New Year, New Bus route…

New Year, New Bus route…

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. Just came off the phone to my old, darling friend Sophia. You know, the Show circuit buddy I was telling you about in the SHAC Shac, with the Peek-&-Brim hat company and the filthy laugh? The one who woke the campsite while I was trying pump up my airbed? One and a half hours of catching up, laughter, tears, gossip, philosophy and seamlessly comfortable conversation. Brilliant. She’s a shrewd business woman too. So the conversation bounced between reminiscing, and honest to goodness business banter. She has weathered the Covid Storm relatively well thus far. And I know why. When you buy her hats you buy her energy. And you want a piece of her energy in your life. I laughed earlier on the phone, “I don’t wear hats, Sophie, I look ridiculous in hats, but I’ve got at least 8 of yours !!”

I haven’t been on the arty show circuit for years, so it was good to hear about old friends. She said exactly what I said: the shows are hardcore. And they got harder and more expensive every year. It’s not till you do them as an exhibitor that you can really grasp just how hard they are to do. And it’s not till you stop doing them that you realise how much you actually don’t miss them!

Yep. She and I have certainly done our share of shows – she did the big flower shows too ! Killer expensive. How many hats do you have to sell to cover a pitch at Hampton Court ?!??! The mind boggles. And she shared my thoughts on the big county shows too: they started out really classy, but over the years they just turned into a cheap, stack it high sell it cheap race to the bottom.

I hope she and I don’t leave it so long next time. Well, I can make sure I keep in touch for sure!!

We just have to change buses. That’s it. If you don’t like where the bus is headed, you may as well get off and get on another bus, because the one you’re on isn’t changing direction, and as long as you stay on it, you’re still headed in the wrong direction. This pandemic has forced a lot of us to change buses.

While we were talking, I was stamping up a little piece of art, and colouring it in. I like this SHAC Shac Set. Do you remember when we doodled this one?

CLICK HERE. for a great price.

Here’s a little step by step, cos I can talk, stamp and take pictures at the same time !! Hahahaha xxx

Stamp the Bird House off centre on the large stampboard round. Mount the word on the same curve as the round, and plant around the edge.

Use a couple of artistry ink pads and a blending pen to colour in. The mix mat helps for this , so you can water down the pigment and get loads of different strengths of colour. I used the Artistry inkpads, Golden Turmeric, Rosy Cheeks and Ocean Reef. Great springtime colour combo! All the greens are in there too xx

Dry brush the edges with the same colours.

And now for the background. On your Mix mat you’ve got the three colours form the ink pad, so let’s lightly spritz that little mat…

Now just place the stampboard face down in the colour puddle! Go on! I did!!

Love it when it works, don’t you? Next, lets just edge the round with a black Sharpie pen…

Mmmm. Dave’s just come in with prototypes from a bunch of new stencils I have designed for an upcoming TV show. So happy! They have come out like a dream. Thanks Lucy!!! They are beautiful doodle rounds, and I think you will love them. If I were to just pop our stamp board picture on top of a couple of the actual stencils, you’d get the drift…

Cor eh? Did I tell you they were a great size too?! There are six in the set. Watch this space.

In the meantime. Here’s that fresh little spring offering.

Check out the special bloggy half price off on this stamp set. CLICK HERE for HALF PRICE. It’s one you’ll reach for often. And we’ve included a special offer on the Groovi plate too! Half Price is pretty good in my book! CLICK HERE

Stay safe and keep crafting.

Love and hugs

Barb xxx

19 thoughts on “New Year, New Bus route…

  1. Very nice. This was one of my favourites in he Shac shack. Can’t afford to buy any more craft stuff. Just received my last Clarity order. The stencils look very nice. See you tomorrow. Of to finish my tea cups Xx

  2. Wow that is beautiful. Have had the shaped boards sitting in the drawer for a while and wondered what to do with them. Now I know. Thank you Barb. Although I didn’t colour in tea cups with you this morning, I listened while I finished a Groovi birthday card. Loved the show and you make us all laugh. Thank you for all you do for us. xxx

  3. What beautiful stencils, look forward to seeing what you do with them ! Pretty project too. I’ve been busy doing a card for my ATC partner in Ani’s Clarity swap, now got to do one for my PTC swap partner. X

  4. Googled the hats – they are fab!! I like hats! Actually, it’s quite possible that I have some of Sophia’s already – will have a look when I get home.

    Those new doodle rounds stencils are lovely – they would look great on parchment too with Groovi……. any plans?

  5. Really enjoyed drawing this one and the fun we had xx love the blog tutorial so many ideas buzzing xx the stencils look fabulous can’t wait xx glad you caught up with friends does everyone good at times xx

  6. How funny that you should show this stamp today. My friend told me that she would love me to draw one of my SHAC doodles on to a card for her birthday and this morning, I went through my file and chose this one, which was one of my favourites. I bought the Groovi plate, but I still like to draw it myself.
    I am off to goggle the hats. Have a good evening. Hugs. Annette X

  7. The only Craft shows I have been to are the ones in the SEC but, as you know, a lot of us stopped attending the March one because so many stall holders stopped coming and it wasn’t worth our while, and clearly not worth their while either. Clarity is what took me there last March and it was great. I absolutely loved it and I was so looking forward to you coming back again but I can understand why you wouldn’t want to do so. It is a very long way and a huge amount of work for you and I only witnessed a fraction of that. However, you have to do what is right for you and your company. Big birthdays make us all rethink but those aside, we’ve probably all been rethinking life over the last nine months and one thing some of us have realised, if we didn’t already know it, is that life is short and we have to make the most of it, doing what we love. Hassle is the one thing we don’t need when we reach a certain age. Travelling gently is a good way to approach the new year. By the way, the stencils look amazing. Lots of love, Hxxx

  8. Hi Barbara how nice to catch up with a friend like that. I love how you can multi-task like that. The art work is awesome. I do like those stamps a lot. We had a great time doodling them. The Groovi plate looks good too. Have a great evening. Hugs xxxx

  9. Wow this is beautiful!!! Love it Barbara!
    Tomorrow I will be late or not in the Shac Shack–depends on the hospital visit how long that will take.
    Take care and stay save!
    Lots of love, Trijntje Huppel

  10. Hi Barbara
    What a brill blog
    I actually doodled along with this Shac Shack and I had to have the groovi plate. Now I am thinking do I need the stamps too. Lol
    Beautiful design and the stencils look amazing.
    Sounds like you and your friend had a good old chin wag friends are so precious.
    Have a lovely evening hugs

  11. Will have to check the stash – can’t remember if I have these stamps/groovi plate. Too cream crackered to get out of my comfy chair to look at the moment.
    The new stancils are delightful and will be so very useful.
    So nice to catch up with old friends and it seems that more people are taking this to heart in these dire days.
    I do agree, if you’re not enjoying the journey get off the bus, just make sure there is a different one available.
    I’m not a hat person but I did wear one for my wedding 23 years ago. It is still sitting in it’s box. Took me ages to find the right one and naturally it cost a bomb so I ain’t getting rid. I will google your friend’s hats as I do like to look even if I don’t wear them.
    Stay safe🍒

  12. Beautiful artwork, Barbara. I’ve got this stamp set, so it’s now firmly on my list to play with. Thanks for the inspiration!

  13. Oh now thats an idea I hadn’t thought of! Thanks Barbara, will try that one tomorrow. Those stencils are going on my wish list. Absolutely loved the club snowflake one so these are along the same line. Just stunning.
    Crafty Hug!

  14. Hello Barb, they say, a sign of close and good friends is that they can not talk for ages, then just pick up where they left off, when they get together. What a lovely step by step, I am going to invest in some of the stampboard shapes in the future (when the bank manager calms down and stops shouting). Great idea dipping it into the left over ink. And oh wow, those stencils are superb. I need to do some re-organising in my craft room/home office, so that I can re-arrange all my Clarity folders, also need to update my “catalogue” of what I have and don’t have. Need to go look at the hats, fancy getting myself one. Take care and stay safe everyone. Bx

  15. Gorgeous artwork! I have that lovely stamp set and I love it! I have the stampboard too. Looks like I will need the stencils when they come out – they look, fabulous! Take care and stay safe xxx

  16. Hi Barbara, just a thought on the business. Have you thought about digitizing your designs for use in Cricut machines for example? I had bought one and even with the Cricut access membership, I couldn’t find designs quite as clever as yours. I know there are lots out there but I just thought I’d mention it since technology is the tool of the younger generation, and a group you would want to grow.
    I hope I hadn’t offended in any way-just a thought.
    Regards
    Vixtoria

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