New Designs at Cottage Arts!

Cottage Arts has released some neat new products. I've made several pages here using a lot of them. I love the looks of the papers and elements, they work so well for blending and masking. Great effects.

This first is called Evening sky, it's some of the photos I have on my Reflections of My Year blog that I took the other night of the evening sky and the approaching storm.

The journaling reads: My Blessing for today
It's so easy to take for granted each day I'm given.
To overlook the simple beauty that surrounds me.
Today I am thankful for the glorious sunset that turned
the skies around me these vibrant shades of amber
constantly moving
spreading their threads open
and upward
embracing the whisper from the heavens.

Supplies all from Cottage Arts
Nature's Sketchbook Elements 1 Botanical Imprints - Word Art - Mat Old Paper - Border Cluster 1 Naturals 12 Paper Pak - Paper 03 Nature's Sketchbook Journals 1 - Journal 02
Nature's Sketchbook Papers 1 Botanical Imprints - Paper 01 Fall a Flutter Element Pak - Fall Swirl Let There Be Peace Page Pak - Folded Fabric Frame

Font - Lucida Handwriting



For this I used Nature's Sketchbook Ivy League - and Font Americana


I used my photo of the road (taken at Navajo Lake Utah this last fall) and blended it with Ivy Paper number 4 using the Hard Light blend mode in Photoshop (I use PS CS3). I then added a mask and erased with a feather brush (13) set at 75% Opacity and Flow. I kept erasing the outer edges to get rid on any hint of hard edge, blending it into the background.


I also used a blend mode, Soft Light, on the text, which gave me the effect I wanted but then it was too light to show properly so I duplicated the text layer and reduced it's opacity to 28%, which gave it just enough depth to be able to read and still look like it was part of the road.


This is just so fun to do, the possibilities are endless, you just need some imagination and keep playing until you hit the effect that says yes to you!

These last two are a 2-page spread about our trip this summer to Wyoming.


Journaling Reads:
This was way more than an adventure!
At over 9,000 feet the cabin presented
itself with some unique problems to
our breathing! We really hadn't given
it much thought when booking but
soon realized when we tried to trek
around anywhere. It was especially
fun when the power went out, it's
mighty dark in the middle of the
Wyoming woods!

I used these supplies from Cottage Arts -
Ragged Delights Element Pak - Twine Sewn Cardboard

Life Journey 12x12 Album Pak - QP 08- Frame 024 and
Natures Sketchbook Elements 1 - Botanical Imprints - Dog Tag - Pearl Old - Border Stitches - Tag w/String Overlayed and blended with Mat Old Paper
Font Rodeo King



And here's the last great photos of the four legged friends we saw along the way. In this page I used Ragged Delights - Twine Sewn Cardboard Positive Metal Attitudes Elements Pak - Rusty Spring Life Journey 12x12 Album Pak - QP 25 - Frame Trio
Font - Rodeo King

Wyoming Wildlife

Here are a few of the pages I've gotten done about our recent trip to Yellowstone and the animals there. We had a few glitches in our travel plans, I guess that's what makes the memories more special huh? But all in all it was a wonderful time and a place we would return to in a heartbeat. I've a couple more pages to do on the animals and I'll post them as soon as I'm done. There's just so many fabulous shots that I want to scrap it could fill a book all on this trip alone!

For these pages I've used Maddy Fernandez's As The Deer Page Set, Maddy sells at Digitals, please check out her store!

Journaling on the Deer page reads:
The animals of Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons were in abundance when we visited. We saw these deer on three different occasions.

The top photo was taken in the fields and marsh directly in front of Jackson Lake Lodge. At first I saw two ‘somethings’ off in the distance. I was trying to point them out to Paul, thinking they were some type of signs, but why signs way out there? About the time this thought crossed my mind they moved! After refocusing my eyes I realized what I was looking at were Elk. Scanning the fields we spotted this herd to the East. Just munching their way through the grasses. I’ve grown up with deer and Elk in our backyard in Washington State, but this was like a stage production just put on for our benefit, although I’m sure these guys would beg to differ.

The middle photo was taken on the day we took the tour through Yellowstone. Actually this guy was across the stream but with the wonder of telephoto lens he came full to life in print. He was so beautiful, just like a picture postcard just oblivious to all us tourists angling for just the right shot of him.

The bottom photo was taken on our way to Jackson, just past the airport. The mule deer were right alongside the roadway. I wonder if the people of Jackson Hole ever get used to animals always within their view, I can’t imagine not being struck by their beauty each time you see them. I loved these guys, with their soft floppy ears they looked like they could be a best friend, not animals of nature.

Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons
exactly the right spot to see nature at it’s best!

Journaling on Bison page:
On Tour in Yellowstone we stopped to see the Thermal hot spots. Just as we got off the van and rounded the corner here was this Bison taking an afternoon siesta! They are huge animals, close to six feet at the shoulder and easily close to or over 2000 lbs.

This one looks peaceful doesn’t he? Well the ranger was close at hand with hand on the pepper spray strapped to her leg. We stopped and chatted with her a while. She said it makes her real uneasy when the Bison decide to venture so close. Mind you there were lots and lots of people, including a lot of small children, wandering around.

I think because of their appearance you have the feeling they are slow and dumb. Quite the contrary. We were told they can jump a 4 to 6’ high fence with barely any running distance. And are equal competitors to short distance Olympic sprinters. It upped our respect of them a lot!

Journaling on the Moose Page:
On the back of Jackson Lake Lodge is a viewing area. You can sit and have breakfast or coffee in the morning or wander out any time of the day to sit on the benches and see if you spot animals in the grass and marshlands leading up to the Lake. On this particular morning we spotted this moose just running across. It’s the first time I’d ever seen a moose up close or far away. I was excited!

The day we took the raft trip down the Snake River the youngest guy aboard (he was 7) spotted the Moose in the upper photo just grazing beside the River as we floated by. He was much much closer than the first. I think I was struck by how large he was! We were told by several of the guides that they have ‘strong’ personalities! I’m glad we weren’t any closer!