Hi there. Thanks for popping in. Every morning, without fail, Dave reads a page from his little book of Tao Daily Reflections. It’s become part of our routine. Tea, toast, the cats wandering about looking hopeful, and then a quiet thought to start the day. This morning one sentence leapt off the page. “The irony of life is that it’s a one-way journey.” I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It really is, isn’t it? There are no U-turns. No…
Hi there, Thanks for popping in. During lockdown, Grace and I started a little Facebook group called The Gray-Scalers. It wasn’t about achieving the perfect figure. It wasn’t about fad diets or impossible targets. It was simply a group of friends gently encouraging one another to make healthier choices, sharing the occasional victory, admitting the occasional wobble, and remembering that it’s always easier when you’re not doing it alone. Like so many things that began during lockdown, life gradually moved…
Hi there. Thanks for popping in. I’ve been thinking about this afternoon’s TV show, and it struck me that you only ever really see the finished result. You see a new stamp collection. A new set of Landscape Colour Washes. A workshop project. A TV demonstration. What you don’t usually see is how all those things are connected. So today, I thought I’d show you behind the scenes a little. Everything starts with a pencil. If I’ve got an idea…
Hi there. Thanks for popping in. I do hope you are coping with the heat! We’ve had a few storms and showers, which are very welcome. But you know what they say about the weather in England. If you don’t like it – wait a minute! I wanted to tell you about our rather splendid day out yesterday. It was a Dave plan. During the week he had asked me “Fancy a day out on Saturday?” “Sure. What do you…
Hi there, Thanks for popping in. It’s been such a very busy and energetic week! Super successful TV shows, great teamwork at Clarity – and the highlight that was Thursday, which, looking back, was clearly meant to be. Let me explain… Dave is a very thoughtful husband. He knows me well, and knows also, that after a busy Hobbymaker TV day, I am pretty wiped out the following day. So he often tries to distract me and plans a little…
Hi there, Thanks for popping in. This afternoon on Clarity Social TV, Paul and I will be introducing a brand new collection of Wee Stamps. Three A5 stamp sets of little characters. We are calling these our Wee Family & Friends – Life & Love, Dream & Wonder, Childhood Days. We also made a set of ALL the characters in miniature. These are absolutely brilliant – not only for Mini Makes, but also for creating depth and perspective. See here?…
How one unexpected creative detour reminded me why Clarity is the bridge to art. Hi there. Thanks for popping in. On Friday afternoon, during our live Clarity Social TV show, I found myself heading off in a completely unexpected direction. We were launching this month’s Product of the Month: A set of Butterfly stamps, hand drawn by myself, and a new pack of very summery Cloud cards to add to our Elements range. I was demonstrating a pair of cards…
There’s something wonderfully restorative about spending a whole day in the pottery studio. And yesterday was the day! No agenda. No deadlines. No “must finish this by…”Just clay, and the simple joy of making. I love getting completely immersed in the processes — be it throwing, turning, or coming up with a completely new construction. The birds in the garden were in full song, so I decided to listen to them instead of a book or music. Opened the garage…
Hi there, Thanks for popping in. Sunday morning feels like a good time for stories…. There are certain places in the world that leave a mark on your soul. For me, New Mexico and Arizona have always been amongst those places. Dave and I were fortunate enough to spend some time there again this April during a wonderful 3,000-mile road trip through the American Southwest and California. It was one of those journeys that stays with you long after you’ve…
There’s something rather lovely about a few simple words landing at exactly the right moment. That’s really where the idea for our new Affirmation Cards began. Not because life is always easy. Quite the opposite, in fact. Most of us are juggling far too much far too often — work, family, worries, responsibilities, deadlines, laundry baskets, ageing parents, aching backs, forgotten passwords… the list goes on! And somewhere in the middle of all that noise, it’s very easy to lose…