Freesias from Ally pally…

Freesias from Ally pally…

Hello there!
Thanks for popping in!
Monday’s blog is trees and flowers, and so yesterday, before the doors opened at the Alexandra Palace Show for the second day, 
I thought I’d best sort something out!
So here is a little something I cobbled together, using 
The first thing I have to tell you is that I didn’t have time to clean my Gelli Plate on the Saturday after the Show, because they were locking up pretty quickly.
So here were the leftovers from the last demo the day before!

Lightbulb moment. That’ll work! That’ll do!

The best way to clean the plate is with more paint, so I spread a layer of Buff Titanium Acrylic Paint over the dried up paint with a Brayer.

patted it with a sheet of scrunched up copy paper and
took a load out of the centre, so that a stamp or two 
would fit in the opening.

Pulled the print on our 7″ x 7″ White Gelli Card.
Result: great background setting for the blog
AND a clean Gelli Plate, all set for the day.
5 minutes I had before the public came in….

Black Archival always a safe bet for a sharp clean image….
so I stamped the Freesia and one of our best messages into the clearing.

Here is where our stand is at Ally Pally
 – right underneath the beautiful Rose Window.
The sun was pouring in…
hurry hurry….

So I quickly coloured in the flowers with Distress Markers, 

They are great with acrylic paint and Archival ink pads.
Take it from me: Promarkers and alcohol pens literally melt the acrylic paint AND make the Archival ink bleed.

Lovely Flower stamp for birthdays, anniversaries, wedding, Easter – all sorts!

Great Sentiment. I made this as a NEW DESIGN CLUB STAMP when my Mum had Breast Cancer a few years back;
happy to say she is still doing great.

And these are her favourite flowers.
Aha! Bingo! Just made Mum and Dad’s Easter Card!

I blended a little Willow Adirondack at the base of the opening with a make up sponge, 
to soften it,

and added a very thin black line with a ruler and Sharpie pen.

And then the doors to the building opened, and the public arrived for another busy day.
Nowhere near as busy as Saturday though!
That was unbelievable!
Thank you for visiting us at the Show if you did!
We had guests on the stand from all over the world. 
But loads from London, Essex and Kent, too.
Liz! Thanks for the Lemon Drizzle Cake; it was delicious!
xxxx
Much Love,

PS Thank you so much for the hilarious Limericks on Saturday.
Much amusement reading them in the car to and from Ally Pally.
Am spinning for the next few days, doing business things, so 
let’s pick a Limerick winner 
and and have general Giving Session this Friday.
In fact, why don’t we have an Easter Giveaway?!
Leave an uplifting message this week,
something kind and positive for Easter,
and on
Good Friday 
because after all, it is GOOD Friday,
we will pick a random winner for a £50 Clarity Gift Voucher.

89 thoughts on “Freesias from Ally pally…

  1. Hi Barb,
    Hope you've managed to chill a little after a frenetic weekend! I love this card and I'm sure your mum and Dad will as well. Easter is always a time for looking forward for me as all of the flowers are budding up and bursting into bloom as well as the trees – a true sign that winter is past! Love Alison xx

  2. Ohhhh I really like this, I was just playing over the weekend with the scrunched paper, and leaving one layer dry before taking off the other… I really like the effect of this. and with only a little left of some other colours, love the arty effect this gives. Thanks Barbara, another winner 😉

  3. What an amazing card and all done before the doors opened – you are amazing. I enjoyed my visit to Ally Pally yesterday and managed to get what was on my shopping list from Clarity. I'm hoping to get some time to play later while hubby plays golf. x

  4. Good morning,
    What a great card today, love this technique. So glad you are able to celebrate your mom's good health. Together we can handle anything. Enjoy the sun and spring flowers.

  5. Morning Barbara,
    What a lovely card your geli plate prints always look amazing! Glad to hear your Mum is doing great, I'm a year on myself and it's so uplifting hearing of others.
    Lorna D

  6. Beautiful card I may borrow/steal this layout for my wedding anniversary card for my husband next week. I had freesias in my wedding bouquet and as this will be our 52 anniversary I think the sentiment is very apt.
    Thank you for the daily inspiration your blog is providing.
    Toni x

  7. What a gorgeous card. It's hard to believe that the background was partly due to old dried paint on the gelli plate…. gives a whole new meaning to Sunday leftovers ! I bet you feel a bit like the Sunday leftovers today after such a hectic weekend. Brilliant job

  8. As the owner of a brand new gelli plate I cringed at the thought of paint being left on it but hey what a great fantastic background it made so I might just forget now and then to clean it. Beautiful card today lovely for any occasion. Hope everyone has a happy Easter I'll be on a motor home holiday going round the coast of Scotland hoping it's not too cold and hoping we stop somewhere nice for our Easter lunch .! Wonder if the Easter Bunny visits motor homes. .? Enjoy all the Easter egg hunts and be lucky. Blessings . X

  9. This is high light if my day coming on here see your beautiful creations, your happy fun comments and beautiful pictures specailly the fun ones. Glad you had a good weekend you all must be worn out all those people demo etc . Try get some of thus glories sunshine with feet up in your beautiful garden even if only half hour. Have a blessed day thanks again team clarity you are the best three cheers hip hip Horray. Xxx

  10. Lovely card Barbara – you always make them look so easy to do. Wish I was even half as talented as you! This is such a wonderful time of year with everything starting to grow again and the beautiful blossom trees and spring flowers in bloom that it makes you feel very positive for the year ahead.

  11. So the moral of the story is don't clean your Gelli!
    Barbara this is a beautiful one off card as all gelli print card are!. Everyone a little bit different even if you try and replicate it they are never exactly the same….just like people I suppose!.
    Glad all went well at the weekend and although you have a busy week ahead please try and take a little time out and sit with a mug of tea and relax! You deserve it!
    Love and hugs to you xxx

  12. Amazing what you can do with leftovers, this is a stunner. Freesias are so beautifully fragrant, and what a wonderful sentiment, a great motto to live life by.

  13. That is a really stunning card Barbara. The words are amazing and so personal for me as that is what my husband says to me when we face tough times. The power of sharing woes as well as joy is unreadable and helps you find inner strength you didn't know you had or could have found on your own. Thankfully just now, he doesn't need to say it as life is good at the moment. Even better as I have a week off work and I am sewing like mad and between times stamping Easter cards. Take time to cherish the moments. xx

  14. What a lovely card Barbara and such an uplifting message too. Freesias are my Mums favourite flowers too. I hope this week you get a little chance to just relax and chill amongst your business but if not maybe at the weekend.
    Easter is a time of great blessings and a reminder of new life and fresh hope for the future.
    Take care, Jackie x

  15. I love this Card and the Sentiment is wonderful. And again I realise that I must have a gelli plate! Ist on my list already, but …. Fab Background. LOve

  16. Barbara, so glad that the show at Ally Pally was good for you. Sadly I wasn't able to make it – just as well as I know I would spend far toooooooo much. Great card – shows that nothing goes to waste in the crafting world. Delighted that your mum is doing well after her illness, I'm sure your positive attitude has a lot to do with it – it's no good giving in, you've got to fight – bet your mum's got a lot of that! Wishing you and all at Clarity Towers a very happy Easter. Jean.x

  17. Beautiful card! The Gelli background is fabulous, the flower gorgeous and the sentiment is so lovely! It's so nice that you designed it for your Mum too! I am glad she is ok – that's the best thing ever! xx

  18. Fantastic card demo Barbara. I had a laugh too at all the limericks…I didn't enter as I am crap at that sort of thing, one liners are my forte. One day I will get to see that Rose Window in person. The freesia stamp is so lovely and I do not know how you could leave your Gelli overnight but it worked out perfectly. So talented, thanks for sharing. xxxx

  19. Love your card, and the info re Ally Pally…… Looks like a stunning building. I am like your mum, the freesias are my favourite flowers, the smell is just gorgeous. I had to buy the stamp….. Hope your neck is not too bad after such a show. Take care. xx

  20. Oh you clever lady – you really can think on your feet Barb – so glad to know my gelli plate isn't going to be ruined if I don't clean it properly too! Beautiful card! hugs rachel xx

  21. Fabulous to meet you on Saturday and thank you for helping me pick my four sets of word stamps, I would still be standing there now if you hadn't! Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Easter, Denyse xxxx

  22. Don't you just love it when a plan comes together! – Brilliant that the left overs from Saturday gave you such inspiration for yesterday under the glorious sunlight from that wonderful window. Ally Pally is a lovely venue with such great views over London – trees in blossom – just lovely. This blog is lovely, love the pinks you have used and am certain that your Mum and Dad will love this bit of art – maybe they can put it in a frame and put it on their wall? Have a good day – and will look forward to Good Friday x When I was at Ally Pally on Saturday I noticed how many visitors who were from other countries and was really impressed – just shows how far our shores have gone in providing such a wonderful venue with such wonderful crafting items – of which Clarity is top of my list xx

  23. So glad you enjoyed the cake, Barb! Hope you weren't too shattered by the end of it all. We had a lovely day, too, though slightly burst the budget I set myself – ho hum, some things never change, eh?
    Lovely card – freesias were my Mum's favourite, too – sadly, she died nearly 32 years ago (I can't really believe it's that long) but I always think of her when I see them.
    Hope you're going to get some "chilling" time over the Easter break but whatever you do, enjoy!
    take good care, Liz xxx

  24. How fortuitous, Good Friday is my Birthday and I will be in Rome, can't get much more uplifting than that really. The following day is our Ruby Wedding Anniversary. Guess what flowers I wore for our wedding? Freesias, I just love them, they are my favourite flowers. Oh and we will be spending our special day in Florence, so romantic.xx

  25. How fortuitous, Good Friday is my Birthday and I will be in Rome, can't get much more uplifting than that really. The following day is our Ruby Wedding Anniversary. Guess what flowers I wore for our wedding? Freesias, I just love them, they are my favourite flowers. Oh and we will be spending our special day in Florence, so romantic.xx

  26. I can't believe how you can just pull a card together so easily, with so little time and under pressure. Amazing. It turned out so beautiful. Bet you weren't happy either, the night before, when you couldn't get to clean your Gelli plate. But it was meant to be. Great!!

  27. I love the Gelli Plate and am loving this piece of art and am sure you Mum and Dad will really appreciate it. I hope you are not getting to dizzy with all this spinning you are doing and that your neck isn't to sore.

  28. Isn't it great that some of the better prints for backgrounds come from "the cleaning" of the gelli plate. The colour combi is very spring/summer – like it.

  29. Hiya there Barbara,

    Your card is amazing and oh so beautiful as always Barbara!

    You are truly an inspiration and an amazingly kind soul.
    Your soul lights up so many peoples lives and you have truly changed so many peoples' lives and been a catalyst for change and adaptation in their lives – that includes me!

    Your post has inspired me to share and to show my caring side without fear of judgement!

    I am so very glad that your Mother has survived Breast Cancer and with a champion like you by her side she would always be in good company!

    Such an inspiration and a beautiful stamp with such a poignant meaning-so beautiful in so many ways!

    Life is about sharing and caring and also about the beautiful people who inspire you to be a better version of yourself.

    Truly, the days that mean the most are those days that you have learned to love yourself.
    Be your own true friend,bestowing kindness and compliments upon yourself is the greatest gift you can ever give yourself !

    Give yourself a break and a big pat on the back,because you did it and you have got to this point in your life because you succeeded.
    With the help of others but you in all honesty did it because you believed in yourself even just that one day that you were kind to yourself !

    Belief in oneself is the purest form of love and the catalyst that changes your life forever!

    Take Care
    Big Hugs
    xxx

  30. Love the gelli background, must have a go. Very pleased to hear your Mum is going strong, my dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer 5 years ago and has recovered and is doing well thank goodness, so very relieved. It's a beautiful day in Scarborough and I shall enjoy the walk back to work, loving the lighter evenings 🙂

  31. Great card. Love the colours and the background. The Gelli prints amaze me every time I pull one off the plate. I was making some Easter cards this morning and realised my mistake when using my alcohol markers. I stamped with archival ink! I won't try the alcohol markers on acrylic paint then, at least not deliberately. Hope you have a bit of time to chill after a busy weekend. x

  32. Another lovely piece of art Barbara. I'm sure your Mum and Dad will love it. What a great way for your Mum to have her favourite flowers on hand all the time, despite the season. Having seen this blog I will no longer worry about leaving paint on the Gelli plate!!! Hope you find some time to relax after the busy weekend. xx

  33. I so wanted to join in the limericks but my ipad would nt play that day and by the time I got to the computer I was unable to compete any more!
    Loved those they were great fun and I giggled all morning.
    A big thank you to your staff who answer the telephone and emails etc, they are great, always so helpful and get back to me so quickly, do pass on my thanks.
    Wish I could have got to Ally Pally but looking forward to a workshop with you in August which I am very excited about.
    Thanks Barbara for sharing so much and being such an inspiration to so many. x

  34. Love this Barbara & I like the "light bulb" moments too….it's great when something you have already part-made lends itself to an image you have in your mind, and it then turns into reality! Bet your Mum & Dad will love their card – it's very pretty and I expect they're proud of whatever you make them 🙂
    And thank you by the way…..I now know the difference between distress markers and pro-markers! I've been wondering for ages "why use one and not the other…………?"
    I bet that stained glass window came in very handy during the weekend to treat your neck to well earned look up at it! Just beautiful 🙂 Take care, Carole x

  35. Hi Barbara love the card got both these stamps so will have a go my gellli plate is clean though so do I use a stencil to pull a print then leave to dry to pull another print ??? Freesia's are my favourite flowers I carried them when I got married in 1976 when he passed away I had freesias put in his wreath . My partner loves the stamp together we can handle anything as you can supported by another .he is my full time carer now and yes together we handle anything .glad to know your mum is going on ok big crafting hugs to all xxx

  36. You never fail to amaze me with what you can create and how quickly you create a beautiful scene. Thank you for sharing your talent with us and I hope to be able to visit you more often this week, back permitting! Try to have a little rest, if possible, to recharge your batteries! Karen x

  37. I love the fact that nothing goes to waste with the Gelli plate.The card looks great,what took you minutes would take me hours .Looking forward to You Tube Tuesday.Hope your neck held out while at Ally Pally?

  38. Your mind must work at 100 mph, creating something so lovely in such a short space of time. Glad you enjoyed Ally Pally, now it's time to tae a breather. I'm looking forward to having ALL my family here for lunch on Easter Sunday – my favourite way to spend a day. Pat x

  39. Barb what a beautiful card and even more so with the story behind it, I was smiling whilst reading. I love the gorgeous Sentiment (I don't think there is one i don't like that Clarity does).
    I hope you get some rest over the next few days or a little chillaxing at some point.

    You would be very proud. I invited a friend round and we got our Gelli plates and Brayers out and I had loads of fun using mine for the first time. And I was so happy that Skye could join in too (Skye is 9) and she loved it. I used some metallic paints and they were fabulous as well as the acrylic paints. I now have another notch in my crafting belt woo hoo I am a happy bunny 🙂
    Denise x

  40. You do make me laugh Barbara! I'm glad you had a good show at Ally Pally. Gorgeous card, and you have presented me with another Clarity stamp I need, after all, freesias are my favourite flowers. The limericks were fun.

  41. Your blog didn't reach my twitter today so I'm a bit late… The card and the sentiment and knowing the story behind the words, is just beautiful. I too am living proof that having breast cancer is not the end of everything, I have been around for over twenty years and still going strong. Glad you had an enjoyable time at ally pally, hope you can relax a little now. Joan x

  42. Love your blog every day before I head off to work, usually with a smile on my face! You really help me learn new techniques all the time as I'm fairly new to stamping and I've just got myself a Geliplate. Thank you so much. Happy Easter. Xx

  43. Wow! Who would have thought that such a beautiful card was produced by cleaning up a Gelli Plate!!! I love the effect you've created, your parents must have a wonderful 'gallery' of cards and art work that you've produced over the years. x

  44. A beautiful card today as always. My son made me feel uplifted after he ran the London marathon yesterday he said he was glad he lived in the UK as everyone was so supportive on the route bringing out sweets, fruit and water from their homes and cheering everyone on! This is slightly cheating as it's not my uplifting thought and if he won the voucher he could give it to me because I travelled a round the route to wave my banner and couldn't go to the Ally Pally because that's what Mums do x

  45. How nice to read of Barbara Gray
    Not just for now but every day
    hooray for lovely Clarity
    showing how things are meant to be
    I love to look and learn and watch
    but still my cards end up a botch

  46. Glad you all survived a hectic weekend! How can your gelli prints turn out so great when all it is, is a clean up print???? You really do inspire me to keep on trying. I loved that window you were in front of at Ally Pally, could imagine you looking at that all day and designing some stencils and stamps with a stained glass look. Just off to have a gelli session……… and clench 😉
    XX

  47. I love the simplicity of this card. It's something I know I can make an attempt at (when I've mastered the gelli plate-roll on my birthday!) I was a bit worried that you were going to do something terrifically clever and arty and something that I would never have thought of, at the end and was so relieved when you left it just like I would!!! It's wonderful!
    (I do realise that my comment is not at all uplifting. I don't mean it to be insulting. The effect really did inspire me.) Have I just made it worse??!!! Jan

  48. How could we ever leave anything but an uplifting comment, your blog and cards are just brilliant. I love freesias and this looks so classy. Hope you manage to stop spinning long enough to enjoy some chocolate this weekend. So glad your mum doing ok, my husband been through the cancer battle and so far pleased to say he is on the winning side. Lynne xx

  49. Such a pretty card for your parents, and it's unbelievable that that background came from leftovers and a bit of new paint! Really pleased that your mum is still doing well in her recovery – sending best wishes for all cancer survivors and those still in treatment that the next news they have will be the greatest news in the world – cancer free. I've seen so many new lambs in the last few days driving around the Outer Hebrides, that it really does feel like Easter, so happy easter to all too! Susan x

  50. stunning in its simplicity. those freesias are really nice. i have just made a card with them too. i think that is one sentiment i am missing so will go on my list.
    so glad you had a good show. it was nice to see you again on sat. take care and make sure you have enough rest, hugs xx

  51. Really fantastic card, can't believe you made it so quickly, I love the colours and the sentiment, best wishes to your mum and to all the other cancer survivors.

  52. Hello Barb. Your stand was, as ever, a real inspiration to all the crafters who came to see you. I am sure your Mum and Dad will love their card and be so happy to have a daughter like you. Easter is such a wonderful time to enjoy new beginnings and be thankful for what we have. Thank you for so many times finding the right words to say. xx Margaret Col

  53. I just don't know how you do it Barbara, you made a mess look like a masterpiece. Inspiring, just like the sentiment. We all go through hard times and it is always such a comfort and a blessing that we don't have to do it alone.? So pleased your mum is doing well. Will remember her in my prayers.

    Hugs Alice xx

  54. This is so lovely and definitely one to try, but then I always say that because they are always such good ideas. Glad you had a good time at Ally Pally how lovely it would have been to be able to go but happily I did some shopping with Clarity online instead 🙂 xx

  55. The Gelli Plate strikes the right note yet again Barbara with leftover paint and a little fresh on top and voila the perfect background, well almost, with just that little bit of green being the master stroke. That freesia is just so pretty; a no frills image, but just perfect for this card, and the sentiment very apt when you explained why you used it. I am so pleased your Mum is still doing well after her brush with cancer, and long may it be so. Glad Ally Pally was such a great success. x

  56. A beautiful card with my favourite flowers…think it's ther beautiful scent. I'm in sunny kent on our first road trip in our little caravan travelling down from cumbria. I towed it ok but haven't had to do any reversing yet (keep thinking of your blog on towing a trailer) Apologies if I don't get to comment each day but will be catching up when I get home. Happy Easter Jeanette xxx

  57. Your blog is a breath of fresh air every day, a good reason to sit down for a coffee and gain more inspiration. Your constant support has meant a great deal to me, and I know from reading all that others have said, that I am not the only one who feels that way. In return, I hope you know that any one of us would do anything we could for you, even if it is just giving you a giggle at our mishaps and limericks etc. I love what you have done with that freesia – all you need to do now is to develop a way of making them smell like the real thing.Someone else said they had them in their wedding bouquet. I did too, and the bridesmaids carried posies of sweet peas, another beautifully perfumed flower. Hope you make time for a good rest after the weekend. xxx Maggie

  58. Sorry Barbara. I was one of the people watching on Saturday til after 5pm and you didn't get the Gelli plate cleaned. Still it made an interesting picture. I enjoyed watching.

  59. Hi Barb, sorry I missed this yesterday – hectic work day. Love the card, you constantly amaze me what you can do in 5 minutes, it usually takes me hours. Bx

  60. Simple and stunning, I wish I could produce something that good that quickly, it takes me ages to finish anything!You are so talented and such a lovely person.Wx

  61. Hi Barbara. Glad hat Ally Pally went well, what a beautiful window that you were sat under : ) I love the card, the beautiful flower and the meaningful sentiment(on the wish list) With Easter on the way and this gorgeous weather I hope you get to relax with your family.Take care.

  62. That background is amazing – even more so because it was a 'clean up' pull. Together with the stamps and a little colouring it's (you) made a beautiful card.
    Beryl xx

  63. Sorry I'm late for this blog but I was barred from looking at anything digital yesterday as I had a terrible migraine triggered off the day before by trying to mark all my GCSE coursework in one go! That'll teach me. Anyway I'm up today, and what a beautiful day it is. The window is open and I can here a busy lawn mower. What's more spring like than that? Going to take some photos of my beautiful tulips in the garden and then have painting session. Have a wonderful day. Ela xx

  64. Hello Barbara have only recently subscribed to your blog this is the first blog I have received WOW lots of inspiration Love the card I have Freesias in bud in the garden early this year must be all the lovely sunshine we have had, hope they will be out for Easter they smell so lovely I am going to spend Easter gardening and card making what could be nicer, whatever you do hope you have fun Happy Easter to all x

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