I’m enjoying a scaled-down version of Halloween this year. It’s been a positive transition away from the usual hustle and bustle. We’ve also had an extremely rare and powerful storm blow through, which makes it feel more like autumn instead of summer-light.
Further, nothing screams “autumn” like foraging squirrels. One of the California Grey’s sent my miniature tea-house akimbo outside our kitchen window, which I interpreted as an invitation to make seasonal changes.
The birdhouse gourd, aka teahouse, came indoors for a dust-off. Here is a picture of the teahouse in its former glory.
I’ll put the gourd into the fairy garden rotation for next summer. I reused the tray, the moss, and the miniature seashells, along with the tiny “tree stump” to bring a bit of autumn magic to the fairy garden.
Building the fairy house was a breeze. I used a regifted candle holder for the base, then added an inverted coconut shell, once a floating candle holder, for the roof. The chimney is a tiny watering can with a bit of wool roving for the smoking chimney.
I used my crafting dye to spritz a bright green wood slab into a darker, earthier color. A seashell makes the perfect door nob. I used the same dye to darken a pair of take-out wooden chopsticks, then adhered seashells to create a fence.
Rounding out the miniature setting, I used blue glass vase filler, white sand, and a pair of arched shells to create a tiny brook along the front of the garden.
Those clay pumpkins were also a gift several years ago (my friends know me well), with the tiniest pumpkin made from a bead and a twist of jute.
The autumn miniature spent most of the month next to the children’s Little Free Library where it stayed till a heavy storm arrived over the weekend. It’s now having a bit of a dry-out under the eaves.
Card-making also found its place in October.
Earlier this summer, I played around with my gel press and brayer, creating patterns and textures on white paper. I used several of those gel press images to make moons and pumpkins for Halloween cards.
The pumpkins are die-cut from some of my brayer images, while the stems use leaf impressions made from garden greens.
A couple of months ago I treated myself to a new die. I used it for the majority of my cards. I like to invest in dies that I’ll get a lot of use from, and this one fits the bill. Here is a quick video of how the die-cutting gadget works.
Here are a few of my cards.
The card in the lower-left corner is for my sister. I used her favorite color for the moon, cut the leaf pattern from sheet music paper, and made a shiny black cat, complete with notched ear like her sweet kitty, Queen B.
It wouldn’t be Halloween if I didn’t use a few pumpkins in my designs. My friend Jasmin gave me that bottle of gorgeous bath soak for my birthday earlier this month. It’s the perfect compliment to my cards. I used holographic paper for the border, then die-cut the pumpkin, lettering, and stem from various gel press images.
The second pumpkin card is framed on two sides by spiderwebbed Washi tape but it doesn’t show well in this photo.
This final card is made from a sheet of acrylic embossed with spider webs. It’s been part of my stash for years. I liked it when I bought it, but I could never quite figure out how to use it. I think I used it on a card many moons ago, but I couldn’t say for sure. I like the effect.
A few assorted bookmarks rounded out the month before I cleaned off my desk and put the Halloween leftovers away. It’s been a great stress-buster and a chance to connect with friends by mail.
Gardening Nirvana 
I thought nothing could come up to that fairy house, but by gum, those cards sure did. What a wonderful sense of design you have!
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Thank you so much, Laurie! I have so much fun creating fairy houses. They are a relaxing way to create, and a fun way to challenge myself to use what I have. Watch your mailbox for Pauline’s bookmarks. They’re in the post.
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Watch for today’s post—October 30.
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Thank you so much, Laurie. You made my day. xo
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XO
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You got a lot a scrapping done on your little break, How fun! So important to have time to yourself. I don’t think of my purchases as a treat, LOL, otherwise I’d have to admit that I treat myself way too much, snicker. But it’s fun to collect supplies you can use over and over. I’m collecting Pinkfresh stencils at the moment, they’re so versatile. Sharon will love her card, I’m so happy she has Queen B for company. I recognize that Shattered Glass Stencil by T.H. it doubles nicely as a spider web doesn’t it. Happy Halloween my dear! 🧡🌸💚
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Hello Boomdee! Thanks for visiting. I think in your case, the craft purchases could be considered a business expense. You’ve been working for stores, designers, and organizations for the last several years, and you put all your tools to good use. I’ll have to come look at the Pinkfresh stencils. I like seeing stencils becoming more popular once again. Some of the layered ones are quite intricate.
Sharon and Queen B are a wonderful pair. I’m so happy they have each other, too. And yes, that Shattered Glass stencil is perfect for my Halloween cards. Happy Halloween to you, too. xo
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Cute littel seasonal scene, and it’ll probably stand up to the seasonal weather better, too! Love your cards. Sending Halloween cards isn’t a thing here (in fact, the whole of Halloween is less of a thing here), but what you’ve made is just lovely.
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Thank you, Kate. One of many things I learned when I started blogging is that Halloween is uniquely north American. We celebrated in Canada when I was a girl, and again here. I’m one of the few people *I* know that makes Halloween cards. I’m not sure why I enjoy that but I do. Thank you!
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You were made for such an event. Or is it the other way round? 🙂 The squirrel picture is wonderful. Your marvellous cards and bookmarks got me rather choked up about Pauline.
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Thank you for saying that, Derrick. I have fun at my craft table and I too think of Pauline every day. I’m glad you enjoyed the squirrel pic. They really are on the move these days and they always make me smile. Watch your mailbox Pauline’s bookmarks are in the post.
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Much appreciated, Alys
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Yes, like Derrick above, your beautiful cards made me think of Pauline too.
I love the new fairy house – hopefully the squirrels won’t love it too much.
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Pauline lives on in so many of us. I have her cards in most rooms in my house. I’m glad my post brought thoughts of our friend.
The new fairy house is less organic (no gourd which is what the squirrel was after. They sure are busy though.
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No tricks here, just treats! The cards and bookmarks are fabulous and the autumn fairy cottage is darling.
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Hi Sue. That is so sweet. Thank you. I hope you are doing well. I’ve been reading your posts (now subscribed by email) but I’m still having trouble commenting. I’ll sort it out eventually.
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I was wondering if you got hit by the storms. I imagine that sweet fairy garden was nearly drowned in that weather. You do such a creative job of putting yours together. Love every one of your cards. I think each one turned out perfect even though you have a favorite. This has been one wet autumn. Sending sloshy hugs.
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Sloshy hugs, indeed. What a storm. We so rarely get wet weather in October, and when we do it can be measured in fractions. This was really something else. Parts of the Bay Area received as much as 12 inches. I didn’t even think about the fairy garden for a day and then thought “oh oh.” The tray is lined in plastic though, and everything is essentially weatherproof, but it was soggy!
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Wonderful array of holiday cards, Alys. You are so good at creating them. If I attempted to do one, it wouldn’t come even close! ❤
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Eliza, you are so sweet to say that. Thank you. I really enjoy making cards and perfecting small techniques. I also love sending and receiving snail mail so this is the perfect compliment of hobbies. xo
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Your autumn decorations and Halloween cards are so exquisite, Alys.
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Thank you, Helen. 🎃
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🎃
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Your fairy house is brilliant – how clever and creative of you!
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Thank you so much. It’s great fun.
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I haven’t had a fairy house in my yard for several years. My oldest grandsons loved making them in the past, but in the hustle and bustle of the past few years, and losing a family member this summer, I haven’t put anything together for any of the holidays. This post is wonderful and has filled my head with such good ideas for a Christmas house with the younger grandchildren. Beautiful.
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I’m so glad this post has inspired you to create a Christmas house with your grandchildren. I’m smiling.
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Thanks! Time to gather some fairy building supplies for Christmas.
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