Clarity’s Blog Tutorial: It’s A Cracker!

Hello hello! Grace here.

I hope this finds you well!

We’re back in our bloggy tutorial bubble with a CRACKER of a project 😀

Many of you will have seen Mum (Barbara Gray to you!) on the SHAC Shack this and last week demonstrating our new Feel Güd Gnome crackers for colouring! They are fantastic. Have a look…

But don’t worry, you can still make Clarity Christmas Crackers if you’re a Groovi addict! This ‘ere blog is going to showcase the perfect way to involve our Groovi fans in the Christmas Cracker fun.

I’ll hand you right over to the brilliant Glynis… She’s crackin’ 😉

Glynis Whitehead

Ingredients

Groovi Plate Mate for A4 square grids with extenders (GRO-MA-41768-21)
Christmas Cracker A4 Groovi Tem-Plate (GRO-TE-40436-16)
Art Deco Alphabet Groovi Border Plate Mate (GRO-MA-40348-13)
Mixed Pack x 20 Groovi Christmas Parchment Papers (GRO-AC-40382-A4)
1 & 2 Tool from the starter kit (GRO-AC-40026-XX)
3 & 4 Tool from the starter kit (GRO-AC-40027-XX)
Pergamano Sticky Ink (PER-AC-70134-XX)
Pergamano Mapping Pen (PER-AC-70039-XX)
Perga Glitters (PER-AC-70252-XX)
Perga Glitter Bundle (PER-AC-70305-XX)

Method

Step 1. I chose the red from the Christmas pack of parchment. Check that you have the glossy side facing you before you attach it to your plate.  Choose which edge you would like for your cracker and line the paper up accordingly. I have chosen the ‘wavy’ line, so I have left room for me to turn my parchment around to emboss it on the other end of the cracker.

Step 2. Trace all of the elements of the cracker – you can pick and choose which icons you would like to use to embellish it with. Move the paper around the Groovi plate to get the ones you want.

Step 3. I have added some grid patterning to the ends of the cracker and put an initial from the Art Deco Border plate mate in to the cartouche. When adding a grid pattern, line the work up using an edge. There are lots of lines to help you with alignment as you work. Start in the middle and work outwards.

Step 4. Emboss the elements you have chosen to add. Use the appropriate size embossing tool to suit the size of the area you want to emboss.

Step 5. Perforate the two ‘wavy’ edges with a 2-needle tool and picot cut them. Cut around the rest with a pair of scissors. You can do the whole thing with scissors if you don’t wish to do any picot cutting.

Step 6. Take a craft knife and a cutting mat and cut out all the diamond shapes at each end of the cracker. If you are not comfortable using craft knives, then just make a hole in the centre of each section and cut with scissors – you have to be very careful not to bend the parchment too much when you do it this way.

Step 7. We now need to make the folds. There are instructions on the cracker plate itself. Think about where the ‘valley’ and ‘mountain’ folds will be when the cracker is complete. Use a ruler, lay the work on a flat surface and fold the parchment up against the ruler. Gently does it, as the parchment is easy to crack and tear at this stage.

Step 8. Add any glitter and gems to your cracker before completing the next bit.
TOP TIP: If you are working on a hot day, turn off the fan before sprinkling the glitter! Also add some red-liner tape to the protruding edges of the cracker.

Step 9. Form the tube shape of the cracker – I use an aerosol can to help me gently roll the parchment around to the correct shape. This also helps me to press the join well enough to get a good adhesion. A rolling pin would do the trick too.

Step 10. If you wish to hide a gift inside the cracker, emboss onto a piece of copy paper, cut inside the embossed lines, curl it up and pop it inside the cracker. Cut two equal lengths of ribbon and tie each end of the cracker – make sure to leave nice, long ends after you have tied the bow to make it easier for re-tying once the gifts are put in or taken out. And you’re done!

GORGEOUS! One down, nine to go 😉 Or however many people will be at your Christmas table this year! Wow Glynis, that is perfect. Thank you for showing us how to achieve this beautiful table decoration.

As usual, everything that Glynis has used is in one handy place over on the Clarity website. Explore more HERE!

Earlier this week, Paul was showcasing the Cracker along with some of our other 3D Groovi Tem-Plates on the Craft Store. If you missed the shows, you can catch up below…

11am show HERE

3pm show HERE

Everything that Paul featured in those shows are available and can be found HERE 🙂

Lotsa love, Grace & Glynis xo

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

6 thoughts on “Clarity’s Blog Tutorial: It’s A Cracker!

  • 17th October 2021 at 12:47 pm
    Permalink

    Hi Grace. Hope all well with you and Mark. I made 6 of these a few years ago for my daughter and they are kept in a box in Revelstoke, Canada. Waiting to be opened for this Christmas, I don’t think I will be able to join them there this year, such a shame it’s a beautiful place. Going to make a few more this year I hope. Might have to do one with gnome on, my daughter in law in San Francisco, loves them, has lots in the garden. Xxxx

    Reply
  • 17th October 2021 at 1:28 pm
    Permalink

    I love these crackers. Thanks Glynis.
    Just read yesterday’s blog, sad news.
    Stay safe

    Reply
  • 17th October 2021 at 5:01 pm
    Permalink

    This is just stunning! I love how much detail you put it, yet managed to keep it very elegant. Thank you very much.

    Reply
  • 17th October 2021 at 7:37 pm
    Permalink

    Hi Grace, Hi Glynis, Stunning !! and to make elegant crackers like this one will be so satisfying. Thank you, as always, for this tutorial.
    Lots of love from Patricia xx

    Reply
  • 17th October 2021 at 7:38 pm
    Permalink

    So sorry to hear of the loss of two friends in such a short time.
    Take care and that text did help me when I had a bad time.
    Thanks Glynis for how to make this lovely cracker. Sadly I don’t have time to be creative because our house is sold,but don’t have a new home. And we have to move in the beginning of December.
    And we got some sad news that my brother’s wife is terminal ill.
    Well we all have to deal with losses in our live don’t we.
    Take care and stay save, Trijntje Huppel

    Reply
  • 17th October 2021 at 10:25 pm
    Permalink

    I am enjoying colouring in the Güd family crackers (found out how to do the proper u) as this years table decoration but will do a few of the parchment crackers for Christmas gifts.
    I have just read your mom’s blog – more news I wasn’t expecting !!
    Hope you have a better week this week xx

    Reply

Leave a Reply to josephine higgins Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *