Back to business with a Sale Tree-t

Back to business with a Sale Tree-t

Hi there,
Thanks for popping in today.
It’s definitely back to business at this end.
What a hive of activity we walked into this morning!
All good though;
the Clarity team is great.

Team work makes the dream work, as they say…
So let’s get art with today’s blog.
Monday’s blog is Flowers and Trees, right?
I procured a Gelli background, which I made before the hols using Smurf Fresco paint
crumpled paper and the 6″ Gelli Plate 
(which is our Product of the Month this June, so a good price!)
In a nutshell, brayer a small amount of the paint 
directly onto the Gelli plate,
press crumpled paper onto it, to lift the paint randomly,
place the little card in the centre, then the 7″ x 7″ Gelli card.
Rub the back of the card to transfer the paint print.
Peel your card off the Gelli Plate. Hey presto.
Result!

Stamp the lovely tall trees stamp into the open centre.
This stamp is also in the 
Member’s Half Price Unmounted Sale 
this month.
Well worth checking out…
I used a Cornflower Blue Archival Ink pad

Stamp the trees onto the centrepiece too.

Let’s attach the card to a piece of our 

Waste not want not! Only use half the sticky sheet…

Cut out the land and trees,
but don’t attach them yet.

Let’s add some colour.
The cool thing about acrylic paint, even chalk acrylic, 
is that is behaves like plastic.
So if you wipe dye based ink over it, you can wipe it straight off. The ink will, however, stain the card which is white.
I got out a couple of yellow pads:
Stain the cut out trees with a make up sponge.

 I used both yellow, for contrast, but one will do.
Now the pieces are done, let’s tackle the frame.

Same idea. Simply rub ink into the frame. 
The ink will wipe off the paint and stain the white card.

Add dark blue ink for shade and depth over the top of the yellow in places. It will change to greens as well.
I used Denim Adirondack. Other alternatives:
Faded jeans Distress ink
Chipped Sapphire Distress ink.

See the dark greens too?

Time to attach the parts.
The base, the grassland is easy.
But in order to position all 3 trees perfectly, 
I would suggest peeling back the wax paper at the top first,
and then gradually pulling it downwards, 
positioning the tree trunks as you go. 

like so:

Easy.

Trim the edges,

Add some yellow round the edge with a blending tool on a Blending mat.
I used a make up sponge because I couldn’t find my blending tool!

Mount on white card.
Done.

I like the contrast and the acrylic flecking.

Hope you do too!

So there we are.
Back in the groove.
There’s nothing quite like home though. 
We bought this absurdly expensive Tempur mattress before we left, in hopes it might help with my neck problems.
Two nights back in the Tempur sack, 
and already it feels better.
If the new mattress stops my head feeling like it’s going to snap off my shoulders, then it was money well spent. 

Anyway,
I must crack on.
TV show to prep! Whip to crack!
Wurka and Hollick are definitely back!

much love,

70 thoughts on “Back to business with a Sale Tree-t

  1. Having a sh*t day myself today – hadn't realised how much I looked forwards to your blogging to cheer me up! Lovely artwork today – must go back and take a look in more details than see if I can replicate it – or similar!!

    1. Hi Gillian, David here…Sorry that your day has not been so good, Remember, you can start your day again, at any time ! Look out for the Wednesday mindful blog, it may be of help.

    2. Gillian, join in with our banter if you would like to, helps me take my mind off my bad stuff for a wee bit, and to not feel totally alone xx

    3. Download the tea pot from the mindfulness clarity blog it helps just colour a little at a time it helped me through some tough days and the clarity blog too hugs Sheila xx

  2. Beautiful Barbara, I love the scrunchy paper effect, glad your mattress is working, there's nothing like a good nights sleep to get you off to a good start in the morning. Take things easy and be kind to yourself. I'm looking forward to your show at the weekend with the beautiful new stamps, I just know they're going to fly out 🙂 xxx

  3. Glad the new mattress is doing its job. That is one job on my list this week, to find a new mattress for the same reason and a new shaped pillow too. There are days when I read your blog and feel certain you have some way of monitoring me, camera and sound, and this is one of those days. Aside from the mattress thing, there is all the character building (ask Maria) you have put into this particular project. I did wonder at one point why you were using Rebecca's nut baskets to apply paint, then I woke up. Love the card today. That was the very first stamp you gave us to play with at my very first Clarity workshop up at Wollaton (incidentally, it turns out that Mandy Branston was also there at her first workshop) so it has a special place in my heart and stash. Make sure you keep Worka and Hollick firmly in their proper place and under control. Looking forward to seeing the new parchment ideas. xxx Maggie

    1. Hi Maggie I asked my chiropractor about the funny shaped pillows – she suggested if you get one to break yourself in gently with it. Use it for an hour then change back to your old one and gradually build it up. She said a lot of people go straight for the new pillow and get a stiff neck so give up on it. Hope that helps! Xxx

    2. Thanks, Diane. I have actually had a shaped pillow for about 8 years and love it. However, they do not last forever and mine is starting to look distinctly yucky so if I am changing the mattress, I will change the pillows too. I have been for my massage this morning and go to the chiropractor tomorrow afternoon in the hope that the muscles are still loose enough after today to make it easier for him to manipulate. Wednesday and Thursday, I will be on my knees and start to feel better on Friday. xxx Maggie

  4. Hi Barbara
    Lovely artwork as always. My gelli plate is my favourite craft tool after all my Clarity stamps. I can play for hours. I hope your neck continues to improve. I find that sleeping as flat as possible helps my neck problem. I tried one of those neck pillows with the dip in the middle but it didn't work for me. I am looking forward to your show at the weekend.
    X Chris

  5. Hi Barbara, this is so cool, love the background, thanks for sharing :-). I'd probably leave it monotone but then cornflower blue is my favourite colour, even though the paint and inkpad colour is muted compared to the real flower!!! Right must look out my gelli plate and add it to the rapidly growing pile of things looked out to have a go projects, along with bits of just started and left projects!!!! Along with the large pile of junk in the middle of it all for my art from nowt much! Today I'm supposed to be dusting and hovering in here!!! Well, that's got put on hold, I'd need at least a day's worth of energy just to clear the floor!!! Now surely I can handle trying brayering on a wee bit paint and removing some with scrunched up paper, what could go wrong eh! Well with the week I've been having seems anything and everything, today, I can't get on my emails!

    Barbara, health is the most important thing, nothing much else can be done, achieved, lived, experienced without your health. So, of course spend the money on the best you can afford, and never feel guilty or anything else bad about doing so. You sooo deserve to look after you as best you can too :-). Glad it's helping with your neck. Don't suppose they do pillow type ones that you could take on your travels with you, might help you not getting so sore? Glad your return to work was happy one 🙂 Love Brenda xx

    1. Hi, thanks for asking :-). Och still like a headless chicken!!! Trying desperately to keep in my head away from any of the bad stuff, but not managing to get me focussed on anything at all, not even the day to day mundane stuff. But email just started working at last :-), but now I can't remember what it was I was going to email!!! I did a wee bit Sherlock Holmes, the bad company it's being transferred to has loads down today, mine has a little, some major cities, I'm wondering if they've started transferring already, and already hit huge problems! I'm fearing losing everything phone, internet and email any time now and that's before I get to the 8th! But I was checking out the 2GB on the dongle, it's only valid for 30 days from yesterday, and then I lose all credit on it, and you can't put credit on it, leave it in case of emergency inactivated because that has an expiry date too! What use is that! If I lose phone /broadband, how am I supposed to go online to buy credit! Anyway I'm ok for 30 days for this time, and it seems as long as I don't download or watch catch up tv or anything, and Microsoft do no updates, then I've go pretty much limitless browsing and more then enough emails for 30 days. I better try and find something to do, I feel the frustrations all about to burst out again. I hope going back to work after half term wasn't too hard? xx

    2. Technology is such a pain sometimes! Great all the while its working. Yeah my day was good thanks, although full of rain which is set to get worse over night! Xx

    3. Do you fancy doing the next bit of the teapot? It might get my head in gear to start turning the junk into something! I've still got 2 more bits worked out if your interested xx

    4. Hi Brenda. Sorry you are like a headless chicken but keep at it. We all want you to get there, doesn't matter how long it takes. Fingers crossed you don't have any more problems with your internet etc. Take care x

    5. Aaaaagh, latest, went to start my laptop back up as I do each Monday, didn't work, something missing /corrupt! Just spent all that time trying to work out the problem and it. Still don't know what the problem was but I've somehow fixed it anyway, and backup in progress! So now I'm even more wound up! I think I should just stay in bed under the covers and never get up, then no more problems can come along!!!! Right, teapot, much more in need of something to calm me down now! My eye's being total rubbish just now, how about the houses? Google images for Tobermory houses, you can choose any combo of colours, what do you think? xx

      Thank you Mrs B for your encouragement and caring words 🙂 xx

    6. Hi Brenda hope you get your computer sorted soon, they are a pain when they go wrong but wonderful when they work! Oh I love the colourful houses at Tobermory – used to watch Ballamory on TV with my daughter when shw was little and it was filmed there. I think the hoovering can wait a while, some craft time will be more rewarding for you xxx

    7. HI Brenda sorry about your network problems but looks like you've got it sussed
      me I just switch it off and on again usually works for me.
      Had annoying day myself with the phone ringing all the time with those cold caller pests ive got caller display so I know it no family but it does my head in.
      Anyway girls enjoy your colouring and Tobermory beautiful place to show Donna
      enjoy…xx P.S. was just thinking maybe it was Dave saying he's in on the act..lol..x

    8. Hi Diane, laptop, network etc. all ok for now :-). Aye, the hoovering's off the schedule until at least Thursday, so tomorrow, fingers crossed, I'll get stuck into making my art from nowt much :-). xx

      I passed through Mull on my way to Iona for the day with the school, don't remember much of Mull – the flatish treeless land, and wee single country roads with passing places. Wish I could go back, you appreciate it more as an adult. There's loads of places in Scotland I wish I could go back to, or to for the first time, brilliant country we live in 🙂

      Aye Dot, the switching off and on technique, takes a long time to learn how to do it, but once you've mastered it, it often works a treat!!! That's weird I got a cold caller today too, and I never get them now because I'm signed up for the thing that means they're not allowed to. I don't have caller display so had to be brave and answer it, a foreign guy from an accident claims thing. I just put the phone down without saying anything. So Dave definitely wasn't trying to speak to me about signing up for our act!!!! Did you get my suggestion for your musical instrument?!!! Right I better get this teapot and pencils out and colour in the houses, doesn't look very good telling Donna to and I haven't even looked mine out yet!!! But I did work out what my art from nowt much sun is going to be made from! xx

  6. Hi Barb,
    Really like this project and for once I have everything to give this a go. Pleased to hear your mattress seems to be working – we have one and I love it , also have a memory foam pillow – not a shaped one and that helps my neck tremendously. When I was teaching PE ( many years ago!) I was showing the kids how not to do a backward roll and tore my trapezius muscle and sprained my neck! I was in absolute agony! The upshot was that I had to wear a collar for a month and have been left with a really weak neck – hence the pillow. Looking forward to the shows at the weekend and to see the new products. Love Alison xx

  7. Great card. Like how you used the double suded adhesive to add a layer.
    I've had a tempur mattress for years due to my back problems and it was my saviour after surgery – the only place that I was not in pain. A thick memory topper is also beneficial for those that can't afford the full mattress. Glad you're seeing improvement although they do take a bit of getting used to!!
    Not long until the Open days and retreats so hopefully your neck won't get as bad. Glad to see Grace is home for a visit. Hugs, Jeanette xx

    1. Thanks for that, Jeanette. You have just reminded me that I have a memory foam topper that i could use on my existing mattress until I can find the right replacement. No, where did I hide that ………….. xx Maggie

  8. Great card, the scrunched paper always makes a great background. Glad to hear your first day back at work went well. Looking forward to the parchment products on Sunday! XX

  9. I love this technique Barbara and the finished result is so pretty. I don't have the chalk acrylic paints but have some ordinary ones so will give it a try. Glad your first day back has gone well and that the Tempur mattress is working to keep your neck in order. I do have a memory foam pillow and find that it helps with neck problems. I don't have a problem as such but I probably spend far too much time at the computer which makes tends to make my neck stiffen up and click alarmingly, and after a night's sleep on my pillow it is sorted, so wouldn't be without it. x

  10. Hi Barbara welcome back to your team I knew it would be all good. I love this artwork Barbara it's lovely I have had s lovely day it's my birthday been spoilt by my family and husband. It's very cold here I have never known a June 1st as cold love always Barbara love to dave xxxxxxxxx

    1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY June. I am glad you are having a lovely day. It is awfully cold and wet for "Flaming June" isn't it! Enjoy the rest of your special day. Take care x

  11. Hi Barbara, thanks for this beautiful technique, I am a lifelong crafter, (woodcraft/painting/enamelling etc…etc..) but have just entered the realm of paper crafting, a move and loss of workspace made it a necessity, BUT, I'm loving it, have joined youre stamp club, and purchase a Gelli plate, and am now trying to shift the workroom around to accomodate all the inks etc I NEED !! You have given me the greatest shove in the right direction, and the most inspiration. thank you

    1. It's funny, I have watched almost all of Barb's blogs, her youtube demo's and feel almost like I 'belong' I thank you for your reply, (not many people do) It makes a whole lot of difference. I look forward to another string to my bow in stamping and papercrafting and many more injections of humour and inspiration from the Clarity family. (p.s. I was in stitches watching the 'shrink plastic youtube vid….. nutters!!! ) 🙂

  12. Glad to have you back – brilliant card thanks sooo much. (Lovely to see Romeo yesterday too).

    Necks are tricky things, if it's not part of a wider problem, may I humbly suggest you investigate Bowen and Alexander treatments – how does she know this? – I'll give you 2 guesses!

  13. Love the colours and have just been looking at all the lovely sale items on the website, and these trees were on my list! Thanks for a really inspiring project too – one to try. We switched from a full memory foam mattress to a thick topper, as it was too hot for me with my personal tropical moments (!) but find them really comfy to sleep on, so I hope you find your neck continues to improve with your one. Susan x

  14. Hi Barbara. It is good to hear that your lovely team keep the cogs turning so well while you were away. Not so good to hear that Wurka and Hollick are back though!
    Todays piece is great, I love it, the shading and the colours you have used are fantastic, the bottom is gorgeous in particular, it looks almost metallic to me : )
    If your new mattress works then it is worth every penny, glad that you find the difference. Take care xx

  15. I think this card is lovely, great the way the colours change and blend together. We have a memory foam mattress and it is wonderful. So soft and relaxing on my leg, just wish my knee would stop hurting. Can barely walk now but my dear husband says he will pile me in the car for the open day next week. Painkillers will get me round. Hope you enjoying your time with Grace. x

  16. Hello Barbara

    Love this technique, I will have to try it. Apart from the paint I have all the other ingredients. Good luck with your mattress, hope it does the trick.

    Love
    Roz.x

  17. Hello Barbara

    Love this technique, I will have to try it. Apart from the paint I have all the other ingredients. Good luck with your mattress, hope it does the trick.

    Love
    Roz.x

  18. Love your blog today Barbara. Really like the technique you've used and the colour combination. Really must get down to getting some craft done, seems to be all hols now that hubby has retired. At our daughter's & spending a few days with our Grandchildren at presen in the Midlands. Really cold up here. Be home in time to see you on C &C.xx
    So glad you had a lovely break & that now you've got Grace with you.

  19. Gorgeous card. The effect with the crumpled paper is just great, and I like the blue and white stage as well as the final result.
    Sorry you have neck problems. I think your brain may be extra heavy with all the ideas you carry there. I hope you're enjoying your Grace time. x

  20. Hi Barbara love what you created today so now I'm swithering about buying the wee gelli plate so I can have a go
    Glad you sound happy the team back home has coped well just chill and take care of that neck….Dot..xx

  21. Lovely to have you back – my post yesterday would not post – some am hoping today it will. Love your blogs…can imagine you all showing the rest how to boogie on down!!!
    Great stuff today – so looking forward to Sundays show!!!
    Much love to you all and of course Grace
    Kim xx

  22. Hi Barbara This is lovely and has so much depth. Love the way the colours change with each new ink you add. Oh dear, I had to have a childish chuckle at the paint name though! Glad to hear your return to work was good – let's try and loose that Worka and Hollic somewhere. Take care love Diane xxx

  23. Fabulous technique. I will definitely playing later. Before I bought the Gelli plate I developed a fun 'crinkle technique'.. The effects are really cool.. All the best, Ingrid x

  24. Hello Barb, glad to see you back in the groove, producing lovely art work. I love the names of the Fresco paints. Glad to hear the mattress is working, I would get one, but would be too soft for hubs. I am sure you have everything under control, that is on your to do list, so take it easy. Bx

  25. Remember using this trees to craft along with you when you used them in the class room will try this as I know have my craft room set up small but works live joy x

Leave a Reply to Diane Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *