Wednesday 14 November 2012

Seasonal colour

The days are getting shorter, and it has been dark and rainy lately, so when it stopped raining recently I went out looking for colour. Here is what I found:


Not sure what this bush is but the leaves are spectacular this time of year.



Crab apples I think ...




Again, not sure what this is, but I loved the blue sky in the background, a rarity this time of year.

 Hydrangea turned deep red-purple:



Again I am not sure what this is but it adds a splash of colour.



Holly


A beautiful splash of colour in our neighbours garden:


Red Maple, the last leaves are still clinging to the tree and here are catching the late afternoon light.


A friend showed me a large patch of mushrooms growing in her neighbourhood. I took these pictures on my phone.


This mushroom is found in fairly large groupings. There were about a hundred in the area where I photographed these.



 Amanita muscaria, is a stunningly coloured mushroom; it is generally considered poisonous, but is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia and North America after parboiling and deaths from eating it are rare.

Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. 


They also appear to be very strong: able to supporting a car in this picture.


Magic mushrooms indeed, I think I saw a fairy or two peeking out from between the mushrooms, but they are camera shy, so you will just have to use your imagination.

 







The last patches of colour are birds. This hummingbird (Anna's) was swooping at me and scolding me for being too close to the feeder in my back yard. He should have figured out by now that it is me that fills that feeder.



There are a lot of birds at the feeders now including Towhees, with their bright sides and eyes, but they have been too quick for me to get a good picture, so I have included this picture I took in the summer instead.


I have a picture in the current exhibit at the Federation of Canadian Artists' Gallery on Granville Island until November 25, 2012. Here is the link to the exhibit.

The bright colours, especially the reds and greens to me are a reminder that Christmas is not too far away. I have been working on my card stocks for the two Christmas Markets that I will be at, the first is this weekend (November 18) and then two weeks after that (December 2). Both are at Delbrook Community Centre, here are the days and times (I am in the gym both times, table on the right as you enter):

2012 DELBROOK CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR AND MARKET
Saturday November 17th 10am-4pm
Sunday November 18th 10am-4pm
Saturday December 1st 10am-4pm
Sunday December 2nd 10am-4pm

Anyone who is thinking ahead to Christmas will find some new cards and some old favorites on my website right now too.

Here are the new ones:
"Christmas Cactus"

"Holly Time"

And here is another new card and an old favorite:

"Nutcracker Sweets"

"Three Wise Crackers"

There is a special offer too, get one free card when you buy four cards, follow these links:

New items and specials and my full selection of Christmas cards in Greeting and Celebration Cards.

Well that's it for this week, hope you have enjoyed my look at colour.

Thank you for dropping by, Happy Whimsy Wednesday, until next time ............


24 comments:

  1. Gillian what a lovely Autumn post. The leaves, berries and the cute mushrooms are beautiful. And I love your birds, how I would love to see an Anna Hummingbird in my yard. And the Towhee is pretty too. Your Christmas card are great, I really love the Three Wise Crackers. Great post and photos, have a happy day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fly Agaric....a wonderful study of this striking fungus.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your cards are fantastic. I love the seasonal color you showed us. I saw some fairies peering out of the magic mushrooms too. the leaves and berries and birds are all a delight.

    ReplyDelete
  4. love those red 'shrooms! so pretty but i'd never attempt to eat them, no matter how they were prepared. :)

    love the shadows in the first couple of shots. really accents the colors. beautiful, gillian.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The colour of this moment, it is my favourite, lovely. The magic mushroom is the best, I used to eat it, never mind, I was a teenager, and everyone knows that teenagers who take that, but I didn't show any sign of going mad.............................

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the mushroom shots! I need to get out with the camera soon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful splashes of color all through this series. My favorite would be the colorful mushrooms which remind me of the magical ones with fairies that used to be so popular in my children's books.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I LOVE all the colour you're finding. It has been grey here too. I could really use some sun and a dash of colour. Thanks for sharing yours!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What great splashes of red you found, bringing much needed joy to this falling season of lengthening darkness.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful photos! I love those mushrooms! Your hummingbird and towhee photos are great!

    ReplyDelete

  11. Glad to see that your "Red Mushrooms" turned out!

    Love the reds and green of the berries and leaves!

    see you Friday

    ReplyDelete
  12. goodness, those mushrooms just don't look real, do they?? i thought they were garden ornaments!!

    your hydrangea's are just gorgeous!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I delight in, result in I found exactly what I used to be taking a look for.

    You've ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
    Stop by my web blog :: black friday ads

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love those leaves, and the berries...and the cards.
    Thanks for visiting, dear!
    BShell

    ReplyDelete
  15. That is a great set of pictures - we get the red mushrooms as well - but I think I'll pass on eating them!

    cheers - Stewart M

    ReplyDelete
  16. I saw some fairies, who are really photo-shy. Thank you for sharing the autumn colors around you. Autumn is my favorite season.

    Yoko

    ReplyDelete
  17. What lovely vibrant colours in your shots - so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Gillian, love your cards, they are beautiful.

    And those mushrooms, I have never seen those kind in real life, always thought they were imagined...now I know.

    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  19. The colours are just amazing. I don't know what they are either but I do know I love them. Those mushrooms are stunning.. so full of character, aren't they? And your cards.. so pretty. You are so multi-talented!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am glad you have found so much colour -I think that's what I miss most through the winter months. Your cards are lovely. What a great spot to have at the Craft Fair. I'm volunteering at our Quilting for Humanity's table in our local craft fair today. It's always fun to see the beautiful things that have been handmade and a great choice to shop at craft fairs. I'm all for supporting local artists and crafters. Best of Luck!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Just look at all the wonderful color. And the mushrooms are so cool. They do look quite whimsical.

    I always enjoy seeing your work.

    Hugs~

    ReplyDelete
  22. Incredible shots! Love those mushrooms....those are amazing. You have such beautiful pics. Love your 3 Wise Crackers:)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Well, Gillian, you sure did find a rich assortment of reds in your world. The mushrooms were absolutely magical, and of course, I loved your hummingbird. I hope you had a great weekend at the Christmas market!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I think I'd rather look at those mushrooms than eat 'em. Looks like someone took a bite out of one though.

    ReplyDelete