Hi everyone. Happy weekend.
The bitter cold is here. Brrr. The temperature this morning is -5 degrees F (-15 degrees C). Luckily it doesn't appear to be too windy, but I'm not going outside to check.
It's hard to believe that just this past Thursday it was mild, calm and 40 degrees F (4.4 degrees C) . It felt like spring after the cold weather we had earlier in the week. Funny how a couple of days of cold can make 40 degrees feel warmer than it would feel if we never had had the cold.
It was so nice I met my walking friend at the beach. You can see the beach in the photo below. After I left the beach I drove along the coast and stopped to take a few photos.
These other photos might look cold, but it wasn't.
I even saw this hawk. He/she was a big one, and looking fast from afar I thought maybe this was the snowy owl that's been seen around this town. Then I carefully looked and it is not a snowy owl. No doubt.
As I drove out of the parking lot I could tell it was a hawk. I must admit, I'm not very good at hawk identification except for red tailed hawks (because we have so many). Maybe a Cooper's Hawk? (David if stop by perhaps you could help.)
I also like how the sky in the background looks painted, don't you think?
Yesterday I stayed home all day, and I spent quite a bit of time playing in my happy place. I'll finish my post with a page for my Let's Face It challenge at Art Journal Journey
I started with some of liquid watercolor, then I stamped the face. The page was still a little white so I used some assorted spray colors of ink and paint to finish the background. I did stamp the face once on some white paper and fussy cut it and added that one to the page after I was done with the background.
The face is a stamp I carved. I was inspired by Alison (Craftytrog)'s hand carved stamps, so I made a couple this past week. The face in my page really made me happy.
I also die cut some fat borders from book paper and gave them a bit of a design.
I finished the page with some rub on letters that I am trying to use up. I also added some tiny little red hearts. They are supposed to be used in a shaker card, but I like them as tiny bits on my background.
The quote is hard to read but it says: Life is Short, Do What you Love. Playing in the studio is certainly one of my loves.
Stay warm, have fun, and have a great weekend.
Love your funny faces! beautifully made. And love the beautiful and colourful journal page you made. The photos are wonderful, I especially like the hawk against the blue sky. David will identify it for sure. Stay home when it's so cold, here it's minus 1, and that's cold enough for me! Have a great weekend, look after yourself, hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteYour faces are awesome. It looks bitter cold there. As for the tsunami here an underwater volcano caused an earthquake near the Tonga Island. So far we are good.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful it must be to take local walks on the beach!
ReplyDeleteHi Erika: The hawk is a Red-tailed Hawk. What confuses many people is that the red tail of an adult is not acquired until the fall of the third year. Red-tailed Hawk is the most variable hawk in terms of plumage of all the North American raptors, from the almost chocolate brown of the subspecies known as Harlan's Hawk in the north, to the pale morph Krider's Hawk of the desert. Always a great sighting whatever the form or the age. Looks like a great place for a walk too. It's minus 22 here today, and minus 35 with the wind chill, so it's probably a good day to stay indoors! Hugs, David
ReplyDeleteIt would be really nice to take a walk at the beach! The happy faces look fun.
ReplyDeleteNice that you're getting some winter temps! We don't get real winter weather very often here and this winter has been very mild. We broke a record for the warmest new year's eve and I have had windows open this week. :-(
ReplyDeleteLovely to have a walk with a friend and studio time! Yay!
What a lovely walk you had and a real bonus seeing the hawk!
ReplyDeleteI love the carved faces and the page you made looks so cheerful - the quote you used is so true!
We went out walking this afternoon - just couldn't resist the sunshine - it was cold though! Hugs, Chrisx
Beautiful photos of the beach, and that's a great shot of the hawk against the 'painted' sky.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I inspired you to carve some faces, they look great, and I love your page.
Hope you're having a good weekend, keep warm.
Alison
That sky background in the hawk photo reminds me of what the clouds look like from above when you are flying. Very interesting. It sounds like a great walk and I know exactly what you mean about the temperature! I hope the incoming storm misses you!
ReplyDeleteFun faces! Scarfed stamps are something new to me see. They fit well on your wonderful pages.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your lovely photos.
Wishing you a creative, happy week ahead xx
The effect of your stamps with the somewhat fuzzy background is really nice. Good cards.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
It must have been so nice to be at the beach and no one around. We’re not getting much snow out of this storm 1 -3 in. And then turning to rain. Are you in the getting slammed area of 8+ inches of snow? Stay safe and warm and have fun playing in the studio. Love the happy face stamps you made.
ReplyDelete-15C.
ReplyDeleteWe have 6+ and I turned on "party"-mode so the heating works.
Brrrr.... how do you cope?!
Great faces-work.
Very fun faces, Erika - I am impressed! Love how they look on your fun page too with your focus on doing what you love. Fun, fun, fun. Hugz
ReplyDeleteWow, lucky you to be able to walk on that beach. I kept looking at the photos you took and for someone like me in a land locked state, that was such fun to see.
ReplyDeleteYour journal page is marvelous. I am in total awe of your carving. I remember you have that great carving set your parents gave you, and I love the face you carved. Wonderful addition to the page, too. Thanks for an inspiring entry for your theme at AJJ, Erika.
Lovely photos Erika and a fantastic journal page for your theme. The hand carved stamp is fun, I think you must have enjoyed making this image.
ReplyDeleteYvonne xx
I did enjoy seeing your photographs here.
ReplyDeleteA lovely journal page you've shared here too.
All the best Jan
Love your photographs and the hawk one has, indeed, a painted sky look about it. Gosh I thought it was cold here this morning but nothing compared with where you are.
ReplyDeleteLove the hand carved stamps that you used for your faces, a charming page in your journal Erika.
Take care
Hugs, Neet xx
CJ told me you had seen a Snowy Owl, so I came hunting through your posts, to see the photo. I guess it was a big hawk, not a Snowy Owl? But keep looking, if you have one in town. What a thrill to see one of them! They only get as far south as where I am in CT when there is an irruption of them.
ReplyDelete