Birds Have Wings: Art Journal page

We have an art journal challenge this month and for the first time I feel like I really got into the concept to create something personal and fun. Using a bird theme was part of the greater success I'm sure. "Birds Have Wings" is something we say when an unexpectedly rare bird shows up. It is true in both a literal sense and figuratively. I used a letter-size page (8.5 x 11 inches).

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Designer Credits:
-background, transfer: ArtPlay Palette Salty Living by Anna Aspnes
-bird drawing, raven, tree, ticket: Zen & the Art of: All Hallows Eve by Maya de Groot
-wings, bug (half): Zen & the Art of: Steam Machines by Maya de Groot
-frame, arrow, word art, hummingbird: Aero Toni by Maya de Groot
-butterfly wing, winged girl (half): Count the Ways by Joanne Brisebois
-map: Travel Americas No. 2 by Anna ASpnes
-bird drawing: APP Viaggio by Anna Aspnes
fonts: Alte Caps, Aquanaut, BenquiatGot Bk BT, Carbon Block, Dauphin, Castenet, Kingthings Wrote, James Fajardo

Images of Autumn

Both new and older photos of autumn scenes have been the focus of several new pages. First below are wild flowers called New England Asters that I love. They are also popular with bees and butterflies. Second is a picture of a dead tree that was apparently split down the middle, the two parts falling opposite one another, with the middle now home to a vine, its leaves turning color. Last is a beautiful scene from two years ago.

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Designer Credits:
-template: October CopyCat Challenge template by Elisa (EHStudios) based on "Accrobranche" by Dumpty 
-papers: Oscraps Collab nOvel
-swirl: Blessed Blooms by Danielle Young
-dragonfly: Serendipity by Jennifer Labre
fonts: Ultima Campagnoli, USA Light

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Designer Credits:

Anna Lift of ‘.F.A.L.L.‘ by Guinevere 

by Anna Aspnes:

-paper, transfer (one as photo mask), frame, tree: ArtPlay Palette Family

-word art: WordTransfers Life No. 1

-stitching: StraightLine Stitched White No. 3

-dried flower (blended): APP Bask

& red leaf: Zen & the Art of: All Hallows Eve by Maya de Groot

fonts: Dry Goods Antique JL, Pristina, Southern

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Designer Credits:
all Anna Aspnes
-paper, transfer: ArtPlay Palette Bask
-brush as photo mask: APP Salty Living
-frame: APP No. 10
-twig sketch, bead: APP Barren Sunrise
-doodle: APP Sophistica
-leaves: GoldLeaves No. 1
-stitching: KrissKross Stitched Overlays No. 1
fonts: Vengeance, Vogue

Faces of Family

This week's AnnaLift was inspired by a beautiful page of photos of the ages of a man. I chose to interpret it with photos of my great-great-grandfather, his sister and three of their cousins. Their faces show a strong resemblance. I used the same pictures along with those from other generations in an earlier page here, but much prefer the design of this new one.

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Designer Credits:
all Anna Aspnes
-paper, transfers: ArtPlay Palette Tapestry
-brush, wood button: APP Salty Living
-button, brad: APP Family
fonts: Banff, Bradley Hand ITC, First Order

New Family History Pages

This month we had a Theme Challenge for family history and a question we wish could be answered. I used a postcard I recently bought on eBay of the National Soldiers' Home in Milwaukee. It reminded me of a puzzling bit about the daughter of my 2nd great grandfather and his second wife.

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Designer Credits:
Zen & the Art of: Steam Machines by Maya de Groot
fonts: James Fajardo, France

I also wanted to use a beautiful photo of my grandmother with the new Oscraps Collaborative kit nOvel. I only knew her as an elderly lady and she often sat with a book.

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Designer Credits:
Oscraps Collab NOvel - coming very soon to the Oscraps shop!
font: Celtic Hand

From my husband's family I decided to use a photo, possibly from the 1950's, of his Aunt Alice and UncleAl. I had a wonderful time playing with elements to create the cluster from a tutorial just posted.

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Designer Credits:
Zen & the Art of: Steam Machines by Maya de Groot
cluster tutorial by Scrappie Irene
fonts: Lithograph, Minya Nouvelle

Last Days of Summer

September 12th and 13th were the last really warm days here. We made sure to get out for a little birding to soak it up. We encountered quite a few fall migrants in the process including a Hooded Warbler one day and Philadelphia Vireo the next. We saw numbers of Chipping Sparrows and Swainson's Thurshes. Lots of Gray Catbirds were enjoying the berries on pokeweed in Lake View. We didn't see much in a brief tour of the lakefront, but did see a Green Heron, Northern Shovelers and Blue-winged Teal. Lovely memories of warm days and passing birds.

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Designer Credits:
-background: 52 Inspirations {2012} Week 9 by Sue Cummings
-photo mask: 52 Inspirations {2012} Week 22 by Vicki Stegall
-stamp labels: 52 Inspirations {2012} Week 33 by Sue Cummings
-word art: 52 Inspirations {2012} Week 31 by Sue Cummings
-word art: 52 Inspirations {2012} Week 19 by Sue Cummings
-brushes: ArtPlay Viaggio BrushSet by Anna Aspnes
-brown button: Oscraps Collab nOvel
-gray button: Oscraps Collab Homespun
-bow: Sweater Weather by One Little Bird
font: EnviroD

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Designer Credits:
-template: September CopyCat Challenge No. 1 template by Elisa (EHStudios) based on "Sweet Moment" by Kym
-background: 52 Inspirations {2012} Week 31 by Sue Cummings
-frame: 52 Inspirations {2012} Week 23 by Sue Cummings
-gray flower, stitching: Reminisce by Leora Sanford
-yellow flower, patterned papers, paint: Oscraps Collab DandeliOn Days
fonts: Amapola, Lemon Chicken, Corbel

Old Bird Pictures in a New Look

I've recently scrapped new pages for old bird photos and an old drawing. The first is of an Ivory Gull in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. My BIL found this arctic species on Lake Erie on the 17th. My photos are from the 18th of December 1975. This is still one of my most special experiences. I've used the photos before, but really like this treatment a lot more.

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Design Credits:
Anna Aspnes
ArtPlay Palette Salty Living
-frames: APP Family
fonts: Koala, Earwig Factory, Engravers MT, Bradley Hand ITC, Cardinal

The next one is of a White-tailed Tropicbird where they nest in Puerto Rico, a photo Dick took in 1996. We've also seen them in Florida. We both think tropicbirds are so fabulous! I called it "poetry in flight."

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Designer Credits:
AnnaLift of 'untitled' by veer 
all Anna Aspnes
-background: ArtPlay Solids Viaggio
-photomask 1: ArtPlay Palette No. 1
-photomask 2: Original FotoBlendz No. 12
-brad: APP Viaggio
-spiral brush, dark brush, texture brush: APP Autumn Haze
-linear brush: APP Salty Living
font: Corbel

Most recently I was inspired by the eyes of a child in an inspiration page to use an old drawing. I settled on this favorite of a Red-headed Woodpecker from a page of them in an old sketchbook from 1984. I got to use this one as the basis of the cover illustration of a local bird publication.

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Designer Credits:
AnnaLift of ‘eyes’ by margeda
all Anna Aspnes:
-background: Layered Tissue Autumn Paperie No. 1
-frame: Torn FotoFrames No. 2
-elements: ArtPlay Palette Ablaze
fonts: KG Skinny Latte, Minya Nouvelle

Favorite Teachers

There's a special topic just now on school days. One question asked was about favorite teachers. I did pages for my top two favorites and just have to post them here as they went away with the former site.

Here is my current post: I've done pages for two favorites teachers. One was my 2nd grade teacher who was so kind but still got us to work. Then there was my math teacher who taught three of my four years of high school math. He encouraged me and pushed me to apply to a summer math program & I got in. It was wonderful. One other teacher stands out as special. She taught 9th grade general science. She made everything so very interesting.