And breathe….

And breathe….

Hello!
Thanks for popping in!
This afternoon we waved goodbye to another smashing 
bunch of ladies at the Crowborough Retreats.
It was great to have supper with these guys 
at the lovely Spa Hotel last night too.

Super food, great service.
And very reasonable too, when you consider the ambience!

Emptied the crafty hall today in record time, 
with the help of a few good people.
Susan Marsden is a dab hand with a broom, I can tell you!

And now I can assure you,
I am absolutely cream-crackered.

Isn’t that always the way?!
As soon as you sit down it hits you.
But I am very happy with the way the retreats have gone thus far.
I just hope folks got what they came for. 

Now we have a week to prep for TV next Sunday and Monday.
NEW GROOVI PLATES
Wait till you see the newest Groovi Plates, 
designed by Linda Williams.
Ooh La La !!!!
Absolutely fantasticc. And a lot of fun too.

NEW PATTERN GRIDS
Then Tina Cox has pulled all stops
and created another amazing pair of New Pattern Grids.
It has to be seen to be believed!

ONE DAY SPECIAL
Our new Colouring Books have finally been completed. 
So they will be showcased in a very lovely special collection, 
starting Sunday 7th August at 8pm.
Then another week to get some big wheels turning,
then back to the Rugby Club for one more week of retreats. 

By that time I think I shall be right ready for another holiday!

Can I be excused from making a card this evening 
please Miss?
You can get too much of a good thing too you know!

It’s time to kick back, enjoy a cuppa in the garden,
and reflect on the last couple of weeks with Dave.

Tomorrow I’ll get back on the horse and do something cool.
I’ve already got something in mind!!
And now I’ve got a pair of extra-strong magnifying specs, 
things are going to improve no end round here!!!!

Until tomorrow 
xx
Love & Peace,

Barb 
xxx

69 thoughts on “And breathe….

  1. so pleased you enjoyed The Spa. I learned so much at the retreat and can well understand how tired you must be. Looking forward to the programmes and the treats in store. Big thank you to you, lovely, patient Paul – does he ever get annoyed – must take a leaf out of his book. Not forgetting dear Dave, such a lovely guy and wow can he do a great blog.
    Love to you all and all the lovely people I met at the retreat.
    Anne (Reading)

  2. Hi bloggy friends. Sorry I wasn't around yesterday unfortunately Phoebe had to have her leg operated on again as she had snapped the cord. New stronger cord fitted so hopefully on the up now. Back to square one with 4 weeks of strict rest. 😖 xx

    1. Oh Donna, poor Phoebe and poor you too! You must have been so worried. I hope that she recovers well and that you will feel improved soon, as it's hard to cope when your beloved dog has problems. Love and hugs to you both, Gilly xxx

    2. I'm so sorry to hear about Phoebe, Donna. I hope she recovers really quickly. You both could have done without that. Sending love and hugs to you both xxx

    3. Oh no Donna poor you and poor Phoebe, thank goodness it's the summer holidays so you can keep a strict eye on her. She must be feeling very sorry for herself. Sending hugs to you both xxx

    4. Hi Donna,
      So sorry to hear that poor Phoebe is in the wars again. I bet she's giving you great big sorry brown eyes. At least you will be home with her this time. Give her a great big gentle hug from me and one to you too, love Alison xx

  3. Great photographs and lovely to hear you have all had a wonderful time. Enjoy your Sunday, no rest I think as you have quite a bit of prep work for next Sunday.
    Hugs
    Linda xxx

  4. You deserve a well earned rest with Dave so looking forward to the hochanda shows and new groovi plates to tempt us with along with the colouring book xxx

  5. Glad everything went so well throughout the retreats so far and that you had such a great time socialising last night. I hope you can, at least, have a small breather before diving into the tv stuff. Really looking forward to that colouring book. I know it will be fabulous. xxx Maggie

    1. Love to you all in Clarityblogland. The family have now gone home and peace is restored here. Our son came as well and I would definitely rather feed him for a week than a month these days. He is in to martial arts and power food and is a very lean and muscley 6 foot something. I cooked poached eggs on toast the other day for lunch and he asked for a few, it turned out he wanted 6!! He then polished off younger grandson's 2nd boiled egg!!
      I have found time to read the blog but was too tired to comment.
      I will be doing as many RAKs as I can Brenda.
      Love to you all xx

    2. Hi Chris – your son certainly has a large appetite! I am sure that you will have all had a wonderful time, but expect that it will be nice for you to just savour some peace and quiet now! Love, Gilly xx

    3. Hi Chris treat yourself to a lie in tomorrow and a relaxing day – gosh think of all the money you save not feeding your son, you could buy a lot of craft stuff with that amount! Xxx

    4. Hi Chris,
      Well I'm sure you're glad you haven't got to be feeding your son every day! Hope you have a relaxing day tomorrow. Left a message re turbo trainer on the blog the other day, don't know if you saw it. It was on the one that Dave did. Love Alison xx

  6. Nae worries, you enjoy your evening off with Dave, we can wait. Glad the retreats are going well for you and you're being rewarded for all your hard work. Love Brenda xx

    1. Hello Brenda dear, I hope you have had a good day. I'm sorry I haven't been around. I forgot how tiring it is to housetrain a new puppy. But it will be worth it!! Sending you lots of love and hugs xxx

  7. Hi Barbara
    You have had a busy time. It's a good job that you have been doing what you love with nice people. I will get to join you one day. I am eagerly awaiting the colouring book.
    Try to rest and relax and tell Dave well done for helping with the blog.
    Hugs from Chris X

  8. Hi Barbara, glad all went well with the retreats looks like all the ladies who came had a wonderful time.

    Looks like you still have a lot of things to do just preparing for the Tv shows. As always it will go like a dream.
    Lynn xx

  9. Hi ladies, hope you are all keeping well. Hope Phobe is a little better today and will recover very soon with lots of hugs and love.

    Well Morag my parcel came today, our usual post lady if we are not in just throws my parcels over my gate.
    Caught it as it landed. Just can't wait to get going.
    H you all are keeping well, have a great weekend.
    Lynn xx

    1. So 'Happy Clarity Christmas' to you Lynn! That's what it always feels like to me when I get a Clarity package!!! Enjoy it, I'm sure you will. Love and Hugs xxx

  10. Hi Barbara – sounds as though it has all been truly wonderful and totally full-on! Enjoy some time with Dave, this evening and tomorrow – hugs Gilly x

    1. Hi to all of my lovely blog friends – I hope that you have all had a great day with some warmth and sunshine. This afternoon, we popped down to Mevagissey and had a walk around the harbour, in the sunshine. We even enjoyed a Kelly's Cornish Ice cream whilst we were there, cherry and chocolate chip for me and peppermint and chocolate chip for Neill! Yummy!
      I am looking for suggestions as to which of the Groovi Border Plates that I should buy – I don't have any of them, as I knew that I would find it difficult to use them. Not any more – thanks to the new Border Plate Mate – so, as there are so many in the members sale, it would be silly not to get some. I look forward to hearing which you think would be best – love and hugs, Gilly xxx

    2. Hi Gilly. Mevagissey brings back some lovely memories. so I know you'll have enjoyed your day there.
      The border plates I started out with were the No's 1 & 2 and the Occasions. Although I very quickly followed these with 'must haves' hahaha!! But I find that I still keep going back to those first ones. Sending love and hugs. xxx

    3. Hi Gilly, oh yummy, Kelly's icecream, what a lovely treat 😀. I agree the number one number 2 and sentiment plates are good, I've just bought the lady set with suede velvet etc, love the borders on them. The lace ones are also pretty and the henna flowers. Hope that helps xxx

    4. Hi Gilly. I'm with Morag on the border plates. They are simple and easy to work out a pattern with them. I have the lacy ones which are nice but a bit more fiddly. I used the Christmas one with the baubles a lot last year too xx

    5. Hi Gilly,
      I love the border plates especially now with the border plate mate. The Art Deco ladies are lovely and also the Art Deco poppies and lilies. The occasions ones are really useful too. If you're into piercing, the new grids are great as well. In fact, I just like them all!!! Sorry, I'm not much help. Love Alison cx

    6. Morning gilly the groovi border mate plate is fabulous .i agree the all the occasions are good ones and the bunting my favourite at moment is the henna one .but if your just going for the ones in the sale I would get all the occasions the hearts and the stitching are fabulous too .ive got holly one and the Christmas baubles one that I used a lot last year .oh yes I'm a hopeless CCA 😱 Happy choosing hugs xxx

  11. Lovely photos Barbara. The sleeping pup is very relevant here at the moment!! What a star you are to have kept going through all that horrible pain. There are so many happy faces in your photos, you've obviously done a great job. Please tell Dave I apologise for not responding to his Limerick comp. I loved his contribution to your blog. It's strange about 'blue'. It's always been the colour of serenity to me. My 'down' colour is grey. Now that could have made quite an interesting end to the limerick…a grey with an 'a'. hahaha.
    Love and Hugs to you both. xxx

  12. Hello my lovely friends. I'm writing this through a couple of matchsticks. We got our gorgeous little Penny on Thursday evening. Our new little Yorkie pup. How I wish I could show you some photos. honestly I'm not biased haha, but she's. For the first time in over two years since we lost our little Heidi, our house feels like a home again. But oh dear, the joys of house training a pup that needs to be taken out every half an hour! But already, she's getting there. I laughed when I saw the pic Barbara put on of the pup, in this house, that would be me at the moment. Hahaha!. I hope you've all had a good day. Love and Big Hugs to everyone xxx

  13. Permission granted to go non leave lovely, well after the shows on Sunday lol. Looking forward to seeing the New Groovi plates, take care and enjoy that cuppa xx

  14. Thank you for a wonderful retreat. Yes I definitely got what I wanted and so, so much more. Absolutely loved all your projects and such great company too. A huge thank you to you, Barbara, Patient Paul, Deli Dave,Lunches Lisa and all the crew behind the scenes. Can understand why you are cream cream cracker education and yes you are definitely excused from sharing a card tonight. Enjoy your brief break until TV land demands your presence again. Hugs & love, Jeanette xxxx xxxx

  15. It's great you had a lovely time last evening Barbara and then the retreats finished for now with everybody happy I'm sure. I think you deserve a little time with Dave and forget about all things crafty for a bit. x

  16. Hi Barbara
    I'd much rather you had a cup of tea and a sit down in the garden with Dave than see a card. Enjoy a bit of you time, you certainly deserve if. Looks like everyone had fun last night, what a beautiful hotel. Have a lovely evening
    Love Diane xxxx

  17. Hi Barb,
    I think you deserve a nice break and a cup of tea with Dave. Don't worry about us. Pleased that you had a lovely evening last night. Really looking forward to the next shows and can't wait to see the new Groovi plates. Love and hugs Alison xx

    1. Hi to my lovely blog friends,
      Hope you've all had a good day. Well I did 25 minutes on the turbo trainer today and then needed a rest! We had a run up to a lovely pub in Weardale at Frosterley that we like so that was really nice. Bed for me now so I'll say good night to you all, love and hugs Alison xxx

  18. I had that "once you stop" feeling yesterday – and that was after two days of retreat as a guest. Lovely hubby let me sleep very late this morning, took the little one out so I had peace and quiet.

    So a night off is quite alright with me! And I hope you do have a holiday after the final week of retreats.

    Having not groovied for ages before the retreat, I've been re-inspired so have made a groovi birthday card for a second birthday party tomorrow – with a stencil background for good measure. Used the border plate alphabet for the first time, it's so lovely.

    Right, early start and a room full of two year olds to deal with tomorrow morning, so best get to bed now!

    1. I have a feeling you and your partner moved to Austin, Texas? Just heard on the news that there's an ongoing shooting incident there, hope you are both, and well away from the area xx

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