Hi everyone, yesterday afternoon I had to sit down at my craft table and get a real wriggle on, as for the first time a new month had rolled round, and I hadn’t completed my Lavinia calendar page - waaah!! Life just seems to have got in the way recently, but yesterday I just shoved everything else to the side and got busy - here’s the result.
I have to start by saying this didn’t turn out remotely like my original vision, which was always going to include a squirrel and acorns; but I started with the pheasant and then the squirrel looked far too big, so I just went in a different direction! You may also wonder why there is a heart between the 2 hares? Well, we have our wedding anniversary in September, so within this autumnal scene the bunnies gazing at each other and the heart are a nod to that ❤️
I cut a piece of white stamping card 19.5cm x 14.5cm, then created the landscape and sky by blending various Distress and Elements inks using my hill and circle masks. I stamped the 2 focal trees in Portobello Versafine Clair, then the pheasant and hares using Pinecone VFC to bring them to the foreground. I stamped some background trees using masking and 1st/2nd generation Portobello and Sand Dune VFC, then coloured the main trees with my Zig pens. I added mini mushrooms in the bottom corners and some autumnal background wording, then stamped leaves in various autumnal shades both on and falling from the trees, using Elements inks. I blended Vintage Photo Distress Ink round the edges to darken them and draw the eye to the centre of the image, and added some white Posca highlights before matting the finished panel onto my calendar.
Stamps: Lavinia Tree of Courage, Tree of Hope, Pheasant, Forest Hares, Tree Scene, Skeleton Tree Scene, Mushrooms Mini, Leaf 1 Mini, Mini Maple, Single Heart Mini, Winter Spice;
Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Sahara, Russet Orange, Emperor Red, Mulberry, Olive); Spectrum Noir Harmony dye ink (Bordeaux); Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Vintage Photo, Tea Dye); Versafine Clair (Pinecone, Portobello, Acorn, Sand Dune, Strawberry); Sakura Stardust sparkle pen (yellow); Posca pen (white);
Tools: Lavinia acetate Hill and Circle masks.
Challenges I would like to enter:
Colourful Options (September) - Anything Goes
Country View Crafts FB Challenge (September) - Hello Fall
Crafty Animals #98 - Include an Animal
Critter Crazy #192 - Anything Goes with featured critter
Do Al(l) Kreatives #105 - Anything Goes
Dream Factory #142 - Wild
FarmQuest General Store #31 - Anything Farm or Country Goes - TOP 3
Four Seasons (September) - Fall
Girlz & the Art of Letters #8 - H is for … (2nd entry)
(hares, heart)
Inspiration Station #277 - Inspiration Photo
(I was inspired by autumnal trees and the changing colours of the leaves)
Lavinia Creative Challenge (September) - Enchanted Forest
Love to Scrap #175 - Anything Goes
Night Owls #52 - Trees
Outlawz Anything Goes In a Card Free Zone (August) - Anything but a Card (2nd entry) - TOP PICK
Simon Says (Monday) - Stamp It in STAMPtember
Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
We Love 2 Create #9 2025 - Anything Mixed Media/Papercrafting Goes
Word Art Wednesday #714/715 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
I have a bit of a respite now, as I have already completed my October calendar page (in fact it was the first one I did back in October 2024!) - in fact I only have November left to complete. However the 2026 calendar is now on sale, so I’m asking myself is the whole cycle soon going to begin again?? Watch this space …
Edited: just found out that this page was chosen as ‘Make of the Week’ on the Lavinia store FB page and as one of the ‘sources of calendar inspiration’ for the Lavinia FB community groups - wow, I’m absolutely thrilled! I’ve actually also mentioned it on the first post after finding out 😀
Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
20 comments:
Better late than never and you still have the majority of the month left to admire this beautiful autumnal scene. A lovely idea to add the heart as a nod to your anniversary
Wow, this is awesome!!
Thank you for joining our challenge at Colorful Options and The Four Seasons!
Diane CO DT, TFS Co-Owner
{Nellies Nest}
{Colorful Options}
Hallo Pauline,
was für ein wunderschönes Kalenderblatt zeigst Du bei uns Nachteulen!!! Danke dafür. Besonders gut gefällt mir die Tiefe auf Deinem Werk, die durch die kleinen heller gestalteten Bäume entsteht. Aber auch die vom Wind gebogenen Bäume rechts und links sind wunerbar gestaltet.
Ich wünsche Dir den 1. Platz und hoffe, noch viele schöne Werke von Dir sehen zu können.
Liebe Grüße, Flo
Oh Pauline this is just awesome and what a sweet nod to you & hubbies anniversary! So sweet! You are SO GOOD with these stamps ... I'm always in awe of your creativity!! Well done my friend! Thanks so much for joining in the fun at our Four Seasons challenge! Good Luck and we hope you’ll come back often.
Darlene
DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS
Four Seasons Co-Owner
A fabulous autumnal scene, Pauline. I love the romantic touch to mark your September anniversary.
Liz xx
Fabulous Autumn scene Pauline, love all the stamps and the little touch to mark your anniversary.
Carol x
Your page turned out great. You explain exactly why I don't commit myself to things like that. I would never keep on top of it and then it would feel like I failed! Well done for keeping it going. It is such a lovely autumnal scene too. Thanks for your visit to me earlier too. I shall look forward to seeing what you make with your slatted dies xx
Gorgeous calendar page and the perfect scene for September! Thanks for sharing your beautiful Autumn inspired project with us at The Inspiration Station Challenge. We look forward to seeing more of your designs soon.
Donna xx
Inspiration Station Challenge
Paper Funday Challenges
Beautiful Blossoms Challenges
Pauline, this calendar page is wonderful! I love all the different elements, and that heart in the middle for your anniversary is such a nice touch! Thanks so much for sharing with us over at Word Art Wednesday. We always appreciate you! :)
Outstanding calendar art, Pauline!!! Beautifully done!!! Wow! oh wow! Have you ever considered taking your calendar artworks to a printing press company and creating a business to sell calendars featuring your stamped and stenciled scenes???? Thanks for making FQGS part of your link-ups! You've blessed us with sharing your project! -- Becca
Great autumn scene! I love the 3D effect. The trees on the right and left really stand out in the foreground. Great autumn colors. I especially like the way you staged the sun and the mist effect in the background. Great little rabbits, and the pheasant seems to like them too.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful work with the current challenge at Do-Al(l) Kreatives.
Hugs, Uschi
Such a lovely scene Pauline for your September calendar page. It's my 40th wedding anniversary this month and for my September page I've created a page of hubby and I with old wedding pictures. That one won't be seeing the internet lol! Thanks for sharing with us at Inspiration Station
This turned out so beautifully Pauline even if it's not how you first envisioned it. Loving all the stamps you used and the little hearts are a perfect finishing touch for your anniversary month. Maybe the squirrels and acorn will make an appearance on your November page? I hope you will share a post with all the pages once the calendar is completed. I would be so nice to see them side by side.
. . . and what a beautiful result. Love your autumnal scene. Loads of the month left to enjoy too! xxx
What a perfect evocation of the season, Pauline and I bet it was fun to make. The whole scene is gorgeous, and I hope the bunnies have a good anniversary celebration coming up.
Hope you are well,
Hugs
Carol x
I have no idea what was in your head to begin with, but I think this turned out beautiful!! Wow! What a fabulous scene and the little heart nod to your anniversary is perfect! Thanks for playing with Critter Crazy Challenge.
A perfect Autumnal scene and one you won't get tired of looking at each day. Avril xx
So beautiful!! Thanks so much for participating in our ANYTHING GOES in a CARD FREE ZONE challenge!!! I appreciate that you play along and I enjoy visiting your blog!! Have a happy crafty day!! Deanne at A Little Bit O’ Paper
Beautiful Autumn scene. Thank you for sharing with us at the Outlawz Challenges, Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone. Shirley M.
Awesome calendar page and wonderful autumn colors, Pauline! There's so much to disscover! Thank you so much for playing along with our Dream Factory Challenge. Rosi x
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