Hi there

I’ve been up since before 6 o’clock! With Dave being in hospital, it is all a bit strange. He’s in a lot of pain, and that makes me feel anxious, too. In fact I was woken by Erik, miaowing outside the bedroom window! He’d been out all night, and normally Dave let’s him in at the crack of dawn. So he must have been sitting outside the back door, waiting patiently. Then, when Dave didn’t open the door, he must have thought, “she’s still asleep. I’ll go wake her up. I’ll go wail outside her bedroom window, until there’s some movement”. Cats are amazing, aren’t they. I looked out of the bedroom window, and there he was, looking up at me! Like he was saying, “what’s ‘appenin, Mum?”

So now it’s 9am. I’ve sorted fresh bedding, cooked a casserole, and been listening to Grace’s latest Audible book, “The Rebel Witch”- which is quite steamy in places for 7am! But hey. Keeps the mind distracted.

Then I decided to tell you about our new Online 1-2-3 Courses, which Paul and Louise are launching on Clarity TV at 3pm tomorrow afternoon. We’ve been working on this Online Course concept for a while, and have decided to kick it all off with a Foundation Course for Groovi Crafters and Parchment Art.

Paul and Louise will tell you all about it tomorrow, but I want to give you a rough outline of what we’re up to in writing. So here goes…

I mentioned a while ago, that if I want to keep going with Clarity beyond retirement age, I realised that we had to change our approach. You can appreciate that Dave can no longer do the big exhibitions and Craft shows (NEC, SECC, Doncaster, Ally Pally etc). He was the main man! Driver, van loader, van unloader, stand setter upper, check out etc etc . We did those shows from 1995-2020. We did the NEC twice a year every single year. March and November. Every March, we were at the NEC for my birthday on the 13th. And Every November we were at the NEC for Dave’s birthday on the 7th.

We even did Glasgow in the February before the Pandemic hit. In fact, that was the last exhibition we ever attended – apart from our own Open Days locally, in Ditton near Maidstone, Kent. I remember it fondly actually, because our dear friend Hilda Smith volunteered her help up there, and we hung out together. But I digress….

So you see, we have to change the way we do things. And not just for ourselves! Our loyal and cherished customers are finding the shows a push, too. They really are hard work – even as a visitor!

Which is why we have moved online. When Covid locked us indoors, we moved online to keep each other company. Hundreds of us met up every day in the SHAC, and we taught ourselves how to cope with isolation by getting creative together ONLINE. I was the bus driver, and we went all over the world on our virtual travels, didn’t we? I’m meeting up with Sarah, dear Pat Hosking’s daughter in a couple of weeks. She is entrusting me with Pat’s SHAC folders and artwork. I thought it would be brilliant for us all to spend an evening in each other’s company, looking at and enjoying the SHAC work of a dear friend, sadly no longer with us, but who lives on in her artwork. It’ll be a brilliant trip down Memory Lane!

One of the best things about being online is seeing how many friends join in from all corners of the earth! Australia, Norway, Germany, The States, Canada . Quite aside from all over the UK and Ireland!

And now we are launching a new idea. These are our Online 1-2-3 courses. I am working on new 1-2-3 courses for Mixed media, Gelpress printing, Collage and all that good stuff, too. Just need a bit of time for the head to clear.

Tomorrow we launch the first GROOVI one. I think it’s something a lot of people will benefit from: proper guided tuition. A structured ONLINE course, which takes you through each aspect and skillset, and helps you build your knowledge gradually, and in the comfort of your own home.

In a nutshell, tomorrow Paul and Louise will introduce you to a small set of Baby Plates, which have been specifically designed to act as vehicles for this FOUNDATION course. There are 5 little plates in the set. Fab designs, perfect for mini makes.

You can join the course, use what you have in the cupboard, and just pay for “the Knowledge”, or you can buy the plates we will be using during the course too. Members discount applies to all products, but not the courses.

Louise will use one of the plates in the TV show, and the ABC plate. Then the other three plates will be used in the actual ONLINE tutorials, the LIVE lessons taking place over a span of 3 weeks. Here are the 3 plates and the 3 LIVE dates. But the courses are there for you whenever.

What do we mean by FOUNDATION course? This first course is intended to introduce the CORE Skills of parchment craft; white work, colour work and picot-cutting/perforation. These are the three core essential skills. Get these under your belt, perfect these – and you can build on solid foundations.

The three skill sets will be presented  in the same order as they would be used on an art project, starting with whitework on Day 1, leading on to colourwork on Day 2, and finally perforating and cutting on Day 3. 

The course will be packed with tricks and tips, and will doubtless become an invaluable reference and resource for future projects.    

Cost for the 3 week course? £60. That’s £20 an afternoon.

All materials and products that will be used during the 3-part course are listed HERE. The new plates will also be listed here. We try to keep it to a minimum, but we have to list everything, so you can check what you have and what you need.

Tutors? Louise Goldin, who was taught by Linda Williams, will be the new tutor for this ONLINE course, together with dear Paul Church. We will be adding recorded modules pertaining to specific multi- needle tools as we go too. But the first thing is to set the scene, lay the foundations, and open the door to our Inner Circle.

Once we’ve laid the foundations with this course, we will move forward and take those core skill sets to the next level with you. We have planned 1-2-3 courses exclusively for whitework, colour work and Picot Cutting too. Here are the dates for the LIVE courses. But even if you can’t make a date, you will be given the key to the classroom. And you can go back in any time to review, catch up, check back.

We use an excellent “Inner Circle” platform, exclusive to course participants. It’s not a facebook or Youtube thing – it’s reserved just for our classes. Once you enrol for a 3-part tutorial, you will be given a code/access to our Learning Circle. Then you can access the chatroom too, and meet your fellow students. There will also be a Q & A room, where you can ask the teacher any questions you may have in between modules. It’s like a key that opens doors to classrooms. As the classes/modules become available, you will be invited in.

Can’t make the live session? No problem! You can catch up any time by watching the pre-record OR the live session.

The idea is to build your knowledge, offer you tasks to complete, and give you a platform exclusively for these classes.

If you joined me last year, when I did a couple of Collage Courses online, you will already be aware of our Inner Circle Platform, at Clarity, which is specifically for our ONLINE courses. Those Paper Collage Classes are still available to buy, and still available to go back and repeat if you enrolled and you fancy having another go. That’s how it works.

I do hope you like the 1-2-3 ONLINE course Concept. It’s a perfect opportunity to learn from experts, and start developing your parching skills one module at a time – wherever you are in the world.

We sent the plates out to our lovely DT. Here’s some inspiration…very clever.

For any early birds The 1-2-3 course and the plates are available to purchase now. CLICK HERE

Otherwise, please do tune in tomorrow, to Clarity TV LIVE, when Paul and Louise will explain how it works and launch the plates LIVE.

You can watch live here on Sunday

Love always,

Barb x x x