Season's Greetings

Hi all. I thought I'd better get blogging as it's nearly time for another Claritystamp show and I haven't finished sharing this month's cards yet.

This one was made as a sample for the Remountable International Christmas Greetings stamp set, so I made the text bold (so it was the focal point) with the window more in the background.

It was all done with one ink pad - Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

I cut it into panels and used a different language on each one. I then re-assembled it to do the stencilling of the brick wall and window.

The stamps and stencils are all available at Claritystamp.

There's still time to enter the "Anything Goes" challenge on the Claritystamp Challenge Blog. You have until 8pm tomorrow (31st July) if you haven't already done so. There's a £50 Claritystamp voucher for the winner so it's well worth having a go.

I'll be back on Friday with my project for next month's challenge.

Lynne
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Deer and Fawn Bauble Card

Hi all, Hubby is back at work after his two weeks leave so it's back to reality for me. On the plus side I've just been down to the Post Office with my cards for the weekend's Claritystamp show (there are some beautiful new things). Now the house needs a really good clean and tidy before I crack on with my samples for the mid-month German and UK shows.

I do love this set. The Holly Wreath Stencil is so useful (it would make fab quick cards with just a sentiment in it) and the Deer and Fawn Bauble stamp is so cute!

To make the wreath part I brushed and sponged green ink through the stencil. I didn't worry about missing out the berries as they were going to be covered up and the green dots also showed me where the berries needed to be.

They were made with Cosmic Shimmer Berry Red PVA. It's perfect for holly berries.

I couldn't exist adding one to the fawn's nose too.

The deer and fawn were coloured in with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink which I applied with some foam through copy paper apertures.

The Dear Friend stamp is the perfect accompaniment.

The stamps and stencils are all available from Claritystamp.

Lynne
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Candle Window Card

Hi all. I hope you're having a good weekend. I'm just having a break from my craft room to get something to eat, so I thought I'd write this while it's cooking. After that I have something to colour in ready to make into a card tomorrow. Busy, busy, busy!

As promised, this is the other card that I made with the one of the window stencils and the brick wall. For the card in the previous post I used clear embossing powder, ink on the Gelli Plate and Grunge Paste to create them.

For this version, I used acrylic paint on the Gelli plate and Glossy Accents. I prefer the Grunge Paste wall on the previous card but I like the window better on this one. I guess next time I'll have to make a Grunge Paste and Glossy Accents one!

I started off with the Gelli prints. These were done in grey acrylic paint. I did the window part first then covered it up and did the wall.

The panes of glass were coloured with Distress Inks applied with a make-up sponge. When it was dry I went over each piece of glass with Glossy Accents.

To finish it off, I added some foliage to the wall with black Archival Ink.

Must go, dinner's ready!

Stamps and Stencils Used

Candle Window

Brick Wall

Large Fern
Tree Branch
Remountable Happy Words Set

Lynne

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Shepherds Window Card

I made a couple of cards with the stained glass window stencils from Clarity. They're both pretty similar but use different techniques.

For this one I used Grunge Paste to create the wall and triple embossed the image with clear powder to create the effect of glass.

I started off by creating an image of the outline of the stencil. For this I used ink on the Gelli plate.

I coloured it in with ProMarkers.

Then covered the whole window with Versamark and triple embossed it with clear powder.

I covered it up with copy paper, placed the Brick Wall stencil over it and applied the Grunge Paste.

I went over it with a textured sponge while the stencil was still in place and it was still wet. This gave it a lovely textured finish.

When it was dry I sponged and brushed on grey and black ink to make it look like a church.

Next time I'll blog the other version.

Stamps and Stencils Used

Shepherds Window

Remountable Christmas Banners

Brick Wall

Lynne

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Father Christmas Bauble

Morning all. What's the weather like where you are? We had a rather loud storm last night. Still, on the plus side, the wet weather has given me the chance to get in my craft room and work on next month's samples. I've already planned what I'm making today (Hubby had a fun idea earlier). It is great to have him back - he does have good ideas sometimes. Don't tell him that though!

With such a strong bauble theme this month I just had to make one for one of my samples.

The bauble shape was sized to fit the Star Wreath Stencil and cut on my Cameo out of Centura Pearl card.

I squidged Versamark ink through the stencil and heat embossed the stars and dots with silver detail powder. I then went over the dots with Berry Red Cosmic Shimmer PVA. It doesn't look a very nice colour in the bottle but it looks lovely when it's dried.

I covered the bauble top in gold gilding flakes to give it a metallic look.

The central panel was done in the same way as the previous card I blogged, with the design heat embossed onto heat resistant acetate, put onto a double sided adhesive sheet and decorated from behind.

Only this time I remembered to take a photo as I was doing it.

This is what I ended up with. His jacket and hat are done in red glitter and Crystal Glamour Dust, The teddy, his nose and background are gold gilding flakes, his beard, eyebrows and star on his hat are silver gilding flakes and his face is pale pink mica powder.

I was so pleased at how this turned out. I think I'm going to have to make another one for myself.

Stamps and Stencils Used

Stars Wreath

Santa Bauble

Remountable Christmas Banners

Lynne

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Doves of Peace

Back to my Clarity Christmas samples.

I do love a bit of sparkle!

To make the dove part I stamped with Versamark onto heat resistant acetate and heat embossed it with black detail powder. I stuck this on to a Clarity double sided adhesive sheet and then set to work on the reverse. First I cut away the part of the backing sheet where their beaks are and added gold gilding flakes. Then I peeled away the rest of the backing sheet and covered it in Crystal Glamour Dust.

The olive branch wreath is really simple. It's just Forest Green Sparkle Medium spread through the stencil. 

The "Peace and Goodwill Always" banner and some bright green brads finish it off.

Stamps and Stencils Used

Doves of Peace Bauble

Olive Branch Wreath

Remountable Christmas Banners

Lynne

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It's My Silver Wedding Anniversary

It's hard to believe that I've been married to Hubby (and the Army) for 25 years! It's a strange life at times but it can also be a lot of fun (and that's just the Hubby side of it!).

This is the card I made for him. I wanted to do something a bit different but still with a silver theme.  The scene is predominantly grey but all of the little animals are embossed in silver. In keeping with the anniversary theme they're all in pairs. It was a nightmare to photograph so there's a few shots, well quite a few, in different angles and with different lighting.

Luckily all of the animals came in pairs, except for the hare. There's only one of those so I had to stamp a refection to make the boxing pair (I couldn't resist!). Back in olden times we used a brayer to create reflections, then came blending mats and then the Gelli plate. Each time it made it a little bit easier and the results better. I naturally went straight to my Gelli, forgetting that a sticky Gelli plate and embossing powder wouldn't be a good mix. I did eventually get it done but it would have been a whole lot easier to go back to the blending mat.

After I'd stamped and embossed the hare reflection I built up the rest of the scene around it. I think I may have gone a bit overboard with the hills but it does remind me of a Geocaching walk we went on - 13.5 miles over terrain like that! At the end of it I could barely put one foot in front of the other. Hubby does tend to forget I'm not quite as fit as his soldiers!

Here's to the next 25!

I don't think Hubby would appreciate being on my blog so I've decapitated him. It's lucky that he's nearly a foot taller than me!

I'd also like to share the beautiful card that my Mum made us. She chose pink as that was the colour of our bridesmaids' dresses and flowers.

It was in a lovely box made by Dad. Thank you.

Stamps and Stencils Used

Woodland Stencil

Remountable Woodland Animals

Birds from Remountable Birdhouse Set

Forest Ridge

Love You
Remountable Letterbox Sentiments
Numbers Set

Lynne

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You Light Up My Life

Greetings crafters. Sorry I've been a bad blogger again (I can't believe it's been a week since my last post). I do have a good reason/excuse for my absence though - Hubby got back on Tuesday after 4½ months in Afghanistan. However he's gone diving today (his passion) so I thought I'd catch up with a few things, my blog being one of them. 

After all that, this just had to be the card that I blogged first from last weekend's Claritystamp samples.

I started off by stamping and colouring in the Stockings Bauble stamp. Two are coloured in traditional red and white (the white is glittered) and two are patterned.

To create the patterned ones I made myself little apertures to stamp and sponge through (I forgot to photograph this so I've just put it on orange card so that you can see).

The bricks are coloured in with pencil and I added some orange Sakura Stardust pen to the yellow candle flames for a bit of shimmer.

I didn't want to risk getting the green of the wire onto the bulbs so I masked them all off. I then sponged Olive Archival ink on to give me lovely green wire. I didn't want to waste all that work so I did a few more to keep for later before I peeled off the tape to work on the bulbs.

I used ProMarkers to colour them in with, then covered them in Glossy Accents.

To finish it off I used my computer and printed the little "To my Husband at Christmas" tag.

Then comes the cheese. I never can resist! I used one of the blank banners to write in my own sentiment, "You Light Up My Life". I used red for this so that "UP" stood out against the black outline.

Well I'd best get on and make the most of the light of my life being out for the day. Next month's Claritystamp samples are calling and I know I'm not going to get much done for the next two weeks as he's on leave.

I will be back on Tuesday for a very special post though. I hope I'll see you then. 

Stamps and Stencil Used

Fairy Lights Wreath

Stockings Bauble

Remountable Christmas Banners

Lynne

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July's Claritystamp Samples

Sorry I'm a bit late sharing these today but I've been glued to my TV. First Barbara's show this morning, then the second day of Le Tour de France.

The Clarity show was fab and so inspirational, as always. I think my Gelli plates need those new mounts. They look really useful and I loved the stamping trick. I have a personal card that I will be blogging in the middle of this month and that would have made making it so much easier.

Le Tour de France has been really special. The crowds were amazing and it's been great to see so many places that I recognise. I feel very lucky to be living in such a beautiful part of the country. If I didn't I'd certainly be coming here for a holiday.

Anyway, here's a quick peek at my cards from today's show. I had lots of fun making them and used quite a few different products/techniques. As always, I'll be blogging them all throughout the month.

Before I go I'd just like to wish my Crafty Little Blog a Happy 2nd Birthday. Thanks for all your support over those two years, it means a lot.

Lynne
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Another Taste of France

North Yorkshire meets France on my Blog today. I'll begin by sharing the last two little pieces of art that I did in France.

I know I shouldn't have favourites but I think this one was. It features my favourite Meadow Dance stamp and involved quite a bit of masking.

This second one features a section of the Sunrise stencil and the Love Is In The Air set (another of my favourites).

Our DT trip to France, where I made them, seems so long ago now. However France has been on my mind again as the Tour de France come to Yorkshire this weekend. So many of the towns and villages around here are decorated with bunting and yellow bikes, even if they're not on the actual route. I would love to go and see it live but with the amount of people coming and the road closures etc. I think it will be a lot less hassle to watch it on TV. I thought I'd share a few photos that my friend Connie and I took in Harrogate this week though, Harrogate being the end of Stage 1.......

............as you can see in this photo of me in front of the Lakeland window display.

Me with one of the many yellow bikes. People have obviously had such fun decorating them. I wonder what will happen to them all afterwards.

These are some of the 23,500 knitted jerseys that have been knitted by volunteers and made into bunting. So cute!

This bicycle has also been encased in knitting. Very clever.

The famous Bettys Tearooms have lots of yummy Tour themed products for sale. I may have had to buy a Fat Rascal after I took this photo. They are so good! 

Another exciting thing that's happening soon in North Yorkshire is the Clarity Open Days in Catterick on the 13th and 14th September. I've already bought my ticket! It will be great to catch up with everyone again.

Between the Tour de France and the Claritystamp show on Sunday I think my weekend is going to be spent in front of the TV. I can't wait!

Lynne

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Anything Goes!

Yay! It's the 1st of July, a month I've been looking forward to all year. That also means it's time for a new challenge on the Claritystamp Challenge Blog. The theme this month is "Anything Goes". Normally all that choice would throw me into a state of confusion but there's something I've been meaning to do for ages and it gave me the incentive that I needed. Have my regular readers spotted it already?

It's a new header for my blog.

I wanted to keep it similar to the original but this time I've added in the Deerscape and Small Swing stamps. I think they're all such joyful images and they make me smile every time I look at them.

It's all done with Clarity stamps, apart from the title which I added on my computer. I thought the front was appropriate as it looks like dripping paint and I am a messy crafter!

The Swing stamp comes in two sizes - Large and Small. Both of them work with the Meadow Dance and Deerscape but for my blog header I ended up choosing the small one. I didn't want it to be too tall so the shorter tree seemed the better option.

I've stamped them both out above so you can see the difference.

It seems appropriate to be launching it today as it's looking pretty much like that here at the moment. Maybe Maya and I will go and dance around the garden! I hope there's sunshine where you are too.

Congratulations to the winner and Top 5 of the "Masculine Challenge". As always, there were so many fab entries. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for this one. As "Anything Goes" it should be a good one!

Stamps Used

Small Swing

Deerscape

Meadow Dance

Tree

Forest Ridge

Sending You Sunshine

Large Swing

Lynne

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