Moody skies…and it’s NEC Thursday!

Moody skies…and it’s NEC Thursday!

Oh boy!
Thank you for stopping by. 
Thursday’s a Blue Blog, and it’s
NEC Thursday! 
This is historically one of the busiest days of the year for us, so whilst you are reading this blog, spare a thought for us, pedalling like loonies in Birmingham!
Deep impression powder, or SEA SALT!!!
Black Adirondack Ink Pad or Black Archival
With the help of a Blending mat, brayer both Wild Plum and Stonewashed onto A6 Claritycard.

You can intensify the colours, 
by going over them a couple of times.

Punch out a moon and position….

Sprinkle some thick embossing powder, or seasalt over the pic.
Ink up the brayer with Stonewashed and then roll straight 
over the granules. Back and forth.
The granules will create blobs and splits in the background.

 Splat some water and blot, for more blotches and staining.

Wipe all the granules off, ready for stamping.

Now the scene is set for  the next stage…
Stamp the Landscape into place using Black Archival
Add the boy fishing from the set.
It’s a really excellent little demountable set. 
Hang on, let me find a picture for you….
Okay, so here’s the little lad.

Add some moonlight highlights with the white pen.

 See how the moon sits?

 Time to find a matching background.

and add a little message for a good friend .

And when we get back to our room tonight, I shall sit down with a cup of tea, and just indulge myself, 
reading your kind and uplifting and encouraging comments. 
So do take a minute….
lots of love,

91 thoughts on “Moody skies…and it’s NEC Thursday!

  1. Love the colours you have used and the effect the granules/salt gives – lovely serene effect.
    Have a great day – hope you have plenty of painkillers with you for that old neck xx

  2. Lovely piece of artwork Barbara, it is so atmospheric. U may have to borrow the idea as my partner is a keen fisherman. Hope all goes well at the NEC and can't wait to see what demos you have planned, when Mum and mysrlf come on Sunday.

  3. Beautiful! A little moment of me time reading your blog before I go and start the day. Been awake since ungodly o'clock with children who wake early and can't stay in their beds. Never mind i'm marching them along Hadrian's wall in the wind and rain later. All 27 of them!! Xx

  4. Good morning NEC!
    I love the colors in this card and using sea salt for texture and effect is such an interesting idea. Indeed to practice using the brayer, very cool. Hope your day was an amazing success. Take time for you… Go fishing.

  5. Gorgeous result Barbara. I have never try the "salt" idea, but the effect is ever so nice. Good luck for the NEC, and enjoy your cuppa later on today. Will have thought for you, while at work. xx

  6. Hi Barb, love the background of this card, the salt/granule idea is on my to try list, which is getting longer by the day. The sentiment is so lovely. Hope the NEC is a great success, take care and try relax when you have that cuppa. Bx

  7. Wow! I really really love thus one Barbara and I'm gonna have a go. It's so atmospheric ! Love it love it love it. Hope your feet are not too sore by the time you get sitting down to read these comments and hope you've gad a lovely day . Keep smiling ! X

  8. I have been wondering how you get that effect now I no so need to try you see some wonderful sun sets would love to try them. Have a good time at Nec and hope the old pain in Neck aint to bad xxx

  9. Good morning Barbara,
    What a beautiful creation on your blog today, it complements the beautiful day outside although it is rather nippy which usually means a howling gale at the NEC! I hope you and all your team have a fabulous day with great rewards in many different ways. Hope the neck holds out I think mine is aching in sympathy with yours and it truly is wearing.
    Have a good show can't visit as it clashes with Peterborough Antiques I know where I would rather be!! Best wishes Bev xxx

  10. Wow – I love this shadow moon – toll gemacht! Have a successful day and take your time to rest, if you can. LOve to you, your friends ………

  11. Love the colours in this card and yes another technique to try. I think I am going to be busy when we break up for Easter! Hope you have a successful day at the NEC but not too exhausting and that the neck behaves itself. Take care. Pippa x

  12. Super background and those stamps are beautiful. Will need to add them to my ever expanding list of things to purchase! Hope today goes well for you and its another successful show i can't imagine for one moment it won't be. Xx

  13. Wow love the effect you have achieved and the colours you have chosen. At first sight I thought you had used alcohol inks (which I don't have yet) so I am definitely going to have a go at this technique later, thank you for the inspiration . Have a great first day at the NEC xx

  14. Hi Barbara. Love the effect and the colours. The stamps are beautiful, more on the wish list : ) I hope you have a great day at the NEC. Will you manage to stay awake to read the comments? I know after a show once I had eaten I used to fall asleep as soon as I sat down, no matter what my intentions were 🙂 Take care.

  15. Good luck today Barb, I hope it all goes well for you and the Clarity team, but I have no doubt that it will be fabulous.
    I loved the background today I will have to use the salt for this effect as it looks fabulous. I do love the colours, purple is my favourite therefore this is stunning . The little boy fishing just finishes it off.
    I wish you good sales for this weekend xDx

  16. Fantastic effect and some of my favourite colours, have a good day at the NEC I hope you have loads left on the stand on sat when I am looking forward to finally meeting my Guru. Pam.x

  17. Hi Barb,
    Really atmospheric today, love it. I think the technique with the UTE or salt is really clever and must give that a go. I received my prize yesterday and what a lovely idea to put it on a card – I now have a Barb original! Thank you, will be spending that today- Clarity mat, stencils, stamps how do I decide lol? Have a great day at the NEC and hope your neck is ok. You will certainly be in need of that cuppa at the end of the day. Love Alison xxx

  18. I am on my way in a moment to head for tne NEC with a long list of absolute NEEDS. Great card, but I will comment further when I get home again. Have a great day, and I hope Dave does not have to go back to base to stock up again after today. xx Maggie

  19. I wish I could find other words to use! Lovely, gorgeous, beautiful just don't seem adequate enough. I just love everything you do along with everyone else that pops in here every day.

    F A B U L O U S darling! Hope neck, back, feet and brain all hold up for you today. Can you get yourself a massage later with your cuppa? May help. With love xxxxx

  20. Thats just my cup of tea, the wonderful colours and I bet yellow and orange would be good as well. I wish I could come to the shows. They are just so far away from where I live and sods law I was working the weekend it was Harrogate. I will get there one day.
    Keep up your blog, it must be very difficult to do that as you are so busy but we all appreciate it greatly

    M

  21. Another great piece of artwork. Thanks for the tip about using rock salt – will give this a go later. Good luck to you and the team for today. I know how hectic it gets around your fabulous stand, with you demonstrating and your team helping us buy all the lovely goodies. And this year you'll have all your marvellous stencils and blending mats as well. Have you got a bigger area to fit everything on? Thinking of you all, enjoy that cuppa tonight!!! xx

  22. Lovely card Barbara so dramatic and the colours are fab have a great day at the n e c I was there last year my daughter whispering in my ear don't greet them as though they are your best friends they don't know you my answer but I know them and they are my friends love always June xxxx

  23. Your brayering never fails to impress. Love the combined colours on this piece.
    Hope you have a wonderful Thursday at the NEC.
    Beryl xx

  24. You make brayering look like a walk in the park….. I bet your feet feel as if you've done a few laps of that park today !!! Love the texture in the background – what a great effect. Hope you've had a truly successful day

  25. That's beautiful Barbara, as usual. You always make it look so easy and you inspire me to keep trying.
    I hope you have a really good (but not too tiring) day.
    Pat x

  26. Thanks for another inspiring tutorial. There are not enough hours in the day to get to grips with all your creative ideas.
    I hope you have a successful show and are able to put your feet up this evening and perhaps enjoy a glass of wine.
    Ruth

  27. Hope your day goes well at NEC. Love the colours in this card Barbara, I have this stamp so now there's something else for me to have a go at. Pat x

  28. Like many of the others your blog is the first vist of the day as I find it so positive and uplifting. I hope you have a brilliant day at the NEC and just wish I was able to visit but it's not possible at the moment with my injured knee. Thank you for helping to keep my spirits up and I love your card
    Jackie x

  29. Well, just love it Barbara- the background is so effective yet you show it to be easy to achieve that even I feel confident enough to give it a go! That's the great thing about your blog, inspirational and extremely helpful.
    Have a successful, fun time at NEC,
    best wishes, Theresa x

  30. Lovely card, the salt gives a great background especially over the moon, makes it all mystic. I am getting my brand new brayer out today, see if I can remember what to do with it when it hasn't got paint on. I love what Medway Maker put, very poignant, I did a verse on similar lines, "That makes you the friend I have never met." what a lovely thing to say.

  31. Loved the sea salt effect, so realistic. Have a good few days at the NEC and remember to take lots of breaks, we're the ones who will wait patiently whilst you rest, because we really appreciate every second you spend talking and demonstrating.

  32. Hello Barbara, I know how much you ached after 2 days at Harrogate so I am already feeling sorry for you, knowing you have 4 days of NEC to go. I know it is easier said than done, but look after yourself and let others help a bit more. I have yet to try this salt technique myself, looks fun!

  33. I've never tried the salt thing Barb – I was sitting there thinking to myself – why did she put that moon there when it was already inked – I should have known! One more thing to add to the to do list! brilliant!!!! Hope you had a great day! Hugs rachel xx

  34. Stunning, I think I have the fishing stamps….. not the scene though so that's one to add to my list of spending of the £35 rail fare to the NEC. I've got soooo much to use already I'd just be too tempted. Have been fairly regularly in the past and love a good nose but might do Xmas instead in the meantime I have £35 extra to spend on what I would have spent on the day – who knows what that would have been! Thanks for the inspiration yet again. Your blog brightens my day!

  35. Lovely peaceful card. I needed this today – I was driving late last night and hit by none other than a Police Car!!! Not pleasant. So having a "Barbara" day today and chilling.
    Best wishes Anne

  36. I could not see where you were heading with this one to begin with, but as soon as the stamp went on just beautiful. I am writing my list for NEC but not easy deciding when it comes to Clarity I want it all. Greedy. Enjoy your cuppa tonight and probably need to soak your feet as well. I am spending today and tomorrow trying to keep off my legs as much as possible so that I am ready for all the walking on Sat. Thanks for taking the time for your blog in what must be a manic few days. Lynne xx

  37. This is a lovely demo Barbara, and the colours you have used go really well for this subject, in fact the Stonewashed looks much brighter here than I was expecting it to. The placement of the silhouette frame over the top with the blue for the water, and a little of the blue and the plum for the sky, and then the moon, is perfect – anyone would think you planned it Barbara haha. Hope everything is working well for you at the NEC.

  38. How stunning this art work looks how you find the time to blog when your so busy dedication to your clarity followers enjoy your cuppa and rest up tomorrow's another day xxx

  39. Fantastic as always Barbara, you never fail to inspire us, loving the colours and the background, have a great time at the NEC, off to raid my cupboards ! …………'now where did I put that sea salt@ lol xxx

  40. A beautiful card, and I love those colours. Having just got back from the NEC, I have to say what a wonderful team Clarity is. Everyone was friendly and so helpful – Heather and Chloe did most of my shopping for me. The demos were great, and I came home buzzing with ideas again. Thank you for helping to make it a really good day out. xxxxx Maggie
    PS don't forget that massage. You will need it by the time you have finished.

  41. I wish I could be at the NEC I would spend most of the time at your stand watching your demo's probably.I don't have these stamps but I'm sure I have one that's similar that I can try with.Have a great time at the NEC.

  42. It was lovely to see you today at the NEC, Barbara. Thank you for your wonderful demo using the gelli plate and creating such stunning magpies, garden through a wall and the other background papers rescued from the dry plate. You are brilliant and an inspiration. I know you say you're taking things easier, please ensure yo do, we don't want you to wear yourself out. Happy Days.

  43. I love reading everyone's messages – I feel like I've spent time with you too at the NEC 🙂 Beautiful artwork as always and very clever use of a common thing like salt – pure genius! x

  44. What an amazing effect, I've never seen this done before, might have a try but my efforts never seem to look as good as yours. I'm very envious of all those people going to the NEC, too far for me Harrogate was my limit but you never know one day I might get to one of the really big shows.

  45. This is a wonderful work of art I love it! Enjoy yourself at the NEC. Wish I could be there..
    I met you at a show once in Port Sunny I think it was and you were so rushed off your feet I helped you stock up your stamps on the counter … Loved every minute How do you find the time Barbara to do all this and show your work every day? I'm so pleased you do, thanks Viv xx

  46. Probably a bit late for my message to give any uplift! (not that it would at whatever time, but one can hope!) Hope your day has gone well and you're still smiling.
    Lovely piece of art you've shared today. Thank you, Jan

  47. Wonderful Barbara. I have these brilliant stamps and have combined them for cards, but I have never tried this technique. I Will of course rectify immediately. Hope you had a grand day at NEC. Thank you for the inspiration. Xxx

  48. Just beautiful. Thanks for the inspiring demo's both here, on TV and especially at the NEC where it's always nice to be able to talk to you face to face xx

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