Made in May starts Today!
Hi there
Thanks for popping in. It’s been a busy day back in the Clarity saddle. The SHAC at 10 is always a great way to focus the mind. And those girls are certainly Hippy Chicks! Here’s a pic of the Hippy Bus we drew together previously…
As I was saying this morning in the SHAC, I spent pretty much the whole week and weekend making, making, making. Making prints, making pots, making nice meals, making cards. Dave too. He made some beautiful candle holders out of wood. And a couple of super cool tool trugs. Lookie lookie!
The trug was made out of an old oak desk from his Grandad, and the candle holder is part of an old oak beam from a farm building. Certainly over 200 years old. Re-purposing rocks!
So it occurred to me: How about a Made in May movement? Something wholesome, awesome, creative, kind, for all of us to hang our arty hats on?
I’ve made a plan for us! It involves lots of loveliness: giveaways, competitions, quizzes, galleries, bloggy deals – and all sorts! I’ll show you mine and you show me yours! We can use our Clarity Facebook groups to post and share, and all you have to do is start the post with #madeinmay. You know what they say: you’ve gottabeinittowinit. Quite aside from any prizes and gifts, it will also do you the power of good, to MAKE something. Just MAKE something!
I’ll start the ball rolling with some pottery that I #madeinmay. I had been back and forth about whether to take any pottery to the Open Days in June this year. Mainly because I just haven’t had time to make much since last year! But several people have asked, and nudged me to do so. So I’ve decided to bite the bullet, and bring what I manage to make. It may not be the table-full I had last year, (which spanned over 5 years of making!) but it’ll be what I have #madeinmay! 😂 I shall roll my sleeves up and get busy making in the evenings. I love it! I just needed a reason to focus!
Here’s the first kiln haul…
There’s a whole batch of tall cylinder vases drying nicely on the shelf, which I hand-built yesterday, too. And a few pencil pots. And a whacky original (Bottom shelf, left), inspired by Craig Underhill. I LOVE his work. There are two ceramic artists I follow avidly: Craig Underhill and Paul Wearing. Both English guys. Both super creative.
And there’s another very cool shaped piece drying out nicely too, which Dave helped me make. I have been wanting to make this shape for a while, but a trapezium/trapezoid shape is a lot harder than you’d think! How to get all 4 sides the same wasn’t the issue, but how to get a perfectly equal slant on all 4 sides was! Dave to the rescue! He made me a wooden form, which really changed the game…
And now I can make more than one, if I choose to! What I love about this particular make is that Dave had to make something just as special, so that I could make something I had in my mind! The question we all have is: How did Dave manage to make it into a perfect trapezium?! Clever old sod.
If I have time I’ll make a couple to bring to the Open Days. Tell you what though! It’s just as well I don’t have to make a living with my pottery! Hahahaha!! Everything takes so long! We’d certainly be living in Skintville!!
I was thinking I might have a go on the wheel tomorrow. It’s been a wheely long time since I threw a few…quicker than hand-build though!
So there’s our starter for 10. Dave and I are in full throttle here, with our #madeinmay! How about you? Let’s see. How about some bloggy candy, just to get you going. All you have to do to beinittowinit, is write below, WHAT you love to make most. Make music? Make a cake? Make a card? Knit a jumper? Throw a bowl? Paint a portrait? Pull prints? Write what you LOVE TO MAKE , then add #madeinmay to your comment. Then you will go into a prizedraw. If your name is pulled out of the hat this Friday, you will receive a piece of pottery, made by myself – a nice piece that I #madeinmay!!
Love always,
Barb x x x
75 thoughts on “Made in May starts Today!”
Love making samples but also making music with both the recorder groups I am in. Rehearsal tomorrow afternoon following Saturday’s play day.
Love the pottery Barbara. My first crafty passion was knitting it ran in the family and my grandmother made beautiful christening shawls and she was the person who taught me. I still knit but due to arthritis it takes me a long time to finish a garment. Then came lockdown and the Shac and now I find that I can actually draw and can use the drawings to make cards for family and friends. I am now into stamping, groovi and have had a go with a geli plate. #madeinmay
love doing my Crochet making baby blankets cushion covers
and bags
#madeinmay
sorry forgot to say your pottery is class
I love making Groovi cards, especially the embroidered ones, I love stamping and playing with colour. Also I’ve been knitting a lot of jumpers and cardigans for my 16 month old granddaughter ! Anything to keep busy.
Looking forward to seeing the sewing cards on Wednesday !!
Sorry, forgot the #madeinmay !
Sorry forgot to say
#madeinmay!
This is such a lovely idea, I have so many things that keep my hands busy, embroidery, quilting, patchwork, card making and most recently I dabbled in pottery. I subscribe to Audible now because I can’t read and craft and I do love a good book. Keeping my hands busy keeps me from worrying and stressing about things I have no control over. Thanks Barbara and Dave for sharing your gorgeous makes #madeinmay thanks Jenny
What a wonderful couple, helping each other to achieve your dreams.
I love to make people smile, gifting, creating, baking cooking, entertaining, looking after people, helping, or just going that extra mile to put a smile on someone’s face.
Give the world a smile and they return it. Its certainly noticed when you stop smiling.
I may be a little busy to actuall make anything in May to show you! busy doing secret stuff and preparing for the wonderful open days! hope to see you there! and boy Clarity have got some wonderful things in store for you.
I go through phases of making different things and then I move on to the next ‘fad’. During the winter it was knitting woolly hats and now I’ve moved on to painting rocks (again). When my son was going through a bad time I used to paint rocks and write a positive word or phrase on it. I would then leave it somewhere for him to find. He still has them all in a box. #Madeinmay
I love to make anything which my craft group says, yes we’d like to have a go at that. Today we were printing flowers with balloons with marbles in them! So getting messy with paint is a joy. #madeinmay. Xx
I love my card making and art creation. I am currently working on a picture of my sister’s two kittens which I have to finish as her birthday is in June.
#madeinmay
#madeinmay
Time spent making is time well spent. I bounce between making cakes, making cards for personal and for TV shows, making knitted baby clothes, cat blankets, bonding squares and other miscellaneous items.
My main way of making, is parchment craft, and other types of card making, I also make pictures doing diamond painting.
#madeinmay I love all things parchment, especially cards and samples! I also like knitting when I have the time and dabble with stamping. I have tried my hand at silver crafting and made my husband Paul a lovely mother of pearl and silver pair of cufflinks for our 30th wedding anniversary! I also liked making cakes and flower bouquets made out of petal paste. It’s so good to get out of your head and get with your hands!
Hi Barbara
Just love those bowl or whatever you called them the different shaped ones.
I love to make cards, my favourite ones are groovi one’s for my friends.
Thank you for sharing your artwork and Dave’s. What a talented pair. I love making parchment flower pictures to give to friends. Also lots of stamping and colouring. Relaxes life’s tensions and sadness at the moment of writing . A real uplift to watch you xx #madeinmay
Fab pottery ! Love making cards, trying to do a bit more stamping, all the gear …. But love Groovi. Also love x stitching but that took a back seat because of Groovi, must get back to it as I have some big kits in my ‘retirement pile’ and they’ve been sat there for a few years now! Had a bad back/leg/everything today, managed my ironing pile while watching the Shac, hope to be able to make something tomorrow but making my ironing pile disappear was the make of the day for me! #madeinmay
madeinmay on Tuesday my mum and husband were taken into hospital both on the same ward so I spent until Saturday walking back and to between then. To ease my mind and to thank my lovely next door neighbour who helped me out I baked some healthy flapjacks. My husband came home on Saturday and finally my Mum is taken a big step to getting well again. Big thanks to the Countess of Chester staff.
#madeinmay – besides making all my cards for birthdays and Christmas I enjoy knitting tiny hats & cot blankets for the local premature baby units plus prayer squares for the hospital chaplains to give to patients to hold. I have a pile waiting to have the ends sewn in so will take a photo when I have finished.
I try and make at least one hand made gift for each of the family at Christmas as well. I have completed 2 so far.
I love your pots & Dave’s woodwork, isn’t it great that he came up with the answer to your problem for getting the angles right on the pots.
#madeinmay
I love making cards – stamping, Groovi especially the embroidery ones. I also love crocheting octopuses which I donate to a NICU, also love to knit for my grandchildren 🥰
Love your pottery and the way that you and your other half support each other🥰
#madeinmay
I love parchment craft – I love the tracing out, I love the piercing, I love the picot cutting, I love creating something beautiful whilst loving the process. I love the way friends respond when I send a card to let them know that I am thinking of them! I love spending a very long time to create something special for a special occasion!
Over the years I have tried all kinds of crafts, embroidery and knitting when I was a teenager, sewing clothes and toys in my twenties, I went to night school for pottery and cake decorating in my thirties and even had a go at making a “Faberge” egg having been to a workshop! I love making cards whether it’s stamping, parchment or on the computer – oh and I’ve had a dabble at jewellery making too 😀. I’d love to have a go at making sea glass pictures #madeinmay
love your pottery, granddaughters birthday so had instructions to make a skirt in nightmare before Christmas material. luckily it turned out okay. #made in may.
#madeinmay
Loving your pottery, Barbara, and the wooden items made by Dave!
I love all sorts of crafts: getting messy with inks, stamps and stencils for cards or journal pages; cross stitch; embroidery and tapestry. I also knit and crochet but the joints aren’t always happy with those!
Mxx
I love all types of crafting. I started with candle making when i lived at home with my parents.
used to drive my mum nuts as i put them in the fridge to cool quicker. Whilst on maternity leave I started card making and since then have made Jewellery, crochet, needle felting, resin and do a bit of sewing as well. I’d love to have a go with Silver clay and also some pottery and love watching the great pottery throw down. Not made anything today but will definitely get into #madeinmay. Thanks for the inspiration.
Like most crafters I have had a go at most crafts and enjoy lots of different ones such as mosaics, needlework, beading , silver clay jewellery ( definitely recommend that one to you Barbara, your creative arty skills would shine), spinning, weaving , cake decorating and of course papercraft. Having followed the Shac since the beginning I am now learning drawing and watercolour techniques inspired by your constant encouragement. There just aren’t enough hours in the day!
I am very good at making a mess!
Have a couple of birthdays in June so some hand made items and cards will be my makes in May.
Your work is inspirational and that of Dave too. Hope you enjoyed your last few days. Take care and best wishes to all my fellow makers.
#madeinmay
I love to try and make people happy, put a smile on their face or a laugh in their voice. I love making art and cards (with my Clarity goodies, of course! 😄) and giving it to my friends and family, which makes me happy, especially if it makes them happy too!
I love that you and Dave work together so well to make your artwork!
Love Groovi, painting – both watercolours and/or acrylics. Used to make walking sticks – ‘long sticks’ (shepherd’s crooks), talking sticks (old American Indian tradition) and ‘regular’ walking sticks. #madeinmay
My first love is embroidery. Just completed a birth sampler and my #madeinmay project is a wedding sampler I have been asked to do for a friend for her great nephew. Love my stamping too.
I love making art, be it watercolour, acrylics or coloured pencils. #madeinmay
I love making parchment cards but I also like knitting socks. The socks are very popular with family and friends for the winter.
I love making parchment cards, but last Friday I went on T-shirt course and came home with a T-shirt that fits! I also do machine embroidery and am currently finishing a patchwork quilt! I love being retired and make the most of each day.#madeinmay.
I love to make music as a member of a community choir .We celebrate our 30th Anniversary this year and will have our spring concert on may 24th .
I also love making special cards for special occasions ,new baby ,wedding ,special birthdays .I’m chuffed when many people tell me they have framed my personalised cards .If asked to do a “special ” for somone I dont know personally I enjoy doing that and just requesting a donation to a charity .Your pottery is just fabulous would love a Barbara Grey original ! #madeinmay
I love collecting shells on holiday and making into wall art with inky backgrounds as treasured memories of our time away.
I also love to make birthday cards specifically for special people in my life #madeinmay
I love making people laugh,
doing Groovi, making apple cake, making pottery, crocheting granny squares and spending time with friends (often crafting).#madeinmade
#madeinmay, whilst I was catching up on this morning’s SHAC, well listening I was making something rather unusual. My husband has a new bike which we need to transport in the car so I decided to try and make a cover to keep the car clean. I searched in the garage and found some ground cover I hadn’t used. Eventually I managed to join 2 lengths together and have added Velcro to the sides which now stick to the top sides of the boot, it’s a hatchback car. I then made a bag to put in one of the wheels and finally a small bright coloured cotton bad to put in the wheel bolt so my husband doesn’t loose it!
I enjoy sewing, love making cakes, playing with paint, paper ink and now since January having a go at drawing. Also trying to learn the piano following an app. Good job I’m retired. Now I need to work on my Hippy Xx
I love to get with my hands be it card making, colouring in, scrapbooks, cross stitching, jigsaws, gardening but definitely not the ironing 😂
#madeinmay
All your pottery looks great. I enjoy card making, with my Clarity stash for family, friends and church. Also, love colouring, doing jigsaws, and occasionally I revert back to doing cross stitch, embroidery, tapestry, tatting and patchwork whenever I get the urge to have a little change and do something different. xx #madeinmay
Hello Barb
I have to say that I love to see your pots and vases, and everything else. So lovely.
What I love to make are hand-knitted socks. They can be as easy or as difficult as you like. You can make them cuff down, or toe up. You can knit taat, two at a time. You can use 5 dpn’s, double pointed needles. You can use a small circular needle, or a large circular needle using the magic loop method. You can make them plain, patterned, lacy, stripey. Yarn can be self-striping, ombre, speckled, glittery, 4ply, 8ply, Aran, lace weights. Any colour you like. There are so many different ways to do toes, heels, cuffs. You can knit long tubes on a sock knitting machine, and then insert toes, heels and cuffs.
My friend says there is nothing else can keep your feet so warm as a pair of hand knitted socks.
If only I was as talented as you, Barbara. I tried to paint a portrait of my friend but it’s so terrible, I can’t give it to him. I can’t work out how to rescue it either! My dad definitely has the talent there.
I do enjoy card-making and after discovering Clarity, I have learned so much. I came to my first Open Day last June but haven’t got around to using what I bought there as I find it hard to get a spark. So I will have to miss this year unless I stop the gardening and actually make something! Hoping I can say #madeinmay
#madeinmay
My love of making, is trying most things!
I make cards, draw, paint, knit, crochet, cross stitch, embroider (not great at that, but I try my best!), I love decorating, cooking, but most of all, making a happy place to be 🥰
For the future, my friend makes jewellery which she wants me to try – sounds good to me!
Loving all yours & Dave’s handmade art, you’re both so talented 🥰
P.S. See you at the Open Day on Saturday…..I hope you’ll have some pottery left 😘😘😘
Love your pottery Barb, you are very talented.
I enjoy cross stitch and black work, keeping an art journal and making cards from stamps and handmade paper (not handmade by me, though!). I am a beginner with Groovi – going back to the start with Paul on YouTube. I have always wanted to have a go at bookbinding, after I saw some exquisite examples at a craft fair, just have to win the lottery first! I don’t ‘do’ Facebook, so will miss out on madeinmay but think it’s a brilliant idea.
See you at the Open Day on the Saturday. #madeinmay
#madeinmay
Your pottery is beautiful, and Dave’s work is pretty amazing too.
I love making scenes with stamps and stencils, colouring with my faber castell pencils or watercolour, and having lots ready, some of the best being made into cards. It is so relaxing and mindful!
Hello Barb, well you and Dave have certainly be hard at work for #madeinmay. Love your pottery and the candle and caddy that Dave made are so vintage and beautiful. I love my card making especially when my club envelope or an order arrives, I try take time out of the day job to dive right in, as well as a bit of sewing and Acrylic paint pouring when I can divide up my time. I love cooking too, especially when I have time to find a really nice recipe, which is not the normal dinners and can create a special meal. But whatever I am doing, creating something, I do it to my best ability. Loved reading the other posts too, so much variety. Take care everyone. Bx
Vintage chapeaux for my Gene fashion dolls (bigger than Barbie). Gene’s legend is she is an American 1940’s film star. And, of course, she has to have the clothes to suit premieres, Oscar ceremonies etc.
Love
Maggie (York UK)
PS – Update on cat please
PPS – love the pots and Dave!!
It’s lovely that you and Dave make things for each other. Although I like my card making my first love is sewing. You name it I’ve sewn it, everything from wedding dresses to coats. I have also done more knitting since lockdown. It was my Grandmother who taught me both skills and I have taught my daughters, one is heavy into knitting and cross stitch and the other into the sewing. I’m now looking forward to teaching my Granddaughter in a few years time. #madeinmay.
I love my card making but just recently I’ve compiled a photo album from my recent safari holiday – choosing the best 200 photos from 2500 was quite a task! I also always have a cross stitch on the go.
#madeinmay what a great challenge . parchment/groovi is my main go to especially when helping others on their journey with it. I also get inky stamping, just not enough hours in a day. needle felting has become a passion, determined to get my cute mouse finished. fabulous pottery Barbara. I remember back in the day when my art teacher gave me freedom to potter. unfortunately I developed an allergy to the clay. carry on together creating.
Love this post, Barbara and reading everyone’s replies.
You and Dave are very clever and talented.
I have always loved doing/having a go at anything using the hands and if there’s a mental challenge involved all the better.
Thanks to you my favourite thing, currently, is putting pencil to paper and doing my best to copy an image (taking me back to school days in the art room). Joyful.
#madeinmay
#madeinmay I love all craft but I think parchment must be my main love either Groovi or traditional. gridwork certainly keeps my brain ticking over! I really enjoy crafting with friends and have tried to keep my craft clubs going for the past 20 years, although it is getting harder now we are all getting older . I also sew, embroider knit and crochet. Thank you Barbara, Paul and all those at Clarity Towers for keeping my interests alive especially through lockdown my life is certainly richer for you being in it even if my purse isn’t!
Dave’s candle holder is perfect, he is a talented man. A great partner for you in life and crafting.
Your pottery will sell well at the events.
My hobbies are all things Clarity, other card making, cross stitch, tapestry, embroidery, dress making, celebration and novelty cake making, watercolour and oil painting, pastel and pencil art, creative cooking, origami, crosswords and sudoku, candle making and hand making paper. I am also an avid reader. All I lack is time to do everything but I do my best between our hospital visits and am never bored.
With longer daylight hours I feel inspired to do more and am hoping to finish a big batch of cards for charity shortly.
Take care, stay well.
The items you both have made are really wonderful. I know you can buy candle holders or ceramics everywhere but it’s the fact that you have both taken the time to lovingly craft these is what matters! I love how you compliment each other and work to problem solve. I have some handmade wood work items a colleague made (over 40 years ago!). Wouldn’t part with them for the world and use them still. I have dabbled in many crafts, started with cross stitch, went to Permgamano as a stress reliever and developed into general card making from there. Dabbled in knitting but have still not ventured into crochet which is on my list. As long as I put a smile on someone’s face with a kind act, word or handmade item then I’m happy. #madeinmay
#madeinmay. Originally I loved baking cakes (still do) but trying to get healthier and they were far too tempting. Covid caused anxiety issues to escalate but making cards has helped immensely and I wouldn’t be without it now. I love digital crafting, decoupage but my favourite is Groovi and it’s so therapeutic. If I want to make a special card Groovi is my first go to.
See you all at the Open Day xx
How lovely that Dave can help to solve your pottery problems! I love the idea of #madeinmay.
My card making has taken a back seat recently due to mum being unwell and having so much to sort out, but I love a good gel press session, to cook, bake, sew, create a garden. My current make is a crochet poncho. I’ll be doing a lot more crochet in the coming months as I’ve taken a charity stall in November as a fundraiser, so I’ll be making ornaments again for that!
And there’s the pyrography, dot mandala painting and journalling kits to get started with too – I thought you had more time when you retired 😂 #madeinmay
Love it barb, how is your totem pole coming along? Not heard you mention it in a while? I knitting a neck warmer or if I keep going it will be a shawl
I love making cards but recently started enjoying mixed media too. But the day of the year I enjoy most is the day I spend in the kitchen and make six fruit cakes to gift to family members for their Christmas cake. The house smells beautiful for hours while they are baking
PS #madeinMay
#madeinmay
Hello Barb I like a lot of different crafts, card making,crochet, patchwork and quilting, fine beading, bobbin lace making,knitting. Love your pottery and wonderful that you and Dave work together, just as Peter and I used to before he got the dreaded dementia, and has sadly, recently had to go into care. Peter was also a wood turner and embroiderer. Watching you and Paul are keeping me sane at the moment, really appreciate how you so generously give your time and knowledge to us. Thank you Barbara xx
WOW! You are both so talented. Your pottery is fab.
I love making cards for my family and friends. I am like a butterfly flitting from one project to another, I love stamping and embedding just now. Although since being part of the Shack I can now draw and colour so much better too.
It is a great distraction when you are feeling anxious or worried.
I like most things crafty, in the past I have made hats, knitted and sewed.
#madeinmay
Lorraine
X
#Made in May
Well my husband would say I love making a mess! I say that I love many crafts. I knit baby hats, blankets and bonding squares for our local maternity hospital. I also enjoy card making, zentangle, patchwork, pyrography and creating pages in my art journals.
#madeinmay
I love making people happy. Whether it’s the Grandchildren, husband, children, friends or extended family.
There, that’s the cheese over with! I’m obsessed with Groovi and making beautiful cards which people love, but don’t know how you achieve. So, thank you Clarity and the clever design team for the Groovi inspirations.
Cardmaking has always been the thing I keep coming back to. I’ve dabbled in all sorts of other crafts, but making cards is just my favourite – especially when it involves inky backgrounds and floral stamps! #madeinmay
Thanks for the chance to win a piece of your pottery… My mum bought one at the open day last year, and I had hoped to purchase my own at the retreat in the summer but you didn’t bring any along – please do consider bringing some to the retreat this summer! I’d love to finally purchase my own BG original.
#madeinmay
Hi Barbara, your pottery looks beautiful. I bought one of your pots at a Clarity open day last year and use it in my craft space for pens and pencils. It’s great that Dave is able to help you with his own craft abilities. One of your Mum’s ‘Dangles’ also hangs in my craft space.
I enjoy making cards with my Groovi stash but have made a few with Clarity stamps. Groovi is so variable and I never make two cards exactly the same, even if using the same plate.
I enjoy watching the SHAC and Craftalongs and Groovi Tuesday.
#madeinmay I dabble in many things. Stamping, Groovi, sewing, calligraphy, baking & making jams & preserves. My favourite is colouring using my Faber Castell Polychromo pencils and the techniques you shared during lockdown. For me there is nothing better!
#madeinMay I’m loving Groovi at the moment, but stamping, art journaling, doodles from the SHAC and decorating are all current arty faves.
Loving the art work from you and Dave, both clever arty folk, thanks for sharing.
#madeinmay
I love to on any day…..
…sort through all my sparkling and textured threads
…sort through all my lace and vintage materials
…sort through Clarity products et al for ideas
…sort through my cardstock to make my cards for a charity in May and others including Macmillan later in the year.
Well done everyone with your ventures.
What a talented couple you are!.
I love to do redwork embroidery and obviously making Clarity cards with my stash!!
Keeping everything crossed that I can make the Open days this year.
#madeinmay.
#made in may
I discovered Mosaic crochet in covid times and have been making blankets ever since!
still love to craft a card and would love to come to a Clarity Open day one of these days
Got way behind this week, so catching up with the blog! Looks like you’ve had a very productive week off – so good for the soul! Sad to be missing the Open Days this year – I’d definitely have been busily shopping…. 😍
I’m late to the party as have been ill. I love playing with my stamps and stencils just to see what I can create, be it cards, gift bags, gift boxes, tags, canvas & drawing too just to be #madeinmay or #madewhenever I feel that urge to create.
I wish there was somewhere other than Facebook to share Clarity projects as I can’t cope with FB. Your pots are gorgeous x