Groovi baby!!!!

 

Hello everyone!  Was it really only yesterday that I last blogged?  To tie in with an amazing Groovi week over at http://www.claritystamp.co.uk/Groovi I thought I would blog my very first completed parchment effort.  A big thanks to Barbara Gray and all the Clarity team for this wonderful range of products:  I for one, would definitely not have tried this craft without them.  I'm just a beginner, right at the start of my parchment journey, but I love getting in the groove:  its so relaxing.

 

 

Having spent a day at last months Clarity Shrewsbury learning the basics from Maria Simms, I put it into practice for this wedding card using:

http://www.claritystamp.co.uk/Groovi/18164-/Groovi-Plate-Starter-Kit 

http://www.claritystamp.co.uk/Groovi/18138-/Butterfly-Wreath-amp-Meadow-Grasses-Groovi-Plate-Set

There's a great offer on all things Groovi this week, so why not treat yourself.  Till next time.  Xxx

Bingo!!!

Well its 1st August, so its time to launch a new Claritystamp challenge.  We had some wonderful entries into last months challenge;  its going to be very hard to choose a top 5 from among them. 

 

This month we're challenging you to a very different game of bingo.  Pop on over to the Claritystamp challenge blog for details.  My card uses a vertical line:  stamp, die and gilding flakes.  I also fell in love with the NDC stamp, and took some inspiration from one of Barbara's projects to make an anniversary card for a couple that spent the first years of their married life in India.

 

 

I used a mixture of distress inks to create the background and stamped the elephants into place using black archival.  I covered one side of a piece of adhesive sheet with gilding flakes and then used a Sizzix honeycomb die to cut it out.  I also cut it out again in black card.  I used both the 'innies' and the 'outies' to create a framework for my sentiment which was stamped using the wordpress letters in black archival.  The final touch was to fussy cut flowers from paper coloured with Oak House Studio Colour Chemistry sprays and glue them into place.  For me, this creates a feeling of festival and celebration:  perfect for an anniversary.

 

Well I can't wait to see your entries for this month;  will you be brave enough to go for a full house? or will it be a vertical line?  or the four corners?  Its a great chance to show off all those goodies in your crafty stash.  You've got nothing to lose, and you'll be in with a chance to win a £50 Clarity voucher.  Go on, give it a go.  Till next time.  Xxx

More than words...

Hello again.  Here's another of my samples from the last show.  This one very nearly didn't make the cut, as I was worried that the colours had gone too muddy around the edge.  That goes to show how much I know.  Everyone seems to love it.

 

 

I started out by stamping the words in black archival.  Then I stamped on the stars in versamark and embossed with clear detail powder.  Then I sloshed on some Spectrum Noir aquatints and sprinkled on some rock salt while it was still wet.  At this point I was really regretting adding the blue, as I thought it had gone a bit muddy where it mixed with the red.  Oh well, too late now.  Desperate to try and make it work, once it was dry I brushed round some dusty concord distress ink to try and bring out more of the purple tones.  I even seem to remember brayering on a touch of eggplant Paperartsy paint!

 

The star was made from a separate piece of card in the same way, just using the yellow aquatint.  The little girl with the star was stamped with black archival.  

Both pieces were matted onto black, the star attached with 3d tape, and it was done.  

You can get some incredible patterns for backgrounds using rock salt with aquatints.  Its one of those fun, messy techniques where you never know quite what the result will be.

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by.  I'd love to hear what you think, so please take time to leave a comment.  I read and appreciate them all.  Till next time.  Xxx