18th Birthday - Clarity Challenge 18: Feminine

Well, it's good to be back in blogland.  A wonderful holiday club for 55 children and another bout of labyrinthitus have kept me from finding time and energy to blog my cards.  Fortunately I have had time to make some cards - very relaxing amidst the busyness and lethargy.  I made this card for my beautiful granddaughter who celebrated her 18th birthday earlier this month.

I used the Clarity Madeleine Stencil and Centura Pearl cardstock. A selection of orange and brown toned promarkers for the hair and then pink and green for the flower and ribbon.  I used a black micron pen to write 'Naomi 18' on the ribbon and a selection of skintone promarkers for the face.  I matted onto coordinating green, then white card before mounting onto the beautiful red card I used for the main part of the card.
The left hand panel is half size and folds over so that you can just see her face and the flower.  The balloon stamp is from Clarity and the 18 is from the Clarity letterbox kit.

The front of the card is an embossed panel (seen on the right here) and for the back of the card I used the Clarity Madeleine stamp and the Clarity letterbox kit.  The stamp was coloured using Spectrum Noir pencils to give the same effect as the embossed panel which is the main part of the card.

I hope you like it. Naomi was delighted as I managed to get the tone of her hair just right and the face shape is very similar too.  I'd love you to leave a comment.

I'm entering this card for the 18th Clarity Stamp Challenge which is 'Feminine'.

Twenty First Birthday Card - Clarity Stamp Challenge 15: It's all about the words

It's hard to believe that my nephew will be 21 in a few days time.  The card I've chosen to make for him uses the Clarity Clockwork stencil.  For the central panel I taped the stencil to some beige Centura Pearl card and used a sponge to ink through the stencil with stonewashed and denim Adirondak inks.  I made the clock part darker than the cogs for emphasis.  The side panels are made in a similar way but I kept moving the stencil so that I got a more random effect.  

The randomness of the side panels contrast with the more ordered effect of the central panel and this fitted the Clarity Harmony Sentiment 'Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony. Mahatma Gandhi'.  I used a Spellbinders die to set off the sentiment and inked the edges with Cloudy Blue Adirondak.  The sentiment and 3 panels are all matted onto the dark blue card that comes with the Clarity stencils.  The shininess of the card goes well with the Centura Pearl card.  The three panels are then matted onto gold mirri card.

I wanted some texture on the front of the card so used a tri-boss embossing folder which I felt complimented the Clarity Clockwork stencil and inked it with the same inks as before.  The key is a balsa wood die cut which I embossed with gold powder.

I am entering this card for the Clarity Stamp Challenge 15: It's all about the words.

Clarity Stamp Challenge 11: New Beginnings

Hello everyone.  Here is my entry for Clarity Stamp Challenge 11: New Beginnings.  When I read about the new challenge I realised that I wanted to show that new beginnings always begin with us, the way we think and behave make such a difference to ourselves, those we meet and the world we live in.  Gandhi's phrase 'Be the change you want to see in the world' came to mind so I chose to use this as the centrepiece of stamp along with the Clarity sunshine stencil.

I masked off the bottom part of the card, taped the stencil in place and used Adirondack Butterscotch ink for the sun.  Then I masked the top part of the card and used Adirondack Meadow for the grass.  Following this I carefully stamped the phrase in place so that the long part was just above the horizon and 'Gandhi' in the bottom part of the sun.

I wanted the centre to be bright and the edges darker to show that who we are can make a difference.  Using my brayer I added black ink to the corners and ends of the card.

After this I used the Clarity split tree kit to stamp the trees on either side of the sun.  Nearest the sun the trees are in blossom, then in leaf, then naked to show that our positive actions can change the world we live in.

Finally a little torn paper and stencil brush to add the shadows of the trees.

This is the first time I've tried a piece of artwork that tries to express a meaning.  I hope you like it and thanks for looking at my blog, please do leave a comment as I love to receive your feedback and advice.

Geese: Clarity Challenge 10

Hello, I hope you had a lovely Christmas Holiday.  We've been very busy seeing family and are now enjoying a welcome rest.  I did wonder if I would find to design, make and blog this card before the deadline for the December Clarity Stamp Challenge - but I managed somehow!

I have had the geese stamp for some time and not used it, so when I was sorting through my Clarity stamps for inspiration I realised that I could make a scene using the geese as the focal point.

First I  stamped the geese in archival black and embossed them with clear embossing powder.  Then I added a mask for the sun and a sticky note to mask the ground before using the Clarity clouds mask to add the clouds.  I used a combination of weathered wood and pumice stone Distress Inks and Adirondack Stonewashed for the sky.  I replaced the sun mask with it's outside and used squeezed lemonade and mustard seed Distress Inks plus Adirondack butterscotch for the sun.
The next stage was to use various Clarity Grass stamps for the vegetation and a tree stamp on it's side for the grass in the middle.  For the trees I used the branches from the Clarity split tree stamps. I used weathered wood Distress Ink to add the path and some shadow underneath the geese.  Finally I used Clarity birds in the sky.
Then I matted onto black then yellow card before stamping the background.  I drew around the outside of the topper with a pencil and marked the horizon.  Then I used the same split tree and grasses stamps around the edge being careful to preserve the horizon.
Then a final matting onto black and yellow card before sticking to a black card blank.

I'm quite pleased with the overall effect although I wonder if I should have used a lighter colour for the background as the picture makes the bottom of the card look a bit dark.  Looking at it again I realise that I should have put some clouds over the sun too.  I'll have to work out how to do that. 

Please do let me know what you think - and anyone have a tip for a yellow sun with clouds over the top?

I'm entering this card for the December Clarity Stamp Challenge: Scene Building

Wedding gift

I recently decided to branch out from cards and made this picture as a wedding gift for a friend.  All the stamps are from Clarity and stamped onto Clarity Card.

The landscape stamp is one of my favourites but wasn't the right size for my picture frame.  So  I copied the design using the perspective trees, various grasses stamps and a black micron pen to fill in the horizon and islands.  Then  I brayered the sky and water after masking the moon.  I used sponge and ink for the moon and finally added the verse and various birds.
The trees are quite a bit smaller than in the original landscape stamp but I was quite pleased with the overall effect.  Hope you like it.

Clarity Stamp Challenge 9: Christmas

I had been wondering what to make for this month's Clarity Stamp Challenge and then this beautiful stencil arrived as this months Clarity Design Club.
I used Centura Pearl white card and embossed the stencil.  I was glad that I'd used masking tape to hold it in place on one side because when it came to stenciling the colour it meant I could lift up the stencil, have a look and then lay it down again in exactly the same place.
I used Adirondak Meadow Green to colour the leaves and tumbled glass distressed ink for the hearts. 
The stamps in the hearts are all from Clarity Stamps. I used black Archival ink for this and it gave a lovely crisp image.   The small star with the shepherds and wise men is the same as the star above the stable.  I masked the stable, inked the star and then stamped.
I allowed the ink  to dry before adding the blue around the edge of the hearts and under the figures to give them some shadow.
Finally I matted onto shiny black card and then onto white cardstock.
 While I was making it I wondered if I would need to add a black edge to the hearts but the shine on the finished card from the Centura Pearl cardstock is  beautiful and I decided that anything extra would spoil it.
I'm entering this card for this months Clarity Stamp Challenge: Christmas

I used:
Clarity: Christmas stamps, Design Club stencil - hearts
Centura Pearl cardstock
Adirondack Meadow Green and Tumbled Glass Distress Inks
Black archival ink

Happy Birthday

I made this card for the 17th birthday of one of my grandaughters.
I took some Clarity Card and masked off the top and bottom.  This left  the central portion free and I used stencil brushes and Adirondak inks to develop graduations of colour.  The Happy Birthday stamp is a wood one I've had for ages and love the shapes on the swirls.  Then I used the Art Nouveau Stamp to create flourishes in the bottom left corner and along the bottom which linked with the swirls on the Happy Birthday stamp.   The Clarity dotty stencil gave some colour along the top. 
I stamped Kasha on to Clarity Card, coloured her with Promarkers, then heat embossed with clear poweder before cutting her out and adding her to the card with sticky foam.
Then I made some paper roses with a Spellbinders die and picked up the turquoise colour in Kasha and used some turquoise paper to die cut some additional leaves.  Finally finished by matting and layering onto turquoise card then the card blank before adding  some gems to finish.

I hope you like it.

I used:
Clarity: Art Nouveau and Kasha Stamps
Spellbinders Paper Rose stencil and small flourish

Clarity Butterfly

A friend recently had her 60th Birthday and I made my first ever Angelina fantasy film and fibre butterfly.

 

Although this was one of my early uses of film and fibre I was really pleased with the result.  I also

made a matching box to present it.

I used
Clarity butterfly stamp, Angelina fantasy film and fibre

New baby

It's been a while since I blogged.  I developed Labyrinthitus in February and it's very reluctant to go away.  The result is that I'm quite tired much of the time and too dizzy to even think of driving at others.  The good news is that I'm feeling quite good at present.  The bad news is that I pulled some muscles in my back on Sunday and so can hardly move.  However two of the most comfortable chairs are the one for my computer and the one in my craft room!  So it's not all bad news!  I hope to catch up with some blogs.

Here is a card I to welcome my God daughter's new baby.  She's now a few months old.

I embossed the Clarity Clouds mask and then added distressed ink to give background.  The sheep and letter box kit were stamped directly onto the embossed background and I heat embossed the letters with sparkly embossing powder.  I layered this onto some pink card which I had already stamped with the Art Nouveau Corner.  Then I added some lace and flowers.
I hope you like it, my Goddaughter was very pleased.

Clarity Stamps: Letterbox kit, sheep, Art Nouveau Corner, Cloud Stencil

Clarity Stamp Challenge 7 - Vintage

This is my entry for the Clarity Stamp Challenge - Vintage.
The background was inspired by the design of some vintage wallpaper - white and coloured stripes with a repeating pattern.  I brayered each colour separately, masking the rest of the card to get the striped effect.  Before removing the masks I used the Clarity Camelia Stamp to make the repeating pattern.  I stamped around the edges with Art Nouveau Corner and inked the edges in the same colour.  Then I stamped and heat embossed another clarity flower and the sentiment 'Count your garden ...'
 I wanted to add  two blue butterflies I had in my stash.  The gold in their wings looked a little strange without anything else gold on the card so I added gold peeloff (I haven't used these for ages) around the edge and layered onto some dark blue card to finish it off.
This card is now in the post to a friend I've known for over 40 years.  I hope she likes it.

Clarity Stamp Challenge 6 Animals

I made this card for my grandaughter's 6th birthday this month.  She has a beloved black cat called Polly and she loved the way I made the cat was stand on the tail of the mouse in this card.

For the topper I used the Clarity brickwork stencil and Clarity, cat, mouse, bird and foliage stamps on a piece of card die cut with a Spellbinders leafy square.  I masked the edges before stenciling and stamping.
I used the Clarity Stamp letter box kit for Polly's name and then masked this and stamped with various Clarity cat and bird stamps to make the background.  Then applied lots of glitter and jewels to make it sparkle.

I would like to enter this card for the 6th Clarity Stamp Challenge, Animals.

Clarity Stamp Challenge 5 Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

Here is my entry for the  'Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside' Clarity Stamp Challenge.
It was inspired by a greetings card of 4 deckchairs looking out to sea.

I've used the Clarity deckchair and one of the seagull stamps  Then some distressed inks for the sand and sky and Promarkers to colour in the deckchairs.

Wild West Balloons

It's been a while since I've had time to blog.  We're well into the preparations for our Holiday Club starting in 9 days time and  I've also been busy making a scrapbook for our youngest daughter's 40th birthday.  The theme for the birthday was The Wild West.  I'd like to thank Janet Pring for the inspiration for this card.  We made a very similar one at Clarity Stampers East but the colours I chose looked a bit too masculine.  For this version I stamped the forest ridge twice and lone ranger, both from Clarity Stamps.  I then masked off the top and bottom of the card, added a moon and path and then sponged the sky and ground using a Hydranger Big and Juicy ink pad.  I had some pink and blue striped paper which went well with the ink colours and I used this to decoupage the balloons.  I added the Clarity sentiment 'May all your dreams come true' and some gems to finish it off.  Inside the card I used the Clarity letter box kit to spell out 'Happy 40th Birthday.  It was lovely to be able to give her a card which linked with the theme of her party.


Clarity Stamps: Forest Ridge, Lone Ranger, May all your Dreams come true, Balloons in 3 sizes, Letter box kit

Clarity Stamp Challenge 4: Mr and Mrs

The card I'm entering into the Clarity Stamp Challenge I made for some friends who celebrated their 6th Wedding Anniversary a few days ago.  I felt quite privileged to conducted their wedding ceremony, as the bride wore mauve and had mauve flowers I try to stick to this colour for their wedding anniversary cards.

I used the Clarity cornflower and 'Loved you yesterday ...' sentiment stamps.  I stamped the flower and sentiment using dusty concord distress ink and used the same ink to add a shadow around both.  Then I coloured the flower using promarkers,  inked around the edges, add two flower embellishments and a little glitter on the flower to finish the card.