And now for a Groovi Game Changer: The Queen’s Lace Duets

And now for a Groovi Game Changer: The Queen’s Lace Duets

Hi there!
Thanks for popping in.

Have you found Elvis the Elf yet? Do join in…the guys at work are loving all the positive feedback!

I am posting early today, because Sunday on telly is always pretty full on. And there’s not much time between the afternoon shows and the evening launch at 6 to chat! S for SCRAMBLE actually!!

So I am up with the lark, to tell you all about the ODS (One Day Special) at 6pm before heading off up to the studios.

Now you must have heard the name Josie Davidson. She is one of our very talented trad parchers on the Design team. I have always admired her spectacular gridwork – she seems to have an eye for those wonderful lace borders. Personally, I have always cooed and shaken my head in amazement, but to be frank, I haven’t known where to start.  When Tina – another superstar in Grooviworld – brought out the grid pattern borders, I got a much better understanding of how it works, and even learned how to create little gridwork edges, but still those fantastic deep lace frames looked way too difficult for me!

A while ago, Josie and I had a talk about how we could simplify gridwork using drilled plates, to eliminate all the counting. She sent me some finished samples, with a view to creating a set of elaborate corner grids. Eight altogether. Beautiful patterns, designed by her good self. Great designs – great starting place. Now we had to figure out a way to combine all the perforating, whitework and cutting on the same plate.

So Jim at work, who has a head for this stuff like no other, locked into the designs and set to work.  After countless discussions, meetings, forks in the design road, edits and hours of screenwork, the first 4 were created. We named them after queens, firstly because they needed to be easily identifiable, and secondly, because they look so incredibly regal!

But these plates are entirely different to anything we have done before. See here? Etched and drilled on the same plate. Absolutely blimming brilliant to use. Look!

“Jim”, I says,“can you design a really lovely royal looking font for the names?” “No problem”, says Jim, as always.

A day later….“Jim”, says I, “can you design a really lovely royal alphabet, lower and upper case, like the names, and make two borders?” “Yep, no probs”.  Everybody needs a Jim in the Design Department!

THESE ARE SO BEAUTIFUL TO USE!!!!

And then, we asked our ever clever Groovi Parchment DT to rustle up a few examples, using our grids, so you can see what they look like when complete….

Tina CoxJane Telford
Maggie ByfordJosie DavidsonJosie DavidsonMaggie ByfordJane TelfordGail Sydenham

See what I mean? Looks insanely complex, but is actually really, really achievable with the new Queen’s Lace Duet Grids. Tune in tomorrow at 6pm, and let me walk you through them.

The lovely art nouveau Groovi plates are what we have chosen to frame for the samples.

Also very lovely.

Lilies

Poppies

So thank you, thank you to Josie for the designs and inspiration. And thank you to Jim for keeping going until the job was done, and the process worked. This is a game changer for many of us – I know it.

And the other 4? Well, every Queen needs a King, right? But let’s get to grips with the ladies first!

Love & Hugs,

Barb

xxx

54 thoughts on “And now for a Groovi Game Changer: The Queen’s Lace Duets

  1. Wow, double wow and triple wow. Such an amazing help to parchment novices. Well done all round! The samples are fabulous too. I predict a 20 minute sell out and a few all nighters creating more.

  2. Absolutely stunning examples, I could look at them all day long. Such amazing designs. I am so looking forward to the One Day Special, these are such an excellent addition to the Groovi family. Take care xx

  3. Oh wow, these are beautiful and will be going into my basket later. Good luck with the shows but you wont need it as you are always brilliant. Thank you and everyone at Clarity Towers for such a fantastic product xx

  4. Morning Barb, you have hit the jackpot again with these, what a brilliantly fantastic idea, thank you so much Josie and Jim. I must warn you though these plates are jumping up and down waiting for my basket to open up………….ha ha.

    Stay safe, healthy and happy, hugs, June Smith xxx

  5. OMG …….they are all exquisite, makes the brain ache! Looking forward to walking through all the steps with you on tv. Hope you have a very successful launch. Xx

  6. What a truly fabulous team you really do have, from the designing of the plates, to the making of the plates to using the plates – each and every one of those pieces of the Clarity jigsaw come together to create a masterpiece. Now I said I wasn’t going to buy any more Groovi……….. 🙄🙄

  7. Wow these look amazing a definite must have when finances allow. I was fortunate to have Josie teach me parchment craft a long time ago in Brigg. Her grid work is amazing. Maybe now I’ll be able to do more complex designs with these. Never was good at counting.

  8. You are so good to us!!! Yet again fantastic news for those of us struggling with the traditional approaches due to physical disabilities!!! Can’t thank you enough!
    Einen fröhlichen 1. Advent wünscht Euch Allen Eva

  9. Beautiful beautiful beautiful! I don’t do Groovi but I do love to see all the beautiful works that are created and these new plates look fantastic to use. Look forward to the shows xx

  10. Hello Barbara

    These look fantastic. I can’t wait to have a go. Such a brilliant idea. I do try to do the counting but usually make a mistake!
    Will look forward to the Kings too.

    Love
    Roz xxx

  11. Barbara please please stop having these fantastic ideas, it’s costing me a fortune!!! Such a great idea, I have been wanting to extend my grid work and this makes it look so much easier thank you xxx

  12. I struggle with the lace work borders, but these look amazing- so will be tuned in to see them. Promised myself I’d not get anything else till after Christmas – but oops! You did it again Barbara and the team – created something I can’t do without. Xxx

  13. Hi Barbara
    Oh my goodness how beautiful are these. I look at the stunning samples from the design team and think to myself, never in a million years, but perhaps if I try with one grid and spend some time on it I too could produce something similar. I must master the picot cutting though! Josie and Jim you are superstars, thank you. Barbara you will look fabulous whatever you wear and I’m sure the shows will sell out.
    Love Diane xxx

  14. Mind blowingly gorgeous can’t wait!
    Would you mind if I ask a question here as I don’t do Facebook? I love the Freshcut dies but am really struggling to cut them on my Todo die cutting machine. I just wondered if anyone has found a solution (short of buying a Gemini machine!). All suggestions gratefully received & thanks in advance. Now must get the lunch on so I can sit down at 2pm xx

    1. Hi Lynne, would you like me to ask your question on FB as it’s more likely to be answered on there – I can let you know the answers then? X

      1. Hi Jackie
        That is so very kind of you. If it’s no trouble I would be really grateful. I want to add the die club to my membership next year but need to be sure I can cut them all first! Thanks again. Lynne xxx

        1. I’ve just asked and told people to reply to you directly on here or on the post and I’ll pass on. Have you tried another layer, e.g. a piece of paper or card for more pressure – not sure how a Todo works ! I add a piece of paper or thin card to my layers on the Spellbinder machine. X

    2. Someone has said:

      With a todo you adjust the pressure with the dial so if a die isn’t cutting, you tighten the dial to increase the pressure when you roll over

      1. Thanks so much Jackie. I have tried paper shims guess I need to be braver & increase the pressure even more. Terrified of breaking it!! If there weren’t so many temptations from Barb & team I might have enough money to buy a Gemini 😂😂😂

  15. Morning Barbara
    WOW, what wonderful looking designs. I can’t wait to watch the shows today to see how you come up with these works of art!!
    Loving looking for Elvis. Found the first one, only 23 more to go!!
    Best of luck today
    Love & Hugs
    Penny
    Xxxxxx

  16. Oh Wooow! These are an absolute masterpiece, well done Josie and Clarity, and such lovely work by the design team too, I can’t wait for the
    shows. xx

  17. Wow those plates look good. Beautiful lacy edges were what drew me to parchment but I wasn’t brave enough to do much more than a straight line of dots. Of course being a stamper and seeing that lovely new alphabet I’m hoping it will be along in due course as Clarity are always thinking ahead. Xx

  18. Morning bloggy friends, hope everyone is well. Looking forward to the shows this afternoon. Xx

    Hope you all found Elvis, I did but was stumped at first! 😀

  19. Wow doesn’t really cover it but these samples look stunning, showing off the wonderful work of Josie & Jim ( why do I want to burst into song !! ). Looking forward to all the shows today & tomorrow. I am not sure you will be there all day unless the elves have been exceptionally busy or have agreed to work overtime. Have a great day all of you, I am off to find Elvis.

  20. Fantastic plates – I think these are what we’ve been waiting for ! Look forward to the show, the samples are magnificent and well done Josie & Jim ! X

  21. Barb, what more can I say, but WOW, WOW, WOW. The designs, the artwork and the talent, are just to be admired. I think the ODS evening launch show is going to be very busy. Take care all, and enjoy the shows. Bx

  22. I slip in and out of groovi but think would love using those can only do it for short times as eye doesn’t like to much close work really think will help. More on list found second lot little elve to start with thought Christmas then looked and read again and brain clicked so off I went and there he was great fun must go check record set safe trip x

  23. These new plates look absolutely amazing and can hardly wait. They will be an instant sell out for sure but hope you will still continue showing how to use them. I have the snowflake duets so am really going to enjoy the gridwork duets. Hugs from Canada 🇨🇦

  24. Genius! Fabulous designs and there’s one with my name on. The Design Team have produced some wonderful samples as always. Just found Elvis, the clue led me down some wrong roads at first but I got there in the end. Almost time for the show,got the ironing board set up in front of the telly xx

  25. Hi Barb,
    These are blooming brilliant! Well done to Josie and Jim and thank you. Was doing grid work at Linda Page’s class last month and was so proud of myself for completing it until the last side and it didn’t match up! I had done one little line incorrectly – I was absolutely gutted I can tell you. It had taken me a couple of hours to do as well! I’m now trying to rectify it somehow. These plates will be just the job and they will definitely be falling into my basket! Just off to tune into the shows now Love and hugs,Alison xxx

    1. Hi Alison! Why am I not surprised that you will be buying these new plates! Haha! Enjoy using them.
      I left a message for you on yesterday’s blog. Love and hugs, Gilly xxx

  26. Barbara, you’ve done it again!
    I can’t sit on my hands today, these are a must have. I sat down the other day with my parchment pattern books and found a fantastic border for a special card. Got out my steel grid and started counting – what a disaster! The phone rang (it wasn’t on answerphone and hubby doesn’t answer it) the doorbell went several times and I finally gave up. There just were not enough butterflies to cover the mistakes.
    So a big thank you to Josie, Jim, the design team and all at Clarity for such a fantastic product.
    Settling back now to watch more demos. Bye the way you look fine, don’t know why you were worried.
    Got to go, Bye.

  27. Fabulous plates. Well done Jossie.
    They will need to go on my want list, as I am skint after Grey sale!
    I have been having fun searching for Elvis! He is so cute.

  28. Hi Barbara – looking forward to seeing you and Paul demo these new plates. What a fantastic idea! Such a lot of very clever people in Team Clarity. Love and hugs, Gilly xxx

    1. Hi bloggy friends – I’m sure that you are all enjoying ‘finding Elvis’ each day! Yet still more wonderful goodies to tempt us all! Love and hugs, Gilly xxx

        1. Hi Gilly,
          Just gone back onto yesterday’s blog and read your comment. Oh! You know me too well! Can’t wait to play with these new plates. So glad to hear that Neill is so much better, that’s absolutely brilliant news. I’m sure that the experts will get his PTSD under control in time, I think it is sort of little steps at a time. Hope that you’re coping well too. Sending you both lots of love and hugs,Alison xxxx

  29. Wowzers these new plates look amazing, I’ve also been a fan of Josie’s stunning gridwork so this is a no brainer, bring on 6pm x

  30. Hi Barbara, Well you only have gone and done it again!!!
    You blew the roof and doors off by 6.15pm!!!!
    This is a brilliant way of making a design / border on our cards.
    I am sorry to say i would use them in a different way , as i have a problem with my wrist, i would buy these plates and just do the embossing but cut around the edges .
    I can hear you all saying NO , NO , NO but for me i would still have a lovely border without the heartache of all the picot cutting.
    I have to say all the people who do this work i have to admire them such clever people.
    thanks to Barbara ,Jim and Josie for coming up with such a brilliant idea.
    Again Clarity always does different , a fantastic company.
    Lots of hugs to all .
    Lynn xxx

  31. Well my hands aren’t flat again, as I have just spent money I really don’t have on the new plates. They were just too amazing to resist and the price was great, so I hovered and then just pressed order, as they were selling out. Well done to you all on such fantastic plates.i am so looking forward to using them.
    You looked great today, so all that worrying for nothing! Hugs. Annette X

  32. These new plates are stunning, thank you Josie for the artwork and Jim for the practicalities of combining everything onto one plate! They’ve been added to my ‘urgent’ wishlist as, at the mo have to be a little practical what with Christmas a few weeks away and the fact that our house and car insurance both fall this month – definitely some bad planning there. Hey ho, recorder is set and have watched this afternoon and ODS launch show, trying to watch Paul online but t’interweb is playing up!

  33. Stunning. These plates are amazing. Getting mine for Christmas pressie so got to wait a while yet but will be worth it. No interruptions after Christmas please I shall be occupied. Thank-you to all the clever people who put this together. xx

  34. Hi Barbara, just catching up on the blogs while watching the ODS on Hochanda. Yesterday afternoon’s show was brilliant – thanks for showing some new techniques with the NDC stamps & stencils. I learned a new technique for my stencils (with the ink and running it through the Gemini) which I’m definitely going to find time for this week! My shoulder function still isn’t up to ironing & hoovering so I just have to craft instead and call it rehab 😀

  35. Now I have seen the new Groovi plates in action I am even more impressed. The results are stunning. This means that we can all achieve those fabulous lacy borders that make parchment craft so beautiful. Definitely on the top of my wish list.
    Was great to see the design club stamps and Groovi that I already have being revisited. I love that you go back to some of the older products sometimes with new ideas xx

  36. My Grids arriving today. BRILLIANT. I have admired Josie’s work for years. Now I have these borders to hand. Being a left hander these grids are going to be so useful.

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