B-rain stopped play

B-rain stopped play

Hi there,

Thanks for popping in. All the best laid plans, and all that! My neck just clicked yesterday afternoon – and that was that. Went to put my jacket on, and it froze. Hurt like hell. One more night in a hotel bed would have polished me off totally. So I finally had to accept that it was game over, time to stop, time to hand over the keys.

Dear Paul took the reins on the Pergamano Shows, did a splendid job and sold out – which is difficult to top, innit?! Thanks to Paul, the shows carried on.

The Tree Sampler Groovi Platehas proved popular. It certainly is very useful! Loads of mileage in those little boxes. Thank you!

I stayed back home with Dave on his birthday, and defrosted a couple of last year’s wedding cup cakes to celebrate – which still tasted wonderful!

Note to self: don’t chase straight from a big TV weekend to the NEC for 5 days – and then think you will be fit to climb back in the telly saddle overnight. Just don’t ping back like I used to. 

My neck is my weak spot. It comes from years of demming and crafting, looking down. Just a hazard of the job. A week of doing nothing will set it right again. How lucky am I, that all I have to do is nothing, for the problem to go away!

Hahahaha! I have got good news though. No. I’m not retiring! Not just yet!

To all our Scottish friends: We have just signed up for the SECC in March 2020! The organizers have finally added an extra week in between the SECC (5-8 March) and the NEC (19-22), so we can. Put the dates in your diaries! We will have a blast! I do hope our Scottish pals make the trip to Glasgow now we’ve signed along the dotted line!

Time to go indoors and do some more nothing. Well, the BRAIN will still keep going – and we have got so much BIG STUFF in the pipeline, ther’s SO MUCH to think about!!

I can’t spill the beans just yet, because it’s not set in stone, but there’s something pretty epic on the horizon…

Love & Hugs

Barb xx

40 thoughts on “B-rain stopped play

  1. It’s a bugger this ageing crap innit?? Do hope your neck doesn’t take too long to sort itself out. Take care of yourself lovely lady. Happy birthday to Dave too. Have a lovely evening. Xxx

  2. Good afternoon Barbara
    Ohh you poor thing your neck must have been bad because I know your work ethic and you would not have missed a tv show unless it was absolutely needed.
    You take care Happy Birthday to Dave
    I look forward to your big reveal in the future.

  3. I can sympathize with your poor neck. It now takes me a lot longer to get everything packed up for classes and retreats. My brain has not really grasped that concept yet, so packing is always done in a panic and I am much later setting out than I should be. That then means that I leave the house looking as though a bomb has hit it. I hope you can learn to pace things more and give that neck a chance. Take care and enjoy the evening with Dave. xxx Maggie. (Silvercrafter)

  4. Ouch……… being a member of the Knackered Neck Club, I can totally sympathise. That is what stopped me carrying on with the Groovi stuff sadly………. I hope it does one very soon and you feel a lot better. C xx

  5. So sorry to hear about our neck after all that planning you put in, I’m sure Paul will put it to good use, I say I’m sure as I haven’t seen shows yet. Been looking after a 3 and 20 month year old …..I’m cream crackered. Took over a box of crafty goodies, the Clarity brushes stand up to some use I can tell you, my great niece, at only 3, knows she must only use the right colour with the right brush and no matter what she does with them (I’m sat there wishing I hadn’t taken them !) they bounce back. She’s not always convinced there’s still enough on the brush to finish covering the paper ! She was stamping with one of the bigger Christmas stamps and I also took some cheaper ones I had – although, to be honest, she’s really careful and amazes me at 3 so I will let her look at my stash one day. She was oooing today so heaven knows what she’ll be doing when she one day sees what I’ve got. I might start her on a bit of Groovi next week….. Anyway I digress – I need to catch up on Paul and the shows, that tree plate will be a definite on my list ! Hope your neck feels better soon and Happy Birthday to Dave ! X

  6. Bonsoir Barbara
    I hope you feel better very quickly ! I send you some « Abracadabra » from Brittany. Sure it will work … Have a good time celebrating David’s birthday. Amicalement
    Elisabeth

  7. Happy birthday Dave.
    It’s playing spider on the iPad that does my neck and shoulder! Luckily crafting is ok. Have a good rest and rejoice you have an amazing team to hold the fort. Wonder what you are cooking up this time! Xx

  8. So sorry, Barb. Having just straightened up after hours over a piece of parchment, I literally feel your pain. Rest up as much as your brain allows… I’m like that too!
    Gentle hugs,
    Em xoxo

  9. Dear Barbara. Sorry about your neck, I know it does bother you every now and then. Hope David is having a nice birthday with you there. I haven’t managed to watch the shows had visitors. I am still not able to craft due to my bad eye it is going to be a long time. Hoping to catch up on shows next week as my daughter goes back home on Saturday.
    Keep resting that neck. Love xx

  10. So, so sorry you are in pain and hope it remedies itself soon. Watched Paul from my sick bed – yes had the flu jab and guess what? I have been laid up for over a week.
    Hoping to do a bit of parching tomorrow.
    Best wishes to one and all. x

  11. Get better soon I cheated I worked all day plate sold out on hochanda but…….. bought 1 from clarity thank goodness xx

  12. Please take some time to recover thoroughly before the next phase? Should I warn my bank manager now?
    Happy birthday Dave, have a lovely evening together xxx

  13. Evening Barbara, so sorry to hear about your neck. Good you’re having a rest and doing nothing! Happy Birthday to Dave and All The Very Best! Hope he’s been having a great day and you two are having a lovely evening together!
    Take care and get well soon! Hugs xx

  14. I can sympathise with the knackered neck, I have similar problem. So painful. As you say rest and warmth will help. How wonderful that you feel able to do the SECC, I am sure all your Scottish fans will be excited. Remember to pace yourself between those two big shows though. xx

  15. Evening Barbara. Hope your neck settles soon. I know what you mean though…. When I was teaching and had lots of exam marking to do that used to take its toll on my neck. Now I have to make sure I remember to look up every now and again. I also find if I lie on the bed and let my head hang over the edge it relaxes the muscles in your neck the opposite way to how it normally is when you’re looking down.
    It sounds a bit strange but it works!
    So rest up and gently does it. We’re not ready for you to totally hang up your brayer yet.
    And I’m looking forward to find out what’s in the pipeline.
    Happy birthday Dave. Enjoy your evening both of you.
    Love and hugs Xxxx

  16. Hope you feel better soon. The shows were brilliant as always. I do find that as I’ve got older everything hurts😂. I feel lucky though still here and able to enjoy things. Take care get well soon xx

  17. I am sorry about your neck and missed you on TV today, but at least it has forced you to have a break.
    Happy birthday to Dave and hope you both have a lovely evening.
    Hugs. Annette X

  18. Sorry to hear about your neck problem. It only takes a slightly wrong move for it to ping out of place & its so annoying when it does it at the wrong moment but a bonus for Dave as you could spend the whole day together. Hope you feel better soon. Meanwhile you are a tease about future plans – hope that stone sets soon !!

  19. I wish you a very swift recovery! I’ve discovered you can tape a groovi plate to a door, so you don’t have to bend. Now, if someone could custom design a table top version so I can sit down at the same time…. You know you can, Barbara – you have that sort of mind. Happy birthday to Dave.

  20. Oh poor you, hope your neck recovers soon. I have been doing a lot of snipping today so in sympathy with you a little. Hope Dave has had a good birthday must have been nice for him spending some time with you. Going up to London tomorrow for a late birthday treat to the theatre to see Waitress. The crafters in Scotland will be so happy that you are doing the SECC in March. Rest up Barb and put a heat wrap around your neck and take a few painkillers, hope you get some relief soon, love & hugs xxx

  21. Wow. That’s fantastic news that you are coming to Glasgow. It will be worth going to the SECC in March now! I may need to take my holidays a week earlier than planned otherwise I will only be able to spend Thursday/Friday there. Seems a shame to miss another two days of Clarity in Glasgow so will need to think seriously about stopping a week earlier than normal! So sorry to hear that your neck is so sore. However, when we need a rest and don’t plan on taking it, we usually get it one way or another! Hope Dave is spoiling you even though it’s his birthday! Happy Birthday, Dave. Hope you have had a lovely day. Hx

  22. Oh no that’s not good, rest rest rest! Hope Dave enjoys his birthday. Everything can wait and tick along until you can join back in. Take it easy. Xx

  23. Hi Barbara, sorry to hear you are not feeling to good at the moment.
    At least you had a great guy in Paul to carry on with the shows.
    The shows were great , and Paul was brilliant.
    My friends have kept telling me to pace my self , it has only took 10 years as not in my remit !!!!!
    But I am learning , a little bit different when running a company.
    Have a lovely evening with Dave on his birthday.
    Looking forward to see what you have lined up for us all in the future.
    Take care of yourself.
    Lynn xx💐

  24. Has the doc, osteopath or physio suggested anything like a soft collar you can wear while you are ‘grooving’? There must be summat out there that would help prevent the problem being so painful? I do hope you can find something to ease the problem.

  25. Happy Birthday to my mate Dave – it is my lovely husband’s birthday tomorrow – he will be 70, the main focus of his card is one of my trusty Clarity stencils!
    It might still be worth checking out a Bowen practitioner to help your neck feel better whilst you are busy doing nothin’. Oh, whilst you are writing the scottish event in your diary for next year, heed your own advice and DON’T over expose yourself (oo-er Mrs).
    Love
    Maggie (Bendy Yorkite)

  26. Oh Barbara a sore neck is so debilitating and so painful. Take care I am sure Dave will look after you. Hope Dave has a good Birthday. What fabulous news you are coming to the SECC in March – calendar marked , Bank Manager warned and time off booked.
    Margaret xx

  27. Get better soon Barbara and enjoy doing nothing. My friend bought the Trees plate at the NEC on Thursday and has lent it to me for the weekend. I swapped it for the bauble plates and now wish I hadn’t as I wanted to combine the two! Happy birthday Dave x

  28. Isn’t getting old a pain (know the feeling) but glad you are smiling and putting the thinking cap on instead live all that you do you facing given me a new I interest in life go Groovi look forward to seeing you soon

  29. Good to hear you stopped and that it happened before you left home. Having had a bad back for so many years I too feel your pain. Rest while you can x

  30. Well I might just have to book some holiday and a train ticket then for next March!!! If I can make it down to Kent I can surely make it to Glasgow. Enjoy your cupcakes, happy birthday to Dave, and I hope your neck is soon on the mend xxx

  31. Well your neck has finally taken control and forced you to stop for a bit Barbara and although it is uncomfortable for a while it will at least make you stop and do nothing for a bit, well nothing that is going to irritate your neck anyway. I’m sure Dave enjoyed having you around for the whole of his birthday too. I hope it is soon feeling better. x

  32. I feel your pain – if it’s not my neck it’s my back. When I watch you bending over the demo table I wonder how you manage to keep smiling. Anyhow, it is good that it happened before you started travelling and that Paul could stand in. He did a great job. I ordered the tree plate from Clarity around 8.30 and by 10.40 had an email to say it had been dispatched – such service can’t be beaten !!!
    Wonder what this tease is, look forward to finding out.
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID, hope you both had a good day together. Take great care of our lovely lady.
    Love and hugs 🍒🍒🍒

  33. Hi Barbara
    So sorry to hear you knock isn’t good,I thought you might be suffering when I watched the8 am show and Paul was on. Rest and relaxation for you I hope for the next few days. Happy birthday Dave, I hope you’ve managed to enjoy your day together. Love the Christmas tree plates, I must put an order in.
    Love Diane xx

  34. Totally get the ‘neck’…same here after crafting since childhood…add to that twenty odd years of typing/ word processing eight hours a day so my shoulders join in too but, hey ho, just have to have a few days rest and, like you, ready to start again. Hope Dave’s had a great birthday and, on the up-side, at least you could celebrate with him xx

  35. Take care of yourself Barb, and rest up. Hopefully the neck will feel better soon. I have other types of complaints from working in the IT industry, so know how it feels realising that your chosen career can be detrimental to your health. Hope you enjoyed celebrating with Dave. Bx

  36. Hi Barbara. As a fellow iffy neck sufferer I, too, have at 72 come to realise how heavy my head is to support whilst crafting – Groovi being one of the main culprits. Having heard of poor Tina’s suffering and Linda’s having health problems, I have felt concerned for you seeing tiredness in your face when on TV. Please don’t wear yourself into the ground for the sake of Clarity, we can’t do without your fantastic artistic input, but try to delegate more. I wish you a speedy recovery, ease up, have your week of doing nothing, but still give yourself YOU time afterwards. Even pottery needed a physical input and leaning forwards; we only have one body, no second chances there.
    Get better soon
    Ros X

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