A slower, more thoughtful life.

A slower, more thoughtful life.

Hi there.

Hope your Sunday is going well, that you are doing ok. The sun is warming up the garden, the birds are singing and chirping away to each other, and I have been doodling and sketching, and experimentiny all morning.

Dave went off early to make some more headbands for visors. He’s made thousands so far.

Yes. Having given myself a day to contemplate, instead of tear-arsing around from one thing to the next, I conclude that a slower, more thoughtful Life is what’s needed. Not just for me! No no!! For the WORLD!! But since I can only control my own affairs, it has to start at home. Going forward, I shall be slowing down. It’s no good, all this running around. There must be a more relaxed pace, a healthier speed. It will mean making a few changes and it may mean downsizing, but that’s what has to be done. I already feel happier living in the solution.

Yesterday, I used Cherry’s fab heart doodle stamp to give myself a lovely starting place for colouring.

Here’s a simple step by step, so you can see how I arrived at the conclusion. No words required here, except that I used a Versafine ink pad and Faber Castell Polychromos colouring pencils

Then this morning, I decided to have a play with Dorso Oil, and see whether it helps blend the colours and smooth out the pencil marks. The best thing to use to apply the Dorso Oil is our Blending Pens.

It certainly does work! By putting a drop of the oil on a Spot On sponge, then just dipping the blending nib in the oil on the sponge, you can go in directly onto the pencil work, and smooth out the colour. When it dries the card lighten again too.

Here’s a before and after…

Difficult to photo the difference, but it is very evident. I tried a different colourway, to see how the colours blend. You can see on the large pic below how I have blended the left side, but not the right side.

The other thing which works really well is going over the penwork with a DRY blending pen. That smooths and blends beautifully too. The blending nib enables you to get in really tight areas. See how I have pulled the darker orange down through the doodle below?

Anyway. Time to stop for the day.

I have prepared a really cool doodle for tomorrow morning. It’ll certainly focus the mind !! Top Tip: Bring an eraser to the party!!!

See you at 10 am over on Clarity Worldwide xx

Love and Hugs

Barb xxx

23 thoughts on “A slower, more thoughtful life.

  1. Great blending..I struggle with it..glad you decided to slow down and relax…everyone needs to do that every now and then ..especially in these troubled times..have a good day Barb.

  2. Same time, same place, look forward to the next doodle. Have a good rest of the day, its lovely here in sunny Sheppey xxxx

  3. Really does make a difference when using Dorso oil makes colouring so much smoother blends colour that bit more . Miss at weekend watching are 10 am time together keep saying will watch again the videos on that a weekend well done Dave for making the visors so needed lots love enjoy rest of your day cyber hugs xxx

  4. Another nice day here but no so good with the high pollen & neighbours cutting grass!!
    Decided to have a catch up with outstanding projects this weekend. Last night I finished off some of the doodle projects plus a couple of extra heart frames. Then today I have finished the 1st PTC for April, did a bit more to Wk1 of Groovi SHAC & started Wk2.
    Like the effect of the colouring in on the doodle stamps & I am looking forward to learning some more tips when we start the colouring on our daily doodle sessions in the coming weeks.
    Slowing down is good to recharge batteries. With holidays away being on hold for the moment I think we will have to pretend & imagine that we are somewhere else & do what we would have done for a few days. ie no work/housework just relax & chill out for a while.
    On that note see you tomorrow at 10am x

  5. I’m glad to hear you’re planning to slow down a bit. It’s hard to do when you love your work, but sometimes you have to love your life more! Enjoy your day of rest. x

  6. On finding calm and kinship ; Set up WhatsApp link between myself ,in Crowborough ,and in Deal, three teenage granddaughters and their mum- all tuned to SHAC shack videos . We completed episodes 1&2.
    Had a good time together. Thank you Barbara.X

  7. I agree with Susan’s comments. Life is precious and by slowing down we can enjoy it so much more.
    I debated long and hard about these stamps. Did I really need them? Being into Zentangling in a big way I thought not, could probably do similar with a micron pen myself. However seeing what you have produced here I gave in and ordered the big bundle this afternoon.
    Shopped early this morning, very few people out when we arrived at the supermarket but when we left the queues were halfway round the car park. So pleased we didn’t decide to sleep in !!!
    Had a very relaxing afternoon so far, Saturday’s mega crossword almost complete, just 3 clues I can’t solve, hubby doing roast chicken for dinner tonight, and video recorder cleaned and prepped for a last viewing this evening of some Disney tapes we unearthed during our de-clutter. Bliss !!!
    Must go – going to have an hour’s embossing before dinner.
    Stay safe – stay well – love to all 🍒🍒🍒

  8. Barbara you & I were born in the same year & I really dread the thought of ever going back to work. It certainly is a time to be ‘reviewing the situation’. I never thought I would want to retire until now. Just one problem, how would I fund my crafting?

  9. Hi Barb, brilliant plan, and I’m glad it has got you in a better place in your head. You’ve been running round the hamster wheel long enough dear friend. Just one thing though, you still need to factor in visits to Scotland… I jest not!!!

    My plan was the opposite for this lockdown. Well I’ve been mostly in lockdown for many years eh, but you know what I mean. Even for me this is worse than my normal. Head took over though and I’ve done pretty much nowt these 6, 7 weeks or however long, except for cleaning and handwashing and going around scared and unsettled the whole time, oh, and more handwashing… That’s 2 days now that I’ve managed normal chores and less handwashing, fingers crossed I’ve found a solution to my off the scale OCD part of the problem. And a tiny bit of craft both days too. No learning to draw this weekend, sadly, wee baby steps is all I can manage just now. Hopefully my cfs will start to improve now too which would help. Every time I get up feeling very ill I panic, is this Covid or just cfs, it usually takes most of the day for me to work out it’s cfs… No idea what to do about the autism stuff, or the intense feelings of isolation and loneliness which are off the scale too. And the food shortages which are getting worse instead of better… I did get my jigsaw out for a wee bit this afternoon, with everyone talking about doing theirs.

    Yesterday Mickey Mouse walked up my street! And no, I wasn’t hallucinating, well I don’t think I was anyway…!!! I was having a wee laugh to myself earlier. Italy, Spain, France, they have opera singers, professional violinists serenading their neighbours. What do we have in Scotland? Mickey Mouse walking up the street, and an Elvis impersonator gieing it laldie frae his balcony!!! While the police politely waited outside for him to finish before going up to read him the riot act. That’s mean eh, from what i could see on the video he wasn’t breaking any lockdown rules at all. Mind you the whole of his town probably heard him!!! But they did seem to be happy about it. As for England, you’re not much better, a policeman inside a Dalek going round the streets telling everyone to stay indoors and self isolated by orders of the Daleks…!!!

    I gave a couple of my neighbours a we laugh on Thursday when I appeared at my open window rattling a wooden spoon round a metal saucepan as loud as I could. Well, I’m fed up of so few neighbours coming out to clap, and the ones who do only do a little polite clapping and then go in. So I decided to fight my absolute fear and make noise for the whole street for as long as my arms would let me. Me who is used to hiding behind people, not standing out… The trouble is, I’ve got to keep it up now eh…

    Anyone looking for some escapism for the evening, freeview channel 78 – Now 70s, c’mon singalong to the all the oldies that take a lot us back to our childhoods. Mind you that’s a double edged sword for me, but I’m trying to keep that door firmly shut… There’s nothing else on. Enjoy your evening, love you xxx

    1. Oh I do love your sense of humour Brenda and love reading these posts, as you make me smile. Sending you a wooden spoon in a saucepan round of applause and a virtual hug. 😂X

  10. Hi Barbara, i know what you mean about slowing down.
    I have always been on the go from morning until night, a friend of mine has kept saying to me slow down ,but never listened but as my hip is giving me some grief and have been gardening and pulled my back out i have found out the time has come to slow down a bit!!!!
    and have found it does help and i only listen to the news in the evening which helps.
    we are all going through lots at the moment and i can see where you are coming from when you said you may need to downsize.
    You look after yourself Dave and your family , i have to say Dave is an angel for helping in this situation .
    Lots of hugs to you and every one .
    Lynn xxx

  11. I’m 18 months behind you, Barb, but fully understand your desire to slow down. Unlike many, I have been very much enjoying the slower pace of life although there are certain things I still have to do work wise. I have loved being in the garden while the sun has been out. I even managed to pot up a lot of seedlings today and plant some more trays up with seeds. Jiggered now but will need to write a reflection tonight as I haven’t done that yet today. Looking forward to tomorrow. Take care of yourself. Hxx

  12. I do hope that you can stand by your plan to slow down and not get caught up in everything again when this situation eventually settles down. I think it will be a long time before things get back to normal, although normal will probably be quite different.
    I spent today catching up with friends on the phone and then made a set of notelets for a friend. Her husband has dementia and is in a care home, so she cannot visit him, but sends a card every other day, for his carer to read to him. It is so hard for people in her situation.
    I then sat out in the garden and read a magazine, before FaceTiming my daughter and grandchildren in Vancouver. My daughter cooked dinner tonight and I am now sitting with a G&T. All in all a lovely day. Now I am looking forward to our doodle session tomorrow. Have a good evening. Hugs. Annette X

  13. I wonder how downsizing will look for you? This lock down has given you the opportunity to assess your ‘normal’ lifestyle. I do hope you can ease up and enjoy a slower pace to life when restrictions start to be lifted.
    Looking forward to 10am tomorrow and more doodling.
    Have a good evening and sleep well when it comes xx

  14. You just need to stick with that idea now Barbara, that will be the hard part once you get back to normal service. We are quite content but missing our family so much. It is grandson’s Birthday next week and we never miss seeing him. Still better that we are around for a lot more celebrations yet. xx

  15. I so hope you can get a good plan in place for slowing down and not returning back to your hamster wheel (without abandoning all of us though!) Must admit, I’m looking forward to getting back to my retirement – I only had 3 months before going back to work because of Covid. Mind you, my plans are to do more crafting, not less! Have done a bit more doodling this afternoon – now up to episode 10, so just got my house in place, after spending some time in the sunshine this afternoon. Take care & stay safe everyone

  16. Good for you, Barbara. I’m glad to hear it. Write a list of all the things you would like to do in the extra time, o it doesn’t disappear. Can we chip in to help with Dave’s costs? After all, he’s doing it for all of us.

  17. Yeah think everyone is feeling the slowing down is a good thing, sure as soon as everything starts to come out of lockdown it will start to pick up pace again. Glad you are feeling the benefit of this enforced slow down though. XX

  18. Hi Barb,
    Good to hear that you are feeling some benefits with the lockdown. Life is certainly slower when you’re retired but with this situation even more so! Went for another walk today in the Woodland Trust along the banks of the River Wear. Managed to do 2.5 miles today which I am chuffed to bits with. Beautiful sunset tonight as well. Love and hugs Alison xxx

  19. Hi Barb, It is something we all need to think about right. Slowing down, thinking what the purpose is of what we do. Love the blending on your samples. Hope Dave is taking care of himself too. Take care and stay safe everyone. Bx

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