Happy Days

Happy Days

Hi there!
Thanks for popping in.
Friday
T G I F !
How much can happen in a week, eh.
This time last week, Linda and I were in Maribor, Slovenia.
This is one of the projects I did in one of the workshops,
using the first and still the biggest selling Groovi plate we have –
HAPPY DAYS.
They loved the Groovi System.
The ladies really got it. 
I invited them to write their own message in Slovenian
 around the wreath of course, which several duly did.
And they were invited to use any colourway they liked, 
rather than copy mine.

I think that’s the whole point of Groovi.
You can use the elements you want,
you can add your touch, your flavour,
and you can create your own original design. 

Actually, I’m really chuffed at how far my own parchment skills have progressed in the couple of years since Groovi was born. From ZERO I might add. I had absolutely no clue. Not a scoobie.
And now we own Pergamano. Amazing really.
So much has happened !
My oh my.
And this little artroom is a reflection of that!
It is chaos. Absolute overflow mayhem.
It was pretty busy in here when we just had the stamps and stencils!
But now we’ve added a whole other world of parchment and Groovi, and I can’t stand it anymore.
It’s not efficient, and it’s no good for the head. 
I’m not a tidy crafter anyway, so too much gear is just asking for trouble!
I have got so much crammed in here I can’t find anything. 
Need to have a major clear out, before I can start again.
Skip time. 

I quite like having a good sort out, don’t you?
Quite cathartic.
And I LOVE finding stuff I have been searching for for months too.
So here’s the plan:
3 work stations in here:
One where the computer sits, where I blog and do business.
One for messy, painty, inky art.
One for Groovi parchment.
Makes sense to me!
One more thing I wanted to flag up.
Lovely Louise at work is starting up a Groovi Group in the town. 
Here are the details.
For anybody near Edenbridge who fancies dipping their toe in the Groovi pond, here’s a great opportunity.
Lousie is very lovely.  If you call the office, you will know her. 
She works alongside Jeannine. 
Very arty, creative young woman too.
I wish her all the very best with her Groovi workshops.
Love & Hugs,
Barb
xxx

49 thoughts on “Happy Days

  1. Hi Barbara, I know how you feel when enough is enough when you need to.have a clear out.
    I have been doing just that quite a long way to go but it is very rewarding once it had been done.
    I have this Groovi plate one of the first I bought I love it.
    The artwork you have produced from this plate is beautiful and just love the bright colours.
    Have a good weekend.
    Lynn xx

  2. I to love a good clear out, very therapeutic and I too get to a point where I can t function until it's sorted!
    Love the card it's so bright and fresh, I wish my own skills matched yours you ve worked wonders in 2 years.
    Hope you ll also show the revolution! ( of your craft room) 😊

  3. I totally get it, can't find stuff because there's too much stuff! I need a serious tidy up, but as the weather's a bit nicer, outside beckons! X

  4. So glad it all worked well for you in Slovenia. How could they not like you and your product. Good luck to Louise with her Groovi group, just a little bit far for me to commute. Parchment is just the best way to relax, certainly helping me at the moment. X

    1. Hi Donna,
      Wish I had time for crafting! Too bust trying to find homes for all my kitchen stuff!! Enjoy your weekend. Love and hugs to you and Phoebe,Alison xx.

  5. Lovely piece of artwork Barb . Loving the groovie system but need a lot more practice ,have booked my place with Louise looking forward to it . Recorder set for the shows …

  6. Ooh, I wish I lived closer! I phoned in my order at 8.02am on Wednesday and Louise answered the phone. She couldn't have been nicer and I hadn't even given her the chance to have a cup of coffee! What a lovely bunch you are. Have a great weekend, hopefully relaxing in the sunshine and enjoying Mother's Day.
    Like you Barbara, I have a daughter overseas, but out of sight certainly doesn't mean out of mind!

  7. My craft room is miniscule in comparison with yours and I cannot work in there at the moment, so I have now spread all over the house. It is a constant battle between sorting out and the myriad of ideas flying round in my head, waiting to be put into action. I love that floral plate and still go back to it to grab flowers for other designs. It has been a real whirlwind since that plate first came out, and we have all learned so much in that time. Let's see who can sort their craft room first. xxx Maggie

  8. I have been tidying my craft room trying to get some order could think straight to craft find things so cleared some out donated to Katie's day centre lots decopache paper kits been sitting there taking space so getting there even got somecrafting donthis week was good to get going again getting the stamps out bit scenery loved it mind you not finished as friends turned up. We do collect a lot of stuff. But need it all hehe. Hugs Joy xxx

  9. Hi Barbara, your work space, your creative space, your retreat to space, being a huge jumble like that, no that's not good for you in your head. And must waste an awful lot of your precious time just finding things, and be very frustrating. A good sort out is maybe just what you need, for helping in your head too. 3 work stations sounds a good plan. And organise your storage into areas, so that all your Groovi and parchment, for example, is round about your parchment work space. Wish I lived near, you could come get me, dump me in your art room, and come back when it's all sorted into a logical system! One of my talents it seems!!!!! I'm getting there with my craft room, just one area to go, then everything should be easily accessible for me, and giving me maximum floor space too.

    I still remember when you started Groovi. And I get more and more amazed and in awe each time you show us one of your pieces. To see how far you've come, how amazing your work is now, and you've fitted that learning into such a busy life you have. You should be very proud of yourself. And seeing your journey encourages us to keep going with our own learning journeys too.

    Hope you have a lovely weekend
    Love Brenda xx

    Dot, get the bus out the garage and serviced, we've got a skip to raid, bet we'll find all sorts of goodies!!!!

    1. I thought that too about the skip ! LOL !! Brenda, could I borrow you, I've only a small room and it's overcrowded and disorganised – you sound just the person to help ! X

    2. I get first pick, I said first!!!! 😉
      Maybe I've found myself a way to earn a living Jackie, but I'll have to work out how to teleport first!!!!

    3. My other speciality, that seems to fascinate folk, is my ability to rearrange a freezer, making space, when there appears to be none, to fit whatever needs to go in. Do you think there's a market for that too!!!!

  10. Evening Barbara sounds like a plan!! but it looks normal to me beets me tidy craft rooms bit weird them guys anyway.. so nae chance of a Dave craft room extension then… sorry Dave maybe no eh!
    Looks like the Slovenian ladies were having a good time but why wouldn't they with such a great teacher and her parchment master mate.

    Take care have a good weekend..Love Dot..xx

  11. Lovely piece of artwork there. I'm so glad the ladies in Maribor have taken to Groovi. I could do with taking a leaf out of your book and start doing some decluttering too xx

  12. Hello Barbara

    I agree, you will feel better once your room is tidier. But don't forget the saying 'Boring women have immaculate houses'. That is my excuse and I am sticking with it. Lol.

    Good luck to Louise, I wish I lived nearer.

    Love
    Roz.x

  13. I love the art. That plate is a very useful one too. I've just sat here and done a simple Easter card with the baby tulip plate, just need to keep it to white work or add some colour, probably the latter but later ! Also put some plates away and realise I have it spread around in three different boxes so have to keep looking through each one for different bits. Most of my plates are in folders – that is if I've put them back after I've used them otherwise they're in the boxes ! Need some more files I think ….. Hope you have a good weekend and looking forward to the shows on Sunday. Sadly, I'm too far away for Louise's workshop, I'm sure they will be very popular ! X x

  14. Hi Barbara
    Would you like some help tidying your room?, just imagine all the things you will find that you thought you had lost! It sounds like you have a plan, now you just need the time to do it or a visit from Grace who will get you organised in no time. I love the butterfly artwork, what a lovely starter piece for the ladies to do. I have to say it's one of the first platesi bought too. Where have those two years gone? You've come such a long way since then haven't you. Have a lovely weekend.
    Love Diane xxx

  15. Lovely inspiration, I love those two plates. I love a really good sort and if I lived closer I'd love to help, what treasures there would be lol. I had to have a good sort out when we moved house. Hoping to install a summer house I'm the garden in the next fews months then that will be my new craft room, for now alot of stash is in the garage in some spare wardrobes, so thankfully it is organised. My Groovi stash is safely stored in the house.
    Loved the trailer from your crafty week in Slovenia, looked amazing, all those different crafts.

    Good luck with your sort out x

  16. What a great idea, a groovi class to improve our skills. Shame I am too far from Edenbridge to benefit. Good luck with the re-organisation and sort out Barbara, hope there are some nice surprises.

  17. Hi Barb,
    I bet the ladies in Slovenia loved doing this. It's a fabulous plate and one that I fall back to regularly. It's the one you got us to use at the first Catterick Open Day when I wrote Alimecca and you realised who I was!! Gosh! That seems like a lifetime away! How time flies when you're enjoying yourself. Sounds like you have a real plan for your craft room and I hope you manage to get it done . Once I've got the kitchen finished and sorted out then my little craft room is the next one to be tackled. Love and hugs Alison xxx

    1. Hi bloggy friends,
      Hope you're all ok and have had a good day. I've been attempting to put everything back into the kitchen and am shattered. Had a bit of a setback as the worktops won't be ready until 4 th April! Not happy about this as it means I've got not hob, sink or washing machine till then! It's a good job we've got the camping hob but it's a right pain. Think I'll be going up to my sister's with a big bag of washing! With any luck she might even iron it all!! Love and hugs Alison xxxx

  18. I don't do any parchment myself, I prefer stamps and stencils, but I love looking at the wonderful work you and other Groovi gals (and guys) create – awesome! Love this butterfly piece! xxx

  19. I love having a clear out too Barbara!!! There are two problems though! I find things I haven't seen in a while and get side tracked by them and when I've finally finished tidying I can't find a thing!
    I'm so pleased Louise is doing her workshops! She's so lovely and a tremendous asset to you! I wish I could make it to one of her classes!
    Looking forward to seeing Rossella on the telly on Sunday and Tuesday!
    Have a great weekend! Love and hugs xxx

  20. Love your card you are doing brilliantly with your picot cutting. Love the plate too, even the grandchildren have it and love it. Like Alison I did the make and take with that plate at Catterick but didn't get to meet her until last year. My craft room I have to keep fairly tidy as its a spare double bedroom. I do need to go through all the drawers and cupboards though and get rid of the things I no longer use as I'm always hunting for things. Spoke to Louise yesterday wish I lived nearer I'd take her up on the workshops. Sounds like a good plan to have 3 workstations. Good luck with the sorting out.xx

  21. Love this plate i use it a lot too, get overwhelmed with all the possibilities with all the loverly designs so I go back to the start. I love that in your craft room the little blue drawers have grown into big storage boxes. The
    really usefull boxes in mine have done the same thing. T'was necessary, i get very blocked when the room is unorganised, Thanks for sharing Barbara, have a super weekend Jx

  22. Hello Barb, the Butterfly wreath plate is gorgeous, and so is your finished piece. I love your studio/art room, wish mine was that big, must say though on a comparative scale, mine looks the same, as though a hurricane has gone through it. Planning a clean up/sort out soon. Good luck Louise, I am sure it will be a success. Take care all. Bx

  23. I am in my mid seventies and this is just the sort of group I would like to find in the Chelmsford or Basildon area. I have lots of Groovi products but lack the ideas and would like to connect with other Groovers for practice. Hope there is someone out there who could point me in the right direction. Barbara your card is lovely and you really have mastered Groovi maybe one day my cards will look like yours.x

  24. Fabulous! Love the beautiful colours and design. I so enjoy having a good clear out which I have been doing over the past couple of weeks. Lots went in the bin and other items I don't use I am going to either sell or give to charity. Enjoy your day.
    Hugs
    Linda xxx

  25. Hello Barb,
    This is fabulous, so you've shown a wonderful Groovi artwork and made me feel a whole lot better after seeing your work station. I thought I was the only one who would have to swing over the floor into their chair via the chandelier ha ha.
    Maureen xx

  26. I have to have a day a month where I just sort out my craft room so that I too can find things once again. Love your colours on this piece and I am so glad the Slovenian ladies took to Groovi in such a great way – and why wouldn't they?? I look fwd to seeing your revived relaxing room soon. Xxx

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