It's officially Autumn .......

Happy Wednesday ........

How is your week so far?

Summer is officially over (sigh!), although looking at todays weather you wouldn't think so ..... it's gorgeous out there.  A little windy perhaps but hey, it's always windy on the Isle of Man!! 

It's the first day of Autumn today and CAS Mix Up have the perfect challenge ...... 

There's still a couple of days left before the deadline if you fancy playing along.

I've been going through a few boxes in the craft room ....... unfinished projects, cut off pieces of paper and card, mop ups, and my overflowing bits box, when I came across a piece that I thought was perfect for this challenge.

Coloured with Brushos in beautiful Autumn shades, it made the perfect background for one of my favourite floral stamps from Unity Stamp Co.

I stamped the image onto the coloured card and heat embossed with a clear powder, before adding more colour to the flowers.  I used the same shades of Brushos, mixed with a little water and used as a watercolour paint, building up the depth of colour gradually

A simple sentiment on the bottom, and a few splatters of gold paint here and there ......

And to finish everything off,  I added a frame around the edge using a gold marker pen, before attaching some co-ordinating cardstock to the bottom.

The challenge is open until the 24th of the month so you'll have to be quick if you do want to enter.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.

We're off out for tea today,  birthday tea actually with this young man, who was eleven yesterday!!!!

We would have gone yesterday but the restaurant where he wants to go only opens Wednesday - Sunday so he decided to wait.  He's already decided what he wants to eat ...... pork ribs followed by homemade churros and ice cream ...... yum!!  

Cheerio until next time .......

Products used:

Stamps: You are Forever Beautiful (Umnity stamps); happy snippets (Penny Black)

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne, 

Others: Clear Embossing Powder (WOW!); Brusho Pigment Powders; Gold Fresco Finish Paint (PaperArtsy); Coloured cardstock, Gold Leafing Pen

CAS Mix Up Reminder ........

Hello again .......

I hope you're enjoying your Wednesday.

We're in the middle of September already, can you believe it, and it's time to remind you about this month's CAS Mix Up Challenge

Leslie is our host this month, and the challenge is all about Autumn Colours, and watercolouring.  

Autumn is definitely on it's way here, the leaves are changing colour and beginning to fall, and it's getting a little chilly in the evenings.  I do love this time of year though.

How about using pretty Autumn shades for simple backgrounds, and add in a touch of shimmer and shine with some metallic heat embossing ....... gold, copper and bronze tones are the perfect partners for all those gorgeous rich Autumn colours

This was so quick and easy to do.  I used a background stamp from Penny Black called enlightened.

Inked it up using various shades of Distress Inks, spritzed with a fine mist of water to help move the ink around a little and then stamped the image onto a piece of white cardstock

The spritzing helps to blend the colours together,  and give a pretty watercoloured look to the image.

Once it was dry, I stamped over the top using a large sentiment from a Stampin Up! set called Lovely Friends.

I used my MISTI to do the stamping and Versamark ink.  

I stamped the sentiment over the top of my background design, inking up and stamping a few times to make sure I had a good amount of ink on there before adding my embossing powder.

I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture but, I used a copper embossing powder first but I didn't like the result ..... the words didn't stand out enough from the background.   So, I put the card back in my MISTI, moving it ever so slightly from where it had been positioned before, inked up the sentiment again using the Versamark ink and stamped over the top.

This time I used gold embossing powder, and I love the results .......

There's a sort of shadow effect from the two colours of embossing powder, and when the light hits it's such a pretty effect.

We have a fabulous Guest Designer this month ...... Ros (Mikey's Mom) is joinging us for September's challenge so be sure to pop over and say Hello.  And also check out the gorgeous Autumnal inspiration from the rest of the CAS Mix Up Design Team.

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day.

Cheerio until next time .......

Products used:

Stamps: enlightened (Penny Black); Lovely Friedns (Stampin Up!)

Inks: Distress Inks - Fossilised Amber, Aged Mahogany, Peeled Paint; Versamark ink

Other: WOW Embossing Powder - Copper, Gold

Welcome little one ........

Happy Wednesday ......

How is everyone?  

Sorry ..... there's not much been going on lately here on the blog, it's because there's been lots going on at home!

You know what it's like ...... getting back into a routine after being away on holiday always takes time.  Then it's been back to school for the little man, for his final year before high school (that can't be right!!) And then this all happened .......

Meet Arthur Stephen.  This precious little bundle came in the world at 1.17am on 13th September.  10 days early ..... but both he and mum, and dad of course, are doing great.  

They came home from hospital yesterday, so I've already had lots of grandma cuddles.

He is so beautiful ..... just look at all that hair!

It's Chris this time that has made us proud grandparents again! ........ Lauren's excited to be an Auntie at last, and Alex has his first cousin.

It's Alex's birthday next week ..... I can't believe it's 11 years since he was that small, just look at him now!

As you can imagine, it's a little hard to concentrate on anything else at the moment!

We are slowly getting back into the routine after our trip across in the motorhome.  We're actually looking at doing another one, not sure when it will be but, it's nice to be making plans again.

We had a lovely trip, 10 days in the van, and we both survived which was good.  I will say though when we did get back home the house felt HUGE!!!!!! 

It was fun though.  

We had two nights near to Stephen's mum where we stayed on a small, 5 van site called Greenbank Farm

Then Lauren and the little man joined us and we travelled down to a place called Ashbourne where we spent three nights at a pub stopover at a lovely Country Inn/restaurant ....... the Dog & Partridge.

It was great ...... we could stay on the carpark in the motorhome for a small charge which, if you ate at the restaurant the charge came off your total bill so that worked out well.  

It was a really nice place ..... good food, and a lovely beer garden at the back

So it was hubby and I in the van, and Lauren and Alex stayed in one of their rooms.  It was the perfect location to use as our base for a couple of days.

We spent one day at Alton Towers ...... Alex loved it!  Thankfully his mum was the one he wanted to go on all the big rides with ......

There's no way you would get me on this one .......

But they did it ........ and they were at the front!!!!

I tried to get a picture as they went by, but failed miserably.  This is the best I could do ......

After a long day we got back to base ....... someone was pleased with himself!

The next day we were off to Wollaton Hall in Nottingham to see the  'Titus the T-Rex' exhibition.  Apparently he's the first real Tyrannosaurus Rex to be exhibited in England in the last century.

He was big!! 

Lauren and Alex then headed for home and we went off in the van to the Cotswolds for a few days.

Moreton-in-Marsh was our next stopover .......

Our first stay on a large campsite .......

It was great!  A lovely campsite with great facilities and only a ten minute walk into the town. 

We love the Cotswolds and we've never really spent more than an hour or so in Moreton, it was nice to have time to explore.

We had to spend one day in Bourton of course ......... lunch at one of favourite riverside places

Watching the world go by ......

And a walk by our favourite cottage ......

We need to do the family trip there again soon ...... especially now we have a new addition.

Thanks for popping by, I think I've filled you in on everything.  

Enjoy the rest of your day.  I will be back later though ...... yes, twice in one day!?  

It's the 15th of the month, we're half way through the CAS Mix Up Challenge so it's time for a little more Autumn Coloured inspiration.

See you then .......

Autumn colours for CAS Mix Up .......

Happy Wednesday .......

Welcome to September!

  

We're back on the island, home from our UK trip ...... and we had a great time.  

It was our first off island adventure in the motorhome, and we had a ball!  We stayed on a large campsite, a pub stop-over, and a cute little what they call a 'certified location' ...... a small campsite for just a handful of vans, and the good thing is, hubby and I are still speaking ........ which is a bonus!

Anyhow ...... more about all that some other time.

Autumn is definitely on it's way.  The temperature is starting to drop, there's a chill in the air in the evenings and the leaves on the trees are all starting to change and fall.  I must admit it is my favourite time of the year.

 

This month's challenge for CAS Mix Up has the perfect theme.  

Leslie is our Host for September and it's a Watercolour challenge this month, with the theme ...... Autumn Colours  

I do love the Autumnal shades ........ perfect for watercolouring

I stamped the pretty floral spray across a piece of white cardstock, and heat then embossed in gold ..... this looks so pretty when the light catches it

Next, I blended Autumn shades of Distress Inks across the top half of my base card, and then splattered the inks with water,  to lift some of the colour and add a bit more interest to the background ...... a really simple technique with different results everytime

I used Altenew Watercolour Paints to colour in the floral spray, using similar shades to the Distress inks I used for the background.

I then fussy cut around the top edge of the flowers, leaving a tiny white border so that they would stand out against the inky background.

A simple sentiment was all it needed to finish along with a few sparkly gems

I can't wait to see all the gorgeous Autumn shades in the gallery this month ..... it's going to look amazing!

Check out the CAS Mix Up Blog for some beautiful Autumn Colour designs from the rest of the DT and, pop and say Hello to our lovely Guest Designer too.   Ros (Mikey's Mom) is joining us for the Autumn Colour challenge.

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day.

Time for me to start unpacking the van I think.  I need to get it ready for our next adventure!

Cheerio until next time .......

Products used:

Stamps: Floral Happiness (Julie Hickey Designs)

Inks: Versamark ink; Distress Inks - Fossilised Amber, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, Aged Mahogany; Versafine Clair - Nocturne (for the sentiment)

Other: Gold Detail Embossing Powder (WOW!); Altenew Watercolour Paints; Self adhesive gem stones