CLEAN OUT A CORNER OF YOUR….

CLEAN OUT A CORNER OF YOUR….

Hello there!
Thanks for popping in.
I know there’s a lot going on today, what with it being Saturday, the World Cup and all that jazz!
So I’ll keep it quick and simple.
When you go to clean dye-based inks off your Clarity Blending Mat or your Craft Sheet in future, just lightly spritz it with water, and then literally blot and wipe it with a sheet of the Gelli Card.
Here’s a brilliant background made in just that way:
Isn’t it funny how we change our style? A year or so ago, this would have consituted scrap, and gone straight in the bin!
But when you’re in a hurry, 
even a piece of SCRAP like this can be welcome.
It’s like going to the fridge on a Friday night, and there’s nothing but a lump of stale cheddar staring at you from the back.
But then you remember how good a piece of cheese on toast tastes – and even the stale crust off a loaf gets the job!
So let’s get started:
Saturday’s blog a new technique…
Stamp the Clean out a Corner Stamp
(no! NOT out of the fridge!)
in Black Archival.

I’m going to use our ingenious little Artist stampset
This little easel is perfect for all sorts of things –
especially the Clean out Verse.

Let’s add a few arty elements.

Time to work some magic on the canvas.
Mask off the canvas with Post-Its.

Using a paintbrush and a little water, paint the little area,
let the water loosen up the splats,

and blot it with kitchen towel.

Pick a colour from the scrap background (I went for Peeled Paint Distress Ink, but Lettuce Adirondack would have done the job, too). Using a make-up sponge and a torn piece of copy paper, create some hills. like so, 

Pick a second colour from the background, (Fired Brick for me) 
and add more hills and a sky. 
I used another little fern element from the Artist’s Set 
and added some foliage. 

Get your black micron pen out and add a couple of birds in flight.
Practice on scrap first. NO! Not the background!

Remove the Post-Its and enjoy the magical point of the process, at which a splatted piece of scrap turns into a piece of artwork.

The words lend themselves perfectly to colouring in. 
I used Distress markers.
Edge with a Black Sharpie Pen and a ruler.
I love it!

Now it’s over to you, Virgil!
List the background colours in order of your preference….
1.TEAL
2.PINK

3.BLUE

4.CADMIUM YELLOW

5.WARM YELLOW

6.LOADS OF COLOURFUL HEARTY SMARTIES…
Do let me know what you think…
Anyway, I think it would be cool to have a special offer.
So how about this:
The Artist’s Set is £11.99 instead of £19.99.
The Artist’s Set 
rrp. £122.50 £99.99
And Clarity Club Members, 
don’t forget you always get an additional 10% off!
And FREE P&P for UK Gold Members!
Barrrrgin!
much love,

67 thoughts on “CLEAN OUT A CORNER OF YOUR….

  1. Great idea for backgrounds, learning so many different ideas from your blog it's fabulous! Anyway my choice would be pink,warm yellow,smarties,blue,teal and cadmium yellow. But I do love the pink the best x have a nice weekend x

  2. Hi morning Barb. What a great way to use up scraps and more great offers. Still deciding what to buy in the half price sale . sooooo many bargains and decisions to make . Love the card . xxxxp

  3. Such a good idea for backround. Really like the simplicity of the card.
    I would go Teal, Loads of Hearty Smarties, Pink, warm Yellow, Blue and the latest the yellow.
    Have a great Saturday. xx

  4. 3rd time lucky. Everytime I scroll back up to see the colours it jumps back to yesterday's blog & I have to start again. Fewer colours next time please LOL! OK so lets see if I've learnt them off by heart now. Pink, warm yellow, teal, smarties, blue and cadmium yellow. How did I do? Did I get them all? Dare not scroll up to check. I have a plastic box of my scraps or backgrounds now, makes it much quicker when you need a card in a rush! I'm off to get a new battery for my car…sooo exciting. Enjoy your Saturday in the kitchen with your stencils.
    Phew looks like I've managed not to wipe this comment.
    Jeanette x

  5. Teal background for me, it seems to blend together better. Anyway love the scrap picture. Only problem with this is the storing and never throwing anything away," I'll keep hold of that it could make a cool background, just add it to the mountain". I hate football! I know I might be the minority but it will give me more time to craft. Joan x

    1. No Joan, you're not alone. I hate football, but fortunately so does my husband and son, so no footy on out TV ! Still it leaves me with no excuse to go and craft alone.
      Sylvia

  6. What a fab result! I prefer the warm yellow or pink backgrounds. I love the artist set and will definitely give this a try – just need the stamp now!! Have a lovely day. xx

  7. Hi Barbara. What a lovely picture on a great background. Waste not want not! I love the easel and the scene that created on on it : ) I keep changing my mind but am going to settle for Warm Yellow, Teal, Blue, Pink, Cadmium Yellow then Hearty Smarties. : ) My tastes have certainly changed over the last couple of years, since getting into crafting in fact. I see colours, patterns, shapes in a different way now, and I love it. I hope you have a good day. Take care.

  8. Wow you have done it again brilliant I am a pink person but must say the teal dose it for me and the word stamp is on my list of ones to get have a super day and thanks for sharing hugs Pauline xxx

  9. Hello Barb, simply awesome, love it. I think Pink is my first preference, then teal. I also need that word stamp, so it is on the payday wish list, along with the distress markers. Thanks for more super inspiration. Have a fab Saturday everyone. Bx

  10. Morning. Pink, blue, warm yellow, teal, cadmium yellow, smarties last. I wouldn't use the smarties at all because I think it is too 'busy' and detracts from the work of art, not enhances it. I am away for a week so no crafting for me (book hoo), but at least it will be a football-free zone. I hope the offer is still on when I get back!!

    Love
    Rosalind xxx

  11. Mmmmm now let me think…..which colour……PINK !… It just has to be!
    The background looks great and I love what you did with it! Fabbie! Off to play with some things now! You have an arty say too! Love and hugs! Xxx

  12. Hi Barbara the pink looks good and the warm yellow followed by the teal and can I eat the smarties whilst I think about the rest? What a great use of waste and the little picture is wonderful. Have a great weekend not keen on football myself so will be reading a book and finding other channels to watch upstairs!! Love Diane xxx

  13. Has to be the teal for my first choice then the cad yellow, pink, warm yellow, blue and the hearty smarties last. Have a great weekend Jane x ps looking forward to next Friday !

  14. Great way to clean inks off the blending mat. I have tended to wipe them clean and every time I think I am wasting ink! Will look at not wasting any ink now! And a great way to use the 'scraps'. Although I am not usually a pink person, the pink looks best to me. Pink, Teal, Warm Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, Blue, Hearty Smarties. x

  15. Hi Barb,
    Arrghh, my laptop has just deleted my ramblings and I'm starting again! What is it with technology?
    Love this, you are a genius but my clean ups off the blending mat look more like a dog's dinner than your beautiful offering.
    I hope Steve is doing well and that the flag situation is under control at mum and dad's.
    Love to all xx

  16. Lovely, think the background is great idea. My tastes have certainly changed, never used to like stamping now I love it. Also everything had to be precise and perfect, now I like distressed.. Think I would go for Teal, Blue, Warm Yellow. Cadmium Yellow. Pink then hearts. I like the hearts but would possibly make the border a little narrower. Artwork is so lovely they all look great. xx

  17. Waste not, want not! …. I love trying to use up all my scraps so I am getting as much out of all I buy as I can but never would I have thought of this . I don't yet have either of the stamps but think I might work with the postage stamp ????
    Well that's me sorted for later when the football is on , as I am not a fan ! No matter how many of my friends try telling me it's supporting my country , I can not see it as a million more worth ways to support my country than cheering on some over paid footballers in my opinion (sorry end of moan )

  18. Great card Barbara and such a clever technique!
    Think it's teal first but the pink gave it a run for its money, then believe it or not the hearts- not my usual thing- bringing up the rear the yellows and the blue!
    Have a good weekend , hope Steve is doing well,
    XxRuth

  19. Great idea – always feels so wasteful to wipe off and throw away all that ink! I like the teal background best, closely followed by the warm yellow, then the pink – have a pile of cards to make today, so maybe I'll give this technique a go at the end of the day!! Thanks, Susan x

  20. This is a great way of using up scraps Barbara, and those stamps and that sentiment have made a really special piece of work, and I really like the teal, pink or warm yellow, and can I just eat the smarties please? As for football, mostly I can take it or leave it with half an eye on the occasional key match, and luckily my other half is of like mind so that's good! I hope your brother is continuing to make a good recovery too. x

  21. Well lost that message, will try again….
    This blog is brilliant for using wast, never thought about it until now…. love the Pink but also a lover of Purple plum and wine… and I echo Crafty Magpie's comments regarding the sport, so true …

  22. Stunning work of art, love the yellows glowing through, also I would like to mention I have had to close down my blog due to hacker and my new one is up and running if you would like to join up and join in my candy…I have had to re join yours again…cheers aNNIe
    The Journey is the Start

  23. Started me thinking where are all my scrap pieces? Damn the 're-cycling' has been collected this week! But I like the idea. Maybe I could codge some 'scrap' up with my sprayed inks smudged a bit. I'll give it a go.
    I like the smarties best because they seem to blend in better and there just isn't one area of solid colour taking over the airy gentleness of the 'scrap'.

  24. Hi Barbara – Love this!
    I've started dotting water on my blending mat as I always thought it was a waste on the ink – the backing patterns are great.
    For your piece of artwork, I love the multi-coloured hearty smarties as I think they bring out all the individual colours and it looks so bright & cheery, then I would go for the sunny warm yellow, cadmium yellow, pink, blue then teal.
    Another must have stamp set too at that bargain price! Thank you for the special deal – will place my order today once I've finished cooking tonight's curry.
    Have a great day creating in your kitchen! Take care, Carole x

  25. What a beautiful piece of art Barbara I love it and who would have thought that background was a piece of scrap.
    As for the backgrounds I love the teal, then the pink, warm yellow, blue, cadmium yellow and coloured smarties in that order.
    Have a great weekend
    Jackie x

  26. Warm yellow for me, followed by teal. I love the easel stamp, the possibilities are endless. It's strange how what was once rubbish, is now art. But it's good, nothing wasted!! xx

  27. Hello Barb, this is just so much fun. Really love that little artists set. I think it has to be pink for a change – I never use pink. Then the warm yellow, then cadmium yellow but not sure about the blues and really don't like the smarties. xx Margaret Col.

  28. Hi Barbara,
    It's pink and then yellow for me.
    Another great way to use up the leftovers!! Love this idea as it will save costly ink and give me 2 cards for the cost of 1.
    Hope Steve is feeling better, enjoy the weekend.

  29. Hi Barbara,
    how happy I am about your German Blog.
    I'm head of a stamping group and we use almost exclusively Clarity Stamps and Stencils.
    For 2 years I order regularly at your company in Edenbridge and the postage is really ok.
    Your stamps are just something special and everyone can create a work of art from a piece of white paper.
    The Gelli Plate I have also worked, but have to order the oroginal cards again, as they are depleted.
    Sunny greetings from the "Stamping-Artists" from Lake Constance
    Dagmar xx

  30. Hi Barb,
    Fabulous idea, will have to give this a go, although not too sure that mine will end up like this – mine will probably just be " muddy"! Love the stamp too – can't wait for mine to arrive. As for the background mount, I think I would have teal, pink, warm yellow, blue, cadmium yellow and I know you will have put the smarties there for a laugh (like with the footballs) , but the colours actually work with the artwork especially if you made the border smaller! I noticed in one of the pictures that when you have put the top back on one of the pens, you haven't pushed the top on properly – you can still see the black line. That's a tip I picked up from Sue Wilson and Tim Holtz! Love Alison xx

  31. i have used this technique several times so as not to waste the residual ink on mat. you get varied results that make wonderful backgrounds and also backing papers for matting. I prefer the warm yellow. however i would triple mat : instead of black sharpie i would use a thin black mat, then wider yellow and lastly another thin mat and then everything onto white background. but that is my taste and might not sit comfortably with you. hugs xx

  32. I have just realised had commented looked quickly earlier have always loved the artist set we have fallen to temptation and ordered have lots of ink. Backgrounds using shaving foam could try this with thanks again just love reading your blog x

  33. There is barely apnpy waste these days how fabulous.
    I adore what you have done with the clean up paper, it is ingenious and it didn't look like much before you put your stamp on it (so to speak lol) I love this little set it is so versatile, I will see how the pennies are to possibly buy it x

    Love Denise xx

  34. What a great technique. I prefer the teal background paper. The hearts was soo busy and took your eye away from the creative background, the yellow and blue were for me too dark and too bright and so the teal being an in-between colour worked perfect allowing the artwork to be the main focus.
    Big hugs
    H xxx

  35. Teal for me I think Barbara!!! Love the damn clever use of the scrap – you do realise that you making me keep every scrap now – I need an extension on my crafting shed just for the left overs !!!
    Love it Barbara – and also really like the sentiment stamp xx Devine
    Much Love
    Kim xx

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