Shades of Blue 2

Hi Folks.  This Thank You card was fun to make.  I used the first  Clarity Stamp stamp that I ever bought.  The stamp is a version of an Alphonse Mucha (1860 - 1936) print from his Arts collection entitled Music (1898).  I was given some Mucha posters for my new flat when I first left home waaaay back when, and I still have them today, a little worse for wear but still loved.  I was already a fan of Barbara Gray from Clarity, but when I saw this stamp I think I fell in love with her a bit.  This you see is my favourite artist.  So you can imagine how excited I was when I spotted the stamp (I think I actually pushed someone out of my way to get at it...there were a few on sale but that didn't matter).  I have since used La Petite Musique a lot and this is my latest take on it.

The ingredients were as follows:
A5 Theuva Card, 4 White paper strips
(to fit Sizzix Die)
White Card (15.5 x 15.5 cm),
Copy paper, Low tack tape,
Main Card with Insert 16 x16,
12 x 12inch envelope paper,
Sizzix Swirly Back extended Die,
Spellbinder Shapeabilities grommet tag, Sizix Bigshot,
Silver thread, Double sided Tape,
Distress Inks - Chipped Sapphire & faded Jeans,
Memento Ink - Summer Sky,
Versamark - Clear,
Wet Wipes, Kitchen roll,
Ink duster, Makeup Sponge,
Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder
Large moon mask, La Petite Musique mask,  Shrink Plastic, Scalpel, Ruler, Bone Folder,
La Petite Music stamp, Mistletoe stamp, Sending a Little Note Your Way stamp (all from Clarity Stamp).
First I masked off  my Theuva Card leaving myself an area of 12 x 12 cm to work on.  I stamped my lady using Chipped Sapphire ink and then covered her with the Clarity Mask.  I then took  piece of copy paper and placed it over the top half of my image then used the Chipped Sapphire and a makeup sponge, drawing the ink down from the copy paper to give the effect of the lady sitting on something.  I put the copy paper aside to use again.
I then used the Mistletoe Stamp with Versamark ink and clear embossing powder and stamped a few times around the top edge.  I set this with my heat tool.  I then used the same stamp with Chipped Sapphire and Faded Jeans ink around the top and the sides. 
I Put a large moon mask over the lady, replaced the copy paper that I used at the top half of the image and covered the bottom half.  Using the Summer Sky ink and Ink Duster I brushed over the bottom edge of the exposed area a few times.  I then changed  to Faded Jeans ink and used this along the middle of the exposed area and finished at the top with Chipped Sapphire Ink.

Next came the shading around the lady's dress and the bottom edge of the picture.  for this I used a makeup sponge, Chipped Sapphire ink and finally a light dust with my ink duster.
I removed the mask from the lady and covered the outer edge of her with the rest of the sheet that the La Petite Musique mask came on. I had already stamped out the top half of her onto a post-it note and cut out her arms and face.  I put this in place and using Summer Sky ink I shaded her dress, putting a little bit more emphasis on the folds at the bottom. I cut my image to size then I used the chisel end of a Dark Blue Promarker to go around the edge.  I put double sided tape along the outer edges of the back.

Now for the Shrink Plastic (I love this).  I stamped the first three lines of the verse stamp onto the shrink plastic using the Chipped Sapphire ink.  I let it dry. I then used the Grommet Tag and put it through my Bigshot.  I then shrunk it. Using my silver thread (very kindly donated to me by a friend Irene McKendrick) I attached this through the holes the grommet tag made then attached it to the card using the double sided tape already in place on the back of the image.


Using the Sizzix Die, Bigshot and White paper. Cut out shape and trimmed it to fit main image, taping it at the back with double sided tape. With the White Card 15.5 x 15.5 cm, Mistletoe stamp, Chipped Sapphire ink I randomly stamped around the edge using 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation ink.  Double sided tape again onto back of main image and mat onto the white card, Double sided tape onto the back of this and finally mounted onto 16 x 16 cm Main Card with insert which said...to say THANK YOU for everything  (in a script as near as I could get)

Last stretch (I promise)...12 x 12 cm envelope paper cut to size required and using my crafters Companion thingymbob  I made an envelope. (I made mine rather large).  I used the Chipped Sapphire ink and Mistletoe stamp in opposite corners of the envelope and also once on the back.

I love the result and the customer was very happy.  I never really do the same card twice (maybe in different colours) but I might with this one....it doesn't take that long, its only in the telling.