Group Captain

The background card should have been blue, but I didn't have any at the time, and I wanted to make it quickly. It was for my dad after he had a major stroke and was in hospital. He never came home. That was 14 years ago, so I'm not sad any more. Feel free to ask if you have any questions about the card. I'm always happy to hear from people.

Scrapping Dad

My dad when he was a Wing-Commander, taken in the courtyard at Buckingham Palace, just after he received his OBE from the Queen for his service in the RAF. (He later retired as a Group Captain.)

Next is another layout I did for the Funky Hand design team, using their digital papers, some Making Memories rub-on lettering and their cabochon letters, too. He was a good-looking chap, my dad. Mum said she fancied him because he reminded her of Clark Gable! The car in the photo was his around the time I was born in the late fifties.

Goodbye, Tornado

This is a card I made for my dad back in 2004. He retired as a Group Captain in the RAF. My mother also served in the 1950s. They met when they were representing the RAF in rifle shooting at Bisley, now the National Shooting Centre, in Surrey.

The iconic Tornado retires now after 40 years service, and I remembered this card. It doesn't show the Tornado.. it shows the Harrier, the Nimrod and the Jaguar, but all military aircraft that tug at my nostalgic heart strings. My salute, in a way.

Here's my dad at Buckingham Palace when he was a Wing-Commander, after collecting his OBE, and my mum showing the special plaque she was given to recognise her being the first woman to be selected to shoot for the main RAF rifle team. You can probably tell, I'm very proud!

REMEMBRANCE & HONOUR..

Today is Remembrance Day in the UK when we remember all those who have served, and are serving, in our military services. I just wanted to mark the occasion, and pay my own tribute to those who have given, and continue to give, their lives for our peace. Thank you.

__________________________

I was raised in a military family. Both my parents were serving in the Royal Air Force when they met, and my father continued to devote his life to the RAF for many decades. He retired as a Group Captain, having been awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) when he was a Wing Commander for his service to our country. The photograph below was taken at Buckingham Palace after the investiture when he received his medal from the Queen. A week on Monday is the fourth anniversary of his death, and although he didn't die in a war, he gave his life in service nonetheless, and I am proud of him and what he achieved. Hope you don't mind my self-indulgence in remembering him, too, today, in the context of military service.

Thank you, dad.

My prayer today is:

Lord, please comfort those who are hurting through having lost a loved one in past or present conflicts, comfort and provide for those who have been injured in service, and bless, strengthen and protect all those who continue to serve our country, wherever in the world they may be, but especially in Afghanistan, as they fight tyranny and terror.

In the name of Jesus.

Amen.

RAF Officer...

This is a 6 x 6" scrapbook layout for another Trimcraft sketch challenge. The photo is my dad (before he was promoted to Group Captain and got 'scrambled egg' on the peak of his hat). It was taken at Buckingham Palace, after the investiture where the Queen awarded his OBE.

Not sure he would have approved of this layout and using uniform buttons, but he's not around any more to argue with me! ;o) RIP, dad.


Paper: Computer-generated using a shape in Word and the formatting menu to fill it in.
Cardstock: Leaf-embossed gold card
Rub-ons: Making Memories 'Heidi' alphabet
Buttons: Old RAF uniform brass buttons
Other: Gold peel-off lines

Scrap Layout..

My dad in his younger days, with a photo of his first car after he married my mum, and a spitfire, which inspired him to join the RAF. He was too young to have flown spits, and missed the war by a few years, as it was the fifties before he joined up.

The layout is an 8" x 8"... another sample using papers from the 'Funky Seasons' CD from - guess where? Funky Hand! lol (http://www.funkyhand.com/). The sentiment circles are from the 'Now That's Funky' CD. One of them has been used just for the lower half, so it's only showing 'The best' and the upper half is hidden behind dad's photo. I used Fontwerks stamps to echo the pattern from the circle dots paper.

Dad passed away 2½ years ago, but he was a handsome man in his youth, don't you think? :o) It is only looking back at old photos of my dad that you can see how he is the image of my brother, Steve... or should that be the other way around? ;o)

... And excepting that my brother is thinner, has brown eyes instead of blue, shaves his head and sports a goatee!! But other than that... lol ;o)