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…
Well, that was fun! If you joined us on Clarity Social TV on Friday, you’ll have seen something a little different from us — our brand new brush pots and pen pots. And my word, what a response! A complete sell-out… just like that. Thank you. Clarity Merch!! Who’d have thunk it… But what I really want to share with you today isn’t just what we launched — it’s how it came to life. Because, as always here at Clarity,…
It has been a while since I sat down to write here regularly. Apart from the 100 day countdown to Christmas, that is! But that was Clarity-centric, and a simple case of creative focus. Fun too! No no. I’m talking about a much deeper connection. For years, this blog was part of the rhythm of my days — a place to share thoughts, artwork, stories and the little things that caught my eye. Then life shifted. When Dad died, something…
Hi there Happy Sunday. I went for a Japanese meal with my good friend Carron the other evening. She talked about “Santosha”. A Sanskrit term, meaning “complete contentment”, “satisfaction”. “acceptance”. Carron does yoga, and in Yoga philosophy, it represents an internal state of peace that is independent of external circumstances or material possessions. I guess it’s what I’ve always referred to as “an inside job”. Apparently, when we speak of acceptance in connection with Santosha, we don’t mean settling for…