A Heartbreaking Goodbye

Sometimes life stops you in your tracks.

Last week, we lost a very dear friend, and a much-loved member of the Clarity family. Sarah Brennan went to bed one evening and simply never woke up.

Just like that. No warning. No time to prepare. No chance to say goodbye.

I still cannot quite believe I am writing these words.

Sarah was a part of our Clarity Design Team for many years, but she was so much more than that to me. She was a good friend. A kind, generous, clever, vibrant woman, full of life, with so much more living to do.

My heart goes out especially to her sons, who have lost their lovely mum so suddenly. There really are no words that can make sense of a loss like this.

Always Ready to Help

If there was one thing you could always count on with Sarah, it was that she would be there.

Whenever we needed an extra pair of hands, whenever there was something to organise, somebody to help, or a job that needed doing, Sarah would step forward. No fuss. No fanfare. Just that wonderful willingness to muck in and be part of the team.

She was a familiar and much-loved face at our Clarity Open Days, where she regularly ran the Make & Takes, sharing her skills, her knowledge and her enthusiasm with everybody who sat down at her table.

And she was brilliant at it.

Sarah had that rare gift of being both exceptionally talented and completely approachable. She could teach, encourage, explain and inspire without ever making anybody feel inadequate.

Which, when you think about it, is the mark of a very good teacher.

And Sarah certainly was that.

Sarah was also an incredibly dedicated blogger, sharing her beautiful artwork, ideas and inspiration every single day on her blog, Sarah’s Craft Shed. So organised and committed was she that her scheduled blog posts have continued to appear even after her passing. That really does say so much about Sarah and her love of crafting and sharing with others. She leaves behind a wonderful collection of artwork, knowledge and inspiration, and I think she would be delighted to know that we are continuing to enjoy it. I do hope you’ll take some time to visit her beautiful blog and celebrate all that she shared with us. ❤️

Sarah’s Craft Shed: https://www.sarahscraftshed.co.uk/

Always Learning, Always Living

What I loved about Sarah was that, despite being such an accomplished artist and crafter herself, she never stopped wanting to learn.

She would turn up at my workshops and retreats, ready to join in, try something new, have a laugh and enjoy being part of it all. She didn’t come because she needed teaching. She came because she loved creating, loved learning, and loved the company.

She understood that there is always something more to discover.

And outside the crafting world, Sarah had a full and busy life too. A devoted Stoke City supporter, she followed her football with real passion. There was certainly no mistaking where her loyalties lay!

She had also only recently retired from teaching, although she had already been asked to return for a while. Clearly, they weren’t quite ready to let her go either.

That says a great deal about the woman she was.

So much energy. So much enthusiasm. So much still to give.

And so much more life to live.

It is very difficult to comprehend that we won’t see Sarah walking through the door at another Open Day, or sitting amongst us at another workshop or retreat.

That we won’t hear her voice, share another laugh, or see her lovely artwork appearing amongst the Design Team samples.

There will be a space where Sarah should be.

And she will be missed enormously.

By her sons, who have lost their mum. By her friends, who have lost someone very special. By her colleagues, her fellow crafters, and by all of us here at Clarity who were lucky enough to know her.

I will miss her personally, very much indeed.

Sarah gave so freely of her time, her talent and her friendship. She was one of those people who made things better simply by being there.

And perhaps that is the greatest tribute we can pay somebody. That their presence made a difference. That they mattered. That they were loved.

Thank you, Sarah. For your friendship, your generosity, your laughter, your beautiful artwork, and for always being ready to lend a helping hand.

You were taken far, far too soon.

Rest peacefully, lovely lady.

I thought it would be lovely to share a little gallery of Sarah’s beautiful artwork here. Just a small selection of the many wonderful pieces she created for us over the years. Her talent, creativity and attention to detail shine through in every piece, and I know how much inspiration she gave to so many of you. Looking through these samples now is both comforting and heartbreaking. Each one is a reminder of the time, care and love she put into her crafting. What a wonderful legacy of creativity she leaves behind. Thank you, Sarah

And finally, I have been thinking about something. Every Wednesday, Sarah faithfully took part in WOYWW — What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday — sharing a little glimpse into her creative world. Well, I would very much like to carry on that tradition, in memory of our lovely Sarah. Perhaps every Wednesday we could take a moment to share what’s happening on our workdesks, what we’re making, what we’re working on, or simply what creative mischief we’re getting up to! A little weekly gathering of like-minded people, doing what Sarah loved most. I think she would like that, don’t you? And it would be a lovely way to keep her spirit, her enthusiasm and her love of crafting alive amongst us. So, unless there’s a good reason why we shouldn’t, I’d like to make Wednesdays a little nod to Sarah. WOYWW — for Sarah. Because although she may no longer be sitting at her workdesk, she will always have a place at ours.

Love always,

Barb xxx