Some new makes and some 'finishing offs'

These are both from Judith Maslen parchment patterns. They were started in workshops and finally finished in the last couple of days.

This is using a couple of Groovi plates and a pattern from an accompanying book.

Here is another Judith Maslen pattern - this time Christmas.

Groovi Birthday card

I saw a card on Pinterest? made using a particular Groovi plate and loved the effect the creator had achieved.   I ordered the plate and had a go myself and this is my first attempt.

It ended up being an 8"x 8" card so I had to order some more card blanks.  I don't do 8 x 8's very often.  At least they won't be wasted as you can cut them down.

I used my Prismacolour pencils for the colouring. They are softer than the Faber Castell pencils and therefore better when colouring small areas where using a spreading medium can be tricky and messy if not careful.   Perhaps you don't achieve such a sharp colour but a softer effect can look pleasing.

The plates I  used were:

GRO -WO - 40538-15 for the outside and inside squares.

GRO - FL  - 40633-15 for the two flower designs.                                     

GRO -WO - 40060-09 for the words.

                                     

Card stitching with a difference

A study in mauve.

For this, I used No: 4 of Tina's Flower Embroidery plates from Groovi.  I didn't stitch in all the places marked for stitching.  Instead,  I embossed the outer swirls and leaves and then just chose the places that I wanted to decorate with stitching.  I used a mauve Mirri card for my background stitching plate.

It did take quite a while to complete.  I used a Gutermann Sulky Holoshimmer thread which broke very easily if you got bit enthusiastic with it.  More haste - less thread.

I did buy all four of the set of plates and fully intend to complete the other three.

I had started this project some time ago but - as you do - I had put it away whilst getting on with something else.  I was reminded that I had started it when a gorgeous birthday card arrived from a friend that was one of these four plates.  I was inspired to find mine and finish it.

Here is the card I received:

Isn't it fabulous?  Marion had also adapted her pattern. The centre is a little different and that border is to die for. Marion designs the most fantastic borders.

I will see you later. It is CD Sunday tomorrow.
Carol
xx

Parchment borders - 2

Here is the second Christmas card I have made using one of the borders from here.

I again stitched the finished parchment topper to three mat layers this time using blue silver lined beads to match the blue glitter mat - followed by silver Mirri card and then the final blue card mat.
The central motif was from a Groovi plate - CH-41010-03.  The finishing touches are some lovely blue sparkly enamel type gems (from China).

 Still, quite a few to do.  I am in the zone now and thoroughly enjoying myself.

Hugs
Carol
xx

Parchment borders

As mentioned before I have been experimenting with patterns for borders on parchment from this site (in my sidebar).

Here is the first card that I have managed to finish.

 

 I downloaded a border pattern from the site.  After I had worked it on parchment  I then stitched it to 3 mats using red thread and silver-lined red beads. The sentiment is from a Groovi plate embossed with tools and white pencil.

I have now chosen another 4 patterns and worked them -  and am in the process of turning them into cards.   I will try to add beads to them all.   Apart from just enhancing the pattern, I need to use up some beads as I am sure I have enough for every one of the 999? patterns on the site.

Christmas 2019 - last few

Parchment and Groovi plate.

Digital from Serif with added parchment poinsettias.

Parchment and Groovi plate with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils used for colouring and a very small parchment poinsettia added.

Die-cut decoupage sheet from?

Parchment and PCA plate for the image and Groovi plate for the sentiment and Faber Castell for the colouring.

After I had finished these last cards and whilst posting them to my computer I realised that I hadn't done any stamped cards this year.  I will have to rectify that next year.  I have too many stamps not to use.
xx

Groovi Plates

I have just finished off a couple of Groovi plate cards that I started a few days ago. 
For the colouring on these, I used Prismacolour pencils. I normally use my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils on parchment but I thought I would give the Prismacolour a trial.  They were very comfortable to use.  Much softer and spread more easily without having to use any medium which can be very fiddly in smaller areas.
Here they are:

GRO-FL-40831-03

GRO-AN-40817-03

I am an avid audio book listener and I will admit to having recently purchased all the Harry Potter book tapes read by  Stephen Fry and I am slowly listening to them all whilst working. I loved the films and these audio books are wonderful.  I do so much work whilst in my imagination being transported to a magical world.

p.s. The book tapes are sold by the Book People at a reasonable price.

Parchment Lesson July 2019

For our July lesson, we had some Dog Roses to colour using 3 colours - colouring on the back and the front of the image and then quite a complicated edge pattern to complete the card.
This was the first parchment I have done since I had the first cataract replaced and I wasn't at all sure how things would go.
But Wow!  -  I was surprised at how much I managed to do,  and to be happy with what I did do.

I didn't do the complicated border as I felt that that was a step too far and too soon. Instead, I found some pretty little corner heart emblems from a Groovi plate and I used those instead.  I also added a larger single heart in the middle of all four sides.

I added the bow. I found I had a bow die with a pretty edge so I used that.   I made a couple - one in a toning pink and one in parchment -  and then asked my son to say which he preferred and the parchment one was his choice. I added the gem to give a flash of sparkle.

I really enjoyed this and can't wait until the second cataract is done so that I can get back to doing some decent edging with the grids.

Here is my card. Hope you like it too:

'Blinged' to the max

At our last parchment lesson, we had a choice of projects and I chose to use a Groovi plate called - Tina's Floral Layering Panel. In fact, there are two panels on the plate -  each 13cms x 6 cms.
I have made what I call a three-panelled cross-over gatefold card. I googled to see what they were really called and apparently I got it right first time.

Here are a couple of photos of the finished card:

The top and bottom panels are as per the Groovi plate but the middle panel has some of the bottom panel design with a few bits from other sources. The sentiment is also from a Groovi plate.
The edging on the panels was done with a Pergamano half-square tool with embossed lines and the panels have been attached by matching tiny brads to the teal glitter card from my stash.
I then went to town on the Bling. On the sentiment panel, I used some fabulous crystal gems from Habico - purchased from the Art of Craft. The smaller gems were all from a selection pack I bought from Amazon.
It was a fiddly and time-consuming project but thoroughly enjoyed and has given me ideas for future projects.

Carol
xx

ATC Swop UK

Just catching up with the postings of my swops made for the Facebook Group.  They are presented by the organisers so beautifully.

Here are my catch-ups:

February - Jewellery/Gems

I make quite a lot of 'Jewellery' Atcs and always enjoy making them.

March - Celtic

April - Easter

These were all parchment using Groovi and PCA plates. Easter Bonnets.

May - SteamPunk

I really enjoyed making these. Love Steampunk

More Christmas 2019

As promised here is a Christmas card made in parchment using parts of the Groovi plate 'Tina's Henna Corners 2'.  I had used it earlier during a lesson here.

It has made a slightly unusual card - certainly very different to my usual makes.

The jury is still out.  My son says he likes it. Well it was paraded in front of him and poor lad couldn't say much else - but I am still not sure. Perhaps it just isn't 'Christmassy'.

Carol
xx

Some Groovi parchment

Our Parchment Lesson in February was based on a Groovi plate instead of using a traditional parchment pattern.

The Groovi plate we used was one designed by Tina Cox and it is called Tina's Henna Corners 2. These patterns are based on Indian henna designs from Tina's background. They are beautiful and I prefer them to many of the other Groovi designs.

Marilyn (tutor) designed several cards using many of the patterns from the plate and this is the one I chose:

I chose the same colouring that Marilyn had chosen as this colour range is one of my own favourites.
The colouring on the parchment was done with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils.

At the class I studied a small Groovi book showing at least 20 designs using this plate and one other.  I purchased it and hope to use some of the suggestions in some Christmas cards this year.

Hugs
Carol

Christmas card for my sister

My sister doesn't follow my blog so I am quite safe. I wanted to do something personal for her but am having to do very simple parchment. The white poinsettia had already been made and the leaves punched out.  The writing is from a Groovi plate and the border (by Wendy Walters)  is a favourite which I can cope with as long as I take my time.
Hope she likes it.

Take care.
Hugs
Carol xx

More Christmas 2017

Firstly here is a new stitched wreath.   I have used white card die cut with one of my favourite dies for the stitching and the first mat.  The stitching pattern is from here.

Secondly here are two parchment cards. They have both been made using borders that I completed some time ago whilst I was still able to do concentrated parchment.  I then found images to use in the centres. This first one is an Angel from a Tattered Lace grid. I have then sewn the parchment to the card using beads..

Here is the last one. The pre-made border as before and another Tattered Lace design from one of the grids. The bow was made using a Groovi plate. This time I used red brads to fix the parchment to the backing card and then put it behind a scalloped window card. Then decorated the frame with peel off glitter.

Jolly Christmas - pattern by Judith Maslen .....with a tweak or two

Yes I have been tweaking again.  I love Judith's patterns but if there is a design with a half square or a Moon tool used on the border you can be sure I will make a pig's ear of it and it happened again.
I had spent ages colouring and embossing Father Christmas and I didn't want to lose him so I did the same as I did with the Owl.....took him out. (Parchment expression) and then redid the background with a scallop tool and a Star tool.  I then glued Father Christmas back in place with Perga Glue.   The bow I decided I would like 3D so instead of tracing the one Judith had drawn I made one using a Groovi plate.
If anyone is interested the link to Judith's site is in my sidebar and the pattern number is jm068-3
Hope you like it.
Hugs
Carol
xx

Just finished another Judith pattern - 'Christmas Morning' - jm068-2  so I thought I would post it here.

Love them both.
So more hugs
Carol
xx

More for the Christmas card box

At our last Parchment lesson we were using a couple of Groovi plates. We were also given an unusual card shape to use with our finished work but I decided not to use that yet and I made an easel card for my image.

This is the Groovi plate we were using ........

.............but I didn't use the centre motif, I used the Merry Christmas wording from another plate.
We all did various interpretations and added our own bits and here is mine.

I made the large bow for the 'stopper' and that pattern came from the same plate as the small bow in the centre.
As you can see I used ooodles of gems. TG  I know where I can get replacements from Amazon at a very good price.  Ask and I might tell!

Just off to finish an ATC for a swop next month.
Love you to leave a comment if you can as you are passing by.
Hugs
Carol
xx

A special Anniversary

Today is a special Anniversary for my dear friends up in Northumberland.  It is their Diamond Wedding Anniversary. I managed to grab a moment to telephone them this morning and wish them a lovely day and here is the card that I sent them:

This is made of parchment using various Groovi plates, some special brads and lots and lots of tiny crystals.
Joyce always make beautiful inserts for her cards.  I don't I am afraid.  Because I used to sell my cards I got into the habit of just inserting plain sheets so that the purchaser/sender could add what they wanted to say - not what I wanted them to say.  Anyway this time  I made a special effort and found somewhere where you can buy inserts already designed and printed with appropriate messages and verses. Joyce was very impressed but I had to fess up.

I loved making this and I am very happy for them both.
Carol
xx

Christmas 2017

I know - I know - it is much too early but I did promise myself last year that I would start making them sooner this year .......and I have.

To start with just a simple parchment one using Groovi plates and punched flowers:

The frame is from the larger of the two frame plates, the centre pattern is another plate with added sun tool and 5 needle tool patterns.  The white dots are from a Pergamano grid and the flowers are punched from 150gsm coloured parchment paper. The 'Merry Christmas' is traced from the larger Groovi plate.
The wonderful brads and spacers are from Nellie Snellen and I bought them from The Art of Craft.

My pins and needles etc are still here but a bit less in severity hence I have managed some crafting. Now off to tackle some unfinished projects and make myself feel very good.

I see we already have some fabulous entries in our CD Sunday Birthday Challenge.  If you don't know about us please come visit.  As you see it is our 7th Birthday and we are celebrating with a special prize for the winner -  to be chosen by Pauline.  Here is where you will find us so that you can join in.  Still a week to go.

Hugs
Carol
xx

Groovi plates and Woodware stamps

I love using Woodware stamps on parchment and I know I have said that before -  but I love the clean clear lines of the designs.
I am determined to start using my Groovi plates.  I have bought a fair few and it is time to stop just looking at them.  I have been copying and storing many example cards that I have seen for ideas but have started with one that is all my own idea (helped a little by fellow parchers at our Workshop).
The stamp has been stamped in white and then embossed.  The 'bubbles' are quite large and take quite a bit of slow careful embossing. The frame is from a Groovi plate and the curly stem and leaves are from another plate.
Hope you like it.

Carol
xx

Happy Christmas to all my followers and fellow teamies

I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and a Prosperous and Healthy New Year.
I am getting ready to visit my sister for the holiday and on the way to her visit my daughter and SIL who I don't see often enough.
Three great friends who come to me every month  for a day of crafting, eating, chatting and generally putting the world to rights were here yesterday.  We try a do a different craft each month and this time  we were making parchment inserts for coasters using Groovi plates as a source  for the images.  It was a mad idea I had had but  they loved it and they went home with some super coasters which they were going to give out as presents.
Because I was hostessing I had time for chatting and a glass or two but not much crafting time but I did make this one:

Not perfect as it was rather hurried but fun nevertheless.  We have fixed our date next month and more of the same has been requested.  With the great number of Groovi plates I seem to have aquired there will be lots of images from which to choose.
So have a good holiday and thank you for your support and kind comments over the year.
I will be back in time to post the next challenge by CD Sunday.
Carol
xxx