A for Acceptance.

A for Acceptance.

Hi there.

Thanks for popping in. What a glorious August Bank Holiday it is! How fortunate for all the weddings, fayres and fêtes everywhere, too. I was most surprised this morning when I woke up and looked at the clock. 9.15 !! Good grief ! Can’t remember the last time I slept past 7 ! That’s what 6 full days of arty workshops do for you! I hope all the ladies got home safely and managed to avoid the bank holiday traffic.

So that’s it for another year. A week ago today, we were setting up the hall, and full of nerves. A week later, it’s all done and dusted. Many thanks to all the lovely people who joined in; I hope it all lived up to your expectatons, that you took home some new ideas and renewed motivation, and that you enjoyed yourselves. In the words of Doris Day – Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think!

So we have enjoyed a leisurely day. Breakfast with my folks and a chilled afternoon in the garden. Even had a little arty session, aka downtime. I have decided to start a little diary, an arty journal. I don’t want it to be a run down of the days events though! Not that kind of diary. More as a meditative exercise, if you know what I mean. Something to express what is going on in my head.

So I thought I would use my new Floral ABC stamps, which are being showcased and launched on HOCHANDA this time next week, as a way forward. Paul and I have got – wait for it – 17 hours of live TV shows next weekend. SEVENTEEN HOURS. This lovely set is on Sunday evening at 6pm. If I’m to have an earthly chance of prepping demos for that many hours, I have to start weaving all the products into ANYTHING I do this week !! Think of it as a sneak peek!

Back to the meditative little journal…. I can pick a floral letter, think about it, find a word that is relevant, and drift off into the little page.

Wait till you see the little water colour Journal! It is so neat !!

Today I went with A for Acceptance. And because all the floral letters comes with 4 other letters, you can write any word you fancy!

Acceptance is the key to all my problems today. That’s not a cop out. No no no. That’s me not fighting things I can’t control. Like what other people say and do. Like things happening which I don’t like, but which I can’t change.

And this isn’t my way of passive aggressively having a pop at somebody either! No subliminal messages here! Trust me. I have a voice, and I’m not afraid to use it!

Acceptance is a powerful and empowering thing – and it begins with the letter A !!!

Now it’s time to go indoors and get ready for P for Poldark!

Love & Hugs

Barb xxx

PS. I’m already thinking about B. Although I may count out the pages in the little journal, make a little mark on each page so I know which letter lands on which page – and then I can hop about…

32 thoughts on “A for Acceptance.

  1. Love ,love it Barbara!From the moment I first saw your alphabet in groovi I have been looking forward to these in stamps !With some special birthday cards to make these will be ideal .have been thinking of a crafty journal too just for me .Acceptance is a much calmer space to be in than struggling to change what cannot be ….means something to me also .warmest wishes to you and yours.Carmel

  2. Enjoy the calm before the storm Barbara. Glad you had a decent lie in. I will be up at 3am ready to head down to Stanstead. #2 son needs a lift and that’s one thing mums are for.

  3. It has been a glorious weekend, we have been celebrating our grandson’s first Birthday. A real family occasion, great aunts, uncles and cousins besides immediate family. What a gathering. We did get caught up in the traffic on Friday but the retreat days made it all worth while. It will be interesting to see how your journal progresses. x

  4. Hello Barbara
    I had a very dear friend whose mantra was ‘if you can’t change it you have to live with it’. I try to live by this, not always possible, but I try.
    Love
    Roz.xxx

  5. What a brilliant idea Barb, and a beautiful start to your journal. Wonder if I could stretch to your beautiful alphabet stamps, an art journal, and more importantly could I possibly stretch myself to do one maybe on a weekly basis… I wouldn’t hold your breath on that one, but a nice idea!!!

    Glad you had a good day, but sorry folk are causing you issues. Hope your wee arty journey put them in their place in your head.

    My day not so good. Determined it was going to be a better day, after yesterday’s marathon going round in circles and getting nowhere, and the feelings that left me with. Unfortunately I had to do the scary hose routine this morning, first time this year.  A woman walking past laughed at me, a put on, very loud not nice laugh.  I was just quietly, innocently, watering my gardens the only way I can when I don’t have help, from my windows.  People shouldn’t judge, especially when they don’t have all the information.  The court of law isn’t allowed to…  What that woman did to me this morning may have seemed like nothing much, that most folk can shrug off, or at least it only have a minimal affect on them.  For me, this mocking laugh is a big trigger for opening up, reliving, stuff and feelings that I have to work so hard at all the time to keep the lid on.  These thoughts, feelings, pictures will be with me for days, maybe many days, until they start to subside enough for me to get them back in the box and the lid put firmly on again.  When you see something, someone, different, please don’t laugh at them, look down your nose at them, or anything else negative or unpleasant.  Instead, just walk on past in silence, and be grateful you don’t have to walk in their shoes.  Or better still, smile and say something kind, something that doesn’t require a response, so the person doesn’t feel pressured to respond to you if they don’t feel up to doing so.

    Hope you have a good bank holiday day off tomorrow. Love you xx

    1. I admire people like you who do as much as you can however you can manage it. Don’t let this incident depress you, it is not worth it. Love reading your posts on this blog. Keep cheerful 😊 🍒

    2. People can be so thoughtless! I too have difficulties doing some tasks due to health and mobility problems, but like you I try to find my own way of doing them if I can so that I don’t have to keep asking for help. It may take me a little longer but at least I tried. A kind word or a smile can brighten a day for someone struggling.

      Love from bonnie Scotland! xx

  6. A day like today will have done you good, after such a busy week.
    We had a visit from friends of 46 years, who we met in the UK, followed to South Africa and then all returned here. What a lovely day it was, catching up and reminiscing.
    I managed to catch the last half hour of the cricket, which was SO exciting and then had a Skype call with my daughter and three grandchildren in Canada.
    I have just come in from the garden, as it is too dark to read, so I shall have an early night.
    Another hot day tomorrow, so try not to overdo it. Hugs. Annette X

  7. Good for you Barbara, a well deserved lie in & quality time with family. Thank you so much for a brilliant 2 days. You, Paul, Dave & the whole Clarity team worked so hard to make sure we had a good time. I loved all the projects (especially the groovi!) & I am hoping I’ll now get to grips with the fusible fibers! Really looking forward to all the shows next week, (although my bank manager might not agree) but it’s only money!!! Xx

  8. What about B for bravery. Or bold. Just what you must have been to start a company when you were bringing up a young family.

  9. Love those alphabet stamps, wish now I had waited and not bought the Groovi ones, although I love them. Nothing wrong in having both though is there. Just have to save up. Love your first journal page Barb. Must make another page in mine. My one page is lonely. Glad you’ve had a lovely day and relaxed. Hope you are enjoying your Poldark evening,xxx

  10. Well done Barbara on managing to get in a well deserved “Sunday lie-in” after all your hard work at the most fantastic workshops! So much learnt, so many great ideas and inspiration taken home and two brilliant days of friendship and warmth from my fellow crafters. Definitely the best retreats to date, and the best venue. Looking forward to next weekend’s launches and seeing more of your inspirational journal.

  11. That’s a beautiful piece of art to start your little journal. I managed a little crafting myself today – trying out some of the workshop techniques, some more successfully than others. Still, I’ve added to my “learning journal” and will have another go at that composition, being patient enough to let the ink dry properly!!!

  12. Sometimes your body just needs to tell you to slow down and you just have to listen. I am sooooo looking forward to these alphabet stamps, stamps are my real love and these are gorgeous, well they would be wouldn’t they, they are Clarity and original Barbara Gray. So glad the retreats went well, which of course was no more than I expected. I am sure everyone had a ball. Looking forward to the upcoming shows and seeing how that little journal develops. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Love to Dave. Xxxx

  13. Really like the look of these stamps and the journal. B could be blessings because you are one to many people and you are surrounded by a lovely family and good friends. You also have a job you love – most of the time!!
    Delighted to have so many hours of clarity from Thursday although I will have to watch some of them as recordings. I need to work too!! Anyway, have a great week and happy crafting. Hx

  14. Glad you managed to get a proper rest after your hectic week.
    Beautiful artwork. Have the Groovi plates, should I also get the stamps? Yeah!!! Floral numbers sound good too. My list is getting longer and longer and longer………
    Very hot here today, still 86f despite all the fans going full blast, and surprisingly little traffic on the roads this afternoon.
    🍒🍒🍒

  15. So glad you managed a lie-in. You must have been exhausted after 6 days straight. We had a glorious couple of days on the coast after the retreat and a good journey home today. Felt very sorry for all the people in the queues on the M2 and M20 going the other way. We avoided any other motorways until almost home and weren’t held up at all. Looking forward to all the shows next week. Take it easy tomorrow. Xx

  16. Hi Barb,
    It must have been lovely for you to have a lie in after the last few days. Your body must have been telling you something! The little journaling page is lovely and a great idea. The floral alphabet stamps are lovely but as I already have the Groovi ones not sure I can run to the stamps as well – not with all the other new goodies coming up! I’ve been to Linda Page’s Groovi workshop at CC HQ today and had a lovely time and funnily enough we were using the floral alphabet plates in conjunction with a lace grid plate. Well that’s my sister’s birthday card done! Love and hugs, Alison xx

  17. So glad you managed a lie-in this morning. One day last week, I woke too early to get up so decided to snuggle down and stay there for another half hour! Next thing I knew, it was 11.30!!!!! How’s that for a lie-in!!!!!

  18. 17 hours of demonstrations – what have you let Paul and yourself in for. I hope they all go well, which I am sure they will.
    You deserved that lie in Barbara.
    I like the journal idea, each page dedicated to a letter of the alphabet – some letters will be more challenging than others.
    I hope you have another good night tonight. xx

  19. Good evening Brenda,I am sad to hear of your difficult day .Your ability to express in writing what you feel is a great strength .We can be thoughtless and it is really important to pause and imagine wearing someone elses shoes.Thinking of you.warm regards Carmel

    1. Aww, thanks so much. My hope in writing it was it might make someone think, might give others a wee reminder. It’s too easy for our brains to judge in isolation what is in front of us, without thinking about what the bigger picture might be. Xx

  20. I love these designs, I have them in Groovi and have made loads of name book cards with them – always well received. I have no doubt that the stamps will go down just as well. I chose the wrong fortnight to go away on holiday, I’ll have a lot of catchup to watch. Looking forward to seeing you back on our screens Barbara xx

  21. Love the alphabet groovi and was thinking they are not in stamps or had I missed them going to go down like a storm another sell out I’m sure did get so me in grooving at retreat cause just loved using one .a well deserved lat in too after busy week xxx

  22. A well deserved lie in so you must not feel guilty Barbara as you have had a very busy week, and glad the day has been good. My hubby always says to me when I get cross that there is something that I feel isn’t right but isn’t something I can change, ‘it is what it is’ , which is so true. There are some things that are not in our power to change. The journal is a great idea and I look forward to seeing how it progresses. x

  23. Love that you’re doing the floral alphabet in stamps now – I can feel some more purchases coming on!! Huge thanks to you & the team for another fabulous retreat. I haven’t done a huge amount of crafting since my mum died in May, but you definitely restored my mojo!! Glad you had a day to recharge your batteries yesterday – it was well earned.

  24. I love your journal page Barbara. I have just invested in some pink pig journals to start some art journals (as inspired by leonie). These alphabet stamps would be a perfect inspiration for some pages. Now just have to persuade hubbie that they are a necessity… Have had a thought for your B page, how about “B****r” them!? Keep doing what you are doing & ignore those petty, mean individuals who should know better. Xx

  25. More gorgeous Clarity Stamp products to add to my ever growing wish list. I need to have a friendly word in the ear of my bank manager (aka Hubby)!

  26. Hi Barb, love the alphabet stamps, I think they are very different and very useful with the multiple stamps. Bx

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