Funky Flamingos

What a gloomy day out there!
So here are the Flamingos strutting their stuff!
Many thanks for all the messages and good wishes for my daughters birthday yesterday.
It was lovely of you all to send good wishes and we had a really enjoyable day.
I thought I'd post this colourful make to brighten up the gloomy day outside.
Simply stamped with the addition of a Gelli plate background and die cuts.
Thanks for popping by....xKx

Friends

Good Morning,
Apologies for my absence in blog land recently, it's been so hectic!
I've neglected to finish blogging my Clarity samples from the beginning of May so thats my mission for the next couple of days just before the June samples are due!
So what's been happening...
I've been playing with the new MDF clocks and making new clocks, which were taken with me to a wonderful craft retreat at Cowden with Barbara Gray, Clarity Stamps and the most special group of friends and crafting buddies you could wish to meet.
So I was busy preparing my clocks for the occasion as the ladies all seem to love them and I like to share how they've "grown" and developed.
We had the best time, full on crafting sessions with Barbara and Paul Church, supported by the
wonderful Dave, Barbara's other half, Jane who works tirelessly ensuring we have delicious lunches and the rest of the supporting Clarity Team, "Huge Thanks again" to everyone involved.
Then when the crafting day is done we eat more, drink and socialise until the wee small hours!
All in all superb fun, lasting memories and great crafting techniques that continue to inspire.
Ok, so then after Cowden it was head down preparing my samples for June TV this weekend and sorting things for my lovely daughters birthday today.
I thought it would be apt then to share "Friends" Lily, Rosie and Annabel for this post from the samples I made for May, using a background created with the Gelli plate.
Thanks so much for reading, I have a lot of blogging to catch up on in the next few days, so I'll be back soon....xKx

Umbrella!

Good morning one and all,
I can't believe it's been a week since the Clarity TV shows, it was my intention to have blogged more during the week but time has flown once again!
So Sunday mornin in bed with a cuppa brings me back to blog land and I'm pleased to see the sun streaming through again while it lasts.
It's still very breezy too after the windy week so I can't see me having the sunbed in the garden like I did on bank holiday Monday.
We had rain yesterday and much more last night which is very apt for my umbrella posting.
This was super quick and easy and seemed to be well received according to my feedback and messages, thank you.
It's funny how sometimes the simplest of designs catch the eye the most.
For this I literally made splats with distress stains, peacock feathers and scattered straw, on my base card and stamped the umbrellas.
I used contrasting liquid pearls on the umbrellas and added dew drops to the splats and a gold ribbon bow on the side of the card.
This card was fun and brightens up the subject matter of rain and umbrellas, fun and job done!
I hope you have an enjoyable Sunday whatever you're up to.
Me, I'm finishing off a clock that has really caught my inspiration and will be an example of how to use the clock bases from the kits.
I'll be sharing once I'm done, thanks for popping by xKx

Samples made for for May Clarity TV shows

A preview of my samples which I will blog fully in due course and details about "Clocks"

Foxgloves on Gelli Plate background

A bit of a late posting from me but I thought I'd make a start on sharing my samples from the Clarity TV shows at the weekend.
I used a Gelli Plate background that I'd already created while experimenting for my other sample cards.
So the background was already done!
To this I stamped in versamark the foxgloves and embossed with white embossing powder.
I then blended distress inks, picked raspberry and a little seedless preserves, over the embossing and some of the background.
A lace and ribbon bow, hat pins and ribbon trim finished the design before matting and layering on to card that I coloured the edges of in the same two colour ways.
It was a good way of including the shocking pink ribbon I have had in my stash for ages, bought cheaply and never thought I'd use!
Thanks so much for popping by and I'll bid you goodnight now for tonight xK

Heart shaped clock face

"Singing in the Rain"

These MDF clock faces are lovely to work with, they are great quality and can be painted and altered as desired.

For this first example I chose the heart shape and used the new Clarity Stamps from the Clarity Characters Set, the little texture stamps from the Making a Point Lesson 15 Stamp Set and stamps from The Letterbox Set, Lesson 12, for the title.

I cut the inner heart shape from white card stock and stamped and clear embossed all the black images after deciding on their positioning.

The light of the street lamp was masked off before adding background colour,

Next came the background using a selection of blue distress ink pads.

I added clouds and created an illusion of the background buildings using sections of the Paris mask background.

The rain and rain drops were added using the little texture stamps.

I drew the pavement with pencil and glossy accents were used to create the puddles.

After removing the stencil from the lamp I added some yellow colour for the glow.

Clear dew drops complete the clock "number" digits.

I painted the MDF clock face on both sides and slightly distressed the front edges with blue distress ink before gluing my finished card heart in place on top.

I hope this project has inspired you, thanks so much for visiting my blog today xK 

It's all in the sentiment!...

Good morning crafter's,
Can't believe it's Clarity Stamps blog challenge 3 already!
The first two challenges have had some amazing entries, such varied and inspiring designs so thank you all for taking the time to take part.
We have had a hard task choosing the Top 5 from such a high standard once again.
Many congratulations to the winning entrant and the chosen Top 5, you all did a great job!
My design for the new challenge as titled above, was made for a 60th wedding anniversary.
I die cut the frame from pearlised card and the inner shape from stamping card, to which I stamped and masked off the swans.
The background colours used are Adirondack in Stream and Distress ink in Dried Marigold.
I stamped some bulrushes on the back ground also some which I cut out and layered.
The sentiment is stamped on another die cut shape and once everything was put together on my base card I finished off with some gems.
It's a busy weekend looming with Clarity on the TV, in the Classroom with Barbara on Sat and then the Sunday shows.
My DT samples are all done and dusted for another month and I look forward to sharing them with you at the weekend and blogging them all over the following days.
There are some lovely stamps for the month of May but then there always are each month!
I had great fun with Gelli Plate for several of my samples, trying not to get stressed out with my perfectionist side and instead tried to go with the arty flow that came using the Gelli Plate.
Have you got yours yet and had chance to have a play?
Anyway I'll leave you now with this challenge sample and hope you can tune in at the weekend.
Hope the rest of the week is good for you xKx