Chocolate Baroque September Challenge 'Winter Flora'

Chocolate Baroque Challenge

September 2016

‘Winter Flora’

Hello and welcome!

Here is my Chocolate Baroque September Challenge entry - a bit late or 'tail-end Charlie' as my mum would say but I've been trying to get ahead of myself with all my Christmas makes - cards for Mum-in-law, Sister, Mum, Mum's carers' gifts and all in that order. I made the card below yesterday afternoon and I must say I'm quite pleased with it. The beautiful holly frond/flourish was so beautiful to work with and deserved pride of place and yes! I've managed to include my trademark 3D element! I also liked the water-colour effect on the poinsettia as it offers a contrast to the crisp holly images and ties the scrunched inky background in. Have a sneaky suspicion that this card will be replicated as our cards for this year as I quite fancy trying it out in white/grey/silver - what do you think?

Materials:-

·         Stamps:- Chocolate Baroque – Large holly flourish from ‘Christmas Flourish’ set, Large and small poinsettia from Steampunk Christmas

·         Inkpads:- Ranger Distress - Evergreen Bough, Peacock Feathers; Memento – Bahama Blue; Stampin’ Up – Pacific Point

·         Cardstock :– White card blank – 8ins x 8ins; white squares – 1x 7insx7ins, 1x5.5insx5.5ins; white offcuts; ice-blue mirror card

·         Gelli plate – 6insx6ins

·         Miscellaneous – Glue pen; Nuvo glitter - white, peacock, turquoise, dark turquoise alcohol marker

Instructions:-

1.       Using sticky notes, cut a few circle masks of 2ins diameter and place in centre of 7x7 square. Ink large flourish with Bahama Blue and stamp at each corner. Edge each side with alcohol marker.

2.       Mount onto ice-blue mirror card, attach to 8x8 card blank and set aside.

3.       Onto the gelli plate, dab Evergreen Bough and Peacock Feathers all over. Scrunch a piece of copy paper and blot all over inked Gelli plate. Place 5.5x5.5 card over and ‘pull’ a print. Place another circle mask in centre of print and stamp large holly flourish – again using Bahama Blue.

4.       Outline ‘swirly’ lines with glue pen, then sprinkle over turquoise glitter. Edge each side with alcohol marker. Attach to base card (1) at an angle and set aside.

5.       On white off cuts, stamp large poinsettia three times and small one twice. Leave one large poinsettia aside and with a damp paintbrush, ‘pull’ colour from stamped images towards centre of all four flowers. (2 large and 2 small.) Cut out.

6.       Outline swirls – when dry - with glue pen and add white glitter. Form into a poinsettia flower and attach to centre of base card. Cut three petals from remaining poinsettia and add to flower as leaves.

Et voila – ‘Winter Flora’ - my contribution to this month’s Chocolate Baroque challenge!

Please have a look below at my batch cards – also achieved using two Chocolate Baroque stamps and the same background formula!

Chocolate Baroque September 2016 Challenge

'A Cube for All Seasons'

Clarity Challenge 44

October 2016

'Circles and Squares'
Mid-month

My second 'make' for this month's Clarity Challenge!

Materials:-

• Cardstock:- White 
• Stamps:- Clarity - Butterfly Tree
• Inkpads;- Ranger Distress - Weathered Wood, Peeled Paint, Broken China, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo, Stormy Sky; Archival Black; Encore Silver. 
• Miscellaneous:- Photocube, Moon mask, glue pen; glitter - clear, lilac, purple, yellow/gold mix, orange/gold, chocolate; Micron pen, Sharpie - black, chalk pen;

Instructions:-

1. Cut five squares of white card to fit each visible side of glass cube.
   
2. Place moon mask in position. Stamp Butterfly Tree on four squares using Archival Black.
3. Blend over seasonal coloured inks.
4. Add coloured glitter to each season.
5. Stamp and mask medium butterfly four times on last square, using suitable seasonal colours. Using sticky notes with ripped edges, mask a triangle and blend over colours to match the season. Repeat on remaining three sides. Remove moon mask. 
6. Ink small butterfly area of Butterfly Tree and WITHOUT using a stamp block or mount, press onto gaps as seen in photograph. Draw an irregular Micron line to demarcate each triangle. 
7. Add 'snow' with a chalk pen to Winter.

. . . . . And here we have 'A Cube for all Seasons!'

Best wishes in the 'Circles or Squares' challenge!

'A Scene for All Seasons!'

Clarity Challenge 44

October 2016

Circles or Squares
'A Scene for All Seasons.'

Hi there and welcome to October's blog. I cannot quite get to grips with the fact that we are now entering into the second month of Autumn - the trees and shrubs are still of green leaf, the grass is still growing and it is still mild enough for sandals! A bit of a difference from my visit to Aberdeen, in October, twenty three years ago, mainly to check out the house my husband had just bought (it was only built to the ground-floor windows!!!) as the city was at a standstill - so much so that we touched down with five minutes to spare having circled the airport for over an hour. (The airport closed at 22.30 in those days.) The reason - a snowstorm; oh and it was Friday 13th! I'd left Bath, after a day's teaching, 'coated and booted' for slighter colder weather and felt quite OTT when fellow passengers got on the plane in short-sleeved shirts and t-shirts. I had the last laugh!

Hope you like my seasonal take on this month's 'make.'

Best wishes,

Shelagh

'The Making Lady'

Materials:-

·         Cardstock:- white

·         Stamps:- Clarity – Wee Folk 1, Wee Folk 2, Wee Folk Elves (flower stalk only), Wee Country Animals, Seasons Words

·         Gelli plate/ Gel Press (6ins x 6ins) and Mega Mount

·         Inkpads:- Ranger Distress – Spring - Squeezed Lemonade, Peeled Paint, Weathered Wood; Summer – Shabby Shutters, Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, Broken China; Autumn – Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon; Winter – Squeezed Lemonade, Iced Spruce, Weathered Wood; Archival Jet Black.

·         Dies:- Plain circles of four sizes; scalloped circles of four sizes

·         Miscellaneous:-  Cropodile or similar; Brads – toning colours; glue pen; clear glitter; copy paper

Instructions:-

(These are my practice circles and not the actuals.)

1.      Die-cut four different sized circles and corresponding scalloped circles from white card.

Spring – smallest circle and scalloped circle

2.       Onto Gelli Plate/Gel Press, randomly dab the three listed spring colours ensuring the yellow is in an appropriate place for the sun. Scrunch up a piece of copy paper and dab over Gelli to remove areas of paint. Place smallest circle over and pull a print. Repeat with scalloped circle and onto this, stamp ‘Spring’ using Black Archival followed by couple. Stamp a bower of flowers  around, again with Black Archival. Set aside.

Summer

3.       Spritz Gelli with water and dry with paper towel. Place sun mask onto plate then randomly dab Summer colours over the plain and scalloped circles as detailed above but concentrating blue at top half and green at foot. Add sun. Repeat the scrunched paper technique. Stamp tree branches at each side then add Wee Folk figures. Stamp ‘Summer’ between.

Autumn

4.       Clean Gelli as in 3) and dab Autumn colours( but NOT Ripe Persimmon) as before onto plain and scalloped circles. Stamp Autumn then Wee Folk figures. Add grasses et cetera to suit. Ink a foam spot with Ripe Persimmon and add to scene as a harvest sun.

Winter

5.       Clean Gelli and dab with Winter colours. Tear a landscape from copy paper and apply half-way down Gelli. Ad sun mask. Place over largest scalloped circle and pull print. Remove copy paper and re-ink Gelli plate, remove ink with scrunched paper, place largest plain circle over and pull print. Add Squeezed Lemonade for sun. Stamp a winter scene with Wee Folk then add ‘Winter’ word. Create a winter landscape using glue and gliter.

Add glue and glitter around circumference of all scalloped edged circles.

To assemble

Place plain circles on top of each other, gauge where the holes are to be punched and mark lightly. Punch holes with smaller Cropodile punch and join all four circles together with brads. With wet glue – to allow for ‘wiggle room’ and only applying to centre, glue each ‘season’ onto appropriate circle.

Et voila – ‘A Scene for All Seasons!’

Looking forward to your 'Circles or Squares' makes and remember you could be the recipient of a £50 voucher to spend on the Clarity website - a randomly chosen project - or indeed find your project displayed as one of the Top Five as chosen by the Challenge Design Team. You may enter by a link from your own blog or from a photograph of your project emailed to claritystampchallenge@hotmail.com Please remember to check guidelines too; these may be found at claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk

Best wishes!

Indigoblu 'Autumn Wildlife' Challenge - Stag Night!

Indigoblu Challenge September 2016

'Autumn Wildlife'

This was a difficult challenge and I almost did not attempt it as I have only one suitable stamp and here it is. I have also used a different technique and no! I haven't smudged the image - I deliberately over-stamped the first image with a darker colour - just to see if I could achieve a more dimensional effect. I did have to have to repeat the process a few times (well seven actually) until I got it to work. 

The composition was inspired by Royal Deeside as a few times each year, we drive along there to go 'deer chasing.' This is not literal - we try to spot them on the hills above Braemar! It can be quite tricky as the herds are very well camouflaged. I hope the tinges of purple convey the last remnants of this year's heather and the rusty brown the dying bracken. We still have a few of our summer migrants around, hence their inclusion around the top.

Materials:-

• Cardstock:- white, gold pearlescent, bronze pearlescent
• Stamps:- Indigblu - Looks Like Rain, Deer; Nature1, Mr Darcy
• Inkpads:- Ranger - Archival Black; Distress - Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Hickory Smoke, Old Paper, Antique Linen, Black Soot, Milled Lavender, Shaded Lilac
• Miscellaneous:- Charcoal pencils - light, white; Sharpie pen - black
  

Instructions:- 

1. On white 7ins x 7ins card, stamp the large stag from 'Looks Like Rain Deer' set using Rusty Hinge. Overstamp again with Vintage Photo but slightly offset. 
2. Using a damp paintbrush, pull in colour from the stamped lines towards the centre of the stag. 
3. Stamp stag again onto sticky notes, cut out and use to mask image.
4. Tear copy-paper into a mountainous landscape shape, place over the card and blend background using Old Paper, Antique Linen and Hickory Smoke.
5. Repeat at base of card with Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge. 
6. Cut a circle from a sticky note, apply to card and blend Milled Lavender and Shaded Lilac to create sky. 
7. Lightly blend Lilac and Lavender onto hills. 
8. Stamp trees using Archival Black, deer using Hickory Smoke and birds using second generation Archival Black. Stamp bushes around base using Archival Black, branch stamp from Nature 1 but Do Not use a stamp mount - apply by pressing with fingers to achieve a random effect. 
9. Add shadows with Black Soot and charcoal pencil. Add white pencil to highlight areas.
10. Cover hills and stag with paper, spritz water into air and pull card through. Blot with kitchen roll. Repeat until desired effect achieved.
11. Drag a black Sharpie around all four edges then mount onto gold followed by bronze.

 . . . . And there we have my submission for the Indigoblu Challenge 'Autumn Wildlife.' 

Glowing Colours and Tiny Wings

Indigoblu Challenge August 2016

'All Things Bright and Beautiful'

Glowing Colours and Tiny Wings!

For the card I used a combination of Indigoblu stamps - Ledger Background (blots only), Rococo (sentiment), Nature 1 (grasses and butterfly), Mr Darcy (birds and lace), Discover Your Passion (dragonfly), Poppy Heart, Blazing Poppies. 

The ink pads were all from Ranger - Archival Black and Distress - Barn Door, Fired Brick, Picked Raspberry, Aged Mahogany,  Walnut Stain, Black Soot. 

The aperture was die-cut, coloured and the background stamped. The die-cut card was stamped with the lace strip, then images on each side stamped using either side from the 'blots' edge from the Ledger stamp. (In a previous life, I cut this area of the Ledger stamp off and it has made it easier to use independently.) Butterflies, poppies and dragonfly were stamped, inked and added, along with a lacquer glaze and a little bit of bling. 

. . . and here we have 'Glowing Colours and Tiny Wings!

Le Jardin Japonais

Clarity Challenge 43 Mid-month

‘In the Garden’

Le Jardin Japonais

Materials: -

·         Clarity Stamps: - Asia/Oriental set

·         Clarity Stencil: - Sunshine Stencil

·         Clarity Groovi: - Octagon Nested Groovi

·         Cardstock: - Clarity Stencil Card 7x7ins; Gold Mirri, Black matte

·         Inkpads:- Distress Barn Door, Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed

·         Miscellaneous: - Versamark pen; Wow gold embossing powder; Polychromo Coloured Pencils; alcohol pens

Instructions: -

1.       On scrap pieces of parchment and using the Octagon plate, outline the largest and second largest octagons (two separate pieces.) Accurately cut out each and use these as templates – the largest for the black mount and the second largest for the card shape. Draw around each on the reverse side of card and cut out. Set the black octagon aside.

2.       Mask off areas on the clean side of the white card to create an angular pattern. Stamp a selection from the Asia set in each masked area. Stamp and cut out sticky note masks for lanterns, lady and water-lillies and apply over stamped images.

3.       Using sticky notes to mask complete areas at a time, blend/brush over yellow, orange then red Distress inks from the centre out. (I used the Sunshine stencil over the masked, stamped lanterns.)

4.       Remove masks and colour areas of the stamped images to suit.

5.       Cut out areas and over stamp chosen shapes with birds and bamboo.

6.       Edge each shape with a black alcohol pen. Now using the Versamark pen ,edge each shape with a fine line,  apply gold embossing powder and heat set.

7.       Glue each shape onto the black octagon mat.

8.       Mount onto gold mirri and trim.

9.       Lastly glue onto another black mat and trim to leave a 1cm border.

Clarity Challenge 43 'In the Garden'

Clarity Challenge 43

September 2016

‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’

Hello and welcome! 

We have a new month and also a 'new look' Clarity Challenge blog. Exciting times, indeed!

Thank you for looking at my Clarity Challenge 43 contribution. Alas it's not my usual step-by-step as I made 'Tom's Midnight Garden' before leaving on an around Britain trip to Ayrshire, Chester, Oxford, Bath, Royal Tunbridge Wells on a lead-up to my second Clarity Retreat. (And what a treat it was, too. Many thanks to Barbara, Paul, Dave, Jayne my 'buddy' Lynne and everyone else involved in making it such a lovely, messy, fun and informative experience.) 
I can however offer a number of photos of the stamps and stencils used throughout the blog.The daisies were stamped on old book pages and leaves on copy paper which was then coloured, you know how much I like my 3D additions!

I DID find this challenge lived up to its name and for this reason once again I turned word-play to decide the route I was going to take. I wonder which road you will follow? Looking forward to viewing your wonderful pieces of art-work on the Clarity Challenge; all details and guidelines are to be found at claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.ukclaritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk and this includes how you can submit your post from your blog or send by email a photo of your work to claritystampchallenge@hotmail.com

Materials:-

·         Clarity Stamps: - Cat from ‘Lucky’ set; Leaves from ‘Poppy’ set; Meadow Grasses set; NDC 99 – Daisy outline stamp.

·         Clarity Stencils: - A5 Bird Table; Brick Wall.

·         Clarity Moon mask - Large

·         Cardstock: - Clarity Stencil Card 8.5x11ins

·         Inkpads: - Distress - Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky, Dusty Concord, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Black Soot; Memento – London Fog, Tuxedo Black.

·         Miscellaneous: - Clarity Brushes; Old book pages; Micron pen; alcohol pens – rust/brown and yellow, Polychromo coloured pencils.

Instructions:-

For the embellishments: -

1.       Stamp the daisy 21 times onto old book pages using Tuxedo Black; cut each out and glue together in threes to form seven flowers. Using alcohol pens, colour the centres and on two flowers, trim away some petals. Set all seven flowers aside.

2.       Stamp 11 leaves from the ‘Poppy’ set; blend over Shaded Lilac, Wilted Violet and Chipped Sapphire and cut out. Set aside.

For the background: -

3.       Attach large moon mask to top right of the Clarity stencil card.

4.       Tape the Bird Table stencil over the card, having masked off the birds with tape or similar and gently brush over ‘London Fog,’ ensuring areas in the shade are slightly darker. To intensify colour around edges, use a make-up sponge to pick up residual ink from stencil and dab over. (Thank you, Barbara and Paul for this little tip!)  Remove stencil.

5.       Tape the Brick Wall stencil along the lower half of the inked bird house.

6.       Tape the bird table stencil over the inked image and gently brush over a medley of Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire and Dusty Concord (in that order) around the perimeter of the card, shading lighter tones towards the centre.

7.       Remove moon mask and replace with moon ‘outie.’ Brush over Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed and Fossilized Amber, concentrating the darker colours at the edge of the moon. Remove mask.

8.       Brush London Fog over the Brick wall stencil. Remove stencils. Trim card to suit.

9.       Using Tuxedo Black, stamp a variety of Meadow Grasses at the base of the inked image. Repeat using Dusty Concord further up the card. Brush Black Soot along the foot of the card, over the existing colour.

10.   Outline top of wall and a selection of bricks with Micron pen.

11.   Stamp ‘Tom’ on top of the wall using Tuxedo Black.

12.   Glue on leaves and daisies.

13.   With Polychromos, add shade where needed.

Et voila – here we have ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden.’

Remember a £50 voucher to spend on goodies from the Clarity website could be winging its way to you, should your submission be selected at random. Then, there is chance of being selected as one of the Top Five. You know you can do it - Go on, go on, go on!!!
claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk

Best wishes,

Shelagh
'The Making Lady'

Chocolate Baroque Challenge 

August 2016

Fluttery Butterflies

I've just returned from one of my favourite walks - along the Ythan Estuary, just north of Aberdeen - and was as amazed as ever by the wildlife - herons (at least nine,) curlews (dozens,) cormorants, buzzards but sadly no seals, eider ducks or sand martins. Despite recent reports, I saw more butterflies today than ever before including Orange-tips, Meadow Browns and Small Tortoiseshells where one of the latter was sharing a flower with a bee! These sightings were the inspiration behind my decorative wreath and fitted in so well with this month's CB challenge colours. 

Materials:- 

• Stamps:- Chocolate Baroque - Joyful Christmas Clear Stamp set, A Year of Stamping - April small and large; 
• Ink Pads:- Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Inks:- Peeled Paint, Twisted Citron, Fossilized Amber, Wild Honey, Carved Pumpkin, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Barn Door, Rusty Hinge
• Cardstock:- White
• Miscellaneous:- Clear Detail Embossing Powder; Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens - Solar Red, Clear; Cutting Machine; Fine Glitter; Glue Pen.
  

Instructions:- 

1. Cut three rings using a large die or an electric cutting machine and glue together for stability. Blend over a mixture of Peeled Paint and Twisted Citron. Set aside.
2. Using Onyx Black, stamp the poinsettia twenty four times in 1st and 2nd generation ink for contrast, large butterfly once and small butterfly three times. Heat emboss.
   
3. Blend a mixture of the Distress inks to create 'rusty red,' green and yellow flowers and cut out.
4. Blend yellows and oranges over butterflies and add definition with Rusty Hinge, Fired Brick, Carved Pumpkin, Barn Door and Twisted Citron using a fine paint brush. Cut out.
5. Add Solar Red Sparkle to centre of butterflies and Clear Sparkle to flowers and leaves.
6. Dot glue pen over berries and butterfly bodies and sprinkle with fine glitter.
7. 
   
8. Glue flowers around rings to suit then add butterflies. 
9. Gently bend petals and wings for a 3D effect.
   

Et voila! Fluttery Butterflies!

This is my entry for this month's Chocolate Baroque challenge.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. 

Shelagh ;~}

Clarity Challenge 42 Mid-month

‘Fussy Cutting’
'Fine Feathers!'

Materials:-

·         Clarity Stamps:- Matrix Feathers large and small; Birds form ‘Bird and Flower Row’

·         Groovi :- Banners Border; Calendars, Relatives, Occasions Border plates

·         Inkpads:- Archival – Watering Can, Distress Worn Lipstick

·         Cardstock:- 12 x 12 white card

·         Scrap parchment

·         Fine Detail Embossing Powder

Instructions:-

1.       On a sheet of 12 x 12ins card, lightly draw a circle in pencil (I drew around a ‘salad’ plate – larger than a tea plate but smaller than a dinner plate.

2.       Using Watering Can, stamp the large feather firstly at ‘12o’clock’ then stamp onto post-it notes to form masks. Cut out a number of masks and use one of them to mask the first stamped image. Hover with your feather stamp and decide where your second stamped image will be best placed on your pencilled circle as this will form the pattern.

3.       Continue to mask and stamp until a grey circle has been formed. Fussy cut, leaving a border.

4.       Draw a slightly larger circle on another sheet of 12 x 12 (for this I used an upturned soup bowl) and repeat (3.) Stamp Worn Lipstick onto a Clarity Blending Mat, craft sheet, or glass mat and colour the feather circle with a watered down pink. Fussy cut and reserve.

5.       Stamp the Birds from ‘Birds in a Row’ onto a Gel Press print and cut out. Repeat and cut out the wings only. Attach the wings onto the bird images with foam pads. Reserve.

6.       Stamp the small feather onto scrap parchment, one for every bird image, add embossing powder and heat set. Fussy cut and add as a tail to each bird.

To assemble:-

1.       Place foam tape around the reverse of the grey feather circle and place over the pink feather circle.

2.       Add foam pads to birds and attach to suit.

3.       Using the Groovi Borders, emboss Fine Feathers, pierce with the twin tool then cut out. Add to circle to suit.

Et voila! Les Oiseaux!

Craft Stamper Take It, Make It August 2016

Craft Stamper 

Take It, Make It Challenge August 2016

Umbrella Ella!

Umbrella Ella

Hello and welcome to my blog. Above is my entry to the 'Take It, Make It challenge in Craft Stamper. Apologies to Rihanna but the title seemed to fit the bill; it was either that or a play on the name of a famous brand of raincoat! Below is a short explanation should you wish to 'have a go.'

Materials:-

·         Stencils:- Clarity Umbrellas, Umbrella Girls, Jo’s Bubbles

·         Stamps:- Clarity – ‘Joy’ set

·         Cardstock:- Clarity -  Stencil Card 7x7ins; Crafters’ Companion – Black A4; Papermania – 8x8 card blank

·         Inkpads:- Distress Inks – Pumpkin, Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean, Twisted Citron, Fired Brick, Peacock Feathers, Old Paper, Tea Dye, Antique Linen, Black Soot;

·         Miscellaneous:- Faber Castell Polychromos; White Chalk marker; Fine black pen; Quickie Glue pen; Glamour Dust; Wink of Stella – Silver; Turquoise alcohol marker

Umbrella Ella

Instructions:-

1.       Using a loop of low-tack tape, fasten Umbrella Girl ‘inner’ stencil to centre of a sheet of 7x7 card to act as a mask; tape Umbrella stencil over and blend a variety of bright Distress Inks over the stencils.

2.       Remove stencils and tape Umbrella Girl ‘outer' stencil over to protect surrounding colour. Colour image with Antique Linen, Old Paper and Tea Dye. Add definition with Polychromos. Remove stencil.

3.       Add highlights to umbrellas with white chalk pen. Scribble fine borders around coloured shapes and add dots to white areas.

4.       Mist with water spray and blot.

Umbrella Ella

5.       Place Jo’s Bubbles stencil over and colour small circular apertures with white chalk pen. Repeat over main umbrella.

6.       Add Silver Wink of Stella, followed by glue pen and glitter over the white circles on main umbrella.

Umbrella Ella

7.       Stamp music stave from Joy set randomly in 1^st and 2^nd generation ink.

8.       Add and colour wavy border; outline with turquoise pen then mount onto white, black then 8x8 card blank. 

Et voila - Umbrella Ella.

. . . . . Or it could be 'Femme avec Parapluie!'  ;~}