Can’t see the woods for the trees…
Hi there!
Well, here we are, the day before Christmas, and I AM FLAPPING!!! Who wants to join me jumping up and down on the spot? It must be good for something!
The guys at work have just suggested I go and do my blog, which loosely translated, probably means s*d off and stop panicking!
So I thought this one would be rather appropriate. Apart from it only take 5 minutes, it pretty much sums up what’s happening in my washing machine head right now! I really cannot see the woods for the trees at this moment.
All you need is
A scourer or fine sand paper
Rub some fine sand paper over the black Clarity card in sweeping circular movements. Go round and round, much like I am right now!
Stamp the Silver Birch tree in Black Adirondack right across a piece of A6 Claritypaper
Attach this to a sheet of A6 Double-sided tape
Cut out the individual tree trunks.
Don’t worry about the little twigs.
Attach them randomly to the moody wintery background
All ready for a fabulous verse, black on white, to be mounted to the right.
So now it’s YOUR turn. Which verse would you pick?
Which, of all the Clarity poems and verse, do you think would work well here?
I wonder if you come up with the one I am thinking of….
But now I really must dash. My parents are on their way over before the storm, and then we are all going for our Clarity Christmas Dinner. 20 minutes to get there…
I shall be sure to take lots of pics to share with you tomorrow.
Grace and Mark are both home safe and sound, which is a good thing, and there’s food in the pantry and wood by the fire. Although, the way things are headed, there may be wood in the pantry and food by the fire!
until tomorrow
Love,
47 thoughts on “Can’t see the woods for the trees…”
Hi Barb,
This is exactly how I'm feeling at the moment too! Just having yet another cup of coffee which is getting stronger by the cup, before I head out to face the supermarket to hopefully get everything that I forgot on Saturday – need to download Wunderlist!!! Braved the rain already to go to the Fish Quay at North Shields to get crab and Crevettes so at least that's sorted! Have a fabulous Clarity dinner and enjoy the time with all your family around you. Love Alison xxx
I will have a think about a suitable verse when I have found my kitchen and tidied the house before the cleaner comes. I love the effects you have created though. Have a wonderful meal and a great Christmas. You deserve some real down time with your friends and family. xx Maggie
Hi Barbara, my choice of clarity quote would probably be the walter de la mare (hope I got the name right) one about the moon – Slowly, now the moon, walks the night in her silver shoon…….
Hi Barbs, I agree with Phree, the moon and the silver shoon, either way, its a beautiful card. Hope you enjoy your clarity lunch, relax and enjoy being surrounded by family and friends that's what counts. Have a drink or two and it wont matter anyway. Joan x
"Don't Panic Mr Mainwaring" comes to mind but as that is not a Clarity verse then I guess it will have to be "Do what you can". Enjoy your dinner.
Elaine
Hi Barbara! Jumping up and down can be good if you have bumps in the carpet to get rid of!
Love this technique and I'd use that same verse… The silver shoon! http://www.claritystamp.co.uk/Clear-Stamps/Verses-and-Words/Verses-and-Poems/5954-/Silver-Shoon-As-Seen-On-TV
It fits that stamp so perfectly! I also like the matching stencil!!!
Glad to hear you have both of your children home safe and sound! Amy is coming home tomorrow so she is here for Christmas day! All getting close now! Hugs to you all! X
Den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht sehen können, kenne ich gut ! Have a nice Dinner and I also like the verse with the moon. xx
Lovely card and have to say I would be inclined t agree with Jane on the verse it does seem the most appropriate one for this card. Hope you all have a great dinner xx
Having just read the verses on your website I would have to agree that the Silver Shoon seems the most apt for such a beautiful looking card. I am pleased to hear that Grace has also arrived home safely and hope you all enjoy the Clarity dinner tonight. I am sure everything will come together for Christmas so don't panic and enjoy the time with your family.
Don't panic Barbara -you will get there!
Happy Christmas!
Xx Ruth
This looks so effective (need the silver birch stamp), come on payday! Seriously tho have a wonderful family christmas xx
Yes definitely for me: Slowly silently now the moon, Walks the night in her silver shoon, This way and that, she peers and sees Silver fruit upon silver trees. I just love this verse so many memories of having to learn the words parrot fashion … it's only now I really understand how beautiful and meaningful they are. Enjoy your well deserved Christmas dinner and then just go with the flow my mantra by this time in the festivities is: what I haven't got now .. we can live without …we won't starve xxx
Love it! Love it! Love it! … I'm sure your staff would have preferred a longer project tho! Deep breath in… Slowly out… And resume jumping on the spot! Jane's right… Gets the bumps out the rugs!
Have a wonderful time with your family Barbara… Maybe in 20 years we'll be enjoying one of your Tuesday blogs and you'll bring us all right back to this moment xxx have fun xxx
I'm starting a job, getting distracted and starting something else! This was a welcome sit down and a bit of calm in amongst the chaos! Hope you have a fantastic lunch and that everyone travels safely in this weather. xx
Yet another super duper card. It is because we have the ability to multi task so our head spins when we have too many multis to task!! Glad both your children are home safely mine don't have so far to come but one is coming from the other side of the Thames and the bridge is closed so he may be a while. Enjoy your day xx
Lovely blog again, I agree with all the others in that the moon verse would be right with this . Glad your babies got home okay . Enjoy your selves together and Barbara … Stop panicking!, x all the best x
Lovely creation – fab idea to scratch the black card! Stop panicking and breathe – if it's not done by now it's not that important! Have a lovely lunch and looking forward to seeing the photos xx
Nice technique, it looks like great fun. Enjoy your family especially time with Grace and Mark. Happy Christmas. Xx
remember this on tv and it looked amazing. still does now mind you. the moon verse would sit perfectly although maybe we should mask it off before we brush all over card……just a thought xx
Great card. Can't say I "need" this stamp but definitely "want" it!!! Happy Christmas everyone. 🙂
Oh Barbara how do you come up with all the ideas, inside your head must be buzzing. This is great just need that stamp now. I agree with everyone else the moon verse is the most appropriate. I've stopped jumping up and down, not doing my arthritic hip any good. Ha ha. Glad Grace and Mark are safely gathered in you can have some precious time with them now. Hope you enjoyed your lunch. xx
Hello Barb
Glad all are safe and gathered in..pity the poor sheep though….. the weather outside is frightful ….here in Bristol….. and the fire looks so delightful….. but its rain and wind ..not snow!
Love the background Barb…….it looks like my back garden whirling around.
Have a lovely time surrounded by those you love
Take care
Love Marg
Hi Barbara, if you have food, heat and your family with you I'd say you are ready for the festivities. Relax and enjoy. And I think your card for today is stunning.
Lesley
Silver Shoon it's got to be! Have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the family. Jane x
I'm not one for many verses and have just looked at the Clarity site – I'll have to go back and read all of them over Christmas! I'll go with the flow and look forward to seeing if everyone is right. Was just thinking this might suit a different sympathy card with a different back ground and verse (this one a bit dark for that).
My sister's birthday today and I used the bowl of cherries stencil and the cherry stamp for NDC – had to explain to her what I did – she hadn't really thought about it until I did then was surprised I was so clever – a simple but effective card and different for a December birthday! I'll post a pic soon. xx
I know the feeling Barbara, my house is still a work in progress. Men are laying the hall floor as I speak, the new dining table, and side tables need putting together, DFS were supposed to deliver my new sofas today, but have changed it to tomorrow. House needs a good clean, tree needs to go up. Yikes xx
Merry Christmas Barbara. Your stormy trees really match the view outside today. .. relax & enjoy this special time with your family all together. X
Hey Barb, jumping on the spot? Got to be kidding! more like running in circles – remember that NEL? Yes I have one! Your card today looks like the view outside my window, but still brilliant, still Barbara! Thank you for being Barb and giving us some hope in this insane world :-). Bx
Oh and Barb, I don't think you have a verse about the bleak Mid-winter?
Third time lucky! Not having blogged before! Wonderful blogs – just catching up on them. Thank you for a wonderful year and even more wonderful teaching. Hoping to attend a Workshop. Have a very Happy Christmas and a rest! Anne x
Love this technique and have used it in the past. I agree with everyone else in that the Silver Shoon verse would be good with this. Although your new hymn stamp In The Bleak Midwinter might just work – especially on a day like today. Hope you all had a great lunch and that you found it a calming experience. 🙂 xx
Such an effective technique – hope your team lunch went well, and that everyone got there and home again safe and sound! True friends can grow separately without growing apart – seems appropriate to me, and really resonates with me today after catching up with some old friends for lunch – all of us were in different places in our lives but it felt just the same to see them.
I was doing really well, not going round in circles and feeling fairly organised. Serves me right for feeling so calm. I managed to put my back out bringing in the shopping this morning. I've just come back from the chiropractor, who has worked wonders. But no lifting for a few days, so I shall be taking on a supervisory role with regards Christmas dinner rather than hands on!
Another technique which I will try in the new year when I try to get more me time!
ooh I have this stamp and am so gonna try this once the festivities are out of the way! No idea right now which verse i would choose as my head is much like yours. Have a fabulous time xx
Wonderful, I will be trying this one!
'and breathe'
that's what I tell myself when I'm flapping
it usually works
Merry Christmas
Oh Barbara I know just how you feel, with so much to think about/do our minds seem to go to mush! Right now I could do with two christmas eves in order to fit everything in that I need to do before the big day. I hope you have a lovely Clarity meal and that your stress levels disappear very soon. x
this is fab Barbara – I would definitely add – 'such is life if full of care- as later on it mentions 'no time to stand beneath the boughs – so for me it definitely goes with these trees – thats our family poem so I was very pleased when you did part of it on a stamp! I do hope you weathered the storm and were able to have a fabulous Clarity dinner! Big Happy Hugs to you xx
Merry Christmas Barbara. I like the moon stamp verse (did that make sense?) but in the bleak mid winter would work…wondering where you are going with this. It has been great reading you blog over these past few weeks (it makes up for missing you on tv.) Hope you have a wonderful New year too. Thank you for all your inspiration. Hugs xxx
happy Christmas ,I hope you and your family have a wonderful time . Thank you so much for giving me so much pleasure from your blog regards xxxxx
Really want this stamp, it's a lovely card. I think the Silver Shoon too. Hope you had a great evening with your family.
Another lovely, atmospheric card. Hope your Clarity dinner went well. Relax!
Any quote mentioning the beauty of trees would suit me. I love 'naked' trees more than fuly clothed ones so this stamp is right up my street in a manner of speaking.
Beryl xx
That's a great technique. Will def have a go. Christmas will work out ok in the end:-)
Have a wonderful Christmas Barbara and family. I have this stamp and haven't used it yet – eeek – thank you so much for the inspiration.
Annxxx
Wow Barbara, I have that stamp, and never thought to do that with it! Happy Christmas Eve to you and your family.
My granddaughter are going to try this one together and I'm really looking forward to 'crafting' with her and sharing this technique. Plus the fact that I have used this stamp many times. I love it.