Pumpkins and WOYWW

 It's coming up to my favourite season and I have put the autumn decorations up - the house is looking cosy and all ready for the shorter days (which come round each year far too soon!).  I've been keeping with the theme and found a lovely pumpkin crochet pattern on Etsy, so I've been making pumpkins - some have gone to friends, some have gone into my Folksy shop and a couple of them have found a home amongst my decorations.  I have used up some of my yarn stash, which was the original plan, but of course I had to purchase more and I'm now rather over run with lots of beautiful colours to work my way through!  

I'm joining Sarah over at WOYWW.

I'm also sending love and best wishes to Julia and her husband after the devastating fire that destroyed their business.

Autumn Watercolours and WOYWW

 I've been trying out some water colour ideas for a special birthday card this week.

  I was rather hoping to have finished it by now,

but coming up with something I'm completely happy with is proving to be quite elusive - fingers crossed I have something finished by next week!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week

Autumn Ferns and WOYWW

I love ferns - they have to my one of my favourite plants, and right now the New Forest is full of beautiful bracken that's turning that rich, deep, Autumn rust colour.

Currently sitting on my desk (still waiting to be cleared away!) are some Autumn themed card toppers I've made before we go rushing into Winter and Christmas - I usually add a sentiment at the last moment when I know who the card is for.

 

I think I'm going to add the die cut initial of the recipient to this one as the centre seems a little too plain.

Using up all the left over bits - I think the tag is too big for the scale of the foliage but I was too lazy to die cut a new one!

    

I am linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

October Birthdays and WOYWW

Not much crafting done lately I'm afraid, but I'll show a couple of birthday cards I've made this month - they were propped up on my desk waiting to be photographed for ages as I discovered a scratch on the lens of my camera and had to wait for a new one to arrive.  I was so disappointed to find that my 'new' camera was too old be mended but I've picked up an identical second hand one so I don't have to learn how to use a different one -  I'm soooooo lazy when it comes to reading instruction manuals!  

 On to the cards - this one has vellum leaves and stamped Tissue wrap which I adhered to a Khadi paper base for my sister's card...

... and this card for my nephew's 17th birthday is based on Dungeons and Dragons - he's a bit of a fan of it at the moment.   I cut and stenciled the D&D logo onto an embossed 'shield' that I edged with copper tape.  I made a small matching box to hold birthday money and gift cards, which is always preferable to anything I might go and buy him!!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Orange and Duck Egg Tag Cards and WOYWW

    Using my favourite tag stamp again and some left over bits and pieces.   

I found the rolled paper beads on Etsy and fell in love with them - I always knew I'd find the perfect use for them one day!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW - why not pop over and see what other people have on their desks this week. 

Autumn Hydrangeas

All summer I've had a beautiful white hydrangea in the garden but over the last few weeks it's turned into the most amazing rusty pinks and reds with hints of golden browns in it.  I just had to dig out the hydrangea die that I used here recently and replicate that gorgeous colour scheme.  I was also inspired by the rich orange browns of the bracken that is all over the New Forest at the moment - I think it's more beautiful while it's dying back than when it's in full greenery.
  

This was an 'extra' I made with the flower I wasn't happy with - it seemed a shame to waste it -I'll probably add a stamped sentiment when I come to use the card as the bottom half looks rather bare!

Still no Christmas cards and not really feeling that bothered - I can't seem to summon up the enthusiasm for them so might not fit them in this year - although I may get a burst of inspiration next week, who knows!  I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week

Crochet Flowers and WOYWW

 I have several crochet projects on the go at the moment as I'm trying to use up some of my yarn mountain - I simply can't squish another ball into any of my yarn bags!
One of the projects is an autumn coloured scarf made up of these little flowers all of which I'm going to stitch together at the petal tips.  I'm completely out of kilter with the seasons here but it might actually be autumn by the time I finish it! 

I'm linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Desk Wednesday this week.

Leafy Tag and WOYWW

What a nice week it's been despite the grey clouds!

Brittany at Fiber Haus has run an article on my work for her newsletter, 

and I was so pleased with how it turned out - thank you Brittany.  

Here's a link to the article and for any one who loves yarn her website is well worth a look.

Here's a tag I made, it turned out more autumn-y than wintery, perhaps I should have added snow, but then it would have been too Christmassy!!

I'm linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday.  

Autumn Leaves Tags

 Tags are made - that's the autumn birthdays dealt with, now back to Christmas card making!

 You can see the shine and detail of the foil more clearly in these close-up pictures - it was quite difficult photograph.

I'm linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday this week.

Autumn and Halloween

Well here's a rare photo of my desk - I'm in the middle of making some autumn gift tags and as I'm making 3 there seems to be loads more mess on the table than usual.  I have been using foil and die-cut leaves - I feel they look promising but to be honest anything can happen!  They will either be finished by next week or the whole lot will be dumped in a box and never seen again!!

I've also just finished a birthday card...

...and a couple of Halloween cards.  They are all using the same three colours and the same Physalis/Chinese Lanterns die, but hopefully the birthday one (above) doesn't look too Halloweeny!

I'm finding this little church die very versatile and have used it in previous posts here and here for Christmas cards.

...and finally a Trick or Treat bag for my sister - I always try and have some more grown-up sweets for her when she brings my nephews round Trick or Treating !

I'm linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday, why not pop over and see what other people have on their desks today.

Autumn Birthday Cards

We have lots of birthdays in October so the Christmas card making has stopped and here are a couple of Autumn cards I've made.  

This card has an embossed panel on the front that I made using a nestie die with rubber embossing mats to replace one of the clear cutting pads (this will probably only make sense if you use a Bigshot!) - I think it's quite effective although the photo doesn't show it very well.

I'm linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday this week

October Birthday Card

I have managed to make a quick birthday card for my sister's October birthday, despite all the mayhem of looking after our sick guinea pig.  He became ill and had to have surgery and for the last week and a half we've been nursing him back to health.  I've been too worried to do much arty crafty stuff and I must say a huge 'SORRY' for not returning quite a few visits - I did my best but as soon as Archie was home from the vet's life became very hectic!

Here's the birthday card...

...and matching tag  - I got carried away stamping and nearly didn't leave any space for writing a message - I remembered just in time!

And here's my boy, taken back in the summer.  He seems well on the road to recovery now.

I'm linking up with Julia over at  What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday.

Autumn Postcards

A couple of small autumn postcards needed to be finished off, but that is all that's been done at my desk this week - Christmas festivities are taking over!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Autumn Art

Time to leave my summer/night garden behind.

I''m being overwhelmed by spectacular autumn colours - so I decided to celebrate the season with vintage postcards, thermofax screens and embroidery threads!

This has to be my very favourite time of the year!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW for another week of sharing what's on our desks!