A sunny reminder...

Hello everyone,


I am having a busy weekend prepping for a Diva Red workshop next weekend and the Claritystampers East workshops coming up in March. 
Today's card is my samples for the 'Brilliant work of Art' kit which Barbara had on the TV on Thursday - such a fun kit to work with, but so little time.

I found a background which I'd done while I was with the Clarity team on our holiday in France last year.  This brought back memories of sitting in the sun under the supervision of the lovely Kirsty Goodwill as she was patiently teaching me how to use Gelatos.  They work best if you use Gesso on your card, leave to dry then scribble and blend the Gelato colours.  This was one of the backgrounds I made, which I'd saved

Stamp with archival ink and colour over the top of the gelatos, I also shaded round the edge of the card.

Thanks very much for visiting, hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend,

Janet xx

Graceful Dancer

Hello there!


Did  you enjoy the extra Clarity shows? - Fab demos as always by Barbara and it's so lovely to see Leonie again.
My card today is the last sample from the last shows on Hochanda, using the lovely Graceful dancer and the new stencil which was free with a set of stencil brushes

I attached the stencil to my card, then covered the oval in the centre (the bit comes with it) and brushed purple ink through the frame and some yellow with a bit of purple for the flowers.  I also outlined the flowers with a fine pen.
I removed the oval mask in the centre and started on the lovely lady.  I stamped her in place first and masked her, then brushed a little of the purple and yellow into the oval.
I removed the mask and coloured her in.
I added a few gems around (for artistic effect and not to cover any little splodges at all!!)
I stamped a few leaves from the beautiful grasses set of stamps and matted onto matching cardstock.
Thank you for visiting
Have a lovely evening!
Janet xx

Inspire

Good morning folks,


A quick post today to remind you that Barbara has extra shows on Hochanda this month - Tune in on Thursday 25th for three hours of Clarity
It will be good....

Today's card in another sample from the last shows, featuring two of the masks: the pine trees and the clouds (my current favourite!)
I started with the trees, brushing and sponging a dark green ink along the bottom of the card, then moving the mask and doing a lighter colour and moving again to build several layers.
Once the trees were done, I did the sky and clouds, starting from the top and working down, careful to avoid the trees, then I just stamped the word and bird in place.
Have a great day!
Janet xx

More grasses...

Good morning everyone,


I hope you are having a good weekend - definitely a touch of spring in the air here today... but as my Mum has been telling me every year for the last 50 years (or so...!) 'It snowed on the day you were born'  My birthday is on Wednesday, so we're not out of the woods yet!
However, today is lovely...

Today's card is another one using the wonderful set of grasses stamps
I started with card that was slightly coloured green, I found it in my stash and think it must have been a 'mop up' piece
I masked off the strip across the centre, then stamped the various grasses in various colours along the border.  I squished the ink onto a glass mat and added a touch of water, then dipped the stamp in and stamped, so it is a slightly blurry image.
Once that was done I removed the mask, protected the bottom edge and stamped the grasses with archival ink, then coloured in using the same colours I'd used for the other part.  I added a thin black line top and bottom of the strip for definition.


I'm off out for a family lunch today, hope you have a lovely time whatever you are doing,  thanks for visiting.
Janet xx

Simple Grasses

Good morning all,
Just a quick post today, I should really be getting to work!  Today's card is one of my samples for TV - using the beautiful Meadow Grasses

I simply stamped all the grasses in a row and coloured in!  Not quite as easy as that though - because it is such a simple design, there is no room for error, so the stamping has to be perfect ( took me a few goes, what with my dodgy thumb an' all!)
It all has to be straight, and to achieve that I put a piece of masking tape along the bottom edge, lining it up carefully on my mat to make sure it was straight! I stamped so that the very end of the stems was just on the masking tape.  I then covered it up with a ribbon, so it didn't really matter!! (but I promise it was properly straight!)  I decided to leave it that simple, I think the images are beautiful and don't have to have much else.
Gotta go!
Thanks for dropping by,
Janet xxx

Always....

Hello folks,


I hope you are having a great weekend and are spending time with your Valentine!
Today's card is another sample from the last TC show Barbara did on Hochanda, using the lovely new Poppy set of stamps (this time without the poppy!).

I found a piece of card in my stash which had got a pale blue and pink background, I think it must have been a gelli plate off cut.
I stamped the smaller of the poppy leaves very lightly all over.
I cut a small square and stamped the lovely grassy image in the corner in blue archival.
I also stamped the word 'Always' from word chain 2 on a separate piece of the card.
I added a fine line all round the edge of the square, then decided to go mad and added another two.  I highlighted the 'flowers' with a white gel pen and matted it all onto blue card, then pink to bring out the tinges of pink in the background.
Stamps used:
Poppy Set
Word Chain 2
Hope you like it!
Enjoy the rest of the weekend
Janet xx

Poppy Blue

Good evening folks,


It's been a lovely day here in Norfolk, cold but bright and sunny. I even did a bit of tidying up in the garden, not too much tough, I have hurt my thumb, so I am a bit limited in what I can do (same for crafting, unfortunately!)
Today's card is the first of my samples from last Sunday's shows on the TV.. I was delighted to get the stamps this time, you can never have enough grasses and leaves and poppies are my absolute favourite flower.

I made the frame first, by putting a square mask in the centre of the card and stamping the large and small leaves all round (the smaller leaves are in a paler blue in the background)
I blended some more ink round the edge of the card.
I removed the mask then stamped the poppies in place.
I used a fine blue pen to add a line under the poppies and go round the edge of the square.  I used a water pen to add extra colour to the poppies and the larger leaves and splattered a little ink around and added the word 'Poppy', then matted on blue and white card.
Hope you like it.
Stamps used:
Poppies set
Poppy word


Janet xxx

Workshop weekend...

Good morning everyone and happy Sunday to you!


Are you all set for the Clarity shows on Hochanda Sunday and Monday - lots of lovely Clarity goodies on their way and some fab demos.... I will be recording to watch later as it is the Claritystampers East workshop in Great Blakenham.  It is the first one of the year and I am looking forward to meeting up with everyone again.


Yesterday, it was the Diva Red workshop I run with my friend Moira, it was lovely to catch up with the ladies there too.
These cards are the one I did for that..

This is pretty much the same as one I did previously with strips of paper, but this time with the addition of some flowers, stamped onto the same papers and cut out. 

This one is also similar to a previous card.  The sky is done with the fab Clarity clouds mask, then the bird row is stamped on the sky background and again onto some patterned paper, the birds are cut out and layered onto the main image, this is mounted onto a background of the same paper.  I have had a huge pad of beautiful patterned papers for ages and it seems a shame not to use then, I am sure I am not alone,,so why not dig out some craft kit you've had kicking about for ages and use it with some lovely new Clarity stamps,,,
Stamps used:
Bird and Flower Row
Cloud Mask
Enjoy your weekend,
Janet xx