Sunday 20 October 2013

The colours of Autumn

Isn't this a beautiful time of year?  The reds and golds,  and all shades in between.   That's why I chose it for my swap card/tag, the theme was to use metal in some form. 

I began with an MDF tile,  then I painted it using red, gold, black, orange and yellow.  I used a dry brush and mixed up the colours until I achieved the effect I wanted.  Then I thought how I could incorporate the metal theme...   problem solved with some metal foil, coloured with alcohol inks, stuck onto some card, the I used a small leaf die cut.







Another method of using metal was to use a metal charm.  Since this is the time of year we put the clocks back (next week folks!) I used this clock charm.   For the leaf I used the clarity leaf mask,  and embossed it with gold and copper embossing powder.   I caught the edges of the leaf with some gilding wax.   You can just about make out the embossed leaves in the background using the smaller of the leaf stamps, and the copper and gold powder.











I do like this little die,  it is from Crafty Devils.  I cut it using some brown card from the leftover stash pile,  gilded it and then added the sprigs,  they were also die cut out of the metal foil. 

You can now see that I also used the corrugated cardboard again, this time I left some of the top cover on,  it was painted in the same way as the base.






And all that adds up to this!   I put on a couple of brads as well.   I know I've used the American term for Autumn, but as I wanted to use large letters I needed a small word.

I'm really happy with this,  it has come out just as I wanted it to.  I've now started the ABAC challenge, which is using orange and black, which I happen to like using.  It also gives me a chance to use me new steampunk stamp set, which was half price at the craft shop. 

It's been a funny old week weatherwise, rain, sunshine, warm then cold!   How is a girl to know what to wear?   On Wednesday it was freezing, the woollies came out, as did the warm jacket, then on Thursday it was brilliant sunshine,  back to a shirt and thin jacket.   I had a lovely morning on Wednesday,  it was my Art Therapy Taster session.  It was held at the Town Hall, and for some reason they put us in the main hall which was so cold.   I was a little early,  and so relieved when I saw that I wasn't the only early bird, two other ladies had arrived before me.  We were tempted by the coffee/tea machine, but none of us could work out how to use it.   The organisers soon arrived and we were all able to indulge in a  hot chocolate, just the thing for a wet and soggy day.    It was a lot of fun,  and I learned more about what the Art Therapy is all about,  you work in groups on a project with two artists.  Also there are trips to galleries, the theatre, all manner of things.   Just the thing I need. 

On Thursday I was back at the dentist for the second impression of the partial denture,  so it was all very painless, just how I  like my dental appointments.  Then off to pay a few bills, not so nice!   One I really begrudge is the bedroom tax!     How is it fair to penalise one part of society with a punitive charge on a supposed spare room, and help another section of society buy a house by acting as guarantor, meaning if the mortgagee fails to pay, us lot have to cough up?   Answers on a postcard and send to Mr D Cameron.

A program also got my goat, it was shown in C4,  On Benefits and Proud it was called, or close to it. Of course they had specially selected the most brazen scroungers,  so giving a completely skewed perspective of life on benefits.  What has also been forgotten is that many people, like me, have worked and we have paid into the system!   I can assure you I am not living a life of luxury,  and every penny is accounted for.  Why do they do this?   Why not show a program of balance,  yes certainly expose the scroungers,  but also show the majority who are barely existing.  Now they are trying to imply that people are abusing foodbanks!  Well there will be a few,  but again the majority will not be at the foodbank by choice,  it only provides the staples,  it is not a bloody supermarket stacked with luxury goods. 

Soap box moment over,  but it had to be said.  Enjoy the week, and remember next Saturday those clocks go back! 

All for now.

1 comment:

BJ said...

Oh it is even better in the flesh - I love it Cassidy.
Having a bit of trouble reading the end of this post as 2 of the left hand icons/pictures are overlapping the text. Perhaps my small laptop screen is to blame. BJ

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