Rugby card for 9 year old + Irish 60 year old card

I was told my soon to be 9 year old great nephew had started playing rugby, he is such a gentle boy I didn't think it possible for him to be in a middle of a scrum.  Then his mother told me he had been in the middle of the pitch looking around at what was happening and all her shouting to join in and get the ball fell on his deaf years, he looked down and realised he had muddy boots and proceeded to wipe the mud off.  I laughed my head off, so decided he just had to have a rugby ball on his card.

This is what I came up, the ball is off the web, I made it into a digi paper to cover the nine shape, then as I was making the goal posts I realised that they are in a H shape, so apt as his name is Harvey. I then made it bigger and put the 9 overhanging the cross bar, the background paper is Happy Birthday Harvey copied and repeated over the background I used a gradient on it to match the colours . I then printed them directly onto the card, the ball which I had added his name and age is placed onto the card with a spring, so it moves, hopefully like it has just crossed over the cross bar.  Quite a simple card really.

Now for my second card - you wait for ages and 2 come together! LOL

I was asked to do another of my age cards, it had so many items to be included I didn't think I could include them, at the end I couldn't but only 2 out of about 11 items to be included on the card!!!
Firstly it's for a man born in Ireland who is a carpenter and had a Free Mason links and has a dog however, a senior moment has made me forget which breed for now!!

I started with putting a picture of wood, from the web, as a background then making a digi paper of shamrocks and the Free Mason badge and covering the 6 and 0. I then used an image of an Irish fiddler to add to the front, the original, by Jeriann Sabin in her collection of Celtic Irish from PC Hugwear. is originally all brown, but it didn't look right for this card, so I recoloured it in PS. I added the name and used a gradient to get all the colours into it to match the rest of the card.  I added some cord to the edge, made into slip knots, that I know some carpenters use. and also added the FreeMason badge on top of the 0.
I am glad to say it was very well received by the recipient.

Sorry my posts have  a few days in between, but hope from the end of next week Whoooppppeeeeee I should ahve a little more time.  UNLESS housework and decorating don't take up too much time as my husband decides that he can leave the cleaning now to me LOL - as if!

IF you have made it to the end of this post, NOT LONG NOW FOR THE DRAW :)
I shall be entering these cards into the following challenges.

http://thepoodlesparlour.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything Goes
http://sassystudiodesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/dare-to-be-sassy-thursday-117.html Paper Piecing
http://wagsnwhiskersrubberstamps.blogspot.co.uk/  Luck of the Irish