Happy New Year!

Well I can't believe we are at the end of another year!
And What a year it's been for me!...craft wise anyway!
Firstly I was asked to be a part of the Challenge blog team and then in June I was asked to be on the Main Clarity Stamp DT....it still feels like a dream and it is one of the best things that has happened to me! I feel blessed to be a part of it all and I have made so many new and wonderful friends through it! Long may it continue!

And so into 2014 we go and this means we have a new Challenge for you over at the Clarity Challenge Blog....it had to be 'New Beginnings'. There were many really lovely entries for the 'scene building' challenge so I am sure that you will come up with loads of amazing ideas for this one. I know the team have done!

I had to ponder long and hard for a different idea for this one! I had thought of New Year and new home and resolutions but otheres were quicker off the mark than me and my ideas were gradually being used. Then in a spark I had it....I saw a friend celebrating the fact she had got her divorce through and that she was ready to make a new start!!! That was it!!!

Here is my card

I started off by taking a piece of A5 clarity card and cutting it into a square by cutting off a 6cm strip from one end. I then stamped Douglas and Annabel into place next to one another but being mindful that I wanted eventually to split them apart. I then masked them off....get the clarity masks if you haven't already got them... they are so much easier than having to cut out although both of these are not too bad to do!

Next I made some clouds using cotton wool and versamark and brayered over with cloudy blue for the sky. I then polished off the versamark ink to reveal the clouds. It also meant I could then stamp the branches on in the top corners. I used the two halves of the split tree for this.
I added hills using willow as an undercoat with Lettuce over the top. I then stamped the larch tree and the little trees and added shadow around the feet and uder the trees. I removed the masks and coloured the two characters in using promarkers.
I then took a micron pen and drew the jagged line right down between them! It felt really strange making a lovely picture and then cutting it in half but that is what I did. I had made my line quite thick and cut up the middle of it so I hav a black edge on both pieces of card.
I then stamped the words  onto a piece of theuva card using the letterbox kit and my favourite shapes. I stamped the shapes in Espresso and the letters in Lettuce. I then used the block shape to colour them in before I cut them out!
I took an 8 x 8 card blank and using the large wall stencil I brushed it in willow first then in places I added a touch of terra cotta then without adding any more ink I brushed over the whole area.
I arranged the picture on the card blank and added the words with sticky pads and finished the card off with some sweet lilac flowers.

I hope that you like the card and that you will take time to look at the rest of the teams inspiration over at their blogs before you have a go at making a project to enter the challenge. Remember there is a prize of £50 clarity vouchers to be won...it could be you!

Happy Crafting