Day Trip 1 – Trip to Japan (Plus, the competition winner)!

Hi there, Steven here. Happy Monday! And Stuart, I’m here too!

And hopefully, you can spend all week with us. Since we’re taking a week off from the Facebook live SHAC videos, Barbara won’t be around quite so much. But we still want to keep you company, and thought we’d arrange a few day-trips this. A week off is a chance to take a breather from powering through the doodles, a chance to catch up on anything you’ve missed and a chance just to stop and stare and enjoy as we revisit some of those stunning locations. Sometimes it all goes by so fast, doesn’t it? We’ll share the recordings from each location, spotlight some of the key techniques, give you a chance to download the templates again and also to share your doodles with your fellow SHAC-ers!

And for our first day-trip, we’re going to visit Japan! Who’s up for it?

Before we get started, I did a quick bit of research. Did you know that Japanese people refer to their country as ‘Nihon’ or ‘Nippon’, which means “sun origin”? Good to know, I suppose.

Let’s begin our first trip…

Back when Barbara went on a week-long trip to Japan or Nihon (whichever way you prefer), hundreds of you joined us for the daily doodle. Hands up who joined in the doodle? It was a fun, yet relaxing week full of education and interesting stories by Barbara.

If you didn’t get round to doodling with us in Japan, here is the playlist for you on YouTube and Facebook, so that you can relive each journey.

For the Japan playlist or ‘Nihon’ on Facebook click here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/claritystamp.co.uk/586832728934616/

YouTuber’s can access the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhhrwILIpPc&list=PLmytW2NIfA_Y7wyChqJgKt7tIwoPyTnmI

So many of you have been sharing your artwork on our Facebook pages, Clarity Worldwide & Groovi Worldwide and Japan week was no different. It’s so inspiring to see all of your wonderful artwork. Here’s just some of the amazing work you’ve done so far:

If anyone would like to send us in any SHAC artwork from Japan, we’d love to see it and share it. The best way for us to do that is if you email us at gallery@claritystamp.com with your photo or scan.

In keeping with our visit to Japan, we thought we’d share some of our other designs based on the land of the rising sun (and I don’t mean New Orleans). We have a lovely, and I mean – really – lovely selection of perhaps less well-known Clarity products based on a Japanese theme and any of them would make a great souvenir from your day trip!

Available now, from our website: https://claritystamp.com/products/barbaras-shac-geisha-masks-br-a5-stamp-set?_pos=3&_sid=2618f6035&_ss=r
You can shop for the Groovi Geisha here: https://claritystamp.com/products/barbaras-shac-geisha-br-a5-groovi-plate?_pos=1&_sid=2618f6035&_ss=r
The Geisha and Waterhouse are GOOOORRRRGEOUS! https://claritystamp.com/products/geisha-waterhouse-set-br-a5-square-groovi-plates-set-of-2?_pos=2&_sid=2618f6035&_ss=r
The Koi Carp is a stunningly stylish stamp: https://claritystamp.com/products/cherrys-under-the-sea-koi-carp-br-unmounted-clear-stamp-set?_pos=14&_sid=a0e6ac1c0&_ss=r
Also in Groovi: https://claritystamp.com/products/cherrys-under-the-sea-koi-carp-br-a5-square-groovi-plate?_pos=2&_sid=3b10b2f60&_ss=r
The Japanese Reeds are also very beautiful in stencil form: https://claritystamp.com/products/japanese-reeds-stencil-a5?_pos=1&_sid=60c70bf93&_ss=r

And finally, to make your day-trip complete, here’s the Geisha template to download. She was a tricky one, but the template is a great way to practice and perfect your lady.

You can download the Geisha template here: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0798/2959/files/Geisha_-_Clarity_SHAC_Shack_Download.pdf?v=1587970127

And, last but not least (sorry to make you wait, I know, I’m a tease), it’s time to announce our winner from last week’s competition. You know, it’s funny, it wasn’t far off a 50/50 split with the answers. Some thought it was the White Cliffs of Dover, and some knew it was the Seven Sisters. So if you guessed Seven Sisters, well done. I wonder – how many people who guessed Dover are from the north? I’m guessing that’s what caused the split. As a northerner myself, I completely understand – I had no idea there were other chalk hills until I moved here. Saltdean blew my mind.

Anyway, congratulations Em Fairley! You’re the winner. You guessed correctly.

If you send me an email at stuart@claritystamp.com with your address, I’ll pop your prize in the post to you! It’s a Seven Sisters stamp set from the archives – a real Clarity Classic which I hope you’ll enjoy very much!

This is what it looks like 🙂

And very lastly – a special mention to Sue Carpenter – who knew the EXACT spot I was standing on when I took the pic. Nice one, Sue, a Sussex Local, I take it? I think that particular spot is called Hope Cove. I like that.

Anyway, that’s enough from us for now. Enjoy the day trip to Japan and do interact with us through comments on the blog and social media. We’ll be on the lookout all day and would love to reply and chat a bit about Japan and know how you’re getting on with your doodles. Remember, we’re here to keep you company.

SHAC!

Steven and Stuart

19 thoughts on “Day Trip 1 – Trip to Japan (Plus, the competition winner)!

  • 6th July 2020 at 10:57 am
    Permalink

    Congratulations Em, you truly deserve to win.

    Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 11:22 am
    Permalink

    Have to check my store – know I have some of the Geisha related items but not all. The Koi are so useful for all manner of cards and the reeds stencil gets used a lot.
    Thanks for keeping us up to date while Barb is taking a break.

    Reply
    • 6th July 2020 at 11:24 am
      Permalink

      Thanks for the comment, Cherry. Glad to know the Koi is useful, it’s got a great look to it. Do you have any samples you could share with us? No worries if not, but gallery@claritystamp.com if you’d like to share 🙂
      Stuart

      Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 11:26 am
    Permalink

    Well done, Em and Sue. Loved our trip to Japan. Good to have a wee reminder this week. Hx

    Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 12:21 pm
    Permalink

    Wow! Thanks so much for this wonderful surprise! Great way to begin what will be a crazy busy and I gotta say emotional week… so thanks for getting the damp eyes going already!

    Hugs,
    Em xoxo

    Reply
    • 6th July 2020 at 12:32 pm
      Permalink

      Thanks for reading and for getting that answer right, Em. All the best for the week ahead!
      Stuart

      Reply
      • 6th July 2020 at 1:21 pm
        Permalink

        Well done Em xx

        Reply
    • 6th July 2020 at 3:07 pm
      Permalink

      Congratulations Em, 👏👏👏 🌈💐❤️

      Reply
    • 6th July 2020 at 7:14 pm
      Permalink

      Congratulations Em!
      Greetings, Trijntje Huppel

      Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 12:57 pm
    Permalink

    Thanks guy’s for doing this,keeping us all together….. so lovely to go back to Japan ( Nippon) I thoroughly enjoyed it there looking forward to wherever you are taking us for the rest of the week x

    Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 1:54 pm
    Permalink

    Hi Stuart, no not a Sussex girl – from the midlands but love maps & google earth/street view !! We did do a hop along that coastline when we had the motorhome & came down to an open day in Crowborough but we started at Pevensey staying in Normans Bay before heading east to Hastings, Rye, Folkestone, Dover before heading inland for Canterbury, Whitstable on coast for a seafood lunch & Chatham docks.
    Lovely area of the country & hopefully we will be able to get down there again next year if not it will be Leyburn & the lovely Yorkshire dales

    Reply
    • 6th July 2020 at 3:36 pm
      Permalink

      Ahhhh, how interesting. Thanks for sharing, Sue. I’ll be honest, I quite like it down here. Southport just doesn’t compare to Sussex. And the South Downs can’t be beat!

      Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 2:09 pm
    Permalink

    Thanks for sending us down memory lane. I can still remember my reaction when Barbara told us what we were drawing. NO WAY can I do that and guess what……… I did it!!!! So a huge thanks to Barbara for giving me so much confidence.

    Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 3:34 pm
    Permalink

    At the start of Japanese week I was anxious and sceptical, by the end I was excited. Thanks to our wonderful tutor who calmed us down and showed us the easiest way to achieve success. Thanks to all at Clarity.

    Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 4:15 pm
    Permalink

    I remember that was the first week I thought ‘that goes way beyond doodling’! But look what we’ve achieved then and since. All down to Barbara’s brilliant tutoring. Amazing! Thank you Clarity and Barbara so much. ( Must dig out a card I made with the original Groovi geisha.)

    Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 4:22 pm
    Permalink

    I chickened out when see the lady panicked but watched but have been back done the lady just got to do rest of picture ended up enjoying doing her learnt to have ago not give up with out trying confidence is growing. Thanks to you Barbara x

    Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 4:38 pm
    Permalink

    I was also a bit worried by the Japanese week. I loved doing the geisha and most of the rest, but the cherry blossom really beat me as my eyes are not good at present (need glaucoma tests urgently but can’t get them done) and then my hands went and grew a lump (?? ganglion) on right wrist, knocking out thumb and index finger and left fingers started to click-lock, so I have one ‘good’ hand between 2 arms!! MUST ring GP!!In the end I stuck on wee paper blossoms I already had, to complete the picture!!

    Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 6:18 pm
    Permalink

    Well done, Em and Sue. The clue about counting gave everyone a chance. How lovely it is from Hope Cove! The moon carrots were interesting too. I never got to Japan, so it is great to have a chance. Thanks for the link, Stuart and Steven.

    Reply
  • 6th July 2020 at 10:24 pm
    Permalink

    I’ve been there with Barbara since day 1, thank you one and all, I have loved it. Have had so much to learn about IT, it’s not my thing but when you have to spend hours alone you just have to figure it out. Grandchildren are SO useful, but not when they are miles away. Couldn’t find something on the web site recently and a telephone call to Clarity and some kind lady helped…nice to know. Cruising this week, been too busy for my own good. ..need to slow down. Many thanks.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Sharon King Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *