What is Pergamano?

Following my recent Post, Rita, of SoulComfort blog, had to Google the answer, so I've done the same. The answer is:
Pergamano is a trade name for Parchment Craft supplies.  However the term Pergamano ('Perga', Spanish for parchment and 'Mano', Spanish for hands) is now used world wide to describe this fascinating craft.
The heavy parchment paper is a translucent grey colour, but when you pressure-emboss it (pressing on it with a small round-ended tool) on a soft surface, it becomes a satiny, opaque white.  In addition to pressure embossing, there are various painting and perforating techniques that can be applied to make a very elegant looking piece of art work.  Using perforating tools such as the flower tool, the four hole piercer and the diamond tool and grid make the parchment lace-like.  With these techniques, you can make cards, bookmarks, boxes, lamp shades and even three-dimensional flowers.

In process

So, now that my white pen has arrived, before the craft group meets tonight, I've finally finished mine, remembering to use tissue to keep my sweaty paws from marking the front.

Traced, Embossed and partly Perforated

When I tore the pin-pricked edge I realised that I had forgotten to go through both front and back together. Pity. However, not too bad for a first effort.

The Finished Card

All I have to do now is to make an insert for the words, which also strengthens the card to stand. I think I'll send it to Jean!

Instead of all-white colouring and embossing, the back of the flowers can be painted. Jean had lots of samples she had made and they are beautiful.

Have a try yourself. Mind you, one wee tip I know is that vellum in a folder run through the Cuttlebug or Big Shot or whatever, gives a very Pergamano-like effect! Shhh...

Paint Fusion

Previous to our special craft afternoon, the group met for Jane's Project using Sheena Douglass' Ancient Arches rubber stamp set. Pulling out all the stops, Jane led us through the steps:

• rubber stamp the edges of an 8" square card with crackle pattern
• gold heat emboss the feather on a smaller square piece of brown pearlised card
• using three toning distress inks, sponge blobs over an A6 piece of the same brown card
• rubber stamp the arches on top of the rainbow mix
• using a wet paintbrush, streak-lift-off paint in lines where the rays of light would come through the window and land on the pillars (remembering that light travels in a straight line!), and from the little arched window
• paint twinkling Luminarte over the lines to sparkle
• matt the picture onto gold and place onto the brown
• add a banner when ready to personalise
• use Copic pens or similar to colour pearl stones and decorate corners

Ancient Arches

Pin-Pricking and Pergamano

The craft group met for a special event with our "Crafting Mama", Jean, who showed us how to do two projects. In a beautifully sun-warmed conservatory we enjoyed the lunch items we had brought then moved on to the business of the day.

Firstly pin-pricking from a pattern with decoupage in the centre.

Pin-pricking Decoupage

Secondly Pergamano. Well, my white gel pen wouldn't work. Then I didn't get on at all with pen nib and white ink, it was like being back in primary school with a scratchy nib (showing my age there!). So I left finishing tracing the pattern till I ordered a new white gel pen. The pen has arrived and I hope to finish tracing, embossing and pin-pricking/tearing to show Jean that I really did finish my card. Craftywhippet finished hers with only a teensy slip of the tearing...

Craftywhippet at work on the first project

Christmas is early this year

Well I did do some more crochet. I finished the Christmas stocking for Evan, and I made the Granny Squares a little larger than in the past. The bells on the hanging loop amused him but I wasn't convinced that he wouldn't chew them off, so the sock has been removed till December!

Santa Sock

Santa up close

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Adventures with Evan

Unsurprisingly, I'm a typically besotted Granny. Evan's fascinated by the washing machine and tries to fill or empty it whenever he gets the chance. (Oh that he will still be like that when he's a teenager!)

My finger might get jammed

Another item he loves is Hudson's water bowl. Looks like Evan is with his Granny in enjoying plastic ducks!

Teaching the fridge magnet quack quack to swim!

Granny at Praise Gathering Belfast Hilton

By the way, the aftermath of the cake...

and the remnant remains

Tatty Teddy Looks in on us Crafting

When we made our Easter Cards Tatty Teddy video, afterwards Tatty Teddy looked in on us to see how our crafting was going. As you know if you have watched the video, it wasn't one of my better days, having forgotten to check the remote control battery and then discovering a spare...in my video camera case of course! I had also made a purchase on eBay which hadn't yet arrived - so it will be seen in another video, coming up soon, we hope.

Anyway, TT joined in our Craft & Chat outtake video, as we dissolved in giggles as usual. Hope it gives you a wee laugh.

Tatty Teddy Family

1 +1 day

Birthday boy part two with Auntie Debbie's and friend Victoria's cake now complete with edible animals, plus the foam ones lazing around.

Noah's Ark on Mt Ararat

Inside is the Rainbow!

Multi-coloured sugar fest

Hudson's found a Wife

It's a Dog's Life

This one's not sugar

Evan taste-tested the animals and managed to bite off the end of the foam crocodile's tail, without swallowing it. A number of searching fingers explored, but Mummy's was the one which rescued it.

Now We are One

Evan is 1 today!

Craftywhippet and I had such fun thinking about our Grandsons' birthday cards. She came up with the idea that we could make a giant A4 stepper card (but twice the normal A5 size) and fill it with photos from the past year, with a larger photo from as near a year old as possible in the centre.

Large Stepper

I love working with photos, and resized them onto holographic card to fit the steps and rise up behind each other, managing to squeeze on 21 photos altogether. Tatty Teddy hearts paper on the A5 section, and Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles die to shape the larger photo, surrounded by name and age banners designed with MS Publisher, and finished with a glittery1and star.

To scale on trimmer

Evan's Auntie Debbie has been busy making Noah's Ark clay animals for on top of his birthday cake. Aren't they great? Her friend Victoria made the Rainbow cake.

Debbie got carried away introducing animals to their spouses

Off now to celebrate with his new Little Tikes Jubilee car... 

Nails R Ruth Repainted

Hi Everyone,

As you can see the silver nails have gone and for the next few weeks fingers and toes will be rose pink. I thought something calmer would be better this time round but changed my mind at the last minute. Sooooo unlike me. Thank you Ailsa for your patience!!

Anyway, very shortly Alice will be showing you the spectacular card she  has made for her Grandson's first birthday. We both discussed our Grandsons' First Birthday cards and what we could do that would be special. I won't give you any hints as to what the card looks like but you will enjoy seeing it. For some reason Evan has to see it first followed by his Mummy and Daddy. How strange.

I am not called CraftyWhippet for nothing as when it comes to making a card for my Grandson.......I can borrow the templates Alice used for Evan's card.

Now, that is crafty.

Ruth

Crochet

I've taken up crochet again, after refreshing my memory of how to do the basic stitches for Granny Squares, planning on making a stocking for Evan's Christmas. It's fun to get back into an old hobby first picked up when I was a teenager! It might take me till December to complete it. However, I haven't given up on cardmaking and have made his 1st birthday card for 5 April, using an idea that craftywhippet came up with. Watch this space...

Meanwhile I've crocheted a wee flower, and used a nice pearl button in the centre, for my pull-on hat against the snowy Arctic winds. I got the pattern from a blog called Attic24, using just one random colour green wool.

Snow Joke

Well the snow has finally reached Glasgow, we hoped it would stay elsewhere in Scotland. Ah, but this morning the noise of the children playing in the park sounds happy! Our little Grandsons are too young for such joys. Last night was so cold, we've turned soft over this wet winter. Here's a last night and this morning pair of photos.

Perhaps it's a day for crafting indoors?