autumn inspirations

hi there, would you care for a pompom?..... aren't they fun?....... I loved making these. I still have to string them into a garland. I'm hoping they will add a dash of colour and fun this autumn on my walls. I'm actually rather enjoying them on this plate too.

My inspiration for these came from the very talented Selina Lake in her rustic autumn article in this months Home and Antiques. I have been trying not to buy magazines, but somehow this month I have brought 3! Kind gestures to myself have been needed!

I love the rustic backdrop, the vintage flower pictures, the flashes of neon wasabi tape (I have mine at the ready!) and the way she combines the autumn colours with beautiful mauves and pinks and purples. Using a pile of gorgeous floral fabrics in her signature style. Doesn't she do it well! I love the whole idea of setting a scene and styling it. She's one lucky lady.

Love the leaf decoration! Does anyone know which of her books this might be from? or was this for Home and Antiques magazine. Either way I just had to have this picture. 

 and some pretty colours from my garden this autumn. Runner beans, i think!!

these yellow berries are just wonderfull. So pretty.

I adore the red of the rosehips!

the pretty orange and mauve buddlia,

soft, ripe plums in abundance. The branches have been propped up! so strange after hardly any last year. 

gorgeous autumn berries. Love the colours.

and a new course for me this autumn, held at our local youth club. Triple P. It's supposed to be good! I will drink my 'love' tea and think positive strategies!! We have homework too.....

and new in the shop, going back to basics, i think i like these tags best. Simple and straight forward. I'm enjoying hanging them around the place, with my new wasabi tape! will show you more soon.

so there you have it. I do love the autumn don't you?

take care now

Heather 

X

Hearts from vintage sheets

I just love these. I starting making them about this time last year, and now I have re-discovered them again.

I first saw these over on Sonjas beautiful blog Det bla huset. Sonja is really the queen of these hearts, and you can see them on her header picture.

She lives in a blue house next to one of Norways amazing fjords, where she creates some lovely things.

What you will need :-

A useful tool is one of these leather punches, I think possibly the holes could be made with something else, but it might be tricky. I got this one from amazon and used it on the number 2 setting.

A small 1.5 crochet hook and some embroidery floss.

A heart shape cardboard stencil.

Wool stuffing.

Once you have cut out the fabric and punched the holes at regular intervals, you can crochet around the edge. Here you can see 2 double crochet (UK) in each hole.

Starting at the top of the heart crochet around until about 2 inches before finishing. Push in the wool using a large crochet hook and shape.

Then finish the crochet and continue into making a loop for hanging.

There is a little bit of a fiddle factor to these! I think they look good when they are nice and plump.

Sonja has a tutorial here. She also uses an iron on fabric before cutting out the hearts and they do look wonderfully neat! You can see some more of her creations here, here and here.

I am tempted to add all kinds of granny chic bling to them, but haven't yet! 

They also look nice made flat, without the stuffing. Perhaps using coloured card or old christmas cards.

I most definitely want to try crocheting around some vintage wallpaper! I'm thinking gift tags or hanging cards......

.....just another little idea to add to the growing collection!

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Lastly, I am running a sale voucher in my etsy shop for 20% off until the last day of November. The code is NOVEMBERSALE. You will need to add this code at the check-out.

Have a good week. I will be catching up with you soon, I think it's time for a christmas give-away!

                                                                               xxx  

the autumn equinox and a little crafting!

Hello there, I've finally made it back here..... a week has gone by, a much improved week at school, for my teen, by all accounts. Flying high in fact on some days, only to crash and burn a bit today....., thank goodness it's friday!

Here are some photos of a little end of summer, beginning of autumn walk I went on this week. Feeling a little free I went for a wander through a place I used to visit a lot, but haven't passed by for a while.

These photos are taken at a place called Ruskin mill college. Set in a beautiful lush valley in the Cotswolds. It's a college for 16 to 25 year olds who have a range of different learning difficulties. Coming from all over the country, they live with house parents in their family home and come to the college to learn a range of different skills from growing vegetables, to farming, iron work, clay work and woodwork.

You can walk through the valley, alongside the beautiful clean fresh lakes, it's very rejuevinating and inspiring. Seeing art and sculptures by the students at every turn as you walk through.

I've always loved the wooden weather station door with it's sun and stars, and the blue mosaic work on the bench, such a nice idea.

 It's so nice to see a flourishing vegetable and flower garden at the end of summer. I can only hope that next year I might find a bit more time to encourage mine to look like this! it's all grown organically and the food is served in the scrumptious cafe at the college. I had a gorgeous slice of carrot cake with icing on the top, and a latte. It just had to be done.

It's such a pretty time of year, everything so full and ripe. The sun and the stars are bringing us into alignment and balance and in the northern hemisphere, into the autumn equinox. Now we will begin to turn inward and the last of our summer plans are brought into fruition. Not exactly a very summery summer, I'm a bit sad to see that I have no apples on my tree.....or plums! actually I had one and it was like a sacred apple, it tasted delicious too...... It's such a shame, apples are my very favourite food and I eat so many. If in doubt have an apple, that's what I say! or chocolate or both!! 

I'm definitely rambling and I wanted to show you my little crafting moment. Inspired by this lady in this months Country living.

Just pretty straight forward and self-explanatory I would say. I sewed a little brooch pin on the back. It was nice to use the different colour felts combined with the vintage sheet fabric. Just a little something to keep the crafty clogs turning! I love the vintage buttons and the colour of that bead, lots of possibilities!

Okay, perhaps wearing two at once is a bit much! These would also be nice pinned on a bag, or a coat, or perhaps big giant ones! 

Well I wish you all a happy equinox and hope that all your fruits and plans are ripening! or just beginning to burst forth if you are in the southern hemisphere! I have been working on my etsy shop and I hope to be able to show you soon. I am just working out the details. I haven't put a link up yet, but it's there. Oh and enjoy the weekend!