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Author: Barbara Gray

Raking up the past….

Raking up the past….

Hi there. Greetings from the NEC! It was great to see so many friends and familiar faces today! Happy to report that the new stand was well received, and the stamps and artboards stayed on the wall! Always a welcome relief.  Forgot my Ipad at the B&B in the morning, which is tantamount to leaving my brain there. So decided to peel a piece of artwork from yesteryear off one of the boards, and bring that back to the farm…

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NEC here we are, ready or not!

NEC here we are, ready or not!

Hello there! Greetings from the NEC! Stop the clock! The stand is set in record time, And looks absolutely fabulous, even if I say so myself. Here’s the team to welcome all those of you who are visiting this weekend: Jayne, Chloe, Dave, Barb and Maria.  Anybody who has ever come to ANY show we have ever done  will see at a glance that we have had a major revamp,  a remodel,  a renovation. Not a mounted stamp in sight….

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YouTube Tuesday – Stencils & Chromo Card

YouTube Tuesday – Stencils & Chromo Card

Hi there!It’s YouTube Tuesday,  and time for a simple Chromo Demo! Items Used: Forest Ridge Clarity Stamp Flare Frame Stencil Clarity Stencil Brushes 25 x A5 Chromo Card Clarity Moon Masks Black Archival Ink Pad Weathered Wood Distress Ink Pad Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink Pad Post-it Notes Craftwell eBosser die cutting & embossing Machine Easy and effective, methinks. But I must dash. Still figuring out what I am doing at the NEC, and still need to pack. Yikes! Hope to…

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Gentian or Columbine – that is the question….

Gentian or Columbine – that is the question….

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by. Playing catch up here,  getting all fired up for the NEC Exhibition,  which starts on Thursday and runs right through until Sunday. So Monday’s blog is Flowers and Trees. I take my inspiration today from a lovely birthday card, which my clever friend Maria Simms sent me for my birthday. I know she won’t mind if I share this technique; it is so lovely and quick to do! The hardest bit is tearing a leaf…

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Times are a-changing…

Times are a-changing…

Hi there! Thanks for popping in. Just got in from London, after a lovely birthday weekend  with Dave, Dee, (Beekie Mick n Titch). No, not really. Colin! Theatre, Covent Garden and the British Museum. Bit overcast and nippy, but hey! If you don’t like the English weather, just wait a minute! But a very simple, quick project now, because tomorrow it’s back to work –   and  I want to enjoy the log fire Dave has rustled up! So out with…

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Don’t Worry – Be happy!

Don’t Worry – Be happy!

Hello campers! It’s Saturday and it’s the start of our Clarity Worry-Free Weekend!  Thank you so very, very much for all your birthday wishes and cards and flowers and pressies yesterday! Overwhelmed of Crowborough, I can tell you! Just look at these masterpieces! Also represents many hours of love and kindness. Never to be thrown away. Always to be treasured. I am so lucky and blessed in so many ways.  I really, really know it. And yet so often I…

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Friday the 13th unlucky? Not for yesterday’s Anagram winner!

Friday the 13th unlucky? Not for yesterday’s Anagram winner!

Hi there! Friday 13th March. Friday’s blog a private peek. Sorry I’m so late, but had a smashing sunny day today,  and only just got home. As my Mother never fails to remind me  in her oh-so-strong German accent on the same day every year, “Barbara, Barbara, Barbara,  zis time 56 years ago I voz having a hard day.  Your Faza (aka Dad) voz viz za midvife…” Then Dad takes over and tells me how he had to go and get the…

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The Wee Folk want to play!

The Wee Folk want to play!

Bonjour! Thanks for popping in. Thursday’s blog is something BLUE,  so I thought we’d have some fun today. Ready for a little game? Most of you will probably already have our Letterbox set. It is the biggest selling stamp set we have ever conjured up! Having said that, the Wee Folk are hurtling up the outside and likely to lap them very soon! Wee Folk 1 Wee Folk 2 So I thought it would be fun to marry them up…

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Double-Glazing listed buildings? I don’t think so !!!

Double-Glazing listed buildings? I don’t think so !!!

Hi there! Thanks for dropping in. Wednesday’s blog is something new. For who? For you? For me? Well, this week we launched the Paperartsy Chalk Paints at Clarity. They have been around a while, and I have loved them for a while. So today I thought I’d have a play with one of my all time favourite stencils, The Town Stencil, because they are shouting to be aged. Crackled, in fact. I want to get that really old English Wattle and Daub…

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YouTube Tuesday / Bokeh and Garden Birds

YouTube Tuesday / Bokeh and Garden Birds

Hello there! It’s Youtube Tuesday and time for a neat background technique, showing off our lovely garden bird stamps. This Bokeh technique, using one of our stencils  (aptly called Jo’s Bubbles, because clever Jo designed it!)  is really fun and very effective. Items Used: Claritystamp Garden Birds and Blossom Branch Multi-buy Jo’s Bubbles Clarity Stencil Brilliance Moonlight White Ink Pad Black Archival Ink Pad Picked Raspberry Distress Ink Pad Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink Pad Mowed Lawn Distress Ink Pad White…

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