Quick & Easy, that’s me !
Hi there.
Thanks for popping in. Been working away at the Sunday TV show demos today. Got some very lovely stamps and dies and stencils to showcase. I do hope you like them. Here’s a snippet from one of the projects I hope to be showing you during the Sunday 2-4pm show on HOCHANDA
The new blog format is proving to be a challenge, I must say! In the front garden, what you are looking at, nothing has changed at all. All peachy. But behind the curtains, it’s altogether a different story! Honestly, if I could retreat for a week, and do nothing but fanny about with the inner workings of the blog, I know for sure I would crack it. And I’d probably even enjoy getting my head round all the super duper tricks and settings. But it’s like everything else in my life; I learn the bare essentials, what I need to get by, get the job done. And then I learn to do that very efficently and quickly! Peu a peu, time permitting, I learn another trick here and there. Or Jim shows me a short cut. And in due course I could even be perceived as quite the expert. Until they change the format, and I slide straight back down the ladder to Beginagenn.
Ah well. It’s not terminal. Perhaps I should set aside half an hour every day, just to press buttons and see what happens. But to be perfectly honest, if I’m going to allocate half an hour to something new, tinkling away on the old piano indoors sounds far more appealing, don’t you agree?
And then there’s pottery. Term starts next week. Can’t wait! I’ve already signed up for an additional Raku day AND a pottery throwdown (that means a day on the wheel again). I’m thinking that the flower heart design above would look very lovely on a tile. And I’ve drawn some really funky designs to try on the tiles. Papercuts too, so I’ll use them as masks too, but more earthy. I’ll show you when I’ve tried it out…
There has to be some balance, doesn’t there, between work and play? It’s gone 7pm already, and I’m still not done for the day. So much for my New Year’s resolve, to clock off earlier! But but but – just because it didn’t go so well today with the work/life balance thing, doesn’t mean I can’t try again tomorrow, does it.
Time to go foraging for food. that’s the other thing! I don’t eat all day, and then in the evening I’m gnawing at the fridge door!
Love & Hugs
Barb
xxx
28 thoughts on “Quick & Easy, that’s me !”
The new stencils and stamps are gorgeous. Well worth tuning in on Sunday. Looking forward to the ODS with the dies too. Have fun with the new pottery course.
Looking forward to seeing your design too Sarah! May it be the first of many!! 😜
LOL, you made me chuckle with the eggs. It can be a bit of a pain when they change the setting behind the scenes on the blog. Looking forward to the shows on Sunday. Safe travels and enjoy the rest of the week.
Hugs
Linda xxx
The new designs for 2019 look lovely from what I can see on the website. Can’t wait to see Leonie in action for Clarity on Hochanda.
Had a smashing day today with artyfarty friends. They loved my Christmas presents of Clarity Fresh Cut dies and were as sad as me that I didn’t win the Elf Hunt. Mostly because I said I’d give them any swoppsies😉 But the enjoyment of taking part nearly made up for not winning. It was a thrill to find Elf each day (I don’t get out much🙊) Well done to the lucky lady who won.🥇
I’ll just have to have fun in the next sale I guess. Every cloud 🎊
Who won the hunt I can’t find it
Work life balance is always a hard one but I’m sure you’ll get there. The new designs look amazing! Can’t wait to see you using them on Sunday and the new dies in the ODS look amazing too. Luckily my new storage folders arrived a few days ago…or longer…I forget, so I have space for a few extra goodies. Xx
Evening bloggy friends, hope everyone has had a gentle return to normal today. I still can’t remember what day it is! Xx
Hi Barbara and everyone, well another year already ,where does the time go.
Please don’t beat yourself up I cannot imagine how you juggle everything but as you say you can always try tomorrow.
Looking forward to seeing the shows on Sunday , looking forward to seeing the New Fresh Cut Dies as they look great.
As I am just starting
Out die cutting, your dies as just something different to all the rest out there.
So well done for all the hard work you and all your team have done for all us Crafters.
We all do apperaciate all your hard work.
Take care.
Lynn xx
You have my sympathy – I hate it when they do a program update or put in a new one and everything goes pearshaped. Our website is impossible for me to work and Ray hasn’t bothered since we moved, despite me nagging!!! No way am I doing my own blog ‘cos it sounds like a huge learning curve and I’d rather craft.
The new products look fantastic, so much for not spending, these will be a must for me.
You really should take a mid day break even if only for 15 minutes. Take time to eat and take a few deep breaths, it is proved to increase energy in the afternoon, it certainly works for me.
After all the holiday goodies we had we had simple jackets, cheese and beans. Salmon and scrambles sounds great
Looking forward to seeing what pottery masterpiece you create next.
Have a good evening. 🍒🍒🍒
PS: didn’t enter the competition but I did get all the answers right. Congrats to the winner.
I love reading your blog and out front here it looks just great. I am hopeless with tech stuff,like you learn what I need which is not an awful lot. New stencils looking great as well. x
Hi Barbara
I hope the eggs and salmon were tasty, one of the joys of left over christmas stuff! Oh isn’t it annoying when things change and you have to learn it all again. The new designs look lovely and will look fabulous on your pottery. Take a deep breath, tomorrow is another day, you will get this work/life balance right one day.
Love Diane xxx
Loving the goodies ready for shows on Sunday you and team have done it again brilliant . And after all rich food over last few weeks scrambled egg and salmon sounds wonderful xxx
The heart and bird design is gorgeous!!! Is that a new product? I have chickens and brown eggs. I can’t imagine salmon with eggs………hum…..now I’m hungry. Merry 2019 Barb from the Sandhills of Nebraska.
That die looks fabulous, looking forward to the shows on Sunday.
I made Cornish pasties for our tea tonight, delicious. Good to get back to normal. I always look forward to all the Christmas goodies but I have had enough now. Xx
I can understand how frustrating it must be when you have something cracked and then it all changes Barbara especially if time is as precious as yours. Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday too. By the way scrambled eggs and salmon sounds yummy. x
Mmm scrambled eggs with salmon, love it. Especially as its a simple yet good for you meal. Looking forward to your shows, safe journeys Barb.xxx
Hi Barb,
Yes, it’s certainly frustrating when you’ve got to grips with something and then they go and change it! I’m sure you’ll master it in the end though and you’ve always got Jim to help you out if you get mega stuck. I bet you’re really looking forward to your new pottery classes and can’t wait to see the results. The new goodies look great – really looking forward to seeing the new dies. Love and hugs,Alison xxx
Hiya Barbara.
Really looking forward to your shows on Sunday. The garden heart stamp is one of my favourites and the stencil and groovi plate is so pretty. I will of course be needing that die too to complete the set. The other stamps, stencils and groovi are also fab.
You do sound excited about your pottery class. It’s something I did as an option at uni. We even did raku. That was amazing. I’ll look forward to seeing what you make.
Safe journey to the studios on Sunday but in the mean time hope the prep goes well and you find some time to relax too!
Love and hugs! Xxxx
Eat more regularly first. Then pottery and piano. It’s time IT geeks learned that just because you can change something doesn’t mean you should. They won’t learn if we keep cooperating with their demands. They are supposed to serve the customer who ultimately pays them. Definitely, stop work earlier. No one on their death bed wishes they had worked more.
Totally agree with you !!!
Hi Barbara
Sorry to hear that you are having IT problems. I used to teach IT and I know how frustrating it can be when new updates come out. I’m sure you will get your head round it.
I’m sorry but salmon and scrambled eggs doesn’t do it for me at all. I don’t like fish or eggs!!
Many congratulations Glenda on winning the Elvis the Elf Hunt. I’m sure you will throughly enjoy your prize. Xxxx
The new Dies/stamps/stencils look amazing so far, can’t wait to see the rest of them.
Take care
Love Penny
Xxxxxxx
Happy New Year Barbara.
IT? What’s that? We just call my husband ‘help IT’ . I can help you, just write the blog forward it to Jim and he can post it. Job done, no stress, and more time for you!
Looking forward to Sunday! X
It’s awful when IT has been updated we have gotten so used to.it doing what it’s always done. How much have we come to depend on something that was not even in most people’s radar 30 years ago. Please try and stick to your work life balance promises to yourself. If you are anything like me the IT will suddenly just click like a lightbulb coming on but it won’t if you are tired and hungry and again like me getting more and more frustrated by it. Glad you have some downtime planned with your pottery classes
Hello Barb, as always a great blog post, hope you do get into the groove with the work/life balance. And I imagine by Christmas this year, you will have a whole load of Christmas gifts made from your pottery classes. The eggs made me laugh, hope the salmon and scrambled eggs was as enjoyable as it sounds. Take care all, and well done Glenda on winning the Elf hunt. I am glad to say I got all the answers right, so knew I was in with a chance too. Bx
I understand your frustration I have similar issues with a newsletter I have to produce at work & that’s just monthly! Hope Jim can snow you how to upload Edelweiss soon as I would love to hear that! Enjoy your pottery class.
Congratulations Glenda enjoy your prize xx
The ingredients for the weekend shows look very interesting, just spotted the new banner on the home page. As do the ingredients for your tea, very tasty, sometimes the simple things are great for a change & nothing wrong with quick.
It can take a while to take on new things especially when you can see no need for it but we are glad that you have managed to fight the gremlins & post each day for us as I wouldn’t have a clue where to start.
Oooooo loving the picture tease – looking forward to Sunday 🙂