domingo, 6 de octubre de 2019

An autumn day with the Hunter-Smyth Family

Dear Readers,

"Welcome Autumn" was the theme for Challenge#18 in the Sylvanian Families Collector Community . Even though real life is keeping me quite busy lately, I really wanted to join this challenge as autumn is my favourite season.

Autumn is also Camilla Hunter-Smyth´s favourite time of the year.As you can see, her kitchen wallpaper is proof of that.She absolutely adores the colours of autumn and she does everyhing she can to incorporate those colours into her fall decorating inside her home 


and also outside. Camila feels very proud of the autumnal wreath on the front door. She made it herself with the help of Rebecca Dingle, the village florist, who organized a workshop at her flower shop to show how to make autumnal wreaths and flower arrengements.



Here, Camila is decorating a huge pinecone she and her kids found on one of their walks in the forest.


The idea of the pumpkins was inspired by her three triplets. Autumn is also their favourite season. Playing in the leaves and Halloween is a lot of fun for them.


By the way, I can only spot two of them.Where is the other one? I´m afraid Georgina must be under that pile of leaves!



"What are you up to, kids?" Camila went to keep an eye on her youngest children. They get on quite well and have fun together but they are prone to get into mischief too.

"Just playing with the leaves,mum".


When you think of autumn,I´m sure most of you think of leaves falling from the trees. Leaves turning to set the wold ablaze with colour, leaves crunching under your feet, leaves to play with and leaves to be raked into piles. That´s exactly what Charles and his son Hector are doing. Truth to be told,Hector would rather be stomping on those crunchy leaves instead of raking them.



You have already met all the members of the Hunter-Smyth family except for Isabella, who is having a glass of milk in the kitchen.
"I´m going to the market, Isa. Would you like to come with me?"
"Yes, of course,mum!I´m just going to put on my cardigan and I´ll be right back."
The weather is still nice and mild but the air is a bit crisp and breezy in the morning and Isabella is a bit sensitive to cold.



"We´re going to the market. Kids, behave yourselves! Be good,ok?"
"Sure, mum!" (Look at those cute little faces!) 



When Camilla and Isabella came back from the Farmers´Market the triplets were surprisingly quiet and busy making an autumn craft that Charles suggested.
"Look, daddy!" Georgina said showing her leaf to her father.
"That´s lovely,sweetheart! Good job!" Charles praised her little daughter´s craft.

One by one, the tree of them  showed their leaves to their mum who was happy to see her youngest ones had behaved very well while she went shopping.



She liked her triplet´s leaf crafts so much that she put them on the fridge door. They were perfect as autumn decoration.Meanwhile, Charles took out the fruit and vegetables from the basket.
Georgina and Gerard, who were a bit hungry,couldn´t keep their eyes off those tasty apples.



Charles cut an apple into pieces and gave them to their kids.


They love apples especially in their mum´s apple pie, but they also enjoy them fresh as long as they are crisp and juicy.

"Some more? Yes,please!"



Camila started preparing lunch.She was going to make her delicious pumpkin soup which is one of her family´s favourite dishes at this time of the year.



While Camilla was preparing lunch, Charles and the children went for a walk in the forest.
Autumn is all about nature and nothing beats a walk through the forest in a beautiful autumn day.Leaves changing colours is one of natures´s finest moments for the Hunter-Smyths.


As the pumpking soup was cooking slowly, the kitchen was filling with a lovely scent that Camilla always associated with autumn.Inspired by the gorgeous outdoors and the sweet spicy flavours of the season,Camila felt like baking some biscuits. 
Autumn leaf biscuits! Her kids were going to love them!



"Into the oven!"



Meanwhile in the forest,Charles was trying to teach the triplets the difference between poisonous and edible mushrooms.



Come here everyone! Isabella shouted. These mushrooms are safe to eat! Let´s pick them up!


Back at the Hunter-Smyths´home, the soup was already cooked and Camilla placed it into a large ceramic serving pot. She tasted it and it was perfect!



There was a lovely smell of cinnamon and nutmeg in the kitchen. The biscuits were ready to be taken out of the oven.



Then, she put them on a lovely plate just perfect for the season.



Charles and the children should be home soon so Camilla set the table. She knew her kids were going to be starving after their walk.


When she finished setting the table she headed into the forest. Her family must be on their way back home and she went to meet up with them.

The triplets were specially excited to see their mum.
"Mum,we saw bad mushrooms, the ones that make your tummy sick and we saw a squirrel but not like the Walnuts, mum! This one had four legs and run very fast and dad has a basket full of good mushrooms and....and..... we are very hungry!"
Thomas was very tired and his brother Hector gave him a piggyback ride.Gerard,didn´t leave his flag for a second. He said he was the forest guide. Anytime they go for a walk into Acorn Forest he takes his flag with him. "Follow me everyone! This way!"
Even though he is still very young, he already has what it takes to be a little bit of a leader.


It was lovely to be back home.The wonderful aroma from the kitchen greeted them as they walked in the door. There´s  nothing  quite like a bowl of homemade soup with bread after a walk in the forest in an autumn day.
Her husband and her children thanked Camilla for such a tasty meal.
"A big clap for mum!" Isabella and Hector cheered  and the triplets clapped their little hands energetically.



Mmmm! Yummy warming soup!



They all enjoyed it!



As for the biscuits, they were all gone in the blink of an eye.Just some crumbs were left on the plate. 
Atumn leaves are great not only to play with but also to eat!

"Mum, will you bake some more,please!"
"Of course, I will" Who can say no to these three cute babies?




One of the reasons I like autumn is because I love the array of colours that you get outside. I love the bright colours of yellow, gold, orange and red that ushers the season. 
That´s why Charles and Camilla´s oufits inspired me to chose The Hunter-Smyth Chocolate Labrador family to feature this story.Besides, it was a good opportunity to unbox the baby triplets (they are truly adorable),the kitchen play set and the dining room set.

For this challenge I made some crafts, such as autumn leaves, the wreath on the door, Isabella´s cardigan and a little basket.

I made the leaves out of real leaves. I used two different leaf punches.




I used the small leaf punch for some of the leaf biscuits. I punched them on foam. The other shaped biscuits belong to the Village Cake Shop.As you can see, each side has a different colour.

Before baking
After baking


The plate were I put the biscuits it is just a plain plate but I put a sticker (for fabric) on top of it to match the autumn decoration.



As for the wreath,I made the base using very thin branches of a this kind of bush.



I shaped the branches into a round shape.



Then, I painted it brown using acrylic paint but actually there was no need for it. I stuck so many leaves that the base can´t be seen. I was so entertained sticking leaves on the wreath that I completely forgot to take  pictures of the process. It turned out too big.I was meant for a different house but it was too big for its door.


I also used faked moss,plastic flowers and orange ribbon.



Isabella´s cardigan is a piece of an old(but  clean)sock that I was going to throw away.I cut a little piece of fabric and made two holes.Not perfect but it will keep her warm.



For the little basket and the pot at the front door I used the cupule of an acorn.


The funny pumpkins and the big orange leaves were a gift from Nina,an on-line friend from Germany that I met through her blog "At the Periwinkle´s"
I also made the door mat pasting a printed picture on brown foam.




Hope you all enjoy the autumn season!(or spring if you are in the southern part of the globe)
Hugs!
Ilustration by Susan Wheeler





16 comentarios:

  1. Hi Cutata!

    I absolutely adored this post! I love everything about it: the pictures, the heart-warming story, all the little things you crafted, and the Hunter-Smyth family! Those triplets sure are irresistible, hehe! So adorable!

    You did a wonderful job with the tiny leaves, so cute! Loved seeing Hector and Charles raking them, and the triplets playing with them of course! They were so adorable and well behaved in this story! The wreath is just gorgeous, now I want to see the workshop Rebecca Dingle organised, hehe!
    The pumpkins Nina sent you are the cutest!

    I love Isabella's cardigan, it looks so warm and cozy, and didn't seem too difficult to make!

    The new kitchen set was perfect for this entry! The wallpaper you chose is perfect, love it! All the delicious food Camilla prepared made me feel hungry, haha! I love the leaf-shaped cookies you made, so clever to paint the two sides differently! The basket and pot you made with an acorn are lovely! What a great idea, and so very autumnal!

    I'm sure they all enjoyed their peaceful walk in the forest, and I'm glad Camilla was able to join them for a bit! The food must have tasted even more delicious afterwards!

    Thank you for another delightful post!
    Have a great Sunday!



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    1. Hi Ayrell!

      Thank you so much for your lovely comment!

      I´m afraid I was too busy to attend the workshop Rebecca Dingle organized, so there are no pictures of it haha!. I promise I´ll take some photos next time she organize a new one.

      Isabella´s cardigan is easy peacy to make. My daughter had a hole in one of her socks (Ha,ha un señor tomate!) so before throwing them away I thought of a way to reuse them.A very simple way to keep our sylvanians warm in the cold weather.I wish I could knit to be able to make a proper cardigan or jumper.

      The Hunter-Smyth Family is lovely. You helped me make up my mind to buy them after I saw them featured in one of your blog posts.Thanks! I´m really happy I bought them. This family wouldn´t be complete without the triplets. They are the cutest!

      Have a nice week!

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  2. Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.

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    1. Hi Sylvie!
      Thank you very much! I´m happy to read you liked my story! The triplets remind me of my kids. They also love playing in the leaves.
      Have a lovely week!

      Eliminar
  3. This is one of my favourites of your works both because it is one of your best so far and also because I love autumn! I went back again many times to adore the lovely colorful pictures and so well arranged scenes! The triplets are adorable and you have posed them perfectly in the garden with the leaves on them and also in the forest scenes which are fantastic! The coloured leaves make your pictures so magical! I also loved the kitchen diorama especially the scene with the autumn crafts! The details in every picture are amazing, there are even crumbs left in the biscuit plate! Everything you do is so wonderful my friend!

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    1. Hi Sylvanako!

      Thanks a million for your kind words!
      It makes me very happy to know you consider this post as one of your favourites as it is one of my favourites too!

      I really enjoyed making the crafts and setting the inside and outside scenes.
      The Hunter-Smyth is a very photogenic family and their colour and outfits suit the autumn colours.

      The scene of the craft was inspired in a craft activity I made with my first graders last year to welcome autumn. This year, in second grade, we´ll have to wait to do some crafts using leaves. There are leaves on the ground but the weather is very warm. It feels like summer, 29ºC today! It seems the temperatures are going to be high for the rest of the week.

      Haha, you spotted the little crumbs on the plate!

      Have a wonderful week!

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  4. Hi Cutata!
    I LOVED your latest post. The pictures really brought the Hunter-Smyth family to life, with all the detail and cute homemade accessories. They are such an adorable family. The autumn wreath was amazing, and the leaves on the ground were so tiny and cute. Over all, I think this is one of your best works from this blog! It was such a joy to read!

    Have a great autumn and a wonderful week,
    Emilie and the Maples

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    1. Hi Emilie!

      Thanks so much for your lovely comment!

      The Hunter-Smyths are adorable indeed! It is the first time I feature them in one of my stories but it won´t be the last, that´s for sure.

      I was happy I had those leaf punches. I bought them a long time ago and I wanted to do some autumn crafts to use them .This challenge was the perfect occasion.

      I´m delighted to read you enjoyed this story so much! It is also one of my favourites posts.

      Have a great week and a lovely autumn season to you too!

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  5. Wow, Cutata! This post has to be one of my absolute favourites! The Hunter-Smythes are so sweet and all the autumn colours really set off their clothes. You were very right to choose them!
    The backgrounds blended into the scenes so well that I thought some of them were actually real!
    Is the tablecloth in the kitchen made of fabric or paper? It looks really cool!
    Well done on this story! Have a great rest of the week!

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    1. Hi Kelsie,
      Thanks very much for your lovely comment!
      I´m happy to read this is one of your favourite posts.
      I really enjoyed setting the different scenes. At first, I only meant to take three pictures to show the outdoor autumn decorations and the leaves on the ground but as I was setting the scene more ideas came to my mind and I ended up writing a longer story.
      I didn´t have any autumn calendar pictures this time. The background at the back of the house is a small flashcard to teach vocabulary at school, for the rest I used my laptop screen. Ayrell gave me the idea as she did the same to take pictures in the forest in one of her posts.It worked out better than I expected.
      The tablecloth is made out of paper.It suited the colours of the kitchen.
      Have a great Sunday and a wonderful week!

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  6. Dear Cutata,


    Thank you for this cosy, heart-warming post.

    I had so much fun reading it and looking at your stunning scenes of the the Hunter-Smyths' home and the autumnal landscape. Your handmade autumn minis are exceptional, as always.

    The Hunter-Smyths have a lovely home and the triplets are absolutely adorable. Can't believe how cute the scene is where they all have leaves on their heads.

    I was startled to see something I recognized on the Hunter-Smyths' porch!! :D The pumpkins!! How nice to see where they are now living! :)

    One of my favourite parts of your story is the adorable leaf pictures the triplets paint and that Camilla immediately sticks them to the refrigerator door. I would have done that too, the pictures are sooo incredibly cute. <3


    Hugs and thanks yous
    from Nina, Fudge and Jemima

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  7. Hi Nina!
    Thanks a lot!
    I´m really happy you read this story and spotted your cute funny pumpkins!
    They are perfect for a Halloween story but I think they look great as part of The Hunter- Smyths´autumnal decoration.I´m glad you liked to see them there!
    The triplets are truly adorable and I really enjoyed taking pictures of them playing in the leaves and making their leaf craft. I made this craft activity with my first graders last year to welcome the new season. They painted the face and body parts on the leaves they picked up and wrote "Hello autumn". I remember how cute those leaves looked like so they inspired me to set up the crafting scene
    I´m sure Jemima would have enjoyed joining the triplet in this crafting session. I know she likes drawing and she is quite good at it.
    Tanya and Munchie say hello and send their regards and a big hug to all their friends from Riverside.
    A special hug for you too! I´m glad to hear from you!

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  8. Astounding, Cutata.
    The amount of work in this wonderful story must have taken ages, and the detail is - as always - marvellous. From the lovely kitchen wallpaper, the clever and colourful exteriors, the range of foodstuffs and tiny accessories you have brought to the tale, I am again so pleased to have discovered your blog all those months ago.
    To top it all, you've really brought out the characters of your Hunter-Smyth family. Absolutely lovely!

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    1. Hi Jackson,
      Sorry for taking so long to reply to your comment. Real life has kept me away from sylvanians for the past two months. Even though I´m still busy, today I decided to allow some time for myself to read the forum and my favourite blogs.
      I´m glad to hear you enjoyed my autumn story. I always appreciate your kind and supportive comments.
      Have a great day!

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  9. I love this!! Your photos and crafts are amazing!

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  10. Hi Sophie,
    Thank you for your kind words. I ´m glad to hear you enjoyed this story.

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