COCK-A-DOODLE-DO

       Hello, hope today finds you all well. As I am writing this it is pouring down with rain after what has been a pleasantly warm Bank Holiday weekend. Makes a nice change for the weather to be good on a holiday, we managed several meals outside in the garden. I had planned to get this blog post done over the weekend but as so often happens in our house nothing went to plan. We had a very busy time as my son and his fiancee were tryng to find themselves a house after pulling out of one purchase earlier in the week. I am very pleased to say they found just the right one as some new ones went on sale very close to us. So now I have a very happy young couple but they will be living with us for a few more months while the house is finished. 

      Anyway I have finally got round to completing my piece of artwork for the Calendar challenge over at  Claritystamps. this time it was a canvas and I was looking forward to having a go at it. The idea of the challenge for those of you that don't know about it is to re-create the art work that Barbara Gray did each month on the 2016 Clarity calendar. 

       This is what I was working towards. I have photographed this from the calendar so colours are not wonderful but if you go to Barbara's blog One Day at a Time and follow this link Cockerel canvas you can find out from the expert how to re-create this piece. 

      So below is the canvas that I have made, I am quite pleased with it and might have a go with some of the other bird stamps that I have. I had not got another canvas to mount it on so just used a piece of red card that I had in my stash. 

       
   
     Thank-you for reading my ramblings today and now I must get this entered into the challenge before the deadline. xxx

SUMMER DAYS

        Hope today finds you all well and enjoying the longer days now. We are getting a few lovely sunny days as well which is great, that is until we decide to light the barbecue. True to form down comes the rain. We never seem to pick the right moment but hope to get a few good times this summer. We have just had a bank of trees removed from the end of our garden, they were conifers and very old so quite overgrown and looking straggly. It has opened up the space beautifully and we are still getting a lot of birds visiting our feeders. We even get some blue tits so I have featured that pretty bird on my card here.

      I have created the background piece of card using the Masterboard Technique which is demonstrated very well by Eileen Godwin in this link. Make sure you watch part two as well.


       Below is a small section of the piece I created, I was happily putting my card together when I realised I had not taken any photos.  I used a nice leafy stencil I have. I think it was probably a NDC one but could not find it on the website to leave you a link here. Anyway play around with whatever you have so many options for good results. 
     
       I also used a small section of the Brick Wall stencil, such a useful one to have and the coffee stain stamp from the Journaling Set. Some gold glitter glue in the veins of the leaves gives some added sparkle. 

      Once I had made background piece I took the paper trimmer to it and chopped it up into small squares. No going back now so then mounted these squares onto some of the Clarity pearl blue paper. This really makes the design stand out.

       I arranged these onto an 8x8 card base. This is where the Blue Tits made their entrance. I stamped the bird out twice onto some good quality decoupage paper.

 

        Coloured them in using Stonewashed, Butterscotch and Denim Adirondack inks. I applied these with a make up sponge.  Cut out the birds and layered them onto my card base.

        
      Just enough I think to add to this, I am always tempted to keep adding more but resisted this time. Hope you like this little bird card.  I am entering this one into the challenge at Claritystamps which this month is Anything Goes. 

    Thank-you for visiting and hope you all get to enjoy some warm sunny days. xxx
                     

AN INKY DAY

     
         Yesterday was my day for a workshop. I so love this time to spend with other ladies and enjoy our crafts. This month we were creating a mixed media canvas with Debbie Rock instructing us. She creates  the most amazing pieces of art, I knew mine would never be as good as hers but loved the chance to give it all a try. I had a fantastic day and I think everyone else did too. There were some fabulous pieces of work and I think we all will be trying some more.   
                     

     So above is the canvas I did. The next one I do I will take step by step photos so that I can share with you how it is all done. I like the colour on my flowers but would have preferred to have the rest a little darker. I have not got many spray inks so will have to get a few more to experiment with other shades.

     Anyway we always have a raffle at our workshop and this time I was very lucky to win the first prize which was a beautiful heart created by Debbie herself. It will hang in my hallway so that it can be seen by everyone easily. Perfect.

        

                  I have a way to go before I reach this amazing standard. Beautiful. 

    Thank-you for visiting, xxx

TRYING A NEW TECHNIQUE

       Hello, just want to share a couple of recent cards I have made. The first one uses The masterboard technique, for which you need to follow the link and watch the video by Eileen Godwin. A very clever lady who creates some amazing cards. The inspiration for this card came from her video but I really want to create some more using different stencils and stamps. 

     

      
    I love the effect achieved by blending the inks something I enjoy doing. So many new shades get created.

      The second card I made for the daughter of a very close friend , she will be 30 in a couple of days time. Again I cannot claim this one as my own design but I so loved the card when I saw it I wanted to give it a try. This time it is parchment, something totally different. I used a template provided in Parchment Lace magazine no2. This can be found on the Tattered Lace website.

         

 
    I changed a few details as I had to work with what I had available but it is mostly as appears in the magazine. Again I can think of other designs I could incorporate into the tag shape so will be experimenting more. Oh dear when am I supposed to get housework done, I really want to craft all day. 

     Thank-you for visiting I will be back soon with some challenge cards I am making. xx