Clarity Challenge 45 - Blast from the Past

I created the border first using the circle from the Floral figures set and Pesto ink.  The centre circle was made with a petite gelli plate and some lace and the same Pesto ink.  I brushed round the edges of the centre square with the same colour.  The cat is also from the Floral figures set.  It was stamped in black archival ink and the leaves and flowers were coloured in using a green fineliner.  I stamped the sentiment with the letter box kit and edged each section in black.  To finish I added a die cut (as I don't have a stamp) paw print in black and holographic green card.

Clarity challenge 44 - Squares or Circles

A clean and simple card for this month's entry.
I used
Dotty wave, Jo's Bubbles, a Box Frame and Leafy Swirl stencils
Raspberry, Stonewashed and Black inks
Sentiment stamp
Various wee folk including the stars from one of the fairy sets
Black micron pen

Clarity Challenge - In the garden

First I stenciled the wall in the background.  I masked off the bottom area and brushed over lightly with espresso then used espresso again through the stencil. 
I then stamped the wrought iron bench and coloured in parts of it with a fineliner.
Using a variety of stamps I stamped the greenery along the bottom of the wall and the wrought iron tree.
For the lawn I brushed over with lettuce ink and used the end of a small stamp to create texture with 2nd and 3rd generation pesto ink.
The flowers in the foreground were stamped with pesto and coloured in using promarkers.  I wanted them to be fairly muted so didn't bleach out the lettuce ink but coloured straight over it.  I used some glamour dust and gems on the flowers to add extra texture.  The glitter looks a bit blobby in the photo but sparkles nicely in real life!

Clarity challenge 41 - Days out

I stamped the Sketchy Lady and the Diamond carriage and horse first using Black Archival and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I then stamped the sentiment using the letterbox kit.
For the sky I used Stonewashed and the cloud mask.  I really like how the card gives little blobs of texture.
Next I created the castle and the hills using the landscape mask, Espresso and Lettuce inks.  Not forgetting the torn paper for the hills!
The foreground was made using the Dotty Wave and Stone Wall stencils randomly and Espresso and Vintage photo inks.
I painted the lady with Stonewashed and Lettuce inks, both to make her stand out and tone with the background.
A few finishing touches - the grass verge using a stamp from Trees and their mantles, shadows with some diluted Vintage Photo ink and a touch of colour on the bottom of each letter to match their background.

Clarity challenge 40 - Masculine

This journalling set seems to be my 'go to' for masculine cards.  I love the simplicity of the images and the script stamp has to be my very favourite for creating background interest.
I used espresso and lettuce inks for my background and the birthday sentiment from the word chains.

Clarity challenge 39 - Anything Goes

I used my blending tools and Pesto, Lettuce and Espresso inks to make the background.  I then stamped randomly on the background with water using the script stamp from the Journalling set to add some texture.  I used the script stamp again and second generation of espresso to stamp again.
The bird stamp, which I love, is stamped with Versamark and then embossed in black.  I lifted some of the ink from the birds with a small brush and water although this does not show up too well.
To make the border strip I again used the script stamp.  This time using black Archival and brushing over lightly with Lettuce and Espresso.
Finishing touches are:  edging the border strip with a black fineliner, mounting the panel on black, stamping the sentiment, assembling the card.

Clarity challenge - April

I really like this stamp and have used it for both of the challenges this month. 
First I stamped the bird in black archival ink to give it a crisp, clean look.  I made a mask for the bird and added the moon and outer parts of the cloud masks.  I then used a stencil brush and stonewashed ink for the sky.  I made my own cloud mask from copy paper and inked these in with denim ink.  After removing all the masks I painted the bird with espresso.  I didn't want to use more colours as I wanted a clean, simple feel to the card.  I stamped the greeting and the foliage (first and second generation) in black archival.  I am (for once) really pleased with this and plan to make some similar ones as birthday cards for some of my family.

Clarity challenge 37 - All about the girls

I used a lot of masks in this project!  At first I was a bit disappointed that the ink had seeped under some of them a bit but then I decided I quite liked the effect.  I stamped the words first and then masked them off.  Placing the inner part of the lady stencil on the card I then stamped the shops.  These were then masked as well.  For my background I used the ink that was left on the poly bag after doing the background for the calendar challenge.  Ingenious or what?  After removing all the masks I placed the outer part of the stencil in place and used my stencil brushes to create the lady.  I used one of the house stamps to give her dress an abstract pattern.  I used coloured pencils on the shops and a fine liner to outline my lady and give her some curly hair - she looked a bit weird without it.

Clarity challenge 36 - Love

I started thinking along the theme of Valentine's Day as it was so close.
I used Raspberry Adirondack ink throughout.
First I stamped the word 'love' with the letterbox kit and then masked it off as I wanted this to stand out.
The next stage was to place the heart stencil, without the inner piece on the card and very lightly brush through with the ink.
I then placed the abstract squares stencil underneath the heart stencil and brushed through again. 
Next I put the inner part of the heart stencil in place and brushed though again, this time quite heavily to give a contrast.
I stamped 2 of the wee folk and the kissing couple into three of the squares.
My background is black card and letterbox kit letters saying 'love'.  I stamped the word randomly over the black card and then brushed over with Lava Red mica powder. 
To finish the card off I cut out the heart, mounted it onto the black background and then mounted that onto some bright pink cardstock.

Clarity calendar challenge - January

Well I thought that I would try to have a go at the calendar challenge each month just to challenge myself really.  This is my second attempt at it and I'm not especially pleased with it.  However, after reading Barbara's blog this morning I thought (JFDI) as she said.  So here it is, warts and all.

Clarity challenge 35 - Say it with flowers

I have entered this card for the Clarity January challenge - Say it with flowers.
I used the Clarity petals set to stamp the outline of the petals to make the flower shapes using Black Archival ink. 
Then I made Zentangle type patterns in each petal using a fine liner.
The sentiment is a Clarity stamp which I particularly like.
I used die cuts to finish off the card. 2 different Spellbinders circles for the flowers centres.  Rose creations and Layered poinsettias for the flowers.

Clarity challenge 33 Clean and Simple.

I would like to enter this card into the Clarity Challenge 33.

I used Stream Adirondack to make the outer circle.  I then stamped the nativity scene in Black Archival and lightly brushed over the sky with stream and created the background hills with espresso.  I mounted the whole picture on black card and some white card which I had coloured with stream.  I outlined the main picture with a black fine-liner pen. 

October Clarity challenge

I would like to enter this card for the October clarity challenge 'stencils'.
I used the 'Stone Wall' stencil for the panel and the background to the sentiment.  First I inked through the stencil with stream ink and then turned the stencil and inked through again.  I used a black pro-marker to edge it to give some definition.
For the butterfly panel I used the 'Butterfly montage' stamp.  I cut out the panel part and inked lightly with stream.  I then stamped it again and cut out just the butterfly, inked it in the same way and layered it with foam pads onto the butterfly panel.
I stamped the sentiment and die cut the shape using a pro-marker to outline it.

September Clarity challenge

A double twisted easel card.

August Clarity challenge

July Clarity challenge

Clarity Clocks challenge

This is my entry for the May clarity challenge 'Clocks'.
I have used stamps from several Clarity sets:
Victorian miniatures
NDC sentiment stamp
Trees and their mantles
I also used the Clarity Clocks stencil, espresso and sepia inks.

Fairy Sparkles

This is my entry from the April Clarity challenge.  On black card I used grunge paste through the stencil and then a combination of Stonewash, Stream and Lettuce inks to colour the background.  I stamped 3 of the fairies from the Clarity Wee Folk set and added some of the fairy stars in between 2 of them.  I wrote the message with a white pen and added Glamour Dust to them, the stars and the words.

Favour box

This is a favour box I decorated for the Clarity blog challenge in March.

I have entered this for the Clarity February floral Challenge.  Not easy to say!  I have stamped over 3 layers of card and then matted each layer onto a plain purple card.  I used the Floribundance stamp and made my own vase shape/stencil.  The larger flowers are decorated with Glamour Dust and the smaller ones have a bright pink gem in the centre.