Clarity Matters Blog Tutorial: How To Use Circular Grids to Frame Your Work

Hello hello! Grace here.

I hope this finds you well, safe, and feeling calm. We at Clarity hope that you’ve had a restful and lovely Christmas period. We have! It’s been lovely being home. Just what the doctor ordered 🙂

Sorry there wasn’t a Saturday Share blog yesterday. I’ll get back on it shortly, I promise. For now, I’m making the most of spending time with Mum and Dave, and just traveling as gently as possible. I’m sure you understand <3

We are joined this weekend by the fabulously talented, Glynis Whitehead.

Woodland Animals in a Frame

I saw this back issue from the Groovi New Design Club and thought ‘what a great card for either a man or a woman to receive’.  Hence this blog.  Check out all of the back numbers of the New Design Club, as there is so much treasure there.

Ingredients

New Design Groovi Club Back Issue #56 – Hare, Fox and Badger A6 Sq Groovi Plate (GRO-AN-41531-01)
Josie’s ‘Love’ Circular Lace Duet A5 Sq Grid (GRO-GG-42053-12)
Nested Circles A5 Sq Groovi Plate (GRO-PA-40051-03)
Deluxe Groovi Plate Starter Kit & Butterfly Wreath A5 Sq Plate (GRO-SK-41709-XX)
Rainbow River Designer Paper (ACC-CA-30539-88)
Pergaliners B Pencils (PER-CO-70063-XX)
Dorso Oil (PER-CO-70066-XX)
Blending Nibs (PER-AC-70299-XX)
Blending Pen (PER-AC-70300-XX)
1 Needle Bold Perforating Tool (PER-TO-70028-XX)
2 Needle Fine Perforating Tool (PER-TO-70037-XX)
*Alternatively the 2 Needle Bold Perforating Tool (PER-TO-70279-XX)
Mix Mat for Oil (PER-AC-70304-XX)
A4 Piece of Plain Parchment (GRO-AC-40024-A4)
7 x 7″ Craft Card Blank (ACC-CA-30754-77)
Gold Pergamano Brads (PER-AC-70274-XX)
Roll-A-Tape Permanent Glue Tape Runner (ACC-MS-31065-XX)

Method

Step 1. Cut the piece of parchment in half to make 2 A5 pieces. On a trimmer, this will be at 14.8 cm. Then line an A5 piece up on the circular grid. Make sure the grid is the right way up for embossing dots. You can perforate and emboss dots on this grid without having to turn it over. If you can read the Claritystamp web address correctly you have it the right way up.

Step 2. With the bold 1 needle Perforating tool, perforate all the holes around the grid. When you run out of holes on the grid, move the paper around and you will find that the perforated parts, will ‘plug’ into place. These grids are so easy to use.

Step 3. Working on the back, line up the work so that the dots fit in between the perforations, then use the number 2 tool from the starter kit to emboss all the dots. Move the work around the grid until the whole circle has embossed dots.

Step 4. Snip out the grid, the crosses first, then the inside part of each scallop and then the outside. Snip all the diagonal perforations first when snipping around the edges. When snipping round the inside of the circle, make sure not to snip into the perforations at the top.

Step 5. Now that the frame is complete, move on to making the focal point. Line up the second piece of parchment onto the nested circles and emboss the 4^th and 5^th lines in from the outside edge.
If you are using a different circular grid, you will need to hold the nested circle plate up to your finished frame and see which size will fit.

Step 6. Take the hare, fox and badger plate, fit it into the numbers, ovals and tags inset plate – this will then fit into the A5 square plate mate, and now your baby plate will fit nicely. Centralise the animals within the circle, and emboss with the number 1 tool.

Step 7. Working on the back, colour the fox in with B12 for his body, B1 for his ‘bib’, and B2 for his eye and nose. Then turn over the work and colour on the front. Add a little of the darker brown (B3) around the edges, including the outer edge of the ‘bib’.

Step 8. Do the same with the hare, but do not use the white. When it comes to the badger and you need a grey for the body of the animal, use a mix mat (for oil) and scribble out some white and a small amount of black, then add a dot of Dorso oil and mix the colours until you get the colour grey you want. Pick up the colour on a blending nib and apply it to the body. The part around the eye will be black and the side of the head, white. The eye and nose black. Allow the colour to dry on the back, then turn the work over and add some shadows to the front. Then add some green underneath the animals to ‘ground, them and into the frame (B6).

Step 9. Go around the outside of the circle with a two-needle perforating tool and then snip out the work. Turn the work as you go and your picots will be nice and even. 

Step 10. Fit the circle into the lace frame. Go very gently at this stage because it is very delicate and easily torn.

Step 11. Cut your background paper to 5.5 x 5.5 inches and attach the work with Perga Brads. Then use the Roll-A-Tape to affix the piece onto a 7 x 7 inch craft card blank.

What a fantastic project! Very cosy and British vibes, which match up with this time of year. Thank you, Glynis, for sharing your tips and tricks with us.

Everything that Glynis has used in this particular project can be found in a shopping list, HERE.

Now, looking at the week ahead…

Tuesday 2nd January:
Groovi Tuesday with Paul – 10am Live on Facebook & YouTube
Thursday 4th January:
In the SHAC with Barbara – 7pm Live on Facebook & YouTube
Sunday 7th January:
Crafting with Clarity on Create & Craft with Barbara – 3pm-5pm – 2hrs

See you there!
Thanks for stopping by and checking in on our Sunday blog tutorial.

Travel gently, friends.
Lotsa love, Grace & Glynis xoxo

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