Daydream Designs by Diane: Falling for You Owls

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Celebrating Life and Love!

Today was an amazing day at church. I hadn't been for 3 weeks due to travels and illness. It was so refreshing to be in God's house with God's people and sitting under the preaching of the Word. We are so blessed to be a part of our new church. They are quickly becoming family. Our pastor's message this morning was convicting. He's preaching through the 10 commandments, and is so skilled at pointing to the Gospel through every verse in Scripture. I'm so thankful that we can share in the life of our church, be a part of her ministries, and sit under such powerful preaching. It takes being away sometimes to realize how much you need it all.

This week our older son and his wife celebrate their third anniversary. My son asked me to help him make a card for Jori. We had a blast choosing the images, and designing it together. There have only been 2 or 3 times he's made a card, but it is a hoot to watch the process.

He decided he wanted to use the owls and I suggested a little background work from other sets. He didn't realize before that the images could be layered to create little scenes like these...and he was impressed that it was so easy. So we pulled the pumpkin, fence and sunflowers from Pumpkins and Sunflowers Color set, the grass from Sheep in His Pasture color set, and the owls are from the Falling for You Owls set (all displayed below).

We manipulated the images in Publisher, but you can do it in Word, or in a photo editing program. All the images were grouped in a one-dimensional image first.

Because you are working with digital images, you can copy/paste the exact images used in a flattened image, cut those out separately and mount on top of the original image to create dimension. He liked that effect. I was amused. We just added a sentiment before printing out the original image too. He wrote an inside message in the same font, we printed it on the coordinating blue cardstock used on the front (Pacific Point), and he added that to the inside.

I just always get a hoot out of layering and creating little scenes with digi images. It's easy, fast, and already has the look of professional coloring. Even for a novice the process was easy and took only minutes to accomplish.

I'm delighted that Jeff and Jori are happily approaching their 3rd year of marriage. And it was only 5 weeks ago we celebrated the marriage of our younger son. Now both sons are experience the joys of being married and we couldn't be happier with the lovely bride-daughters they have brought into the family fold. This is just truly a day to celebrate life and love and we know both emanate from the good hand of our loving God. Life is good because God is good...always and forever.

Sets Used:

Pumpkins and Sunflowers Color Set

(available in outline version)

Falling for You Owls

(See also our Owl Always Love You ensemble)

Sheep in His Pasture Color Set

(Available in Outline version)

(See also our coordinating sentiments).

Thanks for stopping in...
Blessings on your day!
Diane

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Coming Home to Word Art Wednesday! (FREE Digi Stamps)

More exciting news! I've shared before that a TON is happening. My newest big news is that I'm returning to Word Art Wednesday as a regular designer, and I'm beyond delighted about it. I'll be working with wonderful teammates, with Karen Letchworth, the administrator is a great friend and sister in Christ, AND best of all, I get to share the Word of God crafted into beautiful graphics by designer, Karen Murray, Papercraft Memories.

Our challenges are always "anything goes" but projects are to contain wholesome, encouraging and uplifting images or sentiments. Your submitted projects can be cards, scrapbook pages or other altered crafts. You are welcome to use our FREE digi scripture prompt. To participate in the challenge go to Word Art Wednesday, check out our sponsors and link your creation to our main page.

Eagles always symbolize strength and power, but our verse certainly teaches that strength and power come from the Lord. When we wait upon Him (trust Him, depend on Him, believe Him), our faith is strengthened and renewed. We can endure unbelievable circumstances and overcome difficult obstacles in life when we operate in the power of God's sovereignty over all things. When we try to live life on our own terms or in our own wisdom or strength we will weaken quickly.

Imagine running and not growing weary! Not too long after my father died, I had a dream of him running. Spectators lined two sides of the path where he ran. They were cheering him on. He was running in strength and power. My feeble, cancer-worn father of 82 was running like a 20+ year old athlete. He was exactly as I remembered him at about 28. He was exuberant, and had a look of ecstatic joy on his face. No pain in his knees slowed him...he just joyfully ran. It was at the end of my dream when I realized an amazing fact. I realized he had already crossed the finish line! He'd won the race, finished his course, and was running for the pure pleasure of it! I think I had a glimpse of the realities of heaven. I believe that's what it will be like. All weariness of this world's existence will be gone, and we will soar with wings....the strong wings....of an eagle.

My DT Sample:

My card is actually a little humorous when considering the scripture which references eagles. We certainly don't think of owls when we read the passage, but I thought the little owl had the look of confidence we too can possess when we know our power is not through who we are, or from our limited resources. Even we "little owls" can be like soaring eagles through Christ who strengthens us.

Card Ingredients:

Cardstock--Cajun Craze/SU
Images--Falling for You Owls (owl, branch, chalkboard); Fall is in the Air (leaves with button)
Digi Papers--Fall Papers
Other--button, brown twine

Technique Used:
I recolored the verse to white and laid it on top of the chalkboard. I love recoloring sentiments and white is perfect for that chalkboard look.

I cut out the leaves and embellished with a button tied with brown twine. Those are all popped up to add dimension. I also used distress ink to smudge up the edges of the digi paper and the leaves a bit.

Sets Used: