Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Old Things Pass Away!

Good Wednesday crafty friends! I hope mid week is finding you all blessed and planning many wonderful things for the weekend, whether be it crafty or fall festival activities!  They are cropping up everywhere, which I love, and as a matter of fact I will be going to a Wellness Retreat up in the North Carolina mountains next weekend where I will be sure to come upon fall activities galore!  I can't wait!  The leaves will be starting to get glorious and the apples will be ready to come home with me by the basket load!  Yummy!  Can you say hot apple pie?
Today I want to share a journal page spread with you that continues my love for fall!  One of my crafty online friends Ruth was hearing the same tune by the Byrds in her head that I was this past weekend, so I guess my idea can't be all bad!! LOL  She mentioned that weather goes through a sort of metamorphosis like a butterfly and I loved that!  True enough it does.  I don't happen to believe that, that is a mistake!  God NEVER makes mistakes!


The dictionary says that metamorphosis is a profound change in form from one state to the next or a complete change in form. Wow...a "profound change!"  That speaks volumes to me in the Christian perspective!  In Ecclesiastes 3:1, God's Word says that "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."  Spiritually, I believe that is the "profound" change that the dictionary is speaking of.  We, as His people, are to be changing from glory to glory.  In that change, we go through natural and spiritual "seasons," which relate to His Word in 2 Corinthians 5:17 when He says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"  He designed the seasons, naturally and spiritually, that we go through that metamorphosis to be ALL He has created us to be.  We are to be the Glorious Church upon His return!  As we are to be changing from glory to glory (the metamorphosis), you have to leave the old behind, you are a NEW creature in Christ!  Don't look back (He doesn't - it was covered on the cross), press forward to that higher calling!!  Profound, yes!  Eternal, YES!

I started my page by laying some Tim Holtz tissue paper down with gel medium and then pulling out my favorite Faber-Castell Gelatos!  I don't remember the colors, but I know it was like the tangerine and teal and metallic brown color.  I used an old floral stamp set from Prima and stamped across the bottom and then I used a great "lacey" looking stamp also from Prima and stamped on the sides of both pages with StazOn.  I then dipped back into my Gelatos by laying a few deep floral colors on my craft mat, misting and then painting on the flowers.  When I was done it looked ok, but just a little too busy so I took out my gesso and lightly spread on some watered down gesso on top with my fingers just to quiet it down a bit.  I then stamped a some pumpkins from an Inkadinkado fall set I have across the bottom.

I get blessed in my email box weekly with great digital clips from Debbie-Anne over at Ephemera's Vintage Garden so I used some that I had in my file for this spread.  She is so generous with her work and I love all the wonderful ideas that she has!  Thanks Debbie!  I distressed all the artwork with Vintage Photo and then on the tag I also used Antique Linen and Spiced Marmalade.  I fussy cut the diamond pattern off of another digital art piece of hers and put it at the bottom of the tag so that I could match the cute vintage piece of hers.  I used one of the stamps from the same fall set and stamped with Faber-Castell Big Brush Pens very lightly and then went back over the with Gelatos because again, it looked to harsh and I wanted a soft look and then added my sentiment and some twine.

I wanted a little more texture so I mixed some molding past with some acrylic paint and put through one of my fave stencils from Balzer Designs at Crafters Workshop.  Then I just began to adhere the pieces down with Aleene's and did some shadowing with Faber-Castell Big Brush Pens.  The big sentiment is also from that same fall stamps set and I simply stamped it with Colorbox and clear embossing powder.  I enjoyed the warm feeling of it all!

What do you need to leave behind today?  Forget the former things and do not dwell on the past because YOU, just like that beautiful butterfly that, through metamorphosis, became a new creature, YOU through the blood of Christ are also a new creature!  You press onward my friend from glory to glory to the prize!

Blessings today!

Challenges:

Anything But a Card Challenges No. 40

14 comments:

  1. It's a gorgeous spread Felicia, thanks for mentioning, I feel so honoured my friend... why don't you join us at Anything but a card, it would be a beautiful entry for changing of the seasons! http://anythingbutacard.blogspot.be/2014/10/celebrating-seasons-of-change-for-week.html

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    1. Thank YOU Ruth! :) Had to pull you in somehow! LOL!! Thanks for thinking of me for the challenge! I will definitely go over and check it out! I haven't really done any challenges before, so this would be a first! I'm banking on the fact that it will be easy to do for this technically challenged chick! LOL You are so sweet, thank you again! Blessings to you!

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  2. Felicia, I love your pages!!!! Oh, how I wish I could write like you do... but that is not one of my gifts :-)) Thank you for sharing your art and your heart and reaching across the net to spread the Good News!!! You are a blessing!!!!!!!!!!!

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    1. You know what Wanda, God surely smiled down upon me when He quickened my spirit to become involved in the art community because He already had prepared wonderful new friends such as yourself for me to become acquainted with! Isn't He good!! I'm thankful to have the ability to share all He expresses in my heart to others that ONE may come to know Him better! But also that He placed me in touch with YOU and other wonderful artists who have been so, so kind to me! Thank YOU Wanda and blessings to you, my friend! :)

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  3. Wow, Felicia, this is stunning! Looks truly magical! I keep looking at it and my eyes are just soaking it up!

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    1. Zsuzsa you bless me! Thank you so much! If I could, I'd stay in that place - I LOVE FALL! We had a snippet of it here, but Mother Nature was playing a trick because it has gone back up to "balmy" high 80's again here! I'm not very patient....cool weather just get here already!! LOL!! Thanks again friend! Blessings!

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  4. Oh Wow Felicia, that is totally, totally fabulous and gorgeous!!! I love how you have taken autumn and used it to return the glory to God, in a light and bright way and none of the dark and grim undertones of halloween which for me totally besmirches this beautiful season. I love the colours and the shortening days, the smell of woodsmoke on the air and the trees saying goodbye to another summer and settling down to rest for the winter. Ah... metamorphosis! What a lovely thought. The Lord has given us the seasons and the phases of the moon and the ever changing beauty around us to keep us fresh and interested, and the childlike joy as if each autumn, and every other season, is the first we've ever experienced! Thank you for distilling this beautiful season, and so many lovely thoughts about our wonderful heavenly Father, into such a stunning spread in your album.

    Thank you for such a lovely, loving and encouraging comment on my blog! It really lifted my spirits. I have had a great time at the felt making class tonight but the rest of the day was pretty frustrating and I said to my hubby that I felt as if I'd been wading through treacle all day, and bless him, he said "We came through it and out the other side without getting sticky!" Lol! Bless him for the "we" as well - he's such a pal and helps me so much and I can't think how I'd manage without him!

    How I wish you could come over and give me that hug, and also to play as much as you like in my wonderful ARTHaven! We would have such fun together I know. I've just got those stamps and really love them - I love anything to do with the ocean and its wealth of extraordinary life, and I love shells! Ryn's water droplets stamp is quite amazing and looks so realistic - even more so if you add a tiny dot with a white marker on the catchlight. She's brought out some other watery ones recently but I haven't got any of those. I love her designs, and she's such a darling, too!

    Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement! I have several health issues but count my blessings daily. If I had not been ill I would not have started blogging, and I would not have come across this worldwide community of artists who are so generous and friendly and lovely and among whom I have so many new friends! I would not have got going with my creativity in the way that I have as I was groping in the dark on my own before that. God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform, and who could have thought that such blessings would have come from getting ill? (Just reading your reply to Wanda above, I see that you fully understand about this!!)

    Sending a big cyberhug back your way.
    Shoshi x

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    1. Shoshi, my friend, your encouragement is wonderful! Thank you so much! Lifting you up for a wonderful weekend, WITHOUT stress! LOL!!! Blessings!

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  5. Hi Felicia... This is simply stunning, I am so glad that Ruth told you about our challenge and to share this inspirational piece with us crafters. I love love love this and I so appreciate your post and reminding us about the gift that God has given to us as believers, that we are new in Him. Thank you for giving me a little church on a Thursday evening... and be sure to come back and play with us again please at Anything But A Card

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    1. Thank you Toni, what a wonderful comment! I was glad Ruth asked me to participate as well! I had never really thought about participating in challenges before, so maybe this opened the door to try more! Plus I have met so many new friends! Thank you again for your kindness and blessings to you! :)

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  6. Hi Felicia... How wonderful this is. Wow! You have blown me away with this absolutely lovely piece. It's just perfect! We all appreciate you joining us at Anything But A Car, and I thank you so much for being in our challenge. xo

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    1. Rita, sorry, that I just now saw this comment! Thank you so very much for visiting and saying such wonderful things! I totally enjoyed it and I thank Ruth for asking me to participate! :) Blessings to you!

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  7. Love, Love, LOVE these journal pages. Its full of inspiration, warmth and texture and I just want to go picking these pumpkins. Thanks so much for playing along with us at Anything But a Card Challenges :)

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    1. Susan, what a sweet, sweet comment!! You guys are just so very kind! I enjoyed being a part of Anything But a Card, thanks to Ruth for the invite! I thank YOU for visiting and again for your sweet comment! Blessings to you! :)

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