Clarity Matters Blog Tutorial: Pretty Poppy with a Gem

Hello hello! Grace here.

I hope this finds you safe, happy and enjoying your Sunday! Feeling crafty?

Well, good! Because we’re joined today by the crazy talented Glynis Whitehead, our friend and Clarity Crafts design team member. She has generously put together a step-by-step project for us. It’s lovely!
I will hand you over to our teacher for today…

Pretty Poppy with a Gem

Ingredients

Tina’s Layering Plate Mate for A6 Sq Groovi Plates (GRO-WO-42199-11)
Plate Mate for A5 Sq Groovi Grids (GRO-CO-41706-08)
Tina’s Pretty Poppy Parchlet A6 Sq Groovi Plate (GRO-FL-42203-01)
Nested Squares A5 Sq Groovi Plate (GRO-PA-40037-03)
Groovi Number 1 Tool (GRO-AC-40026-XX)
Pergamano 6mm Ball Tool (PER-TO-70016-XX)
Pergamano 3mm Ball Tool (PER-TO-70005-XX)
Pergamano 1.5mm Ball Tool (PER-TO-70004-XX)
Pergamano 2-Needle Tool (PER-TO-70037-XX)
Pergamano Semi-Circle Tool (PER-TO-70017-XX)
Pergamano Medium Picot Tool (PER-TO-70282-XX)
Faber-Castell 60 Poly Chromo Pencils (ACC-PE-30797-XX)
Pergamano Blending Pens & Refill Nibs (PER-AC-70440-XX)
Pergamano White Gel Pen (PER-CO-70069-XX)
Dorso Oil (PER-CO-70066-XX)
Waimea Falls Companion Paper (cut to 4 ¾ x  4 ¾ inches) (ACC-CA-31668-88)
6 X 6″ Card Blanks (ACC-CA-31671-66)
Roll-a-Tape Glue Tape Runner (ACC-MS-31065-XX)

Method

Step 1. Attach a piece of A5 plain parchment to the plate mate for A5 square plates and emboss the 4^th square in from the edge.

Step 2. Line up the parchment so that the tag on the layering plate mate fits at the bottom of the design. Leave the circle empty ready for the shiny gem.

Step 3. Centralise the poppies so that they seem to be growing from behind the tag. Leave out the lines from the large poppy but add them to the smaller flowers. Also ignore the leaves of the shorter poppy.

Step 4. Working on the back and with the 6mm ball embossing tool, emboss the edges of the smaller poppies. Use the 3mm ball tool to start off the embossing of the leaves. Emboss the leaves in light layers. Use a single needle tool to stipple into the base of the flowers. Put a piece of stout card under the work to protect the needle of the tool.

Step 5. You need to choose light, dark and medium colour pencils and a green for the leaves. The two darker shades are to be used on the petals of the smaller poppies (the larger one will be picot cut). Put some colour on the petals, the darker shade at the base and medium shade at the tops.  Blend the colours together with a tiny bit of Dorso oil on a blending nib.

Step 6. Time to colour in the gem. Colour on the front, being careful to avoid the white line. Repeat it on the back. Use the lightest shade of your chosen colour to draw a little circle where you will not put colour – the blending will drag the right amount of colour over that gap. I have scanned a little demo for you to follow.

Step 7. When you have finished colouring, turn the work over (working on the back) and use the 6mm ball tool to emboss the gem – very very lightly to give the gem some more light. Draw a couple of little triangles and dots at the top of the gem with the white gel pen.

Step 8. Work on the front now, and shallow perforate with the Picot V tool and Semi-circle tool. Start at each corner and perforate 7 times, first row is with the picot V. To get the right spacing, make a picot V perforation, then hook the 2 needle fine tool into the last hole of perforation. The next picot will then be hooked into the second hole of the 2 needle perforation.

Step 9. The next row of perforations are made with the semi-circle tool and the end needles of this tool fit into the top two holes of the picot to make a tear-drop shape between the picots.

Step 10. Turn the work to the back again and with the 3mm ball tool, lightly emboss between the perforations. Start at one corner and mark the parchment with an arrow. Go around in this direction until you get back to the beginning. Make a dot each time – you need to go round 3 times with 3mm tool. Then define the edges with a 1.5mm tool – very carefully.

Step 11. Go around the edge with a fine single needle tool and reperforate the holes deeply. Then use the fine two needle tool to perforate between the picots of the border so that it can be snipped out. Also use the two needle tool around the inside of the large poppy petals.

Step 12. Picot cut around the edge and around the insides of the petals of the poppy.

Step 13. Attach the piece to the companion paper with pretty coloured brads – I used one in the centre of the large poppy. If you haven’t any brads, try attaching the parchment to the backing paper using thread and sequins at each corner and in the centre of the poppy. Then use the Roll-a-Tape adhesive to attach the companion paper to the card blank.

What a fantastic project! I love whenever those gems pop up in artwork too. So very effective.

Thank you so much, Glynis, for sharing this brill bloggy tutorial with us. Yet another amazing and easy to follow project that we are sure will encourage and inspire you at home! Don’t forget to share your versions on Groovi Worldwide.

Everything that Glynis has used in this particular project is available in a shopping list,HERE.

Okay, let’s have a look at what’s happening in the week ahead…

Tuesday 13th July – Friday 16th August:
*** Retreats *** – NO SHAC or Groovi Tuesday this week
Saturday 17th August:
TV – Crafting with Clarity – 1pm & 4pm

A much lighter week than usual. But not for our team at the retreats. Have a wonderful time!

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

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