Sunday 29 September 2013

Autumn Notecards And A Touch Of Christmas For Handmade Monday


I'm torn in two directions on the creative front at the moment. Christmassy requests are coming in now and i've made my first Christmassy sale of the year this week. I'm starting to feel inspired by all things festive and also have that familiar feeling that i should have started on my Christmas makes a lot earlier...

However, i love Autumn, its my favourite time of year and my passion for the season of 'mists and mellow fruitfulness' means i can't resist spending a little longer celebrating it in my creative work before fully committing to full on Christmasness. The result is that i've been very busy and have a mixed bag to share with you today :)


Autumn Greeting Cards

If you popped by my blog last week you might remember that i had just placed an order for some more greetings cards to be printed. Well, they arrived hot off the press from Moo midweek so i have a selection to show you today.

Autumn In Nature Cards


First is a set of three Autumn themed nature photograph cards (priced £5.25 and available now from my website and Etsy shop).



I had such happy moments capturing these images, i hope they come across as a celebration of the season.


Falling Leaves And Apples Cards


I have also picked a couple of my hand drawn Autumn designs to be printed onto cards - this set of two (priced £3.50 and available on Etsy and my website) features my falling leaves design and Autumn apples design. I love the warmth of the colours against the crisp white, i hope you do too :)




Old Oak Tree Card


This final card isn't specifically Autumn themed but it is nature themed. Its printed with a photograph i took a few weeks ago of a gorgeous old oak tree, full of character (its also available now on Etsy and my website, priced £1.85).




Is it me or does the hollowed out part at the bottom look like it could be a doorway?!  It reminds me of a book i loved as a child called 'The Far Away Tree' - anyone else read that one too? :)



'Carols For Cats' Christmas Cards

Okay, things are getting festive now... If you visited my blog last week you may recall i gave you a sneaky peak at the first of my Christmas card designs, 'Carols For Cats'. I'm really happy with how it looks printed up in card form and have so many more ideas for others i'd like to create if i can find the time from somewhere!

There are two versions of this card. This is the 'all singing all dancing' one...





...and this is a simplified one with more of a clean, fresh feel.



They aren't listed in my shops yet but do contact me if you'd like to put in an early order. They will be sold singly at £1.85 and also in packs of three for £5.25.



Love And Peace Hearts

And finally, in a bid to get organised for the Christmas rush i have been painting some of these pretty ceramic love and peace heart decorations - they were one of my most popular makes last year. Here they are on their way into the oven to bake the porcelain enamel paint hard...


...and here are some all ready for hanging on a tree.


I think they would work well at other times of year too though... what do you think?

They are priced £6.50 (which includes having a personalised message painted on the back) and available now from my website, Etsy shop and other outlets.

Phew! That's it from me for another week, i hope i haven't overloaded you! I wonder if anyone else over at Handmade Monday has gone up a gear for Christmas yet... i'm off to find out :)

Have a wonderful week! x

40 comments:

  1. I love the autumn photo cards (particularly the acorn one), I'm torn like you - not wanting to rush into the Christmas things but knowing that it's no good if you leave it too late!
    I'm still waiting to be able to get some good photos of the horse chestnuts behind my house, they are just beginning to turn :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you!

      hehe :) so true, i always seem to start too late! x

      Delete
  2. As soon as I saw your thumbnail over on Wendy's blog I had to pop over and say 'snap' I have an autumn apple pic too, it's a great image for this time of year.
    I'm loving your cat cards, the colours are so crisp I'm sure they will do well :)

    Jan x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. great minds think alike! I love apples :)

      thank you very much! x

      Delete
  3. My you have been busy this week. I love the photos of autumn fruits. I expect my sales will fall as I have no Christmas designs done yet!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you!

      its so hard to get around to it when Summer only seems 5 minutes ago isn't it! x

      Delete
  4. It is very difficult thinking of Christmas crafting with the weather still so lovely and like you, I find the colours of autumn are stunning. I love your cards, festive and great fun. Hope you have a good week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. that's so true, its all about the weather!

      aww thank you, that means a lot coming from a card maker! :)

      Delete
  5. I think every one of your card designs is really good! I read the Faraway Tree books as a child and loved them. This is what inspired me to call my folksy Shop 'Enchanted Wood' !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you :)

      awww really? I'm glad you liked them too! x

      Delete
  6. You have been busy this week. I like the 'Carols for Cats' cards and love the big tree picture :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. My you've been busy! Love the simplified cat card.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am with you, I love autumn but am beginning to turn my thoughts towards Christmas. As always I love your makes. Your cards are gorgeous, both your photographs and your own designed ones. I like the simplicity of them. Your large oak tree reminds me of a tree stump at a local national trust property that is actually hollow with a little door that is just big enough for children :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you very much! i'm glad you like them :)

      aww that sounds so cute! i would have loved that as a child... probably still would now! :)

      Delete
  9. Loving your ceramic hearts, I agree I think they work all year round:) I've been writing Christmas magazine article this week - felt completely wrong with leaves on the trees still!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you! I really should list them all year shouldn't i...

      it is weird isn't it! x

      Delete
  10. Christmas seems so far away and yet........
    I love the photo of the oak tree - it looks properly ancient x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe, i know, its just around the corner really!

      thank you! x

      Delete
  11. Love the autumnal pictures. I think the heart decorations would sell any time of year. There do seem to be a lot of decorations all year now, not just Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you!

      that's a good point, there are more around aren't there... x

      Delete
  12. Lovely pictures, I think Autumn is my favourite season, all those lovely colours :) I think your ceramic hearts would be great at any time of the year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you! i love it too :)

      i'm glad you think so too x

      Delete
  13. Some absolutely lovely projects again this week. I love the oak tree! Yes, I remember Moonface, Silky, the Saucepan Man and the lands turning before people could get off!! I loved those books as a child (I remember first being read them when I was ill and cuddling up to my mum) and I read them to my own children too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you very much Wendy!

      Hehe aww you remember them well! My mum used to read them to me too :) x

      Delete
  14. I can't even think about Christmas yet! I do love your Autumn themed cards - that's as close to Christmas as I'll go right now! Love your blog, found it via the Handmade Monday link up :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i know, it creeps up doesn't it :)

      thank you very much! x

      Delete
  15. I know, what you mean - I always wish I started on Xmas earlier, but it's quite impossible, when it's so lovely outside... I love your new designs with the hearts - I could imagine them on Xmas tree or just as a pretty decoration.

    ReplyDelete
  16. these note cards are great, I use them to write to my pen pals. the autumn ones are my favourites

    ReplyDelete
  17. Busy busy as ever Natalie! I love autumn too, three's a richness everywhere that doesn't happen at any other time of year, and I love crunching leaves underfoot on nearly-but-not-quite-frosty mornings :) I love the apple cards and the oak tree photo in particular - the Faraway Tree takes me waaay back! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i know, its so lovely with the golden light and leaves turning isn't it :)

      thank you, i'm glad you remember it too! x

      Delete
  18. I love the sharpness of your photos. You must be a great photographer. The 'love' and 'peace' hearts will look lovely on any Christmas tree.
    The two versions of the cat cards work really well - can't decide which is my favourite.... xx

    ReplyDelete
  19. aww thank you, i'm not sure about that, keeping things as simple as possible is how i get by with photography i think!

    i'm glad you like them! x

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ooo, all lovely! But the autumn prints are my fave.

    ReplyDelete
  21. You have been busy. I think autumn is my favourite time of the year too and your note cards fit the season beautifully. I love those Christmas cats too ☆

    ReplyDelete

Your lovely comments are much appreciated x