Precious Time

Precious Time

Hello there.
Thanks for stopping by!
I really ought to do this more often. 
Get up at 5 in the morning, I mean!
It is so quiet and cool. 
The birds are twittering and chatting outside, and I feel really relaxed and happy here, enjoying a cuppa, and spending a little time with you.
The last 2 days have been full on. Yesterday evening we waved goodbye to the first group of Clarity friends who joined us for a art-packed 2 days. What can I say? If the next sessions are anywhere near as enjoyable and fun, I am in for a fantastic week. 
So you think all we do is make cards, huh?
Not so!
Here we all are first thing on Monday Morning, 
hanging out in the sun, doing our pre-class stretch exercises
FANTASTIC.
And so, whilst I was really sad to say “till next time” to these lovely lovely people, time stands still for no-one. 
This morning, we welcome a new group of Clarity guests.
I am excited to welcome them too!
The tables are freshly laid,
the kettle will soon be boiling, and we will take it from the top. 
So I must go get ready, and take Dave a brew.
But before I shoot off, 
I will leave you with a little Shaving Foam clock piece I made
You can buy the individual bottles, 
or you can get the lot at a great price!
How do you get the stencil image to stay so crisp?
Well here’s what I figured out:
1) Attach the stencil to the card with masking tape on top of a sheet of copy paper.
2) Mix a little ink in with the shaving foam on a plate. Make swirls and patterns with the end of a paintbrush or a fork.
3) Scoop some of the mix up with a ruler and put it on the copy paper above the stencil. Maybe a little below, too.
4) Using the ruler or a spreader, slowly drag the coloured shaving foam through the stencil. You can change direction to get twists in the colours, you can come in from different angles. 
5) Scrape off the excess.
6) Lay a sheet of paper towel over the stencil, and blot away the excess shaving foam.
7) Carefully remove the stencil.
8) Leave your art to dry for 10 minutes
9) In the meantime, make the next one….
and that, my friends, is how the stencil stays nice and crisp.
It’s that easy. 
Time. Is it me? Or is time speeding up?
Can you believe that July is nearly spent again??
The days just seem to fly by. Literally. 
I have finally worked out that, since time is moving so fast, I have to spend it wisely.  I try not to waste it, like I used to when I was younger. I still catch myself sometimes, doing stupid, senseless stuff, wasting precious time. If it was gold, I would be more careful with it. I suppose I should treat it as if it were.
Just for today, I shall pretend that TIME is GOLD, 
and see if my attitude shifts. Want to join me? 
Have a super day.
I am sure we will !
much love,

42 thoughts on “Precious Time

  1. Morning Barb, what a great picture of the first group, I bet they had a simply awesome time. Yes time is precious, so I will go with you and pretend it is gold, and see what I can do today that wastes less. Love this image with the foam and the stencil, and I am determined to do one today, have a good time with your next group. Bx

  2. Fab picture, those lucky ladies. I'm looking forward to Catterick in September, not that I'm wishing time away, as you said time is precious indeed. Must crack on with my day, dogs to walk then Month-end accounts to finish!

    Fantastic tips re using stencils and the foam technique, I've only recently had a go with the shaving foam and will definitely be having a play with all my stencils. Enjoy the rest of your week xx

  3. Good morning Barbara – I am sure today's group will have as much fun as we did over the past two days – it was just fantastic and we both learned so much! Is Prince Philip dropping in today? Thank you again Barbara and Team Clarity – you all rock! Have fun everyone! xx

  4. Hi Barbara. Great shaving foam piece, I find it rather addictive and when I get it out I make loads to use a backgrounds ( I use an old baking tin and lay the paper on top of the foam as I always spoil it if I try and move the patterned foam!) Good to hear that you all had a great retreat, enjoy this one just as much : ) Take care.

  5. Good morning Barbara,
    The retreat was so much fun, so well organized, and the instruction spot on. You are a gifted teacher and I thank you for time so well spent. Great card today, I love the shaving foam technique. So many new things to put into my bag of tricks. Hope your next workshops are fun too, enjoy

  6. Thank you Barbara for showing this beautiful technique. Lots of my friends are joining you today and tomorrow, just sorry I can't be with you this year. Hopefully next year and as time is going so fast it'll come round in the blink of an eye xxxx

  7. Hi Barbara. Glad it's all going so well and you've managed to enjoy the start of a new morning. Expect you'll have your hands full with this next retreat as you've got a lot of my Northern friends coming & we have such a great time at our classes with Maria (Hi Jo, Jane, Sam, Sharon & Susan). I'm can't wait for my turn in August!
    Loving the combination of shaving foam & that stencil. It's so sharp too. Will defo be getting some cheap foam to do this.
    Enjoy your day. Jeanette xx

  8. We did hate such a great time, and I would love to join you, Barbara, for second bite of the cherry. Does anyone ever book in for a double session? I bet we would still learn new things if we did. Thank you for being such a brilliant and patient teacher. xx. Maggie

  9. I love the marbled backgrounds and this is a quicker way to get the marbled effect than the oil paints on water we use to do .
    Time does seem to fly by but for many it is slower because they are lonely – the best use of my time is sat with one of my elderly ex-neighbours , chatting about what ever topic we choose . She see's few people and says time drags and yet we can loose 2 or 3 hours sat chatting over coffee and home made cake . May be if we all shared our speeding clocks with someone' who's clock plods on may be we could readjust the balance ?
    I don't see my time as gold more the way I fill it lol!

  10. Oooh …. looks like fun! I'm packing my bag as we speak and I'll be there on Fri/Sat ….. sooooo excited!! It's my first time on a Clarity Retreat ……(a Clarity Virgin you could say) so be gentle with me Barbara. Enjoy round 2 ! See you at the weekend. Linda xx

  11. Morning Barbara have a fantastic day , just love the shaving foam technic could play for hours always different but haven't used on a stencil so really need to ASAP lots love to everyone xxx

  12. Hi Barbara wow I really must play with this I'm being so lazy in this heat!!! Yes time does fly by too quickly can't believe we are nearly in august! My daughter is noticing it too ( at 17!) she was looking at photos yesterday of school and I had comments of was that really 5 years ago it seems like yesterday! But also what was I thinking about having my hair like that!!!! Why did you let me out the house!!! It did make me laugh! Have a great day at the retreat and enjoy your stretches. Love Diane xx

  13. Fabulous design Barbara. I reallt must give this a try. Enjoy round 2 – would have loved to attend but am away all this week anyway. Have fun. Hope Dave got his brew. Xx

  14. Hi Barb,
    Looks like a fabulous time was had by all. Glad it went so well. Love this technique although I have yet to try it! Have everything I need but just haven't got round to trying – is it fear or lack of time I ask myself?! Have fun. Love Alison xxx

  15. Great got to try this, keep saying I will and don't get round to it. Glad the retreats going well, I will be watching out for next years as certainly on my list. As you say time flies by. I was told so many times that I would be bored when I retired, NO CHANCE! We have been very busy I can always find something to do. Just not enough hours, next on my list is to start a blog. Have fun with your new pupils today. xx

  16. Love it, stencil is great and so is the shaving foam… the colours come out beautifully.
    Love 'your ramblings' too, a daily fix of them is a must for me. Please don't stop. xx

  17. Hello Barbara. I was thrilled to see a button on someone's blog which brought me in one click to your own blog. I read a few posts and wanted to sign up to be a follower …. but sadness of sadness' – it appears I can only click to follow if I either have a Google account (I don't), or a Twitter account (I don't) or a Facebook account (I don't).

    I have a blog over on WordPress (it was there, on a fellow crafters blog, where I found the button to click to come & visit here) – & I have an email account – either of which normally is fine for 'following' blogs – but I can't find anywhere here, on your blog, where I can 'follow' using my email account. Is there one and I'm being as blind as the proverbial bat? 😀

  18. Thank you Barbara for this gentle reminder of the last technique from yesterday. I had a wonderful 2 days and would have happily stayed for more. The "team" were fab, so friendly and helpful.
    Hugs

  19. Love this technique – makes the clock stencil look so feminine, whereas I usually end up making masculine cards with the stencil – I love that you challenge how I think through your wonderful blog! Thanks, Susan x

  20. I'm sure that you've had a lot of fun with today's group, too. I'll get to join you one day!
    Yes, the passing of time is really scary. Even on a day where I have nothing important planned, I never get done all I'd like. People thought that, when I retired, I'd be bored and time would drag-how wrong they were!!!
    I do take the point from Crafty Magpie, though. I'm lucky to have such full days.
    Thanks Barbara. Have fun, Jan

  21. This shaving foam gives a great result, and it has worked so well with the clockwork stencil. Thank you so much for the tips on how to apply it successfully. Glad the first workshop went so well and good luck with the next. x

  22. Yes time is going to quick, too quick to be in a job that makes you sad but I am trying to stay positive and belive that something else is out there and when the time is right for me it will appear xx

  23. I was very brave this week and played with the shaving foam and inks but using the squared stencil, although I do have the mechanical one. I was dead chuffed because I placed the stencil on black card and it looks really good. Made my day. thank you Barb for encouraging me to give the technique a whirl.

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