Drawing #27 - Walter Sails Away

Back in the small format of my 7 x 10 inch sketchbook, work went more quickly. The landscape mapping in #26 went on seemingly forever. Then I reached a point where the end was clearly in sight. Only a little more work was required to reach it. At the same time though I could see the idea for this one. At first I thought it related to the owl and the pussy cat. The boat though was definitely NOT pea green. Turns out the one sailing away was Walter, still under the spell of Edward Lear. I suspect the land where the Bong-tree grows is calling to our affectionate brother, Walter. (As it is written in my mother's elementary reader.) With February approaching we might all wish to be there dining on mince and slices of quince.

Winter Birding Along the Lake

The AnnaLift this week encouraged me to use a number of photos I took while we birded on a gray, slightly rainy afternoon on Friday in and around the harbor in Lorain. There were lots of gulls though we didn't see many of the unusual ones. Another attraction was the numbers of Common Mergansers. They are such handsome birds, but I didn't get any pictures of them, alas.

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Designer Credits:
all Anna Aspnes
-background (right), brush: ArtPlay Palette Sophistica 
-background (left): ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise
-blue patterned paper: ArtsyBlendz Snow Paperie
-flower: ArtPlay Palette Encapsulate
fonts: EwieD, Lithograph, Journal

Drawing #26 - Mapping the Landscape

As I consider my drawings mental landscapes, this one is a landscape mapping. It is the multimedia format as usual. This one is done of 12 x 16 inch watercolor paper with a collage of papers, acrylic paints and black and gold inks. Remember to click on the image to see it larger, but you may need to right click for options to see it full size.

Rare Gulls for another Digi Dare

This week the Digi Dares are celebrating a 5 year anniversary. Digi Dare #260 must feature 5 somethings with 5 papers, 5 colors, 5 fasteners and 5 fonts or alphas. I thought of the five rarest species of gulls to appear in the state of Ohio. Ivory, Heermann's, Ross's, and Black-tailed Gulls have each been documented once in the state. That once might be one day or a whole season. I know that is only four, but an uncommon gull here, the Sabine's once spent the winter. It was a bird of the year (or immature) and by January and February it had changed plumage in a process not seen in North America before as they winter far to the south. That is pretty rare too. The top photo is one I took of the Ivory Gull found by my BIL. The next too are Dick's photos. Ross's Gull is also affectionately known as "the pink one" as they have a pinkish cast. All we have to record it are my ID sketches. Last is a photo by a more fortunate birder who was MUCH closer to the current rare gull. My five "colors" are black, white, gray, brown, and pink in honor of "the pink one." This was lots of fun to work on.

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Designer Credits:
-brown, pink, white papers: Sweetness and Light by Retro Designs
-gray paper: Oscraps Collab Homespun
-black paper: All Hallow's Night: Designs by Leora Sanford
-prong, brown/white button, brad, pearl: ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise by Anna Aspnes
-black button, tape: ArtPlay Palette Sophistica by Anna Aspnes
-pink paint: little bits & pieces sampler by Sue Cummings
-frame, stitching: Early Bird by Deb Ammerman
-5 alpha: Serendipity by Jennifer Labre
fonts: Mufferaw, Pea Beth, Dry Goods Antique JL, Planet Benson 2, More Enchanted Prairie Dog, Impress BT

Remembering Glacier Bay and our Alaska Trip

Another week and another AnnaLift had me thinking of Glacier Bay and our birding tour to Alaska. We cannot believe this was 30 years ago! It was amazing. The park brochure (in the layout) has marked on the map how much one of the glaciers had retreated since the 1890s. I don't want to find out how far they have retreated since we saw them. I also love looking at what I was wearing. The parka is one I made from a Frostline kit. I added a contrasting yoke in purple with chartreuse machine stitching. The hat I crocheted in my own design. I thought I was fat and out-of-shape then, but wish I could be like that now.

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Designer Credits:
all Anna Aspnes
-background: ArtsyBlendz Snow Paperie No. 2
-transfer strip (blended): ArtPlay Palette Ablaze
-brush, overlay lines: ArtPlay Palette Sophistica
font: Frankfurt Gothic

Window In Time

While working on this page with a photo I took around my 12th birthday I began seeing it as a window in time, remembering my parents and cat. I even remember that blouse, the feel of the cloth and its colors. I can almost feel the air. I used Helen's newest kit "Sweetness and Light" and it is lovely.

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Designer Credits:
Sweetness and Light by Retro Designs
fonts: Snell BT, Mufferaw

Making No New Year's Resolutions

This month there is a journaling challenge featuring resolutions (or not) and I went with not. I never do them, hate "shoulds" and it never seems to take. That doesn't mean I have no hopes, dreams or aspirations, just nothing codified. Well I wrote that up as best I could.

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Designer Credits:
Oscraps Collab: Homespun
fonts: Shotgun Blanks BT, Jellyka, End_less Voyage

Memories of Spring

This week's AnnaLift featuring bright colors and flowers and I was moved to do my page with photos of violets in the grass of our lawn last April. It is full of the feel of spring and warmer weather. This week's Digi Dare #259 is a gem calling for a sky photo. I have some of those scattered over the months. The one that appealed most was from my birthday last May. It too has a decided feel of warmer days. They make quite a pair to lift spirits when it is snowing or blowing or just plain gray outside.

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Designer Credits:
colored edge filter (in purple) applied to top photo
designs by Anna Aspnes:
-papers: MonoBlendz Lima Paperie
-top photo mask: ArtPlay Palette No. 10
-lower photo mask: ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise
-leaf/word art brush: EtchedLeaves No. 1
-brad: ArtPlay Palette Santa Nicholas Add-On 1
-floral brush, word art brush, swirly brush, red mini brad, strip (blended): ArtPlay Palette Ablaze
-circle lines: ArtPlay Palette Sophistica
fonts: Ellianarelle's Path, Boopee, Dry Goods Antique SmC JL, iNked God

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Designer Credits:
-background: Family Tree by Joanne Brisebois
-patterned paper (blended): Whispering Trees - Creations by TinaMarie
-buff paper: Composition by One Little Bird
-gray frame: Old Stuff: Frames by Jodie McNally
-paints, celebrate word art, small paper, swirl, white frame: Little Bits & Pieces No. 2 by Sue Cummings
-transfer used as photo mask: ArtPlay Palette Autumn Haze by Anna Aspnes
font: Flemish Script BT

More Ice in the Sun

I took a lot of pictures of the icy creations on the 4th and here are two more. I did this page for a creative techniques challenge, this time a year in review of all the topics covered last year. My main one was a photo within a photo but also used a high pass sharpen filter (on the small photo and overall on the web-sized version) and did a little cluster work. The large photo has a hard light blend mode. I call it "Glisten and Glow."

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Designer Credits:
Santangles by Maya de Groot
fonts: Dali, Corbel

Birthday Card for Helen

Happy Birthday, Helen!
Hope you have a wonderful one. Here's a little card composed of goodies from many of your kits.

To see more of the creations of Retro Designs, visit the blog and store.

Light of a Late Afternoon Sun

Last week we went out one sunny afternoon and found fantastic ice formations along the lake. In the warm light of the late afternoon sun they looked enchanted. We birded west to the lakefront airport as the sinking sun created a colorful sky. At the airport we saw three Short-eared Owls up and hunting. I took lots of photos of the ice and sky and have created two pages from them so far. The ice photo was done for the January color challenge which featured just such warm colors. The sky photos were my attempt at this week's AnnaLift.

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Designer Credits:
-background paper, brown strip: Italian Coffee Blends by Creations by TinaMarie
-other papers, paint splotches, stitching, flower: Terra Toni by Maya de Groot
-floral stamp: Fallen Sun by TaylorMade Designs
fonts: Snell Bd BT, Shotgun BT

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Designer Credits:
all Anna Aspnes
-paper, brad: ArtPlay Palette Santa Nicholas Add-On 1
-edging, brush: ArtPlay Palette Ablaze
-outline brush, frame, transfer: ArtPlay Palette Sophistica
-leaf brush: Etched Leaves 1
-text brush: ArtPlay Palette Encapsulate
fonts: Pea Anderson, More Enchanted Prairie Dog, KrooKed

2011: Two Reviews

This month the copycat challenge was based on 12 thumbnails of scrapbook layouts. I used it for monthly pages featuring birds or other outdoor topics. I also got a template with a grid for 16 photos. I used it for monthly images with a little text. March and December each got two photos. It was tough to choose from all the photos taken, but I like the resulting feel for the year. Remember to click for larger views.

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Designer Credits:
-template: Copycat Challenge Jan 2012 by EHStudios (Elisa) featuring her "Flock of Favs"
-paper: 52 Inspirations {2011} Week 33 by Sue Cummings
-butterfly: 52 Inspirations {2012} Week 1 by Sue Cummings
-flower: Composition by One Little Bird
-brush: ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise by Anna Aspnes
font: Koala

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Designer Credits:
-template: 52 Projects No. 1 by Sue Cummings
-green paper: MonoBlendz Sage No. 1 by Anna Aspnes
font: Dauphin

A Portrait Series

Three different challenges this month have drawn me to scrap what amounts to a series of portraits. One was for a self-portrait, so you know who is in that one. The web inspiration challenge is based on a fantastic Life Magazine photo of Clark Gable seated in a car reading Gone With the Wind. I think that influenced a photo I took of Dick which then had to be used in my response. Third, I took a photo of my sister last month on her birthday and used it in the last week's AnnaLift. It was surprising to see them all together as it is not my usual style. So here we are.

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Designer Credits:
-papers, stamp, circular element: Oscraps Collab Winter Wonderland
-frame, flower, fern, tag: Santangles by Maya de Groot
fonts: Sybil Green, Freeport

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Designer Credits:
Recollection by Joanne Brisebois
fonts: Angel Tears, Hurry Up, 1942 report, CrayonE

Journaling reads:
We have furniture and jewelry, tools and kitchen items from the houses of grandparents, parents, even aunts and uncles. Many of them are things we really use. Sometimes it feels like living in a museum. Sometimes it is hard not to feel like another of the antiques! The lion's head rocking chair came from my maternal grandmother. My father had it and refinished it beautifully. Now it is mine.

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Designer Credits:
lift of "Last Days of Summer" by marnie333
designs by Anna Aspnes:
-paper: ArtPlay Palette Encapsulate
-photo mask and transfer used as photo mask: ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise
-transfers, frame (altered): ArtPlay Palette Ablaze
-stitching, clock: ArtPlay Palette No. 10
font: Hurry Up