Groovi sketch

I wanted to have another play with the current sketch challenge from the Christmas Card Throwdown.

Something completely different from last week's card. No step by step pictures this week I'm afraid, ran out of time a bit!

I started with the background - I got the shaving foam out and had a play in the week. I got a bit carried away - I meant to make a few backgrounds for a variety of cards I have to make at the moment, but then got into it and ended up with 24 I think! And ink stained fingers that haven't 100% gone more than two days later.

(If you don't know the shaving foam technique, there's a video here. Basically you use the shaving foam as a carrier to do marbling with dye inks - distress inks in my case.)

So I have my pretty, frosty blue background, now I want to add some snowflakes. I have reversed the sketch in a way, rather than the green ribbon being in front, I've put the grey rectangles forward.

I got out my groovi kit and parchment for this. I haven't used it for ages, despite my good intentions at the start of the year. However, it's been out this week as I had to make 2 sympathy cards (no-one's favourite type of card) and the softness of parchment works so well for those.

I drew my outlines using the square grid plate, then embossed the dots just inside them using the square grid plate. I then filled each piece with snowflakes from one plate (not sure what it's called).

Some new snowflake plates have just come out with piercing grids to match; although I'd said I wouldn't buy more groovi till I've used what I have more, I am sorely tempted by these!

I didn't colour or do white work, just left the delicate snowflakes as white lines - so simple but so pretty.

I used plain parchment for these, but for the sentiment I got out some blue - I've not really used this before, but I won a pack at the Clarity Open Day in June, so had to try it. The first piece I did, I went on the wrong side, to got a pale blue line instead of white - still pretty but not what I wanted, so I had to redo.

I embossed a line sentiment from a border plate, then framed with a line and dots as above.

The parchment was mounted onto the background with a tape pen, strategically placed behind the snowflakes and words, then the background went onto a 7x7 card base.

Soft and subtle, but ever so pretty.

Each time I do some groovi I resolve to do more. I don't have the time, patience or skill for lots of white work or pricking, but I still love the effects I get with the line art and colouring.




I hope this has inspired you to have a go with our sketch. To join in, head to the Christmas Card Throwdown. You have until midnight BST on Friday 15th September to enter.

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