Pulling up the kitchen floor!

Pulling up the kitchen floor!

Hi there!
Thanks for popping in.
Have you had a good Sunday?
Dave and I went for lunch with our good friend Mel.
You know, the cartographer friend who illustrates so many of our stamps stencils and now Groovi plates.

Look Mum! Clogs!!!

Then she and I and her two dogs, Rosie and Moth,
 went for a really long walk through the fields and woods.
Didn’t stop talking and sharing ideas and bouncing off each other.
I love spending time with her.
She and I want to learn lino cutting together.
So I showed her my first modest Paris effort.
She was impressed!
So we scoured the  internet looking at the masters,
and I stumbled across this video.
Not lino cutting, but so fascinating!
Check it out…

We humans really are creative, aren’t we.
How can that mural be made out of lino?!
Anyway, time to do a little tidying here before the 
order-filling onslaught tomorrow!
Thank you so very much for your patience around this weekend’s sale and the website crash.
TV  show next Sunday 2-4pm.
I really ought to prep for that too…
mmm…Orders? Prep? Colouring book? Lino-cutting?
Life will never be long enough!!!!
love and peace,

47 thoughts on “Pulling up the kitchen floor!

  1. Well the film gave me chuckle, some of the phrasing wouldn't be used today in the same context! But yep we have always been creative beings, some days more than others, just need to search harder sometimes. I can think of several Clarity stamps and stencils that could be used to produce a really good result with this technique on a smaller scale – Madeleine and some of the floral/landscape stencils would look amazing. The weekend is nearly over and you and your crew have worked so hard to make it work for everyone, so give yourselves a huge pat on the back and THANK YOU! YOU'RE ALL AMAZING. Sweet dreams now. God bless. XX

  2. Hi Barbara. These Pathe News films really take you back and there are thousands of them on You Tube, and l can remember the brown linoleum my Nan had on her floor round the edge of the carpet, no fitted carpets then! A very clever use of it in that film though fitting the different colour pieces in. I love the two of you in clogs but did you manage to walk through fields and woods in those…lol ? Look a bit precarious to me but I'm sure once used to wearing them they are great and certainly keep your feet up out of the mud. x

  3. I'm glad you had a good weekend after all that Gray Friday business !! I've now placed two orders as I decided I really needed the stag groovi plate after all after re watching Paul using it this afternoon! so then I thought I really should have the calendar too….

    What a great film about lino, that brought back some memories of the different patterns we had! I think I'll be giving lino cutting a miss otherwise I might not have a husband !

    Have a good week packing up parcels 🙂 x x

  4. Good to hear that you had some 'much needed' time out. I remember doing lino printing at school – in the 60's. We printed onto fabric – first in one colour. Then we cut out more of the pattern on the piece of lino, before printing again in a different colour – which gave a great effect. I wonder if I have still got that piece of fabric somewhere!?!

  5. Hi Barbara
    Oh what a brilliant film! Love the fashions and the wonderful patterns. We had orange Lino in our kitchen, matched the washable orange wallpaper! Those were the days! Dad had lots of Lino sample packs that he used to bring home for us to play with, he decorated our dolls house with some but being little we weren't allowed the sharp knife. Happy memories. Lovely to put a name to a face, you have told us about Mel a lot over the years so it's lovely to meet her. Fabulous clogs too! Sounds like you've had a brilliant day, you needed it after the week you've had! Now your ready to face Monday morning and all those orders with a spring in your step. Put some good music on, keep the tea and coffee flowing, mountains of biscuits and cake and all hands on deck – job done onto the prep! Thank you for the fabulous offers this weekend and well done to the fabulous Clarity team for pulling it out the bag and being wonderful and friendly.
    Love and hugs
    Diane xxx

    1. Hi Donna, hope you are on the road to recovery xxxx
      Hi Brenda xxxx
      Hi Sheila have you been a happy crafter today xxxx
      Hi Pam xxxxx
      Hi Dot xxxxx
      Hope you are all ok xxxx

    2. Hi Diane, hope you've had a good day, we went out to lunch but stayed in the dry afterwards. Been stamp sorting.xx

      Hi Donna glad you're feeling a bit better, enough to get up. Keep dosing yourself up.xx

      Hi Sheila, Brenda and Dot, hope you are all ok.xx

  6. Glad you have had a good day with Mel, as Diane said it's nice to put a face to a name. Great video, never tried lino cutting but it looks very interesting. When I saw the title of your blog, I thought, oh no! what's happened to your floor. So pleased I got it wrong. Thank you again Barbara for the super dooper sale, and a big thank you to your team who were,so friendly and without whom we couldn't have ordered. Spent most of the day putting my stamps in groups so I can find them easier. Better than being outside in the wind and rain. Glad you managed a nice walk.xxx

  7. Great video, very clever art. The bbc clipped accent of the time is very amusing. It's always loveky to spend quality time with like minded people.

    Thanks again for extending the sale, I managed to get on the website last night. X

  8. Hi Barbara, when I read your blog title I thought your recently flooded kitchen must have damaged the floor and now you were having to replace that too! I think I'll leave the lino cutting to you and Mel, I can hear everyone that used to know me screaming at me – nooooo, you'll cut your fingers off or worse. I'm banned from sharp knives etc., had to prove the guillotine wasn't sharp before I was allowed to get one!!!! CFS and sharp tools don't go together! Sounds like you've had a lovely day off spent with Dave and your friend, glad to hear it.

    Did you watch SCOTLAND win the Davis Cup? Apart from a token gesture of an Englishman winning a rubber in the very first round, it's been SCOTLAND all the way, even a SCOTTISH team captain. The only other time I've been able to say that is when our curlers win for GB in the Winter Olympics, so I've got to make the most of it!!!!!! 😉 Sorry couldn't resist 😉

    Please none of you make yourselves ill fulfilling our orders.
    Take care
    love Brenda xx

    1. Hi Brenda snowing here got my onesie oan (not a pretty sight} but braw and warm.
      Aye 3 cheers for oor Andy and the team aye have ti brag when we can'
      take care and keep warm and let me know how yi get on with the parsnips sounds tasty that…. me I'd opt for Aunt Bessie you'll never see me oan mastercheif lol..xx

    2. Nae snow here, yet. I've never tried a onesie, thought it would be too cold stripping it off every time I needed the loo, and use too much energy too. I've got kind of like fleece jammies that I put on over my normal jammies when I'm too cold. I'm going to attempt to saw my way through the parsnips and carrots tomorrow if I can, but my arm is very sore and pretty dead so not holding out much hope. Nicola made them for me before, they are tasty. No one to cook for me, and I'm so struggling to make anything basic for myself. I don't like processed food, I taste all the chemicals in them, and I don't like salt either and everything has that in too, and I can't eat most ready made foods now anyway because of my food allergies, so everything's got to be made from fresh. I don't even know when I'll next see a human being! I'm trying to fight to make myself finish my Christmas cards just now because the guy who used to help me in the garden got allowed to come once a month for a garden visit and because I've no one he's going to collect the cards for posting when he's down this way, could be Wednesday, so got to somehow have them ready.

    3. Aye onesies are a bit of a pain when on a loo trip so I'd stick to the fleecy jammies just as cosy them, forgot about yer wee allergies a wee pot o soup maybe would keep you going a couple days bet you make guid soup.. but anyway don't forget to eat to keep yer strength up …and this wee human being will try to be here for a blether..night night…xx

    4. Hi Brenda hope you don't mind me saying but if you have trouble cooking for yourself I wondered if you'd heard of Wiltshire Farm Foods, my neighbour has them and an Aunt of mine used to have them. They are frozen, but they are ready to go in the oven, not sure if you thaw them out first. They deliver nationwide for free, they may be a bit more pricey than the supermarket. If you go on line you'll be able to see if they are suitable for you. It was just a thought, wouldn't think they'd put salt in but you could ask, they look more like home cooked food.xx

  9. I never thought I'd have lino envy! But some of those floors were gorgeous!

    Glad you had a good day, a good natter is so therapeutic. As for the list – what can you delegate, what is important vs urgent, what will replenish your creative wellspring?

    Have been so grateful for my groovi kit this weekend – had to make two last minute cards and was able to do them justice in a short time with some groovi magic! I know you can spend ages creating wonderful masterpieces, with white work and piercing, but I love that a quick bit of embossing gives such reliably beautiful results too.

  10. Glad you had some fun time this weekend, as I'm sure your week to come will be full on! We're just back from a trip to Antelope Canyon which was just so breath-taking. Sad that it's now been overtaken by tourists, as it used to be a sort of natural cathedral and place of contemplation and prayer for the Navajo, but I feel so lucky to have seen it for myself. Take care, Susan x

  11. I think Gray Day is now officially closed. We will understand if it takes a while to fill that avalanche of orders. They are not going to be dealt with in a week so do not knock yourselves out trying. We know that everyone at Clarity is doing their best. My order, for one, will wait as most of it is for future presents and not urgent. As for not enough hours,I think that is true for all crafters, and, I give you fair warning, retirement does not help with that scenario. I reckon someone is stealing at least two days each week. xxx Maggie

  12. Pleased you had a lovley day with your friend don't forget to take time out today at work for a cuppa and biscuits with your brilliant team at clarity towers.
    I manage to get two orders in so well pleased thank you for extending the grey sale xxx

  13. Just finished my school work…obviously wasn't enough hours in Sunday as spilled into Monday! Loved lino printing at school. I did an owl and I can remember putting lots of detail on the wings. Wish I still had him I'm afraid that you'll have 2 or 3 orders from me to fill. Please feel free to put them all in one package, it's just that I kept thinking of something else to get and did a bit of pressie buying for my daughter too. Your offers were too good to miss. Pleased that you had a nice relaxing time with Mel. You look like you've been having a good laugh together. ..it's so important to find time to laugh with friends. Hugs Jeanette xxx

  14. Hi Barb, glad you and Dave had a great time visiting with Mel. What was Dave doing while you went for a walk? Dozing by the fire? Have a good day and take it easy at work, you have a great team. Bx

  15. Morning Barb, will watch the video later, head still feels like cotton wool but will give a go at some crafting today. Get in the moment.

    I had a lovely Saturday delivering hand made advent calendars to my grandchildren – to be asked by my girls "where are ours" …. !!!! Great something for next year.

    Will be looking forward to my parcel arriving with all my new goodies in, no rush, and thanks for such a fantastic offer over the weekend.

    Crafty hugs Pen x

  16. Hi Barb,
    Sorry I haven't been around for a few days but been a bit under the weather but ok now thankfully.
    Pleased you had a good time with Mel and great that you're wearing your clogs, although hope you didn't take the dogs for a walk in them! Looking forward to my goodies arriving that Dave ordered for me so hope they're the right things!! ( My Dave by the way!) Not in a hurry for them so don't panic if you're struggling to get orders out. I'm just grateful that you gave us the opportunity to buy at such great prices, so thank you for that. Love Alison xx

  17. Started this post yesterday and when almost finished power died on tablet and reply lost forever! Ah well, onward and upward. Love lino cutting, especially reduction lino which is where you successively cut away lino and print each layer with a different colour, light to dark. This is the opposite way to when we draw as we put in dark outlines first usually so certainly challenges your thinking. It definitely means that you need to work with what you have got as once cut away you can't put it back. Equally the way I was taught was to tackle the areas you know what you want to do first and leave the others to think about later, so it is definitely good for mindfulness, concentrating on the here and now. It is a leap of faith too, the dark colour at the end drawing everything together. I gave Barbara one of my attempts at NEC as she was going to France and it is a picture of the cliffs at Yport in Normandy. If you want to have a play with lino Barbara and Mel, you are both welcome to come over and have a play. I am still learning myself but love to do this in a shared space where we can learn together. I happen to have inks. cutters and most of the other stuff we will need anyway. Come on over in the New Year and let's see what we can do. Hopefully by then you will have managed to get all the orders out! Much love and hugs Karen xxx

  18. Hi Barbara, I look forward to seeing the lino cutting you and Mel create, I bought myself some lino cutting tools a few months back for printing and carving, and have enjoyed using them.

    I can't begin to imagine how busy you are all going to be this week. Thankyou for extending your Gray sale until Sunday, it was very generous of you but I must admit I'm glad it's over now as I kept popping back and ordering a few more bits 🙂

    I'll be thinking of you all beavering away today, love Julie xxx

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