Clarity Stamp New Challenge - Vintage

It's all go this weekend, The Classroom Show yesterday, today's shows and the start of a brand new blog challenge over on the Clarity Stamp Challenge Blog, No 7 already!
The entries each month just keep getting better and better, such a high standard and very inventive ideas.
I have to say I was a bit stumped with the theme of Vintage for this month and consequently time was pressing on to come up with something.
So I decided to use this hanging Bird Cage from
Candy Box Crafts which I've had for a while and really wanted to come up with a twist on the usual vintage style colouring.
Firstly I used a piece of sponge to paint the front of the cage with a pastel pink emulsion paint from a tester pot I had.
I really like using Ranger distress embossing powders so I used this in Tattered Rose with the Clarity Stamps small Leafy Swirl stamp on top of the painted cage.
I had already decided to use the NDC Lovebirds stamp and the large Butterfly and thought the Bird does not Sing and part of the Butterfly Montage stamps would work well too.
The images were all stamped using distress inks and embossed again with the distress powder.
It doesn't show up too well in the photo but the powder gives a lovely vintage feel and texture and it gives a random finish hence the distress.
I mounted the birds and butterfly onto torn paper which I coloured and distressed.
The images were layered with foam pads.
I've also used die cut leaves, Sweet Lilac Paper Flowers, lace and twisted torn paper all of which have been coloured and distressed.
The flower and leaf cluster on the bottom also as a selection of stamens attached and the feather has had a touch of distress ink.
I wanted this cage to look like it had been tucked away in an attic and perhaps the lace and
embellishments were remnants or keepsakes from memorable things.
I was really happy with the way this turned out and the vintage colour and feel it has to it.
Well I hope you enjoy the shows today and all the inspiration the design team have come up with and I hope this will inspire you to take part in the Clarity Challenge.
I'll take some close up images of this and post them later so you can see in more detail.

Animals

So it's another new challenge over on the Clarity Stamp Challenge Blog
The theme this time is animals.
Thanks to everyone who entered last months challenge, and congratulations to the winner and our chosen top 5, the standard is always so high.
It makes choosing the too 5 a challenge in itself.
So this month I decided to use an MDF plaque for my design, a keepsake you might give a friend.
I painted the plaque in a neutral colour and masked off the large sun before sponging on paints, blue and white for a cloudy effect and green for the grass, then yellow and white for the sun.
I use either Adirondack paint daubers or emulsion tester pots depending on the colour I want.
Washing up sponges, the yellow ones with the green scourers are good cut up to use for dabbing on paint.
I stamped the Deer from the remountable Winter Wonderland set, the Dear Friend greeting and added some texture to the grass using the Lesson 15 remountable texture set.
The Deer and greeting are stamped in Sepia Archival and the grass texture using the paint with the small texture stamp.
The lovely flower and lace are from Sweet Lilac Flowers and gave just the finish I wanted for this little gift.
Jute string is used for hanging.
I hope you are able to join us over on the challenge this month, there's a £50 Clarity voucher for the lucky winner.
I'll be back soon with the last of my samples for July before the launch of the August designs on C&C this coming weekend.
Thanks for popping by....xKx

Oh I do Like to be Beside the Seaside...

Beginning of a new week, the month of July and a brand new Clarity Stamp Challenge over on the blog...
Let's hope that Summer has finally arrived too and stays around for us to enjoy.
I have wanted to decorate a beach hut for some time now and this one turned into a real labour of love!
The idea of a retro style hut appealed and as usual with this type of thing I wanted to try and recreate a story.
I decided to continue the image on the front, all around the hut and then I decorated the inside, creating a nice feminine changing area and a cosy space to relax and have afternoon tea.
Although this took a while to achieve I was pleased with the end result and think it was well worth the effort.
I hope you like this project and that it helps to inspire with this months challenge theme.
I will upload some more detailed pictures shortly...xKx

Entering into the following challenges:-

Creative Inspirations - anything goes - ends -  2nd July

Inky Chicks - anything goes - ends 7th July

Creatalicious - all about summer - ends - 15th July

Mr & Mrs

Good Morning, the weekend has arrived and a full on Clarity weekend at that!
Today not only sees the start of the new Clarity blog challenge but another classroom lesson on C&C with Barbara Gray this morning and two further Clarity shows tomorrow.
I hope you can join in the Clarity weekend and have a go at the new challenge over on the blog
claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk
I still have some cards from the previous shows to finish blogging but this is my design idea for the new challenge.
It was made for a Diamond Wedding anniversary.
Once again the entries for the last challenge
"It's All in The Sentiment" were extremely high calibre, so many different styles and interpretations.
It makes choosing a Top 5 a "Challenge" in itself.
So, many congratulations to the winner and our chosen Top 5, great job and very well done, thanks so much for taking part.
Whatever you are doing I hope you have an enjoyable weekend...xKx

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

Clarity Blog Challenge is now live!

Woohoo the anticipation and wait is finally over and the Blog has now been launched.
I am so thrilled to be a part of this new challenge along with other lovely talented ladies.
We are all hoping you'll join in the fun over there with us.
claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk
The theme for this first challenge is "Anything Goes" and it will run until the end of the month with the lucky winner receiving a £50 Clarity gift voucher!
Inspiration for me for this theme came from the latest Clarity Design Club stamp, which was a Celtic square, and my Gelli Plate.
I thought I'd do a card suited to a male theme and chose a Greek mosaic style adding the urns.
The monthly Clarity Design Club newsletter comes with a new design stamp each month.
This was my first efforts using the Gelli Plate and I started off by mixing and brayering acrylic paints onto the plate and then using the stamp to make an impression onto the painted surface.
I did this several times varying the paint colour and once dry I chose the best results and cut the mosaic squares into sections to assemble onto my design.
I mounted the cut out painted paper images onto card to strengthen them.
The centre images were layered up to form the design.
Before gluing into place I took the Crackle stamp and used this over my background to which I'd already blended ink from the Old Paper distress ink pad to give a distressed look.
I then stamped the crackle in a darker colour over the background ink.
The urns were created from the Versatile Vase which I embossed with gold embossing powder.
The centre floral motive is part of the remaining tiles cut, decoupaged and layered with foam pads.
It's going to be a busy weekend with the new Clarity Stamp arrivals on C&C on Sunday and I need to blog all my DT makes to share.
I was very inspired by this months stamps and made a total of 9 samples for the TV shows this month.
Thanks so much for looking at my blog and I hope you feel inspired by the Clarity Designs
Lots more blog postings to follow.....xKx