It occurred to me…
Hi there
I was thinking about the demo I did this afternoon on our Clarity TV show at 2pm. If you didn’t catch it, you can always watch it later on our catch up section on our website. Here’s the link to the right page.
Anyway, the Archival ink wasn’t dry, so when I added the sky, the trees started bleeding, so to speak! Look here…
But then, after we’d finished and were packing everything away, it occurred to me. Perhaps I was doing the very thing that WOULD make the trees bleed! By using Archival ink pads on black Archival ink, perhaps that old theory of mine, not using like for like inks together, is true after all. If I was using blue and pink Archival inks to create the sky, then I guess the black archival ink was wanting to mix with them. Do you get me? Perhaps I should have used normal Distress inks – dye based, water soluble – then the trees wouldn’t have been affected.
So you know tomorrow, first thing, I’m going to have to try that, don’t you?! I’ll let you know…
And how ironic, that we would scroll down to dear Ken Kilminster, for the giveaway! Card’s on its way – bleeding trees and all! 😂😂😂😂
Ah the joys of being a crafter, eh? I do like those stamps and the frames though. Where did I find the miniature scenery stamps? Here. Perfect for our Mini Makes.
I’ve also got a load of used Yorkshire Teabags drying on the Aga! I want to fill a whole little journal with teabags. Glue them all into pages, fill the petite journal with teabags, ready to decorate and fill whenever the mood grabs me. Here’s the little water colour journal…
And here are the teabags! Tear a little opening to release all the tea-ash, then gently open up the bag. Woohoo! Double trouble! See how you can add tiny little scraps around the edge, too? It’s a sure fire way to get your creative juices flowing.
Who’s with me on this journey? Use a Pritt glue stick to glue into your booklet. Here’s another journal I have been working on, adding to. I love using teabags as a backdrop. I think I shall start another one with collage papers…
I remember many, many years ago, when I was learning to play the piano, my piano teacher told me I should sit at the piano and practice for 20 minutes every single day. I never did, of course, but I often wonder how good I’d be now, had I listened to him. I mean, I probably wouldn’t be doing solos at the Albert Hall, but I bet I could rattle off Beethoven’s Für Elise with ease!
My point is this. If we do a little, little bit of artwork every single day – even if we only set aside 20-30 minutes – I bet we’d improve our swing, don’t you?? And I bet those 20-30 minutes would stretch into hours of joyful making, too. Thing is, TIME is an issue. But. If the little journal is already filled with lovely, dry, glued in teabags, and lovely, dry, glued in paper collage pages, well I BET I would feel it was more achievable. Who’s with me?
Have a lovely evening.
Love always
Barb x x x
It was tricky, they were so hilarious! Thank you so much for joining in! How do you pick a winner??? Impossible. So I asked a friend to pick. And they called the same as me! Soooooo. The LIMERICK WINNER IS…… drumroll……
Jules Ranger
There once was a Fella called Keith,
Who wanted to make a big wreath.
He sat down to get started,
but accidently f*rted,
and ended up swallowing his teeth!
Well done everybody! But Jules, you win the Gift Voucher xxxx
26 thoughts on “It occurred to me…”
Congratulations Jules! Very funny . Haven’t caught up with todays Clarity Tv yet Mondays are my day for doing dads shopping so will catch up later but I think you might be right as I think that’s why you don’t use archival stamping if you want to colour with Alcohol markers. Still I am sure that you will get to the bottom of it
Didn’t manage to watch this afternoon but I will catch up later. My hubby just walked in from the kitchen just as I started to read this here blog and asked what are you doing with all those teabags😂😂. Saw some of your art work in your little journal and decided I could do something similar in mind so watch this space!!
I’m now going to dry my teabags and stick them in my mini art pad, such a good idea prepping then they are good to go. Thanks Barb really enjoyed the Shac this morning too k my mind off painful sciatica see mindfulness really works
I have just caught up with this morning’s SHAC, this afternoon’s session will be watched later after Silent Witness. Better news about Maggie than a week ago so fingers crossed it continues that way.
I have a supply of tea bags so will sort out a journal & get them glued in ready for a doodle/stamping session.
Sorry forgot to congratulate Jules on her funny limerick. Jules enjoy spending your voucher x
Firstly – congratulations Jules, this one made me giggle. Well done.
It was lovely to make a coffee and an egg and cress sani, put my feet up and watch you both on tv after having spent the morning at the hospital. Very relaxing. You and Paul do make me smile. Fur lined boots? Goodness, if I put those on I’d be walking in puddles inside the boots even I the coldest weather.
I actually liked the smudged look you created this afternoon. I’ve had those stamps since they were launched but sadly my masks are showing their high usage and age (like me hahaha) so they need replacing. Thought I would have a free day tomorrow to craft myself silly but it was not to be. There are going to be lots of people in and out – very unexpected and annoyingly essential. Never mind, always another day.
Have a good evening.
PS: I don’t drink tea so the tea bag 8×8 papers will have to do. Love the effect though.
I’m saving teabags but do I dry then empty or empty and then dry???? loved the Limerick x
dry them full, then empty them x
Aaaah! Thank you SO much Barbara I’m really chuffed! – I’ve just been catching up on today’s demos and so off I went to find the Rose/wall stamp that I knew I had somewhere. I started wading through all my files of stamps and finally found it after being distracted by so many gorgeous stamps again, that I had totally forgotten about! – Doing mini makes has really got me back into my craftroom and really got the crafting juices flowing again, so thank you, I’m back! full of enthusiasm but keeping it small, because that way I know I hopefully won’t get ‘blocked’ with thinking too big and burying my crafty head in the sand again. I even did a small parchment club plate yesterday, although I think I need to go back to go again on that!😅 😘 x
Well done Jules! Your limerick did make me laugh too 🤭 xxx
Congratulations Jules!
Congratulations to all…..What a brilliant day of tv again, those little miniature scenery stamps are so cute and versatile. And I love the tea bag art, it’s so beautiful and tasteful.
Well done Jules 👏, your limerick did make me chuckle
Penny xXx
I empty my tea bags to use the tea leaves as fertiliser for my outdoor plants in pots ! Now I know what to do with the empty bags which I was just throwing away before !
Love and hugs
Yvonne
I so enjoyed the show this afternoon and had to get my stamps out to play as well (sorted my content for my blog today, so thank you!!) I love those woodland miniature stamps too – one of my go-to sets. They work for so many occasions and with so many of the other sets as well.
Loved Jules’ limerick – laughter is definitely good for the soul!
Had planned to get an early night tonight as I’ve got a full work day tomorrow (will be on the tube at 7.30am), but as usual the evening’s got away from me… Never mind – I can sleep on the train!!
Well done, Jules, on a hilarious and perfect limerick, and congratulations on winning the voucher. Another Barb Masterclass this afternoon on Clarity TV with magic tips and tricks, culminating in a beautiful piece of artwork of a log frame around a wilderness scene beneath the Moon Shadow! And I am very lucky for Paul to pick me to receive Barb’s Giveaway – bleeding trees and all! Looking at the full moon tonight was just like looking at your Moon Shadow skyline!
Barb, I’ll be joining you in producing a Petite Journal of teabag art. A couple of years ago at the Summer Retreat you hooked us with a teabag project, and kindly showed your copy of a book of “Tea Stain Doodles” by the artist Tonia Jenny, to inspire us further. With the Mini Makes project on the go, now’s the time to produce my own teabag images.
Like so many Clarity crafters, I’m loving the Clarity TV show format! I’m so pleased for you that Clarity has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of the “selly telly” debacle. The quality of Clarity’s products and the strength of Team Clarity will always come out on top!
Having enjoyed this afternoons Clarity tv, I found my floral wall stamp set out with the logs, and have stamped out two frames this evening, so they will be ready for a play, as luckily I also have the mini stamps too. Also, I have a jam jar full of dried tea bags, along with a petite journal, with a few tea bags stuck inside already, so when I get some time, I will be sticking some more in to complete the journal. My piano teacher ( a family friend), who lived next door but one, the other side of my gran , who lived next door to me, told me to practise for 1 hour daily, which I did , under duress at times, and my gran could hear the results of my lesson, I gave it up years ago, but still have a piano, as my late dad used to play, & when it gets a dusting, I have a little tinkle now and again, so I suppose I should give it a whirl again, as I still have the music from my lessons, all those years ago. Congratulations Jules, a worthy winner. xx
Congrats on the winning limerick it made me laugh as soon as I saw it. I have some ideas in my head I want to try but am on Nana child minding duty all day tomorrow so I just hope I can remember what it was I want to try on Wednesday.
Congratulations Jules; a very funny Limerick and the voucher will cover a set of stamp pens! 😜🤣
I have the walled floral set, so watched this afternoon with renewed interest. When I originally purchased them, I had a go at doing the Log frame and drew in a landscape with trees using the Micron pens. It’s still a work in progress or should I say a dreaded UFO (unfinished object). Do any of our Clarity friends have a collection of unfinished objects? Just a suggestion, but maybe the unfinished objects can become mini makes in themselves by trying to complete them which will be another way of getting our crafty mojo back??
I really enjoyed the colouring session in the Shac today; I will have to dig out my Feathered Friends Colouring book, so I will try to attempt an owl in that. I also won a Petite Journal and Watercolour Pad at the Christmas Open Days and will try to have a go at teabag art, but I only have the round teabags; maybe some doodled florals would look good on a round teabag? Any design suggestions from fellow Shacker’s for round teabags will be gratefully appreciated.
Have a good arty week everyone.
It’s nearly 4 am and just finished catching up on the 2 pm show.
Loved it. Trying hard to get my crafting space cleared to use those stamps pens but it’s seems to be one step forward two steps back at the moment.
The card make couldn’t have gone to a more deserving Clarity groupie😂. Congratulations, Ken.
Also congratulations to Jules for the funniest Limerick – it made me and my husband laugh out loud.
Congratulations Jules, what a limerick 😆 and also congratulations to Ken. I actually love the shadow effect Barbara. Will try it out later. Have to watch show on rewind, still on holidays, and not always able to get Wifi.
Soo much to catch up on when we get back.
I have a bag full of dried teabags, ready to be used.
Looking forward to see what ideas you come up with Barbara. love from Australia.
I’ll have to catch up today, as we were busy all day yesterday! I’d already decided that this year was my time to try to fill some of my journals – I think maybe making art for myself, rather than a specific card for someone will help free up that inner critic, and let me play and experiment more! x
Hello Barb, I have not caught up with the show yet, but what a lovely card you made, bleeding trees and all. I will be taking a little break this morning from work and catching up with the show. I need to get my petite journal out and start doing this. Mindfulness, creativity, and just what I want to do. Now I need to find a place to dry my teabags, without Hubs, thinking my trolley is completely off the rails 🙂 Well done Jules, that is a brilliant limerick. Take care everyone. Bx
Enjoyed the shows yesterday.
Looking forward to seeing the upcoming teabag art………………..!
it is no good, I am going to have to change Hubbie’s favourite tea bags from round to square ! Remember doing this at the Retreat (2023?). Nobody could guess the background for my art when I used this technique.
Congratulations to Jules and Ken.
You may have seen my recent post of the tea bags I had saved but unfortunately I was too impatient and hadn’t let them dry properly, I will try again but will wait until the bags are thoroughly dry before opening them.
I did some art with them when you did some first time around but can’t find them!