy. Using random.org, the winner is




Congratulations, email me with your address and I will get your prize in the mail

I spent a good deal of time on holiday making resolutions, do you do that? Sitting in the sun with drifting thoughts, 'when I get home I am going to do that.............and that.............and that'
One resolution was to take part in more blog challenges, it is hard for me to find the time, but I so enjoy doing them. One of my all time favourite challenge blogs is Daring Cardmakers - they always come up with the neatest dares, and the design team are really inspirational. This week they dared us to make a card with a suitcase theme, this is what I came up with.

A word of explanation to those of you outside the UK. Here, it is quite standard for kids to take a gap year between leaving school at 18 and starting university. They go off, travelling the world. It is meant to broaden horizons, teach them independence, and prepare them for adult life, which of course it does, as well as giving them a great thirst for beer, and a chance to put off studying for another 12 months while diminishing the bank balance of the bank of Mum and Dad

A suitcase is probably not really appropriate, they go off carrying huge rucksacks, but, hey, you got the idea. I cut the suitcase at 4" from the Going Places cartridge. The base card is from a fabulous stack by Papermania UK, assorted kraft cardstock, a new favourite of mine

I used my favourite tiny letter stickers from Making Memories
and found another use for these great wheel brads that I found last year in Big Lots
Only one of my three kids took a gap year, the boys couldn't wait to start Uni, then start earning money, but Alexandra planned it with military precision - she did her degree first, then took a gap year before starting work. She went to Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand, all by herself, making friends along the way. We saw her off at Heathrow airport, wearing a huge rucksack with all her worldly goods packed carefully inside. I swear if she had fallen over, she would have floundered helplessly, arms and legs waving, like an overturned turtle, until someone helped her up. I sobbed all the way home, and honestly never really had peace until her year was over and she returned to the real world, tanned, happy and confident, to find Mum and Dad had a few more grey hairs than when she left.

See you tomorrow

21 comments:

  1. Great idea for a card, and those wheels are a brilliant addition, fabulous! Thanks for joining in with us over at Daring Cardmakers this week x

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  2. Great card for the dare,
    thanks for playinng.

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  3. gorgeous card en and I think us mature ladies should have a crafty gap year...who knows where our travels would take us....big hugs kath xxx

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  4. Wow I love your card Envys and Alexandra was so brave to go travelling for a whole year all by herself. Thanks for joining in with us at Daring Cardmakers.

    Love Lynda xxx

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  5. Love your card Enfys, and I like Kath's idea of a GAP year crafting

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  6. This is gorgeous - love the papers that you used and the little wheels look brilliant!

    Jo xx

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  7. Great story about your daughter's gap year...I bet it was a tough year for you! Love your suitcase card and those great wheel brads.

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  8. I've never heard the term GAP year before, but I must say it makes total sense! After they've gone through high school, their just a tad burned out - this year would give them an idea of what they might want to do in life and incentive to get it done.

    Cute card, Enfys, and I love the wheels on the suitcase!

    Blessings, Donna
    grandma4five

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  9. Fabulous card love the whole effect, and the papers are gorgeous. hugs Shirleyx

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  10. Oh I bet you had a few more gray hairs. What a brave girl. What a wonderful experience. Does she go to coffee shops and can she tell a story like you can? I am such a chicken about flying and way away lands. I have been to England and Cypris.
    Your card is fantastic and I love the little wheels.

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  11. What a cute suitcase with the little wheels. We used to have a Big Lots but they closed it down. So sad. You sure have a brave daughter.

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  12. What a gorgeous card Enfys.

    Hugs Riet.xx

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  13. Hi hun
    oh wow a fabulous card,luv the suitcase fab wheels, sue,x

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  14. I've always loved the year off idea. We met some really nice girls in Malasyia when I went there with the Air Force. they were just traveling around seeing the world. I think we're too serious here in the USA, let's let them spread their wings a bit!

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  15. I wanted to take a gap year, but my parents wouldn't hear of it. Now that I'm a mom, I think what's left of my hair that isn't grey would turn lol. Great card! Those brads are perfect :D. TFS!

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  17. This is fabby! Love the colours and cute wheels. Thanks playing with The Daring Cardmakers this week.

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  18. Gorgeous card, I love those little wheel brads! Thanks for sharing with us at Daring Cardmakers this week!

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  19. This is just fab - especially the little wheels, great to have you in with The Daring Cardmakers' "Suitcase" challenge this week, En

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  20. I've never heard of Gap Years, they sound splendid! So glad you shared that, it is so nice to learn more about the culture and day to day of other bloggers and their countries. Lovely card too Enfys.

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I love reading your comments, thank you for taking the time
Enfys x