New Year, New Beginning!

Hi Folks!  As the title says New Year, New Beginning and it is for me!  I will end this month in a New Home with a New Craft Room and now a friend has just had a New Baby!

My card is for the New Baby and I will be entering this card into the Clarity Stamp Challenge which the theme this month is NEW.  And here is the finished card. (my ramblings on how I made it will come after the main picture)

Step one was of course to figure out what I wanted to do and then gather all my bits together.  I got my piece of Clarity Coated Card and dusted it with Talcum Powder.  Stamped the ' it's a boy' onto the card using Memento Paris Dusk ink and sprinkled Clear Embossing Powder and of course then heated this from underneath.  I also made a mask from a Post-it Note for this stamp.

I then stamped my Blue Leafy Swirl in Paris Dusk and gave it the same treatment as the sentiment.  I stamped the Swirl again in Memento Summer Sky.

You will have noticed (if you are paying attention) that the embossing is not completely covering the swirl and the sentiment.  The reason? Although ink stays wet longer on Coated Card stock, you really need to use an embossing ink.  But as I was going for the effect of dew drops on fresh leaves this suited me fine.  I did blow quite a bit of the embossing powder away before heat setting it.

I took a tree from the set of 3 repositional trees and stamped a ridge line just with the very tip of the tall thin one in Memento Pistachio.  I tore a piece of copy paper to make my hills using Pistachio again.  I used the Lone Pine stamp from the ATC starter set, either side of the picture and my Mini Spruce Tree for the rest. I took the long stamp from the Trees and their Mantles, fixed it to my ruler and stamped along the bottom.  I then added a bit more shading to the foreground with Memento Olive.



I took a Blue Distress Marker to the edge of my picture and then matted this onto White Super Smooth paper.  Then matted this onto a textured Blue Card which I then matted onto a White Base card.  I used my Perfect Layers Rulers that I got from Joanna Sheen (and they are perfect) to do my layers.

The final stages were to form my Banner.  I used 15 Pricing  Labels (I know, I know...I could have used my small tag stamps from Clarity Stamp but I was in a rush and didn't have time to cut them out.  They stamp out the same size as these by the way).

I Stamped my letters using the Letterbox Set  from In the Classroom with Barbara Gray.  I then alternated the shading on each one. Pistachio and Paris Dusk.  I then fixed them onto my card using small Foam Pads and Double Sided  Tape, alternating which tag got raised and which tag lay flat.  I then threaded the Blue Striped Twine through each tag and left the ends hanging...I was going to have stamped a Swallow to hold the twine at each end but I hadn't left myself much room, next time!

Oh! and why a Blue Leafy Swirl?  Everyone knows that boys are found under Blue Bushes and girls are found under Pink Bushes!!!!!

Happy crafting everyone!

xxx

Charity Find recycled!

Hi Folks!  In between helping my friend decorate and doing some art work for her I did manage to get some time off and I did a little piece for myself.  I was browsing through a charity shop and I found this item going for £1.50 and I thought I can do something with that!

As soon as I got home I went to work on it.  I had to cover up the background image (it was of a very bright orange and green plant of some sort) using white tile paint  (two coats) then left to dry overnight.   I then stamped my boxes for my letters and then my letters (from the Letterbox set)and then I placed letterbox masks over the boxes (you get all of these items from Clarity Stamp....just click on the highlighted text for each of them and you will be taken directly to the page that they are displayed on their website....and no I am not on commission, just think that they are such good quality and value for money and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone)
Back to my sign....I then placed the masks of the Jigsaw pieces randomly onto the tile, and using torn copy paper, sponge, Starry Starry Night Whispers ink and Faded Jeans distress ink created a landscape. 

I removed the jigsaw masks one at a time and created a scene using the Cat, Squirrel, Birds and Floral Branch from the Birdhouse set.  I replaced the masks and then did a bit of shading around each piece.  I removed all of the masks and left to dry.   I had to then draw round the jigsaw pieces using Teal Zeal Distress Marker just to give them a bit more definition.
I now have it attached to the wall just outside my crafting area and I am very happy with it (especially as now I don't have to keep picking up my aprons from a chair...usually one that my cats have sat on). 
So not only did my little purchase go to a good cause it put a smile on my face too. xx