I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Thursday 17 September 2015

The Autumn Collection






Hello all, after a spooky old time of it round here lately - so glad you enjoyed all my tiny haunted houses! - I'm here with a touch of autumn colour today...

When I saw the new Fall Foliage Thinlits, it was pretty much love at first sight, and I'm afraid I splurged.  This is the trouble with working... when I can't spend time at the craft table - I spend money on crafty goodies instead!

Anyway, there are no regrets about this buy (who am I kidding? there are no regrets about any of them... just about the lack of time to play with them!).

I went all out for the fall rainbow this first time out, some wrinkle-free distress and some crackle, so it's a good fit for Anything Mixed Media/Creative at Love to Create.









And for once there's no stamping at all on this one, perfect for the current Frilly and Funkie challenge Stamps Be Gone, as well as plenty of autumn colours for Mixed Media World's Anything Goes with Autumn Colours.

You'll see from the dripping ivy that I had to dart out in between rain showers to get some photos - if the sun comes out I might try for a few new ones.  I think this one would glow in the sunshine.






I started with a bunch of tags and a pile of autumnal colours of Distress Ink and set to with the wrinkle-free distressing.   Not sure I can give you a comprehensive list, but all the usual autumn suspects are there...  I just enjoyed getting inky.

By the time I'd die-cut three of the tags, I had an abundance of leaves to play with, so one of the remaining tags got pressed into service as a background.







The top tag is cut from a Regions Beyond paper and run through a couple of times with the Harlequin Mixed Media thinlit.  After a while, I realised the grey tones of the paper didn't look quite right with the bright leaves...

... so I decided I needed to deepen them with some Gathered Twigs and Ground Espresso.  That way it gave me more of a wood colour to serve as the base for the leaves.










As well as the leaves, I decided to add some crackled harlequins to the mix.  I manoeuvred the die into the fragments of tags left over from cutting the leaves to get myself just a few additional diamonds in different colours.


I slotted those into place (not necessarily the right place, but that just gives an extra hint of colour behind) and dotted Rock Candy over some of them too.








The leaves are all coated with Rock Candy Crackle Paint...













... some fairly thickly so you get a good crackle...















... some with just a thin coat so there's barely any crackle...











... but you do get the fabulous intensification of the colour that comes with the glossy coating.














A Photobooth photo... she's the collector of all these autumnal treasures...













A WordBand to celebrate her collections... always good to Add Some Metal - especially when that's what they're playing with at Try It On Tuesday.












Both that and the gears have had Teakwood and Ginger alcohol inks applied... 














And some Small Talk to capture her excitement about them, and we're done.












I hope you like this autumn rainbow collection.  Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you'll be able to join me here at Words and Pictures on Saturday for a very exciting post

Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees.
From American Family by Faith Baldwin






I'd like to enter this in the following:
With no stamps, it fits right in with Stamps Be Gone over at Frilly and Funkie
Over at Mixed Media World they think that Anything Goes with Autumn Colours
And at Love to Create it's Anything Mixed Media/Creative Goes
Finally, at Try It On Tuesday they would like us to Add Some Metal

Can you tell I've got a bit of time to play some challenges again!?

69 comments:

maria's knutselplezier said...

Wow this tag is so gorgious, I just love it, great image and such beautiful colours!!!

Greetings
Maria

Helen said...

ooh, beautiful autumn colours (I love autumn, although it's been a bit wet for my liking lately!!) I haven't used my distress crackle in so long, lol!! You are a tease with your 'exciting post' comment!!

Shilpa Nagaonkar said...

Fabulous piece of art, Alison, love the autumn colors on your tag..looks yummy! Beautiful leaves with crackle effect!

Rika said...

Gorgeous tag Alison!

Nikki Acton said...

Great tag Alison. Beautifully coloured for autumn and love all your crackled elements. I get the buying thing... Seem to be doing more buying than crafting at the moment... Where does the time go! Xx

Marci said...

Beautiful leaves! Ours are not changing, yet. Not until mid October. These look almost real. Now I wonder what your exciting news could be.

Cestina said...

Oh this is wonderful - almost makes up for missing the autumn colours this year in the Czech Republic. I love it....xx

Astrid Maclean said...

Super play time with those leaves Alison, great looking tag!

Sophie said...

Ich bin grade vom Stuhl gefallen :-)
Was für ein Tag! Was für fantastische Farben! Was für eine schöne Szene!
Das ist wirklich "ganz großes Kino", Alison.
Ein wunderbares Werk, ich bin total verliebt.

Herzlichst Sophie xx

Shirley said...

No doubt about it Autumn is a colourful month and you have captured it perfectly with these tags Alison.

Warm crafty hugs from Shirl x x x
ShirlsCards.

chrissie said...

Such a wonderful project a Alison with stunning colours and ideas.

Thank you for joining us at Try it on Tuesday

Love Chrissie xx

Dorthe said...

This is more than wonderful dear Alison, your play with ink, gives the most stunning colours to the foliage, and when then also giving crackle and Rock Candy they sparckle and shine, as the real beautiful leaves in the autumn wood!
Such a gorgeous tag !! xoxo

Mrs.B said...

Fabulous Autumnal tag Alison, Love the shine and texture the crackle gives to the leaves and your background with the extra harlequins just seems to highlight them. Great choice of metal embellishments for your 'collector'
Avril xx
p.s. Thanks for sharing at TioT

Jennie Atkinson said...

Gorgeous autumnul tag Alison - fabulous colours, wonderful textures and my favourite Photo Booth photo! Just wonderful x PS loving those leaves too, just having a great play with them at the moment - just here typing as I am waiting for them to dry! Jennie x

Jackie PN said...

OMGorgeousness is all that I can say!! Can I be you Alison?!! I am such a fan of yours!! huge hugs my dear talented friend! xo

Kerstin F. said...

Amazing, what a wonderful autumn mixture of colours and leaves, really wonderful!!

Inky and Quirky Designs said...

Absolutely stunning tag Alison and I didn't know about those dies but now I do so of course I need them too!!
Hugs
Donna xxx

Amanda said...

Alison what an autumnal masterpiece! Fabulous detailing.
Love
Amanda x

SueC said...

Beautiful tag Alison, the colours just shout Autumn ! The crackled leaves are gorgeous, I can almost hear them crackling from here. Love it ! Sue C x

Thanks for joining us at Frilly and Funkie too !

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Fall foliage makes me happier than anything, and I LOVE seeing it all here! Your tags are a delight for the eyes! LOVE the layers, the photos, the embossing!!!

sally said...

Just the post I needed to get me in the right frame of mind for my upcoming trip to New England where I'm looking forward to seeing some of that wonderful foliage, getting my hands on those sizzlits as well as spending some serious down time with the family & their pets!

Princess Judy Palmer said...

Next to H'ween I like autumn best. The colors are most divine and the food is quite scrumptious too. I love your tag, especially the crackled leaves, just as if you'd collected the from the ground. So lovely!

Juliz Design Post said...

Wowser, what an absolute beauty, love it.
Julie x

Kirsten said...

Wow, what a stunning tag!! I LOVE the colours & the crackle looks amazing.

Unknown said...

Love all the leaves!

Lauren Hatwell said...

Another glorious piece of work. How I love those fabulous glossy leaves and diamonds. They are little gum drops of gorgeousness and the perfect foil for your autumn-loving lady.

Lx

Chrissy said...

STUNNING Alison..I love Autumn so this tag has the biggest tick..the leaves are devine..

luv CHRISSYxx

Margik said...

Wonderful project with amazing textures and a super crackle. The colours are fabulous. Great metal details too.
Thank you for joining us at Try it on Tuesday. Mar x

catherine said...

This is just fabulous Alison and I just love those leaves (might have to think of them for myself now!). Fabulous background too
x catherine

Fliss said...

Playing catch up Alison and just love this! What beautiful leaves and such stunning Autumn shades. A really gorgeous creation.
Fliss xx

Meggymay said...

A gorgeous autumnal tag, the leaf colours and crackle textures look awesome.
Yvonne xx
p.s. Thank you for sharing this with us over at TioT's as well.

Etsuko said...

Wow!! A beautiful autumnal tag Alison! Lovely colored and crackled of the leaves. I always like your crackles techniques. xx

MaryH said...

WOW! I had seen your comment over at Sandy's Spooky wedding announcement, so it was easy to follow the link over for a quick visit. So happy I did, because this leaf tag is just splendid & glorious. Love all the details, and the wonderful blaze of color & texture on these amazing leaves. So many details, colors, texture & dimension and I loved the tiny picture tucked in among all the pretties. Love it! I have yet to try crackle, but this inspires me to hunt the stuff up! TFS & Hugs.

Vintagehandmade said...

Wow, Alison, what a yummy autumn tag! I adore your crackles on those amazingly coloured leaves! Fantastic tag and I love every single detail here! I am so inspired!
Huge hugs! Branka xxx

Deborah said...

Such a shame you missed the Tag Along deadline, Alison! Your beautiful tag would definitely have made the showcase.

Netty said...

Loving the wonderful colours of your brilliant tag, x

sarascloset said...

Alison, what a beautiful tribute to autumn--my absolutely favorite time of year! You were smart to invest in that thinlits die, because just this one make made it all worthwhile--at least for us! I am blessed to see this lovely assortment of crispy, crackling leaves. I can almost smell the aroma of fall! What a wonderful post to read as well...always a pleasure to visit, and I can see I've got a lot of catching up to do...you've been so busy! Lucky me! Hugs! PS thank you for all your sweet comments on my recent posts...I so enjoy reading them!

Michelle Webb said...

Oh Alison the colours are amazing, I love it! They just pop I love the crackle and the reds against the grey. Just perfect. :) xx

Michelle Webb said...

Oh Alison the colours are amazing, I love it! They just pop I love the crackle and the reds against the grey. Just perfect. :) xx

Julie Lee said...

Alison, this is such a wonderful Autumn creation! Those leaves - I can just see them fluttering from the trees and settling onto that gorgeous Harlequin background! Exquisite and evocative! xx

2amscrapper said...

Such a stunning piece. I love those leaves! Your tag reminds me that this always was my mom's favorite season.

Lisa Minckler said...

Well, I came, I read, I nearly passed out. This is what I cannot wait to see as I drive through the hills and valleys soon. I can't wait to be surrounded by these very blissful Autumn colors that just yell out, "Yes! Yes, you DO want another hot spiked cup of cider." I may be biased, but when I saw those leaves, I immediately thought of the leaves you made and sent me that I treasure. I've used some, but I'm hoarding the rest! You've sprinkled your magic on these mediums again and your tag radiates joy to my heart.
Big hugs to you, Alison and happy weekend!
Lisa x

Krisha said...

This is the most gorgeous autumn tag!!

Unknown said...

Oh such a rich and vibrant Autumnal tag, Alison!! Love those crackly leaves!! This tag is alive with the colors of Fall!! Bravo!! XOXO-Sahri

Paper Profusion said...

These look good enough to eat (like candy?). Totally stunning colours, the extras as diamonds are a brilliant idea. Terrific tag as always Alison. Happy weekend. Nicola x

Corrie Herriman said...

Fantastic tag, Alison. Love all your lovely crackled autumnal leaves. And the girl is sitting very pretty in the middle of them !
Corrie x

Pawsitively Creative said...

This is Autumn with a bang dearie! So many lovely leaves and fall colors to look at. Awesome use of the harliquin print! Those leaves look like they were just out in the rain and glisten with dew. Awesome sauce tag! Hugz! ~Niki

Unknown said...

Loving the autumnal colours and love those harlequin background gems and the glistening leaves x

Lynne Moncrieff said...

A gorgeous combination of colours for the abundance of leaves and they sit so perfectly against the neutral of the focal image. I also adore the use of the harlequin design in the background.
Wishes
Lynne

experiments in paper said...

Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!! LOVE your leaves, and the harlequins, and the colors and the way you used the paper....wow! And the implied story - you are really a master at that. I am behind in visits, but catching up this evening, and can't wait to see what else you have been up to, as I always am so inspired by your work! xxx Lynn

Mona Pendleton said...

Gorgeous! Love all the beautiful fall foliage! The detail is stunning! The textured background adds fabulous interest! Hope you have a great weekend!

Ana K. said...

Oooh Alison, stunning tag...you take me on a walk through the forest, full of beautiful leaves...thank you for that! Leaves look really amazing and i love matching background!

Susanne Rose said...

Your tag is so beautiful!!! I love it. The colors are awesome. Hugs, Susanne.

froebelsternchen said...

Gosh sooo beautiful Alison! Saying thank you for joining us at TIOT's!

oxo
Susi

Sue said...

These are fabulous Alison, the colours are glowing and the crackle is just perfect xx

Julia said...

Beautiful Autumn rainbow colours. There is just so much detail in this tag, it is delightful.
Julia

Claire said...

Wow, what a gorgeous riot of autumn colours. Those leaves look fabulous. Thanks so much for joining our 'Anything Creative/mixed media goes' at http://welove2create.blogspot.co.uk/
Claire xx

www.deeadamsart.blogspot.co.uk said...

Wow Alison sorry its been so long since I have visited your blog I have missed some of your lovely post's this is beautiful. x

Cocofolies said...

Fabulous tag Alison, and since I love the Autumn colours too (especially when they are so vibrant), your tag is another stunner for me tonight!!!
Hugs, Coco xx

craftytrog said...

Beautiful Autumn colours Alison, the crackle makes them look so vibrant! xxx

pearshapedcrafting said...

Oh those fabulous Autumn colours! This tag makes me feel happy! So pleased you joined us at Try It On Tuesday! Chrisx

Kasia said...

What a beautiful Autumn tag! Love the colors :)

Kim said...

Lovely tag Alison. You have captured the essence of fall...my favorest season ( I know that is not a word...but it should be). :) Kim

Shelly Hickox said...

Absolutely gorgeous tag!! Love how you did the leaves.

Deborah Wainwright said...

Wow those colours looks amazing, I imagine snuggled by a roaring fire reading a book; I look towards the window and see the trees throwing off their leaves, which flutter about like dancing butterflies with Jewel coloured wings. Love love love it. Hugs Debs xx

Jenny Marples said...

LOVE the glistening leaves and jewel like harlequin background Alison! Thank you for joining us at Frilly and Funkie. Jenny x

Rainey's Craft Room said...

Wow this tag is beautiful, such vibrant Autumn colours in this design along with lovely textures on the elements and background itself. This is gorgeous.
Lorraine

Unknown said...

Your tag is fabulous! Don't you just love how the colours pop after applying the clear crackle. Love it!! Thank you very much for sharing it with us at Mixed Media World! Ingrid X

Unknown said...

Just popping back hun to say thank you for joining us at Mixed Media World xx