I say ! I say! Out of the kitchen !!! It’s Craftalongabarbie time!!

I say ! I say! Out of the kitchen !!! It’s Craftalongabarbie time!!

And into the Craft room!
Hello there!
Thanks for stopping by.
Those pesky little menaces, Wurka and Hollick were up bright and early again this morning. This time they were trying to convince me at 5am that I hadn’t boiled enough spuds for today’s potato salad, and that the potatoes I had boiled were over-cooked and would just turn to mush. 
So uppy getty, send Davey to shoppy for more spudsy.
Now we’ve got enough potato salady to feed a bloody army!
Ah well…

Let’s just get out of the kitchen for an hour I say!

If you flick back to yesterday’s blog, you will know we are having a little Craftalongabarbie Session with a Shaving Foam background spread through our Jo’s Bubble Stencil.
I’m hoping you’ve already done this bit, so that we can move forward!
Our guests are arriving in 2 hours, and at this point all they are getting is Potato Salad – lots of it!

 Jo’s Bubbles Stenci

on our 7″ x 7″ Gelli Card.

Right. 
Have you got everything handy?
You need:

a Versamark ink pad, tick
a heat gun, tick
Black Archival ink pad, tick
lowtack masking tape. tick
a couple of Dye-based ink pads 
which match the colours you used in the Shaving Foam.
I used Distress Pads, tick
and
A couple of Clarity Brushes, tick
Make-up sponges, tick
Baby wipes, tick
Water, tick
Oh! And the little round Blending tools for the edges, tick.

Replace the stencil over the Shaving Foam bubbles,

but move the stencil over a tiny bit, 
so that you get a white echo on one side.
If you wear bi-focals or vari-focals, 
this will probably happen automatically.
Secure it with low-tack masking tape.

Now press a Versamark ink pad all over the colourful bubbles, 
or whatever stencil you are using.

And before you make comment about my blue Versamark Pad, 
may I just tell you this is my best one!

Remove the stencil and then sprinkle clear detail embossing powder over the card.

Tap off excess powder and make sure there are no stray speckles.

Heat to emboss. Lovely. Bit dimply.
Let’s do a second layer.
Are you keeping up with me? 
Ok. I’ll slow down a bit.

Replace the stencil.
I put it back directly over the colourful bubbles this time.
Same sketch.
Squish the Versamark ink pad through the stencil, 

remove the stencil, add the powder, dust off excess…

Heat from underneath this time.
And HEY PRESTO! 
It’s like glass.

Move the heat gun around a little as you heat from underneath, 
or you too could scorch your creation like I did…

Ok.
Shall we have a 2 minute break?
Kettle on. Milk no sugar for me xx

Clear away the powder and the heatgun, 
and get out the ink pads and the brushes.

Start with a light colour, like Tumbled Glass, and apply colour with a Clarity brush, always brushing from the bubbles outwards to the sides.

Do the same with a darker colour now, like Faded Jeans.
Use a make up sponge to get in between the little bubbles.

I used the brightest colour, Picked Raspberry, last.
Still work the colour off the bubbles to the outside in long brush strokes. 
Use a damp baby wipe to carefully wipe ink off the glazed bubbles.
You will be surprised how easily it comes off and how bright the bubbles are underneath!

Then take a dry paper towel and wipe the bubbles dry.
If you want to add more depth to the background, go ahead!
Just do the same brush, make up sponge and wipe steps again.

I will wait for you….

Trim the card back close to the bubbles.
Load a little of the lightest colour (Tumbled Glass) onto your Clarity blending mat
Did I mention you need one of those?! No? Sorry.
Go and find it then…

Then gently work the colour into the edge of your artwork. 
Move round all 4 sides.
Then do the same thing with the darker colour, Faded Jeans.

Easy does it; although these little round tools are much easier to use than the square ones.

Done the edges? Good job!
Now put a little water in the cup of your hand, 
and flick water at the bubble art.

Let the water soak in a little, then blot with a paper towel.

Heavens above! It’s a Galaxy!!

Use a ruler and a black Sharpie Pen to go round the edges.
Sorry, forgot to mention them. Well while you are getting them, 
go dig out your Word Chains too;
We need a cool sentiment, Here are the newest ones from Clarity…

Decide which way round you like your art, 
and then add some cool words with a black Archival.

Mount on a piece of the same card to flatten it. 

How did you get on?
Which colours did you go with?

Did you get the light on one side by moving the stencil?

So here is the colour combo I went with.
Any other great trios you would suggest here?

Well, did you enjoy that? I really did! 
Now let’s see your work!
If you can load a photo of it below, then fantastic!
Tell us how to do that too. 
Otherwise, how about my Facebook page?
Or email it to me (barbaragray123@hotmail.com 
and I will load it into a little Galaxy Gallery on the website 
next week!

We should do this more often.
Maybe in the New Year, we could do a monthly YouTube lesson, like the Classroom on TV. Where you know a month ahead of time what we are going to use. Let me know whether you would be up for that below.
Oooohhhh! Must dash, said the Mexican!
I think I just heard their car roll up, 
and I haven’t laid the table yet !!!!
Lots of love,

61 thoughts on “I say ! I say! Out of the kitchen !!! It’s Craftalongabarbie time!!

  1. Magic! I'm going to have a go – promise! Will have to see what colours I've got!

    Now, what to do with a load of left over bread rolls…… your's is potato salad mine is bread rolls!

    Enjoy your salad, I'm thinking about bread pudding – not that we need it of course and a quiet day with no visitors….except son no.1 said he might call in and they always want feeding! xxx

  2. Hope the potato salad goes down well – all of it !! Love this artwork Barbara, it is really stunning. The stencil is fab & has gone on my wish list and the mix of colours is perfect. Pat x

  3. Just love this, the colours, the pattern and shape, the textures ~ really encouraging me to get more ink pads and other stuff added to my tiny collection! Hope you enjoy your potato salad, something I love!

  4. Wow, Barbara, this is stunning, I'm loving the colour combination and the stencil is fabulous. I will have to look at yesterdays as I missed that one.
    I would definitely love to have a monthly workshop thingy.
    Hope the potato salad goes down well, we have lots and lots of snow here, hopefully it will melt away, as I love to see it on cards, but not in my street hahaha.
    Lots of love from Patricia xx

  5. Love this card and it you Barb who is a true 'Star'. I'm certainly up for a monthly 'craft along'. Hope the potato salad goes down well. I'm left with 16 tubes of pringles, 12 cartons of various fruit juices and 48 mince pies! Beverley xxx

  6. Would love to join a monthly craft session, love the glass effect, must try it when I make it back to my craft room, I have half a leg of Serrano ham left!, looks like pea and ham soup for the next few weeks Jan x

  7. Hi Barbara

    Love reading your blogs this year and they are inspiring.

    This card is amazing and I am going to have a go once l shop for the shaving foam tomorrow. I have many stencils so am going to experiment with them.

    Would love a monthly lesson. What a fab idea!

    Lol Barbara W

  8. Beautiful colours, Barbara. Looking out of the window the colour that I can see is WHITE… the first snow since two years…
    Have a great potato-salad-celebration
    Rolf xxx

  9. Loved this will give it a try although I don't have all the colours but compromise is good, I'd like to join the you tube class where I can x enjoy your tattie salad x

  10. I love this very much and I think I've now spent too long intending to do shaving foam technique. I will now just do it! A monthly craft along would be awesome. Enjoy your guests and potato salad. Laurane x

  11. Lovely Barbara, I'll try and do one next week. A monthly craft-a-long would be fun. Put those gremlins back in their place, preferably in the galaxy somewhere, and enjoy what will undoubtedly be a fab potato salad with your guests. xx

  12. Hi a Barb,
    This is beautiful! Looks relatively easy to do as well which makes it better. Will give it a go tomorrow as I've just got back from the pandemonium that was Newcastle – had to buy a new tv. Now just need to sit down and have coffee! Would love the monthly craft along with Barb session. Great idea. Love Alison xxx

  13. Well Barbara you have created a galaxy! All my crafting stuff is away at the moment but I will be getting it all out very soon!
    Enjoy your potato salad!
    Love and hugs xxx

  14. Stunning Barbara,cannot do this one today as not well enough but maybe another time the monthly craft along would be good keep us busy crafting with clarity ,
    Happy crafting to all xxx

  15. LOL, i think your Gremlins should be Doubting and Thomas! I will certainly try to do this but will need to improvise a little. My pre Christmas shopping ban is still in force for a little while. Well we also had snow here. In fact I was returning from visiting a friend in Cleveleys and after the AA man that had come to my rescue earlier (another story) had assured me there would be NO snow i decided to stay a little later. Well that AA man sure knew his stuff, there was no snow in Cleveleys. Just as I passed through Preston it started! Felt like I was in a blizzard and was quite scary. I haven't driven in the snow for about 15 years. I must admit that even though I was concentrating so hard on the fading white lines down the M61 it did have to take a few moments to take in the wonder of nature. It was so beautiful.

    Happy crafting folks.

  16. Hi Barbara,
    Have just ordered Jo"s stencil so will have a go at it as soon as I get my order and will show you. Love your version. Hope you're having a nice day. If you have some of your gorgeous spuds salad left, just pop it in a Tupperware (or any other container) and sent it over, I will take care of it…..Lol!!!!
    Great idea for the You Tube "classroom", am missing the TV one.
    Laurence xx

  17. Oh yes, count me in Barb… I have this one sorted to stage one and will have a go at completing it when my visitors have left tonight. Your card looks great! We expect a day on our own tomorrow and then back to work on Monday! Fabulous Christmas time. Some of us have even had snow! Love Gill xxxxx

  18. Hi Barbara, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing at what your gremlins do to you, but you do say it so funny!!!!! Hope Dave didn't give you too much of a hard time at being sent out for even more tatties!!!!! Don't worry about providing different food for your guests, I'm sure by the time they've eaten their way through your tattie salad they won't have any room left for anything else!!!!

    I love this artwork very much, and it's really good to have a craftalongabarbie again. Yes please, I'm so up for doing this regularly with you :). I was like yay, happy dance, and then a moment later I was oh, no fear, fear, fear!!!! – the bad, very scary bit being the showing finished artwork bit! I think that's going to be an even bigger challenge for me than what doing my first comment was and that took me a year to conquer! (There are probably some people who wish I still was trying to conquer that one when I'm never off here talking!!!!!)

    I really was up for trying this out today but unfortunately I'm way too wabbit :(, stupid chronic fatigue syndrome always likes to push it's way into everything. But I'm determined to not let it make me sleep all day, life's too precious for that and way too much of my life has already been so wasted. So instead I will sit in bed and organise my ever increasing stash of stencils into a folder and watch craft shows I've recorded.

    My guess is by now you and all your guests will be looking for an afternoon nap after all that potato carbs!!!!

    Love Brenda xx

    You must be Psychic, I had literally been trying to think of a way I could make a shadow on stencilled stuff, like we do with stamps. You've solved it, do it the other way round and leave a white shadow instead, thank you :).

    1. Hope you're feeling better after a day of rest, I bet those stencils are now sorted into their folders and ready for use! The hardest thing I find about posting work is getting a decent picture! Usually good at photos but can not get a decent one indoors without a shadow. I enjoy reading your comments, and I'm sure others do too, so that's a challenge ticked off. XX

  19. This is lovely Barbara and what a clever way of highlighting by moving the stencil a little and clear embossing it. The wordchain sentiment with it's celestial connection is very apt too as the group of bubbles do look a bit like planets, especially with the shaving foam technique you have used. Hope all your guests enjoyed their potato salad and whatever else was on the menu ..lol. x

  20. Good afternoon Barbara!!! Hope your guests have enjoyed the feast!!!

    Love what you have done here – hopefully I will give this a go tomorrow and post a photo – day to myself so ideal to have a go.

    YES YES YES – to your idea – am definately up for that !!!!

    Much love

    Kim xx

  21. Brilliant art work Barbara! I will be ordering the bubbles stencil when I use my Xmas voucher later today .so miss the classroom and would love you to do something similar-look forward to this in the new year

  22. Great piece of art work.
    I just managed to grab the last hamper of distress re-inkers from your website (from hubby for xmas). Have had the flu so no chance to use them yet but can't wait to try out the shaving foam technique. He also bought me the dvd hamper so I've been watching these for inspiration whilst I recover. I would love to join in a monthly session, just like the old classroom sessions on TV.
    Keep up the good work. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  23. Hello Barbara,

    I think the monthly get together is a great idea. Have been at work all day today (and again tomorrow!). So will have to give this a go later in the week. As I haven't got Jo's bubbles yet I will use the original bubble stencil.

    Love
    Roz.x

  24. That card is awesome Barbara. Will have a go in a few days, haven't done the shaving foam bit yet as we've been away. Brilliant idea to do a form of the classroom on utube, definitely be up for that. Not so sure about sending in my work, need to practise first ,& as yet haven't mastered putting photos on Facebook. Just about to get my club membership renewed & get an order in before your incredible offers end. xx

  25. Hello Barb, absolutely fabulous galaxy, and one I want to be in. Your colours are wonderful. I still have the word chains on my wish list, but am sure I will get them at some point. Hope the potato salad went down a treat, German Potato salad is the best. Mine is a hybrid. Will try stick a photo up at some point, may not be as good as yours, but then the pupil is never is as good as the Teacher. Take care and try have some down time tomorrow. Hugs. Bxx

  26. Hi Barbara
    Loved your blog today. I have made backgrounds with the shaving foam but having tried the second stage using a stencil, twice, I gave it up as a bad job. We don't have your bubble stencil, and the few we have are all over patterns, The snowflakes and diamond patterns etc, and it just doesn't work with that type of stencil. Will just have to add that to my wish list

    I think it would be great to have a classroom type blog onc a month.

  27. A lovely piece of artwork Barbara. In the process of reorganising my craft room, once that is done I hope to be able to join a monthly challenge! Anne x

  28. Hi Barbara just got home from staying at mother in laws so on a catch up, although I read your plum crumble recipe on my phone, sounded yummy. We are just about to have pizza for dinner as a change so some of that potato salad would go down a treat! Hope your guests enjoyed it. I think Jean would have thought I'd lost the plot if I'd asked for shaving foam to play with yesterday! I will play catch up but with a different stencil. The end result was fab so well worth a play. Thank you for sharing. Stay warm and safe. Love Diane xxx

  29. that looks so good. like a galaxy 'for real life' as Massimo would say.
    please do a you tube like the sat classrooms. i miss it and so does Massi. didn't manage to do it with you today – life got in the way but i will try to do it with more time available, hugs xx

  30. Ooooo love the idea of craftalong. Will be giving the shaving foam a try ASAP as I have been out today. The end result is great the colours go really well together. I also love using the warm tones like squeezed lemonade, spiced marmalade and barn door. They look really good through the stencil of the chrysanthemum. XX

  31. Just lovely. I have shaving foam at the ready and tomorrow afternoon earmarked for getting crafty stash out again. I would love to join in with Craftalongabarbie. Potato salad- yummy!!! XChris

  32. hi Barbara,
    Wasn't able to craft along with you you today, as my poor dad got stranded here when he should have been going home. I couldn't just leave him alone so I could go crafting, so I'll have a go when he's home &I can find the desk in my craft room! Flippin snow!

    I do like the sound of craftalongabarbie so it's a yes please from me!

    I do hope you get more sleep tonight rather than such an early start! Tell those pesky ear worms to get back into their box.
    Hugs, Alison.

  33. My posted comments have only been appearing erratically for a while. Perhaps I can crack it today.
    Stunning card, Barbara. "O vast rondure, swimming in space, cover'd all over in visible power and beauty" I got this stencil after your last demo with it but Christmas cards got in the way of any experiments. I must have a go at this though. Thanks for blogging all over Christmas. I don't know how you keep all the balls in the air. x

  34. What a beautiful Galaxy you've created. Stunning! Love your white edge to show the light. Craft a long a barbie sounds fab, but I'll have to pass on this first one as off to hospital for my long awaited back surgery on Monday (fingers crossed). Hopefully I'll be up to joining in next time. Hope the potato salad was a success and that you managed to extend the menu choice a little more.
    Sorry won't be commenting for a while but I look forward to catching up when I get home from hospital.
    Happy New Year! Love Jeanette xxx

  35. Hi Barbara. What a fantastic galaxy. I wouldn't have thought to use the embossing powder over the top of the shaving foam technique (my all time favourite one) and I'm not always keen on the water splatter look but I think it is made for this type of piece. A regular Craftalongabarbie Session would be wonderful, but no stressing over it please. I'm sure your guests ate loads of the yummy potato salad and what is left could be mashed, and spoonfuls fried into little potato fritters (have done that with other potato salads but not German one, sure it will still work though). Hope you get some R & R today! Take care.

  36. Here in the fairytale snow covered Sauerland so unable to play along with the fantastic bubbles. It is on the list for when I get back home! Yes, a craft along with you would be super. Look forward to it. Until the. "Guten rutsch!"

  37. What a beauty – just catching up on your blog after coming back from out Christmas break….Sounds like a fab thing to do getting everyone to post their versions of your tutorial. It's always great to see others interpretations 🙂 xxx

  38. Fantastic tutorial – I've been covered in ink and foam for two days now!

    I love the idea of a monthly lesson. It's good to stretch ourselves sometimes. I can't see how to load a picture on here so will email it to you. xx

  39. Love this but won't be anywhere near my craftroom for another couple of weeks yet! Will have to pin this so that I remember to try it when I get back. Thanks, Susan x

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