To see the World in a grain of sand….

To see the World in a grain of sand….

Good Morning Monday!
Thank you for stopping by.
Running a little late again, 
but Romeo the cat just wouldn’t stand still for the pose!
Actually, the truth of the matter is that I fell down the stairs yesterday morning, and all I can say is, it wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t graceful! I was more concerned about the cold tea I sprayed all over the walls as I lay there! No, I didn’t regurgitate it! There was some left in the cups I was carrying!
Anyway, so I lost a day, and today I am moving rather slowly. 
Nothing terminal, but boy oh boy, we don’t bounce back like we did when we were younger, do we!
Thank heaven for shaving foam!
Here’s one of my all time favourite kits, simply stamped onto a swirly shaving foam background.
I have a stash!
but which one to choose…

This one! The one with lots of white card still showing.

Birdhouse in Black Archival ink. 
You need a permanent ink pad to stamp on shaving foam art.
A beautiful verse by William Blake.
Love this one.

Aha ! Romeo! Our black cat really is called Romeo. 
He is lovely. Old, very old. Born 1997.
Will still see off any cat OR dog 
that dares to stray into his domain!

Add a few little birdies…
and an edge round the ledge 
with a ruler and a black Sharpie pen.
Now let’s get arty. 
I have used a micron pen to add a few lines to the background. 
The shaving foam swirls help; follow them too.

Give them 5 minutes to dry, then go in and colour the areas in, in the same tones as the background.
are beautiful on top of the shaving foam background. 

Just adds a base, so that the birdhouse isn’t in mid-air. 
Like I was yesterday morning!
Soft addition to a very lovely backdrop.
And the pink splash in the sky is just delightful. 

So there we are.
When you add the funky flower beds, or paths, or hills, or whatever you would like them to be, 
the whole abstract background takes form.
Quite trippy really!
Now let’s see.
How about a little deal on the stamps I used…
If you buy the Birdhouse Kit, 
we will send you the Blake verse (rrp £9.25) as a gift.
 If you haven’t got some reinkers yet, 
all I can tell you is they are pretty versatile. 
You can buy them individually, at £3.35 each, or save quite a bit if you invest in the whole Kit (£150). And don’t forget, Clarity Members always get 10% discount too.
Have a great day!
much love,

59 thoughts on “To see the World in a grain of sand….

  1. Oh Barbara, you must be black and blue by now. It sounds like one of my tricks. I'm always tripping over steps, etc. I haven't fallen down the stairs for quite a while though. I love your offering today. Shaving foam is such fun – love it. Take care. Try a long soak in a hot bath. And less brandy in it next time,

  2. Love your design Barbara, but I really hope you haven't done yourself any lasting damage – a good soak in a hot bath might help ease the aches.
    PS, I hope the tea didn't stain anything in your Gallery.

  3. Morning Barbara…yes those bloomin' stairs (being polite!)…last time I fell down them I did a pretty good job of breaking my elbow into 4 pieces…and no..no gin involved!…only tea like yourself!!….hope you're not too bruised and battered…you still manage to produce a beautiful piece of artwork though…the shaving foam was my favourite technique from last weeks retreat..so glad you fitted it in at the end….Thank you for a wonderful couple of days…I enjoyed it so much I didn't realise I still had me pinny on when I got in the car!! xxx

  4. Hope you feel better soon! I bet you were admiring your gallery when suddenly the stairs fell away. Todays card is lovely, I so want to have a go at shaving foam backgrounds so will have to pick up a can when I'm shopping. Sorry I haven't commented over the weekend but I was away with very intermittent internet! Never fear though I caught up today and ordered my fuchsias. I'm on holiday now so today I am off to the craft room for a sort out! XX

  5. Good morning Barbara, sorry to hear of your tumble, thank goodness you didn't suffer any serious injury. Some arnica infused baths should help with the aches and pains.
    I love this stamp set and your design is so pretty, I really must dig out my shaving foam and have a go myself. Many thanks for the great inspiration. Hope you're soon free from the pains, take care.x

  6. Hello Barb, oh dear, I do hope you are ok (I nearly did the same thing on Friday, thank heavens for bannisters!) Love the colours of the background. Dont have the stamps, but do have the stencil of the birdhouse, so am goi g to try with that. Take care and try rest today. Bx

  7. Hi Barb,
    Now don't go pinching a leaf from my book! Last time I fell downstairs my husband landed on me (don't ask) and I dislodged and crushed a vertebrae – it would have been him crushed but it was too painful to put my hands around his neck!!!
    Anyway – I hope you are not too sore, but if you have ANY pain that lasts for more than a couple of days, see the quack. I wandered about for two weeks before I went and it did more damage then good.
    Now then, that's the old granny talk over and on to nicer things – your artwork. And ART it is, it's so beautiful and calm, a bit like you I suppose as you sailed through the air!! Sorry, I couldn't resist (I'll be drummed out of the club won't I?)
    Take care, take it easy, and let Dave and Mark run about after you for a day or two xx

  8. Oh poor you! Your bruises will soon match your funky background…and you're right, we don't bounce back arf as quickly as we used to. It's quite a shock when you fall or trip. Hope your art gallery on the stairs didn't distract you. Gosh! hope a masterpiece hasn't been ruined by tea splats!! Take care & gentle hugs, Jeanette xxx

  9. Sorry about your fall, hope the cups weren't broken, lol, I bought more shaving foam yesterday. When I went to the supermarket for onions and milk. Found foam at bargain price of £1.30 a can, so had to have it!!!!! So am off to fi d suitable tray and have a go

    1. Marian, you need to go to Tesco or Sainsbury's and get the basic shaving foam at 26p per can. That works well and is what Barbara uses. xxx

  10. I do hope that you are ok Barbara and you were lucky. I absolutely love your art this morning and how you achieved it. xxx

  11. Barbara, you must take more care of yourself. Don't carry things like that up and down stairs. It is so easy for them to slip a touch, distract you and down you go. If you cannot carry it in a carrier bag, don't carry it. You will probably find you are more sore today than yesterday, so take it easy, and book yourself a good firm massage or treatment with a chiropractor in case you have done more damage to your poor neck. I love today's artwork, bright, cheerful, all round lovely. Take care. This is a day to go into your little house and relax. Let the world sort itself out. xxx

    1. Remember that tube of massage cream I gave you at the NEC. If you have any left, now is the time to use it as it contains arnica, or bathe the sore places with witch hazel – you can soak a piece of cotton wool or lint with the witch hazel and stick it on like a compress. It brings out the bruising and reduces the pain. xx

  12. Hey Barb, sorry to hear about your trip – you must take more water with it, m'dear 🙂 Joking apart, I hope you haven't done anything serious & it's not too painful; get some arnica cream to help bring the bruising out & put your feet up for a change.
    Loving this card, though – you gotta love a shaving foam background, eh – always arty, always different & always amazing!
    Take care, Barb & rest up,
    lots of love,

    Liz M xxx

  13. So sorry to hear you had a tumble Barbara and hope there's no lasting damage! This is another beautiful shaving foam background and the birdhouse stamps are so versatile and work perfectly here. That little bit of extra pen work is a great tip and finishes the piece perfectly. Take care, and it's no good telling you to take it easy because you probably won't. x

  14. Sorry to hear about your fall. Hope you are not too battered and bruised, and hope you are feeling better soon. This is a lovely card. Really like the look of these shaving foam backgrounds. Having been away with a rubbish mobile internet connection, I now need to catch up with all the blogs I have missed out on over the last couple of weeks. x

  15. So sorry to read about your fall I hope you soon feel a bit better and that the bruises aren't too sore, you are right about not bouncing back like we used to though.
    Love that background and your card
    Jackie x

  16. Arnica that what you need to bring out the bruising. Hope you will soon bounce back [excuse the pun] actually humans don't bounce too well! Love the picture, I must try the shaving foam background, the colours are lovely. Get Dave to wait on you today! Best wishes Joan x

  17. Oh Barbara I do hope you're Ok! I know what a busy time you have ahead. You probably fell cos you were tired or thinking of all the stuff you have to do….so try and take a little time out and relax!
    I do love that background and it is very 70s… And sometimes you can hear the moon speak to you! Hahaha!
    I'm sides are still getting over it all!
    Love and (gentle) hugs xxx

  18. You are so right we just do not recover as easy as the years progress. I hope you are ok, sorry but I expect the stiffness will kick in after a couple of days. Take it easy and I hope Mark and Dave are looking after you. Love the card and I have these stamps , so all set to try. xx

  19. What did you put in that tea Barbara? So pleased that you haven't done any permanent damage to yourself and the wall can be easily painted – a nice stencil and a bit of shaving foam and it will look lovely! Beautiful art work, I do love those backgrounds. Take care Barbara. Pat x

  20. Hi Barbara oh my goodness I hope you are ok – you were off on that balloon ride from yesterday weren't you. Take the advice of everyone and have that bath and rub on the arnica poor you a tumble really shakes you up doesn't it. I hope Mark and Dave are looking after you. I hope your artwork wasn't splashed by tea – hmmm are we going to have backgrounds made from tea dropped at height next week to back the stamps? Today's artwork is beautiful I'm just off to look at the website for the offer as those stamps are wonderful on the shaving foam backgrounds. Take care of yourself I know you won't slow down however much we nag! Love Diane xxx

  21. Hope you are OK. Love the shaving foam background. Romeo reminds me of my old cat – jet black, owned the neighbourhood, bit like a mini panther!

  22. Oops. I hope you soon feel back to your usual self. Love the birdhouse set and the colours of your marbled paper are beautiful. Another fabulous piece of art.

  23. Sorry to hear of your fall, Barbara, like everyone else else says – take care of yourself. I am on my third black cat in 46 years of owning cats. My latest, Black Magic, is causing me a lot of heartache at the moment. He is only 11 but he went missing for three days last week and came home on Friday evening. Very thin and dehydrated. Took him to the vet on Saturday and after a few hours and a mortgage I brought him home. He ate some food and went into the garden. He returned home an hour ago. I was convinced he had died. He still isn't right and I have to keep him in for three days and monitor him. Tests showed nothing apparently wrong!

    Sorry for the essay but I am so worried.x

    1. I understand completely. I have four cats just now, the oldest is 19 next week !
      You get so attached to them and worry when they aren't around. I hope he's ok.
      Sylvia.

  24. I hope you are ok Barbara, I have back problems and am suffering a bit today, without having tumbled down the stairs.
    I love this shaving foam and inks backgrounds. I haven't tried it yet, but I must have a go.
    Lovely card too.
    Sylvia.

  25. Hi Barbara, so sorry to read about your accident; I hope you're not too uncomfortable and are quickly back to normal. I can highly recommend McTimoney chiropractic if there's one in your area as it's very effective and very gentle. Look after yourself

    Karen x
    PS almost forgot! thanks so much for a wonderful couple of days last week xx

  26. Love the use of foam, will have to give it a try. Really hope you're feeling better tonight and that tomorrow will be even better, and that your fall will just become a "bad" dream.
    Loads of hugs from France.
    Laurence xx

  27. Oh Barbara, hope you are o.k. You have been so busy…I think some T L C is needed….just take it slowly…..great use of the shaving foam background….where would we be without our emergency stash? Hug to help you heal….x

  28. So sorry to hear about your fall…and you still blog! I hope you're feeling more comfortable now. When I had my accident I was intrigued and inspired by the technicolour bruising so I expect we'll see some artistic outcome here in due course!

    Thank you for a very enjoyable and creative 2 days. Roll on next year.I enjoyed the shaving foam technique and this project really shows it off beautifully. x

  29. Oh goodness me Barbara – are you OK!!!! Falling down the stairs never pleasant at the best of times – worse with a cup in your hand though!!! Do hope you are not too sore – arnica!!!!
    So love the shaving foam look and two of my favourite stamps – I really love what you have done with the pencils too – beautiful.
    Get Dave to massage the sore bits 😉
    Much Love
    Kim xx

  30. just found my reinkers had arrived while i was away on holiday. looking forward to some playtime now. hope you feel better soon and be carefu! don't do a theresa – ie fall; it's not good for you, hugs xx

  31. Oh dear, I hope your ok and not to sore, make sure Dave and Mark do things for you.
    I love the randomness of the foam backgrounds and for someone with an OCD gene, random is hard to do, but I love how it comes out, love these stamps, another of my favourite Clarity stamps. Another great card, hadn't thought of using the pencils, will give it a go.

  32. Arnica is wonderful stuff I see a lot if references to it here my elderly Neibour recommended it to me very good take care sure your going to be sore and colourful. Love the shaving foam and the colourful patterns it makes x

  33. Barbara,
    Do hope you're ok-a fall like that shakes you up , never mind the actual injuries!
    Rest, rest, rest !!
    Move a little if you cease up!
    Great art work as per usual.
    XxxxRuth

  34. Bless you Barbara, hope you're feeling tip top again soon. The birdhouse kit is definitely my favourite. I only wish I could afford all the reinkers. The shaving foam technique looks like it gives some groovy results. Ela xx

  35. Oh Barbara, poor you. You have my sympathy, I fell down the stairs 17 years ago and broke the base of my spine (tail bone)…had to have it removed. Didn't realise how bad the fall was at the time and went back to work two days later, but the pain…..

    And there you are doing another demo for us fans. God bless you. We know you are committed to us but YOUR health comes FIRST!!!!

    Sending you the best of wishes and really hope that you are ok.
    Big hugs
    Emma xxxxxx

  36. Hi Barbara. Sorry to hear of your fall, Yes, Arnica is the way to go even this long after the fall. The shaving foam picture is great, I love how you have followed the swirls and coloured them in, wonderful. Take care.

  37. Oh my Barbara, hope you're not feeling too sore, more haste less speed eh. Definitely treat yourself to a nice massage.

    Lovely artwork, I've been playing with the foam technique, love it. Which card do you find works best please?

    Gentle hugs, lisa xx

  38. Sorry to hear about your fall – hope you're feeling back to your best very soon. Love the shaving foam background and composition – thanks for sharing, Susan x

  39. Oh Barb, I am so sorry to hear of your fall and I hope you recover quickly, it is so true though we certainly don't bounce as well as did as children, it is not good. And we always seem silly and a little embarrassed for doing so which is silly in itself.

    I think this is a fab idea incorporating the pencils with the shaving foam, they seem to be a perfect match, I will have to try it 🙂 and what a fabulous deal you are offering, I will have to check I don't have this one, I think I might as it is one of my favourites xx

    Love Denise xx

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