Cousins Revisited

In an October challenge to do a subdued page with a touch of red I revisited a photo of Dick and his cousin when they got together two years ago. I love the result without the distraction of colors.

___________________________
Designer Credits:
-background, gold pieces, red flower: Merry by Dido Designs
-border paper (blended), tape brush, thread, butterfly, brush: GreenLeaf by Dido Designs
-photo mask: WaterColor FotoBlendz No. 1 by Anna Aspnes
fonts: Lemon Chicken, Pea Beth

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.

__________________________
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

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

Lovely Memory in March

The memory is a simple one of time spent together enjoying the world around us. This photo was taken by Dick when we had a small flock of Cedar Waxwings feeding low. The page design is based on a "web inspiration" challenge. This was at the same time as the raccoon looking out its hole in the tree.

_____________________________
Designer Credits:
-papers, flower, leaf (some blending): Primavera by Maya de Groot
-word art: Sketchbook Artistry no. 1 by Sue Cummings
font: Boopee

March 2011 Revisited (Project 12)

Even though it is the end of April, I've only just finished my pages for the month of March. With everything turning green now, I needed to really think about my photos to remember what March felt like. I tried a different approach to the design with feature photos on one side and a template for a lot of little ones facing it. I think for this month of back and forth weather it worked well.

Here are the separate pages that you can click on see larger:

If the journaling is too small to read, here it is again: We had lots of snow in March but it took turns with nice days that led to spring blooms although the daffodils only made it to the bud stage. At least the snow never lasted long. I had the usual in genealogy meetings but we didn't get out birding very much. We did see spring arrivals on the lake and really enjoyed a lot of singing Fox Sparrows. Every Monday I was happy to attend class in collage journaling with a super pair of classmates. I spent a lot of time during ten of these days on the birthday celebration of a digital scrapbooking site. The last day of March found me at the state genealogical conference, a favorite time of the year.
_________________________
Designer Credits:
-background: Family Tree by Joanne Brisebois
-mat (also used as mask), word art: Sketchbook Artistry no. 1 by Sue Cummings
-template for right side: taylored page no. 7 by TaylorMade Designs
-some papers, border, bird (recolored): Primavera by Maya de Groot
-some papers, clouds: Home Sweet Home by Maya de Groot
-some papers: i remember you by Biograffiti
-dark blue paper: Ohana by Biograffiti
fonts: Girls are Weird, Dawn Castle, Lithograph

February Pages and beyond (Project 12)

I'm keeping up (just barely) with doing a two-page spread for each month. Just finished the pages for February and am very happy to move beyond the ice and snow!

Don't forget to click on the single page images to see more detail and maybe read the text.

 

Journaling reads:

Ice and snow, ice and snow, February began with more of ice and snow. The snow piled up and ice formed. A thin coating of snow on an icy driveway showed deer tracks plainly. Ice dams formed in the gutters then killer icicles fell. Mid-month a warm up cleared it mostly away but the 20th snow began turning to freezing rain coating everything. Sunlight on the ice created a sparkling fairyland. A foot of snow fell the 25th.

February was more than ice and snow. I started another session of collage journaling on the 7th and don't forget Valentine's Day! Dick's oat bran muffins kept coming and genealogy meetings were always on tap. Thankfully I felt well finally after the January cold or whatever. We warmed up enough to see some spring flowers and enjoy being outside. When the cold returned we even found four Mute Swans and Bald Eagles on the lake.

 ________________________

Designer Credits:

-papers, circular mat, button, bow, circular frame: Love Poppies by Celine Designs

-snowflakes: Winter Escape by Creations by Tinamarie

-date tag: itty bitty dates no. 7 by Biograffiti

fonts: Amienne, Lithograph

____________________________

I've also done the third installment of the Oscrap's members spotlight scraplift and this time I'm featuring an aspect of Spring! Yesterday a clump of crocus next door had a ton of flowers all in bloom at once. It looked great and I hope this captures that feeling of exuberance.

 __________________

Designer Credits:

life of LO photo no 53 by neat freak (Lorraine)
-paper, flowers, border: Sunrise.Sunset by Fei-fei's Stuff
-frame: Family Ties by Fei-fei's Stuff
font: harrison

January 2011 Review (Project 12 again)

I wasn't sure I'd keep up with the monthly pages again in 2011, but I've managed to put together a double page spread for January despite its having been somewhat of a lost month for me with the weather and, especially, a nasty cold. Here is the text from the page:

I don't know if January 2011 is better depicted with drifts of snow or heaps of used tissues from my cold. Either way I think of mounds of white, snow and ice. Actually we began the year with a few warmer days and we got out birding. Soon I wasn't going anywhere I didn't have to, even missing genealogy meetings in mid month. We saw my sister off to California for a little winter respite on the 11th driving in more snow than was really comfortable. One day we saw that our hibiscus was infested with little critters that turned out to be whiteflies. We tried a silly sounding trick that actually worked - spreading Vicks or Vaseline on bright orange cardboard and shooing them into flight when they went to the goo and stuck there. We had a treat when Elaine learned her Christmas present to us had never arrived and instead she sent us some yummy German-style goodies. On the 29th we went to dinner with new friends to share photos of Mexico with them and another couple. We baked a lemon cake like the one my father-in-law had for his birthdays. It was good and everyone enjoyed it. The evening was delightful, so nice to be with people with such similar interests! As our hosts are also artists, I made a collage card to send with our thanks and appreciation. One different photo here shows an old wedding dress in the window of a cleaners. It is next to the audiologist to whom I take my sister and it always intrigues me.

 Remember to click on the images to see them larger. Here are the pages separately:

___________________
Designer Credits:

-kit: The Gift by Fei-fei’s Stuff

-date tag: itty bitty dates no. 7 by Biograffiti

-white alpha: First Street by Miss Crow’s Magickal Emporium

fonts: Mufferaw (text), Lithograph, baby don’t worry bout it (tag)

January 2011 Begins

January 1st is the day I begin a new list of birds seen during the year. When faced with a challenge related to fresh starts I finally realized this would be my subject. We enjoyed warmer temperatures on New Year's day, the rain and mist less so. Now we're back to cold, but so far no ice and snow. So here is my first layout of 2011, Annual Bird List.

(Designer Credits: -kit: Shimmer by Kitty Designs
-swirl: Something Pop by Fei-fei's Stuff
-tag: Fresh Start by Ashalee Wall
fonts: Dali, Kings of Pacifica, Celtic Hand, Bradley Hand ITC)

Today we took a quick look in Lake View Cemetery after the first football game. We didn't have long between the lowering sun and the cemetery closing time of 5:30. The light was stunning! The sky was clear and blue with areas of gray clouds layered with puffy white ones. The sun was low so only the treetops and other tall things were well lit. The brilliant angel called out to be savored. So my second layout of the year features Dramatic Winter Light.

___________________
Designer Credits: Golden Memories by Retro Designs
fonts: Baveuse, Lemon Chicken, MisterEarl BT

Good Wishes for 2011

Last fall I found a nice vintage postcard to wish you all a Happy New Year. I sometimes browse antique malls for old postcards and found this one in Missouri. It went to a family in Wisconsin a long time ago. The greeting is just as apt today.

_______________________
Designer Credits: Bohemian August by Miss Crow's Magickal Emporium