Bliadhna Mhath ùr dhuibh, Slàinte mhath!

Wishing you all the very best for 2015 xx

Hi Folks!  This is a double first for me today!  This is my First Card for 2015 and it is also...

drum Roll Please - no! - oh well I will get on with it.

This is my First Day as a Design Team Member for claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk  I am so much a Happy Crafter at the moment!!

I was thrilled to bits (as you can imagine) when Barbara Gray asked me to join the Design Team for the Clarity Stamp Blog ( I got hubby and son out of bed) but then I had to keep it a secret (been really hard that, sorry friends).

I will be in the company of Sazzle, Linda Page, Naomi Mahon and Yvonne Froelich who are from the original Design Team.  There are a few of us making up the New Design Team for the Challenge Blog and of course they will be introducing themselves today too. Angela, Amanda, Julie, Barbara, Carol M, Carole P, Lesley and Shelagh I am so looking forward to working with you all.

January's Challenge is: Things with Wings! 

I decided on what I wanted to do, but spent a lot of time dithering about what colours I should use.  In the end I went for a simple design in Monochrome. I found a lovely simple backing paper in my stash and I knew I could match the colours.  So my little piece below is done in Archival Ink - Potting Soil and a bit of Adirondack Ink - Slate for shading in the sky.

Stamps used

 Small Matrix Feather 

Scroll - from Artist Set

Swallows - from Journaling Set

Bird Song Verse - by Maya Angelou

Tree Branch - from Fly away Kit

Tape a sheet of A5 Theuva Card to copy paper, stamp the Feather first. (2nd Gen Ink) Then cover with a post -it note mask.
Next stamp the Scroll in 2nd Gen ink.
Stamp in the Verse and then cut out a mask for the Scroll.
I used a Clarity Moon Mask, they come in various sizes but you can use a punch to make one.  Place it wherever you want.

Copy paper next, torn to make hills. Clarity Stencil Brush, Potting Soil ink for foreground and just a little bit in the sky. Adirondack - Slate was added to the edges at the Sky.  

Remove Moon Mask and with 1st and 2nd Gen Potting Soil ink, Stamp in the Tree Branch on the right side.  I kept the masks over the Feather and Scroll until I had finished stamping the Branch on that side too.  Looks a bit of a mess just now eh!

When the masks and all the masking tape is removed from the edges it makes quite a difference! Close ups of the 2nd Gen Inking. Click on image to enlarge.

I have put in a shadow below the Feather and the Scroll and drawn a shaky line around the edge with a Spectrum Noir Pencil no. 109 and 104. Trim picture and mount with Double sided tape onto desired backing paper and trim.  You can then place your image into a suitable frame.  Remember to sign your work first though! Or you can mount this onto a card blank like I did.
Oh! Just remembered that I took a brown sharpie to the edges of the backing paper before mounting.  (Sorry I was under the influence of excitement).

These are the two sets that I took stamps from and the other stamps and tools used

So I hope you like my little contribution and please feel free to have a go.  

All the stamps used are of course from Claritystamp ltd .  

Why not have a go at the challenge.  £50 Voucher to spend at Claritystamp for the Winner and the Top 5 get to showcase their work.  The winner is chosen by Random.org.  So no matter what level of crafting you feel you are at everyone has a fair chance of winning.

I hope to see your entries out there. http://claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  The Rules of the Challenge are on the Blog for you to see.

Best of Luck!

Emma x