Hi there For me personally, this is the set that personifies Christmas for me. Twas the Night. Remember this collection of illustrated verses? The poem was actually written over 100 years ago, by Clement-Clarke Moore. Most of us know it. The poem is very dear to my heart, mostly because dear Grace used to read it to us on Christmas Eve, when she was a nipper. So, over a period of many years, I drew around several of the verses,…
Hi there. Shining a light on a Clarity Classic today, folks! These super silhouette stamps have been reworked to create fabulous 2-way overlay blocks. The upper images fit beautifully into the lower block stamps. They work well independently, but they are wonderful together. Just like Dave and me. We are enjoying a little holiday with friends in Spain at the moment. Ronda yesterday; Gibraltar today! Hardly a Christmas vibe at 80 in the shade! But back to these beauties… See?…
Ho Ho Ho!! Here we go! 100 days to Christmas! 🎄 Today marks the start of our 100 Day Countdown to Christmas, and over the next 100 days we’ll be sharing a little festive inspiration every day. Now, before anybody panics at the thought of Christmas being only 100 days away — we’ve got time! 😂 We’re going to pace ourselves. Some days there’ll be a little Christmas card-making idea, sometimes a product or technique to inspire you, perhaps a…
Happy Sunday! It’s so easy to rush through the day without really noticing what’s around us. This affirmation made me stop and think. There really is beauty in the ordinary – a weathered fence, the shape of a leaf, the texture of an old wall, even the way ink settles on paper. Today’s project is a reminder that you don’t need lots of fancy products or complicated techniques to make something lovely. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones that…
Hi there! August has always felt like the perfect month to slow down, make a little time for yourself and simply create. So this year, I’d love you to join me for something rather special. Every single day throughout August, I’ll be choosing one of our Daily Affirmation Cards and decorating the reverse with a different creative idea, technique or little artistic adventure. You don’t have to make what I make—in fact, I’d much rather you used my projects as…
Hi there, Thanks for popping in. During lockdown, Grace and I started a little Facebook group called The Gray-Scalers. It wasn’t about achieving the perfect figure. It wasn’t about fad diets or impossible targets. It was simply a group of friends gently encouraging one another to make healthier choices, sharing the occasional victory, admitting the occasional wobble, and remembering that it’s always easier when you’re not doing it alone. Like so many things that began during lockdown, life gradually moved…
There’s something wonderfully restorative about spending a whole day in the pottery studio. And yesterday was the day! No agenda. No deadlines. No “must finish this by…”Just clay, and the simple joy of making. I love getting completely immersed in the processes — be it throwing, turning, or coming up with a completely new construction. The birds in the garden were in full song, so I decided to listen to them instead of a book or music. Opened the garage…
Well, that was fun! If you joined us on Clarity Social TV on Friday, you’ll have seen something a little different from us — our brand new brush pots and pen pots. And my word, what a response! A complete sell-out… just like that. Thank you. Clarity Merch!! Who’d have thunk it… But what I really want to share with you today isn’t just what we launched — it’s how it came to life. Because, as always here at Clarity,…
It has been a while since I sat down to write here regularly. Apart from the 100 day countdown to Christmas, that is! But that was Clarity-centric, and a simple case of creative focus. Fun too! No no. I’m talking about a much deeper connection. For years, this blog was part of the rhythm of my days — a place to share thoughts, artwork, stories and the little things that caught my eye. Then life shifted. When Dad died, something…
Hi there. It’s still dark outside. Proper early. The quiet sort of early when the world hasn’t quite woken up yet. Ragnar and Erik have just come charging in through the back door, both of them cold, bushy-tailed and full of purpose. Side by side, tails straight up like dodgems at the fair. They always arrive like that – as if they’ve got somewhere important to be. I do love those two. After I fed them, I did something out…