I Vow To Thee My Country

Click photos for larger images.

It is Remembrance Day here in the UK, and I wanted to make a card to mark the day, reflecting my feelings for our armed services, remembering and honouring the sacrifices of soldiers, sailors, airmen and heroic civilian services through all the decades and all conflicts since World War I.

I was raised in a military family. Both my parents served in the Royal Air Force, my mother for most of the fifties until she married my dad, and he served his whole career in the force, retiring as a Group Captain.

The picture of my father below was taken in the courtyard of Buckingham Palace, following the investiture ceremony when he was awarded his OBE. He was then a Wing Commander. In my mother's photo, she is holding a special commemorative plaque, recognising her achievement in rifle-shooting. Having represented the WRAF in shooting for some years, she was performing so well, she was asked to shoot for the men's team, and she outshot them all; the first woman to shoot for the main RAF team.

The Card

I started with a Visible Image stencil, 'Grungy Union Jack'. I wanted a light blue and pink combination, but the pink was more orange! Ah, well. I still think it works.

Then I stamped a part of Sentimentally Yours' 'Military Medley' collage stamp on the right in Versafine Onyx Black.

The crown is from AALL & Create, 'Crowning Glory' by Kassa Hayselden, #96. It didn't need much colour, as most of it is diamonds! There is a sapphire in the cross at the top, and a huge ruby, and the purple velvet cloth in the middle. It is cut out (obvs), and raised on recycled cardboard.

The poppies are also from AALL & Create, 'Botanicals Modified' by Bipasha Bk, #207, cut out and mounted on recycled cardboard.

The words are computer-generated and raised slightly, and to add some balance, I added some stamped splats.

All colouring is water colour.