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

WOYWW 252

Evening all fellow crafters, a short one tonight because it is late and I need my bed!

Another week has flown by although, workwise surely it should be Friday already! I haven't done much crafting this week due to deadlines for coursework at school.  Doesn't matter how long you give the students or how much notice you give them regarding deadlines, they all leave it to the very last minute .... arrggh ... very stressful.  Anyway had a good go at marking it at the weekend and set them lots of things to finish before we break up next week.  Fingers crossed it will be all done by then and they all get fantastic grades!

Anyway, this my desk this evening.  Bit of a mess again I'm afraid. 

There is a card I've been working on at the front.  Nearly finished but I keep getting interrupted. I'm trying to make it as an easel card.  You can see my first easel .... it's huge so I need to scale that down.  I'm embarrassed that there is still a jar of dirty water in the background.  I keep forgetting to take it downstairs with me to clean out. One of my box cards is still lurking at the back.  I must post it to my friend who had her baby in January.  I am terribly disorganised sometimes!

Here is another of box cards I made at the weekend.  Hope you all have a great week and thanks for popping by.  Please leave a comment.

Ela x