More trees! (and shoulder blades...)

Hello bloggers!

Greetings from a rather damp Norfolk!  Isn't it amazing how quickly we can go from lovely, hot, sunny days to damp, cold and dull days?

Anyway, can't do any gardening, so may as well make cards!  (every cloud...)
I went for another appointment at my osteopath's on Thursday and this time asked him to sort my neck out as it had been a bit stiff.  I also explained about my strange shoulder.  I was born with one shoulder blade in a strange position, this hasn't really caused me too much trouble, but I don't have a full range of movement in that arm.  He asked me if I wanted him to 'have a go at sorting it out'.  I said 'Yes!'
He did a deep tissue massage, which was very painful, but the results were amazing, he lowered the shoulder (it had been too high!) by 30%!!  I can now look over my right shoulder without turning my whole body and the whole area just feels so much more comfortable - I hadn't realised how much discomfort it was causing me (because I had never known any different!) until it stopped.  Isn't that just amazing!??  I had never had any treatment because I never realised there was anything that could be done.

I am going back again in a month to see if he can improve it further!

So back to cards.... this is another of the sample cards I did for Barbara for the last TV show.  Again, I have used the next 'In the Classroom' set.  This time I used the naked tree and the mantle over the top.

I used the grassy border to make a frame, then stamped the scene inside.
For the trees, I stamped the branches first in Espresso, then added the green over the top.  You have to do a bit of experimenting with the right amount of ink for this, otherwise the branches can look too prominent!

Hope you like it!  I'm off to look over my shoulder ...because I can!!

Take care, Janet xx

Monochrome Winter Tree

Hello Bloggers,

As it's turned a bit chilly, I thought it would be okay to post my 'Winter' card.  I did this using just one tree from the next 'In the Classroom ' set from Clarity - I used the 'naked' tree.  This set comes with four 'naked' trees and mantles which you can add over the top.  This is such a good idea, because you can so easily do the bark and branches a different colour from the leaves.

I have hundreds of tree stamps but I always love getting more! 

I masked off the central panel and stamped the tree randomly down the sides.
Then I masked off the edges and stamped the scene in the centre panel.  The strip of grass along the bottom of the tree is part of the set too.
The bird is one of the crows that came with the lovely Scarecrow set a while ago.

A bit of matting and layering and a few gems and you have your card!

Hope you like it and thanks very much for visiting xxx

In the Garden

Hello fellow bloggers,
At last!  We have some hot and sunny days, let's hope it lasts for a while.  Time to get out in the garden, so I thought this card was very appropriate.

I really like the 'strip' idea in cards (you may have noticed!!) and I thought this garden set would go well with this style of card.  This is a really lovely stamp set from Clarity, one of the lesson sets.  It is the Birdhouse and picket fence set

This is a really easy card to do, I stamped the bird feeder in place first, then masked off the top and bottom of the card to create the strip.
Stamp all the images in place, then sponge blue for the sky and green for the grass.
I also masked off small areas and just stamped the very top of the hollyhocks stamp to give a bit of random flowery stuff in the background.

Remove the masks and draw along the edges with a fine line pen.
Stamp the birds and squirrel in place.
Hope you like it and thanks very much for visiting
Enjoy the lovely weather!
Janet xx

Breakfast?

Morning all!  I hope you have been enjoying the lovely sunshine!  We have to make the most of it while it's here don't we?
This is a lovely set of stamps for the next classroom with Barbara, you can never have enough grasses and silhouette stamps in my opinion.  I particularly like the animals in this set (especially the squirrel).
The main image is simply stamped out and the colour sponged in.
The backing paper is done by using the leafy branch from the set, stamping it in different colours.
I'm off to do some gardening!  I hope you are planning a lovely day.
Janet xx

Four hares and a toadstool!

This will be my last blog post for a few days, on Tuesday I will be en Suisse.  My sister lives there and I will be spending some time with her and the family and attending my niece's graduation.  Apparently, they have snow there at the moment!!  Winter woollies packed!

This is the card I made with the 'In the Classroom' set this time.  The set consists of four fab hare stamps, a toadstool and a lovely fern frond.  I also used the 'Make a Point' stamps from a previous classroom set.

 

 

I will be blogging from Switzerland, so stay tuned!  If you interested in sewing or quilting, check out my sister's blog

Take care x



In the Classroom Reeds

Good Morning, I can see leaves beginning to form on the trees around the house now, so hopefully, spring may actually be coming!  Still a bit chilly though.
This is another card using the new 'In the Classroom' kit,

The centre panel is coloured with distress inks, just by using the blending tool.  I used several colours which blend together to form other colours.
I created a few splodges by flicking water from my fingers on to the ink, then blotting with copy paper (the splodges don't show well on the photo)
When all that was dry, I stamped the reed with archival black ink and added the heads separately.  Stamp the mini dragonflies too.
Embellish with small black gems
Mat onto black card, tear the bottom edge

For the background, I stamped the reed without any heads
Put it all together and there you have it xx

In the Classroom - windmill and reeds

I enjoy any 'grass' stamp, so was delighted to receive this set.  The reed stamp is brilliant, as it comes with different heads, so you can easily change the look of it.  I love watching the classroom shows with Barbara, I especially enjoy seeing all the homework cards people send in - what a wealth of talent there is out there.  I am pleased to have many of those ladies as friends on facebook.  I love it when their cards get shown.

Main Image

• use the A5 white coated Claritycard, stamp the windmill in place using Adirondack pitch black, place a mask over the top
• mask round the edges with low tack masking tape
• to create the cloudy sky effect, press cotton wool strands on a versamark inkpad and transfer to the top half of the card
• Brayer time! use either stonewashed or denim Adirondack ink and brayer the colour on the top half of the card, the versamark acts as a resist, so you should get a nice cloudy effect, which will show up a bit more if you give it a quick polish with kitchen roll
•  turn the card round and brayer lettuce ink on the bottom half of the card (make sure you catch the base of the windmill - or it will look as if it is floating!)
• it looks better if you leave a bit of white between the areas of blue and green
• darken the base of the card with a darker shade of green, such as oregano or pesto
• Remove the windmill mask and the masking tape and using the black Adirondack, stamp the reed into place chose which head you like best and add to the reed stems
• colour the windmill with promarkers
• draw a wiggly black line round the edge of the ink
• mat onto black card

Background

• Use Theuva card, brayer the sky blue and the base green
• stamp the reed with oregano/pesto/lettuce (whichever you use for the grass in the main image)
• ink round the edges in black
• mount on to the base card and add the image at an angle on top

Phew!  Sorry that was so long!