Twas 5 days before Christmas!

Hello hello! Grace here.

Happy Sunday afternoon/evening! From my cosy apartment to your home! I hope you are safe, happy and having one of the better days 🙂

It’s been lightly snowing again today… not enough to stay on the ground. But that’s okay, because I’ve spent the last few days watching people trying to move their cars out of snow drifts on the street. Suppose we don’t need much added to that…

Perhaps you’ve seen this little video before but perhaps you haven’t!! Either way, have a look at this wonderfully Christmassy video that Clarity made last year! The artwork is BEAUTIFUL. And the narration isn’t terrible either 😉

And to stay in the Christmassy spirit, please allow me to share some WONDERFUL artwork that has been shared across our Facebook groups this week… They’re really quite impressive!

Greg Lashmar
Sue Flitcroft
Val Hodgson
Diane McCummiskey
Elisa Beguile
Vivian Dillimore
Elizabeth Sykes
Jacqui Rolfe
Em Louise Fairley
Jacky Williams
Julie Campbell
Kath Peace
Karen Davies
Pearl Dalley
Sally-anne Wilkinson
Nellie Melon
Sally Cox

Blimey. A talented bunch you are! You certainly make us at Clarity very very proud.

It’s almost Christmas. And how different it will be this year for so many of us. We’ve officially decided to stay put here in Brooklyn and not travel to Ohio either, so as to not add to any of the trouble around the country (and world!). So… I’ve ordered 2 Lamb Shanks for us. This will be a first for me! 😉

What will you be cooking in your home?

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Lotsa love, Grace xo

Clarity – The Home of Art, Craft and Well-being.

23 thoughts on “Twas 5 days before Christmas!

  • 20th December 2020 at 6:44 pm
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    Lovely art-work as always. Very inspiring.
    We too are having lamb, but a boned leg -not quite what we ordered and twice the price but, well, it’s Christmas!! We (Bea, my 90 year old friend, who had her C19 vaccine yesterday -hooray!) will have our meal in the evening as always, no doubt ‘helped’ by our whippets Callie and Jenty. It is just over 4 years since Jenty was rescued and he is 12 now. Callie, also rescued, is 13 and a half approx. So a collection of oldies LOL
    I hope you enjoy your shanks (long, slow cooking!) and that you and Mark have a lovely cosy Christmas.

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    • 20th December 2020 at 7:41 pm
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      Thank you Grace for picking my little owls 🦉 amongst all other beautiful work.
      I am making traditional turkey and hope to do a second Christmas dinner when my daughter will be allowed to travel home. Have a lovely and safe Christmas xx💜

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    • 20th December 2020 at 8:36 pm
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      Same here, a boned leg of lamb and yes, pricey, not sure how much as by the time I finished in the butchers I was up to £66 !! X

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      • 20th December 2020 at 8:41 pm
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        Hi Grace, I was the lucky recipient of Elisa’s PTC and made it into a decoration for our tree so it will come out every year ! We’re having boned leg of lamb like Janet above. There will be 3 of us as our neighbour is coming, we’re in tier 2 here so not so bad for us. Also bought a piece of beef. Not sure when we’re going to eat everything mind you. I do have mum coming on Boxing Day and we will have ham, egg and chips !

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      • 20th December 2020 at 10:47 pm
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        Hi Grace, thanks for sharing some of the art works,some amazing talent among our Clarity friends.I am cooking a turkey crown with all the trimmings and now my daughter and grandchildren are in tier 4,so cannot come to us on Christmas Day as arranged.Sooo with only two of us,we’ll be eating bubble and squeak for a week I think.
        Things will get better and I hope you have a jolly time .

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  • 20th December 2020 at 7:17 pm
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    Thank you so much for choosing my card Grace, really love that plate so it was a pleasure to make it. Sometimes it’s good when you finally come to a decision about Christmas and you can adjust your plans accordingly and then come to a new peace. Everything has changed for so many this year but I think safety is the best thing. My mum has decided to stay in her own house alone instead of coming to us and now that we only have one day to celebrate, my in-laws will be with us so we change plans and adapt. We will still video message my mum, it won’t be quite the same but she feels safer on her own until she has her vaccine and there is nothing to stop us all having a great get together sometime next year when the COVID figures drop.
    We just all need to do what we have been doing and stay safe. As a wise bus driver keeps telling us “This Too Shall Pass”!
    Stay safe Grace and hope you really enjoy your Lamb Shanks! Xx

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  • 20th December 2020 at 7:52 pm
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    Hi Grace, What beautiful creations you have shown us today, as always. I am always in awe at the beautiful creations that people make.
    I don’t blame you for deciding to stay put, we have decided the same thing, there will just be the two of us and we haven’t even decided on what we will have for food on Christmas day, to be honest it will be just like any other day really, we have decided to cancel Christmas this year, and we will celebrate next year when things get much better, hopefully.
    Stay safe, stay well.
    Lots of love from Patricia xx

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  • 20th December 2020 at 8:37 pm
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    As of 4pm last night our plans changed but as our food shop is done we will have plenty of food. Our daughter & 2 granddaughters can come Christmas Day so we will send them home with a food parcel.
    Enjoy your lamb shanks, they should be very tasty & different to go with a different Christmas.
    We may get some of your snow between Christmas & New Year according to our neighbour – we will have to wait & see – a bit like the virus there is nothing we can do about it – just stay safe & it too will pass !!
    Lovely cards & projects again this week – plenty of inspiration to give us a good start on 2021. If we keep organised & occupied over the next few months we will be able to have plenty of time to catch up with everyone when the time is right to do so.

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  • 20th December 2020 at 9:39 pm
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    fab gallery of beautiful cards – love everyone’s creativity. It’ll be a quiet Christmas here as we’re in Tier 4, although we’d already decided not to have a family get together as it seemed too risky. Sadly our outdoor carol service at church had to be cancelled this afternoon, and now our vicar is self-isolating so all our Christmas services will now be on line. Just remember – it’s only 371 days to next Christmas!

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  • 20th December 2020 at 11:24 pm
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    Glad your heating is working again. A veggie wellington was delivered today. I have plans for a happy Day but we will celebrate the birth of Jesus in the large family group in July. I wonder if I will get away with serving salad then!

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  • 21st December 2020 at 1:34 am
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    Grace, thanks so much for featuring my work. It’s an honor to be among such talent! Traditional turkey here for our Savior’s birthday

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  • 21st December 2020 at 5:08 am
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    What incredible artwork. Thank you for sharing it, especially that beautiful video. My family decided several weeks ago to stay in our own separate homes for Christmas and not take unnecessary risks when we are so close to the vaccine. I shall be collecting my cockerel and a small piece of pork on Wednesday, cooking it the next day. That means that I don’t need to cook on Christmas Day, just adding a bowl of German potato salad, and pickles, things I can pick at all day in front of the tv, or in between playing with new Groovi plates. I have a little batch of new DVDs to binge watch. I can chat to the family on What’s App. Have a safe, happy Christmas everyone. xxx

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  • 21st December 2020 at 7:10 am
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    Fabulous cards as always. Such talent on the Clarity sites! We will be having our Christmas Day meal on our own for the first time ever but we will get to see our grandchildren in the morning when we take their presents. Hopefully it will be a dry day because we will be staying outdoors for the present exchange. We will only be going after I’ve spent an hour joining your Mum in the shac shack though 😀. Have the best Christmas you can, enjoy your lamb and look forward to a better 2021 xx

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  • 21st December 2020 at 8:50 am
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    Now being in tier 4 meant a dash up the motorway to deliver presents so we could be back by midnight with all Christmas plans axed. Mind you I’d much rather give it all up for this year for everyone to stay safe in order to enjoy many more in the future. Love looking at the stunning work that everyone has been producing and at least I will now have more time to practice and play. Clouds and silver linings. Hope you enjoy your lamb we will be eating Turkey till Easter now. Stay safe everyone xxx

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  • 21st December 2020 at 9:25 am
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    It will be the quietest Christmas ever as we are now in tier 4. The turkey will be chopped in half and one part put in the freezer for Easter, hopefully. It will be a strange day with even church cancelled. Thank heavens for technology so we can see and talk to our daughters. Wishing everyone at Clarity Towers, the SHAC Shack and you in snowy New York a very peaceful Christmas.xx

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  • 21st December 2020 at 11:14 am
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    Beautiful art work as usual.
    Although there are always just the two of us now on Christmas day we still have a small Turkey and all the trimmings. Can’t eat as much as we used to so we have a modest breakfast, skip the starters, have a normal main course and save the Christmas pudding or cake for the evening to go with a turkey salad sandwich. It has always been a wonderful day for both of us despite whatever happens outside. All the shopping is done, we are well stocked, and the butcher is delivering on 23rd. All organised.
    We are going to hibernate until the New Year and craft ourselves silly. I also have a big stag of books to read. Bliss.
    HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR.
    🍒🍒🍒

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  • 21st December 2020 at 12:03 pm
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    Thanks Grace for choosing my selection of trees from your mums groovi plate I choose to keep them all very simple this year hopefully next year I’ll have more time to play around with the designs. Merry Christmas to all at clarity and all the wonderful crafters from groovi and clarity worldwide. It’s great to share in all the wonderful art work. Hoping for a better 2021.

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  • 21st December 2020 at 2:29 pm
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    Hi Grace your selections of makes are stunning. Aren’t there lots of talented crafters. I love that poem I will watch that later. I was away for a couple of days and came home to find that my parents shopping hadn’t been delivered. So lots of stress trying to sort it out. I need something to calm down. Stay safe and well. Take care. Hugs xxx

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  • 21st December 2020 at 6:33 pm
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    Such fantastic artwork. Keep warm Grace thought of you as we watched the news showing snow in New York. Tonight we feel like the great unloved U.K. nobody wants to know us! Poor lorry drivers in lockdown not able to cross the Channel all that perishable food going to waste! I expect panic buying will start! Oh well we will get through this. Xx

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  • 21st December 2020 at 7:06 pm
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    So much beautiful art work you’ve shared with us huni, thank you for that!
    My hubby will be cooking roast beef and all the trimmings just for us: yummy! Will be picking that up from waitrose on Wednesday.
    Apart from that we’ll be by ourselves completely this year, I do so hope this covid thing ends soon.
    Have a lovely, warm, jolly & Happy Christmas xx

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  • 21st December 2020 at 8:56 pm
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    Thank you Grace for picking my picture
    We’re having Turkey and Beef and all the trimmings enjoy your lamb shanks it’s my favourite meat keep yourself warm cosy and safe and enjoy your Christmas whatever you end up doing xx

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  • 21st December 2020 at 9:57 pm
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    Lovely art on show – encouraging to see it. I turned ’twas the night into a (stamped) booklet for the grandchildren this year. I had been sitting on the stamps for years!! We are in teir 4 so we are all keeping ourselves to ourselves! We managed a present exchange this morning, as our daughter came in to do the deed for us and her brother’s family. (and managed not to get held up by all the lorries going nowhere at Dover! Decided to have lamb this year – seems a popular choice amongst the Clarity supporters!! Stay safe everyone – enjoy Christmas and better New Year to you all.

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  • 22nd December 2020 at 3:04 pm
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    Beautifully narrated Grace – what perfect diction you have. Amazing art work. Stay safe, have a happy Christmas and God bless x

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