Clarity Stamp Challenge Blog 19 - Nature

Hello,
A mega quick post today as I am really cutting it fine to get this entry in.  I have been up to my eyeballs with marking for the last three weeks that I haven't had time to do much crafting.  Anyway I have forced myself to have a couple of days off to do something creative (or I'll go crazy).  

Anyway this month's post was inspired with a walk down by the river in Evesham and my nine year old started collecting the most beautiful leaves.



So I decided to made a plaque using Claritystamp Autumn Maple leaves.  I used the gelli plate to make a background onto an MDF plaque.



I used a couple of Clarity stencils and some metallic acrylic paints in golds, copper and titanium buff. I then stamped the sentiment in the middle of the stenciled leaf.  Wish I hadn't done it on a wonk, but hey ho, as Barbara Gray says, get over it and get on with it!



I used some of the paper that I cleaned my brayer on stamped onto that.  On some I used versamark and embossed with gold and white embossing powder.  On others I used a variety of autumnal colours and sprinkled a bit on gold embossing powder.  Finally I also stamped some plain leaves.  I cut them all out ... whew that was a bit of a job since I was so short on time!






I stuck the leaves round in piles and added a bow at the bottom and put some more ribbon to hang it with.  The photography is not brilliant.  My phone is running out of charge and so the flash isn't working (sigh..)

Anyway hope you like it. Not bad for a couple of hours work I guess.
Thanks for stopping by.

Ela xx

Clarity Stamp Challenge Blog 18 - Feminine

Hello fellow crafty friends, 
Goodness me, another month has passed by and it is time to submit my entry to Clarity Stamp's blog challenge which has a theme of 'Feminine'.  August is a month of birthdays for me (7) and because it is also the summer holidays, I feel obliged to make everyone a bespoke handmade card.  My entry to this month's challenge is the last birthday card of the month and it is for my lovely sister-in-law, Jan.  I hope she doesn't see this before the 30th! 

As I was rushing a bit, I didn't record many step-by-step pictures so here are a few pictures of the finished product.  I do hope you like it.

I used both the small leafy swirl stamp and stencil in this project (both from Claritystamps). 

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The pictures above show how I designed the dress and made a practice model.  I made a model first of all to test the idea (guess whose a Design Technology teacher lol!).  I then designed an SVG file in Silhouette studio software and cut out the shape on my silhouette.  I then stamped the the skirt and top using Versamark and embossed it with white embossing powder.  I then inked it with distress inks. I made another dress exactly the same and then glued them both onto either side of another dress cut out with a scalloped base, with a piece of cotton sandwiched in between.  This allows the card to spin within the aperture in the card front. 

I used the gelli plate to make some prints using the Leafy Swirl stencil and used them to make the backgrounds, the mirror frame and flower (which I cut out using my Silhouette). Finally I cut out a banner shape and stamped 'Happy Birthday' using Clarity's re-mountable line sentiments (I love these!).

Hope you like it and please leave a comment if you visit.  If anyone would like a copy of my SVG for the dress, please let me know and I'll forward it to you.

Ela xx

Clarity Challenge 17 ... Anything goes

Hi there, thanks for stopping by.

This is my entry for this month's Clarity Blog challenge 'Anything goes'.  I love Clarity's miniature stamps and this stencil is so versatile for framing images.  

I first blended distress inks - I think I used barn door, worn lipstick and spiced marmalade and Adirondack butterscotch.


I then cut a paper stencil of the stencil to use as a mask to protect the white areas.  I used Claritystamps Kitchen Set and stamped in the apexes using black archival ink.





I then used Sakura colouring pencils to add subtle colour and shading to each stamp.



Next I carefully marked out where the digits for the clock were going to go in pencil.  I was much easier than I anticipated because the clock was square.  I stamped (again using good old black archival) using Claritystamps classroom set numbers and symbols.  






I then went round the edges with a black micron pen and drew a squiggly line and 'time to bake'.  Still not perfected this technique but it came out sort of ok!



I sprayed the surface with a couple of coats of varnish and then glued it to a 6mm MDF base (which I painted with Peobo black gesso).  I drilled an 8mm hole in the centre and applied some more varnish.  Finally I added a clock mechanism and voila!





Thank you for stopping and by and I please let me know what you think.

Ela xx

Clarity Challenge 16 - Masculine

Hello lovely people,

Goodness me it's June already and time for another Clarity Challenge.  This month I have had the privilege to be guest designer and the theme is all about the men in our lives ... well Father's Day is looming in 15 days time.

Soon as I found out what the theme was I delved straight into my Clarity stash and knew straight away that it would be a garden theme.  I love Clarity's Garden Set.  Each stamp is so beautifully intricate.  

I also used Clarity Stamp's classroom birdhouse set and the new line sentiments.  The line sentiments are so useful.  I love how you can shape them, they are very versatile.

I cut the shed out of kraft card and coloured it in using promarkers. As you can see, the door closes. I brayered the background and used Clarity cloud mask - this is quite subtle as I am only just getting to grips with this technique.

I used white embossing powder on the fence. I should have made a mask but it was easier and quicker to just emboss over the shrub plants.  Finally coloured everything else in using promarkers.  I cut some of these shapes out using my Brother Scan'n'cut ... a very clever gadget for busy crafters like us. :)

Well that's all for now.  If you have time please leave a comment, I'd love to know what you think. Thank you for visiting and good luck everyone entering this months challenge.

It's all about the words ... Clarity Stamp Challenge May 2014

Here is my entry for this month's challenge which is all about using word stamps.

I love these words and use this stamp often.  The sunset was inspired by a recent holiday in North Wales.  

Well it's not quite the same but it was a gorgeous evening and what an amazing view.  I wanted my design to be a bit  more ethereal.

 Anyway I hope you like and thanks for popping by.  

Ela x

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 257

Hello fellow crafty people, 

Sorry I am posting this so late (late night at school moderating GCSE and A Level coursework .. fun, fun! Then I had a worksheet to sort out for tomorrow ... sigh).  Anyway, finally made it up to my craft cave and  this is what my desk is looking like this week.

As you can see, I am in mug mode this week.  I'm in the middle of making a mugs for various occasions using vinyl cut by my trusty silhouette.  My friend is leaving work at half-term and she rather likes to eat cake.  Another friend has a baby due in a couple of weeks so I am making her a mug to go in a little baby preparation kit I'm putting together.  The middle mug I painted at craft club last Friday.  I loved doing this and definitely intend to do more.  

Finished impending motherhood mug.

My 9 year old has taken rather a shine to this one so this one looks like it will be stopping at home.

Well that's all.  I'd better be going to bed after a quick nose at other people's desk. Please leave a comment if you drop by.  Have a fabulous week.

Ela xx

Clarity Challenge 14 - Monochrome

Happy Easter,
Just a short one to attach this month's Clarity Challenge, the theme being Monochrome.



It is rather rushed I'm afraid as I am away tomorrow, but I was determined to get an entry in as I missed it last month.





I decided to go traditional black and white using Clarity Stamps wall flower set.  I embossed the large corner stamp in black on the black card. Not sure that works brilliantly on the photograph, it looks better in real life!  I had a go at some zentangle on a couple of flowers. It was my first attempt and I'm not sure they were the best flowers to attempt it on.  The Thank you stamp is a Clarity New Design Club and it has proved very useful.  The leaf bits on the end are from Clarity Birdcage set. 




Anyway, I hope you like it and thank you for stopping by.
Ela x

WOYWW 254

Evening fellow crafty people,
What a gorgeous day it has been, far too nice to be indoors.  We've been enjoying the sun in local park today, but I have been up to my crafty lair for a bit this evening.

So what's on my desk this week?  Lets have a look.



Crikey it is messy.  Well this week I've been making a birthday present for my husband.  I've made gelli plate mono prints using Clarity Stencil seed head designs.  You can see one of my attempts in the right hand corner.  I was cutting out frame for them which you can see on the desk in the middle. There is also a little peak of the card I'm making for my husband (see finished result below).

 
New toy alert .. my Brother scanNcut! I was trying to cut my frames out on it but not very sucessfully.  I got the the sizes completely wrong



So I had to resort to my trusty Silhouette.  You can see above a birthday card I've made for friend using a Clarity stencil and grunge paste (it was one of Barbara Gray's blog tutorials).



This is my husband's birthday card.  I used a Sheena Douglass stamp which I painted using H20s on kraft card.  The porthole and sentiment are from the Silhouette store.  I have since added a 'we' to the love you bit if you think the sentiment doesn't read right!  I lost the 'I' somewhere along the line.  Probably stuck to the bottom of my shoe.  Below is the finished birthday present.  It was an idea I got from the Silhouette blog; I've put my husband's favourite Beatles song lyrics in vinyl onto the prints.  I hope he likes it. 

One last thing I'd like to share.  Last week at school it was mad as all my students rushed to complete their GCSE and A level coursework.  It was an exhausting week but look what I found on my school work desk on Friday.  Aren't they lovely and it makes all worthwhile.



Have a great week and please leave a comment if you pop by.
Love Ela xx