Anna Aspnes Designs: Welcome!
In the very beginning…
Anna Aspnes Designs inspired…If you’d seen me before I could walk, you might have found me propped up against a coffee table and witnessed me wielding a crayon like it was a magic wand. But it was my mum who introduced me to the magic of paper collage. This is the art of layering life’s fragments into something special and memorable.
Tiny “glimpes” of Anna Aspnes Designs
Early on, my father flew fast jets in the Royal Air Force, and often brought home huge maps from his travels. The backs of these offered vast white canvases. So, my Mum sketched simple line drawings, which became the foundation for my earliest creative adventures. At home, I was surrounded by fabric scraps, vintage buttons, and a boundless curiosity. Consequently, I learned quickly that beauty could be crafted from life’s bits and pieces.
At school, I was the child who adored all art projects that came with a blank journal. Nature walks became pressed flowers and leaves, vacations became collections of shells, postcards, and collected treasures. Truthfully, I didn’t know it then, but I was already telling my story through art. Who knew layering images, words, and memories was actually scrapbooking?
Inspiration for Anna Aspnes Designs
Years later, after marrying into the United States Air Force, I found myself in Japan. Here I was with our first 2.1 Megapixel digital camera, a new baby, and a tiny 900 square-foot apartment. With all the humidity thrown in for good measure. Fortuitously, paper scrapbooking became impractical. Then, I happened upon the digital world. This is where pixels replaced paper and hard edges blended seamlessly.
I started with the free software that came with our camera. Next, I played my way through Photoshop Elements before I found a sweet spot with Adobe Photoshop. This software program has made almost anything possible for my digital scrapbooking adventures. When I started posting pages in online communities, I was inundated with requests to share my artistry and techniques. And that’s how Anna Aspnes Designs began. Indeed, it was all about a shared love for storytelling through digital artistry, photos, and words.
How it’s going at Anna Aspnes Designs
Then, more than two decades later, I continue to explore the intersection of art and memory. My focus has always been to push creative boundaries, inspire others on how to blend imagery, simplify overwhelm, and celebrate storytelling. This is both self-care and provides a connection across families and generations in an ever-changing world.
What I know to be true
Because if I know anything, it’s that memories are the heart of our life experience — they are the only thing we take with us after we are gone. And, telling stories is how we make sense of who we are while we are still here.
Regardless of whether you’re just getting started or ready to leap into advanced creativity, I’m here to guide you every step of the way.
