Sunday 1 February 2015

Clarity Stamp Challenge - Floral



The 'Pretty Petals' stamps are so versatile I immediately thought of them when I saw that this month's challenge was Floral.  I enjoy painting the sunflowers that we grow on the allotment for the birds and bees so I thought I would have a go at interpreting them with stamps.

This is the first time that I have had a go at step-by step instructions with photos so I apologise if they are not very clear.  I worked on two cards at the same time so the photos might be of different versions.

Stamps: Clarity Pretty Petals, Fossil
Inks: Archival Jet Black, Adirondack Butterscotch, Lettuce and Denim, Big and Juicy Meadow
Other: Black pen, White pen, Spectrum Noir colouring pencils, Clarity stencil brushes.

The 'Fossil' stamp makes a perfect centre for the sunflowers.  Stamp twice on copy paper and cut out the centres, one small and one large, with a craft knife to make a mask.  You will need both bits. For each flower, position the mask where you want the centres and stamp through the hole with Black ink. 
Using the cut out bits cover up the centres and stamp the petals.  I used an old Big and Juicy ink pad that the colours have merged on to get the slight variations in colour.  Use the stamp at a slight angle to get the partial stamp effect. (Yes, I did do this on purpose) Don't worry if your petals slightly overlap.  

Now colour in your petals with the solid Petal stamp and Butterscotch ink. Then add some more petals behind, again adding some partial petals. I have used 2nd generation ink on some of the petals and the only masking is the flower centres.
Remove the masks from the centres and outline the petals with a black pen giving them a more realistic petal shape. Go round again slightly offsetting the lines.
Lightly pencil in the stalks and then add the leaves using the solid Petal stamp and 2nd generation green from the rainbow pad.  Mask the flower petals where you want the leaves to appear behind the flowers.
Draw in the stalks and veins on the leaves with the black pen.

Add some shading to the flowers with the colouring pencils.  Using the stencil brushes and ink pads lightly add some Butterscotch behind the flowers, Denim for the sky at the top and Lettuce at the bottom of the card. Outline with a black sharpie pen and mount on a coloured background. As a final touch, I added a few dots on the centre of the flowers with a white pen to represent the pollen. This is the other card that I made at the same time, with slightly more subdued colouring. Easier to do than to explain!

Hope you like them.

Lesley x




20 comments:

  1. All I can say this card is just stunning I love it the colours are lovely.xx

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    1. Thankyou Carol. I think sunflowers are my favourite flowers. x

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  2. I love the vibrancy of your card, a real blast of sunshine on a snowy Sunday. The stamped detail on the petals and pen lines added to the leaves have created a tangible sense of texture. Simply lovely! ;~}

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    1. Thankyou Shelagh. Very cold here today, the pond is frozen, but no snow. x

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  3. Beautiful Lesley,super use of the fossil for the centres of the flowers. A wonderfully warm and rich card.

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    1. Thankyou Naomi. I was just going to draw in the centres of the flowers but looking through my colllection of Clarity stamps the fossil stamp just looked so right. x

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  4. Brilliant use of the Fossil stamp. Your Sunflowers are fabulous. A very lovely and sunny card Lesley. X

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    1. Thanks Emma for your kind comments. Roll on summer. x

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  5. Brilliant use of the Fossil stamp. Your Sunflowers are fabulous. A very lovely and sunny card Lesley. X

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  6. I would never have thought to use the centre of the fossil stamp as the centres of the Sunflowers - genius. Really love these bright flowers. x

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    1. Thank you Angela. I do try and see how the stamps can be used in different ways. x

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  7. As everyone has said, the fossil stamp makes a great centre for the flowers. I love all the texture and pattern you have created in the petals and leaves, and all the doodled details. Fantastic. Xxx

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    1. Thankyou Barbara, I must admit I do like doodling. x

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  8. Beautifull bright and sunny flowers Lesley. Really like the way you've drawn in the veins on the leaves xxx

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    1. Thankyou Yvonne, now I have to put my thinking cap on for next month's challenge. x

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  9. Reminds me of sunny days Lesley - beautiful card and quite intricate seeing all the stages you went through for this design - love it.....roll on summer!!! :-) xxx

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    1. Thanks Carole, it's the first time I have written a step by step with photos and perhaps I put in too much. The card itself wasn't that complicated to actually make. x

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  10. Hey Lesley. I popped back in to check that I had left you a comment as some of them are missing (from the other DTs and some of my friends) and there you have my comment but posted twice!!! Hugs x

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  11. What a pretty and creative card. Always good to see different ways to use stamps and different techniques. Thank you for your instructions and what a beautiful card x

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    1. Thank you Beverley for your kind comments. Had a quick visit to your blog and you have some wonderful designs yourself. Will look in again soon. X

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