DT Cards for Clarity 23rd April 2016

Hello there. 

I thought its about time I showed you some cards I made for Paul Church's (this is Paul's Blog) slot on HOCHANDA TV the other week for Claritystamp and have a bit of a chat while I am here.  Grab that cuppa again Linda Page! xxx

 

Boy Oh Boy is life a bit hectic at the moment?  Partly due to me, partly due to me and my Arty Stuff and Partly due to the Kids, Oh and Partly due to the fact we are looking to make some changes in the house.  Let me give you a word of advice, don't start clearing out your Garage and the toys in the Conservatory at the same time, don't let your Hubbie return the Skip before you are finished and Don't leave yourself half way through the job and let your Hubbie sneak back off to work??? Ha ha  sneak back to work?  Why do I come out with these things, poor guy has no CHOICE???

Sometimes when I make a card I am happy with where it ended up but feel it has to have more of a purpose which can be a bit restrictive, as opposed to a Canvas that doesn't need to have a purpose? Which is where the Clarity Words come in. There are so many words and letters and verses to choose from now that you can always find a purpose for your cards and still let them be a bit ArtyFarty Canvas style!?! My thoughts with this was that this birthday wish is for someone who is just setting out on life's great adventure.  I made this with a Gelli Print, some watercolour blocks, ink, stencil, masks & stamps. x

So what am I left with, a messy conservatory, a garage I can't dump in anymore because we are thinking of converting it, a messy dining room because I can't hide my Workshop stock in the Garage and the conservatory is still too messed up to be able to sneak it in there - the craft room? forget it??? I can only just get myself in the door without knocking off the papers doing the overhang thing like those 2pence coins in the slot machines.  I have two, 1" foot squared places to work at, well, one is actually 9" by 7" - Gelli Plate Size! or is it 8" by 7"??? I should know shouldn't I???

 

I did enjoy making this one and I am pleased with the Chunky look to it. This has a Gelli Plate print background.

Anyway - things are definitely hectic.  The kids have all sorts of activities on at the moment too. I have been rushing around buying shoes (they have always grown out of them by the time the next medals or sport event comes along?) and we have been looking for a  ball gown! which we paid a fortune for (well my Dad did) and which I am about to get out and start to glue some gems back on, (that was last week?)  £300 worth of gems and they are dropping like flies.  Anyone got any Swarovski Gems they don't want, preferably gold and clear??? I tell you what it isn't easy finding a Ball Gown, we buy our's second hand but even if I wanted new, not many places are advertising themselves?  If I was clever enough to be able to make them I would be rich by now.  Surely they can't be THAT difficult can they?   A bit of stretch fabric with some non-stretch Satin stuck on the bottom with a bit of gold trim (could use Inka Gold?) and a stack of beads glued to the bodice (with the wrong glue!).  If you use a glue that dries rock solid against a piece of satin which is flimsy your gems WILL get knocked off - if you use a flexible fabric glue the gems will move with the fabric!!  Just in case whoever glued these gems on is listening???

 

This card is made on Parchment Paper using the Balloon Stamp and the Philigraphy Hot Air Balloon Stamp and Mask Set and the Skyeline Masks

Anyway - I plod on and in between it all somewhere I get to do the bits I want to do, the bits that are supposed to make me disappear into a little crafty wilderness all of my own, but this doesn't really happen when you have a messy conservatory, the dog is barking at everything and everyone that moves, or doesn't move??? the kids are yelling at me because they can smell their tea burning and I can't remember where I put that cup of tea I made about an hour ago??

So yep I get there in the end. At least I am sleeping at "Normal" hours again so that means I am not falling to sleep as I am driving the kids around? Or whilst burning the tea. Have you ever had that sleep deprivation where the second you sit down you fall to sleep so you just don't sit down???  Well anyway I am not there now so that is good - I purposely changed my Body clock to day time is wake  and night time is forget it all and get to bed time!  What a difference a real nights sleep makes. I still burn the tea! but I don't get depressed about it? xx

 I still have my Blonde moments though, so that wasn't because of lack of sleep then?  I kind of just switch off sometimes and I  have had a few little Son/Car incidents lately. Like the time he threw his bag in the back and the door slammed shut in the wind so I drove off. As I turned the corner and checked my rear Mirrow to see why Matthew wasn't answering me I spotted him stood on the pavement, wow he really looks like Matthew I thought??? Then there was the time he had half stepped into the car so one foot was still on the pavement and Auto Pilot kicked in - Mam stop the car he said I am not in yet? Oops ? But the most frightening was tonight as I dropped him off to run and fetch his friend while I turned the car round and I accidentally put it in reverse?? Matthew was so close he set off my reverse beepers?  Yes, mundane routine is a terrible thing for someone who has very little concentration or who is easily distracted.??? So now we have this thing where I have to say "does everyone have all their body parts in the car" and then actually wait for a response before I drive off !!!

Apparently all these little things are very typical of Arty people according to FB??? So it's official, I am Arty, being Arty can seriously frighten your kids!!!! 

 

So what's with the Gallery? Well I hardly get to blog these days, it has become too much of a palava, and although I love to Blog on a regular basis I  have to make it my lesser priority sometimes. 

Talking of Arty - sometimes I admit to loving a piece of my own work and I am not ashamed of it ! This card below and above is one of those pieces. Did I show you this be before? Probably but I have brought it back out as the Clarity Masks have just been part of the HOCHANDA TV show again with Paul Church. This card was just done with the Tree Mask - boy was this a labour of love - I wouldn't even like to guess how long this took me but you know what, when I am on a mission to make something look like it has a little more depth I sometimes go on a real Arty voyage of discovery.  Isn't paint just beautiful if you get it to do what you hoped for?  and the Clarity Mask worked well above and beyond its duty, it is more than a mask and more than a stencil.

 

So the reason I am posting these cards now is because I want to do catch up and ower Barbara is on HOCHANDA TV this weekend - Sunday and Monday, you can find details here.  So I will have more to blog next week. 

 

Thank you for popping in. 

Carry On Crafting

Sam Crowe xx