All Dressed Up

Don't fall down, but here's a mid week post from me!!!!

I can't believe that there was frost on the car this morning and the temperature gauge read minus one degrees.  Only last week it was 21 degrees, no wonder there are so many people with colds.

Talking of colds, Mark and I have been without heating for the last three weeks as our boiler was condemned - booooo.  The boiler men have been here for 3 days now fitting a new one so fingers crossed this evening we will have some heat.

Anyway, my reason for being with you today is not to complain but to show you one of my projects from the Clarity Stamp show on Create and Craft at the weekend.  Were you watching?

When my parcel arrived with this months stamps and stencils I knew immediately what I was going to do with this one, it was shouting "iris folding" at me.

After drawing an outline of the stencil onto a piece of copy paper, I began working out the pattern for the dress.  I then used the red and blue backing papers from the stencils to create the folds.  If you'd like my pattern please give me a shout and I can pass it on to you.

The outline around the edge of the card was created using the bottom of the Clarity Style dress stamp and coloured in with Spectrum Noir pencils.  I love these pencils as they blend so easily and give a great effect.

Materials used:

Stamp - Clarity style

Stencil - Clarity style (7"x7")

Spectrum Noir pencils

Adirondack ink - cranberry

I'll be back throughout the month with more of my samples from the show, so please pop back I'd love to hear your feedback.

xx Happy crafting xx

Travel

Welcome to November and thanks for popping over to my blog, I hope you can stay a while and have a look around.  My inspiration is there to give you inspiration in the hope that you can go away and create a piece of art.

Over on the Clarity blog our new monthly challenge has just started with the theme of TRAVEL. Hands up who wants to come and join in the fun?

Here's my inspiration for the challenge:

Materials used:

Stamp - bicycle

Stamp - posy

Stamp -  garden set

Stamp - lamp post set

Stamp - tree branch

Sentiment - word chain 5

Stencil - brick wall

Adirondack ink - red pepper, lettuce & stonewashed

Promarkers

I hope you have great fun with this challenge and I can't wait to see your projects.

I will be going to the NEC next Sunday so please say hi if you spot me.  I'll be the one with loads of bags :-)

xx Happy crafting xx

The Seasons

Welcome to October where the leaves are starting to fall off the trees and the darker nights are starting to rear their ugly head.  It's miserable without some sunshine isn't it?

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As we've just entered Autumn we thought a good challenge would be to focus on "The Seasons" and with four of them to choose from we hope to get a variety of projects.  Why not pop over to the Clarity Stamp Challenge where you can see the rest of the design teams inspirational projects and our guest designer, Susan White, who was the winner of challenge 18.

My thoughts behind this card were to try and bring all of the seasons onto one card creating a scene for each.  As you can see the tree follows through all of the scenes and changes its appearance according to the season.  I hope you get some inspiration from my project.

Materials used:

Stamp - remountable winter trees

Stamp - meadow dance

Stamp - small swing

Stamp - deerscape

Stamp - birds in flight

Stamp - making a point kit

Stencil - sunshine

Mask - cloud

Adirondack ink - stonewashed, cloudy blue, mountain rose & sunshine yellow

Archival ink - black

Have fun with this challenge and we look forward to seeing your entries.

xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Filigraphy Dolphins

Welcome to a new month and a new challenge over at the Clarity Stamp Challenge.

Where did August go?  I blinked and it was gone!  Now either I'm getting older and losing my marbles (no comment) or time is genuinely going quicker each month.

I saw a post on facebook the other day and they were actually counting down to Christmas.  I haven't even started thinking about Christmas yet let alone making cards or plans or anything.  I bet there are plenty of crafters out there that start in the new year and set themselves a target each month aren't there?  You put me to shame!!!

By the wonders of modern technology when you read this post I will be sitting on the beach in Cyprus soaking up the sun, hopefully with a glass of something cool in my hand.  On second thoughts I'll probably be fast asleep still when the challenge goes live.

The challenge this month is all about "Nature", so you can take your pick whether you use your animal stamps, leaves, trees or any of the stencils within the Clarity collection.  Why not go to town and create something 3D or paint a canvas.  We would love to see your nature creations and you could also win a £50 voucher if you are randomly selected as our winner at the end of the month.  I bet you like the sound of that one don't you?

Here's my card for inspiration:

Materials used:

Stamp - filigraphy dolpin and splash 1

Stamp - filigraphy dolphin and splash 2

Brayer

Gelli plate

Gelli card

Versamark

Detailed white embossing powder

Archival ink - black

Acrylic paint - titanium white, lemon yellow

ultra marine and emerald

If you've never tried using the gelli plate you're missing out on a technique that creates backgrounds for your stamping, but be warned it's very addictive!!!  I'm sure you've seen Barbara using the gelli plate at the shows, on the TV, on her blog or during her YouTube videos.  Check them out for more inspiration as this technique gives you another use for your stencils too.

xx Happy crafting xx

Blessings

Good morning crafters, how are you this morning?

Today I'm bringing you one of my samples from the August Clarity show on Create and Craft.  If you didn't see the show you can check out the Clarity Challenge blog to see what products were included.

When I saw these stamps they immediately reminded me of a stained glass window, so with my Clarity stash at hand I started to bring this together.  This set is very versatile and lends itself to many occasions.

Materials:

Stamp - funky foliage collage

Stamp - funky foliage

Sentiment - word chain 4

Stencil - sun arch

Stencil - tangle

Promarkers

Adirondack inks - lemonade, sunshine yellow & butterscotch

Archival ink - black

Stencil brushes

I hope I've given you some inspiration with my project today.

Don't forget you still have time to enter the Clarity Challenge for August which has a feminine theme. You could be the winner of a £50 voucher if your name is randomly pulled out of the hat!  What have you got to lose?

xx Happy crafting xx

Haberdashery Shop

July was a great month with lots of crafting amongst good friends.  I went to the Crowborough retreat with Barbara Gray along with another couple of design team members and we had a great time.

Last Saturday was the one year anniversary of my Peterborough Clarity workshops.  We celebrated in style covering the tarmac technique and then all went out for a meal afterwards.  Thanks to my ladies and Matt for a great year and to Steve, Hazel and Mark for helping me.

If you're interested in coming along the details are below, we'd love to have you join in the fun.

Location

Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Wollaton, Nottingham

Contact Details

Blog - Sazzle Craft

Email - claritystampersEM@hotmail.co.uk

Facebook

Dates (Peterborough)

Saturday 27th September
Saturday 25th October
Saturday 29th November

Times

10.00 - 16.00


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Dates (Nottingham)
Saturday 9th August
Saturday 11th October
Saturday 8th November
Saturday 13th December

Times

10.30 - 16.00

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It's the start of a new challenge over at the Clarity Challenge Blog so why not pop over there and check out the design teams artwork?

The theme for August is "FEMININE".  This is your chance to really get in touch with your feminine side whether it be flowers or the new elegant lady stencils.  Barbara has shown us so many techniques on the Clarity YouTube channel and on her blog.  There must be something that you're dying to try!

Are you feeling lucky? Well that £50 Clarity gift voucher could be yours if you win. Here's my artwork for inspiration:

  

Materials:

Stamps - Haberdashery set

Stamp - Tailors dummy

Stamp - Swirl from birdcage set

Distress inks - victorian velvet, vintage photo and antique linen

Promarkers

Die - deckled rectangle

Mirri card

Acetate

Embroidery thread

This was a real labour of love and even required the woodwork skills of my other half Mark too.  He made the shelve unit and the cotton reels.  

Have fun with the challenge!

xx Happy crafting xx