Hi there

Thanks for popping in. I got caught up making little cards today, out of the new 4×4 inch card blanks and envelopes that are pouring out of the Pinky Gray printroom at the moment, in readiness for our 31st Birthday weekend on Create & Craft!

I used a print I had made using the new leafy layering stencils, which wasn’t very exciting as a whole. In fact, I didn’t even bother taking a photo of it. Yep. That good. It was just one of a whole pile of prints I pulled whilst putting the stencils through their paces, figuring out how best to present them.

So I chopped it up into 4 smaller toppers, ran round the edge with a black Sharpie pen, and added a splash of white with a thin Posca pen…

And suddenly, the whole little thing, quarter of a print that I wasn’t in love with, and was happy to chop up, started to come alive.

… which just goes to show you, that it’s over when YOU decide it’s over. And the best news is : I’ve got another three of these to make! And I know where I’m headed now! Happy days.

So tomorrow, Paul and I head up to the TV studios for the weekend. Am I looking forward to it? I am looking forward to finally launching what we have been working on for months! There comes a point when you just need to hit the GO button! No amount of prep and planning will add any more to the shows now! So at 6pm tomorrow evening, it begins. Linda’s lovely Floral Alphabet. She told me a few things about the designs, which were interesting too…

There are over 70 different flowers and leaves in total. Each letter has about 3 different flowers, and each flower will not be found on any more than 3 letters. You will not find the same combination of flowers on any of the letters. Apparently, Linda kept a complex log of all the flowers she used, to ensure this. In addition, there is a floral Plate Mate, packed with whole flowers. Hang on…. I’ll show you just one piece of artwork by Frances, so you understand how exquisite this work is…

Grace and Paul have got TV times and products already posted over on our Clarity Matters blog. They have even included a couple of old videos from the good old days! Dean Wilson and Shrink Plastic. We are still good friends, you know. We speak most weeks. He is a smashing fella. He really REALLY makes me laugh, like few can. Dave’s another one. And my brother Steve. You know what I mean. There are certain people who can just crack you up with one line. And let’s face it – laughter is good for the soul; it’s like a good medicine, innit.

Anyway, time to go pack a suitcase.

Love always

Barb x x x