HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK !!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK !!!!

Hi there.
Easter Greetings!
Thanks for joining me.
It’s our lad’s 26th birthday today too.
So Happy Birthday Mark !!!
I know that both kids ready the blog most days, 
so I have to be careful what I say! But Mark has grown into such a smashing young man. Very smart, very handsome and very kind. What more can a Mum want? Oh. That’s right. And very happy. 
So this little Groovi Card is for you today, Marky boy! A little flowery for your taste, I know. Hence the England rugby shirt in the post!
So let’s see. Whilst Linda, Paul and I are pedalling away on telly today, here’s a taste of the lovely plates Linda designed for the Easter show this evening…Flowers and Lace:
In case you missed the start of the step by step at the beginning of the week, 
here’s a copy paste for you to catch up:
The first thing I like is that the lines don’t actually touch. You think they do, and they look as though they do. But when you begin to trace them, you realise immediately that you can extract shapes and elements entirely, like this:
Looking ahead to my next move, I want to do whitework in the little frill on the inside. So I have flipped to a larger tool, the No. 2 from the Starter Kit. I could use the No. 1 and not press so hard too. 
Now to join up the shape…
If I flip the parchment and simply repeat the whole piece, 
I get an oval, see?
But. If I overlap one of the scallops and join up the opposite side, 
I get a perfect circle.
BRILLIANT

So now, let the games begin.
This is my starting place. 
I shall do a little every day, 
and then blog the finished project next Sunday.
Here’s where we pick up again…
Make a frame around the outside using the Nested Square from the Groovi Starter Kit. If you want to make a double-line frame, simply shuffle the parchment over and go again, like so:
Check at the front:
Now we will fill the area between the two shapes with Aquilegia flowers from that particular plate
Next, I want to use that superb netting area on the plate to infill the gaps between the flowers. Just move the parchment around.
Check the front.
This is where we’re headed.
Add the sentment in the centre with a little flower.
For all it’s worth, I think this Alphabet plate is really invaluable. The lettering is beautiful and the perfect size, and if you have the nested squares, then this is the add on for when you want to frame larger pieces.
Move the artwork to your pink pergamano mat. Again, a got-to-have. You can do the following whitework on the soft side of the black mat in the Starter Kit, but the pink mat is so much easier and more forgiving!
Emboss all the dots in the netting and the tiny lacy dots on the inside of the floral centre shape. I used a 1.5 pergamano tool. The No. 2 tool in the Starter Kit is great too.
Check the front…
Ahhh. Missed a bit. See it?
Which reminds me. have you found all those hidden eggs on the website yet? Worth a gander….
I coloured in the flowers with Perga Colours – our water-based colouring pens which are excellent for parchment.
click here to investigate
If you want a more pastel colour than the vibrant tones of the pens, use the Groovi Guard as a blening mat. Simply add a little colour from the pen to the Groovi Guard, add a tiny amount of water, and then use one of our amazing, what we’ve all been waiting for blending nibs to apply the colour.
T W O  M O R E  W E E K S  B E F O R E  
T H EY A R E  P A C K E D  A N D  R E A D Y . . . . .
Add a drop shadow to the lattering using the ultra fine nib end of the dual tip pens. That’s one of the best features of these pens – the fine end works!
Trim the edge with a blade, a Perga Ruler with a strip of the Groovi Grip on the back (anti-slip)
Use the Crafters Glue Runner on the back along the edges to attach
Now I want to add a tiny accent around the edge, but on another piece of clear parchment. Out with that Nested Square Extension plate again…
I thought it would look good if the outer edge matched the inner edge, so I went round the inside of the frameline with the No. 2 Groovi tool and repeated the pattern – but this time by hand. No plate!
 Throw away the stabilizers Ethel !!!
Don’t look too close! (Everybody immediately zooms in!)
The die hard trad parchers will be rocking in their chairs at this!!!
Whatever. 
Many, many thousands of people who would never have even attempted parchment (including myself) are having a wonderful time enjoying the craft nowadays. 
This is irrefutably down to Groovi. And that’s no yolk.
Then I decided to mount it on a piece of plain parchment for once. This colour matches perfectly. We have a wonderful selection of beautiful plain parchment, you know. 
This one is called Periwinkle Blue
There is a bumper bundle on the website of all our new colours, which saves you about a third, plus member’s discount.
It’s a big investment, but oh boy! It is eggsellent.
click here to investigate.
So that’s it today.
I really must crack on.

Love & Hugs,
Barb
xxx
PS How does a hen leave its house?
Through the eggs-it.
PPS I am doing a 2-hour stamping show 2-4pm 
and Linda is launching her Flowers & Lace plates at 6pm.
There’s something for everyone!

50 thoughts on “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK !!!!

  1. Happy Birthday Mark! Xx Love the groovi card Barbara, die hards can rock off their rockers all they want, this is beautiful artwork and I love it! Happy Easter to you all xx

  2. Hello Barbara

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARK. You don't know us but we follow you through this blog!

    Your week's work on this Groovi pattern is looking beautiful, Barbara, and am looking forward to all the shows and the blending nibs.

    Love
    Roz.xxx

  3. Happy birthday mark .
    I would never had done parchment if it wasn’t for the groovi so a big thank you barbara.
    So looking forward to the launch of the new groovi plates xxx

  4. Wow loving your demos on hochanda and u tube. Now gonna have a try myself. Love all your papers and stamps and you explain each step so easy. I'm also a member of your stamp club i always look forward to my happy post from u. Thankyou so much. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!!!

  5. Of course I zoomed in too tempting not too. It all looked wonderful as I expected. Love the new stamps especially the ones suitable for those men in our life. Watching the show and adding to my list from your brilliant demos. Happy Birthday Mark. xx

  6. Happy birthday to Mark and happy Easter to all of you. Love the papers and the groovi and stampsand the artwork I have got one of the boatmen for my birthday and can't wait to use it x Dee

  7. Happy birthday Mark. Loving Mark's lovely floral Groovi card Barb. Am also loving your demos on Hochanda at the moment. What an awesome design team you have – some absolutely fantastic projects ladies – fabulous. You are looking very trim too Barbara if you don't mind me saying. Xxxxx

  8. Happy Birthday Mark ! Just in kitchen washing up and watching/listening to Barbara (while hubby and my Mum are snoring to the Chelsea v Arsenal ladies match on tv after I’ve fed them lunch!). Barbar’s doing her project and I’m doing this and that and thinking how lovely is her work and she says leave an uplifting comment on the blog for a change to win the project. I’d only had a brief look here today and was coming back to comment. So here I am! I’m looking forward to Linda and the Groovi plates later too ! X

    HAPPY EASTER Barbara and Clarityteam plus everyone else reading ! Hope you’ve all had some eggs, I bought one for Mum and the little boy across the road, the others in our family had pennies as they get so much chocolate! I forget to get one for me and hubby this year – hope there will be one left in the shops tomorrow ….. xxx

  9. Just watching Barbara on Hochanda. Inspiring demos and artwork brightening up day. Love the California and fairy stamps in particular. Also looking forward to Linda Williams' shows later.

  10. Enjoying the shows on HOCHANDA, great inspiration!!! Looking forward to tonight's shows …. and Happy Birthday Mark, you don't know me but I feel as if I know you!!!!

  11. Hi Barbara
    WOW, WOW, WOW, these stamps look amazing, and those pads of card, paper and parchment are just so inspiring. I’m not very good at putting colours together, but these take all the worry out of my hands, and at the same time you are helping me to understand how I can mix and match different colours, so thank you.

    My friend Mary introduced me to your Groovi system and we have had loads of fun playing with it. These new stamps are brilliant designs for so many of our friends and family, especially the fishing boat one as both our husbands love to go fishing. In fact when they go away fishing for a week we spend a week crafting whilst watching all your shows that Mary records, and I’m sure you can imagine all the fun we have.

    You are such an inspiring person to watch and listen to, and you bring your crafting right down to a basic level to make it accessible to everyone. Thank you so very much for sharing your talents with us all.

    Love & Hugs
    Penny & Mary
    Xxxxxxx

  12. Ohh Barbara. What a laugh I had with the gel press moment. Nice to know that you, also, make mistakes. Or rather, give a unique take on some of demo’s. Love it. Tina xx

  13. Watching your shows as I type – I record them in case of interruptions, and so I can go back and pause on all the samples too! Taking a leaf out of your book, I made a wall plaque for my B&B this week. We're not in Wales, but I'm just waiting for someone to make a comment about it now! Thanks for the inspiration x

  14. Our kids birthdays are always special whatever their ages and wherever they are. Brill show Barbara. Need more hours in the day to be able to do stamping and groovi as much as I'd like. Wow lovely stamps.waiting in anticipation for the New blending nibs. Thanks muchly for all you do. X

  15. Having a lovely afternoon, watching the great stamps on tv while searching for eggs on the Clarity website.who needs chocolate?
    Happy birthday Mark too.

  16. Oh Barbara you have cheered me up, feeling sorry for myself, as I thought lovely 4 days off work and what happens Thursday night its start sore throat and head cold so been feeling lousy and all the plans I had out the window. But watching your show this afternoon has made me feel so much better and I am getting out the groovi so thank-you and can't wait until 6pm for Linda's new plates. Sx

  17. Happy Easter and Happy Birthday to Mark!
    I have spent a lovely afternoon picot cutting, watching the show on Hochanda and savouring the smell of lamb roasting. Your show was great Barbara and I loved the gel plate effects. Also had a good laugh about Dave and the fishnets! He will never live it down 😂
    Easter dinner is planned for 6pm, so will have to watch the shows later and hope it doesn’t sell out too quickly, although looking at the plates, I have a feeling they will. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and safe travels home. Annette X

  18. So enjoyed the shows today and would love to win the fairy demo. Loved the gel press demo and it was a good learning lesson for us all. As you say, it is only a bit of card if things don’t go as planned. Looking forward to Linda’s shows. The new Groovi Plates look awesome. Hugs from Canada 🇨🇦

  19. Eggcellent blog! Even more – excellent programmes.
    Barbara is the best
    Puts my talents to the test
    So patient, so inspiring
    Never, never critising

    Lovely lady, kind and caring
    Creative art all for sharing

    If you are feeling down and blue
    Barbara will make your dreams come true.

    Not quite Yeats or Keats but sent with utmost love. You have cheered me up today and it was so good to share the programmes with you.
    Lots of love
    Anne (Reading) xx

  20. Barbara you bring joy and inspiration to us all every single day 😃🧡😃
    Your shows were fabulous and congratulations on your new fine line stamps. 😍⭐️😍

  21. Happy birthday Mark.
    This card is lovely Barbara and not at all what I was expecting lol..

    Can't wait for the new nibs

    Ps great shows this aft. Off to get sorted out before Linda comes on

    HAPPY EASTER xx

  22. Happy Easter Barbara and all at Clarity. Happy birthday to Mark. Have been doing dinner for the family and an egg hunt so will catch up on TV shows tonight. Xx

    1. Just watched the shows, such a great set of stamps and the ideas you gave are amazing. I felt for you when your print didn't pull as you hoped but I know that technique works as I have seen you do it perfectly and I have even been able to copy your advice and pull one myself. Love watching you getting arty, hope your B&B in Wales is big as you must have a lot of art work to go on the walls by now. Xx

  23. Happy Birthday to Mark and a birthday on April Fool's Day, I bet he gets his leg pulled over that, though I'm sure he's no fool, a clever and grounded young man. This parchment piece is gorgeous Barbara, a beautiful composition and very prettily coloured in that bright pink. I did manage to see your 2 til 4 slot and enjoyed it immensely, I will have to catch up on the 6pm one as I have to get the dinner now. x

  24. Happy birthday to Mark! I hope you have a good one!
    Great show this afternoon Barbara. And although you were disappointed with the gel press I thought it was actually really arty and with more development it'll be great. I'm loving the new stamps with the fine lines. They really are tremendous!
    Linda's latest plates are also exquisite! Her first show was fabulous…Linda looks very at home behind the camera now!
    Hope you get some time to relax tomorrow.
    Love and hugs xxx

  25. Hello Barbara.Happy Easter to you. I've watched your shows on TV this afternoon while preparing Easter roast for my family. I was so intrigued that I nearly forgot to put my potatoes on. Couldn't resist to watched again this evening (on rewind) on my laptop. Tomorrow I'm going to watch them again.It really made me wanted to start stamping again.I love your Fine line collection of stamps and the tips you give on the go. I've put them on the paper strait away so I will not forget the techniques. Thank you very much for showing us all that and for being with us. Loved yours pieces of art. All the best for future Kasia

  26. Great demos today Barbara, pity the gel press one was disappointing for you, must have been due to oiling the gel press as you thought. Never mind will look on u-tube. Love the new rounds and the samples were great. As is the card you're making on this blog today. Will be watching Linda on catch up later. Happy Birthday Mark, hope you've had a brilliant day. Hope you've enjoyed your Easter Day.xxx

  27. I have enjoyed my Sunday treat. The shows were brilliant this afternoon and I will be watching Linda before I go to bed. I am a stamper first and foremost, but Groovi is my new go to craft. I am now able to create things I never thought possible thanks to Groovi and your inspiration. I hope you get chance to relax and regroup.
    Happy Birthday Mark and Easter Wishes to all the Clarity Team.
    X Chris Kelly

  28. Loved all the wonderful shows today, made me laugh while spending. I love the way that Stamping and Groovi work so well together and I look forward to playing with all my goodies. Keep up the brilliant work xx

  29. Hi Barb,
    Happy birthday Mark. Just got back in from a fabulous day with my sister and brother in law. They treated us to a gorgeous meal at one of our favourite restaurants and then we went back to their house . It was really lovely day. As a result I haven't seen any of the shows – that's tomorrow's treat for me, but I'm assuming they were a tremendous success. I did sneak a quick look at the plates and stamps on Clarity website and put in my order – plates and the sailing stamp ( other stamps will have to wait fir a later time). Looking forward to seeing all of the shows and of course the beautiful samples. Love and hugs Alison xxxx

  30. Hi Barbara
    We really enjoyed watching the shows this afternoon, even the whoops moment with the gel press was a learning curve, I'm looking forward to seeing how you finish it off. The new stamps are great. I've just caught one of Linda's shows the new plates are stunning and amazing artwork from the design team again, you are a talented lot. Hope you are all enjoying your swanky weekend in the posh hotel. Happy birthday mark, hope you've had a wonderful day.
    Love Diane xxx

  31. Happy Birthday to Mark! Absolutely gorgeous card – so clever! I haven't tried Groovi so it looks very difficult to me but your results are stunning! I have your shows recorded, will try and watch tomorrow. Am looking forward to seeing the new stamps in action! xxx

  32. Wow, what a long blog today! Loved all your demos and the stamps. I really like the stamping on parchment technique and have had a go at it. Although originally a stamper I must confess that I'm so hooked on Groovi that I've done very little stamping lately. Linda's plates are gorgeous and were ordered straight away, my grooving friend and I can't wait for them to arrive. Hope Mark had a lovely birthday and you all enjoyed your swanky hotel xx

  33. What inspirational shows. Barbara, you are so enthusiastic and (rightly) proud of all you do, that it"s not possible to avoid becoming addicted. Linda you demonstrate with such calm serenity I feel I am in safe hands. Both of you break things down into such easy steps that even a remedial like me can follow. I may be poor since discovering Clarity but I'm oh so happy.

  34. Hello Barb, Happy Birthday Mark, hope you had a fab day. Love the step by step it is beautiful. Love the PS joke, my hubby said you must sell it to a Christmas cracker company. Shows were great Barb, the stamps are lovely and the samples are gorgeous, great demos too. Take care all. Bx

  35. Help my wish list is getting out of control! Just love everything especially the fairies and the boating ones would be so useful for men’s cards. I watched Linda’s first show and the plates and samples are fabulous, the design team always come up trumps.
    Hope everyone had a lovely Easter Day xx

  36. Really enjoyed your stamping shows, good mix of techniques, nice to see some gelli plate work. Thank goodness for the Clarity email or I would have missed the shows – Hochanda had them listed as Groovi shows, and I'm afraid my parchment craft days are long gone.

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