Yin Yang.

Yin Yang.

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. So much going on this week, the head is in a proper spin. But on a positive note, I’ve finished all the prep for the TV shows on Friday! The storms kept me in!! Just the notes to write up, and that lot’s boxed and banked! Always feels better when it’s done and dusted.

Can you see the Yin Yang in the picture? Yin Yang. What is it? We are familiar with the symbol, right?

Black and white, positive and negative, masculine and feminine, day and night, good and bad. Although neither yin nor yang are bad or evil – what we really need is balance. Too much of either one is bad. All day and no night wouldn’t work. All man and no woman wouldn’t work. You understand.

In fact, the dots represent the seed of yin within yang and the seed of yang within yin; the idea that neither can exist without the other. I like that.

On Friday at 9am, when we launch the new integrated Craft Store-Create & Craft TV channel, we will be showcasing some brand new layout stamps, to add to the original collection pictured here:

3 different layout flavours: Grunge, Doodle and Retro.

We shall be adding one new layout to each style. They give you such great layout choices for your artwork! Whether you are a cardmaker, a scrapbooker or mixed media artist – the more layout options – the better!

We also have the original pair of Clean and Tidy layout stampsets on the show, which proved very popular too,

and we’ve added a third one to this set…

It’s a Yin Yang stampset.

Here you see it in action. I will show you how to use them all, both as a landscape setting for scene building, complete AND now as a Yin Yang image too.

Outline stamp – let’s call it the positive stamp.

Infill stamp – I haven’t overstamped the one below yet – I wanted to show you the layout stamp exactly as it comes first. This is all done just using the negative image.

Friday is the big day. The day the two main Craft TV channels in the UK merge. If you are looking for us – the Craftstore – you will find us at our new address Create & Craft . In fact, it will be in our usual TV studio where we always are! Just the sign above the door has changed.

The channels will be:

  • 85 on Freeview
  • 683 on Sky HD and
  • 813 on Freesat HD

Still lots to do, lots to move around. But I shall be there bright and early on DAY 1 – just as I was when we launched HOCHANDA a few years ago. Who could have ever guessed that we would end up buying out the original channel ! These are strange times indeed.

On another note, which also reflects these turbulent times, we have had to make the decision to increase some but not all of our prices. Raw materials have been increasing month on month for the past two years. We have tried to hold our retail prices, but now we have reached a point where we have no option.

Whilst we still want to hold the stamp, stencil and die prices for as long as we can, we must increase the cost of our Groovi plates if we are to continue trading. We haven’t changed the price since their inception in 2015, but now it is time.

If you join the Clarity Craft Clubs, you get 10%-15% discount on all orders, which goes a long way towards cancelling out the price hike anyway!

If it were possible we would rather avoid this, but it isn’t. The new prices will come into effect on 1st March.

Love always,

Barb xxx

25 thoughts on “Yin Yang.

  1. Love the new ideas and can’t wait to see them being demonstrated xx
    Everyone has to increase their price sometimes or companies don’t survive and I would hope that all of the clarity followers will understand that costs of raw materials rise and you have to pay for them as well xx I for one will still be a loyal patron of your business as you always give quality and value for money xx and fabulous new ideas and styles xx
    Thank you for all you do xx

  2. Oh I did have fun playing with the new stamps. I love the little stamps that come with the grunge, retro and doodle sets too!
    Loving what you’ve done with them and can’t wait to see your demos.
    Try and relax a little this evening.
    Love and hugs. Xxxxx

  3. Totally understand. Loving the new layout stamps and looking forward to the shows. Must remember where to look my Hochanda/Craft store default is 673

  4. I am hoping to see you on the app on my Roku box as the Sky box has stopped working and we don’t have Free view. Love the new stamps. Ready to shre my samples on my blog starting Friday.

  5. TBH I’m surprised you haven’t had to increase all prices! We bought shares in Hochanda at the start but haven’t heard anything since the change to the Craft Store, I guess there will be more paperwork in due course – wonder if we’ll ever see a dividend 🤪 You know what I’d do with mine 😹. Got my great niece with me on Friday doing a crafty day so we’ll be watching ! Good luck x x

  6. Love all your sneaky peeks of the demos you have lined up for Friday – will pop it on to record for future reference. I have a hard drive connected to the TV which enables me to record from Freeview as we have Virgin TV. I did send a message to Paul last week that I heard John Lockwood saying that they have copies of their shows off The Craft Store to put on their YouTube channel so that they are always available. Would that be a possibility for Clarity to look into so that those that don’t have access to the programmes on the TV could watch at a later date. They maybe after the rewind option finishes I don’t know.
    I did like the Layout Montage Gallery link that was shown earlier on the Clarity Worldwide page.

  7. The new designs look fantastic. Please don’t apologise for raising your prices, I’m sure people understand. We pay for the excellent quality of your products but also the excellent customer service, your innovation and creativity.
    Kx

  8. Wow, these look great, Barbara! Can’t wait to see your demos on Friday and what the talented Design Team has produced. I’ve always loved the Yin Yang symbol, so much good meaning. Don’t worry about the price rises Barbara, it is what it is. If you want quality, you pay the appropriate price, and Clarity is all about quality. Good luck with the shows on Friday and the launch of the new joint company, you will have a lot of support out here in the “audience”! Hope you had a lovely visit with your Mum and Dad, and Steve is on the road to recovery with his back.

  9. It’ll be interesting to see how you use these backgrounds. I got one for Christmas but haven’t used it yet. I do wish the new channel had changed its name from C&C or stuck to the Craft Store. C&C has nasty memories for me and I’ll be hard put to watch it. I know I’m not alone judging from some online comments.

  10. These background stamps look very interesting!
    With regards to price increases, thank you for the heads up, I might need to do a sneaky order!
    Could anyone help? At the moment I am unable to access the Clarity Worldwide and Groovi Facebook pages? Have I missed something?
    Loved this morning’s session in the SHAC.
    Take care, keep safe everyone

      1. Evening Lynne And Wendy, well Im glad its not just me as I am a little bit of a techno dinosaur!!! But really hoping that this is a glitch as I am not going to open a Facebook account.
        I thoroughly enjoyed looking at some wonderful art work and inspiration and feeling part of a community, especially following the last two tough years that we have all endured.
        Looking forward to hearing any more comments to put me out of my misery!!

      1. Thank you For your reply Karen. If the groups have now become private I will no longer be able to view the wonderful art work and inspiration from the talented Clarity family🙁

  11. Totally understand the need for you to increase some of your prices, no company can keep absorbing price rises and not pass them on. Also like the previous writer I also can no longer see the Facebook pages, have they been made private so we have to join Facebook to see them?

  12. I also agree, that only having one channel…only gives you ….one choice to watch. If it’s not a subject you follow…then you have no choice other than switch off. I had late deliveries many times with the other side, so cooling off from buying from them.
    There is only so many hours in the day…so some craft
    will go. Will give it a go and really hope it works!

  13. Accept that prices must go up eventually, you have been good to keep them steady for so long.The Yin/Yang stamps will definitely goin my basket – I need some balance in my life. I took an awful tumble this afternoon and now have a very painful knee and elbow. Will just have to spend the next few days feet up and crafting 😊😍🤣 well that’s my excuse.
    Looking forward to Friday’s shows although, like others, I am apprehensive regarding Create and Craft and wish the Craft Store or Hochanda names could have been retaiined. I just hope the new company goes the Clarity way and not the reverse.
    Whatever happens I will still buy directly from Clarity.
    Love and hugs, stay safe.

  14. Hi Barb, I am sure that the decision to increase prices was a hard one to make, but I certainly understand, and Clarity products are still good value for money. Love the new stamp sets, especially the clean and tidy one with the Ying/Yang, so it goes on my wishlist. Will remember to switch channels on Friday. Take care and stay safe everyone. Bx

  15. It’s always a huge relief when a task hanging over you is finished and completed to the high standard aimed for. Well done you.
    Good luck on Friday at the launch. I remember the launch of Hochanda: a lot of technical issues with the sound but everyone got through it with a smile: compared to then this will be a breeze, nerve wracking no doubt, but a breeze!
    From some of the replies above a few are still concerned with the choice of channel name, understandable when based on bad experiences but, hopefully, the chosen Craft Store’s format will win them over. I am sorry though that the merge will mean job losses.
    As to a price increase that was inevitable given everything going on around us. I, for one, want Clarity to remain in business with you at the helm for as long as possible. Take care.

  16. Hi Barb,
    Totally understand that you have to increase your prices. To be honest , I’m surprised that you haven’t done it before. The quality of Clarity is worth paying for anyway. I’m looking forward to seeing the new stamps in action on Friday. I bought the original clean and simple ones which I like so might add to the collection. Having just finished putting all of my stamps into Clarity binders and seeing how many I’ve got ( there are 14 folders filled to bursting!!), I did say I wouldn’t buy any more , but ………!! Like others have said, I wish that the decision to call the new channel Create and Craft doesn’t sit well with me but it is what it is. I do hope though that the ethos of the Craft Store wins out. We shall have to see what happens. I did like the suggestion of Sue Carpenter about having the shows put onto You Tube if possible. Hope things go well ( I’m sure they will), love and hugs, Alison xx
    Ps Thank you to everyone at Clarity for getting my Sale goodies to me so quickly.x

  17. How lovely that you will be launching the new joined up channel too Barbara. I hope there will be cake!

    Change can be difficult for many people, but if there were no changes there would be no butterflies, and I love butterflies so bring on the change! I think it’s amazing your prices haven’t increased – you need to stay in business so do what you need to do and apologies are not necessary x

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