Spring-cleaning is good for you!

Spring-cleaning is good for you!

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. It’s Monday again. Strange, since every day seems like a Saturday nowadays! Pottering around the house, doing a bit of Spring cleaning, and finding all sorts of little arty samples and things I am loath to part with…

First up, the lino prints I created a while ago, and we made into stamps. Makes me think I’d like to pursue that artform again. I had actually booked a 2-evening course for Dave and myself in Brighton as a little Christmas treat, should have been about now, but have had to put that on hold until things improve. Big shout-out for Helen at the art studio called BipArt. Blimming brilliant teacher. I look forward to attending another of her courses in the springtime.

If my sums serve me well, this whole collection, which usually retails at £44.95, is now half price to club members. Barrrrrgin! But only until tomorrow. CLICK HERE.

And the apple orchard too. £7.50 in the sale!

I also found a little square mountboard picture. Doesn’t get much simpler than this, but I love it…speaks volumes. Can’t think where the background circle stamp comes from though… any ideas?

It’s funny how little arty samples can evoke emotions, isn’t it?

It is true to say that spring cleaning improves focus and attitude. It surely helps clear your head and promote positivity. The Chinese see spring cleaning as a new beginning. Not only is it an opportunity to clear out physical clutter, but also a cleansing of the mind or any regrets or mistakes.

Well, I’m 2 black sacks in, and feeling good! We keep so much stuff, don’t we !! Creams and shampoos and cosmetics and all sorts of stuff that I’ve hung onto for so long, that the best by date is a decade out!! Gift Sets of shower gel and moisturizing lotion that have been in the cupboard since we moved in 13 years ago! Yep. Brought them from the old house! But there’s the crafter in me – AND the daughter of a German mother, deeply traumatised by World War II – you keep everything, because you never know when the supply will be cut off. The fact that it’s turned into a science project and would probably stink to high heaven of OLD and STALE matters not! If the Russians are coming over the back fence you’ll be glad of it. That’s what my Mum says. Thus spake the voice of experience. Personally, I wouldn’t be too concerned about body lotion if the Russians were at the back door. Oh dear oh dear. It‘s not even funny.

Anyway,

The Craft member’s sale ends at midnight tomorrow, so there’s still time to have a cheeky little looksie. Thank you so much for supporting the sale – it’s been brilliant. Now the crew are in full production making everything! That’s our pledge. Even if something sells out, we still make it for you to honour the sale price. Just be patient if your orders take longer. Manufacture takes time, especially with this volume of orders.

Quote for the day?

Clean out a corner of your mind, and creativity will instantly fill it.

CLICK HERE

Love always,

Barb x x x

22 thoughts on “Spring-cleaning is good for you!

  1. Glad you’re getting a chance to clear stuff, Barb. I have been doing the same on and off but then get distracted by art and live in the guddle – till the next time the mood takes me. Glad you are making some progress, Barb. I haven’t posted much but been thinking about you. Your card is still sitting on the table waiting to be written! I’ll get there! Take care of yourself. Life is precious as you know and to be savoured. Use your time to make memories and we’ll pray the Russians don’t come in the back gate! Lots of love. Hxx

  2. Hi lovely Barbara – It really does feel good to get rid of clutter. I’m the same ,hang on to things just in case! My Austrian mum has the same mindset as your mum and often talks about how hard things were during the war. Walking miles to a farm for just a few potatoes and here we are today worried that some of our supermarket shelves are empty. We ought to go back to eating seasonal and grow our own ! I’m not bothered about not having tomatoes or cucumber – couldn’t go without spuds or onions though 🤣🤣🤣.

    Enough of that – loving the sale – oops placed 3 orders. A Lino cut background stamp dropped in my basket. Love that effect!

    Have a lovely day spring tidying but don’t do too much!!! Take care♥️ Love to all y you Clarity fans♥️

  3. Hi Barbara
    Been in the Craft Shed sorting things in my new storage cupboards, had to store stuff in the greenhouse for a while, so now transferring over to the Shed because my Dave wants his space back.
    I really have too much and I am waiting for a unit to store my Clarity in the wardrobe. My granddaughter has an area in my Shed to paint her pottery, she bought a Kiln last year, but is in Australia for 6 weeks traveling with her boyfriend. She did a few Craft Fairs last year.
    Well Take care and have plenty of rests between the spring cleaning. Back to Tinas Rose card with the Tag she demonstrated on C & C.
    Love Janet xx

  4. Hi Barb, I’ve been clearing slowly over the last year or two, especially craft stuff, really only have clarity left and that’s going nowhere ! The charity shop has had a lovely lot from me and I do mean lovely in many cases ! Luckily I can’t remember now what I gave away or I’d be wanting it back 😹.

    Is that background something to do with a gel plate exercise ?

    Should have been going to Groovi group today but decided they wouldn’t want me if I had a coughing fit like those in the night! Still I know what I want to do so can do it here but I’ll miss the folk.

    Have the boots stretched any ?

    Just posted off Feb PTC exchange – quote for the future ‘swinging by the seat of your pants’ or something along those lines ! Have a good week recovering. X

  5. I’m embarrassed by the amount of craft stuff I’ve found unused still in packaging.
    Must admit I found clarity and my paper crafting went in a completely new direction which I love but I need to find a good home for all the other kits I now know i will never use. That I think will be cathartic.
    All I can say today is don’t open box unless you’re prepared for the surprise.
    Keep well Cx.

  6. Morning Barbara, I’m always cleaning but it never looks any different! I really need to sort lots of things out, but with lots of other things going on it will take the back burner again.
    And as for the Russians visiting we’ll! I can’t cope with that thought- news off and will live in my own little world today and hopefully get some crafting done later.
    Don’t overdo it Barb x
    My Son rang today so that’s a bonus!
    Take care x

  7. I’ve been trying to declutter over the last couple of years – not always hugely successful, but I feel so much better mentally when I’ve managed to achieve something! Loving the crafty samples you’re finding – the linocut stamps are just brilliant! Can’t place the swirly circle though…

  8. I think we’ve all got the decluttering bug, you’ve set us the challenge! It is very rewarding to look and see a clear space and cupboards have easy access. Touching up paintwork next! My project on my craft table is waiting patiently but doing the necessary jobs clears up the brain for creativity, I can’t concentrate when jobs are waiting. You are certainly using your time wisely but don’t do too much. X

  9. Thank you for my birthday card, much appreciated. I am having a lazy day today to celebrate. Hubby is cooking a birthday meal tonight.
    For weeks now I have been going through cupboards and drawers, cleaning out the dust and fluff, getting rid of all unwanted items. Surprising how much space is gained.
    My craft room is still overflowing though. I need a new floor, it is horrible and the only thing not replaced when we moved in, so the plan is to get a local mover to pack it all up, units too, and store it for a month. Then redecorate, put in a new light wood floor to match the maple units. Then the fun will be unpacking the boxes and seeing what surprises there are. Really looking forward to it and I may then be able to get all my Clarity gear together in one place.
    Glad you are finding new ways to occupy yourself but it is a pity you had to cancel the Lino carving class.
    I have already placed 3 sale orders so not sure I ought to look any more although the temptation is always there.
    Healthy wishes. 🍒🍒🍒

  10. John and I have a one in, one out rule in our house ( except for my craft stuff – what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him 😂)

    My mum and dad are war children too and don’t throw anything away. I’ve just managed to persuade my dad that keeping trousers that are 8 inches too big in the waist is silly though, so we’ve had a bit of a clearout here too!

  11. Should have had the boiler serviced this morning at 9am, up early, dog walked, shelves underneath boiler cleared, but no service man has come. Wouldn’t mind, but I’ve had 3 email reminders & 1 text! But, have cleaned out the cutlery drawer, & gone through the box of leaflets my late mum collected from tourist offices when out and about, although I did get waylaid with a bit of light reading along the way, but most have gone for recycling come dustbin day. Take care. xx

  12. We have been to the charity shop this morning with a load of stuff that we had put in the summer house on our last clear out session. The idea being that if we hadn’t been back to find something we didn’t need it. Now we need to do another sweep of the house as there is still loads of stuff that hasn’t seen the light of day for years although my craft stuff could be a little harder to part with. The lady in the charity shop did say that the jigsaws & craft stuff would go quickly.
    Shame you have had to delay the lino cutting class but something to look forward to. I do like the one you made into stamps, I have all 7 designs !!
    Did you stamp through a mask or stencil to get the circle but can’t see what stamp you would have used even then so a mystery to be solved later !!

  13. My spring cleaning hasn’t extended to throwing things away as yet. I kept thinking that my blinds (the modern equivalent of Venetian blinds) needed cleaning. This is a job I thoroughly dislike as it takes me so long (I have quite a few). One set completed I didn’t have the energy to continue so they’ll have to do another day. All the time I’m thinking ‘life is too short for this, I could be crafting’. Why do jobs like this get in the way. Anyhow having made several bargain buys this week I’m thinking the quicker I get the job done the more playtime I’ll have when my goodies arrive. I may have to have a clear out to make way for the new stuff. So pleased you’re on the up Barb but it’s early days and you still need to travel gently xx

  14. Keep going, and when you think you’ve finished you can come and visit and sort some of our ‘may come in useful’ pile too. It’s amazing, a little while ago I tried to gift some simple crafting goods to local organisations but it seems they too don’t want them despite the fact that they are all in perfect working order or new as crafting has moved on. Oh well, I’ll get rid of them ‘some day’. Checked my account and my order is still ‘unfulfilled’ so I’ll check in a few days and see if it’s changed status. I’m sure the wait will be worth it.

  15. Have been trying to adopt a one in ,two out process in my wardrobe over the last few months. Might be a bit easier now as I have lost two and a half stone since last June and a lot of things don’t fit anymore. Trouble is the temptation to put clothes into suitcase as might get fatter again.
    Have ordered storage from Clarity for my overflowing stamp collection and will try and sort out the huge amount of craft stuff I have. Trouble is ,once a crafter, you will always have a collection of all the crafts you can do, even if you have moved on. Anything from mosaic to spinning to cake decorating let alone paper crafting. Can you come round mine when you have finished yours? So glad you are feeling well enough to do a bit of sorting out. x

  16. Well that’s the linocut set ordered! I watched you demo the apple orchard one last year at Ditton but I had bought SO much stuff already, I dare not buy any more at the time. Put a large order in last week which came within a few days, so I’ve got lots to be going on with! I have a clear out every now and again and I must admit I’m becoming a bit of a Clarity snob!! Other brands really don’t compare. I pass loads on to an old school friend of mine who is always really happy to take stuff off my hands and then what she doesn’t want, she passes on to Charity shops. Win win!

  17. As someone who was born just post war, I follow the examples of my grandparents, who grew things and made things, and never threw anything out. I now need to carry out my long standing plan to get rid of most of my non-Clarity things. Do I get rid of the huge amount of card and paper that hasn’t been touched for over ten years, or will it be the next thing I need?
    Decisions, decisions! xxx Maggie Craner (Silvercrafter)

  18. Hi Barbara
    Glad you are feeling better and up to clearing out stuff. Must admit I’m pretty good at getting rid of things. If we buy new clothes then something old gets sent to charity. Mum was excellent when she moved in with us she let me clear all her kitchen out and give it to charity. Hope you are coping with the loss of your Dad I know from experience how difficult it is but decided it’s ok to not be ok. But the good memories now outweigh the bad so having some progress. Still thinking of you.
    Love Ruth and Jackie xx

  19. Many years ago I got into cake decorating and even went to college to take it further with the intention of having a small business. I made lots of wedding cakes and celebration cakes but it soon became obvious that I was never going to make a business out of it because people expected to pay a lot less as they weren’t buying from a shop. I ended up going back to work and just doing the occasional cake but eventually I decided it was taking too much of my time and sort of fell out with it. I held on to my college samples for many years but they had to go to make space but I held on to my equipment and all the books I had bought thinking that they might come in useful some day. 25 years on (!) I have found a young girl from the caterers at my golf club who is doing patisserie training at college and she was delighted when I offered all my goodies to her. Now I need to turn my attention to my old crafting stuff 😀.

  20. Funnily enough, this morning I was clearing out a cupboard that had tin boxes. You know the beautiful kind that biscuits from foreign parts come from. I seem to hoard them (empty) as they are so pretty. At my craft club we have a sales table for anything, so they will be going there on Thursday. Money received goes to a charity. Hopefully someone will take them otherwise they will go to the charity shop or bin. I used to own and run a Kindergarten and when I retired I got rid of a cupboard full of yoghurt pots, toilet roll inners etc.anything that the children could make things with. Go slowly Barbara.

  21. Hello Barb, Clearing out is very therapeutic, I need to do some myself. This stamp set is brilliant, and can be used for making lovely notelets. I also love seeing old arty projects you have done. I don’t have all the lino cut sets, but enjoy creating with the ones I do have. Take it easy and do a little at a time. My Mom used to say very much the same sort of things to me. Take care everyone. Bx

  22. Glad to see your doing little things again. You just do what your doing, and get stronger every week, or every day. But keep taking the medication…..
    Love Fiona h.
    Xx

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