31 March 2010
One of the projects I have been working on over the past several weeks has been the design of the “new” LAF. It has been such a wonderful blessing to be able to work with Mrs. Chancey in bringing together a new design for the re-launch!
LAF stands for Ladies Against Feminism. The site began in 2002 by Mrs. Jennie Chancey, and has grown into a wonderful site for women to be encouraged in their God-given roles. The articles promote strong, beautiful womanhood and refute the follies of feminism.
The theme verse of this website is Proverbs 31:25, which says,
“Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she laughs at the time to come.”
LAF has been a great blessing to my mother, sister and I over the years. There is a plethora of wisdom and encouragement to be found there!
Also, there will be a few giveaways in celebration the re-launch of LAF, so be sure to stay updated on LAF so you do not miss them! (Our paper dolls are one of them!)
2 November 2009
Brian and Lindsay were the first (and so far the only) couple who courted that we were able to watch first-hand. Their commitment to remain pure in their relationship was beautiful and that purity manifested itself on their wedding day.
On October 3rd, 2009, they were married. It was a day I will never forget.
The beautiful bride awaiting the moment when she would join the love of her life.
The bride with her bridesmaids (who were her younger sisters).
The ceremony was one that glorified God, both through the message and this dear couple’s commitment to keeping their relationship Christ-centered.
Primo bacio. First kiss.
The very happy couple.
These photos were taken near where Brian proposed to Lindsay four months earlier.
That day was a wonderful day.
It was the beginning of a marriage and the start of a new family
who is dedicated to serving the Lord in all things.
We consider ourselves blessed to have been involved in such a Christ-honoring occasion. Daddy was a groomsman, Momma helped with the food, Breezy played
the piano (and even composed the piece for the bride’s entrance),
and I was privileged to photograph their special day.
1 October 2009
This morning we received a package from the printers. Inside that package was six little booklets: two of each of the collections of the Daughters of His Story Paper Dolls. The rest of the paper dolls will, Lord willing, arrive today.
It has been amazing to see the Lord work out the details through this entire project. To Him be all the praise and glory, for it is only by His grace that we have been able to complete these paper dolls.
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and
through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.”
II Corinthians 2:14
Daughters of His Story Paper Dolls: Collections One, Two, and Three
Available October 7th!
Stay tuned to keep updated!
27 February 2009
Yes, it’s official. The new design is up and running! I have spent several hours designing the new look and am quite pleased with the outcome. In case this is your first time here, below are the before and after shots.
Our dear little friend at the top has many butterfly friends that will help her greet each and every one of you (a few you will have to find on your own). The little girl and butterflies I drew in Adobe Illustrator based on a drawing by my sister that I inspired her to draw.
Our “dear little friend” does need a proper name, so if you think of a sweet name for her, I would appreciate it if you would share it with me as I am in need of a few ideas. Thank you!
24 February 2009
A contest deadline was yesterday . . . and we made it in just in time. Just in time (I cannot stress that enough).
My project was to photograph a still life that gives glory to God. Fruit was my choice, as it shows God’s amazing creativity and care in designing even the little things.
They were positioned just right in an old enamelware bowl, propped up by an apple (who hid in the back).
In the background are two foam core boards which I painted my favorite color.
To brighten the left side, I had my dear sister hold up a white foam board which reflected light onto the darker side (a tip I learned from a previous photography judge).
The top pick is the one on the bottom left, which was sent away in the mail just yesterday. The photo shoot with the fruit has ended for now, but there will probably be another one some day.
As to the contest, the Lord is in control and His will will be accomplished! Praise be to God!
“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”
- Psalm 146:1-2 -
P.S. Just a little heads up, a new design of Simply Vintagegirl should arrive in a few days.
2 February 2009
The latest blog I designed was for Sarah Mae over at Like a warm cup of coffee.
She gave me the specifics and after many enjoyable hours of design work, it was completed. With a pleasant blue background and warm happy header, the template is quite cozy and inviting.
Sarah Mae posts a wide variety of subjects, a few of the topics include Marriage, Modesty, Homemaking, etc. For a live view of her blog, click the above image.
On another designing note, I have a new and improved art print available in my shop!
As a side note, I want to thank the Lord for His protection. I pinched three of my most used fingers in our garage door this evening while I was shutting it. My fingers were wedged where the panels hinge as it was going down. If the Lord had not slowed down the speed of the dropping door, my fingers would probably be broken. Praise be to God!
21 January 2009
Do you like it? You could probably guess that I did not just take this photo yesterday. I took it of the Purple Cone flowers in our herb garden last summer. Isn’t the little bumble bee so cute?
For the image above, I used both Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Both are great photo-editing programs that I enjoy working in.
Would you like to see the SOOC (straight-out-of-camera) shot?
There you have it — the SOOC! I took this with our Nikon D60 camera and the Nikkor 18-55mm lens (which I fondly call “the fifty-five“).
I really like the way this shot turned out, especially the fresh colors in the background and the soft detail of the petals. But I still played with it.
Below are the things that I did to give the above image a vintage-ness. Since I’m not showing you the step-by-step, I call this the . . .
.
“SORTA-TUTORIAL” on
photo vintage-ness
just one of the many ways you can give your photos a vintage appearance
.
First, editing in Lightroom!
• Warmth — warmed up the temperature and tint, which gives the photo a glowingly reddish-yellow cozy look.
• Tone — enhanced the exposure and black content, which gives the contrast a nicely adjustable boost.
• Presence — added high clarity, extra vibrance, and removed some of the saturation (coloring).
• Vignetting — darkened the corners and edges to bring more attention to the center of the image.
After the Lightroom editing, this is what the photo looked like:
It turned out very pink with the other colors washed out and plenty of added contrast.
(The above Lightroom settings will probably not work well on every photo.)
Time for Photoshop!
• Background — a scan of a fallen out page of an old G. A. Henty book, edited for a bit more of a framed look.
• Text — in the font “Overdressed” is the word inspired (with several added effects for lovely visibility).
• Cracked Texture — a scan of the cover of an old cooking school lesson book, blended as an overlay.
And that’s how I made the finished product!
I hope you enjoyed the “sorta-tutorial”!
.
P.S. I also used the cracked cover and page of the old books in the Declaring His Righteousness art print, which is available in the shop!
