Clarity’s Blog Tutorial: How to Use a Basic Grid to Create Patterns Within a Design

Hello hello! Grace here.

I hope this finds you Safe, Happy And Creative!

The celebrations continue!!

It all started at midnight on Thursday – when our Birthday Event kicked off! A 20% Blanket Sale across almost everything on the Clarity website (except products released this month).
We also have a whopping 30% discount on all SHAC SHAC Shop products! And your Clarity Club membership discounts apply too. Wahey!
All sales end at midnight on Monday πŸ™‚

Have you participated in all of the fun yet? Don’t miss out! Head over to my Mum’s blog to be a part of the giveaways, yesterday’s trivia quiz and more! You still have time…

https://www.barbaragrayblog.com


And we have yet another reason to celebrate! We have another Clarity’s Groovi Sunday Project for you! And this one is particularly FABULOUS.

Let’s be honest, so many of us love butterflies. We often say ‘if you make a mistake, cover it up with a butterfly!’. Well, there were no mistakes made here… just absolute perfection (as usual) from the brilliant Glynis Whitehead. I think you’ll love this card! Absolute class.

I’ll hand you over to the lovely Glynis…

Ingredients

Plain Parchment A5 (plus a scrap) (GRO-AC-40020-XX)
Groovi ball tools 1 & 2 from the Starter Kit
Nested Squares from the Starter Kit (GRO-PA-40037-03)
Straight Border Grid 1 (GRO-GG-40350-14)
Basic Piercing Grid Straight (GRO-GG-40384-14) *When buying the patterned border grids, it is good to get the basic piercing grids at the same time, as these border grids work in tandem.
Tina’s Butterfly Fun A5 Square (GRO-AN-40856-03)
A4 Translucent White Superfoam (GRO-AC-40603-A4)
A4 Picot Foam (GRO-AC-40625-XX)
Pergamano 1 needle bold perforating tool (PER-TO-70028-XX)
Pergamano 2 needle bold perforating tool (PER-TO-70279-XX)
Pergamano 2 needle fine perforating tool (PER-TO-70037-XX)
Pergamano Excellent Embossing Mat (PER-AC-70075-XX)
Pergamano 4.5 Embossing tool (PER-AC-70015-XX)
Pergamano Perga Glue (PER-AC-70133-XX)
Pergamano Sticky Ink (PER-AC-70134-XX)
Pergamano Blending Pen with nib (PER-AC-70300-XX)
Pergamano Glitter (PER-AC-70252-XX)
Pergamano Perga Crystal (PER-AC-70410-XX)
Pergamano Brad Collection (PER-AC-70287-XX)
A stout piece of card eg – mount board or the back of a paper pad

Method

Step 1. Place your parchment over the Nested Squares and attach with Groovi Tabs. Rub with a tumble dryer sheet and emboss the 3rd and 4th lines in from the outside edge, using the number 1 tool.

Step 2. With the front of the parchment uppermost (always perforate from the front) line up the parchment on the border grid. Starting from the corner, work five patterns out from the first.  Then turn your work and perforate out from the corner in the other direction.  It counts one square in the corner and four coming out from that pattern. You can use either the 1 needle bold or 2 needle bold

Step 3. Go around all four corners in the same way. The square pattern in the corner of your piece provides an anchor for when you need to line up in the other direction – just click the perforations into the border grid.

Step 4. Now line up the outside of the frame with the square pattern on the border grid, so that the pattern is even at each corner and perforate.

Step 5. Turn your work and go along in the same way around the whole outer frame.  I have placed some extra holes in the corners to aid snipping.

Step 6. Now working on the back, line up with the plain border grid – just one line of perforations at a time.  You will see that you can emboss dots perfectly between the perforation patterns.  Use the number 2 ball tool of the Groovi embossing tool.

Step 7. Put the lace panel to one side for now and let us work on the butterfly.  Using a couple of scraps of parchment, line them up onto the largest butterfly on the plate.  Just do the outlines – the first one, using the largest outline and then a second one using the next line in.

Step 8. Using the plain border grid and working with the front uppermost, line up one wing at a time

Perforate with a single-needle bold tool.  Take your time and perforate four holes, then miss 4 holes (in checkerboard fashion).

Step 9. Just do one wing at a time and try to avoid piercing in the outline. Perforate every wing on both butterflies

Step 10. Turn the butterflies to the back and emboss dots in between the perforations.

Step 11. Turn the top layer of the butterfly to work on the back. Using the soft back of your black mat or the Pergamano Excellent Embossing Mat, lightly emboss the body of the butterfly using the 4.5mm Pergamano ball tool or the number 4 end of the Groovi tool. It just needs to be slightly whitened.

Step 12. Still working on the back, put the top layer of the butterfly down onto the stout piece of card, and with the single-needle tool, stipple the body. Be gentle with this as you just need to make lots of white dots without puncturing the paper.

Step 13. Go around the outside of both parts of the butterfly wings with a fine two-needle tool.

Step 14. Time to snip!  When snipping lace, it is important that you get the points of the scissors in the right direction, otherwise you will end up with ragged squares instead of neat crosses. Start off with points going towards the whole piece of parchment with the body of the scissors going over the centre (the bit that will fall out).

Put the points into the two holes, not too far as you only need to insert the very tips.  Squeeze the scissors gently until you see a β€˜v’ appearing between the two holes and when you do – snip.

Turn the work 45% and repeat.

Do the same again and you should end up with a perfect cross. 

Step 15. Now snip all the crosses in the wings of the butterfly.  You can go right across a row of crosses in one direction before turning the work and doing the same again.

When that is done, it is time to snip around the outside of the wings.

Step 16. Now that the butterfly is all cut out, it is ready for glitter and layering up.  Using the blending pen and nib, apply the sticky ink to the butterfly wings, upper wing body (make sure you do not glitter the body of the underlayer, or the glue will not adhere properly).

Step 17. Layer up the butterfly pieces using Perga Glue, dot the β€˜eye’ of the antlers with glue, using a pickle stick, and add a Perga Crystal to each.

Step 18. Time to snip out the lacy panel.  Do the same technique as with the butterfly wings, just extending the line of snips when you do the slots. As you go around the outside of the piece, it is easiest to do the diagonal snips first.

Step 19. Mount the finished lacy panel onto a piece of 13.5mm x 13.5mm card or backing paper, using brads.

Step 20. Mount this onto a card blank and use a dab of glue to attach the butterfly into the centre.

Voila!


What a GORGEOUS card! Thank you, Glynis, for sharing your talent, skills and methods with us. We are grateful, aren’t we?

As usual, we have put everything that Glynis has used HERE.

If you have been following Paul on his Groovi Tuesday journey on Facebook Live every Tuesday at 10am, then you will have seen him do a simpler version of the butterfly using the Butterfly Wreath Groovi plate. If you are not sure what I am on about or missed the episode then you can always catch up via the Claritystamp YouTube Channel HERE

Or you can see episode 8 HERE or below

For now though, I hope you do enjoy the fun we’ve put together for you this weekend! And make the most of the epic deals we have until Monday at midnight.

Oh… and most importantly, travel gently πŸ™‚

Lotsa love, Grace & Glynis xo

Clarity – The Home of Art, Craft and Well-Being.

10 thoughts on “Clarity’s Blog Tutorial: How to Use a Basic Grid to Create Patterns Within a Design

  • 28th March 2021 at 12:16 pm
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    Thank you Glynis for the lovely step by step.
    Grace that’s a wicked trivia you put together.

    Reply
    • 28th March 2021 at 12:49 pm
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      Thanks Grace do enjoy your and Barbara’s blogs .. Thanks Glynis for another brilliant project looking forward to trying this one , I do enjoy snipping
      Have a lovely Sunday , take care stay safe xx

      Reply
  • 28th March 2021 at 12:40 pm
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    Wow what a great step by step from Glynis – will try & have a go at this. Need to finish a few other projects first though before I get buried with UFO’s
    Need to finish the quiz as well – just wish my memory was a little better when remembering brands of clothing !!
    Have a great Sunday !!

    Reply
  • 28th March 2021 at 1:51 pm
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    Thank you, Glynis and Grace. Amazing project.

    Reply
  • 28th March 2021 at 2:23 pm
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    Thank you Glynis, definitely one to try. I love butterflies. Thank you Grace for being there .xx

    Reply
  • 28th March 2021 at 2:50 pm
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    Thanks Grace and thank you Glynis, for such a detailed step by step. It is a beautiful design and I shall certainly be giving it a go. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Annette X

    Reply
  • 28th March 2021 at 4:11 pm
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    Oh boy this is gorgeous I love it. Those butterflies are so delicate and pretty. Take care. Hugs xxx

    Reply
  • 28th March 2021 at 4:43 pm
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    Thank Glynis for the beautiful project ! Love a project.

    Hope you all have a good weekend x x

    Reply
  • 28th March 2021 at 8:13 pm
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    Hi Grace, Wow Glynis, this tutorial is so in-depth especially how to snip the crosses, and your finished groovi work is stunning, I am in awe at this positively stunning !!
    Love from Patricia xx

    Reply

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