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

Our House

Hello again!


I hope you are having a great weekend.  I am busy making samples for Barbara's show next weekend and preparing for workshops too, so I haven't got those cards to show you yet.  I will say that the new stamps coming up are going to become favourites - so make sure you tune in!!


Also, have you joined the new Groovi club?  I have (I am now a diamond!) those little Groovi plates look so cute, I can't wait to get the first instalment. and get going with the projects.

This card is the last of the samples I made for the last TV show.  I used the Town Super Stencil and the Wee Houses and Wee Shops stamp sets.
This is a huge stencil, so I decided on the part I wanted to use and masked round the edges and also attached it to my card.
I used distress inks in browns and greys to brush and sponge through the stencil.
I stamped the shops and houses onto a separate piece of card, inked round the edge and matted up on brown card, then attached that to the background.


Thank you for stopping by
Janet xx

Disappearing followers...

Hello bloggers,


Apparently you now need to have a Google account to join with Friends Connect to follow a blog and anyone who doesn't is being removed.  Along with many bloggers, I have noticed followers disappearing, so if you can still read this, please know that it is beyond my control and I am not blocking anyone!  I assume you can still follow by email.


Today's card is a bit different!  It was inspired by a card I was sent, which I liked...

I used the rather lovely new stencil Wild Grasses 1
I attached it to some stencil card, then drew round the flower head with a fine pink pen and the leaves with a fine green pen.
I sponged some pink ink through the flowers and some green through the leaves.
I removed the stencil, then added some pattern to the leaves and flowers with the green/pink pen.
In the background, I drew lots and lots of tiny circles, then coloured in round them, I think I may have used a promarker, but can't actually remember now!  I left the edges a bit ragged and coloured in round the outside with a pink promarker.
Thanks very much for dropping in
Janet xx

Forever Friendship

Hello Bloggers,

Did you catch Paul's shows yesterday?  Such a wealth of knowledge and inspiration and a clever demonstrator.  I am in awe of the samples made by the Groovi team - I really must get into that, I have all the gear....!

Back to stamps and stencils for now though.  This card got shown yesterday, so I thought I would blog about it.

I used the stencil Seed Heads and  'Forever' and 'Friendship' from Word Chain 8
I started by attaching the stencil to the stencil card, then squished a few colours of distress ink on a glass mat and added a little spritz of water, then just sponged various colours of diluted distress ink through.  I used a natural sponge with an open texture, which gives quite a splodgy appearance.  I pressed quite hard to get into all the nooks and crannies..
Once dry, I cut out a piece I liked that fitted my card, then added extra ink round the edges and matted onto green card and tore down one side.
I added the same inks to a smaller piece of card to stamp the words on, then matted them separately.  Nice and easy!
Thanks very much for popping in, hope you enjoy the rest of your evening
Janet xx