Father's Day cards

I am sorry I haven't been around blog land much this week. It is report writing season and I need to get them done by next weekend, so I will be back soon. I have two cards to share with you today. One is for my dad and one is for Steve from Meg. Meg normally makes her own, but she has had three A level exams this week, so that is what she has been concentrating on.
First up is Steve's card...

For this one I used stamps from Inky Doodles . I made a little scene with my ink dusters then stamped the ducks ( On the Riverbank set), rushes, leaves (woodland walk set) and the boardwalk (Great outdoors set). Two of thses sets were purchases from Stamp Magic earlier in the month. I coloured the foreground detail with promarkers. The base card was stamped with fern leaves from Inkylicious in cracked pistachio.
My second card is a little watercoloured scene for my Dad

For this one I used Hobby Art stamps - the Harbour Scene-it set and coloured it with Aquamarkers - I haven't used mine in ages, but always tend to reach for them when I use Hobby Art stamps.
As I have used stamps I am entering my cards into the Allsorts challenge this week, and also My ducks have wings so I am entering them into the Penny Black and More Challenge where the theme is wings. I have made a third Father's day card for Steve's Dad (His 95th father's day) but I have made a very similar one for a magazine article that won't be out until August, so I will share it then!
Thanks for looking!

Merry Christmas!

Fancy a mince pie? go on, you know you want one, and there are no calories in them whatsoever, lol! Thought I would just pop on and wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I have baked gingerbread, apple muffins and mince pies, as well as cooking the gammon today, and amazingly I finished all my Christmas cards before Christmas Eve!
Here is Steve's card.

I used Inkylicious trees and twigs and a clarity stamp duck. I dusted the background with Memento Inks (Dandelion, Bahama blue and Danube blue). The papers are from the Artylicious Seasons Greetings cd. Hope Santa brings you everything you wish for and you are blessed with good health and happiness this festive season.

Hope you all have a Wonderful Christmas!

            Sally x

Anniversary card

I just realised that I haven't shown you my anniversary card to Steve. It was our 24th wedding anniversary at the end of July, and when I saw my lovely prize from Crafty Individuals, one stamp leaped out at me. Steve LOVES ducks and we have a number of duck related ornaments and objects around the house.This stamp and sentiment fit the bill perfectly! (Whoops! bit of a pun there!)

 Using silk art card, I stamped the ducks in archival black and coloured with distress markers and a water brush. I ink-dusted the background and then added foliage (Inkylicious stamps) in memento Pear Tart and Bamboo Leaves. I added some faux stitching around the edge with the tumbled glass distress marker. I thought the sentiment was perfect too. Thanks again, Jean and Malcolm for my wonderful prize. A CAS card, and he loved it!
I am entering this card into two challenges:

• Crafty Individuals where there is an open theme this month

• Allsorts challenge blog where the theme is stitching

Thanks for looking!

A couple of challenges and I've been a bit naughty!

Confession time... You know how I tried to go craft shopping yesterday and it was shut? Well I had ordered myself a box of 24 Coloursoft pencils that arrived yesterday, and instead of putting them away for my birthday I came home, opened them and started using them. I know, it's bad isn't it? I've had the odourless alcohol and the paper stumps for ages and my will power was very poor! Anyway, confession over, I put them to very good use and made this Easter card using an image by my good friend Teri of Delicious Doodles. Isn't it sweet? The gingham papers were from Funky fairies and the daisy paper was from a Papermania pad. I'm entering it into two challenges - Rosie D's where the theme is Yellow, green and white, and Dare U2 Digistamp where the theme is Easter.

My second card was also coloured with the Coloursoft pencils and blended in the same way. The main image is a Stampourium stamp (no longer available) and the background is stamped with my Art Impressions serpentine background. I added diamond glaze and stickles to highlight. I love these pencils and for a first go I'm so pleased with the results! I can see they are going to get lots of use.
I hope you have all signed up to follow the Sir Stampalot Challenge Blog. Only 3 more days before the first challenge is launched and the last chance candy is drawn.
Thanks for looking!

Steve's Birthday

Steve reaches the big 50 at the end of the month and I was racking my brains as to what I could put on his card. He loves ducks but I couldn't get hold of the penny black stamps I'd had in mind and with all the snow delivery might be tricky, so I asked Teri if she was prepared to draw me a duck. She is such a lovely lady she drew two! This is the mandarin duck, which is available at Delicious Doodles. I coloured it with promarkers, adding a few highlights with a white gel pen.
I made an easel card using some papers I inherited from my Auntie Margaret when she cut down on her crafting stash. the sentiments are all from Graphicus except the 50th which was computer generated. The border was punched with an EK success punch (dotted scallop), bought from Sir Stampalot.
On Friday night  Meg and I went to Karate. We hadn't been for 4 weeks (Two weeks christmas break, weather and a problem with the hall). We really enjoyed it and took part with enthusiasm, but boy do I ache! The backs of my thighs and my shoulders are the worst, and I'm struggling to dress myself!!! I'm hoping it will have worn off by tomorrow. In the meantime I am able to sit at my desk and craft without any pain!!!

Steve's Card

This year I wanted Steve's card to feature ducks. He really likes ducks and I have bought several stamps with him in mind over the years. The skating ducks stamp was the first I bought specifically for making his Christmas card (1997)and is a Stamporium stamp.The Duck Noel is a penny black stamp bought last year. Whilst you are reading this you might want to spare a thought for Guzziesue, currently nursing a badly broken wrist after falling whilst ice skating. Check out her blog for some fabulous lace making, quilting and embriodery. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Sue! I thought of you when I saw this stamp!!!

A couple of years ago, about this time we had a few hard frosts and Meg and I popped to Rufford Mill to watch the ducks skating for real!