Clarity Gossip & German TV

I would grab a cuppa if I were you, I do try to do short Blogs???  But its ages since I have blogged so I have to make up for lost time. xxx

Hi there Crafty people. Its a long time since I gave my Crafters Only Blog an airing.  My Main blog will be busy for the next few days, what with the new Clarity Challenge coming up tomorrow and then Barbara Gray on TV on Sunday morning 9am till 11am with some absolutely fabulous Clarity products and I do mean fabulous!!!. What a pleasure it is to be on the Clarity DT.  Not only for the products but for the people.  How lovely and considerate and kind everyone is. I love to see the work that my fellow designers produce, everyone has their own style and we all share the same love of the products, and of Barbara she's a great Boss Lady!!!

 

Bit of blending make lovely by the Clarity Stencils and Stamps

Maria Simms of course has a major role in the team, she does great demonstrations at the shows and I have learnt so much from her, some of which I couldn't repeat on here, ha ha kidding. Seriously I admire her style so much and she is a great teacher.  So what am I heading to hear??? Well I am really excited because on 5th April Maria will be starting a Clarity Workshop exactly 42 minutes drive from my house, if I don't do the Scotch Corner Roundabout twice!! It is in a lovely brand new building.  The building has everything you need, a car park a lift, a kitchen for drinks, a Tesco over the road - dream location or what.  Oh AND it will have ME!!!  I am really looking forward to these Workshops getting under way. Maria is taking bookings now if you fancy coming along.

Can you guess what this says?  Look I have all that white area (for a change) and not a finger print in sight nor a Bird, Oh well actually there are three birds but this time they are not for covering up finger prints!!! Oh there are Five?? saying no more. xx

Also on the same day my mate Jo Rice will be starting her own Clarity Workshop too, I was going to attend until she reminded me that it might be difficult splitting myself in two, so maybe when Maria and Jo haven't got a class on the same day I will get along to one of Jo's? Jo is also taking bookings.  You can never attend too many official clarity classes in my book. I am also booked in for the Clarity Retreat again this year too with Barbara Gray.  Its going to be a very crafty year for me.

 

I love the Clarity Numbers stamped this way don't you? I just think they look really, well, attractive?  I love them as a backing paper like this? They come in a strip so I did this before cutting them up, but you could also lay them back onto a large stamp pad to do it at a later date. I have been wanting these little dears for a while too, I got them in the sale, love them.

I am even dabbling in my own Classes!!!  I did a few way before I knew anyone in the craft world, before I was on FB or had a Blog or had been to any demonstration.  At the time I was crafting once a week in the home my Mam was in for people with Senile Dementire, I just thought everyone looked bored so I used to turn up with all my crafty kit and sit at a table making cards with some of the residents, I have told you all this before, but this is where I started off. I really didn't know what I was doing and it didn't matter it was just something for them to do.  Except I started to see what each of my "regulars" needed, I mean regulars too, as soon as I came through the door with my craft bags they all used to start making their way to the table, in the end I had to pull up two and sometimes three tables? Even the Staff joined in?? so I knew they were enjoying it.  My mam would give me a little scolding look sometimes if I didn't sit next to her, she would slowly take apart the heavily matted and layered card I made especially for her before I went in, another lady would colour beautifully on the printed pictures I took in for her, in the end I bought her a watercolour book she had obviously done arty colouring in the past.  There was even the lovely man who used to walk around with a spoon pinching everyone's dinner, well he just loved to turn the handle on the Cutlebug.  Somehow at the end of each session we would end up with some cards that were sellable at the door, all the money went back into the home.

This is the full version of the Arch above, I was really pleased with this card, I love doing this kind of work, adding all the pattern and colour mix whilst still making the stamp the centre of attention.  Mind you I think this stamp looks lovely whatever you do with it.

At that time I did learnt a lot about teaching, of sorts, you need the skills, you need to be organised and ahead of yourself, you need to be able to put across what you mean, how to do something but also how to get people to add their own little personality to a project.  I also learnt that some of these skills can be learnt, and some come from inside yourself. I love to see people being surprised at their own ability when they are really pleased with something they have just made. Probably because I get so excited about it myself??

So I am waffling, this is not what my blog was going to be about at all, but then when I am writing a blog I just go with my head and see what happens. My point, I am dabbling in a little bit of teaching myself, at Hobby Craft with the Gelli Plate and in Kings Coffee Café when I have enough interest in my Altered Art pieces/Books. I love books, I love to decorate them, alter them, give them, receive them, just a shame I never seem to read any?? My favourite are Journals and Diaries and Note Books I love them and I never want to spoil them by writing in them with my scruffy writing, that's why we need stamps!

So I will carry on this conversation on a later date, I will give you plenty of notice of  my wafflings!!!

 

Today I had a card on German TV the presenter held it up loud and proud and I had a little flutter of excitement, it still amazes me that I can produce something that people like to look at, believe me it wasn't that long ago that people wondered what I was ON?? Especially my family I think when I was going through my different "arty" stages.  Anyway I felt it was the nicest card out of the batch I did, design wise, all of the edges are done straight from the new Clarity Blending Mat. I will show you a few of the others too but they will all be shown on the Clarity Web Site along with the lovely work that my fellow DT did for the German TV today too.

And this is IT  - the card that was on German TV !!!  And the presenter talked about it for a little while, I have no idea what she said so I will make it up for myself, Ohhhh a little bit of indulgent self praise or should I go the critical route?  She was probably actually just telling people to join the HSE Crafting Club??? Clarity Blending Mat

So I don't think this Blog was too long considering I have hardly blogged lately, I  hope you will all join in with our Clarity Team this year at the Official Clarity Workshops, its a great way to keep up with all the latest techniques. 

 

So I will be off for now, see you tomorrow on my Main blog for the launch of the Clarity Stamp Challenge Blog. 

 

All comments are always welcome - nice one's only thought Jo  you listening!!!!!

Bye for now - go get crafty! xxx