Biltmore

For the last few years, my husband and I have made it a special treat to go up to Asheville, NC for either our anniversary or my birthday.  Our annual trip is coming up soon and we both are SO looking forward to the couple of days we'll spend there.  Just relaxing together and enjoying each others company. 

We spend most of the time at The Biltmore Estate.  George Vanderbilt built a stunning mansion (more like a castle) in Asheville, NC.  It's simply amazing and the grounds and surrounding scenery is just beautiful, especially in the fall.  If you have never been, I highly recommend going to take a visit.  The house and grounds (which include gardens, a conservatory, vineyards, a farm area, and The Inn at Biltomre Estate) are beautifully maintained.  There is much to see there and restaurants and shops.  Here are a few pictures taken from a trip a couple of years ago:

A view from our picnic spot we always have by the river at the back of the house

Fall mums on beautiful display at the gardens of the estate

A view from the back terrace of the house



It's such a relaxing couple of days.  After touring the house & gardens, we head up to The Biltmore Inn on the estate to enjoy a lunch out on the inn's terrace and then relax in their library with tea and a book (for him) and needlework (for me), taking in the beautiful scenery all the while.  The views there are so lovely!   The trip is coming up soon so I need to decide on a small stitchy companion for myself that will remind me of our annual trip. 

Have a great rest of the week!

Sunflower, take two....

September reminds me of apples and sunflowers.  A prelude to Autumn colored leaves, fall mums and pumpkins.  Here's yet another card that I made using the set Give Thanks.  Love how it came out.  I first took a picture of it without adding some glitter to the center of the sunflower, then went back to add it.  The second picture shows the addition and in real life, it doesn't look to bad.  But, I think I like the flower without the glitter best. 


 

What do you think? 

 
Hope you have a great start to the new week.

Stamps:  SU Give Thanks, PTI Green Thumb (for the pot)
paper:  marigold morning, buckaroo blue, expresso, watercolor paper
                 Sonnets DSP Houndstooth
ink:  marigold morning, always artichoke expresso, black stazon
acc:  Martha Stewart border punch, paper piercer, linen thread

Pumpkin Time

It's been awhile since I posted anything stitchy related.  This little piece I've had stashed in my finished project drawer since last fall and never got around to framing it.  Since Autumn is just around the corner, I thought it was time to pull it out and see if I can find the perfect little frame for it.  It measures 4 1/4 square so I'm hoping to find a 5 x 5 frame for it.   (You can click on the images for a larger picture.)

 

This pattern is from Little House Needleworks thread pack series called Fruits.  It includes the pattern and overdyed threads to complete the piece. 

As I said before, Autumn is my most favorite season.  I've started adding some fall decor around the house and looking forward to getting some real pumpkins to make some topiaries for my front door.  The weather here has turned a bit cooler (in the high fifties!); just enough to tease us into thinking it's fall already.  We still have a few more warm days ahead of us but, I think we're just about over summer's high heat. 





28ct Natural Linen
Overdyed threads as called for



It's time to see what else I have in my stash that's Autumn related.  I'm in the mood to stitch something fallish!

Have a great weekend!

Do you pin?

Have you heard about a site called Pinterest?  It's a social media where you can "pin" favorite images that you find on the web onto a virtual "pin board".  It's easy to organize these favorite images/ideas into pinboard catagories that you make for youself such as favorite recipes, decorating, seasonal ideas, etc.  You can also browse pinboards created by others.   

I love pinning!  Now I can house my favorite recipes, craft ideas, pretty images and so much more, without forgetting where I found them.   I have to admit, it's a little addicting.  There isn't a day that goes by since I started that I don't get on and have a peek at what's floating around other boards. 

Here's a sampling of some fall inspiration I have pinned recently:





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As you can see, Fall is my favorite season.  I am so looking forward to the changing of color on the trees, falling leaves, and cooler temps.  Wearing a comfy pair of jeans paired with a sweater, all kinds of sweet and savory treats with apples and pumpkins.  Watching football with the husband and the boys while I cross-stitch (or pinning!) with a hot cup of tea or mug of pumpkin flavored coffee.   I count my blessings to be able to enjoy this with the people I love. 

Hope that whatever you are doing today, you can count your blessings too. 

Enjoy your day!

Sunflowers

Another card using the Give Thanks set and another CASE.  Going thru my favorites at SCS
and found this card by Yvette Ashe posted back in 2006.  Finally getting around to casing it!  Her's is quite lovely, with a few added details, but I'm pleased at my own copy of it.  It was a quick watercolor and a relaxing way to spend a rainy afternoon! 

Hope you are enjoying yourself at whatever you are doing today!

Supplies:
Stamps:  Give Thanks
Paper:  marigold morning, buckaroo blue, basic black,
                   watercolor paper
Ink:    m morning, b blue, always artichoke, choco chip, b blue
Acc:  aquapainter, paper piercer & mat, black gingham ribbon, yellow
            grograin ribbon, brass hardwaree

Fun Finds....

Tickled pink to find this little treasure on Monday.  It's always fun to find something that catches your fancy when you least expect it.  Decided to pop into Michael's to browse and just happened to look at a bin of clearanced wood stamps and found this:


 

Score!

I've seen this saying on posters all over Pinterest and Etsy so when I happened upon it as a stamp at Michael's (made by Hampton Arts), it was giddy-up to the checkout counter!  I'm sure I will find lots of uses for it and will get inked up real soon.  

The saying is a British quote that began back in 1939 at the beginning of WWII.    It was intended to raise public morale in the event of an invasion.  Here's what the original looked like:



photo via web



Here's a fun take on the saying that I found on Pinterest:

May just need to get this one for my craft space. 

The 3 day weekend sure went fast!  Time to forge ahead with the new week. 

Keep Calm and Carry On!

Bountiful......

More green apples to share with you today.  This is another fairly simple card using the set Give Thanks.  Fairly straight forward; the fun is in coloring in the bucket of apples! 

I have to admit though, this was a direct case from one of my favorite stampers:  Kelly Lunceford, otherwise known as Atomicbutterfly on Splitcoaststampers.com.  I first spied this card on SCS way back in 2007 and it's been sitting in my favorites since then.  Yesterday, while perusing my favorites for inspiration with this set, I ran across it so I cased it right away.   (If you don't know what case(ing) is, it's short for Copy And Share Everything.)




click to enlarge



It came together fairly quickly and I like the simpleness of the card.  Kelly had some stitching done on hers, between the two pieces of designer papers, but I was a bit too lazy to get the sewing machine threaded with a proper color to match, so I omitted that part.  I managed to get two of cards done in less than 30 minutes.  Took longer to photograph it than to make them!  I really need some work in that department.  Looking to take a photography class sometime to help me take better pictures.     

Hope you are having a lovely weekend so far!
Enjoy!

Supplies:
Stamps:  SU! Give Thanks, Hero Arts Autumn Work Borders
Paper:  Sahara Sand, Whisper White,  Always Artichoke, Fall Flowers DSP
Ink:  Certainly Celery, Going Gray, Soft Suede, Choco Chip
Acc:  blender pen, bronze brads, dk brown satin ribbon, dimensionals,
            2 1/2" circle punch, 3" scallop circle punch (marvy)

Bucket of Apples

Finally September has arrived!  With it, my thoughts starts turning to all things Fall, my favorites season, although Summer is still very much with us.  September brings us apple season and here's a little card with a bucket of overflowing green apples.
   


This image is from SU!'s Give Thanks set, an old one but still one of my favorites.  I used an aquapainter to coloring in the image using classic ink pads, Spellbinders large scallop and plain Nestibilities along with the Swiss Dot embossing folder (used partially on kraft cardstock).  A strip of Candy Apple Gingham Daisyd's paper was punched on the edge with a scallop border and placed underneath the image.  A little bit of red grosgrain tied in a bow is the last finishing embellishment. 

Card measures 4x4 and has a matching envie made by trimming off one end of a sealed standard kraft A2 envelope (by SU!) then adhearing a strip of the ginham paper, cut to size, to make the flap. 

So happy to have a 3 day weekend!  We have no plans to go anywhere but, after having a VERY busy week, I am happy to be just at home with my boys!  Maybe I'll even play with my stamps a bit more!

Enjoy!

Supplies used:
Stamp:  SU! Give Thanks
paper:  kraft cs, real red cs, watercolor paper, dsp
ink:  green galore (retired), basic grey, black stazon, soft sky,  yoyo yellow
accessories: nestibilities, red grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals, aquapainter,
                               swiss dot embossing folder (cuttlebug), fiskers scallop border