Parchment Craft Free Pattern - Bookmark

Here is my new free pattern design for a bookmark. There are instructions for both the coloured and whitework version of the bookmark. Download the bookmark free pattern and feel free to change and bring new dimensions to the design. I would love to see what you have created so send me a picture and I will put it in the gallery.

Parchment Craft Free Pattern - Butterfly Trellis

Here is my new free parchment craft pattern called Butterfly Trellis. Please feel free to adapt and innovate from this design if you want to. Don't forget to send me a picture of the card or a link to get to it, and I will put it in the Gallery.

Embossing an Oval Shape on to Parchment

Embossing an oval or circle shape on to parchment is really difficult to get right. First of all you have to trace it from the pattern in white pencil, then turn the parchment over and emboss the line. The long curved line needs a steady hand and it is always best to turn the parchment frequently and steady the side of your hand on a surface while you arc the embossing tool or pencil. Find a position that is comfortable for your hand and try to do the arc quickly and smoothly.  On the new free pattern above I tried the tracing method and got a fair result. I also tried one of the PCA embossing templates for oval shapes and the result was much better and easier (this is the result above). The embossing templates are plastic and once they are fixed in position with tiny balls of blu-tac under the parchment, you can use the ball tool to follow the template and create a perfect oval or circle etc. they come in many different shapes and sizes. If you have a tip to help drawing shapes on parchment please comment below.

Free pattern now available here.

Beautiful Card

A big thank you to Sandra who sent me this beautiful card she made for her Mother,which she designed by adapting the 'Flowers and Lace' free pattern. I love the butterflies and diamante decorations on the wings. Excellent! Let me know if you have made any of the free patterns or adapted one and want to display it in the Gallery.

Free Parchment Craft Pattern - Art Nouveau - Profile of a Lady

Here is my fourth free parchment craft pattern download - hope you like it. Click here.for the pattern.

Free Parchment Craft Pattern 'Flowers and Lace'

Here is the new free pattern. I recently broke my arm so I probably haven't finished the card as elaborately as I would have liked. If you download any of my patterns please feel free to change any parts you wish or make improvements, and send them to me and I will put them in a gallery. Click here for free pattern and instructions.

Free Parchment Craft Pattern 'Lotus Flower and Bamboo Border'

Lotus Flower and Bamboo border. If you would like a copy of my design and instructions, click here.

Free Parchment Craft Pattern 'Spirals'

This is my design 'Spirals'. If you would like a copy of the design and instructions, click here.

Parchment Craft DVD Review - The Art of Embossing 1

Kannikar Sukseree's Art of Embossing DVD is the companion to the book of the same name. However if you already have the book it is still well worth getting the DVD as the designs are all new. It is an essential buy for anyone who wants to improve their embossing technique, giving a comprehensive introduction to embossing and the materials and equipment required.

Kanni covers solid and shadow embossing through five different designs. She shows in detail how to use the different tools, especially the hockey stick, which I have always found more challenging than the ball tools.

If you want more instruction on how to emboss leaves and petals using different methods and different tools, when and where to emboss outlines, how to emboss to get a realistic impression of light and shade on your project, this is the DVD for you.

The DVD is split into four areas: the introduction, tools and materials, lessons and the cards are on the final section. The detailed instructions are for four cards and there is a fabulous fifth A4 size design which brings all the techniques together to do at the end.

This is my attempt at design one which demonstrates solid embossing, I am currently working on the next card which is shadow embossing.

Parchment Craft - The Techniques Volume 5- Using Coloured Pencils

This is the fifth volume in Pergamano's series of starter books for the techniques used in parchment craft. This book explains the techniques involved in using coloured pencils (Pergamano Perga Liners) to colour parchment. As with the other volumes the fully illustrated instructions are clear and there are quite a few patterns to work through step by step as you learn the techniques. There is a clear explanation of the use of oil-based coloured pencils and water colour pencils and using both together. The books are written as a set, this book assumes that you have mastered the techniques that were covered in volumes 1-4. I have completed one of the patterns (shown above) and found the instructions very good. There may be a problem if you choose to use pencil crayons that are not the brand Pergamano, the instructions give the 'numbers' which are coded on the Pergamano pencils rather than colours. So you would have to try and work out the colours yourself using the illustration.

What are Dip Dots?

If you come across a pattern that asks for 'dip dots' these are round, rather neat embossed, dots of paint or ink. Using a ball tool, dip into the paint or ink and in an upright position dot the ball tool onto the parchment. The dots can be embossed from the back, when the paint is dry.

This is a card I made using a dip dots circle around the pansies, it is designed by Christine Coleman.

Stencilled Iris

This is the first project I have done

in the 'Stencilling with Pastels' book. The instructions were clear, I added a backing behind my frame for more depth of colour and to prevent parts of the iris leaves showing through the vellum frame. Perga spray was very good for the invisible glue, it also is repositionable if you don't get it right first time.

Workshop Holiday Project

This is the project I finished (not framed yet) at the Christine Coleman /Alison Yeates Parchment Craft workshop. I had a great time! Thanks to everyone.

Owl

This owl pattern is from the book 'Borders and Decorations' by Martha Ospina.

Tulips

This is a fairly simple design using a line drawing of tulips from a copyright free book. The frame was perforated and embossed using a siesta grid.

One stroke painting

This is a design from 'Amazing Brushstrokes' by Kanni Sukseree, it is my first attempt at one stroke painting. She makes it look so easy but I find it quite challenging!

A Parchment Envelope

Designed by Christine Coleman
I made this to give as a present with a token or money inside.

Carla Larter Design

I made this card from the Carla Larter book, the oval borders are from a Siesta parchment pattern grid.

Kannikar Sukseree flower

I made this Kannikar Sukseree design from the June issue of Parchment Craft.

Using coloured pencils

I made this card from Christine Coleman's beginners DVD. The parchment background is coloured with oil pastels (dorsing) but also the flowers, leaves and butterfly are coloured from the back with coloured pencils.