Pannage in the New Forest

Two weeks ago we enjoyed a wonderful day out with our DD, SIL and Daisy in the New Forest. They live nearby and we love to see the different seasons and colours there. It is a truly unique landscape and is only maintained that way by the effect of the grazing of the New Forest Ponies and cattle.

They keep the heath land open. There is also the wonderful forest full of many different trees but especially oaks.

The colours were beautiful

The leaves seemed almost alight as they glowed showing off every shade of gold, red, brown and yellow.

Obviously the oak trees drop their acorns in autumn and in quantities these are poisonous to the ponies.
There is an ancient remedy to clear up the acorns which is called Pannage and it involves a wonderful natural hoover.....none other than............

yes seriously....pigs.
Every year sows and piglets are released by their farmer owners who pay a small token fee to allow them to roam free for 6-12 weeks, depending on the acorn harvest. As you know I adore pigs and although we have been aware of the annual pannage, the pigs are very elusive and many people never see them.

Well our luck was in. We drove to an area where my daughter had researched that pigs had been seen at the day before. Amazingly this girl trotted out across the road, followed by.

 her piglet who stopped next to where we were standing and had a good scratch!

They were joined by another sow...how apt it that sign...as the ancient saying goes a pig won't be druv!
They let us pat them as they wandered up the lane munching acorns as they moved on.

Daisy loved them. I was just ecstatic!

I could not believe that we had actually witnessed Pannage in person and we watched the pigs until they disappeared out of sight up the lane.

 We thought that would be our one and only sighting that day.

However as we walked toward Burley....there was some noise in the undergrowth and we spotted......

yes another group of piglets...Oh my I could not believe our luck.

It was just the best day and I want to thank my darling daughter for doing the research the day before which allowed us this glimpse of the annual Pannage which is seen by few people.

Now of course to remember this day I just had to make a Moment. I wanted it to be a thankful moment and I decided to use this photo of me.....I rarely use my own photos but I just though the sheer joy on my face summed up that day.

I used the same greens, oranges and browns from the forest. I wanted to try to capture the memory of the light shining through the tree canopy and also the gorgeous colours of the leaves.

I created  my inky background 

 I die cut some trees and also gave them the lovely mossy effect on the trunks I had seen by using a wash of colour and dipped them in.

 I added texture with my VI stamp. I also used my Bronte verse stamp which you will see later.

 I also added green leaves to the background using archival through my flourish stencil

 I added some texture by embossing some card

 and added clear embossing powder to the wet ink for this lovely glossy effect.

It was then time to put on my creative hat and put my design together.

So this is the thankful Moment I made for Jane's Journal

Here are some of the details in close up.........how apt is this quote!

 and I can really feel those crunching leaves under my feet.

I would like to enter my Moment into the following challenges;

Faber-Castelle take the challenge  with thanks.
Papertake Weekly 1/5 anything goes
We love to create anything creative/mixed media #22
Frilly and Funkie 1/3 Let there be light I have used different shades of ink to reproduce the wonderful light in the forest and the colours of the leaves there. I also used clear embossing powder and clear rock candy crackle to add to the feel of shining light.
Simon Says stamp Monday So Glossy I have used clear embossing powder over my embossed leaf card to give a lovely shine and also clear rock candy crackle to give a shine to some of my die cut leaves.
Simon Says stamp Wednesday Thanks/thanksgiving
Noor UK anything goes
Dies R Us fall
Creative Inspirations 1/3 sparkle my sparkle is the clear embossing powder on the embossed  card and clear rock candy crackle on my leaves..they both give such a lovely sparkle.
Inspiration Journal mission embossoble. I have used wet and dry embossing on my Moment.

I really do "give thanks" for such special times I spend with my family and especially being able to find the pigs during the annual autumn pannage...such joy.

I'm back on Friday with just a sneak peek of a Christmas guest design project I have been involved in...the big reveal is over here on Saturday.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x