Clarity’s Blog Tutorial: How To Combine Embossed Patterns with Basic Grids
Hello hello! Grace here.
What a lovely weekend we’ve had together! The #ClarityOpenDayFestival has been a blast so far. Did you catch Mum and Linda this morning for their coffee hang out?
If not, you can catch up here:
Despite the festivities and excitement, we’re still here on a Sunday with our usual Clarity Blog Tutorial. If you missed it, we threw in an extra step-by-step project by the fabulous Jane Telford on Friday. You can find it here.
But today we have the uber talented Josie Davidson in our Open Day line up! Allow me to hand you over to the lovely lady herself…
A Step-by-Step using the A4 grid Plate Mate – Shapes
INGREDIENTS
A4sq/A4 Grid Plate Mate (GRO-PA-41779-XX)
Nested Scallops Squares Extension (GRO-WO-41168-15)
Basic Diagonal Grid (GRO-GG-40201-12)
Basic Straight Grid (GRO-GG-40202-12)
Pergamano Bold 1, 2 and 4 Needle Tools (PER-TO-70342-XX)
Pergamano 1.5mm Ball Tool (PER-TO-70004-XX)
Groovi # 1 & 2 Tool (GRO-AC-40026-XX)
Groovi # 3 & 4 Ball Tool (GRO-AC-40027-XX)
Perga Liners (B9, B11 & B15)
Dorso Oil (PER-CO-70066-XX)
Blending Pen
Scissors or Perga Cutters
Indian Summer Designer Paper (ACC-CA-30524-88)
Translucent Parchment (GRO-AC-40024-XX)
4 Yellow Pergamano Brads (PER-AC-70270-XX)
7×7 White Card Blank (ACC-CA-30619-77)
Clarity Roller Tape (ACC-MS-31065-XX)
Kitchen Roll or Tissue
METHOD
Step 1. Emboss the 5th square of scallops from the outer edge of the plate and the two lines inside the scallops using No 1 Groovi tool.
Step 2. Place your parchment on the outer pattern of the A4 grid plate and centralise it – the centre of the line needs to be on the centre (11th) scallop from the outer edges of your embossed square. Use the dots on the plate to aid in getting your work straight. There will be a slight gap at the left and right side of the pattern and this can be added by sliding your work along, relocating the embossed dots into the dots on the plate and then embossing the missing pattern. Emboss all of the design with Groovi No 2 or Pergamano 1.5mm.
Step 3. You now need to add the pattern going from top to bottom, this is easier because you now have the centre square embossed which can be relocated into the dots on the plate. Again there will be a gap at the ends of the embossing and your parchment will need moving along on the plate to add these.
Step 4. We will now add the octagon shapes in each corner, these are on the platemate at the left hand side. We are only going to use two of the shapes from the set of three. Line your parchment up so that all of the embossing pattern is inside the lines and dots you have already embossed. Use your No 2 Groovi tool or Pergamano 1.5mm to emboss all of the design. There will be a line of dots missing on the left hand side of the bottom of the two octagons so slide your parchment along to the next octagon, relocate the dots in the plate and emboss the missing line of 8 dots.
Step 5. Use the small square design in the centre top right of the A4 grid plate to add the remainder of the design in the corner.
Step 6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all of the corners are embossed.
Step 7. We are now going to colour the shapes on the back of the parchment. To achieve the orange colour apply the yellow Perga Liner pencil (B9) lightly to the back of the octagon shapes and then apply red Perga Liner perncil (B11) lightly on top of this. Blend with dorso oil, you may find it easier to use a piece of kitchen roll or a tissue as the area is quite large.
Step 8. The smaller squares, the centre square and the scalloped border are coloured with the olive green Perga Liner pencil (B15). The ‘ribbons’ coming from the centre square are coloured with the yellow Perga Liner pencil (B9) and the double outline inside the scalloped border is coloured with the red Perga Liner pencil (B11) Use dorso oil and blending pen/nibs when colouring these smaller areas. Emboss the large dots to white from the back of the work with ball tools.
Step 9. Working on the front of your parchment and lay your parchment over the basic straight grid and perforate the small squares in the corner of the design – you might find that using the Lightwave Panel helps!
Step 10. Complete the perforating in each corner shape on the straight grid. You will need to realign the embossed dots with the holes on the grid for each shape when perforating.
Step 11. Use the diagonal grid to work the perforating in the centre square and ‘ribbons’.
Step 12. Perforate around the outline of the scallops with the two needle tool.
Step 13. If you have reached the picot cutting stage of your Groovi journey, Picot cut out the perforations in the shapes, alternatively you could leave the areas just perforated and use the Pergamano Ruler with Groovi Grip to trip down your design. Picot cut the inner parts of the design as shown.
Step 14. Cut the designer paper to fit your card blank and mount the finished parchment piece onto it using brads in the corners. Attach this to the card blank using roller tape. And… You’re done!
WHOA! That is a special tutorial, Josie, thank you! I myself wouldn’t know where to begin without these step-by-step demonstrations, and I know I’m not alone! How to make the seemingly unachievable… ACHIEVABLE!
If you decide to give any of these Blog Tutorials a go, please share them with me. I’d love to see what you’re up to.
We have put everything that Josie has used in one place HERE on the Clarity website (don’t forget the #ClarityOpenDayFestival 25% discount!)
Since we’re still celebrating our #ClarityOpenDayFestival let’s have another giveaway!
We’ll give 3 lucky winners a set of Pergaliners! I know many of you have them, but let’s be honest… PENCILS RUN OUT, especially if they’re well loved. And they make wonderful gifts!
Tell me in the comments below what YOUR favourite craft product is. What do you own that you just could not do without? Or… if you HAD TO pick one plate/stamp/stencil/die etc, which one would it be? We all have our faves.
We’d love to know!
Lotsa love, Grace & Josie xo
Clarity – The Home of Art, Craft and Well-Being.
On dear, my favourite product changes on a daily basis but at the moment it’s those beautiful lino cut stamps
Hi Grace, it was lovely listening to your Mum and the marvellous Linda chatting this morning. Choosing a favourite Clarity product is nigh on impossible, there are so many especially if you’ve been buying (collecting?) Clarity goodies for as long as I have! But my all time favourite would have to be the Leafy corner from the Clever Corner stampset. It epitomises all that is so magic about Clarity stamps – clear polymer, ease of use, robustness and pattern building! It was one of the first stamps I bought from your lovely Mum and now I have several! (along with one or two others!!)
Wow that’s a hard question to answer. I’d be lost without my Perga glue, my Groovi tabs oh and especially my Groovi ruler. There are so many other items that are a go to. It was so lovely to be part of Linda and Barbara’s coffee morning. What a team Clarity are
Crikey. Now there’s a tricky question 🤔. I’m sat in my craft room looking around and thinking I love everything. As I have to choose one thing then I’ll go for my lightwave as I can’t imagine crafting without it now. It was certainly a game changer x
My Big Shot die cutting machine so that I can use all my lovely Clarity dies
My favourite product has to be The Happy Couple aperture die. I used it for our wedding stationery.
I think for me the one thing I couldn’t be without is the new clarity stamp tape rollers. It wasn’t until we got them and used them that we realised we couldn’t be without them, I really really don’t know how we managed before, they are amazing 🤩 xxxx
Listening to Barbara and Linda this morning was really heartwarming. What a friendship they have. The thing I couldn’t be without is my stamp platform. I struggled before but I can now use all the brilliant Clarity stamps I own.
My favourite thing is Clarity website; incorporating the Shac shac tutorials, blog tutorials, Paul’s Groovi Tuesday and lovely stories told by Barbara (and much needed giggles) all providing so much inspiration; especially over the last year through lockdown. What a wonderful people company, hats off to you all. Thank you.
Heather K xoxo
My favourite product is my micron pens, great for doodling, covering up mistakes and mis stamped images as well as for signing my handmade cards on the back and of course, writing inside to the dearest people I’m sending them to.
My can’t do without craft item is ……… Nested dies ……. not flashy but couldn’t do without them.
If I had to choose it would definitely be the humble HB pencil. Nothing in the crafty world is as versatile. X
At the moment I’m having the most fun with your watercolour brushes. So easy to use with so little mess. Cannot tell you how many times I’ve knocked over a mug of water, or worse drunk out of it. Yuckiest.
My fave stamps at the moment are the lino cut florals, they look awesome with my gelli plate prints, heat embossed, also they are brilliant for loads of occasions too
My absolute favourite craft item is a black Micron pen, as a pen and wash artist its my go to pen and of course I’d be lost in the shac-shac without one!
My favourite is whatever I’ve just bought, at the moment the block stamps. Too many things I can’t do without, small scissors, double-sided finger-lift tape, guillotine… xx
My pink embossing mat- I’m very heavy – handed so this is a must. But Josie’s grids would be a very close second!!
I would have to say the humble pencil….it’s all you need to get started on most projects and leads you to the vast array of possibilities using your favourite genre within Clarity ‘s doors.
My Groovi starter Platemate and Groovi guard – they are never put away in my box,
Also the straight border grid No.1 – always useful.
My favourite stamps are the house that Barb built and the we folk stamps but changes when new stamps come out like the last one with the deers can’t remember the proper name but lovely
Everything is my favourite but I’d be lost without the pergaliners and Faber-Castell polychromos with the dorso oil to blend. The blendable crayons cover the parchment colouring, stamping images brought to life and compliment the shac shac doodles and are great watercolour crayons. After these is my lightwave and pink embossing mat.
My favourite craft item is a double-ended embossing tool that belonged to my Mum. She did traditional parchment craft for years and it was beautiful. When she died I gave away a cupboard full of all her craft stash and it was only years later when I tried it for myself and got hooked that I was able to track down this one tool.
Apart from that, I think my favourite item is my lightwave.
Favourite Groovi plate would probably be Tina’s Oopsie plate with the flowers and butterflies, so useful!
My eraser pencil🥴🥴 I am also particularly enjoying my background stamps, I would never have believed I could produce such results so easily. Wouldn’t be without them x
My favourite craft product has to be ink – it is so versatile!!
I think a circle either stencil or mask or stamp has to be my favourite thing to work with as a circle is the hardest thing to do freestyle.
Absolutely loving the open weekend and all the activities xx
Wow that’s quite an amazing achievement, Josie. I love all my Groovi stash but I would not be without my light wave. One of my favourite plates would be Tinas Christmas Baubles .
Not sure what my favourite craft product is. I certainly use my stamping platform a lot, along with the clarity card and stamp boards. At the moment my favourite stamps are the lino cuts and the Jayne Nestorenko apple of my eye collection. I love fine line stamping.
My favourite groovi plate is the happy alphabet.
My favourite stamps is the corset I love making corsets with the fusible fibres. Can’t stop making them. The technique is fun to do. Just need to make cards or picture frames with them
I really love the 12 x 12 colouring book and watercolour sketch pad. I take these with me when we go out to car shows and I can sit and play all day.
That’s just an impossible question to answer. If I had choose just one product it would probably be something to colour with…. But then I’d still need paper to! 😂 😂
My pencils graphite, watercolour,and polychromos on and couldn’t be without my eraser pens.
I change my mind on my favourite products depending on my frame of mind at the time
At the moment it’s Josie’s grid plates , got them all and working my way through them to use for Christmas cards
Am definitely going to have a go at this one c
My one craft item, oh Gracie that’s a big ask. Think it would have to be an essential so I’m going for my pencil and of course it would come with paper. Then I could go back to that first SHAC SHAC morning in March 2020, no longer in shock but now with hindsight and work my way through those SHAC SHAC projects again. But if your asking what I need I can give you a long list 🤣😂🤣 xxx. Ps loved listening to your Mum and Linda this morning. xxx
Love the Flying Boy stamp. I use him a lot. All Clarity things are precious to me. Lots of love
Enjoyed eavesdropping on the coffee hangout this morning, it was lovely to hear some of the stories and learn more of the background.
Favourite/essential craft item? Hmm … that’s a difficult one! I think I’d go with my craft ruler, the clear ruler with inlaid metal edge – it’s always on my desk and I reach for it to measure and to cut. I particularly like the gridlines on it and the fact that the measurements go from the edge and also from the middle, so it makes it easy to find the centre of a piece of card. The only way it could be improved would be if it had both metric and imperial measurements!
My fav is my light wave, couldn’t live without it.
That’s a hard question. I love all things groovi but I think my favourite is Josie’s lace grid plates.
Lovely to join your mum and Linda this morning with their lovely stories ,I have been following your mum from when she was first on QVC (I think) . And I could not do with out any of the clarity stuff cause it all goes along side each other to make the end product, so could not single one out xxxx
Im not sure what my favourite craft product is, it changes every time I go on the website. If I had to choose it would probably be the designer papers.
Polychromo pencils, love them
Lightwave, so useful
For all the mistakes I make in the Shac it would have to be my eraser pencil! Otherwise my guillotine and pergamano ruler. I have got very restricted access to the internet as I am away from home so looking forward to playing back all this weekends jollities when I get home. Have a lovely time fellow crafter’s.
Yes, I did catch the coffee morning, it was fascinating hearing the stories. My favourite stamp… it’s difficult because I have a lot of favourites. The one that touched me as soon as I received it and that I use for my family all the time is a club verse that says “loved you yesterday, love you still, always have, always will”.
The general item I couldn’t do without is my pokey tool. However my really really favourite Groovi plate is the Mandala. X
Think the best craft item I have just has to be my Clarity Lightwave. It enables me to sit and carryon crafting (GROOVI) at night.
Hi Grace
My favourite tool at the moment is my Groovi starter kit. It was lovely listen to you Mum and Linda this morning. I am so grateful for all of you from Clarity supporting all of us throughout COVID. Many thanks.
Sue
Oh Grace, an impossibility to choose – it changes but at the moment I would say the pink embossing mat, my light panel (even though it does flicker all the time) and Josie’s Grids. My favourite one out of those I have (and I don’t have too many) is Diana. I’m just building up my store!!!!
Wonderful tutorial. Looking forward to getting these plates. I think the Light Box is a must. I use it all the time especially since I am doing a lot of parchment art at the moment. Hugs from Canada 🇨🇦
My most used product is definitely my adhesive eraser – essential for cleaning up when I finish a card, as I always seem to manage to smear glue somewhere! As for my favourite, can I be cheeky and just say floral stamps as a general category? I don’t think I could pin it down to a specific stamp or set! I do really like the linocut set though, and the new woodland art blocks, ooh and the butterfly wreath set… It’s just hard to choose a favourite! They’re all beautiful in their own way.
Thanks for another fabulous giveaway!
M x
It’s so hard to choose just one! I love all the plate mates, groovi tabs, and groovi guard. These all make groovi-ing much easier. I also love Tina’s embroidery plates and the Duet plates (Kings, Queens, Princesses, etc.). I believe I have become, not just a Groovi crafter but, a collector, as well.😁
Caught the coffee morning, lovely to hear them both.
Favourite craft item ? Sorry more than one but all essentials., stancils
1. My die cutting machines and the basic and picot nested dies, all shapes.
2. Background stamps especially the new ones with the border.
3. Stencil brushes, stencils and ink pads.
4. Groovi plate mates, all sizes.
These iyems sit on or close to my craft table all the time and are the basis for all manner of projects. Can’t help it – I just love Clarity products.
It has been a great weekend.
So many things I wouldn’t want to do without but I think the main thing would be the lightwave, I have both sizes as I take the small one on holidays in the caravan. The next would be the original platemate as I forgot it last time and realised that without it I had to hold the parchment down with one hand all the time, definitely a pain. So enjoyed listening in to your lovely Mum and Linda this morning.xx
Goodness, now you’re asking ! How does one choose ?! Without the Groovi starter kit I’d have never started parching so I’ll have to choose that and I’m always using the plate mate of course. Since the Shac Shac it’s the pencil erasures that have had most use too! Then there are the designer papers so the list goes on ! It’s been a lovely weekend, thanks for this week’s project Josie. I enjoyed the coffee morning too, great to have an insight on people’s friendships and how they evolved. What a great thing your Mum stopped at Linda’s table that day to see what she was doing! The rest is history. Have a good day. X
Gosh that’s a difficult one to pinpoint, so I’ll go for the item that I find has helped me most, and that would be my stamping platform. In the past few years, I have found it more tricky to get a clear image when stamping (arthritis). So I would say the platform has helped me to use all my beautiful stamps from Clarity 🙂 xx
My favourite items at the moment are the botanical aperture fresh cut dies. Bought them very recently, made 4 cards with them yesterday. Am fairly new to the whole Clarity thing, though you wouldn’t know it from the amount of stuff I have already, and I have loved this weekend. Thank you.
Clarity Grunge Elements full collection. Just started messin with a mixed media journal, and these really help with dimension, use them all the time.
Like everyone else hard to pick a favourite but my nested picot squares are used time and time again – saves all that picot cutting when using parchment but equally good for paper and card
My Lightwave – no more struggling with a magnifying glass. Has made parchment work a delight again, rather than a struggle
Great to be listening to the coffee morning chat this morning and another great Blog Tutorial, looking forward to having a go. That leads me on to my favourite – my lightwave, it may only be the A5 one but every time I need to perforate or colour – out it comes!
My favourite stamps are usually my newest which at the moment are the new Woodland Art Block stamps. I love them! I can’t do without my Versafine Clair inks or Distress Oxides. The coffee morning was fab this morning! Take care. xxx
If I had to choose one product it would have to be my light wave. I could not imagine trying to colour without it and I also use it when embossing or perforating from a grid and picot cutting.
What a lovely coffee morning. I have so many crafty items that are my favourites. They change all the time. At the moment I have just started doing Groovi so the starter plate is something I couldn’t do without, plus the plates and tools etc.
The wonderful brushes – so useful – I love them.
That’s a hard one 🤔 I need everything 😉 but if I have to pick one it has to be both of my light waves they are brilliant they help in so many ways, not just with groovi and parchment work, but positioning where to put my work when creating a picture 👍 🙂 x
Hi Grace
Gosh what a difficult question! Have been up to my craft room and just sat and looked around and eventually decided on my Gemini die cutting machine! It has been well used with all of my wonderful Clarity dies, think my favourite one is the Happy Couple, which has been well used for lots of engagement, wedding and Anniversary cards!
Loved the coffee morning with Barbara & Linda.
The festival weekend has been great fun, thank you to all involved.
My favourite Clarity product……Everything! 🤪
It’s been a blast this weekend….and a pleasure being part of it 💕💕💕
That is a hard question to answer. My favorite product changes on a daily basis but at the moment it’s those beautiful Josie’s Grids because it totally makes the lace grid work much easier than counting! Also Tina Cox’s embroidery plates I would have never known how to add needle work to the parchment with out them.
Like others it is almost impossible to answer but I know that the most used stamp is the personalised one made by clarity years ago saying “hand crafted by Rosamond Watts” because I use it on the back of all my cards!
My go to stencil is the background with different size (rectangular) openings which the wee stamps look superb on.
Otherwise I’d have to choose the artistry and archival inks. Can’t create cards without those!
Thanks for a splendid weekend xx
My most used Clarity product would have to be my personalised name stamp, used on every card and canvas I make along with black archival ink! Then would be some fab Clarity stamps, designer parchment…..oh heck any and all my Clarity stash!
What a fantastic interesting show you’re mum and Linda had this morning we’ll as I am hugged on the groovi I think out of all I got so far is the GRO-CO-41706-08 plate but it is so hard to decide love from Clitheroe Lancashire
I think I would be lost without my light panel,without this I would not be able to even start parchment craft.
My polychromo pencils, I love them.
That’s a hard one to answer. It would have to be either my pink embossing mat or my polychromos but I love all of the lace frames too. 🤷♀️
Wasn’t the coffee morning get together with Barb and Linda just fab.
Well like so many have said such a hard one I have so much stach I love it all.
But in answer to the question.
I love my distress inks some water and some stencil card and I can play for ages and get some lovely arty backgrounds to then stamp or die cut to make some lovely cards.
Great Crafty Festival Thank you all. Xxx
Off to bed now been and entered all the give aways such fun xxx
I have absolutely enjoyed everything about this weekend thank you to everyone. ❤
My can’t do without craft item…
Groovi plate ? or stamp ? stencil ? or die ?
I can’t make my mind up how ever hard I try .
Its like asking to choose a favourite daughter or son,
Its absolutely impossible to pick just one. 🤔 😃
Not everyone will have stamps, dies or stencils
But I bet we all started out using paper and pencils ✏
Well I got there in the end, it took me some time
But I now know the answer…a pencil that’s mine. ✏👌
I just like to say one thing that is true
We couldn’t do it Barbara not without you x
Thank you clarity 🙏😊
Hi Gracie. I agree with everyone – that is a hard question. I couldn’t be without my Pergamano ruler, pencils, sharpener and eraser! Also, I really wouldn’t want to be without my picot squares or circles as they are useful to cut card as well as parchment to give a professional finish.
What a great coffee morning chat we were priveliged to listen in on too – very interesting to hear how your lovely Mum and Linda first got together. (I first met Linda at her Snip Clinic at the last Open Day – brill!!!). Sleep tight and thankyou for all your hard work this weekend too.
Beryl (Sheppard) xx
I really couldn’t be without my pink excellent embossing mat, it helps me a lot as I am very heavy handed so the parchment buckles, but not with this mat, great 👍
Sunday morning commitments meant I wasn’t able to join the coffee morning, but then, you can’t do everything!
Gosh – favourite product. To be honest, I think that’s quite easy if one accepts that it’s a basic! That means it’s an eraser pencil. I use it regularly not only for ‘doodle’ sessions, but in everyday life. Rubbing out someone else’s old markings when I’m marking up music, correcting mistakes, it’s always on hand. Amazingly useful.
Favourite stamp/stencil/die etc. That’s too hard …. 😉
What couldn’t I do without craft wise that’s a difficult question but I would say the flying boy stamp and a glue runner. Brilliant weekend xx
Just one item. Impossible. Most used would be the rubber. Most used groovi plate is the butterfly wreath. And the light wave is a life saver.
That’s a difficult question but I think I would be lost without my groovi plates and embossing tools.
Difficult . Looking around the craft room full of Clarity products , but think The lightwave have a very old one. Use a lot. One of the very first. If lucky enough to win would definitely upgrade to a new one.
Hi Grace, I could not do without any of my pergamano tools., if you have these the possibilities are endless.
Your ruler – its amazing, will be even better once the anti-slip sheet arrives 🙂
My light wave. Well loved well used.one of your first could do with an upgrade. Enjoyed so much of Clarity lately. Coffee morning was really enjoyable Linda is such a lovely person. Thank you for a marvellous weekend x
Too many to pick one. When patching it us my Pergamano snips and single bold needle tool. When junk journaling it is my distress oxide vintage photo.
What a great weekend.
Thank you. Xx
That should read Parching!!@!
Current favourite is masks! Enjoying having a play with them, and using with clarity stamps😺
Card/paper as even if you have no colouring mediums or anything else you can use the paper/card to create all kinds of things….. from the humble paper aeroplane to the fabulous origami pieces….
Loads of love xx