Sunday 1 November 2015

Clarity Challenge 33 - November 2015
Clean and Simple
Clean and Simple

Hello again, hello (as the song goes) and welcome back to Shelagh-land once more. Never mind the month, where has the YEAR gone??? I just cannot believe we are on the first day of the eleventh month! It has been a bit busy here this week as I'd set myself five deadlines - anniversary cards, birthday bunting, birthday cards and also my mum's Advent boxes. This leaves me with six projects for next week and so on until all the Christmas prep is done. Not planning my life away, honestly!!

'Clean and Simple' is the theme for this month's Clarity Challenge and I was a bit stumped until I espied some lovely hessian canvas boards in a little art shop in Kuwait City; they proved to be the inspiration behind my project and having stopped off for a cooling 'lemon mint' on the way home, the notebook was out, sketches made and the idea became a reality. 
I'd bought the lovely 'Matrix Feather' stamps at the Retreat and was itching to put them to use so that evening I set to work and the basic idea formed. I refined it a bit more the next day, played around with the colour of pencils and then called a halt! (That was the most difficult part, believe me!)

Materials:- (All items are available from the Clarity Stamps website.)
·         Stamps:- Clarity Matrix Feather Stamps and Verse set
·         White Card
·         Gelli Plate, Clarity Gelli Mount - 7 x 7
·         Stencils:- Clarity Framer Shapes Stencils Set 1
·         Inkpads:- Versafine Onyx Black; Distress Antique Linen, Pumice Stone
·         Brayer
·         Spectrum Noir Colouring Pencils
·         Micron Pen


Instructions:-
Card

1.       Cut white card to a 7ins x 7ins square and attach the stencil with the square aperture at the top with low tack masking tape.
2.       Using Versafine and the ‘Wing’ verse on 5 x 5 Clarity mount, line the stamp up in the middle of the stencil aperture. Stamp and heat set.

3.       Lift the stencil and stamp the large feather at the bottom left and top right corners. Heat set as before. Stamp also onto Post-It Notes and cut two masks out.

4.       Place masks over the feathers and replace stencil. Set aside on a craft mat.
Gelli
N.B. I wanted to echo the linen effect of the canvas and achieved this by using Distress Inks, a Gelli Plate and a brayer.

5.       Place 6 x 6 Gelli Plate centrally onto 7 x 7 Gelli Mount.
6.       Daub Antique Linen and Pumice Stone over Gelli Plate.
7.       Brayer inks so the colours mingle.
8.       Place the inked Gelli over the stamped image,see (4) and press gently until you see the ink transferring equally onto the white card.
9.       Carefully turn over the ‘bundle’ and remove the card/stencil but leave stencil and masks in place.


10.   Using a make-up sponge, sweep in some of the residual ink from the stencil to darken the edges of the inked aperture.

(N.B. This was a technique which Barbara shared with us at the Retreat; thanks, Barb!)

11.   Remove the stencil and gently scribble an outline around the coloured square with a Micron pen.
12.   Colour in the feathers, again using a technique from the Retreat. Choose three coloured pencils – Light, Medium, Dark and colour each area of the feather ¾ light, ½ medium, ¼ dark. (Thanks again, Barbara. What a difference this has made to my colouring!!!)

Having placed the completed item on the hessian canvas, wasn’t too happy with the definition of the end result and as I’d made a number of these before choosing the one that ticked all the boxes, I chose one of the rejects, edged it with a black Sharpie then scribbled another line near to the edge to tie it all together. Happier with it now, I repeated this on the No1 example, mounted it onto the hessian canvas.



Et voila! 'Clean and Simple' complete!

I hope you find this easy to follow. It wasn't without the odd trial and tribulation as I had a limited amount of craft stash and even make-up sponges were difficult to find. (Although I tried the small Ranger blending foam pads and also Cut ' n' Dry, they weren't as good as the humble make-up sponge.)

Many thanks again for visiting my blog. It will be lovely to see your projects posted on the Clarity Challenge blog. You are all so talented and never cease to amaze and delight! If you haven't joined in the 'Challenge' before, then please consider doing so. You can find all the details on the Clarity Stamp website and don't worry if you don't have a blog, you can email your entry and it will be posted for you - that's how I started.

'Til next time,

Sincere best wishes and happy crafting!

Shelagh.


23 comments:

  1. This is lovely I like the natural canvas board it is on to. Xxx

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    1. Thank you, Carol. I meant to try colouring a white canvas board but never fear, I'm going to have a go soon and will post if successful.;~}

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  2. Great design Shelagh. I love the neutral colour scheme, and the shading on the feathers is fabulous. Xxx

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    1. Thank you, Barbara, I usually prefer more vibrant colours but the canvas dictated the hue! I look 'washed out' when wearing 'neutrals' so I think this is a big influence. ;~}

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  3. A very elegant card, Shelagh. Beautiful colouring and a clever idea to use the Gelli plate on top of the stencil to create your background. x

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    1. Many thanks, Lesley. The gelli gave the stippled effect which echoed the texture of the canvas mount. A bit of an accident, really!
      One of the trial pieces is ready and waiting to be posted as a birthday card. ;~}

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  4. A very elegant card, Shelagh. Beautiful colouring and a clever idea to use the Gelli plate on top of the stencil to create your background. x

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  5. This is a wow project so love what you have done with this I like xx

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    1. Thank you, Julie. There was no messing with this one (apart from perfecting the end result which did add a day or so) - from inspiration to end result about eight hours. ;~}

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  6. What a lovely card - love these feathers I have the big and the smaller one. You obviously learnt a lot at the retreat and boy has it paid off. a fabulous result.

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  7. Thanks, Linda. Had been itching to use this stamp! ;~}

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  8. Lovely clean stamping Shelaigh. I really love that feather stamp but haven't used myself yet. I might have a go at this, it looks fab. Xx

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  9. Many thanks, Amanda. I desperately wanted to colour the feathers in a teal hue but I'm afraid, once I saw the hessian canvas, I had to stick to its palette. ;~}

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  10. I just LOVE this Shelagh! Might have a little try at this myself for some of my birthday cards for next year - hope you don't mind, but I've pinned it to remind myself of your technique. Thank you for sharing how you did it, Susan x

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  11. Many thanks, Susan, enjoy adding your own 'twist' to the design as I'm sure you will. I would like to have a go using a teal colour or even Distress 'Peacock Feathers' and will do it sometime soon. ;~}

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  12. A gorgeous card Shelagh, love how you've coloured the feathers. I too adore this stamp and have not really used it - you've inspired to think again. x

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  13. Thank you, Angela. I coloured these with Spectrum Noir pencils but find myself switching back and forth between them and Polychromos - I've got less of a choice of the latter but do like how well they blend. ;~}

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  14. Hello my dear Shelagh. Forgive my tardiness....been just a tad busy lol. This is a fabulous card. When I first saw it I thought burger!!! I wanted to do use that! lol. The feather stamp is just so gorgeous and you have done it proud. Loving the canvas. Very inspirational. Hugs xxxxxx

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    1. Emma, many thanks for your comment and I'm so sorry I pinched your stamp choice. In August, I went out to Kuwait armed with Christmas stampy stuff, two flower stamps and the feather trio. At the little enclave of crafty shops there, when spotting the hessian canvas board, everything fell into place, hence the above contribution. ;~}

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  15. Sorry I so late on parade Shelagh, a very lovely card, so effective. Love it.

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    1. Thanks, Naomi - appreciate you taking the time to comment. Groetjes, S xx ;~}

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  16. Popped across form the Clarity blog for a closer look and so glad I did. Really clever idea with the aperture, masking etc.... very creative. Great inspiration too so thank you very much x

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  17. Hi and many thanks for your comment; so pleased you found the blog of use. As stated above, I had limited resources at that point of time but this often works in a positive fashion and I had to concentrate to produce an item of worth. The brayer was a big stumbling block but after a simplistic drawing, the little crafty places in Kuwait City were able to provide - after a fashion! ;~}

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