As I was doing my makeup yesterday, my mind buried deep in a pile of ideas to possibly blog about this week, a fresh notion popped into my head.
I knew at once that this was what I wanted to share here for the second week of September.
As you may be aware, in the fall of 2016, my husband and I lost our home, very nearly everything we owned, and infinitely most devastating, our beloved cat (Stella) in an arson fire.
This is a subject I discussed in greater depth here and which, while it does surface from time to time on this site, I generally do not wish to put at the forefront of most of my Witchcrafted Life posts.
However, the fifth anniversary of the life-changing date is fast approaching.
It will arrive on October 13th, bringing with it half a decade of existence since our world was turned on its head faster than you can dial 9-1-1.
If I lived until the last flicker of light in the universe burned out, I will never forget that fateful day, nor the extraordinary challenges, changes, redirections, and outpouring of kindness that followed in the aftermath.
In the house that we lived in at the time of the fire, my crafting space was in the basement in a room that served both as a craft corner, photo studio, packaging centre for the items I was selling via my (then) Etsy vintage shop, and sundry other uses.
On top of the flames that tore through the entire structure, our home was further damaged by the substantial volume of water that pumped onto/into it to keep the fire from quickly spreading to other closely situated homes.
Of course, that was a smart move and did a lot to help prevent the fire from leaping to additional houses.
However, multiple feet of water sat in the basement of our burned-out house for weeks on end (as the fire department, police, and insurance companies each did their own thorough investigations of the structure), quickly causing mould to grow and rodents to set up camp.
Even if that hadn’t been the case though, the flames alone would have caused nearly as much damage and virtually everything in my craft room – as with the rest of the house – would have been obliterated.
When people find out that we experienced an arson house fire and that I’m a paper crafter, they often ask me how I decided if I wanted to keep crafting or not.
There was never a shadow of doubt in my mind that as soon as I possibly could, I would begin paper crafting again.
Far from deterring me from picking up this beloved part of my life, the fire drove home all the more how phenomenally important it is (for me) to document and celebrate our life together, my childhood and family, trips we take, holidays we celebrate and so much more.
Just as the staggering outpouring of compassion, support, and generosity we received from friends, relatives, and complete strangers alike served as a reminder of how vital it is for me to create and give handmade cards (and other projects) to a wide range of people in my life.
As a naturally tenacious and highly driven person, even when the chips were down and I had quite literally nothing but the clothes on my back, I knew I would paper craft again.
And so, awesomely, joyfully, and blessedly, I have. My current craft space is a lot smaller – as is the stash of products it houses.
It wasn’t economically possible for us to replace most of what was lost and, by and large, I have not tried to do so. The goal is not to replicate what was, but rather to create a safe, happy here and now that is conducive to who we are and what we love doing in the present.
With the fifth anniversary of the fire just over a month away, I wanted to take a little while to stop and reconnect with some of the pre-fire Halloween projects I made that I most adored.
The blaze destroyed not only all of my completed projects (save, of course, for those that had been given to others as gifts over the years), but all of my craft supplies, as well as our computers and external hard drives.
This means that, in terms of my pre-fire craft projects, I only have photos of those makes that had been shared online pre-fire (and which were still online at the time of the fire).
As a result, without photos of some of my creations, numerous projects will forever exist simply in memory form for me.
Thankfully, however, care of various internet sources, I’ve been able to gather up images of some of the paper crafting projects that I made between 2010 (when I began scrapbooking and card making) and 2016, the year of the fire.
Join me then, won’t you, as we revisit some of the pre-fire Halloween projects that I adored the most and which continue to inspire my current makes to this day.
A handful of my very favourite pre-fire Halloween scrapbook page and cards
Note: As the lists of supplies used to make these projects were kept in notebooks and lost in the fire, I cannot detail all of the items used to create them. Many of which are, objectively, long out of stock/production at this point anyhow.
That said, if you have any questions about the materials or techniques used on this Halloween makes, please don’t hesitate to ask and I will gladly do my very best to deliver a helpful reply your way.
As well, please bear in mind that these photos, while digital, are several years old and that they are downloaded copies of the originals (thus the image quality may have been compressed or otherwise altered by whatever site/platform they were/are hosted on).
Also, both cell phone and DSLR image quality have improved considerably since then – as have my skills behind the lens 😄. Plus, at the time these pics were taken, I was really into somewhat overexposing my project share photos – something that is generally not my approach at present.
Halloween (1985) scrapbook page: In this distressed, shabby chic orange and black page we hop back to the mid-1980s with a glimpse of me and my mama enjoying All Hallows’ Eve together (check out this recent project share post for a layout featuring the two of us on my very first October 31st).
My talented mom made the adorable ghost costume that I’m sporting here. Aww! 👻
To date, this layout stands as one of my favourites that I have ever created.
Double, Double, Cuteness & Trouble scrapbook page: I wish the image quality was better for this page, as it was such a cute, fun one. Hopefully, you can still get a sense of it here all the same.
In this layout, we progress ahead another year or two as this was me on either my 3rd or 4th Halloween – naturally, I went as a witch. 😄
Again, my sweet mom made my festive outfit. A few years on (as we will see in a later scrapbook layout detailed below), my little sister would sport the same darling witch costume.
When Witches Go Riding Halloween card: An eye-catching and somewhat unexpected colour palette of classic orange, black and white partner with shades such as pale lavender, teal, and turquoise in this chic bow bedecked Halloween greeting.
Halloween Princesses scrapbook page: This sweetly spooky page celebrated the fact that, a few years apart, my sister and I wore the same pretty pink (store-bought) princess costume.
I adore the pre-made die cut jack-o-lantern paper that played a starring role on this layout and would love to see a company release something similar again today.
Pumpkins (Bear’s Fruit Stand) scrapbook page: Growing up, my family had a wonderful tradition of vising some of the local produce stands and farmer’s markets in our area each autumn.
In this circa 1993 photo, my siblings and I are sitting on a mountain of beautiful pumpkins at our family’s very favourite fruit stand, called Bear’s, located in the tiny South Okanagan community of Keremeos.
Hope Your Halloween is Crawling with Fun Halloween card: A classic colour palette and Halloween critter – the spooky spider – take the lead on this rhinestone and glittery black arachnid-filled card.
Halloween Helper Kitty scrapbook page: Two photos – one in black and white, the other in colour – accompany journaling about the fact that our beloved late cat, Stella, who usually left our spooky season decor in peace, had a real penchant for playing with this particular pumpkin decoration.
All Hallows’ Eve Costumed Kids scrapbook page: Another layout that I really wish I had a better quality image of. Still, anything is certainly better than nothing when it comes to documenting lost paper crafting projects.
This fun Halloween layout shines the spotlight on what my brother, sister, and I wore for a fun-filled night of trick-or-treating in the mid-1990s (note, as mentioned above, my sister is rocking the same adorable witch costume that I had worn around the same age).
I madly adore the 3D beaded bats peppered around this layout. If memory serves me right they *may* have been from either Prima or the Michael’s house brand, Recollections.
If anyone ever sees similar bat embellishments for sale online at a site that ships to Canada or in person here on Canadian soil, please do not hesitate to let me know (TY!).
Wishing You a Very Happy Halloween card: Border punched layers, pretty flourishes, and glitter-adorned pumpkins galore call this teal and earth-toned card home.
Swap out the sentiment and this lovely greeting could easily work for other fall time happenings as well, such as Mabon and Thanksgiving.
She’s Got Halloween Spirit scrapbook page: While my sister’s favourite holiday is Christmas, much as with my mom and me, she adores October 31st as well.
This sweet photo of my sis as a toddler shows her helping to scoop the guts out of a pumpkin that would soon be carved in our family’s grinning jack-o-lantern that year.
Trick or Treat scrapbook page: A bevy of embellishments, cheesecloth (that I hand-dyed), and spiders collide on this shabby chic Halloween layout that shows what my siblings and I wore for Halloween 1991.
The inspiration for this layout’s colour palette stems directly from the costumes that the three of us sported that night (note the Unicef box – who else remembers collecting for this important charity on Halloween night as a youngster?).
This scrapbook page is another that rests firmly amongst the ranks of my all-time favourite that I have ever made.
Have a Bewitching Halloween card: Distressed and border punched edges, elegant rhinestone trim, harlequin print paper, and an eye-catching black coloured witch silhouette sticker add up to a fun meets classic Halloween card that I’d happily replicate again today, if I still had the same supplies.
I might give it a go with similar, but different items, for a 2020s take on this greeting that was made close to a decade ago now.
🎃 Which of these festively fun, spookily sweet, and marvellously macabre paper crafting projects is your favourite? 🎃
Looking back, looking ahead
Far from causing me pain or tearing open wounds that have, mercifully, done a pretty good job of healing, looking back at these projects brings me a lot of joy.
I love being reminded of my past creative makes, what elements of my paper crafting style have stayed the same and which have changed/evolved/improved since then, the stories these projects tell, and the happiness – both in myself and, when applicable, in others – that the end results delivered.
As we head towards the official start of fall and all throughout my favourite chapter of the year, I will be sharing numerous freshly made autumn, Thanksgiving, and Halloween/Samhain related paper crafting projects here with you.
This point also delivers a bevy of joy my way and I can hardly wait to unveil my fall 2021 crop of crafty makes. 😃
Each project that a creative soul brings into being is shaped in some way – be it tiny or large – by what they’ve previously created.
As crafters and artists, we don’t need to stand on the shoulders of giants, we are our own giants and muses.
The projects highlighted in this post each helped to hone and further develop my skills and style, the very things that I love to share here with you via my project posts all year round.
For September 2021, the pre-fire projects shared here are my latest entry for #MakeHalloween365.
Save for some of the cards and other items that were given as gifts, all of these projects are long gone in corporal form, living on instead in spirit and digital photos.
They did not get a chance to appear in the moment as part of #MakeHalloween365, as I just created this fun Halloween project share hashtag earlier this year. 😃
They get the opportunity to do so now, however, and I hope that while they are not the newest of makes, they are able to inspire you and embody the heart of this hashtag all the same.
I may not make the fire the centre of many of my blog posts, but when I do, I generally want there to be a positive element to the end message of such entries.
In this instance, for me, that is one of hope and perseverance, of not letting the unthinkable rob you of your passions, and of finding a way back to the light of positivity even on the darkest of nights.
Thank you, cherished friends, for being here with me on this site and on social media, and for experiencing the poignant journey that is my post-fire paper crafting and life in general.
There will never, not in all the languages of the universe, be enough words for me to convey just how much that means to – and motivates – me. 🙏
If I could, I would make fall and Halloween themed cards for each of you, but as that isn’t possible, I hope that you will look upon the projects I post online as a way of conveying my heartfelt gratitude to each of you. 🧡
Here’s to the magnificence, inspiration, nostalgia, and, in turn, present-day happiness of pumpkin spice, crunchy leaf, and grinning ghost season – may it be as kind to you as you, sweet souls, are to me. 🦇🎃🦇
Firstly, I’m very sorry to hear about such a devastating fire that happened to you. I couldn’t even imagine how that must’ve felt emotionally. Very happy to see these amazing projects still surviving at least over the digital world for us to enjoy now as they’re full of amazing memories and details…every one of them! This is a very special and heartfelt post full of wonderful inspiration and I thank you for sharing with us!
Wow what a post! You have had such a dreadful experience and thankfully you have risen from the ashes. I love your courage and amazing outlook to life. These scrapbook pages are absolutely beautiful. How could someone so talented ever dream of stopping papercrafting! Keep up your great and inspiration work.
Hugs
Pinky
Sweet Pinky, what a heart-touching, wonderfully uplifting comment. Thank you so much for blessing my life with your support.
To say that you have me both blushing and smiling up a storm right now would be a sincere understatement.
I shudder to think at this point in my life what it would take to get me to willingly give up paper crafting, and assure you that I have zero plans of doing so anytime soon (if ever!!!).
Really, thank you again so much. I hugely appreciate your kindness. 🙏
Huge hugs from my heart to yours,
🖤 Autumn
Vicki, thank you with the deepest of heartfelt gratitude, my wonderfully sweet friend. 🙏
As much as what we experienced was a living nightmare, it could have, of course, been so much worst still and from the very get-go, we used the fact that we survived with no serious injuries as a huge catalyst on the road to rebuilding.
We were down for the count, no two ways about it, but not KOed completely and little by little, we’ve been able to rebuild our lives and savour a present (day) that is even more meaningful because of what we experienced back in October 2016.
Thank you so much for your beautiful support and for sharing in my immense delight that the fire wasn’t able to destroy these photos thanks to fact that they were housed online at the time.
Many factors led to me to launch this blog at the beginning of 2020, with one of the biggest and most important to me personally being so as document as many of my post-fire craft projects as possible.
As, while I hope with all my might we never experience anything like what happened five years again, the realist in me knows that anything is possible and if, goodness forbid, the unthinkable were to occur, at least that way (in theory!) I’d have a log of many of the projects I’ve created from 2016 to the present.
You are such a sweet, awesome soul, Vicki. Thank you deeply again for everything.
Countless hugs,
🖤 Autumn
I found your harrowing experience very moving and cannot begin to imagine how you felt, so pleased that these beautiful images are in your blog for us to see,Photos evoke so many half forgotten memories.
Thank you deeply for your immensely kind, heart-touching comment, Meg. It means so much to me.
How right you are about the way that photos can help to flesh out, so to speak, our memories and allow us to recall things in greater detail.
Many thanks again (including for your visit to my blog). May you have a cozy, safe, and truly lovely fall.
🖤 Autumn
The fire must have been a terrible experience. Having lost one’s home is tragic enough but to face losing the pet on the same day must have been a nightmare. Cats are such special creatures, I’m sure you miss it still. Our dog was poisoned 6 six ago and it was so heart-breaking we still didn’t get a new one. I have never experienced a fire in my home, but our old house was burgled three times so I know how losing things that are meaningful can hurt. Some loses do hurt- those things that carry special emotional and sentimental value and meaning. Sometimes we need to say our goodbyes. Losing art projects must have been hard too. It is good you have a digital record of it so you can remember them- and we can enjoy your paper projects via your blog. Beautiful Halloween cards- they are all so unique, every one is completely different and has a story of its own. You are very creative.
Dear Ivana, thank you immensely for your wonderfully kind and empathetic comment. You have such a caring heart.
I am tremendously sorry that you’ve experienced being burgled not once, not twice, but three very stressful times. I experienced being burgled myself, too, many years ago when I was living on my own in the city of Calgry, Alberta. To this day, I still get a cold chill down my spine sometimes when I think about what happened and how it made me feel.
I can only imagine the profound challenges of being burgled multiple times and the toll – mentally, emotionally, economically, and so forth – that is must have taken on you, sweet lady.
Thank very much for sharing about such an intimate part of your life with me/us here. It is my unwavering hope that your home is never robbed again, nor threatened in any way by fire, natural disasters or anything else that could do serious harm to it. 🙏
Immense hugs & the happiest of summer-into-fall blessings coming your way,
🖤 Autumn
Thinking of you Autumn. Also grateful for all you share.
To be thought of in a caring light is amongst the greatest blessings one can experience. Thank you immensely for thinking of me/us, sweet soul, and for brightening my month with your radiant kindness.
🖤 Autumn
I’ll never forget that tragedy and am constantly concerned about its continuing effect on your life. This is a special, meaningful post. Thanks for sharing.
Ally, that means more to me than mere words alone could ever do justice to. Thank you with the greatest of gratitude.
For all that the fire destroyed or otherwise tore asunder, it, mercifully, spared many of my friendships (though some did suddenly vanish with substantial haste the moment my vintage blog was no more), including our own.
I am truly grateful for that – just as I am your heart-touching kindness.
🖤 Autumn
Your tragic loss is unimaginable to me, but it’s already made you stronger in spite of the sorrow. I’m glad you have fond memories and digital images to reflect on what you once had, as they will give you strength in the future every time you view them. I don’t understand what makes people say and do such horrible things to one another, but I hope your life will be rebuilt on solid ground with many new adventures awaiting you. For every sad moment you’ve endured, may you have 1000 good experiences in the future. Kindness matters!
Your immensely caring comment touched me to my core, Carol. Thank you wholeheartedly for blessing my life with such kind and meaningful words. 🙏
What we went through was unquestionably awful and will remain with us in varying ways always, but things could certainly have been worst still and not a day goes by that we don’t count our lucky stars that they weren’t (even) more severe.
That night drove home just how astronomically powerful both flames and smoke are, and how quickly any living being could succumb to the horrific impact of either. Thank the stars above, that did not happen to my husband, our dog, or me. We will forever wish we could say the same about our cat, too, but unfortunately that is not the case. She was the sweetest, shiest, most precious little tabby girl and we will love, miss, and remember her for all of our days.
Thank you again with the utmost of gratitude, Carol. You are a very sweet, compassionate person.
Immense hugs & the happiest start of fall wishes coming your way,
🖤 Autumn
I’m so glad you are still creating and sharing about your tragic fire, both are so important to the long healing process of an event like this. My heart goes out to you Autumn. Hugs, Donna
Thank you mightly, sweet Donna. I truly appreciate your support and heart-touching kindness.
How right you are about the cathartic, healing elements inherent for many of us in the creative process. I have experienced this for numerous reasons throughout my life (as well as on a perpetual ongoing basis to help counterbalance my medical challenges and other difficult points in day-to-day life), but never has it been of more help than over the past (nearly) five years as we’ve gradually been able to rebuild our lives and heal from the trauma of that fateful event.
Really, thank you again, my kind, wonderful friend.
Countless hugs,
🖤 Autumn
Has it been five years already? I remember this vividly, including reading about it in the news here (and I donated to your page, in memory of Stella).
It still chokes me up, thinking of your dear kitty and all of your hard work lost (not to mention your gorgeous vintage clothes!). Sad though it may be, it does remind one that things…do not matter. They are only things and can be replaced.
I’m glad you vowed to not stop crafting after that – why stop just because you lost some of it? – and kept doing the art that you love. If we had a fire (gawds forbid), I would go right back to collecting clothes and shoes and jewelry again, and I’d also be grateful to have my pictures on my blog to remember it all by. Funnily enough, that is one of the reasons I started blogging – so that I would be able to demonstrate that, indeed, I do own 100 pairs of shoes!
I loved seeing these cards and scrapbook pages, such great memories. Hugs to you on this sad anniversary, my dear friend.
My immensely dear friend, thank you with the most appreciative of hearts for your unwavering kindness and support in the wake of the fire – including donating to the funding campaign that was set up for us. You have mine and Tony’s (and Annie’s too, of course) ceaseless gratitude.
It is such a profoundly strange, unnerving, and unnatural experience to lose virtually all of one’s worldly goods in the blink of an eye. To this day, I still experience brief moments where I think to myself that all of the belongings I used to own are still somewhere, just waiting for me to connect with them again.
Of course, I know and 110% understand that such is not the case and have worked very hard to come to terms with what both myself and Tony lost that night.
Human and animal life is vastly more important than even those items we cherish most and the fact that Tony, Annie, and I have each other is the biggest blessing possible in respect to a life-altering experience like that.
I hope with every fibre of being that you never experience something similar yourself, but promise you that if (goodness beyond forbit) you were to, I would be there in every way possible – including happily sharing items from my current wardrobe with you. In fact, it would be a sincere honour to help you out in that way, if the need were to arise.
Let us hope and implore the universe that you never find yourself in that kind of situation though and that, likewise, we only go through one “total loss” tragedy in our life.
The biggest, most appreciative hugs ever,
🖤 Autumn
This is such a wonderful post Autumn! I bet it helps to see all of these creations in one post and brings back some very happy childhood memories. All of your projects are gorgeous and have so many beautiful details, I bet they were so fun to make!
I’m glad you are still creating even after this terrible experience.
Take care, Tammy
Wonderfully sweet Tammy, thank you very much for your beautiful, supportive comment. You are spot on regarding the positivity that washes over me when I look at these pre-fire creations.
The memories are a heart-touching blend of recalling the events pictured in them, as well as when I made these projects themselves over the years.
It’s also both fun and meaningful to me to see the ways in which I’ve grown (and hopefully are continuing to grow) as a paper crafter, while at the same time, celebrating certain elements of my style that have been there from the beginning. for me.
I’ve been having oodles of fun in recent weeks, whipping up several new fall, Thanksgiving (which transpires pre-Halloween here in Canada, on the second Monday in October), and Halloween makes. I’m super-duper looking forward to (presumably) blogging all of them – starting with an ink blended woodland scene greeting that I’ll be posting on the first day of fall.
Immense and endlessly appreciative thanks again, my dear friend.
Tons of hugs,
🖤 Autumn
Thank you for sharing these memories with us. What a terrible thing to have happened to you. I am so glad you have come out the other side and have managed to reclaim some of your lovely photos xx
Thank you with the utmost of appreciation, dear Hilary. Your kindness and support mean a great deal to me/us.
Penning this post proved to be a really cathartic and beneficial activity for me – more so than I would have guessed before doing so.
Words of understanding and compassion like your own are wholly uplifting and healing as well. Thank you again for being so very lovely to me/us.
Immense hugs & the cheeriest of autumn wishes,
🖤 Autumn
How devastating to have lost your home. I honestly cannot imagine. I love that you have beautiful childhood memories that you’ve scrapbooked so beautifully!! I love your fun Halloween cards too. This time of year always brings such joy to my heart!
What a beautiful, deeply touching comment, Celeste. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I am beyond grateful to have photos of these pages and moreover, the memories that accompany them.
My childhood was far from a bed of roses in many respects, but blessedly, there were some really wonderful, memorable times amongst the much more difficult ones.
I’ve always enjoyed scrapping about my early years (both the good and the challenging) and hope to keep doing so with the wee handful of photos and scans of originals I have been able to obtain post-fire.
That’s awesome! Same here to no end. As I like to say, if one has the seasonal equivalent of a soul mate, fall time is unquestionably mine.
It’s a joy to connect with you, my fellow autumn adoring soul. I look forward to seeing any and all fall projects you blog about this year and in turn, hope that you’ll enjoy the festive slew of fall and Halloween makes I that have coming down the pipeline here. 🎃
Huge hugs & countless more thanks,
🖤 Autumn
Beautiful, creative and gorgeous colours in your amazing post. Your story of losing everything during the autumn was heartbreaking. Take care in whatever you do in life. xx xx
Thank you wholeheartedly, sweet Annie. I (we) truly appreciate your uplifting words of support and your meaningful well wishes for the future.
Humbly, I am really proud of the progress we’ve made since that fateful night nearly five years ago and remain steadfastly optimistic that in another five years (aka, on the 10th anniversary of the fire) we’ll have rebuilt, healed, and continued to thrive all the more still. 💗
Huge hugs & the deepest of gratitude coming your way,
🖤 Autumn
It’s hard to believe that 5 years have passed since that devastating tragedy, and I still remember as if yesterday how shell-shocked I was when I first learned about it. While the loss you suffered is quite unimaginable, I am admiring your tenacity, will-power and courage to start afresh and it gladdens my heart that you haven’t lost your love of paper crafting. What a wonderful, if certainly poignant and bittersweet, post, Autumn! xxx
My cherished friend, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible support and kindness over the years. It is not something I take lightly or for granted in the slightest.
I am so grateful that we’ve remained in each other’s lives via the web throughout the past five years and sincerely hope that we will continue to be able to do so for decades to come.
Endless hugs, the utmost of gratitude, and the very happiest of fall time wishes coming your way.
🖤 Autumn
Can not image how sad you must feel to have lost your kitty and your home in that fire. It must have broken your heart. So sorry you had to go throught all that loss. I love your creations, they are wonderful. Sending healing hugs.
Thank you mightly, dearest Anesha. You are such a caring, lovely soul. 💗
The fire was a brutal, life-altering thing to endure for sure, but the fact that my husband and I, along with our precious dog (Annie), made it through alive and without any serious injuries truly helped pulling through incredibly challenging times a bit easier.
We have been one another’s rocks all the more since then and are stronger both as a couple (or, should I say, a trio 🐶) and as individuals because of it.
Thank you again so much, my sweet friend – very much including for your wonderfully nice words about this selection of pre-fire projects.
Huge hugs & the very happiest of summer-into-fall wishes coming your way!
🖤 Autumn
The first part of your post brought me to tears. I’ve read about the fire before and yet it always breaks my heart to know of your losses, and especially that of your beloved Stella. I just love the page you’ve made for her. Your creations are all so lovingly made and I’m thankful you do have photos of your work. Thanks for sharing with us.
Wonderfully sweet Kate, thank you for the soul-touching kindness of your comment and for sharing in our perpetual grief over the loss of darling Stella. She was such a sweet, shy, special, and incredibly precious being who did not, in any way, deserve the fate that befell her than tragic evening.
Her loss is a wound that will never fully heal, but at the same time, her memory is one that will bring us joy forever. We are incredibly grateful for the years we got to share with that precious feline soul and will never stop loving her with all of our hearts.
Thank you again so much, my dear friend. You’re such a warmhearted, terrific person.
Giant hugs from my heart to yours,
🖤 Autumn
How wonderful to be able to share these fabulous projects with us Autumn, you are an inspiration to us all, it is wonderful how you have rebuilt your life – I cannot begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for you.
Pauline – Crafting with Cotnob
x
That is tremendously kind and supportive of you to say, sweet Pauline. Thank you for the blessing of your compassion, as well as for the gift of online friendship that we share.
As I was penning this post, the powerful thought struck me that had I retired (so to speak) from paper crafting in the wake of the fire, it is rather unlikely I would have crossed paths online with a lot of the awesome individuals I’ve met since launching this blog at the start of 2020.
That is really sad thought and makes me all the more thankful that I not only continued to keep card making and scrapbooking (et al), but that I started this blog. 😃
I cherish the connections and friendships that have sprung to life from it, and I am super grateful to be a part of the amazing online paper crafting community. 🙏
Huge hugs & the sunniest of summer-into-fall wishes coming your way,
🖤 Autumn
These are all such beautiful works of art, Autumn. I’m so glad you were able to recover from that devastating event and return to your beloved world of paper crafting.
Thank you deeply, my immensely dear friend. Your kindness touched my heart and brought a very welcome smile to my face.
As we head into our mutually beloved autumn, please know that my thoughts and happiest wishes for a sunny, safe, serene, and splendidly joyful season are with you.
Super cozy pumpkin spice hugs coming your way!
🖤 Autumn
So many great projects. I really enjoy the no traditional soft colors of the layouts from your childhood. I am so sorry for your loss. You have a great attitude for recovery and healing.
You are tremendously kind and carding, dear Alicia. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
This anniversary – the 5th since that fateful night – weighed heavily on me, but thankfully as soon as the actual date (October 13th itself) had passed, things quickly lightened up for me on that front. I think the fact that this year marked a full half a decade since the fire is primarily why it was really on my mind this time around.
Happily, October is always a very fun + busy month for me, so I’ve had (and have) no shortage of great things to focus on instead – very much including the lead up to my favourite day of the year (Halloween/Samhain).
Thank you again deeply, sweet soul.
May you have a joyful, safe, and enchantingly lovely Halloween + Samhain season!
🖤 Autumn
I remember the arson fire very well, I saw it on IG and thought that it wasn’t true. But it was, and then I ran around trying to put together a care pack for your, because I had to send some love your way. In Denmark we have a saying that you should get back on the horse, meaning don’t quit because something bad has happened. You truly sit high in the saddle, I love your artwork. And I owe you a mail with a HUGE thank you for all your amazsing gifts AND a homemade card, but life is hectic. Wishing you a lovely day, dear. 🙂
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible support in the wake of the fire (and both long before and since on a myriad of fronts), dear Sanne. It is something I am profoundly grateful for and which I will never forget.
Even now, to this day, while I long come to accept what befell us five years ago, there are still times when it feels surreal to me. I too wish it hadn’t been real, but alas, it was and mercifully, save for our darling Stella (rest her precious soul), we made it through without any serious injury or loss of life.
As bad as they were, things could always have been worse and we made a point to recognize that from the very get-go.
Tony and I will forever be appreciative of your heart-touching generosity and beautiful kindness. Truly, thank you.
And a very big thanks as well for letting me know that my parcel reached you safely. I’m just starting to catch up on blog comments here that have come in over the past few weeks, so am just reading now that it got to you. Yay!!!
I’m deeply sorry that things have been hectic for you as of late. Please remember that I am always just an email away if there’s anything you’d like to chat about, my sweet friend.
Hugs hugs, perpetual gratitude, and the cheeriest of pumpkin season wishes coming your way!
🖤 Autumn