Clarity Stamp Challenge 38 Mid-month

Clarity Stamps Challenge April 2016

Techniques – Masking

'Butterfly Magic!'

Hi again and welcome back to 'Masking Month' in Shelagh-land. This is my second exhibit for the 'Masking Challenge' and I this time I used one stamp. This butterfly image has a variety of lines you can follow to allow you to decoupage it and that's just what I've done here. I made a number of these using different colouring mediums and I have listed them at the end of this blog, including 'the one that got away.' So - grab your Clarity stamps and matching masks or, as I have done, arm yourself with a sticky note-pad and have a go. A £50 Clarity Voucher awaits the winner. Happy Masking!

(Remember to check out the rules and also how to send your submission via your own blog or to claritystampchallenge.blogspot.com in which case it will be posted on your behalf.)

Materials:-

·         Cardstock:- Clarity Stencil card 7x7

·         Stamps:- Clarity ‘Butterfly’ from ‘Butterfly and Montage’ set, ‘Magical’ from Word Chain 7

·         Stencil:- Clarity Round Aperture

·         Inkpads:- Archival:- Watering Can

·         Pencils:- Polychromos

·         Embossing Powder:- WOW Black Sparkle

·         Perfect Pearls:- Blue Smoke, Forever Blue, Forever Violet, Forever Green, Mint

·         Red Liner Tape
*Most items are available from the Clarity Stamp website www.claritystamp.co.uk

Instructions:-

1.    Stamp the butterfly onto a ‘post-it’ pad. Cut out four masks – no need to repeat, just peel off four sheets prior to snipping! (Please ensure the image is stamped onto the where the ‘sticky’ bit is - I know because I’ve stamped it elsewhere and after much fussy-cutting the mask was fit to be junked!)

2.    Attach circle aperture to card with low-tack tape and lightly draw a faint pencil-line around inner circumference. Remove stencil.

3.    Ink up the butterfly stamp with ‘Watering Can’ Archival and stamp at top of 7x7 card, aligning horizontal wing separation with circle line. Mask.

4.    Ink up and stamp again to right of butterfly, again keeping mid-wing line in tune with the pencilled circle. Mask.

5.    Repeat around circle line – seven butterfly images in total. (N.B. I found it easier to leave the first mask in place.)

6.    On another card stamp seven separate butterflies to create 'free-flying butterflies' using the same ink pad as before. (The photo above shows one butterfly attached to the top image and four that have be cut out in decreasing size for a decoupage effect. I also chose to use a different central word.) PS The change in word was due to my mislaying the 'Magical;' now repatriated with its other pals on the 'Chain Gang!'

7.    Colour each butterfly with selected colour-choice of Polychromos and also the extra ‘free-flying’ butterflies to tone in.

8.    Cut out the free- flying butterflies and and gently curl wings around a pencil, finger, paintbrush handle or what ever is nearby. Attach to coloured-in images on card. (I used white glue.)

9.    Stamp ‘Magical’ (or 'Amazing' as above) using Versamark, add embossing powder and heat with heat gun.

Coloured with Polychromos

10.  Apply red-liner tape around the perimeter of card, select and apply Perfect Pearls of choice. ‘Stipple’ in Perfect Pearls with brush.

11.  Et voila! Magical Butterflies!

Coloured with Distress Markers.

This was my favourite colouring as it comprised more muted tones but as you can see, I made a right mess of stamping 'Magical.' Will find some use for it though - too much work to go to waste.

Thanks again for visiting my blog and remember 'You've got to be in it to win it,' as one famous game host said. 

Best wishes,

Shelagh.

Clarity Stamp Challenge 38 Technique - Masking

Clarity Stamp Challenge 38

Technique - Masking

Clarity Stamps Challenge April 2016

Technique – Masking

‘Save the Last Dance!’

Hello there and welcome once again. Here we are with lengthening evenings, nesting birds,trees and shrubs in blossom and not forgetting the prolific sprouting of the grass - time to learn how to use the petrol mower, I think. 

This month's brief is a bit of a departure from the usual as it is technique-based. MASKING!

Happy Masking!

Materials:-

·         Cardstock:- Stencil card 7x7;

·         Stamps:- 1)Wedding Folk 5, 
2)‘Big Top’ (tent) from Circus set, 
3)Frame and Sentiment from ‘Happily Ever After’ set, 
4)Musical stave from ‘Joy and Birdsong’ set, 
5)‘Vines’ border from ‘Treehouse and Vines’ set.

·         Stencils:- ‘Stripes,’ ‘Circle’ and ‘Wavy Circle from ‘Framer Shapes sets 1&2’

·         Inkpads:- Distress ‘Spun Sugar,’ Versafine Onyx Black

·         Detail Clear Embossing Powder

Instructions:-

1.    Place the ‘Framer’ circle stencil to fit the 7x7 card and lightly draw the inside circle with a pencil to form a placement guide for the stamps.

2.    Make mask by stamping onto post-it notes (please make sure they are stamped nearest the sticky side) 

1) the lady with hat and the single tuxedo-ed gentleman from the ‘Wedding Folk 5’ set;

2) the frame from the ‘Happily Ever After’ set, the musical stave from the 'Joy and Birdsong' set and cut each out.

3.    Stamp the lady onto the lower third of the outlined circle using Onyx Black then heat emboss. Stamp the gentlemen next to the lady as before. Mask each figure. 

4.    Stamp circus tent above couple as above and heat emboss. Stamp musical stave to appear that the couple are standing on it. Mask.

6.    Place Circle aperture over the masked images and secure at top with low-tack tape. (No photo for this)

7.    Load Clarity brush with Spun Sugar and sweep around and over circle. Remove stencil.Replace with irregular aperture and sweep more Spun Sugar so the frilly edge is lighter than the regular circle.

Stamp frame between foot of pink circle and bottom of card.Stamp the 'Happily Ever After' sentiment. (Here I have placed the clean stamp on the stamped frame in the correct position.)

This photo shows the mount placed over so it can be stamped in the correct position.

 Mask.

9.    (N.B. I have misplaced the stencil 'innie' since making this card - we've had workmen in the house and things were 'put' away' - and writing my step by step so I made one by drawing round the inside circumference and doing a bit of fussy cutting.)

10.  Remove aperture stencil and replace with ‘Irregular innie.’ (I made a loop with low tack tape, placed it on the reverse of shape to secure.) 

Place over ‘Stripes’ stencil and sweep over more ‘Spun Sugar.’ Remove ‘Stripes’ and replace again to complete the stripes on the card. Sweep once more with ‘Spun Sugar.’

11.  Remove stencils and masks. Scribble an outline around circle and irregular circle using a Micron pen. Decorate each line on the circus tent with scalloped edges using a Micron pen and draw a horizontal line at its base to 'ground' it. Add some tufts of grass to suit.

12.  Edge with a black Sharpie or similar. Mount onto a square card or try out the idea below.

From here I placed the ‘Circle’ stencil over another 7x7 sheet of Clarity stencil card, lightly drew around the inner circumference then using a glass mat as a base, cut out the inner circle with a craft knife. (Very unusual for me as I always seem to drag the card layers but for once it was a success!!)

I then repeated as before (twice – one for the inside and one for the front) with the ‘Stripes’ stencil, edged, cut back and mounted onto an aperture card which I’d cut to suit. The vines were stamped in black for the inside and with Versamark and a variety of pink ‘WOW’ embossing powders for the exterior.

Et Voila! 'Save the Last Dance For Me!!!'

Clarity Stamp Challenge 37 Mid-month 'It's All About the Girls!'

Clarity Challenge 37 Mid-month

‘It’s All About the Girls'

'Masque'

Hello and welcome back to Shelagh-land (The Making Lady) and many thanks for your visit. There are quite a few birthdays to be recognised around this time, so I have combined this reason with my Clarity Challenge Mid-month submission. I love 3D work and although I've haven't possessed this stamp for long, the shape shouted 'Masqued Ball' to me. I hope you like how I've used it. Most of the components are available from the Clarity Stamp website with a few additions from my stash.

Apologies for the lack of step-by-step photos but there is work going on in the house - right next to my craft room and presently the area is a 'No-Go' zone! 

Materials:-

·         Stamps:- Filigraphy Leaves 1

·         Stencil:- Tree of Life

·         Cardstock:- Clarity Stencil Card 7x7, mirri card from stash, 8x8 white card

·         Panpastels:- Gold

·         Inkpads:- Versamark

·         Ranger Mini Blending Tool and sponges

·         Embossing Powder:-   Gold Detail, two shades of red/gold and orange/gold from stash

·         Feathers:- coloured marabou from stash

(N.B. All items listed apart from ‘stash stuff’ are available from Clarity Stamps website.)

Instructions:-

1.       Cover entire branch area of tree of life with masking tape or post-it notes, leaving only the intricate root area, complete with Celtic symbol open. Tape in place over one corner of 7x7 card and sponge over Versamark. (I used a Ranger mini blending tool and sponge.) Remove stencil.

2.       Over the Versamark stencilled outline, apply gold Panpastels, gently building up the depth of colour.

3.       Repeat these two steps on each remaining corner, working in a clockwise direction.

4.        Add red liner tape around each card edge, sprinkle on a mixture of embossing powders as detailed in (5) and gently heat emboss. (I started from the reverse of the card to stop the powder flying onto the stencilled image.) Set aside.

(N.B. I tried stencilling all the areas before adding the Panpastels but the final image was not as sharp.)

5.       Stamp the Filigraphy Leaves onto post-its and cut out a mask. Set aside.

6.       Again using Versamark, stamp the Filigraphy Leaves stamp onto another sheet of the 7x7 card. Sprinkle pinches of gold and the other two colours over the stamped image then heat emboss.

7.       Mask this image then turn the stamp to face the other way and stamp and emboss again as in (5.) Cut out the complete image, leaving a fraction of a white border. Cut out the central leaf on each side.

8.       Stamp another four leaf images and emboss as in (5.) On two images, cut into the shape, to leave the inside rim of leaves. Shape the card, gently rounding the leaves and glue into place over main piece.

9.       From the remaining two images, cut single leaves to suit and glue in place.

10.   Mat stencilled image onto white card, followed by gold mirri then black card.

Et voila! Another card suitable ‘For the Girls!’

 Although it’s not shown here, this was then mounted onto an 8x8 card for my sister’s birthday – Happy Birthday, Kay!

Here is another variation on the theme:-

Barbara’s Birthday Card!

Materials:-

·         Stamps:- Filigraphy Leaves1, Small Leafy Swirl, ‘Celebrate’ – Word Chain 3

·         Cardstock:- Clarity Stencil card 7x7, toning mirri card, 8x8 card

·         Stencil:- Tree of Life

·         Inkpads:- Versamark, Peacock Feathers

·         Embossing Powders:- Wow Gold Twinkle, Gold Detail two colours of turquoise from stash

·         Clarity Brushes

·         Feathers, Filigree Leaves from stash

·         Perfect Pearls:- gold, blue, turquoise, green

Instructions:-

1.       Tree of Life stencil prepared and used as above in (1,) (2) and (3.)

2.       Load Clarity brush with Peacock Feathers ink then brush most off onto copy paper before brushing over stencilled card.

3.       Run red liner tape around each edge and gently brush on a selection of toning Perfect Pearls. Set aside.

4.       Stamp Filigraphy Leaf 1 using Versamark as in (6) but heat emboss as before with pinches of  sparkling gold and different turquoise and blue embossing powders.

5.       Repeat (7,) (8) and (9) with these colours and assemble as before.

6.       Ink the small Leafy Swirl with Versamark and stamp onto feathers and filigree leaves. Add gold detail powder and heat emboss. (N.B. I tried this with a marabou feather from the card above and it ‘withered’ with the heat – so in this case, the cheaper the feathers, all the better!)

7.       Glue the decorated leaves and feathers behind the mask to suit.

8.       Stamp ‘Celebrate’ using glittery gold embossing powder and heat-set.

9.       The card was completed by matting onto white, then toning mirri then onto 8x8 card.

Et voila! 

Bon anniversaire, Barbara!

      

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)

Clarity Challenge 36 Mid-month Reminder

Clarity Challenge 36

Mid-month Reminder

Love

One Love, One Heart.
(Bob Marley)

        

Hi and thank you for visiting! I appreciate the time you take to 'blog in' and also any comments or questions you may have.

Last month's response was so good, it would be great to equal or even surpass the number of entries submitted. This is the ideal 'Love' month with Valentine's Day and I'm sure you can create some fantastic projects using Clarity stamps, stencils and Groovis'. As far as the latter goes, it's most enjoyable dove-tailing different plates and borders together to produce things which are slightly different.

For the mid-month example, I'm afraid there are only photos of the finished product as this project just 'grew' as stencils, papers, pastes and colours were added. 

Materials used:-

·         Clarity Canvas

·         Clarity Stencils:- Leafy Strip, Wild Grasses 1, Sunflower, Vine Heart

·         Papers:-Music Score, Tissue Paper, Parchment Paper, 
       Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints

·         Multi Medium:- Matte

·         Texture Paste

·         Perfect Pearls – variety from both sets.

·         Coloured Pencils:– Polychromos

·         Gilding Wax:- Silver, Antique Gold, Empire Gold, Renaissance Gold

Instructions:-

Canvas

1.       Tear up the music score and apply to cover canvas using the matt medium. Paste over this with matte medium. (N.B. I used the straight edges of the score to line up with the edges of the canvas, ensuring the pieces were horizontal and vertical time about.)

2.       Choose a selection of toning Fresco acrylics and paint in areas until the desired colour is achieved. (I watered them down slightly and gradually built up the colour.)

               

3.       Scrunch up a sheet of white tissue paper, then apply over the canvas which again has a layer of matte medium. Carefully smooth this over the edges, particularly the corners, before trimming the excess then apply a light coat of matte medium to the reverse.

4.       Place on the Sunflower stencil and pull through a layer of texture paste – the large flower head only. Allow to dry.  (I had a bit of an issue here as my new brand tub of grunge paste was too hard to use, so it was a case of rooting around and luckily I found a box of trial texture pastes in my stash.)

5.       Clean stencils immediately.

6.       Place the Leafy Strip stencil on one corner and repeat as in 3). Allow to dry then apply more paste to the diagonally opposite corner and allow this to dry.

7.       Place the Wild Grasses 1 stencil in the remaining corner, pull through more texture paste and allow to dry. (At this point, I applied some texture paste through the clean stencils onto sheets of parchment paper – I used an A5 size for each stencil and allowed them to dry.)

8.       Paint chosen Fresco paints onto the dry paste images and work in with a damp paintbrush. (I watered them down slightly.)

9.       Spray the canvas with a variety of Perfect Pearls – I used Turquoise, Berry, Plum, Red, Gold, Perfect Pearl, Biscotti, Blue Smoke – mixed a few until I achieved the depth and tint I wanted in spritzer bottles. Allow to dry.

10.   Highlight areas with gilding wax. Add gilding wax around the perimeter, blending it in with the colour scheme.

Heart

1.       Place the Vine Heart on a piece of grey board – mine was from the back of a spiral notebook which had been painted and coated with a crackle paint for another project - and pull through coarse texture paste, allowing time to dry. (I had to use the coarse paste as the trial pot was empty!)

2.       Cut out heart, leaving a surround. Paint chosen colours over the paste and allow to dry.

3.       Paint over matt medium and apply tissue paper as above in 3).

4.       Add gilding wax and Perfect Pearls as in 9) and 10).

To complete:-

1.       Adhere heart to canvas. (I used Cosmic Shimmer glue.)

2.       Colour the paste images on the parchment to suit and cut out. (I used the centre from the sunflower, some leaves and stalks up to the calyxes from the wild grasses) Add the over the stencilled images to give dimension, using glue as in 1).

3.       Add hints of gilding wax here and there and shade around the images with pencil – I used a soft black pencil – a 2B.

Many thanks for popping in and looking. Any questions or queries are appreciated and I will do my best to help out. This canvas was not that perceived in my mind's eye when I first embarked on this project and turned out less structured than usual. Despite that, I rather like it!

The Clarity 'Love' Challenge runs until 29th February - as it is a 'leap year,' you have an extra day to join in and remember - there is a £50 Clarity voucher for the randomly selected winner - bit of a no-brainer really.

Best wishes, 

SShelagh (The Making Lady.)