WOYWW 378 - Long time, no visit

• My desk/table is a total wreck again.  I am, as usual, trying to clear out and get my stuff sorted properly, but still crafting throughout it, and finishing off a whole load of projects.
• 
  
•   I need to remove and pass on a whole load of old and unused crafting stash to someone who can use it better.  I need to get my things back into the confines of my beautifully set up craft room and return my living room and dining room to their proper purposes so that I do not have to hide the piles of stuff from any visitors.  I bet I am not the only one in this position.  I have heaps of remains from kits I bought when I first started.  They are all going, to leave me with my basic stash of stamps, stencils,inks and such to work with.

I am also determined to make time and space to use my pyrography and encaustic art kits and blend them with my inky painty play.

It is ages since I joined in with all you lovely Wednesday deskers, but I feel it is unfair to post and for all of you to comment if I cannot find the time to visit you in return.  However, I intend to make the time this week.  I look forward to seeing you all.  Have a great week.  xxx

Clarity Challenge for August - Fussy cutting

Any of my crafting friends will know that I am well known for hating fussy cutting.  I love colouring but cutting is a totally different matter, so this challenge was a challenge for me.  However, I do enjoy perforating and snipping parchment, so this was my way out.

i picked a Clarity stamp that I have actually cut in the past with a blade, and stamped it onto parchment.  I embossed the branches in the traditional way.  Then the birds were coloured on the front with my Caran D'Ache blending pencils, and I went over that with a clear Wink of Stella pen to add a little gentle sparkle.

Then it was a case of just sitting down and doing all the perforating with a fine double needle  tool, leaving just the birds, the branches and the single line border.  The final bit was to actually cut with my parchment scissors to leave just the bits I needed.  I attached the resulting parchment to a shiny blue paper with invisible thread (dreadful stuff, always in a tangle) before mounting the whole thing on simple white card.

The sentiment is another Clarity stamp but is one I really like a lot.