Hi there

Thanks for popping in. Happy Valentines Day! Am I a grump? I was watching all the hype around roses, champagne and chocolate at M&S yesterday, and couldn’t help thinking what a commercial trap Valentines has become. Remember when we used to send an anonymous card to someone we fancied ? And that was it! Nothing more. Did you ever receive a S.W.A.L.K. card? I remember as a teenager, finding a single red rose on the window ledge outside my bedroom window one year. Which was quite a feat, since the bedroom was on the first floor!

Feeling the love yet?? Well, how about a beautiful, brand new collection of Groovi flowers, to use in your parchment art all year round?

Paul will be on Create & Craft this evening 6pm-8pm (2 hour launch), 9pm and then tomorrow, at 10am & 2pm. He’s launching a fabulous NEW Groovi Floral Collection, illustrated by Linda Williams – perfect throughout the year, with flowers that never wilt, always look as fresh as the day they were picked, and just keep on giving!

This FLORAL COLLECTION began a few years back, with the Frosted Floral Collection – a clever colouring concept by Linda. Instead of Groovi plates, these tutorial packs comprise flower designs printed in both black AND white on parchment, complete with step by step how-to instructions on trad colouring. Perfect for honing your colouring and white work skills.

We then converted those same flowers into Groovi plates, because folks wanted the Groovi line art too…

Then, you asked for them to be made into stamps, complete with masks…

Which flowers were included in the first set? Amaryllis, Christmas Rose, Fuchsia, Rose and Tulip

Which flowers are included in the second set? Agapanthus, Clematis, Lilies, Peony and Poppies.

This evening we are launching them as Groovi plates. The Frosted Floral project packs and stamps are also in the pipeline, and will be released later in the year. Linda and the ladies have completed all the artwork for those tutorials, so we will have fun with them later. But first, let’s get Groovi with them!

Also on the show are some BRAND NEW Dotted Lace Frames, designed by Jazz. You may have seen her semi-circle Lace frames? Here are square options.

Dotted Lace Semi Square

The BRAND NEW Dotted Lace Extenders are very clever too. Not only do they help you turn your square frames into rectangles very easily, but they make the most excellent borders and panels too. The sentiments are all interchangeable, and there are no less than SIX beautiful alphabets on this one plate! SIX!! Yep. isn’t that excellent?! This is certainly the Year of the Alphabet at Clarity.

Paul will be sharing the following cards with you over the 5 live hours, designed and prepared with love by Josie Davidson & Glynis Whitehead. We sure do appreciate their expert help and friendship.

How about some inspiration from the super-clever Clarity Design Team?

What a gallery.

I feel very blessed. Both at Clarity Towers and all over the country, there are clever, creative people working tirelessly to help and inspire. It’s quite something actually, this team of ours. Formidable. The other thing which is precious, is how they – no, we – love and support each other through difficult times. When one goose is struggling, the other geese swoop in to help and protect. You don’t know this, but the Clarity Design Team are like that too. When one of us is in crisis, or ill, or needs help, the others circle the wagons, and rally.

Quote for today

A friend is one of the best things you can have, and one of the best things you can be

I hope you can join our friend Paul this evening at 6pm. He’s already on the road. I wish I had his energy! Where would we be without him…somewhere on the M11 ?! Hahahaha x

Love always,

Barb x x x