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Tuesday 15 March 2016

All About the Girls - March Clarity Challenge



Mothers Day card with parchment house martin and purple and yellow background

This month's Clarity Challenge is All About the Girls. So I decided to make my entry my mum's Mother's Day card. She loved it, which is the main thing, but let's hope the Clarity guys do too.

The card is in two main parts, the foreground and background, and I flitted between the two, working on one as the other dried.

The foreground is parchment, using the Groovi system, but I also stamped on it.

I started with the lettering, from the Groovi plate mate, then stamped the house martin (the February Clarity New Design Club stamp) in permanent black on the front of the parchment.


Parchment with Happy Mothers Day and stamped house martin


While that dried, I started the background. I used Clarity stencil card, and added distress inks with a blending tool. The colours I used are dusty concord, mustard seed, spiced marmalade and seedless preserves.


Purple and Orange inked background

It looks a bit like a bad bruise, but I have faith it'll work out!

Coming back to the card the next day, I add a border to the parchment using the nested squares - I've not had these long, but they're very useful.

I start to add white work, gently embossing from the back, to the house martin.


Parchment with Happy Mothers Day, coloured, and stamped house martin with white work

I also colour in the letters with a sharpie.

The white work is something else to leave and come back to, gradually building up from grey to white.

Meanwhile, in the background… I add some detail with stencils. I used the harlequin and Jo's bubbles stencils, with the same distress inks. I can't believe I nearly didn't get Jo's bubbles when it was in the sale at the start of the year, it's proven to be so useful already.


Purple and Orange inked background with stencilled patterns

Back with the parchment, once I'm happy with the white work I turn to the border, to add a bit of interest. I settle on the deckle border from the border plate (I don't have the deckle nested plate). 


Parchment with Happy Mothers Day, stamped house martin with white work and border with deckle detail


Time for some colouring in. I used a navy, purple and turquoise sharpie for the house martin, and purple for the outside of the border.


Border and house martin coloured in


Close up of coloured in house martin


The final step is to cut it out. I don't have my piercing plates yet, so I used a pair of curvy cut scissors to cut just outside the border.

The background needs its final layer - I use one of the shepherd's purse stamps in dusty concord around the outside. I didn't take a picture of this for some reason, you can see it on the finished card though.

As always, the question is how to mount the parchment. As I didn't colour in the border completely, I can't add tape behind it. So instead, I make another section of background, using the same colours and the blending tool.


Purple and yellow inked background section

I use a corner punch to make two slots, and mount the parchment in this. I use a small piece of tape behind the bird to help secure it.

This piece is then mounted with foam tape onto the main background. This is mounted onto an A4 card base, which I cut down to the right size.


Mothers Day card with parchment house martin and purple and yellow background

Mothers Day card with parchment house martin and purple and yellow background


I'm pleased with how rich and warm this looks - parchment can be soft and understated, it mutes the colours, but then again it's all about how you use it. I've not tried stamping on it before, but it adds another dimension. I'm constantly amazed at how versatile the Groovi system and parchment is proving to be.

I'm also chuffed to get an entry in well before the deadline - think that's a first!

25 comments:

  1. Lovely card I like the background. Good luck in the challenge and thank you for entering. Xx

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  2. A beautiful card Lucinda, I'm not surprised your Mum loved it. Thanks for the great step by step x

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    1. Sorry forgot to say thank you for joining the Clarity challenge this month. Good luck! x

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    2. Thanks Angela. My mum is obviously my biggest fan, and she has quite a collection of my cards now!

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  3. Great card Lucinda; I love the combination of stamp, stencil and groovi. Thanks for entering the Clarity challenge, and good luck. Xxx

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    1. Thanks Barbara. I was wondering if I could use the gelli plate as well for a full house...

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  4. What a fab design.. good luck and thanks for entering x

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  5. What a fab design.. good luck and thanks for entering x

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  6. What a nice card love your background with your parchment good luck in the clarity challenge xx

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  7. Love the background and the colouring you have achieved on the House Martin. Best wishes in the Clarity. Challenge. ;~}

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    1. Thank you, the stamp design with the little stripes is a great help in colouring.

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  8. What a beautiful card, of course your Mum loved it. We do too. Good luck.

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    1. Thank you Naomi. It has to be something special for my mum, doesn't it!

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  9. A great example of how to combine parchment and stamping. Your background is super and using a second piece to attach the parchment is such a clever idea. Good luck in the challenge x

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    1. Thanks Lesley. I'm totally sold on stamping on parchment now. The second piece of background was completely unplanned, but solved a problem. I'd almost like to do three layers, as I like the look of one piece on top of the more patterned piece.

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  10. I really like your card design,I know some people are superstitious about birds inside but i'm not and i'm sure your mum loved it. I've printed on parchment in the past but never stamped on it, so i'm going to try this soon.

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    1. Thanks Mary, do have a go with the stamping, I really like the way it looks, and the contrast of ink with white work is lovely.

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  11. Don't have the groovi yet , maybe one day beautiful card

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    1. Thanks Janice. I wasn't going to get it originally, but I'm glad I did, there are some great things you can do with it.

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  12. Hi Lucinda. What a fabulous design. You are so right about how versatile parchment and the Groovi Plates are. I was really drawn to your colour scheme.... A lot of people use pale background and then you can't see the work, so I am very happy that you designed yours the way you did. It all works so well together. I wish you the best of luck in the Claritystamp challenge. Xxx

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    1. Hi Emma, thanks for your kind words. Having done all that lovely parchment work I want it to show! Plus I couldn't decide between Groovi and inky, so did both!

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  13. Hi Lucinda. What a fabulous design. You are so right about how versatile parchment and the Groovi Plates are. I was really drawn to your colour scheme.... A lot of people use pale background and then you can't see the work, so I am very happy that you designed yours the way you did. It all works so well together. I wish you the best of luck in the Claritystamp challenge. Xxx

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Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I really appreciate hearing from you, and try to respond to every one.

Lucinda