Hi there

Thanks for popping in. While Paul was doing a great job on Create & Craft TV, selling out Linda’s fabulous new Layering Frames Collection, I have been pedalling away back at base, prepping next week’s TV shows on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. The Thursday shows are done and dusted, so I can rest easy knowing the first day is sorted at least!

But before that, dear Tina Cox is gracing our screens tomorrow, at 1pm and 5pm. Twas the Night in Groovi – I look forward to seeing her take on those plates, seeing what she does with them. I always learn so much from Tina.

Tomorrow is our 5th wedding anniversary too. 5 years!! So much has happened in 5 years. So so much. I don’t think I’m the same person who Dave married, I really don’t! Covid did quite a number on a lot of us I think. It certainly made me reframe Life, and what it’s all about. And losing Dad this year, then getting so ill myself – that has pushed me further along the road less travelled. I get a real sense of how precious and limited time is now, whereas before in Life BC (Before Covid) I just used to poodle along, wasting my days doing “stuff“. More and more now I get the urge to do what I WANT to do, to do more of what makes me happy, rather than what others expect of me, or what I’ve always done to keep the peace. As if time were running out. And it is!

Quote for the day:

If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got.

I spoke to my good friend Sam Crowe earlier. She’s got a really sound head on. We always kid around that she is scatty, and perhaps when it comes to art, she is such a creative, that many things gush out quickly and on top of one another, and she does come across as a bit crazy (in the loveliest way of course). But when you talk to her about LIFE, she is as sound as a pound. Much stronger than she thinks actually. When Paul her husband died suddenly and without warning a couple of years ago, she really did go to the back of the cave for quite a while. Understandably too. And I’m sure she still has dark days. But I’ll tell you what: she gets me. And I get her. Just half an hour’s banter, and we both feel better. Now that’s what I call friendship, don’t you? I count myself lucky to have Sam as a friend. I know that she needs a little plan, something to work towards, something into which she can pour her art. And she knows I just need empathy and understanding. That’s it in a nutshell. Neither of us are complex women. And we’re both pretty easy going. It’s that age old adage: Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself. Not hard.

Upshot: Sam’s going to plan a TV Show, and decide what she wants to show us. In the meantime I’m going to design a set of stamps for her that we think would work well. Cool.

Sometimes she does crease me up though. When we were at the Open Days, she and I had a little conversation. This is how it went…

Sam: I’m going on a cruise in a few weeks time
Barb: Ooh. That’ll be nice. Who are you going with?
Sam: Cunard
Barb: Hahahahaha. Silly mare. I’m not asking which cruise line you going with! I mean WHO are you going with???

That about sums her up!! You’ve gotta love her!!

Love always,

Barb x x x