Stencils and snow….

Stencils and snow….

Hi there!
Thanks for popping in.
Just got back from our Clarity Open Days in Yorkshire.
Very happy with the way it went overall.
Could have been busier, but hey! 
The visitors who came had a good time.

It being so late,
and my neck being what it is, 
I decided to dig out a blog project
from last year which I particularly enjoyed making.

It was funny.
As soon as I saw the artwork in the file this evening, 
I remembered it being a bright Sunday morning when I made it.

And I was right. 
The mind is a wondrous thing.
So here’s a little Christmas offering,
using a cool stencil and some Christmas miniatures….  

Thought I’d use a stencil and make another little window….

Abstract Squares No.2

Decided to use some water-colour paper. This makes the end result really soft when you work with dye-based inks. 

And the Abstract Stencil; loads of windows!
So I have cut the water-colour paper to 7″x7″ to fit the stencil, 
and taped it to a piece of copy paper.
This is good watercolour card.

I know, Christmas seems miles away, but if you are going to make your own cards this year, you may want to start thinking about it! 

Here, I’ve used the little window miniatures from this very popular Window Stamp Set.

Decide which window is going to be your centre-stage 
and mask it off with Post-its.

Tear a piece of copy paper ,
and add some night sky with a make-up sponge.

like so…

Use Tumbled Glass – a lighter blue – 
with a stencil brush, to define the rest of the windows.
Just brush back and forth across the stencil, concentrating on the outer edges.

I like to look at where I am headed, 
so I lift the stencil complete with tape to peek…

In fact, when it comes to stamping, I think it’s best to remove the stencil and just work with Post-its.
Dab the little tree in the Denim then in the Latte before you stamp.
Beautiful blend of colour. Gives you a super greeny blue.

Have another peep…
nice. Less is more, but I think we need a little bit more here!
Cover up the piccy with a Post-It and brush Latte through the centre. Beautiful warm colour on the water-colour paper.

Now set to work with Post-Its, masking off windows and stamping the little snowflake from the set through the apertures 
(First and second generation Denim ink).
You can see through the Post-its if you want to add the illusion of splitting an image between two windows; just remember to factor in the stencil bars or lines! 

Add Happy Christmas from the International Greeting set.

Dust around all 4 sides with the latte on the stencil brush.

You will find that the water-colour paper yields a very soft, almost velvety result. Stamping on Water-colour with dye-based ink (water-soluble) is ideal.

See how you can make it look like the snowflakes are falling down behind the apertures? Or you can bring them to the front!

I think we need a little snow…
white fineline pen at the ready!

Blimey! If that snowflake there lands on you, 
it will knock you out!!!
Let’s call that one the moon!

If you haven’t go a white pen, 
I have figured out another trick in the last year.
You can dip the finest Groovi embossing tool in a tiny amount of white acrylic paint to dot dot dot wonderful snow, too. 


Err… the clue’s in the name of the Fresco paint!
Snowflake Paint

Mount on a complimentary background. 
I opted for sparkle.

So there we are. This abstract stencil really is very versatile!
If I had more time, I could make a whole collection of these 50’s retro looking Christmas cards, and create a different centre-stage scene each time, with different miniatures from the little window set. 
In the meantime, we have also introduced all the wee folk stamps!
Now wouldn’t they work well through this stencil!!!

So much can happen in a year…

love and hugs,

53 thoughts on “Stencils and snow….

  1. How right you are about so much can happen in a year!!! Glad you are home safe – miserable day weather wise so i can imagine some rotten driving conditions at times having been to York and back today.
    Christmas cards!!! – yes it is time to start them I guess 🙂

    Much love
    Kim xx

  2. I loved it then and still love it now! It has a simplicity about it but then it makes you think about how it can have been made!

    Glad you got home safe and sound! Thanks again for coming oop norf! Love and hugs! Xxxx

  3. Glad you are home safe and sound. I am amazed because I cannot remember this project first time around. I love it. I will remember that one for next year's cards. Hope you are having at least one day off to recover, both of you. xxx Maggie

  4. So pretty – the white sprinkles really make it, they look almost glittery. I have this stencil, so could have a go at this one! I definitely need to crack on with my Christmas cards, it's last minute rush every year!

    Glad the open days went well, looking forward to next June in Kent!!

  5. Lovely card this one! Aren't they all?! Glad you all had a good weekend! One day I will get myself into gear and come too. Think I'll be looking though my stash for these bits and pieces tomorrow. I need to tidy my room so that I can get in it and find the things I've forgotten I have! Take it easy this week if you can xx

  6. So much has happened in a year! Groove on I say! Thank you for a great day in Catterick yesterday and glad you got home safe. Take some time out to rest, boy do you lot deserve it! P;ease could you pass on to the lovely Paul Church my thanks foe the tip about "control and F5" It worked! thanks Paul. Had a lovely evening playing with new border groovi's, they are beautiful. Take care, hugs to all. Vanessa X

  7. Wow Barbara stunning art work I have this stencil and stamp sets must give this ago for a special friend this Christmas if I start now might be finished by Christmas. Glad your home safe and sound hope Dave is still feeling ok and feeling brighter by each day how is your neck ? Hugs xxx

    1. Evening Sheila, how are you today? My new class are lovely, the teacher I work with is great too so I'm hoping for a good year. Crafting was a tiny bit of colouring today, not very much at all but I think I still get a tick, what do you think? Xx

    2. Oh yes you definitely get the tick ,I've had a lovely day no crafting but two of my dearest friends came with my birthday cards and presents for tomorrow then my sister came with flowers and a card too so lovely to feel so special . Xxx

  8. Would loved to have joined you and i'm sorry I didn't but the negative 'you can't do that' won and 'I really want to' lost out once again. it's so hard to control the negative voice, it was even there when I was crafting or trying to just sat and stared for over an hour before getting going and even then my 'make' was rubbish. I wish I had your confidence and just 5% of your ability would be nice.

    I'm pleased to hear you got home safely, what a long way for you to travel – maybe consider South Yorkshire next year instead of the topside of North Yorkshire, we're still as nice as those 'oop norf'

    Thanks again for another step by step blogged lesson

    1. Tracy, there are no mistakes only lessons learned. Keep going and you will get there. It took me ages to do hills I was pleased with or inking work that I was happy to put on a card and actually give to someone! Pick your favourite colours to work with, I always find that helps me to like the end product more, anything in pink or purple for me although I'm leaning towards the blues lately since finding the Adirondack ink in Sail Boat Blue. Have faith in yourself, enjoy the process and keep going I bet you're better than you think! Xx

  9. Great card. Those colours always look so good together and I like the way the stencil combines small stamps into a main image.
    Glad your northern trip went well and I hope you get some time to relax and recover after the journey. Carol

  10. Love it! Would have loved to come to the open day, but a bit too far to travel 🙁
    Hope you may come near to me at some point, so enjoyed the work shop i did with you before xx

  11. Glad you're home safe and sound. This is a lovely card, so effective and a great idea for my Christmas theme this year. Had a really enjoyable day with you all yesterday. Living in Cumbria usually means a drive of at least 2hrs to any crafting events (Manchester, Glasgow or Newcastle) so I'm very appreciative of your effort to travel up all the way from the South. You're the only crafting company to do this so close to where I live and hold all your regional classes run by your wonderful and hard working design team. So a really big thank you to you. Hugs, Jeanette xxxx

  12. Hello Barbara. I am so glad that I managed to get to the open days. It was so good to see everyone enjoying themselves. It was great getting to meet all those lovely people. Special thank you to you and Dave and the Design team and Heather and Len, and of course the ladies who made up those wonderful lunches. Carrie and I had a marvellous time and were made to feel so welcome by everyone. As Carrie says…. What a smashing bunch of people.
    In Edinburgh for the night and back home tomorrow. Looking forward to playing with my goodies
    Hugs to all. Xxxxxx

    1. Hello lovely lady, it's good to know you are still reading the blog every day. I hope the weather hasn't been too bad in your part of the world today. We are back home down south and it's been pouring today! Hope you are managing to craft a little, posh pencils are Groovi board I hope. Sending you and Daisy a hug xxxx

  13. Hi Barbara
    Lovey card. This is exactly the inspiration I have been looking for. I don't remember seeing it before but I do have little lapses of memory. I am waiting for my dove of peace set to arrive and now I need this stencil to go with all my wee folk.
    I hope you can get your neck sorted. It must be so painful. Try to rest if possible.
    Hugs from Chris x

  14. Wow Barbara this is a stunning Christmas card. I love what you have created. I have a sore neck and shoulders and I have a girl who comes to house and gives me a Sports massage that helps me. You have probably already tried things like that. I hope you get some rest this evening after your long journey. Take care. Hugs Jackie

  15. Hi Barbara
    I think I remember this one from last year and thought at the time how lovely it was so it's great to have a reminder. It's good to look back and see the progress over the year isn't it. Love the way the snowflakes tumble down in this one ans how fab are those small stamps – I've got them! Thank you for sharing. Make sure you rest your neck this week. Love Diane xxx

  16. I remember this and is beautiful second time around too. I love that little scene and the snowflakes scattered through the openings and the colours are so pretty. Glad you are giving your neck a rest after your travelling back today and your busy weekend. x

  17. This is super, its really good to revisit projects. The window masking is always so effective, I think this is where my Christmas cards are heading this year with a sprinkle of Groovi in the mix. Glad you got home, now you can rest (hopefully) for a few days. Xx

  18. What a lovely reminder of a past technique. Looks very effective, think some of my Christmas cards might look a little like this. Thank-you and I hope you get some rest before next event. xx

  19. I don't remember this but it is absolutely stunning – so simple really and yet beautiful – I have these stamps so know what I will be doing this afternoon – My DIL 15 days late after 34 hrs labour finally gave birth to my first granddaughter Lily at 4 am this morning so have given myself the day off from housework and spend the day crafting 🙂

  20. Oh dear I had promised myself I would concentrate on getting some warm clothes ready for the winter but hey ho I'm sure I can manage another stencil and some wee folk. Useful for the scrap books too. Really like this one and even I can manage it I think.

  21. Lovely card Barbara, I think I'll start looking at your blog from the beginning again and have a good at "borrowing" some of your ideas :-).

    Do you ever wonder what you will be doing this time next year?

    Take care and try to rest that neck xxx

  22. I loved this one when I saw it last year, and love it again this year! Beautiful colours and I love the wee windows. Will definitely be trying it out as I now have the stencil, so thanks for the reminder. Hope your neck improves, Barbara!

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