The end of the long hot summer of 2018

Well it looks as though autumn is going to properly arrive with a jolt at the weekend and all this glorious sunshine we have enjoyed in the South of England since late June is about to end. Also the clocks go back on Sunday so it will be dark by 5pm.

I thought I would have a final celebration of the mild sunny days we have enjoyed sunshine and also share a couple of awesome photo my SIL took with Daisy at their local beach last week as they watched the sun set.

We have enjoyed sunshine and warmth that has not been seen since the long hot summer of 1976.

I took these photos last week

 and when we visited the south coast to see our family at the weekend I took these shots. 

 Daisy thought it such fun to see how long the shadows were.

She also found a tree which had fairy doors and windows on it. 

and these are the photos her Daddy emailed me at sunset a couple of days ago.

So stunning, the beach looks on fire.

My card today is of course a sunny autumnal one. She's for sale at Dotty's Teahouse, Carshalton High Street, SM5 2AE

I used distress inks to create the background and the stamp is an old Penny Black wooden stamp from my stash, which I love. 

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

Penny Black Saturday 1/3 anything goes/spooky colours

Dragonfly dreams 2/3 autumnal colours

 Addicted to stamps 3/3 autumn colours

Stamping sensations 3/3 shades of autumn

Penny black and more 3/3 autumn splendour

Creative Inspirations 3/3 autumn glow

As you like it 1/3 fave autumn colours/halloween mine are these autumnal ones; yellow, orange and brown. 

CRAFT challenge 1/3 monochrome

Cute card Thursdays 1/3 sparkles

 So it's time to get out those coats and scarves and hats. 

Farewell to the long hot summer of 2018, you have been wonderful.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

I think the countdown to Christmas is soon to start...it's only 60 days if you're counting like me!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Back on Monday,

Bye for now,

Jane x

A golden October

Good morning, this is the first of 2 posts from me today.

We are really enjoying an Indian summer here with lots of lovely sunshine and warm temperatures. The trees are looking stunning and showing off shades of red, oranges and golden. Such a spectacular show from Mother Nature this autumn.

There are also some very interesting seed heads in my garden 

It is time for my Monday design team make for Visible Image. We are well into our monthly challenge over on our friends Facebook page where the theme is autumn colours. You can join in the fun here.  I am sharing my penultimate Visible Image Halloween tag.  I used the fab skull stencil 

Now those who know me well know that I am not a particularly "skull" devotee in my crafting but at Halloween even I love the fun of this imagery.

I wanted my skull to be peeping out from a spooky tree background and so I used 2 of the stamps from

Organics

and the tiny tree and leaves from 

Create it

I wanted my leaves to turn to birds....a spooky twist so I also used the birds in flight from 

Ahead of our time

For the base of my tag I used mustard seed and carved pumpkin distress inks

I then stencilled on my skull using black soot distress ink

I stamped my elements and added the quote from leave your fears behind 

which I cut up and distressed.

Here is my finished tag

with some close ups

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

Stamps and stencils 2/3 Spooky fun and or autumnal twist
A vintage journey 2/3 autumn splendour
Creative Inspirations 3/3 autumn glow
Stamping sensations 2/3 shades of autumn
Penny black and more 2/3 autumn splendour
Not just cards 3/5 anything goes
Try it on Tuesday 1/3 Trick or treat it's Halloween
Frilly and Funkie haunted halloween
Addicted to stamps 1/3 autumn colours
Craft stamper take it make it 2/3 anything goes

All the Visible Image links can be found here;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you. You can add work to the new challenge album where one randomly chosen winner each month wins a £40 coupon to spend on the website.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are weekly stamp giveaways...open world wide.

And the shop web site is here; where all their gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased. 

Remember to add your "autumn colours" Visible Image creations over on our Facebook page  here  , it will be great to see them all. 

Enjoy the October sunshine and the glorious colours that are surrounding us. Thanks for stopping by today and for the kind comments you take the time to leave me.

I am back again at 2pm with a festive post for STAMPlorations.

Bye for now,

Jane x

October morphs into summer

The Indian Summer continues here in the south of England and we even had overnight temperatures of 18c during the last 2 nights. It is so lovely to extend to the summer. I have enjoyed an outside week, with lots of catching up with friends and family. Yesterday my Hb and I went down to the South Coast to catch up with our DD and Jack on her day off.

We enjoyed a walk along the beach in the sunshine, the sea sparkled 

and Jack took in the view while relaxing in his buggy after lunch.

 Lots of other people had also taken the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful October warmth.

I also had the joy of seeing Daisy's face when I collected her as from school as a surprise 😁

My card today is a new baby card for Dotty's with lots of blue, just like the sky and sea we saw yesterday. I have used my really old House Mouse hummingbird stamp coloured with Promarkers and a knitting pattern embossing folder for the background. It is up for sale at Dotty's Teahouse, Carshalton High Street, SM5 2AE

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

House Mouse and friends Mondays Anything goes

I love Promarkers anything goes

Passion for Promarkers animals

Thanks for stopping by, I'm off to visit Chartwell with my Mum and Dad today...and yes the sun is still shining. Sending some your way if you need it.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Who said that summer is over?

Wow it has been the most amazing few days in the South of England where temperatures have got to 24c most days this week. I went down to babysit for my daughter on Tuesday and stayed over. On Wednesday after dropping Daisy off at school we walked to one of her super local cafes by the coast. This one is called Breezes and is like a marine version of Dotty's Teahouse. I loved it.
This was the back room, there is even outside seating in cabins too.

 We parked up sleeping Jack

and enjoyed an hour of girlie catch up

followed by a walk back to my DDs house in the sunshine

 How about that for a view (it's the Isle of Wight you can see in the distance).

Such a lovely way to spend a few precious hours.

My project today just had to reflect the delightful nautical theme of the cafe, the seaside and our hour of precious Mum and daughter time. I used the Visible Image Dare to swim stamp set, capture the moments sentiment and their fibres stencil. It is a simple small canvas  made with distress inks with the perfect words.

Here are a couple of close ups. I added glitter and glossy accents to one of the jelly fish.

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

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes
Addicted to stamps and more 3/3 anything goes
Fashionable stamping 3/3 quote away
As you like it 1/3 favourite season mine is summer as I do adore the long sunny day and the feel of warm sun on my skin. (But don't mention the C word as I love that too!)
Lil patch of crafty friends 3/3 anything goes
Crafty Catz 1/3 anything goes
The alphabet challenge N for nature

The sun came out again today and the weekend looks set fine too. Just looking out at the sunshine is in itself a very precious moment.

Just to give you all a heads up...there is a sentiment sale over at Visible Image and all the individual sentiments, including the one I used today, are 50%...yes 50% off! Just follow the link by clicking here.

Enjoy your weekend too.

Back on Monday,

Bye for now,

Jane x

The conker hunt 2018

On Sunday it was our annual family conker hunt. The weather all day Saturday and Sunday morning was rain, rain and more rain and if we could we probably would have tried to reschedule. But armed with wet weather waterproofs we walked down to our local park and could not believe that as we arrived the clouds started to part and out came the sunshine!

Daisy had her basket and was keen to get going.

She was not disappointed.  just look, the ground was completely covered with conker treasure.

Lots were still in their shells as they had been blown down by the strong winds the day before.  Daisy gleefully pulled them out, doubles like below, are especially treasured.

Bear came too and kept herding us up and keeping an eye on us all, including Jack

who had his own little bucket this year.

He delighted in putting his own conker treasures in it.

helped by his Daddy.

So many beauties to find. 

What a wonderful family time we enjoyed and the sunshine was so unexpected. I think the Conker god was smiling down on us 😏

My card today was inspired by the autumnal colours and is a new birthday card just taken down to Dotty's Teahouse to sell.  I used my Visible Image time tunnel stencil and also their elemental stamp to create an inky sheet which I die cut with my Tim Holtz world die and then mounted on some embossed brown card. The little birthday tag is an old Lili of the Valley stamp. The stars are Tim's and the starburst in an old Noor die.

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

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes
The house that stamps built 1/3 anything goes
Creative moments 1/3 anything goes
The male room 1/3 the great outdoors
Addicted to stamps and more 1/3 anything goes
Die cutting divas 1/3 fall colours my world and stars die is Tim Holtz and the star cascade is Noor.
Crafty sentiments 1/3 anything goes
Lil patch of crafty friends 1/3 anything goes
Sparkles monthly 1/3 dies or punches

I have just got back from the south coast as I was baby sitting Daisy and Jack yesterday. This glorious weather persists and today is wall to wall blue skies and sunshine...just look at this as we had a walk along the beach this morning. My daughter and I walked Daisy to school and then enjoyed a coffee, chat and walk which little Jack snoozed away in his pushchair.

Oh my it was just glorious.

Sending sunshine your way if you need some.
Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x