It’s all rather Puzzling….

It’s all rather Puzzling….

Happy Sunday! Dave and I are off to London to see KT Tunstall tonight; so lots of Lemsip required. No way no how am I missing the concert. She is one special lady. Did you know she used to be a busker? Yep. Used to busk on Street corners. Says it made her a better performer. For one, she had to learn to play standing up and in the cold! It’s funny. 20 years of demonstrating art at shows set me in good stead for the TV,  too. I am so used to standing up when I work, I can’t craft sitting down either, and I mostly hold the stamp back to front, too, so that the audience can see what I am doing! All very puzzling…
But it’s way past midnight and I must complete my Sunday blog before I hit the hay, so here goes. 
By the way, very glad you enjoyed yesterday’s new Stained Glass technique. 
The new Flower stencil is on the website under ‘New in’ if you are looking for it.
So here’s one which has been puzzling people apparently, if you’ll pardon the pun. It’s a recent TV Classroom Project, and I thought we could break it down, so that it becomes logical. It’s actually really easy ; only the very first part, masking off the puzzle line, is tricky.
You need
The Jigsaw Puzzle stamps
The Jigsaw Puzzle masks
Black Archival ink pad
Lettuce, Stonewashed and Espresso Adirondack
Post-Its and make-up sponges
Theuva Card
It’s another one of those illusions, where a piece of the puzzle is missing.
The trickiest bit is how to block off the top line of the piece of jigsaw you want to pretend is missing.
This is how I did it, but you may figure out an easier way!
Cut a sliver of Post-It from the sticky end exactly the width of the line you want to mask off. Attach it to the stamp in the right place BEFORE you ink up in Black Archival. 
Then remove it (after you have inked up the Jigsaw stamp), and stamp the puzzle onto A5 Theuva Card. The line is now missing because you didn’t ink it up. 
What is important is to remove the inky little sliver of Post-it before you stamp!
Stamp the individual stamp above, at a jaunty angle.

Build a mask around the puzzle, ready to create the scene.

You will notice that suddenly the card in the next pic is landscape instead of portrait; 
ignore this – I’m a goon. Just focus on the centrepiece.

We have to mask off the blank area with a puzzle mask, too. 
Add some grass with Lettuce and a make-up sponge

Tear a piece of copy paper and add some hills.

Add a little punched moon.

Using a make-up sponge add Stonewashed blue to make the sky.

Add the tree and deer in Espresso.

Now for the single jigsaw piece. In order to do this, you have to mask the entire area around that piece. 
Use your Clarity Mask for this. (Sorry, I deleted the picture)

Create the scene in the single piece as  if it did actually belong!

And there you have it. Another optical illusion.

This is a bit cobbled together, but I’m sure you get the picture! Having been ill and away from Clarity Towers all week, writing a daily blog has become a bit of a challenge with no materials to hand except a Gelli Plate and an Ipad!
But now I have to go to bed!
Don’t forget to leave a nice comment! 
There’s a £50 prizedraw and a £100 prizedraw riding on it, you know! If you don’t know, just click the GIVEAWAY BUTTON in the bar, and more will be revealed….

75 thoughts on “It’s all rather Puzzling….

  1. I do hope you're feeling well enough to enjoy the concert – should be fab! Lovely card today and I love that you craft standing up and upside down LOL – it's funny what we get used to. I crafted on a kitchen table for years and now I have a raised counter and stool thing and I cannot be doing with it at all. It makes me put everything on the card at an odd angle somehow?? I guess I'll get used to it but at the moment I seem to end up standing up too.

  2. Well I have Just got back out of bed to let my 13 year old pup in the Garden!!! I did make a version of this once with the Snowmen peeping in and a big fingerprint right at the end!!! I think it's a great card without the finger prints! Keep taking the medicine! Xxx

  3. Greetings,
    Glad you went to the concert and hope it was fantastic. I think this technique is one to try, those stamps are just fun. Today we are building another rack to hang ny Clarity stamps. Thanks for the inspiration. Feel better.

  4. Hope the night out lifts the spirits and makes you feel better.
    Loving your daily blog and the amazing projects you're showing us.
    Having my first crafting day today after moving house and so looking forward to using my new Clarity goodies from the NEC.

  5. Thanks for the instructions-my phone has become a step-by-step pocket guide. So useful! Now I know why you were on facebook at midnight – you were waiting to post this. Take care of yourself Barbara, don't overdo it. Enjoy the concert tonight, take lots of cough sweets xx

  6. Hope the concert lives up to expectations. I recently went to see Ralph McTell, who also used to husk, and he was great, too, and it really was food for the soul. I do enjoy so much reading your daily food for the crafting soul. Your ideas are so varied and the instructions so clear. I was focusing so hard on the unmasked area that I had not noticed the card turned round. I hope you are still taking the medication , and you soon feel fully recovered and rested. xx Maggie

  7. Love this technique and the jigsaw stamps are on my list. Looking forward to having a go. Having your lovely step by step blog to refer to is a real bonus because my telly is downstairs and my craft room upstairs. The c&c classroom videos are so hit and miss that being able to pull up your blog on the iPad is just great. I made a few fuschia cards that way last week, copying your lovely circle technique. I also made two gerbera cards using ink on my gelli plate for the first time. I was intending to send one in as homework but the blinking artwork has vanished. How does that happen when no one enters or leaves a room. I've had the place upside down twice and still can't find it! Enjoy the concert and hope you feel better soon xx

  8. Ah the intricacies of masking. It's taken me a while to get to grips with this technique but as of yet have not been brave enough to go it alone with the jigsaw stamps… I have them..but not yet used them.. It was that missing piece masking that got me! So I will be brave and 'man up' and have a go! Enjoy the concert and the swanky hotel – you both deserve a treat! Just have a pocket of boiled sweets to suck to keep the cough at bay! Also enjoy London… Hope you find time to be a tourist and have a wander … I always find we don't appreciate what's on our doorstep and when you get a chance it lifts the spirits xxx

  9. I love this technique, I've used it for some of my Xmas cards. The hardest part is remembering to take of the sliver of post it before you stamp the jigsaw! Have a wonderful time at the concert. Look forward to hearing all about it.

  10. Hi Barbara
    Great tips for how to achieve this. Saw it on the classroom, but it is certainly easier when it's written down and in front of me to work through at my leisure. Hope you enjoy the concert and feel much better soon.. Alison

  11. Hi Barb, I missed this on the classroom show, and definitely have to add to my stock of masks and clarity stamp. The jigsaw puzzle stamp is amazing, and could be used for so many different cards. Love masking, it adds so much flexibility, and this is a superb example. Enjoy the concert, you deserve it. Get better soon. Bx

  12. Have fun with KT Tunstall, and hope the Lemsip keeps you going! Really clever technique with the puzzle pieces – loved it on the classroom, but having a written reminder of the technique is also so helpful. Thanks x

  13. Good morning Barbara, thank you for the great step by step, I missed the show so this is a real bonus for me! I hope you have a great time with KT Tunstall – wrap up warm! x

  14. Enjoy the concert Barbara and Dave! And I hope you feel better soon!
    Love this little project. It also shows how versatile the wonderland set can be. …it's not just for Christmas! love and hugs. xxx

  15. Hope you both really enjoy your concert. Thank you for breaking down this project. This blog is going to be a fantastic resource for the future and all is so clear. Your efforts are much appreciated.
    Hugs Elaine

  16. Great to have this technique explained so well and you can go back and for to dip back into it when required (as with some of your other blogs). Just loving your daily blogs, great ideas, techniques and a little more insight into the Clarity Towers world. I always feel as if you are giving me (personally) a secret lol. Thanks for sharing and enjoy the concert tonight x

  17. I'm so glad you have explained the 'jigsaw', I have the stamp and mask but have been clueless in constructing a picture, (not unusual for me). I missed the TV programme, (holidays), but this step by step guide is wonderful, so I'm off to play now with the 'jigsaw'. Cooking Sunday lunch what is that? Thank you again and enjoy the concert.

  18. Krank sein und trotzdem den Blog weiterführen, das ist tapfer, liebe Barbara! Enjoy the concert tonight! Mir kommt es vor als hatte es den Blog schon immer gegeben, so vertraut ist er mir schon. Today I am a bit lazy with my english, sorry.

  19. Hope you feel better soon. That concert sounds great, enjoy.

    This looks like a brilliant technique I only caught part of it on TV but now seeing this it explains it brilliantly, looks like another stamp on my wish list.

    Thanks
    Sandra

  20. This set of stamps and masks is so simple yet so versatile. It would work at any time of year, its easy to produce an impressive result! How brave are you sitting up at night when you feel so rough just to make sure we have a blog to read. Thank you! x

  21. So enjoyed your demo at the NEC which has inspired me to have a go …so armed with brayer gelli plate stamps oh and an empty purse lol ….so tomorrow I have decided it's going to be a Barbara Grey day in my craft room ..hope I do your stamps and stencils justice ..watch this space !!!!! …I do hope you enjoyed your concert Barbara ….Thank you for the instructions I have now started a file to help me progress …x

  22. Another great blog post. I tried this one on the classroom session, but made a mess thanks for giving me another chance to try. I may even try and remove another piece of the puzzle :o) Hope your back in Clarity towers soon. X

  23. glad you blogged this. good refresher. hope you had a fantastic day. last night i was in the coughing and spluttering stage and had to sleep sitting down. how much longer now do you reckon, seeng that i'm lagging behaind? 😉 xx

    1. Another super demo on your blog, thanks think I've got the idea now, saw it on TV too, so no excuse now, thanks for struggling on even though you must feel like not doing it , due to the Flu, thanks again & a great job . Hugs xxxxx

  24. Thank-you for blogging this one. I've looked at this stamp for a while but couldn't work out how to do the masking but it'll be on my Christmas list now. xx

  25. Pleased you have made a tutorial of this I find written words and pics much easier to follow and you break it down into such lovely bite size pieces it's great to follow xx

  26. I have had the jigsaw stamp for a while now and not used it yet, I really need to go and have a go dont I lol, thanks for the inspiration.

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