Autumn leaves - real ones this time

The garden has changed a lot over the last couple of weeks, with the wind and rain.  Autumn colours are coming and going.

Clematis Wyevale has suddenly lost all the colour in its leaves.

Hydrangea Merveille Sanguine is putting on a lovely show.

The blueberries are looking wonderful. but it won't be long before their leaves fall.

A joyful celebration of autumn colours.

The lilac and magnolia leaves are carpeting the path.

The hydrangea at the bottom of the garden is providing lots of interest.

The miscanthus in the border is slowly turning golden.  Colours in the garden have changed more since I took these photos, but I am enjoying the display.

More autumn leaves - made from paper and cardboard

I recently bought a new Sizzix Bigz dies called Tattered Leaves.  I noticed that my seasonal tree was looking a bit sparse, so  decided some extra mixed media leaves would be just the thing.  I cut them out of greyboard which was recycled from a posting envelope.  I decorated them with book pages, kraft card, inking around the edges with red or orange pigment ink and a bit of gold gilding polish for a touch of richness.  On one, (top right in the photo), I covered kraft card with gilding flakes. 

I used a leaf vein embossing folder to give the backs some interest and the inking and gilding wax too.  I am really pleased with how they turned out and they have livened up the seasonal tree.

They go well with the felt leaves I made, using my own felt, a few years ago.  You can also see the November ATC in the middle of the tree. 

I am joining in with the CountryView Crafts Challenge - 'Anything but a card' again! 

Artists' Trading Card (ATC) - November

Here is the penultimate card in my monthly ATC project.  It is again a little more literal, with a simple stencilled background to suggest the breezes and tumbling leaves.  The gemstones I have chosen also reflect the more muted colours of autumn, with oranges and browns.  They are red agate, golden rutile quartz, Tiger's eye, grey moonstone, black rutile quartz (x3) and smoky quartz.  The gemstone of the month is topaz or citrine and I have gone for citrine.

I stamped the leaves, painted them with gouache then cut them out, stuck them on and applied glossy accents to give them a shine (you can just about see it shining on the leaf on the left).

 The back reflects the front, with stencilled leaves this time.  One more left to do and the project is finished.

I am entering this in the Country View Crafts Challenge - 'Anything but a card' - wish me luck!

The autumn leaves...and other autumn images in the garden

Last Saturday afternoon I went in the garden to prune some of my Climbing Roses.  I noticed that my first ever successful cuttings (of Nemesia Confetti) were still flowering away happily.  The photo above reminds me a bit of this...

(Image from  http://www.queenonline.com/music)

Anybody else see that? No? Just me then...  moving swiftly on...

Leaves are changing quickly now and the clematis Wyevale is turning a lovely yellow.

Hydrangea leaves are also showing shades of red.

Ginkgo Mariken is starting to turn yellow too.

A little splash of fuchsia pink from a cyclamen hederifolium which is really welcome amongst all the autumnal shades

The blueberries are just starting to change too but will become more fiery as the temperature drops.

Autumn stalwarts such as this aster Little Carlow are still in bloom.

My autumn fruiting raspberries are giving me a few berries ever now and again which I eat as I wander round the garden.  I need to repot them next year and look after them a bit better.

There are the most lovely blue skies to enjoy sometimes too...

...autumn sunshine is always appreciated.

Stitching Sundays 7

 Progress has been made with the felt leaves, which are completed and hung up on the seasonal tree now.

 Here they are (minus the 'carrot' one, which will be undone and re-made so that it looks more like a leaf).  For the last two leaves, I went with asymmetrical vein patterns which, I feel, look more natural. 

Here they are on the tree, with the autumn pumpkin picture and decoration I recently received in the Autumn Glow blog swap.  I can see that I shall have to tweak the leaves using the pegs so that they are facing the right way (yes, I mean you, oak leaf and brown leaf on the bottom branch...grr!)  Joining in with Stitching Sundays has meant that I am actually completing projects which is great.  My next project will be one that I have been meaning to do for a long time and even got as far as pinning it ready to sew, but then it got put aside. 

Stitching Sundays - 3

 Week three of Stitching Sundays and not a huge amount of progress this week, due to doing lots of other things instead - oops!  However, I have managed to add a few more leaves to the bare branches.

I'm not quite sure about the falling leaves - I do want some falling ones and some already on the ground and turning brown, but I am uncertain whether these particular ones look quite right. 

I also need to decide whether to add more to the tree trunk and am thinking that it might look nice with some bark patterns.  I have also decided what to do with it when it is finished.  I have a 'seasonal tree' decoration which Chris made and it looked lovely at Easter because I made lots of flowers to hang from it.  However, since then it hasn't had a lot of decorations on it and has looked a bit sad.  I am thinking of making this into an autumn decoration and hanging it on the central part of the tree (I think it will be too big to be on the branch).  However, if it doesn't look right, I am sure I can find another home for it - hanging on a door handle, perhaps?  We shall see.  I'll try to make more progress for next week.

Stitching Sundays 1

 Well, here I am at the start of my little embroidery project as part of Stitching Sundays, organised by Chrissie.  What have I done so far?  Well, I have gathered new needles and an embroidery hoop and some material to stitch on - I have chosen calico (because I have extra in case things go wrong...which of course they won't).

 Some of the lovely bits and pieces I'll be using.

 I am just choosing a design from this rather gorgeous book, which has simple and quirky images which don't seem to be too daunting for a beginner, but I'll let you know once I have started stitching.

I do like this one, but simplified a bit and just using the autumn leaves section.  Now I need to stop prevaricating and make a start!