Although I started this card several weeks ago it was finally completed just a couple of days before the celebration - and turned out completely different from what I'd had in mind! I wanted to make something really special for my sister and brother-in-law using some of the newer Nestability dies which are far more intricate than previous sets (also the largest dies are *much* larger). I started to copy a beautiful card seen on YouTube but in the end gave up out of sheer frustration because the dies just would not cut properly...and by making many attempts I ended up running out of the special cream-flecked-with-gold card that I wanted to use as the base card with accents of matte gold on top. I thought it might be the gold that was causing the problems - certainly in the past I've found that mirri card has a plastic film on top which doesn't always cut cleanly - but later I found a long thread on SplitCoastStampers with many complaints about the sort of trouble I had had. Also many suggested solutions, most of which I already did such as using a metal shim and also waxed paper for easy release; actually, it isn't releasing the die cut that's difficult, it's getting it to cut in the first place! My beloved Cuttlebug is about 6 years old but shows no signs of wear, cutting other dies without any problems; unfortunately the platform is too narrow to turn those largest dies through 90* for a second cut which some have found helpful. The final suggestion, which I have yet to try, was to spritz the card lightly with water before cutting, so I'll have to try that next play time. It's such a shame, because the dies are beautiful....
Anyway, having abandoned my ambitious plans I ended up with something much more akin to my regular 'plain and simple' style. The panel is indeed one of those cut with the Nesties; words are by Britannia dies (stuck down with micro dots by Letraset: so glad I found a mention of those on a forum because I've used them for years but forgotten them for a while). I remembered when we celebrated our Ruby Wedding 6 years ago that I was told ivy stood for constancy in the Victorian language of flowers so that was easy choice of border. The ivy corner is by Joanna Sheen, also the extra ivy spray along the bottom which is rather special as it's one of a pair of mirror image sprays as requested by members on Joanna's forum. So nice that she has the personal touch and actually takes note of what her supporters say - I haven't met her but she really is a lovely lady. Oh, and the numbers are from a Cuttlebug alphabet.
I did make a birthday card before this one but have yet to transfer the picture to my laptop - it had to be photographed rather than scanned and was uploaded to DH's desktop; he'll transfer it for me via a flash drive....when he can find it....
