On Days Like These

Pale amber sunlight falls across
The reddening October trees,
That hardly sway before a breeze
As soft as summer: summer's loss
Seems little, dear! on days like these.

Ernest Dowson

photo by Vintage

I can imagine the steam from hot tea spiraling up from this gorgeous leaf-strewn teacup, can't you? It is a Royal Chelsea Red Leaves  teacup and matching saucer. The trade name Royal Chelsea was used from c.1943 especially on teaware for the North American market. Marks do not include the company name, but have the script ‘Chelsea’, ‘New Chelsea’ or ‘Royal Chelsea’ trade name above an anchor.

photo by Vintage at zibbet

On this crisp, foggy morning what would be better than scrambled eggs, fresh berries and hot cinnamon rolls?

 

I even dusted the freshly iced rolls with a sprinkling of more cinnamon. Mmm! While we ate breakfast I decided to do some gardening afterwards, which meant a spruce up for the waning Fairy Garden. A sweet friend of mine recently sent me mini pumpkins and I knew the perfect place for them.

Some of the Irish Moss has dried up and the flowers have shrunken since our North facing yard is getting less sunlight now. A scarecrow has taken up residence near the pumpkin patch to keep the Fairy company!

Are we not better and at home
In dreamful Autumn, we who deem
No harvest joy is worth a dream?
A little while and night shall come,
A little while, then, let us dream.

E. Dowson

Enjoy the last of October~

sharing this post with:

Antiques And Teacups 

Rose Chintz Cottage 

Martha's Favorites 

Artful Affirmations 

You're Going To Love It 

Share Your Cup 

Time Travel Thursday 

Favorite Things 
Cottage Style Party 

Pink Cheeks, Rosy Complexion~

There is still time to enter my CCVII post give-away by commenting HERE by March 4th. Does free chocolate and tea sound good?
It's March! You may have snow where you live, but here in Southern California buds are popping up on all the bushes outside. Our roses and hydrangea plants are showing signs of stirring. We bought some flower seeds and a package of Gladiolus bulbs and I can't wait to pull on my gardening gloves and start working in the garden. Do you keep a gardening journal? I do. I include a few photos and even sketch in it!

The meaning of pink roses is as beautiful and as graceful as the delicate blossom. They're often seen in bridal arrangements and thank you or congratulations bouquets. Considering the word "rose" brings to mind the faint blush of a fair maiden's cheeks, it's not surprising these blooms are a favorite to give and receive.

 The Song of the Wild Rose Fairy

I am queen whom everybody knows;
I am the English Rose;
As light and free as any Jenny Wren,
As dear to the Englishmen;
As joyous as a Robin Redbreast's tune,
I scent the air of June;
My buds are rose as a baby's cheek;
I have one word to speak,
One word which is my secret and my song,
'Tis "England, England, England" all day long. 

C.M.Barker

sharing this with:

Pink Saturday 

Saturday SHow Off

Mosaic Monday 
Home Sweet Home #108 

Smile

Smile~ it's Saturday! Yesterday I worked for a bit in the backyard, then headed inside to clean and trim some strawberries my husband and I bought at a small farmer's market. We also picked up some more sunflower seeds to plant because the batch I planted in April (which were doing so nicely) were devoured by some little critter....slugs? Grrr! Even though it is a bit late in the season, our summer weather lasts well into October, so I am hoping the newly planted sunflower seeds will thrive in the above ground planter I put them in this time. I love seeing those sunny yellow faces each year in the backyard. The birds enjoy them too. 

I have two things to share with you today: my Fairy Garden, which is a work in progress, and a new greeting card I made.

Every summer I refresh this little saucer pot with some kind of grass, herbs or flowers. I also like to include a tiny marble bird bath, a bee skep, a trellis, pebbles and, of course, a fairy to watch over it.  I used pieces of a broken terra cotta pot for a garden path, and installed a 'Bees Welcome' sign next to the skep. Notice the Lavender fairy hanging onto the trellis? Sometimes she appears next to the birdbath, and often she has company...Yarrow Fairy, Geranium Fairy or perhaps a butterfly or bird.

She is so sweet! And although she holds a special place in her heart for the color lavender, she also likes pink.

             The bees share garden news with her~

I'm sure she must have thought I was a curious sight taking photos of some of the pink flowers in the yard.

There are soft blush colored pink petals in the compost pan, tiny Geranium blossoms, deep pink roses, pink and white trumpet shaped Penstemon,  hydrangea and more.

Can you imagine what it would be like to climb inside this gorgeous bloom?  Or nap between rose petals?

 Here is the card I created~ I went for simple and clean, and included a pink flower.

Wishing you plenty of reasons to smile today!




sharing this post with;
Share your Cup Thursday/Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson 
Beverly at How Sweet The Sound





Uncommonly Yours

Stick Pins and Tee Pees!

One of the three monthly challenges at Bella Creations is a technique challenge. The Design Team and site members are asked to use a technique in their creations. For the month of July the Unique technique (say that three times fast!) is to make a stick pin. I used a bumpy little bead that reminded me of a blackberry for my stickpin and placed it on a fairy tee-pee card I made.

 See the blue and green beads above the white flower? That is the simple stick pin I created. I also used Fairyopolis rub-ons and die cuts on my tee pee card. I just love how charming and whimsical the Fairyopolis line is and how well it works on cards, scrapbook pages or altered items. Here is a YouTube tutorial showing how to make these simple but striking tee pee cards.

Fun birds-eye view of my Fairy card. I made this for a friend and she was delighted. She also scrapbooks, and like a true crafter immediately opened the card to see how it was constructed! It closes with velcro so you can flatten and mail it.

 The prize for this Challenge is from Flying Unicorn, one of Bella Creations wonderful sponsors.

Collect a few beads, pearls or gems and make a quick stick pin for your next project. And if you complete a tee pee card, be sure to come to my inking/stamping Group at Bella Creations called Voila, Ink! to enter your creation in my Tee Pee Card Challenge. I am giving away something 'Tim Holtz'! Now I have your attention, eh? lol :)

Bella Creations July Tres Chic Challenge~

Wow, another month has come and gone. It is July! I hope you enjoyed a safe and relaxing celebration of our country's founding and had the opportunity to thank a serviceman or woman. At Bella Creations the Tres Chic Challenge theme for July is 'soft and romantic', and there is a sketch to use created by our own design team member, Heather. Here is the sketch~

Here is the page I made using this sketch and the Bella Creations Kit.

I used a Martha Stewart corner punch on the striped oval layer. I also made the library pocket from one of the Melissa Frances pieces in the kit, then inked the edges. I substituted my own fabric strip to make the bow. I made the dress my daughter is wearing in the photo and had saved the remnants all these years! That's a true crafter for ya! haha~ The fairy in the upper left is from the Fairyopolis Card Kit and his wing is double layered.

                                  I placed two stick pins in the fabric bow.

I stamped on this layout and sewed the green ribbon on by machine. I used Ranger Distress Inks for stamping and distressing. There is journaling on the tag in the library pocket.~

Bella Creation's  lovely Kit includes paper from the Melissa Frances line. The kit also has flowers, ribbon, a fabric strip, pretty white leaves, a doily, and M. Frances stickers.(see below)

If you participate in the Tres Chic Challenge you could win a Fairyopolis card kit from Crafters Companion! The card kit includes rub-ons, cards & envelopes, die cuts and more.