Autumn Beauty

Hello creative souls,

It’s nearly two weeks since our holidays and I don't seem to be able to keep pace with everything! It's a weird year isn't it?

I decided to take a bit of a 'time out' to get my thoughts, and diary, sorted out, and to get back in to our usual routine and to stop feeling so overwhelmed!  I've got a very exciting October, and I want to enjoy every bit of it.

Firstly we've taken up wild swimming (swimming in lakes and rivers - add 'freezing' anywhere in this sentence!) and Stand Up Paddle Boarding (surfboard type thing, but you use a paddle and its done more on rivers and lakes, although it can be fun in the sea too), and lessons and practice are at the weekends until we are a bit more confident.

The other Firstly (because it really doesn't come second place) is, I've got my first tutor spot on an art retreat - The Comfy Pyjamas Online Retreat sponsored by Tando Creative and Chocolate Baroque, and I need to do a little bit of prep for that, and make sure I'm going to give a good class.

Anyway, down time is always create time for me. It lets my mind relax, and it was time to do something with the mackeral tin I'd saved from recycling... and use all those leaves I gathered last autumn...

I'd recently done a fab online workshop with Di Oliver called 'Toadstall Village in a Frame', and the class  had lots of elements I wanted to use in the tin.

After squishing down the sharp edge left by pulling the lid off, I covered it, inside and out, with modroc and let it dry, added some texture sand paste and painted it light blue, stippling some darker green on the inside. Cutting some thin greyboard I brayered some paint on and did a little stamping and cut out some basic tree shapes.Making a little toadstall (as per Di's instructions) was so much fun I made a whole village (for later use...). Then it was just a matter of choosing my favourite bits from all the autumn collecting last year: acorn cups, poppy seed heads, red leaves (with a little posca pen work), twigs, pressed  heather And a couple of pine cones. Phew! Hope you like it.

Thanks for popping by, stay well and safe, see you soon

Jan