Fussy and Fancy Challenge #175 Shades of Autumn

Well it's Friday so it has to be another Fussy and Fancy Challenge #175 in fact and the host this time is the very dear and talented Jo Rice .... I have admired Jo's work and been inspired by her for many years. The theme she has chosen is a beautiful one 'Shades of Autumn' as Autumn is my most favourite time of year I knew it would involve leaves because it is their colours which transform the countryside in October when the leaves are shades of reds, yellows, orange, rusts and brown .... lovely mellow colours.    So here is my offering ....not a card this time but a wreath of Autumn leaves.

Autumn also brings to mind a poem which as a child we had to learn off by heart, 60 yrs later and I can still recite John Keats' Ode to Autumn .... 'Season of Mists and mellow fruitfulness' it reminds me also of Harvest Festivals held in churches all across the country.
The wreath was simple to make I had a polystyrene ring which I wrapped in hessian ribbon, then I die cut the leaves from dies I have collected over the years from Tim Holtz, Sheena Douglass & Sara Davies. The task was made easier because I had a pad of Coordinations card which featured Tim Holtz original Distress ink colours, every shade of yellow, rust, brown & burgundy. I used a Clarity stamp of My poem

I loved this project and I hope that you will join us and share your version of 'Shades of Autumn' with us it is easy to enter just go here for more information and a quick upload link.
So that is it for today, I was just thinking as I was posting this that it will not be long before we are posting our Christmas Challenge posts, I really don't know where this year 2016 has gone. It has brought many things to our family, some good , some bad but at the end of September it gave us the biggest blessing of all ....the birth of our first Great Grandson Charlie George .... he was not due for another month but he is tiny but perfect in every way....here he is just a few days old...

I just had to pop back because Charlie is now three weeks old and he has altered so much, he's

filling out beautifully and he wasn't due to arrive in the world  until Monday 24th October. Because this is supposed to be a craft Blog I better post something crafty  .... some bunting I made for his nursery ....which is grey and blue with elephants in it!!

Bye for now xxxx Annie

Fussy and Fancy Challenge # 149 Autumn Colours

I can't believe it's already nearly October, the evenings are getting really chilly here in the UK so it really is Autumn .... I think this is my favourite season, I just love Autumn colours and as it happens that 'Autumn Colours' is the F&F Challenge this time, hosted by the lovely Eileen. Here is my card
 sample for this challenge



  

I was reorganising my craftroom recently and found a little pile of gelly prints that I had done a few months ago, this was one that I was most pleased with and I thought at the time it reminded me of Autumn because I had used a leaf stencil to make it:

That was it I was on a roll!! it really was an easy card once this decision was made ... I cut out several leaves with a punch using vellum in a selection of Autumn colours. I made a loose arrangement with them and then remembered my favourite Sissix Bigz die which makes pinecones (usually at Christmas time) but pinecones are everywhere on the country paths at this time of the year too. So I set about making some I love the way they come to life in your fingers as you roll and tease them, I added a few red berries to brighten it up...and I was nearly done. I love the dimension of the topper:

 

 

 I stamped and embossed a lovely Clarity stamp which says it all :

So there it is, I have a beautiful niece called Meg and she loves all things Earthy and Organic, it is her birthday in mid October so Meg this is for you, my lovely with all my love and Happy Birthday xxx

Hope you will enter this lovely challenge it's so easy to do you can find details here and the winners are selected randomly so everyone has the chance to win.

Just off to have a cup of coffee in the garden .... the trees are full of berries so the birds will have a feast: Must dash xxx Annie