Karla's Korner

Easter Weekend Celebration...

Sorry I went missing again! I've been in the middle of big project with a
deadline and, sad to say, but I had to temporarily become a hermit. 
Sad... because I've missed you my sweet friends...
but thankful for a new opportunity which I'll have to share with you later.

But for now however, I didn't want to miss the chance to say
"Happy Resurrection Day"
and send you my blessings for a  wonderful weekend of celebrating
our Risen Lord and His amazing love!


And I know it's late coming... but I also wanted to let you know that I do have
a few coloring pages you can print off for the kids or grandkids who will be
celebrating with you this weekend!  You can click here to download the one
above or go to my website to find a couple of other Easter choices.

However you celebrate... I do hope you'll take some time to reflect on what
Easter really means to those of us who have put their faith in Christ Jesus.
For what Mary discovered in that empty tomb is still true for us today...
Love overcame death...
Hope overpowered despair...
Peace overrode fear and...
Joy filled the hearts of all who put their faith in the Risen Savior!

Let us rejoice together and be glad!
Love and God-hugs...
Karla

Catching Up With Hearts of Love...

I have soooo much I want to share with you but have just not had time!
So for today I'm going to go back in time...

because I've really been wanting to show you what showed up in my mailbox!

Is this label not adorable?  So creative.  I was smiling from ear to ear...
and I hadn't even opened the gift yet!

Inside was this amazingly beautiful silk-screened bird on a heart...
embellished with silver beads.  Have you guessed who it was from yet?

It was from my precious daughter Michelle... sent with love.
I have to admit... to receive this little treasure truly blessed my heart...
but the surprise of receiving it in the mail tickled me pink!

She also gave me three of these little felt hearts... I made one...
and I was going to stitch up a few more and make a fun little garland...
this is as far as it got!  But I decided I really like them hung
with the close pins... so I am happy!

Thinking again about Michelle mailing me her gift instead of hand delivering
got me thinking... I want to do that for someone this week... surprise them
with a little unexpected gift!  Hmmm... but how can I make it a surprise?
I have it... I'm going to send a little something to one of my Etsy friends! 
So if you've bought something from me in the past year... you never know...
you might just be getting a special little something in your mailbox next
week!!  How fun will that be!

So how about you?  Would you ask God to show you someone who could use
a little bit of a surprise blessing from you? It doesn't have to be handmade
or expensive... maybe even just a card. It's the giving that counts!
So please please please... do it!!
How much fun next week will be with so many women getting little surprises
in their mailboxes!!!  I'm so proud of you... so go have fun my sweet friends
and give a little gift from your heart!! 

xoxo
Karla

Set Free now in Etsy...

Thank you all soooo much for all your sweet comments
on my newest painting, "Set Free."

I just added it to my Etsy shop!



And I wanted to show you what I've been up to lately...
I've been working on a couple of Baby Collections for my Zazzle Store.
This one is called "Baby Love" and I love the soft pink...
makes me want to borrow someone's baby girl to give some lovin' to!!


And this little "Roly Poly" just makes me smile! What can I say?  :-)

Don't you think they would make great themes for Baby Shower Parties? 
I started imagining little cellophane bags filled with candies with the little
tags ribbon-tied to each bag. And the stickers being used to make cupcake
toppers!  I'm thinking about designing the cupcake wrappers to go with them
but we'll see.  Oh so much fun I get to have designing products that will be
a blessing to celebrating life's special moments!


Right now, these two collections consist of Baby Shower Invitations and Party
Favor Stickers and Tags but I plan on adding more items to the collections in
the days to come!  If you know anyone who's in the planning stages of
celebrating a new baby or one on the way, I'd love it if you'd pass along the
link to them... thanks!

Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

So what are the special moments coming up in your life? Any celebrations?
Parties? Anniversaries? Birthdays?  Oh come on now... God gives us ample
opportunities to celebrate the life and blessings He's given to us...
and I'd love to hear about yours!!

Love and God-hugs...
Karla

A Trip Back In Time...

While in Quincy for our family reunion,
my sister Margie and I took a little trip back in time.

We first headed for Hannibal, MO... about 16 miles away...
yes the home of Mark Twain... because that's where we were born.


We discovered that many of the houses we had lived in when we were children
were no longer standing. This one is a four-plex and my mom, 2 sisters and I
lived in the upper right apartment.This is where we lived when I bit the end off
of a glass syringe and had to be rushed to the doctor who pulled broken glass
out of my throat. Mother loved telling that story. I was about two years old.


Back to Quincy... two more past homes torn down... until we came to this one.
We lived upstairs. What's funny is that my oldest sister, years later, married
the son of the folks who owned this house. It was sad to hear him say that
his dad would turn over in his grave if he saw how run down this house is now.


A year or so later we moved across the street to above this laundromat. This
is where I start having memories of my own... including when the door blew
off the oil furnace and missed me by only inches!  It's a miracle I'm even alive!


The summer between 4th and 5th grade my mom remarried and we moved
across town to this amazing house. I remember they paid $60 a month rent...
is that incredible or what?  It had a "For Sale" sign out front so I called, hoping
to take a tour, but they had just accepted an offer so it was a no... bummer.


If you've ever heard my testimony about running away from home... the third
window from the corner is where I piled up the bed sheet that I had torn into
strips and was going to use to lower myself out of my bedroom window in
order to make my great escape... so now you can see why I say it was by the
grace of God that I got caught because I'm sure the knots would not have held
and I would have most likely fallen and made a mess of myself!

I just had to include this church because it's catty-cornered across the street
from the big house and holds my first memories of hearing about Jesus at a
VBS. I can only guess that I asked Him into my heart because my heart was
tender then... but I don't remember... and when life got hard I had no idea
I had a friend in Jesus or a Father God who loved me and would walk through
those hard days with me.

But looking back now... I know He did even if I wasn't aware of His presence.
And today I rejoice that God has healed my heart and given me a new life!
This time it was fun going back... remembering the good...  and knowing God
used the "not so good" to bring me into a saving relationship with Himself.
It is so true...

"...all things work together for good to those who love God,
who have been called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28

Heavenly Father... thank You for loving us and calling us to be Yours.
Thank You that You do work ALL things together for our good and Your glory
and for knowing that You are with us always even in the moments when we
feel so alone. Father... of all the memories we have stored up... may the
memories of what You've done for us be the ones we hold onto. And may we
always remember that You never leave us or forsake us... no not ever! Amen.

Another New Adventure...

I am in Illinois for a family reunion. I flew from Portland, OR to Chicago
to St.Louis and this time... instead of renting a car and driving to Quincy...
I decided to finish my journey in this little commuter plane. 
I thought you might enjoy what I journaled while in still flight...

I am in the smallest and LOUDEST plane I've ever flown in on my way from
STL to Quincy. I had to laugh as we taxied down the runway... we sounded
like an overgrown lawn mower spitting and sputtering... even missing a beat
here and there. And then... oh my.. our feet left the ground and we were
buffeted right and left... much like a car when the wheels are out of align.
We continued to spit and sputter as we climbed higher and higher in the air
and the look on the pilots face did nothing to gain my confidence.

And then... the pilot and co-pilot both opened their side windows!!! They kept
playing with gauges on the dashboard and exchanging glances. Finally the
engine entered a dull, melodic, rhythmic pulse. The windows were closed
and besides the headache I have from the LOUDNESS of the engine and the
blinding light of the setting sunshining directly in my eyes,
it's been a calm ride and I've enjoyed yet another new experience!

We are slowly descending. I LOVE the view... gorgeous! 45 minutes of pure
fun. Oops... here we go again... bouncing around in the air as we aim for
the ground. Sweet... our feet are on the ground... perfect landing!
Oh the joy of it all... thank You Jesus!

 •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •
What surprised me the most was when they opened their windows while
we were thousands of feet up in the air!!! When I got here, my nephew
assured me that was just how they "air condition" the plane and was
not out of the ordinary for that size plane... LOL... gotta love it!!!

My internet reception here is extremely slow... I hope to post again before
get home but if not... I'll catch up with you then!!

xoxoxo
Karla

Catching Up...

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July.
We celebrated at MIchelle's with family & friends and had a great time.


The 4th is also our granddaughter Jessica's birthday...
she was born our firecracker baby and still knows how to light up a room
with her oh-so-fun personality!




And now I'm busy with Christmas in July... lots of new fun things in progress!
So excited to show you... I love the Spirit of Christmas in July...
so much to celebrate all year long!!

Oh yes... and thank you for all the absolutely wonderful love, verses
and stories you shared with the last post!
YOU MAKE MY HEART SMILE!!!

Hope you had a great 4th of July my friends...
Blessings and God-hugs...
Karla

40 Years and Still Counting!

Will you take a moment to rejoice with us...
sing a happy song... dance a little jig... lift your eyes to heaven
and give our God thanks... for today...
Michael and I celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary!


Can you believe it?
We were not believers when we were married...
and several times came soooo close to not making it...
in fact, in our early 20's, we were voted among our friends
to be the first couple to divorce!!
But here we are today...
40 YEARS LATER... with HAPPY HEARTS...
for God has been good to us!

And we both agree... He gets all the glory... amen and amen!

Lemony Sunshine Bouquet...

My publisher, Jack Countryman, and his sweet wife, Marsha...
who is also a dear dear friend of mine...
are coming to our house for dinner tonight...
all the way from Nashville!!


And they sent this bouquet yesterday... to hearken their arrival...
isn't it GORGEOUS? So beautiful... bright and cheerful!


And I love the lemon accent in the bottom of the vase... so clever!


Flowers always have a way of drawing my heart and thoughts to God...
and these definitely brought a ray of SUNSHINE into my kitchen...
and SONSHINE into my heart...


a reflection of the  beauty of a 13 year publishing and friendship
relationship between this dear couple and myself...


a relationship that many of you have been blessed by...


through the dozen or so books we've done together over the years!


I'm so excited to see them... it's been awhile...
I'm already imagining all the hugging and loving and laughter
that will fill my heart and home tonight!!

I couldn't keep the beauty of this bouquet to myself...
I knew it needed to be shared... with YOU!
May it brighten your day and bring a smile to your face!!

Thank You Father God for the beauty and blessing
of flowers and friends!!

Love and God-hugs to you...

Happy Heart Day!

Thank You Lord God for loving us...
and reminding us that above all... we are Your Valentines...
and not just today... but every day from now and into eternity!
Thank You for hugging us with Your Spirit...
blessing us with beautiful and bountiful gifts every day of the year...
and rejoicing over us with great joy!
May our hearts truly be happy today... knowing we belong to You!
We are Yours... and You are ours... Valentines Forever!

Precious One... Valentine Download

^pre·cious

1: of great value or high price <precious jewels>
2: highly esteemed or cherished <a precious friend>

In Isaiah 43, God says...
"you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you..."

You are precious to God and to me... seriously...
you are a woman of tremendously great value! 

You may not feel like it this very minute but it's still true.
You are a woman of wonder-filled worth according to the Lord
and He doesn't lie!


I designed this little Valentine angel to celebrate how God sees you and I
as His PRECIOUS ONES... not only as my way of saying...


but also to give you the opportunity to share God's love and encouragement
in a SWEET way with some of the women in your life...
women you work with or go to church or Bible Study with...
women who serve you at the grocery store... or your children's teachers.
Maybe you and your children could make up a bunch to take to the elderly.
Ask God to show you who you could bless this Valentine's Day and
I'm sure He'll show you!

I thought about the women I want to share with and
it led me to create this small collection of printables.
I've already been preparing my little treats and am excited to share them
with you as an inspiration for what you can do too!


The first bags I made were the easiest... simply cutting out the small
bag topper, folding it in half and stapling it over the top of the treat bags
filled with candies! I don't know if you can tell but I did add a bit of glitter
to about half of them... you know I LOVE glitter!


For the second group I used a 1 3/8" scallop circle punch to cut the angels
from the gift tags, used a vintage sepia stamp pad to distress the edges of
both the circles and the front edges of the treat bag toppers...


and adhered the scalloped circles to the toppers with foam squares
which added some very fun dimension.  Again... an easy but very lovely
way to say "you are precious" to the women in your life.

I've run out of time today so I will have to upload the collection
to Etsy tomorrow... so sorry!
And then come back Wednesday and I'll finish this post
with a few more very fun ideas...
and I'll have a freebie to offer to you as well.

So remember... Valentine's Day is not just for kids or couples...
because you are God's Valentine... and He wants to romance you every day
of your life!!

XOXOXO

What a Hoot!

I wanted to give you a little sneak peek into what I've been working on...

I love these little Valentine goodies!  And with this one...
I guess the question is... are you a hoot?  Or do you know any hoots?
I'm guessing you do or have been one yourself at some time or another
because the dictionary defines a hoot as one who is hilariously funny and
I think we all have a little hootiness in us just because we are human!


It is good to keep company with people who make us laugh...
who intentionally... or unintentionally... tickle our funnybones.
God says... "a merry heart is good like a medicine."

I am so thankful the Lord has transformed my life from one
who took life way too seriously... to a woman who can laugh at herself
and tries to look for the humor in every day life and share it with others.
I hope the same is true for you because laughter lifts the soul
and we can all use a little lifting, can't we?


I hope these little guys make you chuckle or at least bring a smile to your face.
I've enjoyed sketching and inking... coloring and plain ol' playing with them
so I'm looking forward to having a few of these fun ideas ready for you in
the next week or so... just in time to share some Valentine love!

 
But for today... drink in the joy of the Lord... look for something humorous
and let yourself laugh... belly laugh even...
God says it's good for you and He would know!

With blessings, love and laughter...

Thinking Ahead... with Love...

Can you believe Valentine's Day is just a little more than a month away?
And what a great opportunity that gives us to spread a little lovin'...
God's love and ours... in fun and creative ways!

 
And what a great reminder to us that we truly are God's Valentines.
He chose you, wooed you and calls you His beloved.



He sends us bouquets of Valentine love every single day...
way more than enough to give away!

So I'm working on some new Valentine's art...
and creative ideas to help you give God's love away.
But for those of you who might be planning ahead for Sunday school
or crafting with the kids I just wanted to let you know that there is
Valentine's art available for you on my website with the Printable Art.


Happy creating...

with love to you my sweet friends...

Great Idea for Photo Christmas Cards!!

Have you noticed the trend toward sending photo Christmas cards...
especially among you younger families with children?


I love them!   But what do you do with them after the holidays?


My Michelle is so creative... she posted this great and easy idea on her blog.
Make a picture book that you can bring out every Christmas! Such fun!


Oh so simple...
using your 3-hole punch... line up the cards so that it punch only TWO holes
evenly spaced on the cards.  If you're using a single punch you will want to
measure and mark them first so the holes line up.


I did discover that I needed to glue some of my photos to non-photo cards
in order not to punch someone's head out of the picture!  (LOL for the pun)


Michelle used binder rings for hers but I don't have any so I used ribbon.
Easy peasy... and you have a memory book for years to come!

Even though I get far fewer photo cards than she does...
I love this idea and will use it every year from now on.
How fun to be able to pull it out each year and see how the children are
growing... or in our case... how much more gray one has in their hair!

In fact, we've never sent a photo card before because it's just Michael and I
but next year... I don't want to get left out of anyone's picture book so I'm
thinking a photo card may need to be added to my Christmas to-do list.

What do you think?  Great idea or what? 
THANKS MICHELLE for sharing your creativity with us!

"The memory of the righteous will be a blessing..."
Proverbs 10:7

Happy New Year...

Usually about now I'm all about looking back over the past year...
and writing down goals for the new year ahead.

But this year is different... at least for now.
Because of the house remodel I'm all about living in the moment...
tending to the priorities... and today's priorities seems to be white!


 I closed 2010 with a paintbrush loaded with white... lots and lots of white.


I started with the trim in the living room...


and then this already built-in shelf unit which has already taken two coats...
with at least one more left to go!


This is what it looked like before... I like the white better, don't you?

 
Today I spent second... and third- coating everything in the living room...
while Michael put up the beadboard and trim in the breakfast nook...
 

and family room... isn't it looking gorgeous?

Tomorrow... and until it's finished... I'll be painting it all white.
But I LOVE white... so I'm glad to paint it.  Clean. Light. Bright. Pure WHITE.

What a great way to start the New Year too... thinking about the color white.
It makes me want to think of the holiness and purity of God.
It makes me delight in the fact, that in His eyes, we are white as snow.
And it makes me think of new beginnings...
like a clean white canvas ready to be painted on.
And I'm thinking that this year... in 2011...
the paint on my canvas is going to be quite fun and colorful...
as I allow God to have His way in me and through me.

How about you?  Are you looking forward to a colorful year ahead?
I hope so.

God's blessings for 2011 my friends...
Hugs... Karla

Handmade Traditions...

We had a wonderful Christmas at Michelle and Gary's cabin up on Mt. Hood.
It was cozy and comfy and overflowed with laughter, love and creativity!


It wasn't snowing outside which was a bit disappointing...
but these snowflakes... handmade by Michelle and the girls...
more than made up for the wet cold stuff... aren't they amazing?
So much fun!


(from left to right: me, Monica, Cindy, granddaughters Alexis and Jessica, and Michelle)
I love being part of a creative family of girls.
And at Christmas time... that creativity shines... and thus...
one of my favorite family Christmas traditions is
the giving and exchanging of handmade craftiness!

My daughter Michelle, sis-in-love Cindy, niece Monica, and myself
do the handmade gift exchange and this was my offering...

They are small zippered bags combining my newly discovered love
for free-motion stitching combined with layered mixed-media art.


Each bag had a stamped word of inspiration sewn on the outside with a
scripture printed on paper and tucked inside.  The verse for this one was...
"...with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26


I had so much fun stitching these, I decided to make one for each of my
granddaughters as well... their inspirational word was "imagine" and their
verse was my life verse...
"God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us"
from Ephesians 3:20.

This was a sampling of all the girls handmade gifties...


Monica stenciled fun kitchen tea towels and potholders for all of us.


Cindy sewed colorful and reversible placemats.


Michelle silk-screened the coolest owl shirts for Mo and Cindy but because
I already had one of her owl shirt, she made me this totally amazing stuffie!
I LOVE her and named her Lulu!


Michelle gave Lex and Jess original paintings by Lia Lane and my original is
by Jess... it's an acrylic painting of our cat Abby at her scratching post while
we were staying at the kids. She is so talented... and I am so blessed!

 As believers in Christ, we are blessed, aren't we?
Blessed because Jesus came to this earth... was born a baby...
and lived among us... so we could see His glory...
and know His love.
That is why we celebrate, isn't it?
That is why we are blessed.

And I would be blessed to know...
did you make any handmade gifts this year?
If you did and blogged about them please include your link...
let us inspire one another!!

xoxoxo
Karla

Sending Christmas Love...

God has a special gift for you,
but it's not beneath the tree.
He wrapped it up in swaddling clothes
tied with humility.

But don't let the wrappings fool you,
its value exceeds all measure,
for of greater worth than precious gold
is this priceless treasure.

Hold out your hands, open up your heart,
and lift your eyes to see,
for this Gift of God is Jesus Christ
born for you and me.

Merry Christmas dear friends...
May the joy of Jesus fill your heart and home...
and bring you peace

Here Again... Gone Again...

My computer has been making noises for awhile.
I've tried to ignore it.
I just hope I haven't waited too long...


because today it is making VERY LOUD noises...very scary.
So I am taking it to the computer hospital... which meansI will be gone again.
But hopefully only a few days this time.
I just pray it's not terminal.

On a BRIGHTER note...
I was out and about yesterday and something incredible happened!
Something that made my heart sing!
Something that can so easily go unnoticed.

It was the Name of Jesus being sung with passion in public places!
I'm grinning just thinking about it!!
Unsuspecting intercom systems being used for God's glory!



No one else seemed to hear it... the wondering if Mary really knew her
little baby was the Messiah... and the calling of the faithful, the joyful and
triumphant ones to come and adore this One who was born
the King of Angels... Christ the Lord! 


I heard it.
Christ the Lord being proclaimed in public places...
and songs of worship and adoration filling the air.
And though they may not know they hear it... they do.

Oh sweet sisters in Christ...
let us... His faithful, joyful and triumphant ones... rejoice and pray!
Let us pray that God will give people ears to hear... even subliminally.
Let us pray many will be won to Christ this Christmas season.
Let us use these opportunities... use the carols to start a conversation
with the woman standing in line with you.  Help her to hear.
Most of all... let us be the "JOYFUL ONES" the carols sing about...
let us be the lights in the darkness proclaiming joy to the world...
THE LORD HAS COME!!

Love you...
Karla

Free and LOVE-LY Valentine's Art Download

I know Valentine's Day is right around the corner and
many or most of you have probably already made your Valentine's
but I wanted you to have this anyway...
because LOVE is always in the air when we belong to a God who IS love!

So this is my Valentine to you my friends...
I love you all and treasure your love, kindnesses, and caring hearts...
but most of all I treasure being your Sister in Christ...
our hearts bound together in His Spirit and for His glory!

So... please download it, print it, cut it out, craft away and enjoy!

Hmmmm... I can see gift tags, stickers, labels, bookmarks, Valentine's,
greeting cards, a gift bag or box and more.
Well...I'm going to go play now so check back tomorrow
and we'll see what I come up with!!

Blessings and hugs...
Karla

Happy New Year!

 
I love walking into a fresh new year...
it's like turning the page and stepping into a new chapter of our lives
yet unwritten except in the heart of God.
It's like making footprints in the newly fallen snow..
a new beginning.
As I enter this new year... as always... I do so with great expectation
to see what God has in store for me in the days ahead...
especially knowing Him better, loving Him more,
and following Him more faithfully.

I hope the same is true for you!

And I want to THANK YOU my friend for being my part of my journey...
THANK YOU for your words of blessing and encouragement...
and THANK YOU for sharing bits and pieces of your life with me.
I can only hope I've been an encouragement to you and
maybe even inspired you a bit along the way as well!

So in remembrance of another year gone by, I want to celebrate
the highlights of 2009 and God's goodness and grace...
 for it was in just the last year that I...

• wrote and illustrated "Give Thanks" and met the deadline!

• shared my heart and God's Word with some fabulous women
at the HeartSeekers Retreat, a Mother's Day Brunch, Family Bible
Church Retreat and a Precepts Season Kick-Off

• celebrated mom's day with a art day at Michelle's with the girls

• celebrated our 38th Anniversary... Wow!

• lost my mother to a stroke

• hugged family members I hadn't seen in years

• caught my first mackinaw on a trip to Montana
to visit friends Del & Susan

• loved seeing old friends at our 40th Class Reunion

• ate great seafood with Cindy at the beach

• was geatly blessed by a mini-retreat with Sandi

• transformed my studio with a bit of bling

• redesigned and rebuilt my website

• walked my very first Girlfriends Half-Marathon... unbelievable!

• celebrated my granddaughters turning 9 and 14... oh my!

• with mixed emotions, we put our house on the market... keep praying!

• opened my Etsy store

• was treated to an amazingly artsy day on the town for my 58th

• ended the year with a memorable Christmas of family LOVE

• was blessed beyond measure by all of you...
whether you've ever taken the time to comment or not...
THANK YOU for your LOVE
and for being a special part of my life and letting me be a part of yours!

God bless you and may He reveal Himself to you more
in 2010 then ever before!!!
xoxoxo
Karla

Christmas Blessings...

I had a wonderful Christmas... and I hope you did too!

We drove up to Michelle & Gary's new winter wonderland cabin
on Mt. Hood on Christmas Eve... it was a beautiful setting and a fun
opportunity to go sledding as well... yes... even I... the grandma...
went sliding down the hill... not once but twice... screaming all the way!
There is still a little girl who lives inside this ol' body!!

I do hope you enjoy this little peek into our special time together...
I had a lot of fun this year being creative and making most of my gifts...
and I'm excited to show you what I made since I couldn't before cuz it
might have spoiled the surprise...some of them you can see in the photo
collage but I'll show them to you in  more detail a little later.

I was looking at the verse last night...
"Blessed is she who has believed..."
and my heart was filled with such gratitude because I am blessed...
with the love of family and friends... including you...
and I know that it's only because of what Christ has done in my life.
May the celebration of Christ
dwell in our hearts all the days of our lives!

xoxoxo
Karla

Celebrating a Miracle...

Today I'm taking my youngest granddaughter out Christmas shopping,
but before I go I wanted to share this devotion with you...
may your heart be blessed!
xoxoxo... Karla

Salvation has come to this home today.
Luke 19:9 NLT

Christmas is a special time of year,
a season set apart from all others to celebrate a miracle.
And what an incredible miracle it was!
God came to this world to bring us the gift of salvation.
In fact, He was the Gift!


Salvation was born that Christmas Day so long ago.
He wasn't delivered to a mansion or a motel.
His crib was not found in a townhouse or ranch house.
No fancy wrapping or ribbon either.
Sent by the hand of God,
Salvation entered this world in a borrowed stable,
alway looking... ever seeking... for a home to call His own.

Since the day He was born, Jesus has been knocking on doors
throughout generations, among every culture and people...
He longs to find a home... a dwelling place...
in the hearts of people who will simply believe.


Yes Christmas is a time to celebrate... to rejoice...
not only in the miracle of Christ's birth,
but with even deeper joy
we celebrate the miracle of His being born into our lives,
making His home in our hearts.

(An excerpt from The Heart and Home of Christmas)

Snowman Ornament Workshop Party!

I love the women in my Bible Study Group and wanted to do something extra
special to bless their hearts so my Christmas gift to them was a craft night...
a Snowman Ornament Workshop/Christmas Party... and we had so much fun!
The only sadness was that two of them were sick and another had a family
event to attend... Connie, Deb & Frances... you were missed for sure!

I served a finger-food dinner that started off with this wonderful
Snowman Cheeseball!  Isn't he adorable? He was a huge hit and I sent
everyone home with the recipe.... you can find it here.


Next came shrimp served around the rim of parfait glasses filled with
cocktail sauce which I forgot to take a picture of... along with...


salmon pate filled cucumbers decorated with chives
and a touch of red pepper and...


cherry tomatoes stuffed with mozzarella balls, adorned with a basil leaf
and sprinkled with garlic salt... yum!! 
This is what you call ARTFUL cooking... my favorite kind!

Then came crafting! Those funny looking grey balls are the snowman heads...
they are made from a paper mache pulp and take quite a while to dry so,
since we only had the evening, I made them beforehand.

But they had so much layering the paints, adding the eyes...


adding rouge to their cheeks...


and especially adding the glitter... the sparkle that brings them to life!


Then came the hat-making... but again... got so caught up in the making...
I forgot all about taking pictures of the process...


but the joy on Brenda's face... and on her snowman's face... says it all!


each one a different personality...


just like their makers... Dottie, Joan, and Brenda...
each woman tickled pink with her own handmade Christmas creation!


We ended the evening with a light dessert of raspberry jello topped with
light whipping cream and Christmas sprinkles... and an ornament exchange.
It was a wonderful time of love, laughter, and creativity!

This is one of the greatest joys of Christmas... giving oneself away...
time, talents and/or treasures... for the blessing of others...
simply in celebration of the greatest Gift we've been given...
the love of Jesus who was born into this world to give Himself away...
for you... and for me... ultimately on the tree.

Father God, thank You for Jesus... who is the Reason for the Season. Help us
this year as we give ourselves... our time, talents and/or treasures... with a
right heart... out of love and not obligation... to bless and not impress...
and if we're struggling with that Lord, remind us of why we celebrate
Christmas and the glory of the Greatest Gift of all! Amen.

Join Me for 30 Days of Thanksgiving!

I tried to get a post done yesterday for Thanksgiving Thursday
but I was busy making teenage mutant ninja turtle costumes
for my granddaughter and her friend! Thankful for the time with them!

You know... I love Thanksgiving Thursday but we all know that
giving thanks is not reserved for one special day of the week.

And even though we have assigned it one special day of the year
and called it a holiday, the truth is everyday can be a holiday...
a time of celebrating and being thankful for who God is
and who He is to us, for us, in us, and through us!

So to kick off the holiday season, I have decided to blog
30 Days of Thanksgiving... one post of gratitude...
every day of November. Would you like to join me?

It can be A LITTLE like... "Today I am thankful for love!"
included in a comment on my daily post.. or on your own blog post.
or you can write A LOT... it's up to you.
If you can't do 30 consecutive posts... no worries... one day at a time!

I just thought it would be fun... and bring a smile to God's face...
for His girls to join hearts for 30 days to give Him praise!!

SO...if you'd like to participate here's two ways to do it:
If you're a blogger:
1) Post one thing you're thankful for every day of November.
2) Link back to my blog
3) Leave me a comment with the link to your blog
and I'll link back to you in a special Give Thanks post!!
**See Day 2... Holding Hands for all who are Giving Thanks together!
(You can pull the 30 Days banner above to use in your blog if you like!)

If you're not a blogger:
simply leave a comment with what you're thankful
for at the bottom of my post every day!
(You can even use my post as a prompt for your comment!)

Dear Lord... thank You for all You are and all You have done for me
and for my precious Sisters in Christ... the list is endless.
Father... forgive us for taking so much of our lives for granted.
I pray you will be honored and glorified
through our thanksgiving... and that it will continue long after
the holiday season is over! In Christ... Amen.

I look forward to being THANKFUL together!!
xoxoxo
Karla

58 Things...

As a birthday gift to myself (Oct.10th)...
inspired by my daughter's "36 Things Before I'm 37" list
I decided to write my own...

I hope to do before I turn 59!

I am a dreamer and a list-writer by nature so making the list was easy.
Doing everything on it... well... may take me more than a year.

1. sell our home aka Grace Acres moved out August 23

2. buy a truck camper and head out on a God Adventure roadtrip

3. buy a small house for a home base bought a fixer... not so small

4. walk the Girlfriends Half-marathon Wow... 13.1 miles... 10/18/09!!

5. read Max Lucado's new book Fearless and finish it!

6. read at least one fiction book Finished SisterChicks on the Loose... 10/19/09!

7. write and illustrate the next new book! painted botanicals for 100 Favorite Bible Verses but didn't write it

8. plan Michael's 60th Birthday Party! was a great party! 10/14/10

9. create a "Bless This Home" Painting  finished 10/13/09!

10. go on a garden tour

11. sew something wearable

12. take an online photography workshop but I didn't finish it!

13. visit Lauri and Margo in Texas

14. visit Audrey in CA

15. go see a local play

16. ride the train to Leavenworth

17. get a passport March 29... now I can ANYWHERE!!

18. finish designing my wooden toy collection didn't like them after all

19. make a memorable craft with Lex and Jess her snowman painting

20. host a girl's night out Craft Night with my small group making snowman ornaments!

21. photograph a sunset... and a sunrise Baltimore Mar 7th

22. eat something new and unusual

23. pick a bouquet of wildflowers and give to a stranger

24. giveaway my time for a worthy cause Options 360

25. go hiking

26. make some soldered charms with my art

27. surprise someone with an unexpected birthday party

28. gift someone with a a foot massage and pedicure

29. have a family portrait taken

30. have postcards printed to send while on the road

31. sign up for an art workshop (hands on or online)
DJ Pettit's Photoshop Online Workshop Jan 2010

32. carve pumpkins with the girls

33. go see a movie with a girlfriend

34. bake a cobbler... apple? peach? berry? or all three?

35. send anonymous gifts to 6 people

36. place one or two of my books in 6 nursing homes

37. take the girls to the Grotto for Christmas Christmas Eve!

38. Sleep in a tent with the girls

39. make a baby gift for Melissa's (personalized print) and Amy's babies

40. use my art for a charity fundraiser or two or three

41. meet and eat with at least 6 blog friends on our roadtrip

42. decorate the new camper Karla style

43. photojournal our roadtrip on my blog and flikr

44. submit new art collection for licensing snowmman collection in Feb

45. create more mixed media sculptures (like Esther) Michelle's Snowman

46. offer monthly giveaways on my blog

47. participate in a swap of some kind Christmas Ornament Swap 2009

48. participate in a progressive dinner

49. learn how to do transfers

50. try one new recipe every month
        Dec - enchiladas

51. go kayaking with Gwen

52. make 6 B.A.G.S to give to the homeless

53. try screen printing

54. rent a convertible and drive to the coast

55. do sparkpeople for one month

56. create more "savor this moment" snippets

57. create a "savor this moment" video or two

58. give myself grace to not have to finish this list I LOVE grace!

 

Here are some other LISTS that might inspire you... and if you have a list leave a comment to let me know and I'll list you here too.

Michelle... 37 Things

Meg... 35 Things

October... A Celebration of Birthdays!

You see, my birthday is next Saturday, the10th, my hubby's is the 14th,
and poor sweet Michelle, our only child... well... hers is the 16th.
I like that they are all in the same week because I'll never forget them...
but it's hard celebrating three different people in 7 days and...
making each one feel as special as they deserve.
Instead they can tend to blur together.

But not so this year... we started early and we started with mine!
Michelle... bless her heart... treated me to an awesomely wonderful day
of artsy inspiration and celebration Saturday which began with a couple
of local vintage sales including Randall Woods and  Uncovered Ruby ...


I loved seeing this chandelier hanging gracefullly in a greenhouse!

This sign was so appropriate as the day was a mix of sunshine and rain
but dancing we did... at least at heart!

Obviously we saw lots of treasures waiting for new homes!

We then headed to Portland to the Local 14 Art Show & Sale which featured
84 women artists with an amazing variety of mediums and styles.
It was fantastic with a few of my favorites being...


Mary Ennis-Davis...

  Lisa Kattenbraker...

and Carrie Tasman.

After this visual feast of inspiration, Michelle knew just the spot
to feed our hungry bodies...

Por que No? It was seriously yummy!

From there we were off to the Art and Soul Vendor's Show where eye candy
was abundant with offerings from many of the workshop teachers
including one of our favorite local artists...

Lisa Kaus... Michelle and I took a workshop from Lisa for my last birthday!

We finished off our day of celebration with a dish of YoCream Frozen Yogurt
topped with chocolate chip sprinkles.


And what a treat it was that on the way to Art and Soul God treated us
with a bit of visual beauty of His own... this brilliant rainbow...
a sign that He was right there celebrating with us!

I AM BLESSED... and THANKFUL for it!

Bless you all...
xoxoxo
Karla

A Sweet Saturday...

So what made my day so special? 

1. Time with those I love... of course! 

2. Watching the Ladybug's sensational first soccer game of the season!

3. Getting to see Jess (my youngest granddaughter) head butt the ball...
 for the first time... and grin from ear to ear for doing it! (PRICELESS!!)

4. Going flea market junking with my daughter Michelle...
  and talking for hours afterward! (Again... PRICELESS!!) 

  

And to top off the day...
  5. A quiet dinner alone with my hubby...
 not unusual but no less sweet... and no less PRICELESS!

........................................................................................

Here's some pics from the Vintage Gathering and the Barn House Sale.
The staging itself was incredible... especially at the Barn House Sale
 even though they were almost sold out by the time we got there!

The Vintage Gathering...
 Michelle really wanted that red canister... but left it there

Love the hen and chicks... but left it there

I always wanted to make a "tool sculpture" similar to this one...
but it won't be long before I won't have a building to put one on anyway!

Okay... these apples are from the Barn House... is that just too cool or what!

Notice the sink they used for the jewelry display... how fun!

Next time we'll have to go earlier when there's even more to see...
we missed out on so much... but most likely saved some $$$...whew

So does this make you want to take your sink outside and fill it with gourds?

 
 Without a doubt... it was a very sweet day... a taste of heaven...
 hanging out with the ones you love!

Lord God, help us to savor the moments You give us with those we love.
Help us not take those special times for granted but to embrace them
and enjoy them as glorious gifts from Your hand to our hearts. Amen.

Love is in the Air...

Today I am reflecting back on last Sunday...

and how thankful I am to be mom to Michelle
and grandma to Lex and Jess... I am blessed!


And I am so thankful to have Cindy as, not only my sister-in-law, but also a friend...
and thankful that she and my niece, Monica, decided to join us
for a wonderful day of craftiness at Michelle's to celebrate Mom's Day!

I am also thankful for the creativity God has given Lex and Jess...
and that they are just so much fun to hang out with!
Check out the shoes Lex is painting!  They were light blue!
And Jess painted that picture as her Mother's Day gift to her mom! Sweet!

Sorry I can't show you the dolls that Michelle and I made...
mine is still not finished
 and hers is a gift for someone so it needs to be a suprise for now!



Most of all, I am thankful that God has poured out His love into our hearts
and given us a love for one another that is so much more than I could have
ever hoped for.  Thank You Lord.

He's Alive!

May your heart and mind be renewed with a sense of hope and peace
this Easter, knowing that our Savior lives!
And because He lives we truly can face tomorrow with hope,
trusting the One who holds our futures in His nail scarred hands.

He gave His life so that we could have a new and abundant life...
a life filled with the joy and blessing of knowing, loving and trusting Jesus
with every moment of every day. May it be so in your life and mine.

Rejoicing with you... in His love and for His glory!
Karla

Easter Blessings Coloring Page

I know Easter is still a month away, but I wanted you to have this now as you begin to prepare for the coming celebration... enjoy! Just click on the image for a full size printable version.

She is one of the color bunny series I'm working on for a digital download collection... stayed tuned to see her in color!

Prepare our hearts now Lord to celebrate Your resurrection
in Spirit and in Truth... amen.

Easter Preview...

I have been working on some Easter bunnies who carry more than a basket of eggs... they carry the proclamation that Jesus overcame hell and death and He is alive! And because He lives we can, not only face tomorrow, but we can face it with hope! Hallelujah!

This sweet bunny is one of a series I'm working on and plan to introduce as a digital download collection sometime next week... just in time to print and send cards or dress up your Easter celebration. I hope she makes you smile with the joy of the Lord!

Heavenly Father... prepare our hearts to truly contemplate Your sacrifice and celebrate Your victory over sin and death! Be glorified in us and through us Lord. Amen.