The truth is out…..

The truth is out…..

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!
Thanks for popping in on the very first day of this new year.
New is the year,
New are the hopes,
New is the resolution.
Here at home, the lamb’s roasting in the oven,
all set for our New Year’s meal.
The kids head back to the States tomorrow.
But that’s ok.
We have had a wonderful time together,
and now they have to get back to it,
same as us.
I have managed to do a little more prep for the TV,
which always helps me be less panicky on the day.
As to yesterday’s New Year card I made, 

and whether I cut or masked the stamps to get the letters I needed,
I think the majority of you figured me out.
Hangs head in shame.
CUT.
Of course I did!!
I’ve got seven hours of live TV hanging over me 
like the sword of Damocles,
a house full of people and laundry which has to be washed, 
dried, ironed and packed into suitcases pronto,
Grace wants me to take in a dress for her that’s too baggy 
BEFORE it goes in the suitcase,
we are supposed to be having a movie evening and playing games,
so yep. 
I gets my minutes where I sees them.
And cutting up the stamps saved me at least half an hour!
I actually weighed up the pros and cons, 
and TIME won over PROPER.
Did I ruin them? No.
Can I use them again? Of course.
Will I make a NEW YEARS Set for next year? Deffo.
On another note, 
look closer.
Check out the fantastic new wee houses and shops…
best ever stamps to use. Jim designed them.
Could spend a week just making cards with these!
I think they would make fabulous Groovi Plates too.
What say you?
But now I must dash, said the Mexican –
Baaaaarbara’s in chaaaarge of the laaaamb….
Love & hugs,
xxx

75 thoughts on “The truth is out…..

  1. Ha Ha Ha…new it!! And yes they would make great Groovi Plates along with the Ribbon Sentiments too. In fact I have a little list lol. Have a wonderful evening with the kids (lol)….I have just realised what time it is and I haven't even had breakfast!! Computer needed sorting out so that I could send Happy New Year Wishes to everyone! Much love and Hugs Barbara. xxxx

  2. Oh I knew you had the cut them. .how does she know this one asks! !!!!

    Love the wee houses..would make cool grooving plates…to go with the landscape. Oh and some weeks trees….what about a lamppost. Oh lol. Enjoy your evening and your lamb. We are having lamb this evening too. Xx

  3. Oh I knew you had the cut them. .how does she know this one asks! !!!!

    Love the wee houses..would make cool grooving plates…to go with the landscape. Oh and some weeks trees….what about a lamppost. Oh lol. Enjoy your evening and your lamb. We are having lamb this evening too. Xx

  4. Liebe Barbara,
    erstmal wünsche ich Dir und Deinen Lieben alles alles Gute für das Neue Jahr 2016.
    Ich freu mich schon riesig auf Deine Sendungen und auf alle Fälle würden die Häuser auch ganz tolle Groovi-Plates sein … die würden dann auf alle Fälle auch auf meine Wunschliste kommen (ich liebe Häuser).
    Dir und Deiner Familie noch einen schönen Abend und einen angenehmen Heimflug für Deine Kinder.
    Herzliche Grüße sendet Sabine

  5. Yes got it right, love the cute little houses ,enjoy your meal and time with grace & mark before they travel back .looking forward to the shows to see what's new .
    Lots of hugs and thank you to all who left me lovley messages yesterday on my gold win the card is framed already and sat on my table in the lounge till it gets hung in my craft room it's so beautiful to look at xxx

    1. Acupuncture went well thank you Donna given me some pain relief for a while had a tidy of my groovi as got extra folders in the grey Friday sale so my traveler is easy to carry and space for some new ones the card is stunning .
      Have you been crafting ? Sending hugs back xxx

    2. Hi Shelagh oh yes looking forward to what's new on Sunday / Monday shows
      The new thank you set is top of my list at present have you managed to craft ? Xxx

    3. Hi Sheila, glad to hear your treatment worked, let's hope the relief lasts for longer. No craft today but hopefully tomorrow. Have you checked out the challenge blog, something new being announced tomorrow. Intriguing! Xx

    4. Hi Sheila glad the treatment went well, did you tell the acupunturer ( is that their name?) about your win? I expect you will have everyone in having a look 🙂 xxxx

  6. Afternoon, back from our Boundary Walk of the Village – I would love some of your Lamb …. but whats for tea here … cake and a cuppa as we have had a bring and share lunch after the walk.

    Well I never did – YOU CUT the stamps – there was I working out how you could have masked the words. And yet so much easier YOUR WAY.

    Have a lovely evening.

    Crafty hugs Pen x

  7. Happy New Year. Enjoy your remaining time with Mark and Grace. I must remember to set the recorder for the shows. I have missed so much over the last few months but my 5 year old motivated me to make some simple Xmas cards this year, with limited time. I helped him with his first two cards too. He wanted to use the Christmas Jumper stamps. He has watched the video over and over and over and even asked me if I had the right colour ink pads. He told me I needed Fern Green and once I checked the shades for red colours he remembered it was Geranium Red he needed to use too! x

  8. Happy new year! Enjoy your family time & don't worry about the TV which will be fine as you will be amongst friends who, like me,can't wait xx

  9. I suspect I might have cut as well. After the word is not ruined just got a few more parts to it. Enjoy your roast lamb, I cooked that on Tuesday for daughter and family. She had done all the Christmas entertaining think she deserved a break. Safe journey to Grace and Mark. xx

  10. I would definitely have cut too. There was a loud intake of breath at a craft class when I cut one of the little people which would have been to hard to mask. I think one of the best received presents I gave over Christmas was a carrier bag of washed pebbles together with a pack of waterproof pens. My little granddaughters could not wait to get going and draw and write all over them, and will now be hunting round the garden for more pebbles to decorate. I can't wait for the upcoming shows and will be adding the houses and the stencil to my not so little list of needs. No matter what happens, your shows will be brilliant. xxx Maggie

  11. I would have done the same Barb, they can always be used again. Prioritising is so important. Enjoy your meal and evening. Happy new year. Hugs xx

  12. Happy New Year Barbara and have one last special evening with your family. I am so looking forward to Sunday's shows and the little houses as groovi plates would be fabulous. I'm so hoping they will be as I am under the groovi spell ! X

  13. Happy New Year. I'm sure everything will be fine on Sunday. Enjoy your family before they go off in all directions. I think the 'wee' houses etc. would be perfect for the new mini groovi plates for the club; but then as I want to be a diamond member, I could be biased – lol.

  14. Happy New Year to you Barbara, your family and all at Clarity. Wishing you all the best of everything.
    I got it wrong!! But in hindsight (isn't it indeed a wonderful thing) Cutting makes far more sense!
    Enjoy your evening with your family together. The time before you see them next is sure to fly by. x

  15. Happy New Year Barbara and all at Clarity. Have a lovely evening with the family. The way the years are flying by you will soon see Mark and Grace again. Good luck on Sunday. See you then. Fran x

  16. Hi Barb,
    Happy New Year!
    I would've cut as well! I agree with others that the Wee Houses would make fabulous Groovi plates and like Emma's suggestion of the Ribbon Sentiments as Groovi plates too. Hope you get Grace's dress altered and that you enjoy your evening with your lovely family. Love Alison xxx

  17. Happy New Year Barbara, Dave, Mark and Grace! Have a truly wonderful evening, enjoy the 'cooked with love' meal and each other's company! I am sure that you will not only get everything sorted Barbara, but enjoy it all, along the way xxxxx

  18. Agree with Margaret – I said mask but fully understand why you cut, though I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to do the same.
    Wee Groovi houses would be lovely and maybe a street lamp and postbox ?? xxxx

  19. We always find time to do things for those we love!!! Cleaned craft room today in readiness for lots of new year projects. Happy New Year to everyone and best wishes to Barbara and the Clarity team for a fabulous year ahead xx

  20. Hahaha I knew you had cut them. And why not I say! Safe journies for Mark and Grace and all the best for your telly slots at the weekend which will of course be brilliant as usual. My wish list is an ever growing living being!! Lol xxx

  21. Hi Barbara
    Enjoy the day with Grace & Mark. I can almost smell that lamb roasting. I was sure you masked those letters but forgot to consider the time factor. We never have enough time-it's a bit like storage space and craft supplies.
    Happy New Year
    Hugs from Chris X

  22. Oh my goodness! Houses! I love house! Can't wait for these, my son ordered me the wee trees for Christmas so these will go great. As for cutting the word stamps, I've cut up all of mine cos I could only afford a couple of sets, but now I can make lots of other words.
    Can't wait for Sunday.
    Hope you have a lovely evening with your beautiful family..
    Hugs
    Amanda xx

  23. If you can t then no one can! It worked so well. Love those houses, they wil be a MUST have purchase next week. Great groovi plates too! Enjoy your time with Grace and Mark and the memories will linger to keep you company. Happy New Year! X X X X X

  24. Do love the houses we have had roast beef roast at Rebecca's lovey day again with our family love them all have to son in laws who love cooking sounds like you got busy evening love to Grace and Mark save trip tomorrow to them both big hugs for you sure shows will be brill xxxx

  25. Oh please please please add the houses to the Groovie plate ' to do list'! Feeling under the weather – nothing to do with alcohol – so looking forward to watching tv tomorrow as I know that will cheer me up.

  26. I was just setting up the recording on the box to make sure I don't miss your sessions on TV. Not sure which ones are the live ones but it looks like you are on all day Sunday and Monday, no wonder you are having nightmares about being ready! Looking forward to the sessions, especially the new wee houses, they look fantastic. Yes please for Groovi versions and yes please for more word chains. Might these also work as Groovi plates, I love the typography on them and they are certainly my most used stamps, all my cards had them on this year. Was watching Hochanda yesterday and the presenter was doing embossing. It was hilarious, I don't think you will be in danger of being replaced anytime soon. Lovely guy but a nervous wreck trying to work out what he was doing and hoping it would go OK. Maybe Hochanda could run a viewer hour each week/month, get crafters to submit a card or project they could demo using product sold by Hochanda and taking less than 40 minutes to produce. The best could be picked and then demoed on TV. More actual live interaction with crafters, getting them involved and interacting with the shows will keep people coming back. Hope you had/have a lovely roast dinner, my mum is cooking roast lamb for us tomorrow. Hugs Karen xxx

    1. Karen,until the word chains come out on the Groovi, they are actually very easy to transfer. If you stamp them onto tracing paper, you can reverse them to trace them with a white pencil onto the parchment. I have done that with several. xxx Maggie

  27. Don't hang your head, common sense prevailed. Why make life harder than it needs to be? Be Smart!! Wee houses and shops look awesome – right up my street (pardon the pun).
    Happy New Year lovely lady.
    Kelly

  28. Love lamb – we had it for our Christmas dinner this year! Enjoy this evening with your chicks in the nest, and I'll enjoy watching you wing it on Sunday. Those little houses remind me so much of Bruges – I still have some chocolate wrappers from there, exactly like these houses that I just can't bring myself to throw away …x

  29. Yay! I got it right. Was pretty sure that you wouldn't have the time to faff with masking. Hope you got all the chores done and had a good evening before the children return to their grown up lives. Looking forward to the shows and all the new treats that you have in store for us this year. Love and hugs, Jeanette xxxx

  30. Well, I got it wrong …but no shame. The house stamps are lovely which is a pity as I've been tidying today and made myself a promise not to buy any more craft goodies! Good job that I didn't voice the promise out loud xx

  31. I got it wrong as I would have put masking tape over the bit of word I didn't want ink on then inked the whole word then removed the masking taped and stamped and repeated until I had the word I wanted. Really looking forward to the wee hooses. I have a few of your mini stamps from years gone by and my wish list is to acquire all the wee stamps.

  32. like for the rest of us life gets in the way. and of course you swill do all those things as they are expected of you.
    and of course you cut the stamps and i was right about the new…..happy new year, hugs xx

  33. Hi Donna, Sheila, Diane, Brenda and Dot, hope everyone is well & glad your acupuncture is doing some good Sheila. Are you all looking forward to Barbara's show on Sunday? Like the look of the houses don't you? Hoping Barbara will use the new wee trees and grasses to give us some inspiration too. My wish list is filling up. Love and hugs to you all.xxx

    1. Pam mine is getting longer by the day! There houses look lovely don't they. What choices! There are some ones I've wanted in the sale so the houses may have to wait! Xxx

  34. Hope you managed to get done all you needed to today. Well done you cutting the stamps as it was,quicker, I'd have done the same if it meant I'd have more time with my family. Looking forward to your shows this weekend, love the look of the wee houses, well done Jim, wondered if you will be demoing the wee trees and grasses as well as the houses, hope so as I bought the trees and grasses before Christmas, couldn't resist. If you haven't planned to, I'm sure you will on your blog at some stage. Love and hugs to you Barbara, keep your chin up tomorrow, will be thinking of you.xxx

  35. Hi Barbara
    I hope you have enjoyed your evening and Graces dress has been altered – I've got some jumpers that have been brought home to be washed as only mum can do them properly! Funny isn't it. Safe journey to Mark and Grace tomorrow and safe travelling as you dash between airports. I hope Dave has something nice planned for the evening to make you smile. Haha I thought you had cut – sometimes, life's too short and family time is precious. Oh yes, I showed my sister the Groovi plate today and she had a play – she went very quiet and was amazed at the results of her first attempt. I think she might be getting one for her birthday in January !
    Take care
    Love Diane xxxx

  36. Barbara Gray – I'm thoroughly shocked! I would never have believed it. Mind you, I understand your need to have saved time.
    I love the little houses, and yes, they would be great as Groovi plates x

  37. Happy new year to everyone, may you all have what you need.
    Anticipating the next few days of clarity indulgence, ooh what a treat. I appreciate that you Barbara may have a slightly different slant on that, but I'm sure we are all looking forward to it nevertheless. Xx

  38. Barb, you continue to amaze me, what you do, what you achieve and how you cope. Can I have a bit of you please! Take care dear lady, shows are set to record, as we have a back to Uni trip to do. Can't wait for the inspiration. Bx

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