Saturday 25 October 2014

Walk at Bolderwood and a Birthday Card


 Hello again! It's certainly been getting chillier this week (and windy too!)
I thought I would share this fabric printed card I made for a friend. I loved the ladies having a tea party and the vintage jelly image I found was so fun, I had to use it.

Jelly, cake and tea, perfect for a party.
Christmas Cactus
My Christmas Cactus has burst into colour (which having been mostly ignored since last year, I am surprised by).
A pony we saw on the way to Bolderwood. The birds you see flying off to the left were all perched on the pony's back in a line but flew off when we approached.

The view from Bolderwood deer feeding platform - no deer but very pretty.
Last weekend we decided to go to the deer feeding platform at Bolderwood. The deer are fed until September by the park keeper but we thought we would go and have a look anyway. No deer though so we went for a little stroll.  

Funky fungi, I think a Cauliflower Fungus.
 As we rounded the corner we could hear a bit of commotion from other walkers and then we were greeted by a pink piggy who bounded off to join his friends. Being new to the Forest we found this sight both amusing and just a tad unsettling as these hogs were not shy at all. But they were well behaved and carried on their job of foraging for acorns which are poisonous to the ponies and cattle.
New Forest Pigs
Kissing Piggies
This hog had actually come hurtling along and spun off into this puddle. He only looks slightly embarrassed.
Autumn sunshine

 As we continued our walk we came upon a 'short cut'. Cue the family hopping and leaping and (with much verbal direction from all) maneuvering the pushchair through some rather marshy ground.

Hello!
And just as we had gotten back out of the marsh, this beauty popped through the trees.
Golden brown.
Through the Bracken

Little Sparkle woke up and so both the girls had a wander and an explore.
Then through a gateway we spotted the deer herd. They were quite far away but the Stag was rather noisy and kept bossing all his ladies about, although they mostly seemed to take no notice.



 And it turned out that our 'short cut' had lead onto a path that was quite a bit longer than we had anticipated, so by the time we found the car again, the sun was going down.

Sunset at Bolderwood.
But it was a really lovely walk with lots to see. I'm looking forward to exploring more here.
I hope enjoyed our walk and hope you have a fantastic week!

Amber xxx

Saturday 18 October 2014

Wickedly Vintage Bunting and Super Sunset.


Hello again my lovely reader! I hope you have had a good week. Last time I teased you a bit with some sneak peaks of the bits I had been working on and now I have checked with their new owner, I can show you them properly...
I had fun making this fabric printed keepsake card. The girl looking in the pond is from a Victorian trading card for fine shoes.
I had so many cute pictures to use, the Victorians liked to send Halloween cards.

Bunting and our pumpkins ready and waiting!
All packaged up ready for its new home!
We also had a nice stroll across the Forest near Lymington and had some fun when we found a pond.





And we caught a truly wonderful sun set at Lepe Beach and Country Park. 









I hope you enjoyed my pictures, now I'm off to design some Christmas cards and bunting so watch this space (and my facebook page of course!)

Amber xxx

Saturday 11 October 2014

Lovely Leaf Table Decoration

Hello again! I do hope you have been well. We have managed to enjoy a little more of the sunshine at the beginning of the week, which is just as well because today it has been lashing down and blowing a gale out there. The sunflowers have just about had it! But I took some photo's whilst they were still looking good. 

Garden Orb Spider
Pansies and other pretties from the garden.
Sunflowers and Sunshine Shades.
Pink and purple posies.
 I also found this funky looking fellow on my rose bush. It's a Vapourer Moth Caterpillar.
Rusty Tussock or Vapourer Moth Caterpillar.

Through the woodland 
We went for another wander in the forest at the weekend, this time at Anderwood. I didn't think we would find anything different from our last walk, but we did! Again, please do not use my amateur identifications of funghi because it is just as likely that I am wrong. I am not eating these, neither should you unless you know what you are doing!
Possibly a Purple Brittlegill
 This pretty purple one was Big Sparkles favourite find on our walk. Here are a few more finds... The first bluey one on the left might be an Aniseed Toadstool (Clitocybe odora). Below that is Yellow Stag Horn. Middle top is an Common  Puffball Funghi. Then below that the brown one is a Velvet Top or Phaeolus schweinitzii. Dyer's use  these to extract a yellowy brown pigment for dying wood and material. And I think the black ones might be Witches Butter, which I think is a pretty fun name!
More interesting things! 
Anyway, we seemed to be acquiring undergrowth and leaves at an alarming rate so by the time we had finished our walk, Big Sparkle had collected enough of the forest to make an Autumny display.


We already had some dried bits and bobs from pot pourri packs (we got these for a few pounds at the supermarket, even the cheapy ones have nice dried gourds and interesting things in) so we added some of that in too. I also used my cloche to feature some nicer bits to 'showcase'.


I have been working on some lovely Halloween crafts and some cards this week too but you will have to wait until next week to see...here is a sneaky peek though!

Making bunting...
The best way to choose sequins is to pour them out everywhere!
Sequin stitching!
Autumn rainbow.
I hope you have enjoyed this entry and maybe you will be inspired to make your own autumn centrepiece! See you soon,

Amber x x x