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

Songbird Birthday Card

The image and sentiments were designed by our Parchment Tutor - Marilyn Pybus.  I finished it during our workshop yesterday
The extras I put on are the little butterflies.  I 'painted' some parchment paper with Wink of Stella Clear.  When dry I punched out the butterflies using my Pinflair punch.

The oval and the sentiments were stitched to the card with beads.
We were given a pattern for an Anniversary card as well  which shows two birds on the branch and of course Happy Anniversary in the banner.
Carol xx

More Zentangle from the Surrey borders

Here they are as promised.  The Owl, the Dove and the Rooster.  I have really enjoyed sitting quietly and losing myself making these.  I think the Rooster is my own favourite. 
These images were all designed by my Tutor, Marilyn, but the border pattern is mine.  Not that it is very complicated but I needed something that was size adaptable.
I would now like to find some smaller images and create a few ATC's for the UKSN group that I belong to.

Please feel free to leave a message if you wish.  It is always nice to know you have looked in on your way past.
Carol
xx

Zentangle Elephant - finished

As promised I sat at the table until I had finished my little elephant card.  Using a fine stamp edge tool I took him 'out' of the piece of parchment on which he had been created so that I had just the elephant ready to mount on any background that I wished.  I made  a frame using fresh parchment and a simple border that I created.  I then wanted to 'ground' him so I used my 'grass' die and cut out a strip in black to put behind him.  I stuck this to the new frame and then mounted the elephant using Perga glue very sparingly just on the very edges so that it doesn't show.  Finally I used a Spellbinder die to cut out a frame  in black card.

Here he is:

I hope you like him.  I have an owl, a cockerel and a dove to do in the series so I have plenty to do.
Carol
xx

Zentangle is the buzz word

down here on the Surrey borders at the moment.
On Wednesday it was our monthly parchment lesson and our Tutor - Marilyn Pybus -  had some small animal Zentangles for us to do.  I haven't finished mine yet.  Rather I have finished the elephant but not the presentation as yet:

Here is the example we were working towards:

I expect I will finish mine over the weekend.

Today we had another of our now popular craft days that are organised by our Tutor.  Not just parchment for these occasions.  Last time I ran one of the workshops - Stitched Bookmarks - but today I was just an eager pupil.  We did 3 workshops.  Made a box using the Hougie board and then decorated it, made a very fancy notebook with a cover in parchment (not finished yet) and this wonderful gift bag:

I thoroughly enjoyed doing the Zentangling.  The outlines had already been very expertly stamped for us so we could just get on and have fun.  The bag was provided as well.  I added the parchment butterfly and the other two crinkle cut ones when I got home.  I thought the three matched beautifully with the image.
A couple of close ups of the Zentangling

We have some more small animal images to Zentangle so watch this space.

I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I enjoyed doing them.  For a whole day I managed to relax and just enjoy crafting and good company.
Carol xx

CD Sunday - Pennant Parade

Good Morning to one and all.  Lets hope the weather is a little less damp than yesterday.
Thank you all for your good wishes for my trip to La Belle France.  I had a wonderful few days with my sister and we did nothing but shop, eat and laugh.  I do count my blessings that she and I get on so well together.  Having exactly the same mad sense of humour helps us -  but it is disconcerting to others.
We did have a delightful waiter at the Hotel the last night who told me that if I didn't eat all my first course there would be no desert.  Well I couldn't manage it all but did order some ice cream.  I got a funny look and when my desert arrived it was three little drops of ice cream (one each of the flavours I had ordered) on a saucer decorated with a minute meringue.  He was, though, holding my proper pud behind my back.  Needless to say he got a good tip.

Thank you for the kind comments about my stripey project last week.  Again we had some great cards entered and it will be difficult to choose a winner.  Glad it's not me.

For our 'Pennant Parade' I have used some parchment and based my design on a design by  my parchment tutor.

For the background card I have used Artylicious Season's Greetings - Disc 1. For the pennants I drew around the outside and inside of a die and then embossed the drawn lines. The letters were traced from my tutors pattern.  I used a newly purchased snowflake punch and embosser for the small snowflakes on the pennants. The larger snowflakes were die cut from a tiny piece of white glitter card I had saved.  Very difficult to find a supply of this -   or rather a supply of good quality white glitter card.
My fellow teamies have made some great cards and I look forward to visiting your blogs to see lots more of the same.
Carol
xx

Patterned Reindeer

I have created this Christmas card by using elements from different designs by two people.

The first is my tutor Marilyn who gave us a card of her design to make at our last lesson.  I missed the lesson but was kindly given the pattern at the workshop.  I loved the reindeer so I used him - filling in the sections using a diagonal grid and other multi grids.  The border is from a book - 'Parchment Craft Borders for Beginners' by Judith Maslen.  The sentiment was traced from one of Judith's Christmas Patterns. The snowflakes were made using a punch and embossing set that I bought last week at The Art of Craft and the gems are from one of Anita's Gem Wheels.

I enjoyed making it and I hope my tutor likes my use of her image.