A Christmas Rose in Blue. Step by Step.

A Christmas Rose in Blue. Step by Step.

Hi there

Thanks for popping in.

It’s been such a busy day today! Why? Well, today was the first Day of our Clarity 2022 Planning Week! It’s the week before Christmas, when we consider the whole new year ahead, and figure out what we want to do. We need a vision, something to work towards, and we have come up with a rather lovely foundation upon which we shall build our new year of Art and Craft.

We’ve been designing and ’banking’ new loveliness, new illustrations, new ideas, for many weeks, and this week we are shuffling those new things around, to build the creative flow for 2022. It’s quite a job! And, of course, it’s a moving feast – especially in the current climate. Things you thought you could rely on can change overnight, and we just have to roll with the punches. But hey! Nobody said running a business was easy! It’s just particularly tricky nowadays.

Thank goodness for Linda WIlliams, who knows when I’m in a scramble, and sends me an exquisite photo step by step project of the most beautiful Blue Christmas Rose “for your blog in case you need something”.  How lovely is this?!

 

 

You may know that last week we launched the printed frosted floral parchment packs on television. Lots of you attended the Parchment Retreat at the Spa, where we covered the basics on how to use the white printed parchment, but it will do us all good to see a photo build up…so here goes. Introducing A Delft Christmas Rose, by Linda.

 

Christmas Rose white print

Polychromos Pencils – Light Ultramarine 140 and Ultramarine 120

Dorso Oil

Pergamano Blending nibs and blending Pen

Spot on Sponge

Embossing mat

6mm ball embossing tool

No 2 Groovi tool

Faber Castell pencil eraser

Rainbow River designer paper

Nested Square Heart Doodle Aperture Frame-Its

8 x 8 black card blank

Clarity Tape Runner

Perga Glue

When colouring on parchment paper you can utilize the back and the front of the parchment due to its transparency. You have choices.

You can colour on the back only; that way your project will be pale and delicate, and when you emboss it, the embossing will be white when viewed from the front of the work.

You can colour on the front only, this will give you a darker colour, and when you emboss, it will take on the colour that you have applied.

You can also colour on both sides of the parchment. This will give you a much richer colour all round, and will also allow you to add a lot more depth. Your embossing will of course, take on the colour that you have used on the front of the parchment.

Step 1

Lay your Christmas Rose white print on a hard surface, printed side down (you will be working on the back of the parchment first). Put a tiny drop of Dorso oil onto a spot on sponge. Dip the blending nib into the oil on the sponge; this will control the amount of oil that you use. Using small amounts of Light Ultramarine 140 Polychromos, add some colour to the design and use the Dorso oil and blending nibs to dissolve the pigment in the pencil. Try and get an even and smooth coverage. If you have too much oil use a tissue rolled into a point to help you with this. It will dry quite quickly.

Step 2

Still working on the back, add some more colour with the Ultramarine 120, but this time adding the colour into the areas where you think the shadows would be. Blend in the same way, but be careful not to spread it too far. Try to keep it contained within the shadows.

Step 3

Now repeat Step 1 and Step 2 on the front of the parchment. This time try to cover the white lines with the colour. Colour the whole of the flower with Light Ultramarine 140 and blend; then add Ultramarine 120 in the shadows. Add more colour in small quantities until you are satisfied.

Step 4

Now, still working on the front, add more Ultramarine 120 in the shadows; this time blend with a dry nib. Add small amounts at a time until you get the desired effect. You can always add more to the back too if you wish.

Step 5

Transfer your work onto an embossing mat, face down, and emboss the centre dots with a number 2 Groovi tool.

Now emboss the flowers and leaves, this is optional. You can, if you wish, emboss the convex petals on the back of your work, and the concave petals on the front. When embossing on the front place a piece of cello bag over your work to avoid the ball tool touching the coloured area. A ball tool can cause white ink to turn grey, so be mindful of this. So using a 6mm ball tool, emboss the tips of the flowers and leaves only. Do this very gently, just to give them a little shape and to enhance the highlights. Do not press too hard; this may spoil your work. Best to leave it out if you are not confident.

Step 6

Cut out the Nested Square Heart Doodle Aperture Frame-Its from white card. Using the outer heart frame, mat and layer your finished piece onto layers of white card alternating with blue designer paper. Finally mount onto the black card blank.

Remember, the more you practice this technique the better you will become. Try it out with some different colours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it. Not actually hard to follow or difficult to do. There are 5 different flower packs, and this effect using just one colour can be used to great effect with all of them. 

 

THANKS LINDA !!!!

All available HERE

Stay safe.

Love and Hugs, Barb. xxx

PS I will get to the blog candy winners from next week this week. Just give me a chance to catch up.

PPS ALL the orders from the Gray Friday Sale should be picked n packed n sent by this Friday at the latest.

 

 

 

 

13 thoughts on “A Christmas Rose in Blue. Step by Step.

  1. Hello Barbara
    What a beautiful execution of the design. Mine are all waiting for me for after Christmas.
    No worries about despatching the sale goodies. They will arrive when they arrive. I won’t have much time to play this side of Christmas anyway.
    Love
    Roz.xxx

  2. What a beautiful step by step of that gorgeous rose. Thank you very much Linda.
    Thank you clarity team my sale parcel arrived today
    . You must have been very busy. Xx
    Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year.

  3. What a beautiful project, thank you. Unfortunately, I’m really lacking in the confidence to achieve something like this.

  4. Beautiful project – I love hellebores, they have so many colour variation in nature but lend themselved to many interpretations as the Christmas Rose above.
    My Frosted Floral bumper pack arrived today and to say I am delighted would be an understatement. IT IS SUPERB!!!!!
    Now that Ray and I are self isolating again (voluntary due to his health problems – we can’t take chances) this pack will give me plenty to do over the holiday period.
    All my orders have now been delivered and I would like to say a special thank you to everyone involved in the picking and packing department for all their hard work.
    Looking forward to the New Year delights you have planned for us. I’m saving all my Christmas money so I can have a post Christmas splurge.
    Stay well, stay safe.

  5. Absolutely beautiful and made to sound so easy .This is one I will definitely be doing following the guide thank you Barbara and Linda for this fabulous project xx

  6. Thank you Linda for sending this great step by step for Barbara to use in her blog today. The Christmas Rose is the set I have so something for me to try asap.
    My Sale parcels arrived today thanks to all the team for all their hard work over the last few weeks.
    Loo k forward to seeing what you have lined up for us in 2022

  7. Looking forward to my sales parcels but I’ve been tied up with Christmas designs so can easily wait ! Got to do a 60th for my sister for next week too…. In fact I feel like the donkey’s tale at the moment as I haven’t got my decs up yet ! Been to Cornwall for weekend so that’s put me behind. Love the Christmas rose and thanks to Linda for the detailed description of what to do ! X

  8. This is gorgeous and a great step by step
    I have ordered a pack and just hope it arrives here in spain in time for Linda’s Shac tutorial. Thank you for this massive post very informative. Xx

  9. Couldn’t believe my luck. I looked through the ingredients and find I have everything except the Rainbow River Designer paper so give this a go I must. A big THANK YOU to ALL at Clarity for giving me such a fabulous year of crafting – here’s to the next xx

  10. Thank you to Linda for the step by step instructions on how to achieve the beautiful Christmas Rose. I don’t think I can come anywhere near achieving anything so beautiful but I will have a go.
    Whatever plans you come up with for next year Barbara we will be with you and your wonderful team.
    Thank you all for your hard work.

  11. What a stunning design. Thank you Linda and Barbara. Something to have as a treat in between tidying sessions. I love the monochrome effect. xxx Maggie Craner (Silvercrafter)

  12. Such a beautiful project and you can hear Linda’s lovely Welsh accent calm voice as you read the instructions! X

  13. Hello Barb, wowser what a beautiful project from Linda. She is so talented, looking forward to what is coming in 2022. Take care and stay safe everyone. Bx

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