Walking in the leaves

This is our morning walk you wouldn't believe its only yards from the busy ring road round the town. The colours have begun to fade now, wish I'd taken some photos earlier. Here's Keith doing his constitutional walkin the leaves. Actually the walk is strewn with chestnuts and acorns and can be quite dangerous underfoot. Someone said chestnuts if dried and hung in bags like those the washing powder come in deter moths from eating your clothes. I've collected quite a few chestnuts on our walks and am in the process of drying them. I hope it works, I hate the smell of mothballs and the dratted little things have eaten a hole in my good camel coat!!

This log we have to climb over every morning as its fallen right across the bridalway but I thought it looked a bit like smocking. As a child I saw faces in everything, doors, wallpaper, sky and this definitely looks as though someone is hiding here. Maybe its just the Halloween season getting to me.

The leaves are now thick on the floor and beneath these leaves lay dozens of chestnuts. I'm surprised the children haven't collected them to play conkers or don't they do that now. Probably been banned as dangerous.

I was asked to make these strawberries way back in the Summer but have only just got round to them. I made two - this one is beaded, the seeds on the other one were represented by french knots in a fine gold sewing thread. It took for ages, I was glad I was only asked to make a couple. They are a for a surprise so I can't say too much more about them -yet.

The Strawberry bowl is part of the same surprise, the strawberries go inside. There are three sizes, large, medium and small - this is the medium sized one. The green sepals underneath are made from layed and burned organza. Several people are making them and each putting their own interpretation on the bowl but the colours remain the same. I decided to mirror the inside on the back of the petals.

The centre is sequin waste with sequins and beads in the holes. I enjoyed making these but I'd had them so long I nearly forgot about them.

The postman brought me this lovely card from Carol Taylor. It represents The Maze by Kate Mosse, a novel I thoroughly enjoyed. The card is handfelted wool with handstitches and a painted straw bead embellishment. I love it and I love the colour.

Another piece of art I love that the postman brought me today is this art doll 'wild woman' from Charleen Pawlik. She's beautiful and best of all Charleen's address was on the envelope so now I can send her mine. I was getting a bit worried about how to get it to her as I'd inadvertently deleted her address and email addy.

I'm getting well on with my 100 stitches challenge, I'm up to day 73 and Susan has just posted Day 74 wheyee I'm not 10 days behind any more. Still got my TAST stitches to catch up with and my TIF challenge but know what I'm going to do for that and will make a start either tonight or tomorrow. But tomorrow I must go and see Mum she hasn't been too well over the last few days.

Its freezing here tonight and I've promised my son mince and dumplings so better go and make them.