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

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