Birds

Hi folks,

I am getting a bit behind with blogging, so I have got three cards, all featuring birds today.

The first two are done with the fab Wise Old Owl set.

   

 The background for this one is done with brushos,  I used a brown one (sorry, can't remember which one!) and sprinkled very lightly onto card, then spritzed.  I used one piece to stamp the owls on and one pice as the background.  I did add some colour to the owls with pencils.  In the set, there are also little spectacles, a morter board and a monacle - so ideal for graduation cards!

The second card is a very simple design. Stamp the owls in place, then mask and place the arch stencil over the top put a moon/sun mask in place, then add colour - blue at the top and green at the bottom.  Draw round the stencil with a black pen.

Remove the mask, then colour the owls.
The arch stencil comes from a set of fantastic aperture shapes, they are really useful
Stencil Framer Shapes set 1










The last card is another simple one, this time with the lovely goose from the Goose set I stamped him in place, then used another framer stencil, this time from set 2.  I think this has to be my favourite shape from both sets. I love the deckle edge!
I drew round the stencil with pencil, then all the colour and shading is done with pencil and blending with a paper stump - I find this a very relaxing thing to do.  I was originally going to keep just to black/grey, but decided to add blue to the sky.
I added extra pecil round the edge of the frame and blended that too, to make it a bot more smudgy.

Thanks for visiting today, I hope you have a great Sunday.
Janet xxx

Color burst for Christmas

Hello everyone,

I hope you are having a great weekend - it would be nice if they were three days long wouldn't it?

Today's card is one I did for the last Clarity show, I am a long way behind with blogging it!

It seemed strange without Clarity on the TV last month didn't it, but Dave's health must come first!

I made the background with color burst - have you tried these yet?  They are little pots of granulated pigment powder.  I light;y spritzed some watercolour paper, then added the tiniest amount of powder and spritzed some more - the colours just burst into life!

If the colour looks a bit intense, you can blot with some paper towel (just make sure Kirsty Goodwill isn't looking, she shouts 'don't you dare blot that!!' at you)
Once it is all dry, select a bit you like, then stamp on it!  I used black archival for Santa and the Reindeer and green archival for the trees - all stamps from the new Christmas Wee Folk sets 7 & 8.
I added the reins with a black pen.

I am having a quick break from making sample cards for some upcoming new sets of stamps, but I need to get back to it now....
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Take care,
Janet xx

Catching up a bit

Good morning all, I hope you have a good weekend,


I am home again after spending a lovely few days in Kent.  I went to the Clarity retreats in Crowborough, which are brilliant - lovely projects and a fun and friendly atmosphere.  Barbara, Paul Church, Jayne and the Clarity team work hard to make it all run smoothly.  There is always a lovely atmosphere.
We have been asked not to show what we did until all the workshops are over, so today's cards are the one we did at the last Claritystampers East workshops.
I know we are still having summer, but as card-makers, we have to start thinking about Christmas cards if we are going to make some to sell or even just to get ahead for making them for friends and family - one of the ladies who came on Sunday said she had already got all her cards done for this year!

The first card is actually more green/grey but for some reason, it doesn't show up here.  We did the background first - using Fresco finish chalk acrylic paints and sweeping it on the card with a stencil brush, I start with pale colours and add darker as I go.  If you add too much dark, you can just go over the top with a bit more light.
Wash your brush quickly after use and the paint will come out easily.
Once the back ground is dry (it doesn't take long, the paint is quick drying!) use an archival inkpad to stamp over the top.  Stamps are from Christmas Wee Folk 7 and the Christmas word chain 14 I also added some shadow under the folk and trees.  The final touch is to add some white dots with a white pen.

The second card is done with inks - I used adirondack Denim and Eggplant.  I tore a mask using the base of the Clarity blending mat as a guide.  I brushed denim ink at the top of the card, then move the mask and add a layer of eggplant.
Stamp the Merry Christmas from the Merry Christmas sentiment set  in place, then add the Santa Sleigh and Reindeer from the Christmas Wee Folk 8 set.
I added lots of trees in eggplant at the bottom of the card.
I coloured in the Merry Christmas with matching Spectrum Noir pencils with glitter over the top, and added touches of glitter on the sleigh and reindeer.
The other card we did was the parchment one I showed you in my last blog.
I am off to do some gardening and enjoy being in the sunshine.
Take care,
Janet xx

Groovin' for Christmas

Good morning to you!

It have had a bit of sorting out to do recently!  My poor old car which I've had for 13 years was due for scrapping in a month or so and I was going to get a new (used!) car.  Unfortunately, the exhaust blew over the weekend and I had to hurry things along!  We went round garages on Saturday and I found a car I liked the look of, but wanted to go home and chew it over....so Monday morning, I phoned the dealers and asked if I could take it for a test drive and how quickly could they get it ready for me - they did it the same day!  Amazing!!  ..so I am now the proud owner of a lovely Audi A1.

There was a bit of urgency as I am going to the Clarity workshops Wed/Thurs and my old car wasn't going to make it!

The cards today are featuring the Groovi system - pop over to Barbara Gray's blog, there is a fab offer on at the moment - spend £40.00 and get a free Christmas Tree plate (very lovely it looks too!!) or check out Claritystamp's website

I am not the world's best at parchment, but the Groovi plates make it much easier to get the line work in place - I think of them in terms of stamps, they provide the outline, then you do the rest!  My work is pretty basic, but I am looking forward to getting more adventurous!

These are two that I've done, just embossing and a bit of colour on the second one.

..and finally a little picture of the car I got!  Look out for me whizzing down the M11 very soon!!

Take care and I look forward to seeing some of you at the Clarity retreat!
Janet xxx