Autumn is a magical season in it`s ability to bring

Autumn is a magical season in it's ability to bring us indoors for cozy meals and quiet evenings, as well as harken
us outdoors to visit pumpkin patches and apple farms while wrapped in it's cool crisp climate. Our autumn
newsletter shares simple craft ideas, holiday projects and stories that we hope will inspire you to celebrate the best
of this lovely season with your family and friends.
KIMBERLY TAYLOR is a laughter-loving
food photographer with a french bohemian
industrial style who dreams of finding a way
to live the french life on a little farm in the
countryside outside of Seattle.
MELAINE THOMPSON is a serial DIY'er.
She has a weakness for tackling projects
that others tell her she can't do. She loves
to prove them wrong, saving money along
the way, and inspiring others to abandon
their fears and join in on the DIY fun!
blog:
kimberlytaylorimages.com/mimicharmante
blog: mysweetsavannah.blogspot.com
PA M G A RRI S O N is at heart a girl that
loves to create. She plays with paper and
paints, threads and fabric, photos and
found objects. She loves using flea market
finds when crafting, and the gathering of
those treasures too! She tries to
incorporate creativity into her daily life.
AMY HANNA is a jewelry designer and
author with a passion for antique objects.
She is obsessed with searching for just the
right elements to use in her revered art
jewelry creations, as well as her
mixed-media works. She believes special
pieces are what make the final work
significant and meaningful.
blog: pamgarrison.typepad.com
blog: amyhanna.typepad.com
DARCY DEATON & KARA GARBER are
two friends who love wrapping with wit.
They love to stumble upon quirky finds in
"out of the way places" & their passion is
packaging and gifting. The gals run
McMaster & Storm and Swan & Shears on
Etsy, they stock everything from paper
goods to ribbon, housewares to crafting
tools and lots in between!
TASHA MONTGOMERY loves to bake,
paint and eat with her hands (just not in that
order). She also enjoys dark chocolate &
coffee with friends. Tasha is a graphic
designer
and
creates
hand-crafted
invitations that celebrate life’s great
moments.
blog: mcmasterandstorm.blogspot.com
blog: ampersandink.wordpress.com
HOPE WALLACE KARNEY is known for
mixing old elements with modern principles
to create unique and whimsical designs for
her greeting card line, Paper Relics. Her
work has been featured in several national
magazines, including Mary Engelbreit’s
Home Companion and Country Living.
Hope also has a love for art journaling and
enjoys sharing her pages with others to
inspire them to start a journal of their own.
website: paperrelics.com
2
Mourning
Jewelry
Words & Photos by Amy Hanna
HAVE Y OU H E A R D O F
M OUR N I N G JE WE L RY ?
Mourning jewelry is usually made from jet,
enamel, vulcanite or woven hair worn in
honor of a deceased loved one. This
became fashionable after the death of
Queen Victoria's beloved husband, Prince
Albert in 1861. She was one of the most
influential women in fashion during the
Victorian era. After the death of her
husband she went into mourning for the
rest of her life which meant she only wore
black clothing and mourning jewelry. Queen
Victoria died in 1901, forty years after his
death.
The first material used to make mourning
jewelry was jet onyx. Large deposits of
black jet were found in Whitby, England.
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The Whitby jet was expensive because it
was very labor intensive it had to be worked
and carved by hand and could crack easily
when carved. This made it only available
for the wealthy. Towards the end of the
19th century imitation jet was being
produced from hardened rubber called
vulcanite and a black glass called French
Jet. This made mourning jewelry more
accessible
and
affordable.
Both
substances could be easily moulded into
different things such as beads, lockets and
rings. Brooches that were moulded from
vulcanite were commonly used to hold tin
type photographs or woven pieces of hair
from a loved one. The broaches were
decorated with such things as flowers,
hands or crosses on the front of them.
During the Victorian era, women were
expected to go into mourning 6 to 9
months for grandparents, 2 years for
parents and 2 1/2 years for husbands.
This meant that they were not to leave their
house without being covered from head to
toe in black. Sometimes family's would not
leave their homes for a week after the
passing of a loved one in order to get black
clothing made for their family.
Another popular type of mourning jewelry
was made from human hair called
"hairwork". Hair is one of the only parts of
the body which does survive after we part.
Women in the US, could send the hair of
their loved ones who had passed away to
New York to have it braided into ornate
chains used for necklaces bracelets or
earrings. Women could also order patterns
patterns through magazines to create different types of
braided designs. During the civil war this became very
popular. Hair could also be used to create small detailed art
pieces. Wonderful ornate pieces of hairwork were made into
pins which looked like small paintings. Rings and lockets
containing woven hair were encased in glass and surrounded
by pearls. The pearls represented tears. Some of the nicer
pieces were engraved on the back.
It is getting harder and harder to find beautiful Victorian
mourning pieces. The level of detail and sophistication of
these pieces that were once held so dear to a loved ones
heart maintain a certain demand of respect from the person
admiring it. I have a fondness for Victorian pieces. I find
them very interesting and love the symbolism. As a jewelry
designer I feel that it is the special momentos that make an
amazing piece of jewelry and what is more special than a
photo or token from a loved one.
5
Ma k e i t
Autumn Wreath
project & photos by: melaine thompson
USHER IN AUTUMN WITH AN
EASY TO MAKE FALL WREATH
Gather freshly fallen medium to large
colorful leaves on a dry day. Sugar maple
leaves are ideal but any leaves with long
stems will do. You will need approximately
3 full brown paper grocery sacks.
Indoors, spread a large layer of
newspaper on the floor. Lay leaves out
without much overlap. Cover lightly with
2-3 layers of newspaper. The idea is to
allow them to cure only slightly as they
dry. Allow to dry completely {3-5 days}.
They can then be layered in a grocery bag
or cardboard box for keeping. Process
more than you think you'll need.
Fill the grooves of the wire frame
completely with Spanish moss.
Tie one end of the twine to frame and
begin unwinding twine from ball clockwise
around and around the frame about 1-2"
apart until you go completely around.
Then, repeat going counter- clockwise,
creating x's on the front of the frame.
They should be fairly close together as
they are what you will be weaving the
stems through.
Begin applying leaves by weaving the
supple stems in and out of the x's. If
possible, weave each stem through two
x's. All leaves should be going the same
direction. Continue until the wreath is
completely covered, making it as full as you
can.
dry area. The color will fade to brown, but
remains beautiful. The one in these photos
is from last year!
SUPPL IE S
WIRE WREATH FORM
SPANISH MOSS
REAL FALL LEAVES
TWINE
No glue is needed if your stems are long
enough. If not, and they seem to be falling
out, dab a little hot glue to hold.
Looks lovely on a wall or hung in a window.
If the back will be seen from the outside of
the window be sure to have some Spanish
moss on the back, too, to cover the wire
frame. A bent paperclip can serve as a
hanger.
The wreath will look spectacular the first
year, and can be kept indefinitely in a warm,
Special thanks to my mother for teaching me
how to create this DIY fall wreath project.
7
Poetic
Pumpkins
An Interview with Carol Smithback
Souvenir recently sat down with
Carol Smithback of Poetic Pumpkins
and asked her to share the story
behind her unique seasonal pumpkin
business.
Q:
What inspired you to create
engraved pumpkins?
The first time I ever saw 'engraved
pumpkins' was in Sharon Lovejoy's book,
'Sunflower Houses'. She had a watercolor
of a pumpkin she had made for her son with
his name on it and I thought it was the
sweetest idea ever. Soon after that, Julie in
my garden club engraved some pumpkins
with the names of herbs on them and sold
them at a group craft and plant sale. I think
I bought them all and then pestered her for
details on how exactly she had made them,
which she generously provided.
Q:
How did you begin your
business? How long have you been
engraving pumpkins?
I started engraving a few pumpkins every
year for family and friends. Some close
friends of ours had a farm so I had access
to a pumpkin patch. About 8 years ago I
thought I should test the idea of making a
few extra pumpkins to sell. I took some in
to show Ron at Ron's Nursery in Grover
Beach and he was so helpful in getting me
started. He bought some to sell in his
upscale store and encouraged me to keep
making the pumpkins. The following year
he even allowed me to come to the nursery
and take custom orders in the early
summer. This ended up being way too
stressful as 50% of the crop rotted that
year. So now I just do an assortment of
sayings and words. Susan Branch was also
very encouraging and I remember being so
excited when she ordered some pumpkins
for her little store which she had a few
years ago right here in Arroyo Grande. The
thing about pumpkins is they are heavy and
bulky so you don't want to transport them
too far or too many times.
Q: When in the growing process do
you engrave the pumpkins?
The time frame for engraving varies from
variety to variety. For the larger pumpkins I
engrave them when they are about the size
of a soccer ball and the skin in still pretty
soft. At that point it is easy to engrave. As
the skin thickens it becomes much more
difficult.
Q: What types of tools do you use to
engrave?
I sometimes use a regular ballpoint pen (the
kind you can get at office max for $1.00 for
a box of 12). I also have a top-secret
special tool that is my favorite, but really
you can use anything sharp, even a nail.
9
Q:
Q:
Q: What are your favorite words,
sayings or phrases?
It heals pretty quickly. In a week you will be
able to see the scar starting and from there
it takes a few weeks to completely ripen
depending on the year.
I don't count, but I am guessing about 200.
You never end up with 100% perfect
pumpkins. My best year ever was last year
and that was about an 80% success rate.
My worst year was less than 50%. That was
not fun. I always make some spelling
mistakes too. It's easy to do when you are
standing on your head in a pumpkin patch.
The most popular words are 'Blessings',
'Autumn' and 'Harvest'. I also like to do
some with poetry or encouraging sayings
on them. The funnest part about what I do
is making a very personalized pumpkin for
someone who is not expecting one ( and if
it rots they are none the wiser).
How long does the healing take
after engraving?
Q:
How many acres does your
pumpkin crop cover?
I have about 1/3 of an acre planted in
pumpkins.
Q:
What other vegetables have you
experimented with engraving?
I will try engraving any kind of squash,
pumpkin or gourd. A lot of the varieties I
engrave are actually squash, not pumpkins.
The 'Grace' squash I sent you pictures of is
actually a mini Hubbard squash. Something
new I am trying this year. In the past I have
had great success with Turk's Turban
squash and butternut squash.
10
How many pumpkins do you
engrave every year?
By the way, I have to mention that I don't do
the pumpkins all by myself. I have lots of
friends and family that help me grow,
harvest and sell them. My dear husband
transports all of them for me, which is not a
fun job.
Q: Where can our readers
purchase your pumpkins?
I will have a booth at the Remnants of the
Past Antique show in San Louis Obispo, this
fall. This year it will be a two day show but
I will only be there on Saturday.
Q:
Q:
Last year I had a Cinderella pumpkin that
was about 40 pounds, it was gorgeous.
I still have the blog up for Old Willow Farm
but I have been a very bad blogger and
have not posted for a long time.
What's the largest pumpkin
you've engraved?
Do you have a blog or website?
I can be contacted at:
[email protected].
Autumn
Imprints
Project & Photos by: Heather Bullard
HARV EST N A P K I N S
Here's a fun and inexpensive way to make
unique harvest napkins for your autumn table.
SUP P LI E S
WAX PAPER
1.
HAMMER
AUTUMN LEAVES (darker ones work best)
MUSLIN FABRIC (15" square per napkin)
S TE P 1
First tear the muslin into 15" square pieces.
The amount of fabric will depend on how
many you will want to make.
S TE P 2
Remove all the stems from the leaves and
set aside. Next lay the leaf on a piece of
wax paper and lay the corner of your napkin
over the top.
2.
S TE P 3
Take your hammer and tap over the top of
the fabric starting with the outside portions
of the leaves and working inward. Use your
free hand to keep the fabric from slipping.
S TE P 4
Once you have hammered the entire leaf,
lift the corner of fabric making sure not to
disturb the leaf and lay one of your stems
as show. Then repeat the hammer process
to finish off your napkin.
3.
Kids will love helping with this project. You
can take them on a walk in your
neighborhood to find all kinds of different
leaves. Each of your guests will get their
very own special piece of fall. Another idea
would be to use them as goodie bags and
fill them with nuts or candies. It's such a
simple way to decorate your table and
celebrate the season with your family.
4.
12
Italian
Meatball
Soup
Recipe & Photos by: Kimberly Taylor
COZY UP TO FALL WITH
A WARM & HEARTY SOUP
steaming bowl of soup around a table
filled with those you love.
There is something about the end of
summer and the coming of autumn that
makes my heart sing. It is my favorite
time of the year. The days begin to
shorten, the nights become cooler,
and we start to wear layers again.
After a long hot summer, I love when
everything begins to cool down again.
The colors of autumn are so rich - the
golden yellows, russet reds, and burnt
oranges surround us. From the leaves
on the trees that begin to fall to the
pumpkins that have finally ripened, it is
a wonderful cozy season filled with
familiar comforts.
One of our favorites is an Italian
inspired meatball soup, adapted from
one that Jamie Oliver has done in the
past. I love the heartiness of it, as well
as the fact that you can make it early
and just rewarm it or do it last minute
as it doesn't take all that long - if you
use canned beans that is. As the
recipe doesn't call for a lot of
seasoning, feel free to season as you
prefer.
Preparing meals for my family here on
the farm come autumn often includes
soups and stews. Accompanied by a
hearty bread and a fabulous fruit pie or
crumble, it makes one of our favorite
meals. When evenings turn cold it is
nice to come in and warm up with a
MEATBALLS:
Enjoy!
ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 finely chopped onion - small
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Mix all ingredients in a bowl well and
form small balls.
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
4 sticks of celery chopped
1 large carrot chopped
1 leek chopped
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 - 454g cans of whole stewed tomatoes - I
like fire roasted
3 cups cooked white beans
Add oil, onion, celery, carrots, and
leeks into a soup pot. Saute until
vegetables are softened and onions
are just starting to turn golden. Add
the bay and thyme leaves and 6 cups
of water and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to a simmer, add the tomatoes
and beans, and season with salt. When
soup is simmering, add your
meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are
cooked through. Serve with grated
parmesan on top.
CHALKBOARD
TREAT BASKETS
Project & Photos by Heather Bullard
F OLLOW O UR S I M P LE S T EP S T O C R E ATE Y O U R O W N S P O O K - TAC U L A R TRE ATS !
1. Supplies: Peat Pots, Scissors,
Hole Punch, Chalkboard Paint,
Foam Paint Brush, Chalkpaint Pen
or Chalk, Twine, Candy Treats
2. Cut out individual peat pots.
3. Paint exterior with 2 coats of
chalkboard paint. Let dry.
4. Punch holes on 2 sides and
attach twine handles.
5. Use chalkpaint pen or chalk to
write names or phrases.
6. Fill with your favorite candy
treats!
16
Old Fashioned
Brag Book
Project & Photos by Hope Karney
LAST SUMMER I CAME ACROSS
this wonderful brown toned antique
photograph book at the Rose Bowl Flea
Market. Inside the old photos have the best
frames around them, and the photo
corners are still holding fast the memories
someone took the time to carefully add to
the book.
I thought it would be fun to remake the
album in compact form (perfect for
carrying around and sharing with others),
adding fall photographs I love that hold
stories I want to remember for years to
come.
SU P P L I E S
Printed copies of the supplied PDF files
Cardboard or matte board
Fall photographs
Black card stock cut to 4.5 by 6.5 inches
(at least 8 pages)
Photo Corners
2 - 6 Binder Rings
Ribbon
Binder Clips or Clothes Pins
Hole punch or Crop-a-dile
Scissors
Adhesive
White pen (optional)
CRE AT E Y OU R O W N :
Print out the cover images I made for you,
the covers each measure approximately
5x7 inches.
Cut out and adhere the covers to
cardboard (I used the cardboard pieces I
got holding my recent Amazon.com order
in place in the box). To adhere, you can use
whatever you prefer, I used double sided
tape from holddearshop.com, but gel
medium or paper glue would work well too,
just wait for any wet adhesive to dry before
continuing.
18
Line up the covers and card stock pages,
holding them together with your binder
clips or clothespins and punch holes for the
binder rings. I used 6, but you can use
anywhere from 2 to 6. The more you use
the sturdier the book will be.
Assemble the book using the binder rings
to hold it together.
Adhere one of the label images to the front,
noting “fall” and the year.
Tie decorative ribbon on the rings.
For the photographs themselves, you can
print out the PDF I created for you, cut out
the frames and adhere them to the top of
your photographs, or, if you are savvy with
image editing software like photoshop, you
can open the PDF directly in there and add
the frames to your photos before printing
them.
Add photographs on to the card stock
pages using the photo corners. If you wish,
use the white pen to make notes around
each photo.
19
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click here to visit our sponsors
or Be Boo’d!
Project and Photos by
PAM GARRISON
B O O O R B E BOO’D
In our neighborhood, like many others
throughout the country, we participate in
the playful tradition of “BOOING” at
Halloween time. If you’ve never heard of it,
it’s a simple way to add a little tricking and
treating to the Halloween happenings. To
‘BOO” someone, you simply leave a little,
inexpensive but seasonally themed treat at
their door, then ring the bell and run so that
you stay anonymous and don’t get spotted!
It is then their turn to BOO someone else.
To keep from getting boo’d repeatedly, you
set a sign by your doorstep or tied to your
door that you’ve “BEEN BOO’D”. Pretty
soon the entire neighborhood is involved in
the fun.
I N ST R U CTI O N S
PRINT 2 COPIES OF THE BOO SIGN
pdf, (one for you, and one for the person
you are boo-ing, to make it easier for them
to re-boo). If you don’t think they are familiar
with the tradition, you can jot a note on the
back stating they have 5 days to boo
someone else by leaving a treat and sign at
their door. The game catches on pretty
quickly.
CUT YOUR SET OF “BOO” AND
“BEEN BOO’D” signs, embellish as you
desire. Here we added a backing of orange
cardstock and black paper trim.
GATHER AND WRAP a little Halloween
treat like candy, a paper lantern, stickers,
candles, etc.
INCLUDE THE “BOO” SIGN. We
wrapped one end of ours around a skewer
and glued it on so that we had a sign to
stick in the bag of candy, but you could also
choose to punch a hole in one end and tie
on with colorful ribbon.
TAKE THE KIDS to find a house that
doesn’t have a “BEEN BOO’D” sign on
the door, leave your treat, ring the bell and
run!
WHEN SOMEONE BOOS YOU, hang
the “BEEN BOO’D” sign on your door.
That’s all it takes to spread the fun!
23
Getaway
Fall Flower
WORKSHOP
Words & Photos by
Kara Garber
and Darcy Deaton
FAL L JA UN T T O VIS IT TH E “H ATTE R”
Amy Hamilton’s Studio Granville, Ohio
{Granville Millinery Company}
www.granvillemillinerycompany.com
We signed up for a workshop at Skipping
Rock Farm, nestled in the hilly, verdant
countryside of Ohio. Waking up early with
our coffee in hand we headed out to take a
class that uses age old techniques. Owner
and
hat-maker
extraordinaire,
Amy
Hamilton greeted us and led us into her
modern country studio. Down the rabbit
hole we went...
Amy’s Studio and farm is indeed tucked into
the folds of hills, and nature’s glory
surrounds. We felt a bit like Alice in
Wonderland, as we sat down to create with
the mad hatter, who, in fact isn’t mad, just
madly in love creating a lost art in this mad
world! Amy has found her place in this world
by making the most beautiful hats and
accessories any gal could ever want. We
found ourselves so inspired by her talent, it
gave us a sense of calmness and serenity
as we sat in the company of this talented
gal. Amy taught us & 6 other participants
techniques to create a “hot house” flower
using an antique flower iron which is used
to press shape into the fabric.
The 3 hour class was spent in a renovated
horse barn that is Amy Hamilton’s studio.
26
That in itself was fuel for the day & days to
come! Her studio contained inspiration in
every nook & cranny. Shelves filled with
wood hat molds, ribbon stacked by palette
and an apothecary jar filled with silver
sewing scissors. A large vintage “cubby
hole” cabinet was filled with different
materials and textures arranged by color
tones; from brighter colors to moody, rich
fall hues of golden brown, sepia & black.
The introduction to “flower irons” to create
our flowers was the most intriguing part of
this art. The nibs on the flower iron helped
us to shape and give life to flat cut out
patterns of silk. We used our hands and
minds to create. Expanding ones learning
of new things is always timeless just like the
flowers we created.
FOR
MORE
INFORMATION
ON
AMY’S
FLOWER MAKING WORKSHOPS VISIT:
www.granvillemillinerycompany.com/skippingro
ckfarmflowermakingworkshop.html
WANT ONE OF AMY’S STUNNING FINISHED
FLOWERS?
www.granvillemillinerycompany.com/accessori
es.html
Visit our etsy shop to purchase the flower iron,
includes basic instructions.
September
October
November
BIRTHSTONE: Sapphire
BIRTHSTONE: Opal
BIRTHSTONE: Topaz
FLOWER: Morning Glory
FLOWERS: Calendula
FLOWERS: Chrysanthemum
{ DID Y O U K NOW ? }
{ D ID YOU KNOW ? }
{ DI D YOU K N O W ? }
First Labor Day celebrated as a legal public
holiday, September 3, 1894.
First "Model T" Ford put on the market,
October 1, 1908.
First Continental Congress assembled in
Philadelphia, September 5, 1774.
First double-decked steamboat, the
Washington, arrived at New Orleans,
October 7, 1816.
First regular radio broadcasts began, over
station KDKA in Pittsburgh, November 2,
1920.
Russians launched first rocket to the moon,
September 12, 1959.
Constitution of the United States signed,
September 17, 1787.
Publick Occurrences, first
newspaper,
appeared
in
September 25, 1690.
American
Boston,
Columbus landed in America, October 12,
1492.
First general court in New England held,
Boston, October 19, 1630.
U.S.S. Constitution, better known as Old
Ironsides, launched, October 21, 1797.
First intercollegiate football game in United
States, Rutgers v. Princeton, at Rutgers,
November 6, 1869.
First transpacific air-mail flight began,
November 22, 1935.
First national Thanksgiving Day in United
States proclaimed by President George
Washington, November 26, 1789.
FAV ORI T E QU OTE S
FAVOR I T E QUOT ES
FAVOR I T E Q U O T ES
What we want is to see the child in pursuit
of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit
of the child. —George Bernard Shaw
Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy,
leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the
opposing miseries of summer and winter.
—Carol Bishop Hipps
There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster
in its sky, which through the summer is not
heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it
had not been! ~Percy Bysshe Shelley
The one red leaf, the last of its clan, that
dances as often as dance it can, hanging
so light, and hanging so high, on the
topmost twig that looks up at the sky.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Education is what remains after one has
forgotten what one has learned in school.
—Albert Einstein
October gave a party; The leaves by
hundreds came - the Chestnuts, Oaks, and
Maples, and leaves of every name. The
Sunshine spread a carpet, and everything
was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band. —George Cooper
"No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful
ease, No comfortable feel in any member No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds November!" —Thomas Hood
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf
is a flower. —Albert Camus
L UN A R C A L E ND A R
LU NAR C AL ENDAR
L UNAR CALEN D A R
SEPT—4-waxing-cresent, 12-full moon,
20-waxing-cresent, 27-new moon
OCT—3--waxing-cresent, 11-full moon,
19-waxing-cresent, 26-new moon
NOV—2-waxing cresent, 10-full moon,
18-waxing cresent, 25-new moon
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns. —George Eliot
Home for the Holidays
Our special Winter issue will be filled with
holiday crafts, decorations and recipes
to share with your friends & family.
The Winter Gazette
will be delivered to your inbox
the first week of November.
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