Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs

Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs

Hi there,

Thanks for popping in. How this week has flown! This time last week I was showcasing our lovely new About Town stampset. You know, the one we doodled together in the SHAC-Shack.

In the set there are a carrot man and his dog, and a cat. See?

CLICK HERE TO INVESTIGATE

These little figures clearly inspired clever Linda Spencer to create a wonderful kind of tribute to L.S. Lowry, that brilliant artist from the Industrial Northwest. Isn’t this brilliant? Lowry would have smiled.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that Linda had extended the outer frame, to make space for all the matchstalk men. And she also added a Christmas tree bang in the middle of the square, which she found in the other stamp set, the Funky Houses set….

I decided to deconstruct Linda’s art, and figure out the sequence.

First comes the tree, in the middle of a sheet of 7 x 7 inch Clarity stencil card.

Next, you have to mask off the tree before you add the houses in the background. The good news is that the funky houses stampset comes with masks. So cover up the tree, then, mask off the lower frame on the stamp with masking tape before you ink up with Archival black, like so:

Remove the inky masking tape from the stamp before you plant the houses:

Now to add the lower frame. We will use the top edge of the frame on the stamp. Clean off the stamp, count 5 boxes down each side, and mask off the rest, as well as the houses in the middle. Ink up the frame we need, remove all the masking tape, and plant the lower frame below. I made a bit of a horlicks here joining up the sides, but no worries! At least you can see it, right?! And I can clean up the join with a white Posca pen! Did a better job on live TV, but ask me where I put that piece!!

Anyway…see?! Nobody will ever know….

And now it’s just a question of stamping the matchstalk men and the matchstalk cats and dogs into the scene. If you are adding the man in front of the houses, make sure his neck lines up with the house line. See the little fella above?

Social distancing? What social distancing?!? The only ones who have got it right here are the cats!!

Settle down to a colouring session, and hey presto. Thanks Linda. So clever.

Do you remember the song about Lowry and his Salford Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs? Here it is. Wonderful. The lyrics are great.

Do you know, I have only realised today that they sing MatchSTALK. There was I always singing MatchSTICK!!

Have a good, a really güd Sunday.

Love and Hugs

Barb xxx

PS Our Christmas Jumpers Stampset Drive in aid of SAVE THE CHILDREN is going great. Amazing!! Buy the Stampset and 100% of the proceeds will go to the charity. Every penny. We are so happy to do this for such a brilliant cause. CLICK HERE TO JOIN IN.

Guess what?!?!? As of right now, we have made £2,787.99. That is fantastic, isn’t it? I wonder if we can get it up over £3K.

18 thoughts on “Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs

  1. Hi Barbara all the art work is stunning. So now I find that I have been singing that song wrong all this time. I have ordered the stamp set and I am very impressed with the total you have raised. Enjoy what is left of the weekend. Take care. Hugs xxx

  2. I always sang matchstick too! I love that piece of artwork by Linda – your design team are so inventive with what they do with your designs. Brilliant x

  3. WOW what an amount well done for your very generous gesture Barbara and Clarity team. I shall be knitting a few jumpers for next year cards!!

  4. Loved that song. Great step by step. If you ever find yourself in Salford the Lowry exhibition is really interesting well worth a visit. Congratulations on the stamp fund. Looking forward to playing with mine

  5. Lol. I always thought it was matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs as well. You live and learn! Lol. What a fantastic sum of money to have raised. Brilliant. Enjoy the rest of Sunday. Hxx

  6. In the 60’s Status Quo had a hit with Pictures of Matchstick Men. So perhaps that’s why everyone thinks of matchstick men even though the song says matchstalk men.
    I do love the artwork.

  7. I have always called it matchstick men and I think Lowery did as well xx I have ordered my jumper just waiting for delivery so glad it is going to good cause xx well done Clarity team xx

  8. Fantastic piece of art and I used to love the Lowry art and the song. I’m sure I used to sing matchstick too!
    Congratulations on the amazing total from the sale of the Christmas Jumper stamp set. I have purchased this morning. Hugs, Gilly x

  9. Linda’s artwork is fantastic! Very clever indeed.
    And what an amazing total so far for Save the Children. I’m sure they will put it to very good use!
    Love and hugs xxx

  10. You can’t listen to the song without singing can you?
    What a tremendous amount of money collected. Well done.
    Have a good evening. Xxx

  11. Lovely artwork. I’ve always sung “matchstick men” will have to listen again. Fantastic total raised so far, with another 30 hours to go I’m sure it will keep on increasing.
    Frustration has set in…………..still can’t find elf no.5 so I must be either blind or stupid as I have trawled the site several times. In addition my computer is not accepting e-mails so cannot look for elf no.13 either. Perhaps things will improve tomorrow.
    Stay safe lovely lady.

  12. I think most of us thought it was matchstick !! just asked OH & he said the same but now having watched the video I am singing the song in my head. Not out loud its raining enough as it is !!
    The jumper total is growing well as I thought it would – might even make £5K by Monday night- we will have to wait & see.

  13. Great news about your fundraising. What an amazing total. I hope it brings new people in. Are you going to get them to ring fence it for a particular project? It would be nice to see what we have achieved. For instance we could already pay for more than 10 children to go to school for a year or 50 safe birth kits. They have UK projects too.

  14. Hi Barb, what a lovely project, love these stamps sets, but shopping has to stop at some point. At least I managed the jumper set. Thanks for putting us right on the words for the song. I have also been singing it wrong all these years and it is a favourite!. Take care and stay safe everyone. Bx

  15. Love this stamp set, so effective and not just for Christmas. Christmas jumpers ordered; what a lovely and generous gesture once again from such a lovely and caring company! – Well, who’d have thought matchstalk and not matchstick lyrics, guilty as charged for also singing the wrong words! 😂 x

  16. Amazing lot of money already!!!
    Love that song–never heard before, but it is jolly and you want to dance when the music sounds….played the song several times because I like it!!😊
    Stay save and healthy!
    Lots of love, Trijntje Huppel

  17. Lovely total. Well done. Of to order my jumper. Missed todays Shac Shack for the first time. X mas shopping done. Made lots of X mas cards with the houses and will do a few coasters for presents. Thank you Clarity. Of to look for today’s elf.

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