Tuesday 1 March 2016

Clarity Challenge 37 'It's All About the Girls!'

Clarity Challenge 37
‘It’s All About the Girls!’
'On the Catwalk!'
Hi and welcome once again to Shelagh-land and the 'Making Lady's' blog. From the outset, well in my mind anyway, my take on this month's challenge was a 'no-brainer' and there is a little story to go along with it. 
A few days before I had the pleasure of attending the Clarity Retreat last year, I lost a very dear friend of thirty plus years from my Brunei days. As I was travelling out to Kuwait a few days after the Retreat, I was unable to attend her funeral but her family very kindly sent on the order of service along with a photo, black and white of course, of this dear lady taking part in an Expat fashion show in Sabah, Borneo in the 1950's (and this was awaiting me at home when I returned six weeks later.) To explain further, she was photographed walking along a stage and dressed very similarly to the lady with the handbag on the right-hand side of my card. So my dear, dear Michal, this is for you!

Materials:-
·          Cardstock:- Clarity card ‘Theuva’ 7x7; backing card mats
·         Stencils:- Stripes, Elegant Ladies Set x4, Town &Texture, Stage stencil
·         Book pages
·         Inkpads:- Distress Inks – Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, Cracked Pistachio Walnut Stain; Adirondack:- Mountain Rose; Memento:- Cloudy Sky
·         Coloured Pencils:- Polychromos  or Spectrum Noir
·         Clarity stencil brushes

Instructions:-
1.       Place chosen ‘Elegant Lady’ outer stencil in centre of 7x7 card; brush over lightly with Mountain Rose. Mask figure with inner stencil, place two other ‘Elegant Lady’ outer stencils to suit and brush through with Mountain Rose.
2.       Place all three outer stencils over book pages and brush through with Cracked Pistachio and a touch of Mermaid Lagoon. Cut out each image. Colour and shade dress images using Polychromos, cut out and reserve.

3.       Ensure all three lady images on the main card are masked with the ‘inners.’ Place the ‘Curtains’ stencil from the ‘Marionettes’ stamp set over the scene to suit and brush through Chipped Sapphire.
4.       Leave the ‘Curtains’ stencil in place then place the ‘Stripes’ stencil over the scene and mask off areas as shown. Drag through Chipped Sapphire.
5.       Place Texture stencil over and cover open areas with White opaque ink.
6.       Adhere each stamped ‘book-page’ image over silhouettes and once in place, shade with pencils to suit.
7.   Mount onto white then toning card.

Et Voila – ‘On the Catwalk!’


There are also a number of examples below - slight variations on the theme - and one is off to my friend's family; I wonder if you can guess which? 
As a final note there was a quote at the foot of the photo mentioned above which I'd like to share with you all:-

'It's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.'



Looking forward to your creative examples.

Much love,

Shelagh.
(The Making Lady)






23 comments:

  1. Shelagh, a wonderful design and all the cards are great. Sorry to hear of your friends loss, what a lovely tribute to her memory. xxx

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    1. Thanks, Naomi. This was a bit of a departure technique-wise for me and I've really caught the stencil bug. ;~}

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  2. A stunning card design your ladies all look stunning. Xx

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    1. Thank you, Carol. As I said above, creating something solely from stencils is on a different tack for me. Pleased you like them. ;~}

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  3. Hello Shelagh. I really love the design work in this card and I felt a bit teary reading the story behind it. A very lovely tribute to your friend. With all the other samples shown, you will have certainly given inspiration to many. Hugs xxx

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    1. Thanks, Emma - when I read your note the tears were there again. Brunei was such a lovely time and I was privileged to not only meet but befriend so many special people - and as for me, a young chit of a girl away from home for the very first time, was taken under their collective wings. ;~}

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  4. Shelagh this is a brilliant way to pay tribute to your friend, and I'm so pleased you shared your story of the wonderful Michal. I love the design of this card and your other examples. Just beautiful. x

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  5. Is is a lovely card love how you have made this x

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  6. All your cards are great with some very intricate stencil work. A lovely way to share a memory of your friend. x

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    1. Thank you, Lesley. I haven't really explored stencils in much depth, apart from the canvas and paste examples but I've rather 'caught thestencil bug' presently. ;~}

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  7. All your cards are great with some very intricate stencil work. A lovely way to share a memory of your friend. x

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  8. What beautiful cards Shelagh. I particularly love the dark blue and green colour combo of your main card. Together they form the most wonderful tribute to your dear friend. Xxx

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  9. Thank you, Barbara. The blue and green one was the first combo I tried out as I wanted to get away from red velvet stage-type drapes and curtains but succumbed later. There's also a touch of Brunei in the colour choice, too. ;~}

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  10. Shelagh this is fabulous well they all are great colour combo and lots of interest x

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    1. Thank you, Linda. Made the inserts with one of the new plates and personalised them with the border plates. ;~}

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  11. I love these Shelagh, and such a fitting tribute to your dear friend, I'm sure she will be smiling that you made something so befitting of the precious memories you have of her catwalk days.
    As you said that she wore a dress like the one with the pencil skirt, I think that's the one you chose to send to Michal's family :-) xxx
    I love all your artwork and these in particular as they have a special meaning behind them. xxx

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    1. Thanks Carole,
      All mailed or ready to be mailed. It's good to do variations when there is a need for a bundle of cards. ;~}

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  12. All beautiful cards Shelagh and a lovely story bringing back some wonderful memories. I like the green blue one best! xx

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    1. Thank you - it's very kind of you to take the time to comment. I very much enjoyed making these; it was great to return to a different set of skills although I don't think I've used as many stencils in one project prior to this. ;~}

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