Tangled and Petrified. A Step by step.

Tangled and Petrified. A Step by step.

Howdi!
Greetings from New Mexico!

Landed here last night, and are having the best break ever.
Drove along Route 66 and I-40 all the way to Albuquerque yesterday.
Stopped off at the Petrified Forest. 
What an eye opener! 
It was unbelievable to see how volcanic ash can transform wooden trees to stone !!!

Here are some examples of polished petrified wood 
in the museum / shop:

The colours are insane!
And the weight is untrue!
Seriously. It weighs tons!
Smuggle a piece?
The plane would never leave the ground!
The drive through the area was surreal. It was like being on another planet. The theory is that the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest are actually one of the four corners of the Grand Canyon.
It does look similar in places.
It’s a fantastic world we leave in, it really is.
So now we’re at the house.
Time to slow down and digest all that we have soaked up 
in the last week.
I would love to blog other experiences I have had during that time, and will roll them out during the next week.
Hope that’s ok with you too. 

Today I am meeting up with some good friends,
Duda and Isabel, and I want to go enjoy them,
so here’s a little stamp and stencil step-by-step project 
prepared for days like today.
When I want to disappear…


Here are the ingredients:

Shopping List:
Buy the Blending Tools & get the Clarity Blending Mat Free! 
Sharpie Pen
Post-It Notes
Ok, here we go. 
Stamp the 3 words onto the sticky edge of the Post-It Notes

Using a craft knife and ruler, trim them down.

Attach the Tangle stencil to the Gelli card using low-tack tape
 to create a hinge at the top, and position your word masks.

Flip the stencil over the top and place your work onto a scrap piece of paper. Load one of the Clarity Brushes with Chipped Sapphire ink to create a diagonal line by brushing backwards and forwards.

Repeat this leaving a white gap.
Reminiscent of the rock layers…

Now take another Clarity Brush and the Adirondack Latte ink pad and fill in the white gap – allow the colour to overlap so that you get a blended finish.

Remove the stencil and Post-It Notes and voila!
Painted Desert eat your heart out!

Next squidge out the 2 colours onto the Clarity Blending mat, take your stamped greeting and stamp it into the 2 colours, twisting and turning the stamp so that you get multi coloured coverage – test it on a scrap of paper to check what it looks like.

Nice.

Once you are happy, re-ink and stamp into position.

For the next step, we have 2 options. 
Option 1 is to replace the clean stencil back and draw through the holes with a Black Micron Pen. 

Option 2 is to do it free hand without the safety net of the stencil!

Personally, I think it is quicker and easier to do it through the stencil, but if you are not in a rush, try it freestyle – and let your mind wander!

When you have finished, you will have something like this, the panels look as if they are part of the pattern. 
Just realised I missed a bit, can you spot it?

To add the finishing touch, 
use the ruler and the Sharpie to add a border.

I then mounted on to a piece of Kraft card.

This would make a great Man’s card – we know how difficult it is to make cards for the men in our lives. 
Mmmmm when is Dave’s birthday?

This style would work great with lots of our Background Stencils
and I am thinking I will try a Grand Canyon while I am here….

Off to see the girls!

Lots of love,

42 thoughts on “Tangled and Petrified. A Step by step.

  1. More lovely pics! And another fab card ! Going to try this for a mans birthday on Sunday I think! X

    Ps I say that but I'm still enjoying a lazy retirement and might not find the time lol but I've got to come up with something !

    Continue enjoying your holiday and some you and Dave time! Xxx

    1. Just going to do this one and realised I've been using tangled for many a background recently and then putting decoupaged flowers on to it. Haven't been brave enough (or that should be thought!) to draw around the blocks yet but will give it a try this time. This design is perfect for some male cards though.

  2. Oh wow, what a fabulous experience,looks and sounds so wonderful….
    Love the stencil tute too, thanks for sharing, and enjoy your trip..xx

  3. Beautiful photos Barbara ,what a wonderful technique with the stencil and stamps each day you amaze me with your art work enjoy each day your away ,we go home to our bungalow on Saturday
    What a day that will be home in our security with a wonderful cup of tea hugs xxx

  4. Those bits of petrified wood are amazing Barbara and the scenery there certainly has a similar look to the Grand Canyon especially the rock strata. Anyway enjoy a quieter week at the house and have a great time with your friends. x

  5. Great idea and technique! Love the photos of those petrified trees too – thanks for sharing your holiday with us and hope you have a blast with your friends, Susan x

  6. Hello Barb, talk about crafting on the move. Absolutely brilliant, both the artwork and the photos! One day! But as to the missing part – Just below the L in Celebrate? Either that or my eyes are packing up. Thank you for sharing your precious time with us. Bx

  7. Hi Barbara, great idea, and as you say great for male cards, thank you. I'll be removing the stencil and drawing freehand and enjoying it, one of my favourite non thinking arty things to do, and now you given me a brilliant excuse to do loads :-). Of course I saw the bits you missed, not been called hawk eyes for nothing!!! But that just makes it a Barbara Gray original, and we all know you meant to miss those bits, it's part of your plan 😉 Autistic people have heightened senses, mostly it's a negative when you see every flaw in everything, every slightly squint /sticking out tile that no one else can see for instance, every mark and imperfection! But it also means the joy of perfection in nature, the natural world, an amazing piece of art… that most people can't see like we do 🙂 Been called bat ears too, because I hear things other people don't hear at all, or don't notice!!!! Glad you're having chill time out time, and catching up with friends. Looking forward to your travelogues over the next week. Love Brenda xx
    Thank you Donna and Susan for your replies yesterday :-), love Brenda xx

  8. Hi Barbara and guys
    Loving all the photo's of your trip and so glad your able to relax and enjoy making memories.
    Great card today it's given me an idea for my partners card for the end of the month as I was struggling,so thank you.

  9. Thank you for sharing your adventures Barbara. Lovely to see somewhere I'd never think of going to. It's a real eye opener. Have a lovey time catching up with friends as well as your travels
    The man card is great too. It says jungle theme to me. Is that your next stop?

  10. Thanks for sharing your holiday with us again Barbara…It brings a spark of sunshine into my life at least!
    Those petrified trees are amazing and how fabulous a slice of that would make as a table top! Polished to bring out all the wonderful colours.

    I hope you have had a lovely day with your friends. Look forward to the next installment tomorrow! Love and hugs xxxx

  11. Hi Barbara Dave & Steve wow what a holiday you are having so pleased for you for you. I love the card good card for men I've got three guys birthdays soon stay safe love June horrocks xxxx

  12. Hello Barbara, well you, Dave and Steve are clearly having a great time. The petrified wood is amazing, and the scenery along your drive looks like it's come from another planet.

    Thanks for sharing the card idea, and a Grand Canyon stencil sounds like a great background. I hope you had a fun time with your friends. Looking forward to your next installment. Hugs xx

  13. Hi Barb,
    More great pics today and the petrified wood is fantastic.love today's card as you say great for those pesky man cards, hope you have a lovely time with your friends, love Alison xxx

  14. Absolutely loving your photos and so very glad you are taking the time to share them with us – and that it has inspired you along the way – awesome!!! I think is the word needed!!

    The U S of A has some awesome sights doesn't it!!!

    Much Love
    Kim x

  15. that is really fab for a man's card. it's a bit early for Dave's card though. i would misplace it if i had to keep it till november.
    what fab places you are visiting. i hope you realize how lucky you are, hugs xx

  16. Hi Barbara thank you for sharing the technique I am learning so much from your blog. Your photos are amazing. You are an inspiration to keep travelling. Keep having fun. Hugs Jackie

  17. The photies are amazing, spectacular even. Love the artwork. Going to give a go next Monday when my friend, Sue, and I have our gossipy crafting day. Thank you X

  18. Great card and demo. I am so glad you finished that missed bit in. It's things like that which get my brain hung up. Unlike Sam's fuflrial which make me chuckle.

  19. Hi Barbara this card is fabulous and the grand cannon is rather stunning too. I'm struggling to post as keep nodding off and had 2 glasses of bubbles which have helped put oh in order. Take care
    Love Diane xxx

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