Clarity Challenge February 2016

'Love'

'Heart to Heart!'
or 
'Hart to Hart!'

Hello, thank you for visiting and welcome back to Shelagh-land after what seems to have been a very long month. I seem to have achieved a fair bit since the beginning of the year- not least tidying all my Clarity stamps and stencils and clearing out some of my teaching resources to make room for them. 

The theme this month is 'Love' and my first step was to assemble all the Clarity stamps I deemed appropriate. However, I had been looking forward to using this stencil but it arrived just a little too late for my Christmas cards and next Christmas is a little to far off as yet so I came up with this idea but first had to check it would work as you'll see below. The only other issue was finding hearts that were small enough to fit in and they came courtesy of the shamrock from the 'Lucky' set and the 'Love is in the Air' set. So here we go!

Materials:-

·         Clarity canvas:- one 8 x 8ins, one 12 x 12ins

·         Clarity Stencil:- Deer

·         Clarity Stamp:- ‘Love is in the Air’ set; ‘Reindeer and Let Heaven’ set; ‘Lucky’ unmounted set; Birdsong set.

·         Colorbursts:- Pthalo Green, Ultramarine Blue

·         Inkpads:- Distress - Stormy Sky, Weathered Wood, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Mowed Lawn,  Old Paper, Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs. Memento – Nautical Blue, Pearlescent Thyme. Adirondack – Red Pepper.

·         Grunge Paste

·         Pens:- Sakura White, Micron Black

Instructions:-

1.       First of all I experimented with the Deer stencil on paper with Candied Apple Distress ink (Only chose this colour as it was in the kitchen and I wanted to check the colour vibrancy.)

I stencilled the deer, complete with antlers facing one way then washed the stencil, masked off the antlers and stencilled through again on the flip side. The idea worked so now I could proceed!

2.       Spritz the 8 x 8ins canvas lightly with water; apply blue Colorburst to the top third and Pthalo Green to the remainder. Spritz again to disperse the colour pigment. Allow to dry.

3.       Place the deer stencil in the centre of the coloured canvas and apply Grunge Paste. Allow to dry. (Wash and dry stencil.)

4.       Flip the stencil to have the deer facing the other direction, mask off the antlers as described in 1) to create a ‘Doe’ and apply Grunge Paste again. Allow to dry while rinsing off the stencil.

5.       Replace the clean stencil over the Doe and with make-up sponges, lightly colour with Old Paper, Antique Linen and a smidgeon of Gathered Twigs.

6.       Remove the masking tape and repeat with Gathered Twigs only for the Stag. Add shade using pencils like Polychromos or Spectrum Noir.

7.       Tear a hill mask from scrap paper and create a hilly background using Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky, Peeled Paint and Forest Moss. Add definition using some colouring pencils as in (6).

8.       Stamp a couple of the ‘Love is in the Air’ images onto scrap card using Red Pepper, concentrating on the heart balloons; add clear detail embossing powder and heat to set. Cut out the heart shapes and set aside. Repeat this process with the Shamrock from the ‘Lucky’ set and cut out the leaves individually.

9.       Place the hearts in the gaps between the antlers to suit and glue to the canvas.

N.B. I put some white glue on the back of my hand, spread it out thinly then dabbed the hearts over. This gives just enough glue to stick down the card hearts.

10.   With a black Micron pen, add faux string to suggest the hearts are suspended from the various antler points. (I added a few ‘Quickie Pen’ glue spots and dusted over some fine colourless glitter.)

11.   Using the pearlescent green inkpad, stamp a random border at the foot of the canvas with the heart grass from the ‘Love is in the Air’ set. Add highlights to the hearts with a white gel pen.

12.   Stamp the antlers from the Reindeer stamp and second generation Nautical Blue ink up the right hand side of the canvas.

13.   Repeat this with the twig from the ‘Birdsong’ set up the left hand side of the canvas.

To finish, I added some pencil shadow under the deer images and the hearts then deepened the yellow spot in the sky before mounting it onto the 12 x 12ins canvas. (I used a sheet of Clarity double sided sticky.)

Et voila! Heart to Heart (or 'Hart to Hart') is complete! 

'Love' is the theme and I'd love to see what you can design and make over the coming month as I know how artistic, creative and inventive you are. 

To enter the Clarity Challenge all you are required to do is to create an original project using Clarity stamps, stencils or Groovi plates, take a photograph and either post it on your blog or send it along with your name to Claritystampchallenge@hotmail.com and it will be posted on your behalf.

The Clarity web-site can be found at www.claritystamp.co.uk and Clarity also has a Facebook page - https//:www.facebook.com/claritystamp.co.uk

     
     Meantime - KEEP CALM AND KEEP CRAFTING  XX  ;~}

Thank you again for popping in. Have a great month!

Best wishes,

Shelagh (The Making Lady)

Clarity Challenge 35 'Say It With Flowers' Mid-Month Reminder

Clarity Challenge 35

'Say It With Flowers' Mid-Month Reminder

'Flower Boa'

Hi there and thanks for looking in. 

A mid-month offering for the January Clarity Challenge from Shelagh-land and something which will probably end up as birthday cards as I have a number to do and time is rapidly disappearing. (May even need to use the tags for this purpose, too!!! 

I hope it encourages you to dust off your stamps, stencils or Groovi plates or a combination of any of these and join in. It's free, it's fun and with a £50 Clarity voucher up for grabs - awarded to a randomly chosen submission - it is a Win, Win situation for one lucky entrant. You can enter through your blog or by sending a photo by email to claritystampchallenge@hotmail.com and have until 8pm on 31st January. Just remember to check the rules of entry on the Clarity Challenge blog.
Good luck!

Materials:-

• Card :- White, Black, Pearlescent, Gold Mirri
• Stamps:- Feather Boa - large; Birds & Flower Rows set, Fairy Silhouette
• Inkpads:- Versamark, Black Archival, Versafine Jet Black
• Embossing Powder:- Gold Detail, Clear Detail 
• Oval die from stash
• Ribbon from stash
• Pens:- Black Alcohol Marker, Gold Sakura

Instructions:-

Using white card, die-cut and emboss a number of ovals as this will save time. 

Card

Oval Topper

1. Stamp 'Feather Boa' centrally onto the oval using black Archival. 
2. Faintly colour the ladies face with pencils.
3. On a scrap of white card using Versamark, stamp the lady's head again and heat emboss using gold embossing powder. Over-stamp the hat using swirly edges of the 'Fairy Silhouette' and black archival then heat emboss once clear embossing powder has been applied. Cut out the hat and glue onto main image.
4. Using Versamark and gold embossing powder, stamp a number of medium and small outline flowers from the Bird and Flower Rows set, colour using a black alcohol pen and cut out. Attach over boa to create a flower scarf. 
5. For the hat bow, I cut a into a medium flower then attached it to the side.

Background

1. Cut a rectangle of black card. (At this point and as a guide, I drew around the inside perimeter of the oval die with a gold pencil.)
2. Starting at one corner I drew repeated Zentangle-type shell shapes using the gold pencil, then lightly drew over these with the gold Sakura pen until reaching the mid-point of both adjoining sides. Repeat until the background is filled in. 
3. Mount onto black, then gold Mirri then black. 
4. Adhere to a card blank.

Bag and Tags

Gold on White

1. Repeat as for topper, only exchange the black Archival for Versamark.
2. Punch a hole near the top edge and thread through matching ribbon.

Black on White

1. As above but use black Archival and clear embossing powder.
2. As in (2) above 

To complete, I made and decorated a box each for the card and tags then decorated a plain white gift bag.

Thank you again and best wishes.

Shelagh ;~}

Groovi Birthday Card

Groovi Birthday Card

Mum's 89th birthday card which fits in with this month's Clarity Challenge.

Hi again,

I'd like to share with you the card I made last week for my mum. I was itching to use the 'Bell' plate but decided to use it as the skirt of an evening frock and chose the turquoise blue as Mum had a satin number in this sumptuous colour when I was little.

I won't bore you with the instructions but will record below the plates I used.

  

Groovi Plate Mate

Groovi Plates:-

• Bells, Frilly Circles, Nested Circles, Nested Squares, Nested Deckle Squares

Groovi Borders:-

• Annabel, Art Nouveau (Daisies)

I coloured the parchment with Polychromos (fab pencils) and the rest was my attempt at white work. 

It did take a bit of time but then, my mum is worth it; it wasn't a labour but it was done with love!

Thanks again for looking in - hope to see you again soon. 

Oh and remember the Clarity Challenge - Say It With Flowers.

Shelagh ;~}

Clarity Challenge January 2015

Say It with Flowers

La Dame au Quatre Saisons

                                Happy New Year to one and all!!!
Well here we are, January 1st 2016 and a full twelve months since being invited onto the Clarity Challenge team. The run up to my Challenge debut was fraught with issues through setting up my blog, I scarcely wish to remember it, particularly Hogmanay as the blog was still not active.(Turned out the computer didn't like the programme and once switching to another - programme that is - all was fine.) To come up with ideas hasn't always been easy, particularly when I found myself far from home with a small selection of Clarity products I'd taken with me in my suitcase; when the deadline was drawing near and with still no absolute idea in mind, a calm and measured approach was called for, 'Don't Panic' had the galvanising effect! . . . . And several ideas were conceived this way!
Suffice to say, thank you for visiting my blog and with all that's new on offer from Clarity - not least the Diamond Club, KEEP WATCHING!
However, I cannot finish my preamble without mentioning these devastating floods and adverse weather that has been hitting us up and down the country. Experiencing a little bathroom flood a couple of months ago and only having to dispose of soggy carpets and underlay, I would not know where to start the clean-up of all the sludge and mucky water. Suffice to say, I do hope the powers that be in the whole of Britain take a proper look at all the flood defences up and down the country and DO SOMETHING PRONTO!

                                   La Dame au Quatre Saisons 

This month's offering did not turn out as I had planned as the original idea was a Victorian screen card! 

(Close-ups' to follow)

Materials:-

·         Cardstock:- Clarity Theuva and Stencil Card, black card from stash, scrap paper

·         Stamp:- Clarity Unmounted La Dame au Camellias

·         Stencil:- Clarity ‘Flowers’ 7x7 inch

·         Inkpads:- Ranger - Archival in Jet Black, Distress Inks in Fossilised Amber, Twisted Citron, Wilted Violet, Abandoned Carol, Carved Pumpkin, Mermaid Lagoon, Blueprint Sketch

·         Spectrum Noir Pencils

·         Clarity Double-sided Sticky sheets

·         Fine Glitter eg Glamour Dust

·         Cropodile, eyelets, jump rings

(Plaques are equal in size, honestly!!! - just poor photography.)

Instructions:-

1.       Portion off selected part of the ‘Flowers’ stencil with masking tape. Cut four pieces of Stencil card to 3.5 x 6 inches (approx. 9 x 15 cm) and attach one piece behind the chosen portion. For ‘Spring’ sweep over a mixture of Fossilised Amber and Twisted Citron using a make-up sponge or a Clarity stencil brush. Remove the stencilled card, set aside and leaving the masking tape in place, gently clean the stencil with a baby wipe.

2.       Repeat this three more times with Abandoned Coral and Wilted Violet for ‘Summer;’ Carved Pumpkin and Abandoned Coral for ‘Autumn’ and Mermaid Lagoon and Blueprint Sketch for ‘Winter.’

3.       Trim down a sheet of double-sided sticky (reserve the remainder as it comes into use soon,) remove one side of backing and place over the stencilled image.

4.       Remove second backing sheet and pour fine glitter over. Work this well into the sticky surface with finger tips and tip remainder back into pot.

5.       Trim to suit and mat onto black card. (Clarity Black Coated card is ideal but mine is lost in amongst the Christmas clutter!)

6.       Using Jet Black Archival, stamp La Dame au Camellias four times onto ‘Theuva’ card. Colour each using Spectrum Noir Pencils to complement the four backgrounds.

Flowers:- 

Using a Clarity stencil brush on good quality paper, stencil one flower from each ink combination . . .  

. . . . as in (2.)

Cut each flower out as shown below. 

Tear each flower in a spiral from outer edge to inner (as in 1st flower, Spring, yellow below,) then fold each part of the spiral in half long-ways over a needle tool as in second flower (Summer - pink).

Roll around the needle to create a flower (Autumn-orange.)

Place a blob of glue at the base of the spiral and press down to create a finished bloom.

Add flowers to corresponding images.

Trim and mount onto the sparkly background using the off-cuts from (3.)

8.       Line up each rectangle and using the Cropodile, punch a hole in each corner.

9.       Again using the Cropodile, add eyelets to each corner.

10.   Join each rectangle using three jump rings at each corner and add a chain to top and bottom to complete. (Chains were Charity shop jewelry finds.)

Et voila - La Dame au Quatre Saisons!

Hopefully the explanation has been of use and even more so - encouraged you to enter this month's Clarity Challenge, it's fun and it's free and even better there is an opportunity for you to win a Clarity voucher simply by posting your project or if you don't have a blog, by sending it to Sazzle who will post it for you - details are as follows:-claritystampchallenge@hotmail.com

The Clarity website can be found at www.claritystamp.co.uk and Clarity also has a Facebook page - https//:www.facebook.com/claritystamp.co.uk

Meantime - KEEP CALM AND KEEP CRAFTING  XX  ;~}

Clarity Challenge - December 2015 A Christmas Story

Clarity Challenge - December 2015

A Christmas Story

Hi there and thanks for taking a peek at Shelagh-land. This challenge is a bit of a departure for me as I have included parchment work for the first time. 

I spent a couple of months earlier in the year in Kuwait where Mike was working and as I knew I'd have plenty of time on my hands during the day, I went armed with my Groovi collection - and being fresh from the Clarity retreat at Crowborough, the stash had certainly multiplied! The only thing I found myself somewhat lacking was the beautiful, high quality Clarity parchment so I had to be very economical. Once back home, an order was promptly placed for more and I was more able to experiment and the above just developed. Hope you like it despite the lack of stage photos - sorry - I forgot!

Materials:-

·         Clarity Stamps Groovi Plates:- Groovi Plate Starter Kit, Santa and Stars, Christmas Tree, Nested Squares, Nested Circles; Set 1 and 2,  Christmas, Holly and Art Deco Groovi Borders

·         Clarity Stamps:- NDC Alice, Santa and Sleigh from Christmas Miniatures and Window Set

·         Clarity Stencils:- Peace, Noel Snowflake stencil; Curly Strip 2in1

·         Texture Paste with Glass Beads

·         Gilding Wax

·         Black Soft Paste

·         Perfect Pearls Mist - Pearl, Pewter

·         Parchment and Parchment Tools

·         White Pencil.

Instructions:-

Parchment

1.       Stamp ‘Alice’ onto card and trace onto parchment using a white pencil.

(I think I was finally successful on my seventh attempt, between 1) changing backgrounds, 2) Alice at first sitting on a leaf - hence the stamped leaves above, 3) positioning of Alice and 4) dissatisfaction with my white work. Oh and I'll post my favourite 'blooper' at the end!)

2.       Create a circular border from two offset nested circles and decorate – I used small holly leaves from the Holly border plate.

3.       Using the two plates from the Groovi Starter kit, create a background of trees, hills and moon. Add trees from the Christmas Border and stars from Santa and Stars plate.

4.       Stamp the Santa and sleigh image onto card then trace onto parchment to suit background.

5.        Create an outer square border using the Nested Squares and decorate – I used the ribbon from Borders 1&2.

6.       Decorate the area between the circle and square with patterns of choice – I used stars from the Santa plate for the top and swirls and dots from the Christmas tree plate.

7.       Using the blue mat, I placed low tack tape along one of the lines the embossed using the letters for the sentiment from the Bunting Border.

8.       The parchment was then trimmed to 14cm square then I played about with 2,3,4 stylus to create some white work.

9.       Cut a sheet of parchment to a 16cm square, draw a double line border and embellish corners – I used a flower from the Art Deco border and swirls from the Christmas tree.

10.   Cut a sheet of parchment into an 18cm, draw a double line border then embellish with a trio of flowers from the Art Deco border. (I had the idea to use these as corners, and with a little bit of piercing, use them to contain the main picture. This was very much a trial as I hadn’t tried it before, so it did take me a couple of attempts to produce something reasonable, although by no means perfect.)

11.   To ensure all was secure, I added a few little bits of 2mm double sided sticky tape to areas where it would not show.

Canvas Mount

1.       Using low tack tape, mask off a double border around the perimeter of 30cm square Clarity Canvas.

2.       Paint white area with diluted black Soft Paste.

3.       Mask off the words on the Snowflake stencil, leaving only the snowflake exposed and tape onto the dry black canvas.

4.       Mix some black Soft Paste into some glass bead texture paste and apply through the positioned stencil. Repeat if necessary when paste is dry. (Remember the stencil needs to be washed in between applications.

5.       Before removing any tape – spray the stencilled canvas with Perfect Pearls Mist ‘Pearl’ and ‘Pewter.’ Allow to dry.

6.       Carefully remove the outer line of masking tape to reveal a white border. Apply gilding wax all round – I started with silver then gold then a touch of copper.

7.       Remove the inner line of masking tape and add the parchment. (I used a small square of Clarity Double Sided Sticky in the centre to attach the parchment.)
(NB When I removed the inner masking tape, the pliable nature of the texture paste allowed most of the stencil work which overlapped the border to remain. I had thought of trimming these off but decided I quite liked the link they provided between the background and the white surround. Another happy accident!)

Et voila! My take on 'A Christmas Story!'

I hope you have found the explanation helpful and apologies for not taking as many photos of each stage but it was one of those 'carried away' moments and I forgot!

A now for the mistakes (the second Santa was a positioning trial as the piece was ruined anyway!)

. . . . and some other trials!

Thank you again for visiting; I very much look forward to all of your wonderful contributions to the Clarity Challenge. Remember  - there is a Clarity gift voucher for the lucky winner! Most of my materials are available from the Clarity Stamps website so be sure to have a look at all the gorgeous products.

Little more to be said than see you again next year!

Kind regards and best wishes for a wonderfully enjoyable festive season!

Shelagh.

It's Christmas!

Christmas Bags and . . . . 

. . . . Exploding Boxes!

 I bought bags from The Range at four for £1, table favours (wedding) from Tesco and LED colour changing faux candles also from The Range.

The bags were decorated back and front with the Clarity Ribbon stamps - Thank You and Merry Christmas - on shaving foam backgrounds. (These were done in Kuwait and I had no inks so I used green, blue, red and yellow food colouring.) 

For the boxes, card (I used Crafter's Companion double sided pearlescent white A3) was cut to 9ins by 9ins, scored at 3ins and 6ins to create a grid. 

Cut away the squares from each of the four corners. These spare squares were retained, trimmed down and used as the decorative plaques on the inside and outside; the extra squares required were made from the card off-cuts and all were decorated with a variety of stamps from the 'Wee Folk' range, edged with a red chisel tip permanent marker and glued in place. Lids were made and decorated in a similar fashion.

Apologies for the cardboard boxes in the background - they were my storage solutions prior to the assembly.

Thanks again for vising and hope to see you again sometime.

Best wishes and a happy St Andrew's Day to you all tomorrow - 30 November. 

Shelagh. ;~}