Parchment Workshop Groovi Butterfly

Hi Folks!  Hope you are all doing ok out there!  Yes, I know it has  been a while since I have posted. Blogger, technology and life in general have conspired against me over the past few months but hopefully I can get through this post without things crashing around me lol!

I have a piece of Parchment White Work to share with you.  This piece was made for one of my Parchment Workshops a couple of months back.  The design I have created including the grid work frame can be taken to different stages to get a finished sample, you can "get off the bus" anytime you want, you don't have to travel all the way to the end!

I hope you like it xx

For this piece I have used a Straight Bold Grid to work out the border Frame, I have used 4 Groovi Plates from Claritystamp Ltd to make up the center image.  These are:  Nested Square, Sprig Background, Netting Pattern and Jayne's Butterflies.  150gsm Parchment, 21cm x 21cm.   

Working on the back of the parchment and using a No.1 ball tool,  I built up the design by embossing the outer lines from the Nested Square then added the two butterflies.  I then used parts of the Sprig plate (using the whole pattern would make it too cluttered ) before finally adding the Netting.

Because of the depth of the lines in the Groovi Plates I was able to get nice crisp lines and curves.

Using small shader and No.1 ball, I added white work to the leaves and butterflies. The additional design on the bottom of the large butterfly is achieved by using a straight bold grid, two needle bold.  Turn the Butterfly so that the tips of the bottom wings sit on the same line in the grid, pierce alternate double holes......see pic at end.

I then made up my grid work border frame, Bold Straight Grid, No.1 Ball, Single Bold Needle.   Embossing the dots on the back of the parchment then shallow piercing on the front.  This gave me the First stage of the design.  You could stop now and mount your piece into a 10 x 10 inch Mount. Or continue with the design.

Next stage:  use a Fine Two Needle tool to freehand Shallow Pierce in and around the Sprig, Butterfly and Netting.  I then used a Single Bold Needle to re-perforate ALL the holes, going deeper. (keep needle upright as it makes for better holes!) You could stop here if you wish!

Next Stage:  Using either Parchment Snips (Perga Cutters) or Parchment Scissors cut away the waste parchment between each hole, within each Diamond Shape that the Netting Plate makes.  (It is easier to handle one Diamond at a time, to stop you missing any holes) For more experienced parchers, you know the drill....!

You can get off here and mount your piece, I have used Black Card for backing, you can use any colour you wish (the darker the better, to show off your white work) or continue to cut out the grid work and then mount.

Next Stage:  Is to repeat the process of piercing, snipping the top part of the inner design until you have it all cut out as in this last framed picture.

Notes:  

There are variations that can be made in the Grid Work too.  It doesn't all have to be cut out to give a nice design.

Be careful when snipping not to put your scissors too far in to the holes, always have points of snips / scissors over the waste.
When embossing, go slowly and gently, remembering to lift your tool up from the parchment at the end of each stroke.

Tilt your head to the left and you will see the grid work on the butterfly.  The spacing is pierce two holes, miss two holes (on the vertical).  Then the line above the space begin again, pierce two holes, miss two holes.  Turn work to the back and using a no. 1 ball gently mark a diagonal line between the top of each two holes to the bottom of the two holes above....repeat for each diagonal.
(it is easier to follow if you do all the diagonal lines in one direction before going in the other)

The gridwork is designed on a Bold Straight Grid. Emboss dots on back of parchment then Pierce holes working from the front.  Build the design out from the corners till you meet in the middle.  You can then decide if you want to leave it as it is or go on to do some Picot Cutting.

Well thats it for now folks, let's hope that my computer doesn't go into shock now that I have finally got blogging again!

Happy Crafting

Hugs

Emma xx

Claritystamp October Challenge

Hi Folks!  Hope this month of October finds you all keeping well.
I hope wherever you are that you are all safe.
There is a new challenge started on the Claritystamp Challenge Blog

The theme for this months challenge is to use
CIRCLES and SQUARES in your design!
 This is my design sample

I have had a busy time these past few weeks.

Just about everything electronic that I use on a daily basis decided to either pack up or go haywire.  I had a hacking attempt on my Facebook Account so had to change my password, which took forever as my laptop keyboard decided to play up....even as I write this post my letters T and B either stick or type double...don't get me started on the numbers!!!  I was then blocked out of my Google account  which took even longer to sort.  This meant that I could not comment or post to my blog aagggghhhhh!

So I apologize for not responding or commenting on other crafters blog posts.

On a happier note I am now a very proud grandmother to a lovely Grandson.  Born on the 16th August.  Our Little Logan is such a cutie...but I don't think he will stay small for long...he has grown 4cm in 6 weeks!  He is bringing us a lot of joy.

I also had the pleasure of being one of the Demonstrators at Leyburn in Yorkshire with Barbara Gray and the Claritystamp Design Team.  It was so very lovely to see everyone again from Claritystamp (they are a very special bunch of people).  I was especially chuffed to get to finally meet Tina Cox and Josie Davidson, such talented ladies in the Parchment world.   Thank you to everyone who came to Leyburn for the day and for all your lovely comments about my parchment work.  We are so happy that you are all enjoying getting Groovi with us.

Enough of me nattering away, time to get on with my Challenge Sample

 As you can see from the picture above, I have used time for my design.

I began by taping around the edges of my card which gave me a blank SQUARE.  I then taped the Clarity Clockwork Stencil in place, then attached the 'innie' from the Clarity CIRCLE Stencil over the top. 

Using a Clarity Stencil Brush and Artistry Ink I brushed around the exposed clock workings.

I removed the Circle Stencil and went back into the design with my Stencil Brush....mainly removing what ink was left on the brush.

I then added Distress Ink - Frayed burlap.  I kept to the outer part of the design to darken it up then using what was left of the ink on the brush I added ink to the inner circle.  after removing the Stencil 

I added more ink to my brush - coming in off the Stencil Tape I added shading to the outer edges to define my Square. 

Next step was to add the points for the numbers.  I have a circle cut out of tracing paper which is evenly spaced for the hours of the clock.  I used a needle to 'mark' the exact points for the hours

I used a distress ink to stamp the numbers and then gave them more definition with a distress marker.

I also went around the outer edges of the clockwork design.

Next it was time to add bit of bling with some flat backed pearls. 

After removing the Low Tack Tape, I cut down my design leaving a smaller outer white square which, using a ruler and the distress marker I gave it a small edge to it.

Then all that was left was to add a bit of ribbon to the opposite corners and add a die cut tag with my hand written sentiment....not the best of handwriting I must admit!

This was then mounted onto an 8 x 8 card blank

I hope you like my offering and I also hope you will take part in the Challenge too.
There is a £50 Claritystamp Gift Voucher for the winner
There is also the Claritystamp Calendar Challenge that you can enter too...
details on the Claritystamp challenge blog 

Finally I would like to say a great big thank you to Heather and Len for your wonderful hospitality, Barbara Gray for your generosity, Jilly and Amanda for looking after me (Jilly...I found it....on my bed at home lol). Jo, Jane and Linda for your lovely support and to everyone for all your very welcome hugs.
I also have a very special Thank You to my two lovely companions for the weekend at Layburn Fabulous Fiona and Super Sandra
They brought me down from Scotland and drove me back home......not before kidnapping me and taking me to see Barbara Gray and Linda Page on the Sunday, who were both appearing at Crafters Companion Flagship....I got to meet Sarah Daves too.  We also hit another craft shop before we got back over the border into Scotland.......and they insist that they didn't hear any snoring from the back of the car when I fell asleep  either...how kind!!!

Happy Crafting!!!
Emma xx

Hi Folks! Hope you are all keeping well and hopefully enjoying some sunshine.

Today is the start of a new challenge at Claritystamp and I would like to share with you my Design Sample.

The theme this month is 

In The Garden

This is a very simple card to make

I stamped the Image and the Verse onto Theuva Card 

using Majestic Blue Versafine Ink

I shaded in the lady and flowers using a Polychromos Blue Pencil

Lovely to work with.

I cut the card to form a 15 cm square and

then did a bit of shading around the edges of the card using Cornflower Blue

Archival Ink and one of my Clarity Stencil Brushes

I then went around the edge of the card with a Blue Sharpie and

once more with the Versafine Ink Pad at the very edge.

I know that we don't usually use an Archival ink for shading 

but it was the exact colour that I wanted to use.

Why Blue?............Simply because it's my favourite colour!

Lastly the design is mounted onto a square card blank

using Red double sided tape.

The verse says exactly how I feel about my two lovely daughters

who both live far away.

I hope that you will give this new challenge a go

It is so great to see all your wonderful art work and how differently

you all interpret the theme.

As usual there is a £50.00 Claritystamp Gift Voucher 

for one lucky winner

All entries are in with a chance!!

So lets get to it Folks!

For more inspiration and to see the rules of the challenge go to

http://claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Challenge 43

Good Luck everyone

Crafty Hugs

Emma x

p.s.   Remember there is also the Calendar Challenge set by Barbara Gray to enter too!!

August Claritystamp Challenge

Hi there Folks!  Hope you are all well especially with all the sadness in the world just now.

Another month gone and another challenge from Claritystamp Ltd.

This month the theme is:

FUSSY CUTTING!!!

I am so looking forward to seeing all your wonderful entries and just to give you a bit of inspiration, here is my Design Team Sample.....hope you like it xx

Groovi Plates used for first stage

I began with colouring a piece of A5 white Parchment using the Dorso technique.

I applied the Dorso Crayon to the parchment and then applied a touch of Dorso Oil to a piece of Kitchen Roll. Then I applied this to the parchment in a circular motion, blending the colour until even.  The picture on the left is my first application.  The picture on the right is my second.

I then attached the parchment to my Groovi Plate Mate using the Baby Inset Adapter Plate and the Baby Nested Square Plate. I embossed the Outer Square.

I removed the Baby Inset and replaced it with the larger Groovi Nested Square and embossed the 9th Square, counting from the middle.  This gave me a neat frame with slightly smaller border.

I then re-inserted the Baby Inset Adapter, this time I used the Baby 'New Arrival' Plate and added the sentiment to the top and bottom of the square leaving room for my embellishment which you can see comes from the same plate. (more on that later)

For the next stage I worked on the new Groovi Border Plate Mate

Using the Lacy Corner Border (sadly it is omitted from the picture....ooops!) and the Lacy Border Plate, taking elements from these Border plates I built up my design, making sure that the design was even all around the outside and inside of the frame.

Then it was time for a bit of white work, tumble dryer sheet, embossing tools.  Nice gentle strokes to gently stretch the parchment and to build up the white work evenly.  Go around all the areas to be embossed once, before going around again...giving your work a chance to rest.

  

Note: always use the size of embossing tool that fits into the area to be embossed......no use using a 6mm ball tool if the area only takes a 1.5mm tool! 

This is where I got carried away with the design and went straight to the piercing and Cutting.... without taking photos.....

I attached the white parchment to the Groovi Plate Mate, this time with the Straight Piercing Grid

Using the 1 needle and 2 needle tools I pierced the area between the Frame and Border design.....
forgetting that I wanted to colour the Frame......You can see from the finished pic that I rectified this later......not to be advised once pierced unless you have a steady hand as you do not want the colour to go into the holes or onto your picot edges!!

I used a 2 needle fine Pergamano tool to pierce around the lacy framework and then cut a picot edge using Pergamano Parchment Scissors.......yes it did take a little while.....I was more worried about the edges catching on my clothes......don't wear wool garments when cutting.....or make sure your sleeves are rolled up good and proper......saves the air from going blue.....yes I did have to walk from my craft room to my husband and ask him to very carefully detach me from my work.....and yes after over ten years of parching, I Should Know Better!!

So composure regained, I very carefully shaded in the border using a Blue Faber Castel Pencil, applied a tiny bit of Dorso oil to a very slim paper stump and blended.....very happy that the colour didn't get onto the back of the pierced holes!

Next step cutting and mounting the two pieces together.

I applied Red Double Sided Tape to the back of the Blue Parchment and also the Front.  I attached it to my backing paper.  I then removed the cover of the tape on the front and carefully attached the Lacy White Parchment.....best to match up the corners first.  I then used my Perfect Layers Ruler to cut the backing paper. This was then attached to a White Card with Red Tape again.  I applied some Silver Iridescent Peel-offs around the edge of the blue backing paper and  mitred the corners for a better finish!

  

Now about that Rattle!

You can see that is taken from the Baby Plate along with the Bow.

What you didn't know was that.....it actually rattles!!

I embossed the Rattle twice onto the spare bits blue parchment, embossed on the back to give it shape and to do a bit of white work....I was very gentle with the shaping as I didn't want to loose all the colour.

I cut the Rattles out with my parchment scissors, piercing and cutting the inside of the handle and around the bow.  I used Perga Glue to attach the handles and halfway up the circle (to the blue band) together.  I then added some Micro Beads (those beads that are used for nail art are very cheap and are the perfect size for something this small).  I then finished glueing the rattles together.  It didn't take too long to dry. Next I used Perga Glue to attach the Bow and then attached the rattle to the center of the card using a clear double sided pad.

Hey just a thought.....I will be giving the baby his first Rattle lol!

Now to be honest with you all, this card is not finished yet.....why?

I have added a Satin Insert to the card, just ready to be written on, and now I am awaiting the birth of the baby (not long now) so that I can add his name and the date and time to the tags and add it to the card!

My First Grandchild!

(Tags Border Plate and Scrap Parchment, Scrap backing paper.  I will emboss lettering from the new Universal Framer before piercing all around and giving them a picot edge)

So there will be a bit more fussy cutting from me to come, just as well that I love it!

So now it is up to you to get your thinking caps on and to help you, why not pop on over to the Claritystamp Challenge Blog and have a look at what the other Design Team Members have on show.

If you click on their names you will be taken to their blogs to see how they have made their designs.

Wishing you all good luck in the challenge, the Winner will receive a £50.00 Claritystamp Voucher

You got to be in it to win it!

Looking forward to seeing all your lovely art work

For more information and to see the rules of the challenge click on the link below

RULES

All Groovi Items can be seen by clicking on the Orange Banner at the top right of this page where you will see all the Groovi on offer to date.

Happy Crafting

Hugs

Emma x

Twas The Night Before Christmas!

Hiya Folks!!  I am a tad late with beginning my blog posts for the month.....sorry.....been a little bit busy.....need to work on my time management skills (or slightly lack off).
I hope you are all doing well out there in craftland......lots of things happening and not all good, so I do wish everybody well!
Last Sunday and Monday had our wonderful Barbara Gray and Paul Church show off the beautiful 'Twas the Night' collection of Groovi Plates on Hochanda.tv.....a marathon of Groovi!
So my first post for you this month of July is to show off my Design Samples using the Groovi Parchment System and the release of the very lovely 'Twas the Night' Groovi Plates.

I used the straight Piercing grid to create a border with the dots adding a fake stitch and colouring it with Red Berry Ink.

Using the Straight Grid to make the border and shades of Blue Faber Castell Pencils to colour the frame and crib.

I have used Tinta Gold Ink to colour the bauble and the first word.  I then used shades of Brown Faber Castell Pencils to colour the frame adding Sakura Clear Star to the front of the frame.  I then cut around the frame with my parchment scissors (no piercing and snipping this time).

I have used promarkers for the Border (they blend wonderfully on parchment), Faber castell Pencils, promarkers for the boy, cat etc Blending them together to get the colours deeper.
I have used Tinta Gold Ink to apply to the corner flourish which is the ribbon from the Bauble plate from this set.

Out again with the Tinta Gold Ink, adding it to the Lettering and Punctuation. Also to the stars.  The reindeer is decoupaged.
I used the Diagonal and Straight Grids to create a border before snipping out with Parchment Scissors.

For this card I made it in two pieces.  I used the Nested Squares Baby Plate to create the frame around Santa, painted the Tinta Gold, Coloured with a Promarker.
I then used the new Green Coloured Parchment to make a frame.
The design was made with the help of the Straight Grid.  At the inner corners I pierced and cut a diagonal line so that the Santa piece could slip underneath creating a photo corner. (see the triangle of dots)

For this card I took another element from the Bauble  to add to the border frame. I used Red Berry Promarker to colour the outer piece and using Dorso Oil I gently blended just so that it would spill over to the inner frame slightly.  Promarkers were used to colour in all the toys and body of the sleigh, with some Tinta Gold to add some bling!   

For this piece I used a Signo Gold Gel Pen to add colour.  I only used one corner of the Universal Framer Plate to make my border.  I used the Typeface Alphabet from the Framer to add in Merry Christmas and highlighted them with the gel pen.  Rudolf was coloured using Faber Castell Pencils with a touch of Gel Pen to his harness.  I then pierced and cut around the inside edge of the moon and Rudolf and the outside edge of the border before mounting onto some very pretty gold coloured vellum from my stash. 

This is my favourite card.  I used the Nested Square Baby Plate around the Fireplace and Verse, created a pierced border before adding a double lined border from the Larger Nested Square Groovi Plate.  I coloured the outside border with Red Berry Promarker and used a combination of Promarkers and Faber Castell Pencils blended together to colour the Fireplace, Santa and cat.  Gold Gel Pen for the mice and candelabra.  

The fireplace and cat is also decoupaged!!  I had to cut up some clear sticky pads into tiny bits for this!  But I did have fun!  

For this Last card I just wanted to highlight the Universal Framer so I kept it as simple as I could.  I began with the Framer then added a Single Square from the Nested Squares.  Added bits of stars from the Star Groovi Plate.  I then added in the sentiment using elements from the Sentiment Border, and new arrival baby plates set. I used Faber Castell Pencils to shade in the swirls channels of the Framer.  I then pierced and cut out some spaces on the Universal Framer.  

This was then cut out with a craft knife, edged in silver gel pen and mounted onto some handmade paper.  I then added a border with silver Peel-offs (mitred at the corners to give a better finish)

You will have probably noticed that I am missing one of the set.....the stockings plate.......my bad......I really thought that I had finished it and sent it off to Barbara......

I had a workshop on Saturday, rested and watched Barbara and Paul on Sunday (and Monday) Went for a walk by the river (was out there all day) and when I came home I decided to get cracking on tidying up my craft room....(bomb had hit it)......found the stocking lineart that I had started, sat between the layers of my coloured parchment......oooops!!

So I shall just have to get it finished.....not sure when as we have Maria Simms coming up on Hochanda very soon and work to be finished for that, then more workshops to organise......all good fun.   

I hope you enjoy looking at my samples.  The designs on these plates were all drawn by the talented and lovely Barbara Gray herself!

If you would like to see the other Design Samples made by the rest of the Design Team (including the new stamps and stencils) then pop on over to Claritystamp and click on Artroom......

You won't be disappointed!!

Why not pop in and see the full collection of Groovi Plates while you are at it!

click on the Orange Groovi banner at the top right of my page and it will take you right there!

Happy Crafting!

Hugs

Emma x