A Moment of Clarity at the NEC

A Moment of Clarity at the NEC

Good morning Friday!
Day 1 at the NEC.
Stand all lovely,
Staff all lovely…
The very lovely and talented Maria Simms,
The wonderful Jayne; she who knits tits.
Notice Dave on the phone….
Oh! There he is, on the phone again…
Ah, Heather, our angel with the kneepads.
And gorgeous Chloe, Jayne the tit-knitter’s daughter.
And so the scene is set.
The stencils, the stamps, the fabulous samples.
9.29 am. The crowd is waiting patiently for the bell to ring.
And then the show was announced open, and boom!
The next however many hours flew by.
Friends turned up, made new friends, did loads of arty demos, and before I looked up, it was 5.30. And everyone had gone home.
Except us!
Time to restock, after a flat-out day, and then go eat.
It was raining cats and dogs though.
So we made plastic carrier bag hats, and asked the security guard to take a pic with my Ipad.
Err….
So gave him a quick lesson on how to keep his hands out of the way!
And there we are:
Diamonds – each and every one.
1 down. 3 to go.
But what a team.
I am really happy to be here,
And that’s primarily down to them.
Come and see us if you get a chance. It’s a pretty cool show!
Much love,
Barb x

70 thoughts on “A Moment of Clarity at the NEC

  1. Hi Barb,
    Stand looks fantastic and good to see that you are all still smiling after such a long day. Love the plastic bag hats – could start a new line – Clarity hats!!! Hope the rest of the show goes well. One day I will get there! Love Alison xxxx

  2. Looks like you're having a great time, Barbara…your success is well-deserved! When are you coming to Belfast to 'show' us how it's done?? 😀 xx

  3. Morning Barbara. We came yesterday. Needless to say I spent a lot more than I should have. I had a nice chat with Dave, about sheep etc. You were busy, as always. Enjoy the rest if the show. Xx

  4. It's all about teamwork, glad you have such great support. I've met Maria and Heather several times, lovely lovely ladies. Hope all continues to go well, don't think you'll have much to pack away 🙂 . Take care xx

  5. Looks like you had a good day one. Dave on the phone arranging for more stock, I wonder! Love the hats and hope you had a good meal. See you on Sunday!

  6. What a lorra lorra stuff. Blimey, dont envy you carting that lot around but you look like you had a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. You deserve the rewards. Only wish I could come but got to earn a crust. Good luck for today

    Mx

  7. Came to see you yesterday but couldn't get close with a wheelchair to watch you so we sat and watched Maria do a fab demo with the gilding flakes. Hope the remaining 3 days are as good

  8. Stand looks great, you'll all be busy but I bet you have fun. Wish I was there, I came to the Stevenage show but wish I was attending the NEC too. Have fun. Jx

  9. I am coming to see you on Saturday, hope you have some stock left ordered the gilding flakes on the web as I had to have them. But loads on my wish list too, looking forward to meeting you I hope.
    Pamx

  10. Hi Barbara. Love the pics, especially the last ones : ) ! So glad that you had a great day, and I hope the rest of the show goes just as well. I can't get to the NEC this time but will be there in November. Take care.

  11. Good luck for today. I would love to be there, but will have to wait till the next one in November…. Thanks for the pictures, I particularly like the one with your very creative hats. xx

  12. Love the picture specially those designer hats. Would live to come one day will get just could cope with the walking finding it harder to get about love the the pictures of what looked like a wheelchair race I suppose will have to get one to come but hate the idea of being in one all part of getting older the old bones how's your neck holding up have a great day xxx

  13. Plastic granny hoods, what do you all look like? Glad the first day went well hope it continues. Would love to be there but life gets in the way sometimes. Joan x

  14. Hi, Barbara, great to see all your team. Please pass on my regards to Heather. I had a lovely chat with her at the SECC. She's a really hard worker. You have some lovely folk working for you. See that you delegate and pace yourself, though I suspect that is easier said than done.
    Sylvia x

  15. I had a whale of a time yesterday and met all the lovely team. Dave relieved me of a lot of money and I can't wait to use all the things I bought. Thank you for finding the time to chat. The Clarity stand was definitely the busiest in the show, beaten only by a couple of stands giving away free samples of food. Everyone was so friendly and helpful and i got loads of good tips from you, and from Maria and Jo. I just wish I had remembered to go back and buy that Chinese Lantern stencil. Now I have to be patient and wait for it to appear on the website. Moral – if you like/love something, get it while you can see it. I almost feel like coming back again on Saturday to get that one – but perhaps that is just being silly, what with fuel, car park fees, and entrance fee, not to mention all the extra money I would end up spending. Hope you have a great time on the remaining three days, then back home for some well deserved R&R. xxxx Maggie

  16. Great photo of your fantastic team even if you have plastic bags on your heads lol. The stand looks brilliant and it sounds like you had an amazing first day so I'm sure the other 3 will be as good.
    Have fun
    Jackie

  17. You could start a new trend there Barbara – plastic carrier bag hats, very fetching!! Glad you had such a good day and hope the remainder will be just as much fun. Pat xx

  18. What are you doing with all your fabulous demo pieces you make over the show? Could I make a suggestion and have a little prize draw for them if of course you have no plans for them….
    I hope you have another successful day today at the NEC, which of course will be in full swing by now x. Have fun Dx

  19. Hi wish I could. I missed Glasgow as I am still recovering from surgery and didn’t have the strength to do both staggered return to work and the show. Looking forward to see you on the TV with all your hints, tips and wonderful stamps. Oh and got my club membership online. Couldn’t be rude and not order other items. So the stencil brushes, stencil folder and other goodies have just arrived. Have a wonderful show to one and all, hugs

  20. Your stand looks amazing, and it's a good job that I'm not there…….I would be so tempted, I'd need to take out a 2nd mortgage. I am coming to the Happy Stampers show however, and I'm busy saving my pennies for that! Wishing you we'll over the rest of the show.

  21. your stand was ace as usual. picked up some tips from Maria – thanks. my purse was lighter ….much lighter when i left but a pretty good day to be had hugs to all xx

  22. Drooling like a kid in a sweet shop looking at your stand! Just as well I'm not close enough to attend…my bank manager would need sedating! 🙂 Have a great rest of show. Love 'n' hugs xxx

  23. Great pics Barbara – I do wish I could be there, but it's too far. I am going to the Creative Craft show in Belfast in April, that's the nearest I get to anywhere that I can buy my stuff without paying postage!

    I wish you could come with your stand, I'd be the first in the queue.

  24. Great that Heather and her knee pads got a mention, I am a big fan! Always so very helpful at the shows. Sorry that you weren't actually at the SECC Barbara…bet you missed us? Great to see your diamonds there though xx

  25. So wish I could be with you, but for some reason guests keep coming to see us even in the rain! Must be my baking….Love the rainhats – one of my Welsh guests told me the other day that the phrase for "raining cats and dogs" is "raining old women and sticks" in Wales – Hilarious! I wonder where all these strange phrases come from? Hope you have another busy and fulfilling day. Susan x

  26. Wish I could be there but alas work and distance prevent it. Love the hats, I've got just the bag to go with them, knitted from bin bags in black and white! Hope the rest of the days are as good for you all. x

  27. What a great team – what a great stand – what great hats (well maybe). What a pity that time, distance and that awful boss of us all Money, just won't allow me to visit. Maybe next year. Enjoy the next couple of days. Margaret Col

  28. Your stand looks absolutely beautiful Barbara. Just wish I could be there but I have so much going on at the moment that I'm not able to come to the show. So pleased you had a great first day and hope you will come to the south west sometime in the future. Love the picture of you all with your fancy head wear and I can see you make a great team. x

  29. Looking good – wish I could be there but because of work and the distance unable to do so. Hope to see you all at the Ally Pally on 12th April – can't wait. Making lists and redoing lists. Hope all goes well (I'm sure it will). xx

  30. Ahh , I am more certain each day you are one of my old managers reborn as he use to always say 'work as a team , makes the day seam like a dream '
    Here is to a good team !
    He also use to say 'if you lead as you wish to be followed you will be a leader worth following '
    You fit that bill I think .
    Have a fab time x

  31. Stand looks fantastic, I have my list ready but sure I shall get lots more that isn't on it. No willpower at times. Looking forward now to tomorrow we always have a wonderful time and come back with loads of brilliant new ideas. However not sure we will be making hats like yours not too sure they are going to set a trend. Very funny though.. Lynne xx

  32. Looks wonderful what a fantastic team have a fantastic n.e.c would loved to have been there but alas illnesses will not allow looking forward to your c&c shows and lessons coming soon xxx

  33. You're a fantastic team and all wonderful people. I feel blessed to say I know you!!!
    Your hats made me giggle…I thought at first you had been on a new app on your ipad! You all look like elves!
    Have a great last two days! I'll see you next week at Port Sunlight! X

  34. Fun times by the looks of it – would love to have been able to come and see you, but a bit too far for me too 🙁 Hope you enjoy the rest of the showtime 🙂 Take care, Carole x

  35. You make me smile every day. Well it was more like a giggling chuckle. You and your team are so hard working and must be exhausted and yet you still manage to have a laugh… and make us laugh. Glad its going so well. Say hi to Maria and Heather for me and tell Jayne i think her knitted tits are amazing 🙂 xxx

Leave a Reply to Naomi Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *