Children's Christmas Cards

I decided I would try and use my new Jayne Nestorenko stamps and Groovi plates from Clarity Stamp for my granddaughters' cards   First two created with the stamps.

A bit of a learning curve using scenic stamps and creating your own cards,  (Thought I hadn't done too badly until I looked at the photos - a touch up o the colouring needed!  I put it down to my failing eyesight, and the fact that I was doing it at night!) 

Second two created with the Groovi board:

created on blue parchment

created on white parchment and matted and layered on a background created
 with blue Luscious Pigment powder from IndigoBlu

Parchment Owl

I tried my hand at some parchment work yesterday.  I haven't done a lot before, but this gorgeous owl was part of my Clarity Club Groovi goodies for this month, and I just had to play, and chose some coloured parchment to work on.

I found it  a bit difficult to capture what it looks like in real life with the photo - I may update the photo when the weather improves and I can get better daylight!

Mind you it wasn't quite as straightforward as planned.  Having sat with the instructions from Barbara Gray on how to do the black outline etc, and followed religiously, I couldn't work out why the "white work" wasn't showing that well - well duh dipstick me - it does help if you work on the correct side of the coloured parchment.   Shown below his my first attempt and faux pas working on the wrong side!

(Actually now that it is mounted it doesn't look too  bad, and the photograph make it look lighter than it really is!

 I gather I am not the first person to work on the wrong side, and as a pal said "You are a parcher now - we have all done that at least once".

Here are a couple more photos, which hopefully are slightly better:

More Chirstmas Groovi

Sorry about using the "C" word - but it was so miserable and wet and cold yesterday - more like Autumn than Summer, so I got the Groovi Board out and had a play.  If this weather keeps up I shall have finished the Chrimbo cards by the end of August!

I think I am gradually getting the hang of the Groovi Board, and using my pencils.  The only thing I fouled up on was trying to punch the dots on the partridge one - but we learn by our mistakes! However, I am realy pleased with the shading with the pencils.

Playing with Xmas Groovi

I had planned a ME day in the Den today, bit wasn't to be - it has been raining all day.  (I don't really mind too much as the garden desperately needs the rain, and I was feeling a tad below par - think I overdid the gardening earlier in the week - well that's what my back is telling me!)

I decided to get out the Groovi board and plates and play.  Very restful and relaxing, and the colouring in even more so.  I am gradually getting to grips with Groovi

The most difficult part is how to attach the parchment to the card - I opted for a smidgen of red liner tape, and some green adhesive stones to camouflage it - seems to have worked ok.

Thanks for popping by

Mags

A bit of Groovi Board Parching

I couldn't get up in the Den today to do more to my "canvas" project, so I had a little play with the Groovi Board and some parchment.

It is still a bit of a learning curve, and am restricted to what I can do until my Christmas boards order arrives from Create and Craft (and they seem to be a bit slow this week! - I would have bought them elsewhere, but I had a £10 off voucher and it would have been rude not to use it!)

There is also the question of how to "fix" the parchment, and I would normally use brads, but with postage costs being what they are I wanted to keep the finished result as slim as possible.   I found a corner punch in my stash that I had forgotten I had, and used that -  but it wasn't quite right.  I don't really like the fancy corner it cuts, and I had to colour the slot with a black promarker, as that looked a bit weird with the cream of the card showing through.  It looks like a search of the net is in order to find a suitable corner slot punch.  (Let me know if you know where there are any for sale.)

The piece above was my second effort and below is my first - wouldn't have been too bad if I hadn't mucked up the snowflake.  But onwards and upwards as they say.

If anybody has got any good ideas as to how to fix parchment to a card without brads, please do let me know.

Groovi Board Parching with the Grandchildren

After painting their bracelets, the girls decided they want to have a go at my Groovi Board.  They were so good, as I only have one board and took turns really nicely.

Here are their finished results.  Didn't they do well for a first effort!  (In age order 9, 6 and 3).  I even let them use my new Spectrum Noir pencils and showed them how to do a bit of blending with the blending solution.

Connie wanted a rainbow, and as time was short I didn't have time to find my cake decorating circles, which were buried in my stash somewhere - so she used a plate!

and whilst her older two sisters were colouring their pieces, the 3 year old wanted to have a go too - so this is her effort (with a little help from me)

I was really chuffed with their efforts, and I know they were pleased with their results,   Think they may be hooked, and it is a nice relaxing occupation.  Rarely have I seen them so quiet!

I love crafting with my grandchildren.

Parchment Birthday Card

I suddenly remember it was my neighbour's birthday today, so I set to this morning, and created this little card with the Groovi Board.  

I used the butterfly plate exactly "as it comes" and added Val to it. (yes ok the "l" is a little wonky - hope she doesn't notice to much - I should have watched Barbara Gray's video before I started then I would have known to place the "a" first and then add the other two letters).

I then added some colour using the Spectrum Noir pencils.

I am quite pleased with it as it was a bit of a rush job, and only the second ever piece I have done - so onwards and upwards as they say.   If you would like to see Barbara's video using the butterfly plate here is the link:

http://barbaragrayblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/youtube-tuesday-getting-in-groove.html

My first Parchment piece

I have always wanted to do parchment work, ever since I saw a Pergamano demonstration at the Craft Barn, well over 20 years ago when it was very new to this country.  Well I was fortunate to attend one of The Clarity Stamp open days on Saturday, along with my daughter Dawn.

Needless to say the new Groovi board by Barbara Gray fell into my basket ......

My first attempt at Parchment

..... plus a complete set of Spectrum Noir pencils (and a whole lot of other things that no doubt you will discover of the coming weeks as I play with them).  Anyway I sat down in Sat evening and created my first piece of parchment and coloured it with the new pencils.

It is by no means perfect but for a couple of hours play, not too bad.  Need to practise my short long strokes for filling in - the butterfly's body doesn't look to brilliant!

So it is onwards and upwards as they say!    (I should add here that I have tried parching before and failed miserably, apart from running it through the cuttlebug in an embossing folder!)

Here is another shot - as was a bit difficult to catch the complete effect:

Thanks for popping by.