GSO on Heritage Page

I did a heritage page following a tutorial and it has taken off in the comments and then garnered a Gallery Standouts listing. Pretty exciting stuff. The photo includes my brother and sister and some of our father's relatives.

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Designer Credits:
tutorial from Anna's blog on heritage photos: [link]
all by Anna Aspnes
ArtPlay Palette Tangier
ArtPlay Palette Family
4 X 6 ArtsyKardz Traveler
Trees No. 1
fonts: Amherst, Brush455 BT

Christmas Letdown: Back in Time

I'm not positive of the year, but this is part of my brother's family in the midst of the post-unwrapping debris. It is not a good quality photo, but I finally think I have a way to make it work. I was surprised to realize the purse in the lower right was mine, one I only remembered when I saw it in the photo.

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Designer Credits:
all Anna Aspnes
-background: ArtPlay Palette Family
-tree transfer: ArtPlay Palette Christmas Tree
-transfer: ArtPlay Palette Christmas Nostalgia
-brushes: ArtPlay Night Before Christmas BrushSet
-star: Acrylic Christmas No. 1
font: cinnamon cake

Mother at Graduation, 1928

I'm sure this new page is my best yet with this precious photo of my mother at the time of her high school graduation.

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Designer Credits:
Creative Techniques tutorial on clusters
-paper, frame, flowers, star, butterfly: Hope by Merkeley Designs
-stamp: stamped mess {take a chance} by Studio 68
-border: Doily Edge Overlays No. 2 by Anna Aspnes
fonts: Vladimir Script, CasperOpenFace

Heritage Photos in the Snow

Snow is predicted to arrive rather soon. Not looking forward to that, but it seems like a good time to share two pages I put together recently. The first is my mother and me when I was a baby. It sure looks cold! The song was even written the year I was born. The second is Dick's Aunt Gladys as a young woman, maybe 1939 or 1940. Her grinning in the snow always makes me smile. She was a super lady.

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Designer Credits:
by Anna Aspnes
-background, transfer: ArtPlay Palette Christmas Tree
-card: 4 X 6 ArtsyKardz Christmas Tree
-wordart: Nostalgia WordTransfers No. 1
-alpha: Glitter AlphaNumberSet No. 6
-border: Doily Edge Overlays No. 2
fonts: Staccato222 BT, Boopee

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Designer Credits:
-papers, sparkles: Shimmer by Kitty Designs
-bells, bow, snowflakes: Santangles by Maya de Groot
-brush (the "branch"), trees: ArtPlay Palette Christmas Tree by Anna Aspnes
font: Mystical

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

Wedding 1940

So many things came together for this one. Helen's new kit Nostalgic Scrapbook (Retro Designs) had me eager to create a heritage page. Another scrapper created a cute freebie template that I wanted to use with it. We recently were given a copy of a wedding photo in which one of Dick's aunts was the bride. The wedding was in 1940, a year much on our minds as we are among the many thousands of volunteers currently indexing the 1940 U.S. census. And last, I am providing some genealogical research for the people involved with a collection of wedding garments that will form a fascinating display beginning next month at the historical society..

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Designer Credits:
-template: Template 120523 by Dumpty
-most papers, frame, flourish: Nostalgic Scrapbook by Retro Designs
-pale paper, word transfer: ArtPlay Palette Family by Anna Aspnes
fonts: Liberty BT, Bernhard Fashion BT

Different Styles: a Make-over

Would you like to see a traditional scrapbook page done in an "artsy" style? Anna's team has challenged folks to take a previous page in a traditional style and redo it using Anna's methods. I chose a page that I really love from the ending days at D-P when we were all scrapping cows for Nelleke. I used Retro Designs, mostly the kit Scraps of Memories. It is elegant and very fitting for this heritage topic.

Still, I was sure these bovines would enjoy a romp in a different setting as well. I kept the photos about the same but went to town with the artsy goodies. I also left out the humorous comment and covered up the little images of then avatar "Sandy" (only old-timers from D-P will know what that's about). I think the result is just about as much fun and certainly a different look.

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Designer Credits: all Anna Aspnes
-background, brushes: ArtPlay Palette Sophistica
-leaves: GoldLeaves No. 1
-brad, frame: ArtPlay Santa Nicholas Add-On 1
-brushes (one as photo mask): ArtPlay Palette Ablaze
-word art: WordTransfers Life No. 1
fonts: Earwig Factory, Pea Anderson, Goudy Handtooled BT

Family Photos, Now and Then

I've recently done pages for two photos I consider "family". The first is of Dick on Christmas Eve when all was ready for Santa to come. I love the peaceful photo. It was for a challenge requiring the use of seven of ten items, a heart required. I just used the minimum seven and really like the result which I titled "Love Is the Key." Next was this week's AnnaLift featuring a totally fantastic layout using a photo of the artist's grandmother as a girl in 1930. I used another photo of my mother as a child in a four generation picture. I don't think I've done this one before, but even so, this would be better, I think. There are layers and blending to achieve the look. The photos are probably a little over one hundred years apart.

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Designer Credits:
-background, frame: Fresh Start by Ashalee Wall
-paint, button: Terra Toni by Maya de Groot
-love word art, stitching: Corinthia by Kitty Designs
-bird, spray design: Let Love Be Your Energy by ZuzannaH Designs
-key: Take me to the Old World by Lotta Designs
font: BlacklightD

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Designer Credits:
all Anna Aspnes
ArtPlay Palette Autumn Haze
-edging (used as frame): ArtPlay Palette Ablaze
-gold leaf: Gold Leaves No. 1
fonts: Lithograph, Loosie Days

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

Lovely Kit Called "Serendipity"

I won a new kit by random selection just by commenting on the sneak peek of the preview. I liked what I could see and have enjoyed showing off the kit with another photo from the Philbrook gardens and an old tintype from the 1870s. The different photos called for very different looks. The colors are quite luscious.

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Designer Credits:
kit Serendipity by Jennifer Labre
fonts: Boopee (jar), Minya Nouvelle (Maggie)

Old Photo and Special Memories

Last month I visited relatives I had not seen in forever. I got to copy (with my digital camera) a lot of things of my late aunt's. She was a special person and also the keeper of family history. One of the great things I saw was a photo of her and two distant relatives whom I vaguely remember seeing. It is such a special picture and I used it in this week's scraplift. It is making me smile each time I look at it!

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Designer Credits:
lift of Calling The Play by Marnie (Marnie333)
-background paper, brush, button: ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise by Anna Aspnes
-clock, brad, stitching: ArtPlay Palette No. 10 by Anna Aspnes
fonts: Amapola, Huxtable 

Family History Images

I am so behind in posting my scrapbook pages to my blog!

I have so much new material from my recent trip to Kentucky and used some of it and ideas from it for two pages. I love the one with a photo of my grandmother! It was for a web inspiration challenge. Oscraps is starting to get into Art Journaling and for a challenge I did one using the original 1906 newspaper illustration from which I created my avatar back in 2006 when it was 100 years old.

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Designer Credits:

-ArtPlay Palette No. 10 MiniKit by Anna Aspnes

font: 1942 report

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Designer Credits:
-background paper from Stuck On You by Maya de Groot blended with
-blue paper, elements from Art Journaling Freebie by Maya de Groot
-clock stamp from Kala Stamps by Lydia Designs
-glitter element from The Silver Flakes by Kitty Designs
-woman from 1906 newspaper
-old family page
fonts: Hurry Up, James Fajardo, First Order Shadow, Girls Are Weird, Kings of Pacifica, Snell Bd BT

Back from a wonderful trip

We went to Kentucky to do research on my father's family and it was great! The research was very rewarding, but the best was seeing relatives for the first time in forever. Everyone was great and then my aunt's grandson started bringing out things she left. It was incredible and we didn't have time to get through it all. Now it should be easy to visit again.

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September challenges are out and this is to journal about what was special this summer.
Designer Credits:
-background paper from Black & White by Sue Cummings
-orange paper from 52 Inspirations {2011} Week 33 by Sue Cummings
-gray paper form Old Stuff by Jodie McNally
-ribbon from Rachel Papers by Lydia Designs
-stitching, flower from Composition by One Little Bird
-twig from Twig It by Merkeley Designs
fonts: Earwig Factory, Dauphin, Ahnberg, baby dont worry bout it!, Euromode

My Mother and Aunt at the river

I used an old photo of two little girls in the water of the Ohio River. It was taken almost 100 years ago of my mother and her little sister. The family spent a lot of time along the river swimming, boating and picnicking. It all changed in later years when dams left the river much deeper. The black and white photo challenge seemed like a good idea along with using my latest drawing in the background. The color (or rather lack of it) is a bit different for my heritage photos. This photo is aged, not in the best shape and warm toned. I changed its color with an old platinum photo effect in PSP.

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Designer Credits:
-papers, birds, bow, word art from Black & White by Sue Cummings
fonts English111 Presto BT, Euromode

Mother When Young

I was itching to use the gorgeous red flowers in Helen's freebie. I wanted them with a black and white photo but didn't expect I would choose a winter scene. Somehow it makes it seem even more that we are looking back in time. I also had it in mind to make use of my doodle. The photo is of my mother and my father's car before they were married. It was early 1930 and she was nineteen.

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Designer Credits:
-papers, frame, pail, bird from Time Began in a Garden by Retro Designs
-flowers, ladybug from Nouveau Summer Floral Freebie by Retro Designs
-overlay is an enlargement of my own drawing
font: Minya Novelle

Mystery Man

I used the copycat challenge for August to show off another unidentified photo. It is another from one of the old albums brought the the U.S. from Slovakia. The clothing, hair and beard look rather 1860ish to me and that is the time Dick's great grandfather was at university in Bavaria studying theology. I think a lot of the photos were of his friends there. This man's looks particularly caught my fancy.

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Designer Credits:
-August 2011 copycat challenge template by clarabear based on "Discover" by Dady
-bow, brads from Free to Fly by Vera Lim Design
-stitching from All Stitched by Kitty Designs
-birds (recolored) from Corinthia by Kitty Designs
-pale paper from Not So Basic Browns by Maya de Groot
-medium brown paper from Family Is Forever by Maya de Groot
-small paper from Old Stuff by Jodie McNally
-bright paper from Royal Blending Papers by tinamarie
-branch from I Remember You by Biograffiti
-pebbles from Sunrise Sunset by Fei-fei's Stuff
fonts: Eskargot, Minya Nouvelle

Another LO Chosen!

I can hardly believe it, but my latest layout was chosen today as one of the daily Gallery Standouts (GSO)! You can see all of today's (the first one I adore, also at Oscraps) HERE. I've missed posting a few pages I've done recently plus I've got a zen doodle for Deb. I'll get to those later.

This page is in response to the Web Inspiration challenge featuring a group of related photos. I responded to the tree-like images, stairs and light color. I have a wonderful old family photo that simply evokes rural summer life. I like what I was able to do with it. It shows my grandmother (to the left), her father-in-law, at the far right her mother and younger daughter (my Aunt Pat) and a very large woman. We really don't know who that is.

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Designer Credits:
-all papers from Stamp My Heart by Kitty Designs
-flower border, orange beads, button from Happy To Be Me by Lydia Designs
-tree from Family Tree by Joanne Brisebois
-coin from Bohemian August by Miss Crow's Magickal Emporium
-swirl from Sa-weet Sa-whirls by Jodie McNally
-stitching from All Stitched by Kitty Designs
-leaf from Let Love Be Your Energy by ZuzanaH Designs
fonts: Pea Aimee, Kayleigh

More Unnamed Ancestors

A web inspired challenge for March is based on a striking photo of a rough wooden door with an old knob and plate. Its aged appearance led me to old photos and I chose one from Dick's maternal line from an old album. Sadly, we do not know if the couple were ancestors, relatives, or just friends. Still, this is a way to keep alive the possibility of learning the answer.

If you notice five photo images, four details of the whole, the challenge had the extra requirement of five photos of some sort. I think it turned out to be a nice touch.
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Designer Credits:
-kit: Fresh Start by Ashalee Wall
-background paper: Not So Basic Browns by Maya de Groot
-wavy paper mask: Modern Paper Masks by Creations by Tinamarie
fonts: Isla Bella, Huxtable

Quote Challenges

There have been two types of quote challenges at Oscraps. Running through today has been the designer challenge for which I did the Desolation Row page. I've added another with a quote from a recent book that I think could be an inspiration to anyone, but that I especially like as a genealogist. Running for the whole month is a challenge to use a specific quote and as it is about kisses the challenge also calls for a kiss photo. I don't much like the quote and kiss photos usually even less, but I still managed to come up with a nice page. First the one I really like quoting 90+ Diana Athill from Somewhere Towards the End.

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Designer Credits:
-background paper, leaves: Stuck on You by Maya de Groot
-other papers, stitching: Believe by Biograffiti
-frame, quotes: conversation piece no. 1, elements by paislee press & one little bird
fonts: Boopee, Brisk

And next a page I like, but not the quote. The picture is of one of my great nieces and her nephew.

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Designer Credits: Stuck on You by Maya de Groot
fonts: Harlow Solid Italic, Bahamas, Koala

Baking a Cake, a Family Tradition

My father-in-law got a lemon cake for his birthdays and the tradition has a long history. I've eaten it, but never been involved in making one. Just over ten years ago Dick's cousin gave me her mother's version of the recipe but I never had reason to actually make it until last week. We agreed to bring dessert to dinner with friends and it just came to mind. I don't bake much any more and don't even know if I have some of the implements needed, but made do. Dick watched while I cooked the filling and applied it so he could tell if it looked right and I got the coconut on it right. Everyone seemed to enjoy it at dinner and the hosts seemed happy to keep the remains. The next morning Dick commented again how good it had been. So, a successful excursion into family traditions.

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Designer Credits: Ohana by Biograffiti
fonts: Kristen ITC, Gold Mine, Euromode