Barbara Gray Blog

Hi there. Thanks for popping in. Very late this evening. Just got in. Boy oh boy. What a trip back from our little shopping excursion. It was going quite well all the way through Germany, Holland, Belgium and France, despite the mental drivers, the sleet and rain, the wheel slurry from the juggernauts and virtually no visibility. We made good time and were even loaded onto an early train at the Calais Eurotunnel. Happy Days. Until the hydraulics seized up…

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Hi there. Greetings from the Fatherland. Or in my case, Motherland! Today was our shopping day. 8 hours later, and the boot is filled to the gunnels with German sausage, Sauerkraut, cheese, marzipan and anything else we love!! In addition to the very necessary and Christmas-wouldn’t-be-the -same-without-it Lebkuchen,  and Dominosteine, There are bound to be a few things which would make your toes  curl, like Harzer käse …. #mumlovesit #barbhatesit Then there’s the Speck, which is a solid block of…

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Hi there! Thanks for joining us. Woke up to a blanket of snow…. room with a view. As soon as I opened the curtains and saw the weather, I thought of Frau Holle. Who is Frau Holle? She’s shaking out the feather beds in heaven.I like to think of her as God’s housekeeper. Well, that’s what my Mum always told me as a kid, and I guess it stuck. So here we sit in the warm, while Frau Holle makes…

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Hi there! Thanks for joining us here in Bergheim, Germany. After a smooth ride through France and Belgium from Calais, we crossed over into Germany and BOOOOOM! Two words: SPEED MERCHANTS !! Speed limits flung to the wind, indicators switched off, and any respectable stopping distance just an opportunity to squeeze 2 more cars in the gap. The good news is you stay WIDE AWAKE! So we were truly grateful to arrive safely, and not having had the side of…

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Hi there! Thanks for popping in. Oh boy! Have we got news for you !! It’s official now. This afternoon we locked in on the day, the place – and even the music… About six months from now, after a rather long engagement, Dave and I are finally tying the knot. And if the Christmas decorations at the venue are anything to go by, it will certainly be a wedding to remember!! Excited now.  I was quite anxious before the…

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Hi there! Thanks for popping in. I was thinking about actually making a few cards for Christmas this year (although thinking and doing aren’t the same thing!) Just so much going on! But at least Mum and Dad should receive a handmade one, eh…. Anyway, I thought about the Bespoke stamps we make,  so that you can put your name on the back of your work, and I bet there are plenty of you who didn’t even know we do this….

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Hi there! Thanks for popping in. We had a super surprise today. Jayne had set up a lovely Secret Santa for the whole team! See all the snowflake dangles? Well, at the end of each dangle was a little tag,  and on each tag was a scratch card thingy. So each person picked a dangle,  and then Jayne cut it off and gave you your chosen tag. You scratched to reveal the name of one of your colleagues,  and that…

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Hi there. Thanks for popping in. Look who’s here ! Yep, Rosie is down here for a couple of days. We have been working on a huge project for months,  and it’s finally coming together now. Rosie’s here to get the ball rolling tomorrow. After many weeks of building and planning, we are finally going to breath new life into our Clarity You Tube Channel again. Jim and I were happily plodding along on You Tube Tuesdays,  and things were…

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Hi there Presh! Thanks for popping in. Oh boyo! Linda Williams is in the building! I told you she was the Grand Maester, didn’t I?! And what did I tell you about her book?? Isn’t it brilliant? Just being able to photocopy all the various pattern maps and use them underneath the parchment. There’s nothing this comprehensive anywhere else.   here’s a little taster gallery from our other clever teamies,  using a selection of the patterns and tools used in the…

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Hi there. Happy Sunday! Fresh, innit?! Brrrr…. It is FREEEEZING!! Can’t stop long. Spinning to change TV sets from Tina’s new Groovi plates to Linda’s Book launch. Didn’t she do well! Today is definitely a Parchment Art Day to remember. We have got two of the best parchers in the world on HOCHANDA TV today. Tina Cox and Linda Williams. First Tina, (from 2-4pm) launched some new and fabulous Groovi Plates. If you watched, wasn’t it fab? Sold Out! Tina…

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