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xx Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog - your comments are all greatly appreciated xx

Tuesday 4 November 2014

All Dressed Up


Don't fall down, but here's a mid week post from me!!!!

I can't believe that there was frost on the car this morning and the temperature gauge read minus one degrees.  Only last week it was 21 degrees, no wonder there are so many people with colds.

Talking of colds, Mark and I have been without heating for the last three weeks as our boiler was condemned - booooo.  The boiler men have been here for 3 days now fitting a new one so fingers crossed this evening we will have some heat.

Anyway, my reason for being with you today is not to complain but to show you one of my projects from the Clarity Stamp show on Create and Craft at the weekend.  Were you watching?

When my parcel arrived with this months stamps and stencils I knew immediately what I was going to do with this one, it was shouting "iris folding" at me.

After drawing an outline of the stencil onto a piece of copy paper, I began working out the pattern for the dress.  I then used the red and blue backing papers from the stencils to create the folds.  If you'd like my pattern please give me a shout and I can pass it on to you.

The outline around the edge of the card was created using the bottom of the Clarity Style dress stamp and coloured in with Spectrum Noir pencils.  I love these pencils as they blend so easily and give a great effect.


Materials used:
Stamp - Clarity style
Adirondack ink - cranberry

I'll be back throughout the month with more of my samples from the show, so please pop back I'd love to hear your feedback.



xx Happy crafting xx

Saturday 1 November 2014

Travel


Welcome to November and thanks for popping over to my blog, I hope you can stay a while and have a look around.  My inspiration is there to give you inspiration in the hope that you can go away and create a piece of art.

Over on the Clarity blog our new monthly challenge has just started with the theme of TRAVEL. Hands up who wants to come and join in the fun?

Here's my inspiration for the challenge:


Materials used:
Stamp - bicycle
Stamp - posy
Stamp -  garden set
Stamp - lamp post set
Stamp - tree branch
Sentiment - word chain 5
Stencil - brick wall
Adirondack ink - red pepper, lettuce & stonewashed

I hope you have great fun with this challenge and I can't wait to see your projects.

I will be going to the NEC next Sunday so please say hi if you spot me.  I'll be the one with loads of bags :-)




xx Happy crafting xx

Wednesday 1 October 2014

The Seasons


Welcome to October where the leaves are starting to fall off the trees and the darker nights are starting to rear their ugly head.  It's miserable without some sunshine isn't it?

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As we've just entered Autumn we thought a good challenge would be to focus on "The Seasons" and with four of them to choose from we hope to get a variety of projects.  Why not pop over to the Clarity Stamp Challenge where you can see the rest of the design teams inspirational projects and our guest designer, Susan White, who was the winner of challenge 18.

My thoughts behind this card were to try and bring all of the seasons onto one card creating a scene for each.  As you can see the tree follows through all of the scenes and changes its appearance according to the season.  I hope you get some inspiration from my project.


Materials used:
Stamp - meadow dance
Stamp - small swing
Stamp - deerscape
Stencil - sunshine
Mask - cloud
Adirondack ink - stonewashed, cloudy blue, mountain rose & sunshine yellow
Archival ink - black


Have fun with this challenge and we look forward to seeing your entries.






xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Monday 1 September 2014

Filigraphy Dolphins


Welcome to a new month and a new challenge over at the Clarity Stamp Challenge.

Where did August go?  I blinked and it was gone!  Now either I'm getting older and losing my marbles (no comment) or time is genuinely going quicker each month.

I saw a post on facebook the other day and they were actually counting down to Christmas.  I haven't even started thinking about Christmas yet let alone making cards or plans or anything.  I bet there are plenty of crafters out there that start in the new year and set themselves a target each month aren't there?  You put me to shame!!!

By the wonders of modern technology when you read this post I will be sitting on the beach in Cyprus soaking up the sun, hopefully with a glass of something cool in my hand.  On second thoughts I'll probably be fast asleep still when the challenge goes live.

The challenge this month is all about "Nature", so you can take your pick whether you use your animal stamps, leaves, trees or any of the stencils within the Clarity collection.  Why not go to town and create something 3D or paint a canvas.  We would love to see your nature creations and you could also win a £50 voucher if you are randomly selected as our winner at the end of the month.  I bet you like the sound of that one don't you?

Here's my card for inspiration:


Materials used:
Archival ink - black
Acrylic paint - titanium white, lemon yellow
ultra marine and emerald

If you've never tried using the gelli plate you're missing out on a technique that creates backgrounds for your stamping, but be warned it's very addictive!!!  I'm sure you've seen Barbara using the gelli plate at the shows, on the TV, on her blog or during her YouTube videos.  Check them out for more inspiration as this technique gives you another use for your stencils too.



xx Happy crafting xx

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Blessings


Good morning crafters, how are you this morning?

Today I'm bringing you one of my samples from the August Clarity show on Create and Craft.  If you didn't see the show you can check out the Clarity Challenge blog to see what products were included.

When I saw these stamps they immediately reminded me of a stained glass window, so with my Clarity stash at hand I started to bring this together.  This set is very versatile and lends itself to many occasions.


Materials:
Stamp - funky foliage
Sentiment - word chain 4
Stencil - sun arch
Stencil - tangle
Adirondack inks - lemonade, sunshine yellow & butterscotch
Archival ink - black

I hope I've given you some inspiration with my project today.

Don't forget you still have time to enter the Clarity Challenge for August which has a feminine theme. You could be the winner of a £50 voucher if your name is randomly pulled out of the hat!  What have you got to lose?



xx Happy crafting xx

Friday 1 August 2014

Haberdashery Shop


July was a great month with lots of crafting amongst good friends.  I went to the Crowborough retreat with Barbara Gray along with another couple of design team members and we had a great time.

Last Saturday was the one year anniversary of my Peterborough Clarity workshops.  We celebrated in style covering the tarmac technique and then all went out for a meal afterwards.  Thanks to my ladies and Matt for a great year and to Steve, Hazel and Mark for helping me.


If you're interested in coming along the details are below, we'd love to have you join in the fun.

Location
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Wollaton, Nottingham

Contact Details
Blog - Sazzle Craft
Email - claritystampersEM@hotmail.co.uk

Dates (Peterborough)
Saturday 27th September
Saturday 25th October
Saturday 29th November

Times
10.00 - 16.00


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Dates (Nottingham)
Saturday 9th August
Saturday 11th October
Saturday 8th November
Saturday 13th December

Times
10.30 - 16.00


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It's the start of a new challenge over at the Clarity Challenge Blog so why not pop over there and check out the design teams artwork?

The theme for August is "FEMININE".  This is your chance to really get in touch with your feminine side whether it be flowers or the new elegant lady stencils.  Barbara has shown us so many techniques on the Clarity YouTube channel and on her blog.  There must be something that you're dying to try!

Are you feeling lucky? Well that £50 Clarity gift voucher could be yours if you win. Here's my artwork for inspiration:



  
Materials:
Stamp - Tailors dummy
Stamp - Swirl from birdcage set
Distress inks - victorian velvet, vintage photo and antique linen
Die - deckled rectangle
Mirri card
Acetate
Embroidery thread

This was a real labour of love and even required the woodwork skills of my other half Mark too.  He made the shelve unit and the cotton reels.  

Have fun with the challenge!




xx Happy crafting xx

Tuesday 1 July 2014

A Change in the World


Pinch, punch it's the first of the month!!!

Now we're into July the sun should be shining and we should be out in the garden enjoying the sunshine, but what are we doing?  Staying inside, keeping out of the torrential rain and even switching the central heating on.  Has someone told the powers that be that it's summer? Fingers crossed for a late one!

 
On Saturday I ran my monthly Clarity workshop in Peterborough where we got our brayers and gelli plates out.  The ladies had great fun and there was plenty of laughter too.  Crafting is so much fun especially when you share it with friends and all of my ladies (and one gent) certainly enjoy themselves as well as bringing cakes and biscuits to enjoy during the day.

If you are interested in attending monthly workshops in the Peterborough or Nottingham areas please have a look at my "workshop" page for more details and I'd love to meet you and have you join in with the Clarity fun.
 
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It's the start of a new challenge over at the Clarity Challenge Blog so why not pop over there and check out the design teams artwork?

It's a popular one this time with the theme of "ANYTHING GOES".  It's great because you're not limited to what you can use, apart from Clarity products of course, and you could even try those techniques you've been wanting to try for ages or something new that you've just learnt.
 
Whatever style you like or whichever stamps or stencils you use, we can't wait to see what you create.
 
Are you feeling lucky? Well that £50 Clarity gift voucher could be yours if you win. Here's my artwork for inspiration:
 
 
Materials:
Sentiment - be the change
Stamp - leaf set 1
Stencil - leaf 1
Adirondack inks - citrus & latte
Dylusions inks - melted chocolate,
cut grass & pure sunshine
Gilding flakes - variegated copper
 
The background has been made using pearlescent card, dylusion inks and a roll of kitchen paper with masks made from the stencil and the leaf set to match.  Have you tried using gilding flakes yet?  Just a word of warning.  Don't try it in front of an open window!  For ease of use empty the contents into a larger container.
 
Have fun wth the challenge!
 
 
 
 
xx Happy crafting xx

Sunday 1 June 2014

Masculine


WOW this year is flying, I can't believe it's June already!!

May was a memorable month with our Clarity design team holiday in France.  Great friendships were formed and crafting techniques learnt.

The gites were absolutely stunning and reaped in history, we even had our own ghosts.

Here are my two room mates and car buddies, Kelly Ketteringham and Amanda Branston.

And here is the fabulous room we stayed in.
The mess was all Kellys!!!!

We didn't all share one bed though and I got the one in the corner.
I even got the proper hotel service courtesy of Mel and Jayne
whilst they were having a tour.
What do you think to the swan they left me?

We visited some lovely towns and an artisan village where we
watched them going back to basics.
Dave loved it, but then I think we all did too!

We drank plenty of wine

and even managed to stay on the correct side of the road, well at
least some of us did!!!!!

Now we're back to the UK and reminiscing about our week away....

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The first of a new month always means one thing, it's challenge time over at the Clarity Challenge Blog. Why not pop over there and check out the design teams artwork?  

Male cards are the one thing I think we all dread aren't they?  So hopefully we've made your job a bit easier and the men in your lives will receive gorgeous pieces of artwork from you.

Are you feeling lucky?  Well that £50 Clarity gift voucher could be yours if you win.  Here's my artwork:


Materials used:

The background was created using shaving foam and Dylusions inks, but you can use re-inkers and many other products to add your colour.  Have you tried this technique before?  It's great fun!!  There are plenty of videos on YouTube.




xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Thursday 1 May 2014

Welcome to your new home


Welcome to May crafters and with it being the first of the month we are launching a new challenge over on the Clarity Challenge Blog and the theme for May is "It's All In The Words".

We normally concentrate on the images on our artwork, but this time we're challenging you to put your sentiments, verses and words into the spotlight.  Have you checked out the NEW word chains? They're great on your artwork and with clever masking you can use individual letters to create other words as some of the design team have done.

My card was designed for my daughter as she has just moved into her first home, you may remember seeing this on the last Clarity show at the beginning of April.

I've used a combination of the letter box set, the word chain and the one of the framers and put a picture of her new house in the centre.

We'd love to see your projects and you could win yourself a £50 Clarity vouchers if you are randomly picked as the winner or alternatively you could be in our top 5 and get yourself in the spotlight and let us join you in your crafting journey.  What have you got to lose?


Materials:
Stamp - letterbox set
Stamp - home framer
Stamp - word chain 3
Stamp - home set
Stamp - tree silhouette
Stamp - journalling set
Stencil - brick wall (7"x7")
Adirondack ink - lettuce & stonewashed
Distress ink - mowed lawn
Archival ink - black
Versamark
Mask - landscape set
Stencil brushes
Gilding flakes - variegated copper


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If you are interested in attending monthly workshops in the Peterborough or Nottingham areas please have a look at my "workshop" page for more details and I'd love to meet you and have you join in with the Clarity fun.




xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Saturday 1 March 2014

Flower Power


Welcome to March crafters...

It may have been two weeks since my last post, but I've been busy behind the scenes - honest!

Last Saturday (22nd February) my ladies (and no gent this time) got together for our monthly Clarity Stampers East Midlands workshop in Peterborough.  We had loads of crafty fun as well as cakes and chatter.

I've also been finalising my new workshop in Nottingham.  All of ths details can be found on my workshop page.  Exciting times...

If you're interested in either of these workshops please contact me @ claritystampersEM@hotmail.co.uk for more details.

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We're starting the month off with a new challenge over at the Clarity stamp challenge blog and the theme for this month is FLOWER POWER.  Quite an apt one this time as we have Mothers Day on the 30th March and flowers are so versatile we can use them for almost any occasion.

My inspirational card for this month is a twist on one of the classroom cards that Barbara did with Leonie.  Remember happy Davy?  I've just turned mine into an easel card and added the lettering to the ledge at the bottom which the easel leans against.  You can adapt the wording in many ways depending on the occasion.


Materials
Stamp - long grass
Mask - letter box
Adirondack ink - stream

When working with inks you may find that your hands get covered and you seem to have more ink on your hands than you do on your artwork.  A good way of removing it is to use Imperial Leather soap, it doesn't remove it all but is better than anything else I've ever tried.  


Barbara herself uses Imperial Leather so if it's good enough for Barbara it's good enough for me!




xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Sunday 16 February 2014

The Greatest Show on Earth


Welcome to Sunday crafters, I hope you all enjoyed Valentines Day and were thoroughly spoilt by your loved ones.  Mark bought me a bottle of perfume and some chocolates, but due to working this weekend we will be going out for a meal at a later date.

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If you cast your mind back to the beginning of the month you will remember that Barbara featured this gorgeous new stamp set in her Clarity show on Create and Craft.

(click on the picture above to take you to the Clarity website)

I had great fun playing with it and immediately thought that an advertising poster would be a good idea. Out came my copy paper, as I always sketch away on copy paper first, and after several different options my artwork transformed.


Materials:
Stamp - circus set
Stamp - number set
Adirondack ink - cranberry & sunshine yellow
Promarker - sunflower
Distress marker - fired brick
Die - labels 18

As most of you already know Clarity stamps are really versatile.  For my circus poster I've used the roof of the big top to make the edging, but you can use a lot of your other stamps in many different ways. Have a look at your collections and see how many other ways you can use them.  You'll be surprised what else you can make.  That's the beauty of Clarity stamps.



xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Saturday 1 February 2014

Love and Romance


Welcome to February, the month of romance.  Will your Valentine be bringing you chocolates and flowers this February 14th?  Or will your day be celebrated in a different way this year?  Mine, who knows...

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In my January workshop, my ladies and gent were working with the gelli plate and of course the love and romance theme, so I thought I would use one of the projects as my inspirational card for the new challenge over at the Clarity Challenge blog. 


Materials
Stencil - hearts and leaves (7"x7")
Mask - moon mask
Gelli plate (6"x6")
Adirondack ink - red pepper, stonewashed, denim
Archival ink - black
Acrylic paint - crimson

If you've not used the gelli plate before, don't be scared to get it out of the packaging and have a play. What have you got to lose?  Some pieces of copy paper and some ink.  You may surprise yourself with the results once you start playing.  Don't try to run before you can walk though, just stick to one stencil and perfect the art before introducing more stencils.



xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Thursday 23 January 2014

Would you care to dance?


My day started today, much the same as every other day.  I got up, went to work, (oops correction I did get showered and dressed in between as well), made myself a cup of tea and sat down to read Barbara's daily blog.  I love how she shows us step by step how her artwork is produced, don't you?

To my surprise there was my artwork, so I thought when I got in from work tonight I'd better create a blog showing you it and telling you how I created it.


I loved how Barbara referred to it in her comments as it looked like Laurel was throttling Douglas when in actual fact she is dancing with him.  Well that was my intention when I created the card anyway!

Materials used:
Stamp - Laurel
Stamp - Douglas
Stamp - Laurel hedge
Stamp - shard
Archival ink - coffee
Nestability - scalloped oval

Instructions
  1. Mask off the sections at the top and bottom of your card blank with low tack masking tape.
  2. Stamp the Laurel hedge, tessellating across the panel with coffee archival ink.
  3. Taking a make-up sponge drag the latte adirondack ink in around the edges of the masking tape, starting lightly and increasing the depth of colour.
  4. Colour in the leaves with a green promarker and remove the masking tape.
  5. Stamp the shard across the centre of your card blank using the coffee archival ink and colour in with promarkers.
  6. Stamp Laurel onto a separate piece of card using coffee archival ink.
  7. Create a mask by stamping Laurel onto the sticky end of a post it note and place over her.
  8. Stamp Douglas onto the card so that Laurel is draping her arms around him.
  9. Remove the mask and colour in both characters.
  10. Place the nestie over the top and die cut making sure that you avoid any limbs that are outside of the shape.  They won't be able to dance without a foot...
To cut a shape outside of a nestie, place the die onto the card and make a pencil line where the object will fall outside of the shape.  Remove the die and hand cut around the shape by hand extending it just slightly either side.  Place the die back in place but ensure that the piece that you have cut by hand is over the top of the nestie (to avoid being cut off) and then die cut as normal.




xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Saturday 18 January 2014

Sweet Cherry Blossom


It's the weekend, so that means it's craft time!!

It's a busy time of the month in my craft room as I prepare for my next workshop and begin my samples for the next Clarity shows, but it's also an exciting time as I get to play with new products too.

If you would like more details about my workshops, please visit my workshop page at the top of this blog for more details.

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Today I'm going to show you the card I made for the Clarity New Design Club (issue 82) and give you the step by step (unfortunately without pictures) of how it's made for those of you that are not in the club.

However if you'd like to join the club, it's just had a facelift and is looking fantastic with it's glossy step by step tutorials by Barbara herself.  If you would like to learn more about the benefits please visit the Clarity website.

Here's the stamp that came out with issue 82:


And here's the card that I created as inspiration:


Materials used:
Stamp - NDC cherries
Stamp - NDC thank you
Adirondack ink - lettuce & black
Flexmarkers
Post it notes

Instructions:
  1. For this one we're using Theuva card as we're going to be doing some Promarker work, Promarkers also mean Adirondack ink so that your line art doesn't bleed.
  2. You need masks for this project too, so grab your post its and stamp the image at the sticky end and cut it out four times.  You will also meed a mask of the largest flower for the centre.
  3. Ink up the largest flower only with Black Adirondack, making sure you remove the ink from the rest of the stamp with a wet wipe or kitchen roll, and place this in the centre of your card. Cover with a mask.
  4. In up the whole stamp, and using the mask as your centre point, slightly overlap the stem of the branch onto it.  If you think of the image as a clock face the image will be at five to the hour.
  5. Repeat as above this time stamping at 25 past the hour, ten past the hour and lastly at twenty to the hour.
  6. For the next layer we need to mask what we've already stamped.
  7. Ink up your stamp and blot onto a piece of copy paper.  Stamp your image between two of the images already on your artwork.  This is using the second generation of ink and will appear as though it is further away.
  8. Repeat for the other three branches.  Remove all masks.
  9. Colour the cherry blossom using flexmarkers (Pale Blossom, Tea Rose & Sorbet) using the lightest colour all over and graduating the darker colours towards the centre.  Remember to use a light touch and don't "flood" (use too much ink) your work.
  10. Colour the leaves using a combination of Promarkers and Flexmarkers (Bright Green & Chartreuse) shading as above.
  11. Colour the stems with Promarkers (Caramel).
  12. Ink up the brayer with Lettuce Adirondack and roll onto the Splodgemat to even out the ink on the roller.  Cover all four corners and the edges graduating colour towards the centre of the work.
  13. To add depth to the colour add Black Adirondack ink to your Splodgemat and repeat the step above.
  14. Mould the "Thank You" sentiment to reflect the shape of your artwork and, using the Black Adirondack, stamp in the bottom right hand corner.
  15. Mount onto red card.


I hope you have fun trying this card or just reading about it.  Why not leave me a comment and a link to your blog so that I can have a look at your artwork.  You give me so much inspiration browsing around your blogs.  I LOVE CRAFTING!!!

See you next time xx




Monday 13 January 2014

Never Ending Calendar


Welcome to Monday crafters...

Are Mondays good or bad for you?  Monday means leaving my craft room and going to work, but then without work I wouldn't be able to buy more craft goodies so there's got to be some good in it too, hasn't there?

Are your new years resolutions still going strong? Did you promise to keep off the booze, keep fit, loose weight or give up smoking?  Or was it something more interesting?  Mine was to blog more regularly and I think I'm doing quite well with it so far!

My project today is for the Clarity Challenge blog.  We run monthly challenges with a different theme each month giving you the chance to win a £50 Clarity voucher or be picked in the design teams top 5. Now how do you fancy that?  All you have to do is follow the theme, use your Clarity stamps/products only, enter the challenge via your blog or email us and then sit back until the end of the month with your fingers crossed to see if you've won.  Simples...

The theme for January is 'new beginnings' so I chose to make a never ending calendar.  It doesn't matter what year we're in you can always use it.  I've given this to Mark, my partner, for the desk in his office so have kept it very masculine.



Materials used:
Stamp - letterbox set
Stamp - artist set
Archival ink - coffee
Distress ink - dried marigold, wild honey, walnut stain,
scattered straw & vintage photo
Distress marker - vintage photo

It's great to make something you can give as a gift and that can be used daily.  If anyone would like the measurements for this project, please let me know and I can get a project sheet made up for you.





xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Thursday 9 January 2014

May all your dreams come true...


Hi de hi crafters

I've just finished my first full week back at work after the Christmas and New Year break and of course my fortnights holiday before that. So I've come back down to earth with a huge bump.  I'd forgotten that there were two 6 o'clocks in a day, but have been reminded of it this last week with the alarm going off at 6am.  Never mind it all goes towards the next holiday so it won't be long before the brochures come out and we start planning our next adventure.

My card today is using the outside mask from the Paris skyline which was shown on Create and Craft last weekend.  This enables you to create a silhouette of the skyline and then using a piece of copy paper and a make up sponge create the illusion of depth with shadows at the edges of each building.

I achieved the reflection by placing the mask onto my splodgemat and running over it with the brayer loaded with espresso ink, then pressing the card onto the splodgemat to pick up the ink.  Move it to your card matching this up with the reflection, re-ink your brayer and run over the mask again.  You should have the perfect mirror image with the reflection slightly faded.

For the clouds you can create these out of a piece of paper or easier still you can use the Clarity cloud mask and after strategically placing your sun in place and using a make up sponge, gently drag the colour onto your card.  Remember you can always add it but you can't take it away.  You can almost hear Barbara saying that can't you?

The water effect requires a brayer and a scrunched up piece of copy paper.  Load your brayer with stonewashed adirondack ink, run it over your scrunched up paper and it will pick up the pattern from the paper.  Place your sun mask in place in it's mirror image and run the brayer over your card once. Don't keep running over the card or you will lose the effect, and voila you have your rippled water.

Now all you have to do is add your sentiment...


Materials used:
Mask - clouds
Adirondack ink - stonewashed, espresso & sunshine yellow

I hope you have fun with the techniques above and playing with your new masks, stencils and stamps if you ordered them at the weekend.



xx Happy crafting and Clarity hugs xx

Monday 6 January 2014

Time To Reflect


Welcome to my first blog of the New Year, not too bad as it's only the 6th!!!

Who has made their New Year's resolutions?  If you have, what are they and have you broken them already or are they still going strong?  Mine was to blog more on my personal blog.  I know I run the Clarity blog, but that's not the same as showing you my artwork on here is it?

Well this year it's going to be different.  Can you tell I'm crossing my fingers behind my back?

How many of you watched the Clarity shows yesterday (Sunday)? There were loads of sellouts!  Were you one of the lucky ones who managed to buy one of the fab stamps from the show.  If you missed it, there's a reminder for you on the Clarity blog.

The card below used one of the stamp sets shown on Create and Craft and highlights the flexibility of having an alphabet set within your stamp collection.  You can create any name, verse or quote you want as simple as anything...


Materials used:
Adirondack ink - stonewashed & sunshine yellow
Twine
Card Candi

To get the reflection of the letters in the water you can either stamp the letter onto the blank letter square (provided in the set) and then stamp onto your card or alternatively stamp directly onto your splodgemat and press your card onto the splodgemat.

If you were using the coated Clarity card with the second method you would have to be careful not to move the card or the letters would smudge.  I used the first option and hopefully the letters look as though they are floating with the ripples in the water.


xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx