Karla's Korner

The Price You Pay For FREE!

It has recently come to my attention that something that is supposed to be a
a free service... actually comes with a price that could easily be
misinterpreted. I have been using Feedblitz as a subscription service since I
started my blog and am very pleased with how easy it is for you to subscribe.
In fact, I personally love waking up in the morning to several of my favorite
blogs... all delivered in one convenient Feedblitz email.

But... a friend recently emailed me to find out if I knew I was advertising
for something called "The Well Daily". She told me they were promising the
ultimate guide to health and wellness and if she signed up she could win a
free yoga mat!

Okay... just so you know... I know the well where Jesus met the Samaritan
woman... and The Well of Living Water Jesus offers us daily as we come
to Him... but I don't know "The Well Daily" and do not endorse them.

The reality is that the price I must pay for my "FREE" Feedblitz service is them
attaching advertising of their choice to my blog. If I don't want the advertising
I must pay a monthly fee, which to be honest, just doesn't fit in my budget.
So please... just ignore the ads... and be thankful for Feedblitz and the
blessing it is to bring us together... ads and all.


Oh yeah... and what does that have to do with the photo of the crocus?
Nothing really. They were a delight to my eyes on my walk yesterday and I
just wanted to share the blessing with you!

Love and God-hugs...
Karla

Walk With Me Wednesday... in the Fog

I almost didn't walk the other day just because it was so foggy and cold.
I'm not so fond of being chilly so I argued with myself quite a bit before going!


I'm glad I did though because the mist from the fog
added to the beauty along the way.

All the mist in the air transformed a zillion spider webs from
almost invisible... into sparkling works of art! 

The patterns of each spider's design were all so incredibly unique and
the intricate details kept me fascinated all along the way... beautiful!

And then, of course, it is the season for mums with their brilliants colors
boldly announcing that fall is in full swing!

Close to the end of my walk, I passed this warm and welcoming doorway...
a quiet celebration of the beauty and bounty of the season.
And it said so much about the woman who lives behind that door!

And talking about celebration... this entryway reminded me of how we are to
"Enter {God's} gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise"...
and how God longs for us to enter His presence and let Him know how thankful
we are for who He is and for all that He has done in us, through us and for us!

Today... among many other things...
I am thankful for God's paint palette and the rich warm colors of autumn!
I am also thankful for the riches of God's provision in our lives...
because whether a little or a lot... God is always faithful.

How about you? Is there anything about fall that inspires you to give thanks?
Autumn blessings and God-hugs...
Karla

Latte Da... and My Art is on Exhibit There...

Don't you just LOVE that name for a coffee shop?  Latte da!  So much fun!


It is a CHARMING vintage house turned Coffee Shop - Restaurant - Wine bar!
They've been open only a few weeks but I believe they have the potential to
become a neighborhood favorite for all sorts of gatherings. That's how came
to know about them.  My art group has met there twice now, including today.


And, as of this morning, the first thing you see when you walk in the front
door are... Karla Dornacher Original Paintings... Ta Da! 
It's my very first art "exhibit" and I'm thankful for the opportunity to brighten
the walls there and share my art with all who come by! I hung a total of
5 originals and 3 giclee canvas prints. Thank you Scott!


And we all thought "Stir It Up" was very fitting for a coffee shop!


The most amazing feature, however, is the beautiful "secret garden" they've
created just outside.  It's tall wall of greenery gives you a sense of privacy
and peace from the world just beyond! I hear they're having a baby
shower there next week.  I'm sure it will be delightful!


They even have a fire-pit and are hosting Friday night s'more parties every
third Friday... yum!!  And at other times they have live music. I think hubby
and I may go have a listen tomorrow night.

Anyway... just wanted to share a blessing.  Now if someone actually bought
one of my paintings there that would be an even greater blessing!

If you live nearby, you might want to Like them on Facebook to get updates
on what's happening there... or just get some girlfriends together and
go have a Latte Da and a blueberry scone...call me... maybe I'll join you!

Blessings and God-hugs...
Karla

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

Where in the World Was I???

So sorry I left you in suspense for so long...
but I've been trying to play catch up these last few days!!


So where in the world was I for five long days last week?
Sitting on a jury with 11 other people deciding the fate of another person.

Interesting that it was the week before Easter and I kept thinking of Jesus
being on trial and about Him being wrongly accused and convicted.
It's a huge responsibility to listen and discern what is true and what is not...
and then decide where a man will spend the next several years of his life!

Deliberations began Friday mid-afternoon and though heated from the start...
after about five hours... we ended up with four guilty verdicts.

It was a tiring and tedious five days... but still an amazing experience...
especially of watching twelve unique individuals, with their own perspectives,
wrestle with an extremely difficult set of truths, half-truths and potential lies
and, one by one, come to a unanimous decision on, not just one, but four
counts.  My heart still aches for the young man... more than I even realized as
tears are filling my eyes as I write this. 

God loves even the most guilty among us.

Thrifty Treasures...

Look what I found at the thrift store...

and all for $20!  Now who doesn't love a bargain? LOVE the bowls!!!
I was hoping to find some colorful pieces to add color to my new kitchen...
and there they were... with my name on them just waiting for me!!
So... why do you think anyone would discard such beauties?
Hmmmm... I'm thinking maybe so they could come live at my house!!

Oh yes... and those bowls are so fun and pretty to eat out of too! 

Lord God... thank You for the woman who chose to donate these dishes to
the thrift store rather than just throw them away... bless her Father... for
her trash has become my treasure!  Thank You for reminding me that You
call me Your treasure and You will never ever discard me or throw me away!
May I live today in a way that is as lovely to You as my new bowls are to me!
Amen

Rescue Me... I'm Glued to My Computer!

I have hesitated blogging because my life seems so boring!
I'm not bored... I'm actually being VERY creative... but in a very different way!
I am redesigning my website and I'm so excited about it... for you...
as well as me.  But... since most of you aren't glued to a computer all day...
it probably seems BORING!  Here's a peek...



Don't you love the colors? Yum!
But here's the part I'm REALLY excited about...


Can you see it? Finally... stationery downloads, coloring pages, tutorials and
printable art downloads organized... did you catch that?  ORGANIZED... and
easy for you to find... and me too!!  And I found some artsy crafty stuff
that has been lost... and now found... just for you... yeah!

I'm still working on the website though... quite complicated for this matronly
brain... let me tell you... but I'm doing it... with much prayer and 
determination... and...okay... a bit of whining tossed in for good measure!

But that's what happens when money is tight, right?
We make do... we learn new ways of doing things... we may whine a little...
but we don't give up... right?  By God's grace!  I'm just praying when I do
upload it... which I hope is in the next couple of days that it all works.
All prayers are welcome!  I can hardly wait!


Heavenly Father... thank You soooooo much for giving me the endurance to
keep at this... pressing in when I've wanted to give up... when I've felt like
my brain could not handle one more challenge... thank You for being my
strength and the best cheerleader a girl could hope for.  Father, I  pray for
every woman reading this... help us not to give in or give up during these
hard times... give us an extra measure of faith and creativity to keep running
the race that is before us... for Your glory... amen.

A Little Bit of Catching Up...

I can't believe it's been so long since I have a chance to visit with you...
lot's going on for sure.

Thought I'd give you a quick recap of a few of them...
1. I finished my family of Snowy Folks...
all bearing a message of blessing and cheer
to warm your heart any day of the year...

I'm working with a company so you'll see these little guys on greeting cards
in 2011. Doesn't that just seem too far away?  It sometimes takes that long
to see something from concept to reality... it's wild!

2. I've been playing with some design concepts to submit to other
companies... what do you think?

3. I'm taking an online Photoshop Class from DJ Pettit...
I've worked with Photoshop for years but you can never learn it all!
I'm way behind in the class but I've learned a couple of very valuable things!

4. I've been preparing my own workshop for the Leadership Training Day we
are having at Summit View... my church... this Saturday.  I'll be talking about
a new Bible Study format my group has been using this year.  I'm calling it
"Beyond the Book" because we're in THE BOOK two weeks out of the month
and then we put into practice the other two weeks... one in fellowship and
the other in outreach... it's been good.

5. I've been making more crosses and just added them to my etsy store...
I had to experiment with different colored bases... check 'em out.


6. I had the girls overnight and all day last Wednesday... and Alexis is still
rubbing it in that she beat me at UpWords... she beat me bad!!


7. I spent some fun-time with Michelle which I've loved... last Friday we
hung at Borders bookstore for a couple of hours... one of our favorite places
and just yesterday we went clothes shopping... which we NEVER do...
it was fun... thanks Shell!!

8. I've been playing with some ideas to submit to one of the Stampington
magazines when they're finished... I love the idea of turning to trash...

to treasure...


9. watching more news than normal... praying and grieving over Haiti
10. filling orders and shipping
11.getting further and further behind answering emails...
sorry if you're one of them... I'll be catching up soon... very soon
12. Bible Study
13. church
14. Keeping the house spiffy clean JUST IN CASE someone wants to buy it!
15. tried a new recipe for spicy garlic chicken... yummy!

Wow... when I write it down like that I realize what a good week I've had!!
Thank You Lord!

I hope you've had a good week too...
I've missed you... hope to hear from you soon!

Father God... we continue to seek Your face for the people of Haiti Lord.
The one thing we do know is that You love them and long for them.
We know You're heart must be grieving for them more than ours does and
so we ask that You would continue to send provisions to them
and make crooked places straight for them to be able to receive it soon. 
Comfort them Lord... and pour out Your Spirit in that land... deliver them
out of darkness and into Your glorious Light that they might know You and
love You. Glorify Yourself there Lord... Amen.

xoxoxo
Karla

I DID IT... 13.1 Miles!!

I can hardly believe I did it... but I did! I walked the Girlfriends Half-Marathon
last Saturday and lived to talk about it!! 4 hours 4 minutes!

These were some of the girls from my church that partipated.
I'm the oldie but goodie in the center and I walked with my granddaughter
Alexis to my right (3rd from left in photo) and my sis-in-law/love Cindy
who is 2nd from the left in the photo. The other girls were all runners!

I know I would not and could not have finished without the love
and encouragement of Alexis, Cindy and my darling daughter
who, sad to say, could not run that day because she was sick.

What did I learn?
1. This old body is capable of doing more than I thought it could!
(I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Psalm 139:14)

2. We need each other... to be cheerleaders for one another!
(Encourage one another daily Hebrews 3:13)

3. It would have been much less painful if I had trained for it!
(The fruit of the Spirit is self-discipline Galatians 5:22)

4. It feels good to run for a cause bigger than yourself!
(Look not only to your own interests , but also to the interests of others Phil 2;4)
Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Thank You Lord for giving me the strength and endurance to walk this race! There are more parallels between running/walking a race and our walk with You than I have time to talk about today but the greatest thing You showed me from the Half-Marathon was how much we need Girlfriends... how much we need each other to cheer us on in our faith in You and our faith in who You created us to be. It made me think of all the women in the world who have quit running the race with You because they lacked cheerleaders. Lord Jesus, teach us to be better encouragers... to think not only about ourselves but about those who need a good word today! Fill us with Your overflowing love. Amen.

PS... Extra bonus... I got to check it off my 58 Things List... sweet!

Going... going... gone... GRAY!!!

Okay... I had to have this photo taken for my publisher and thought I would share it with you too. A couple of you noticed and commented earlier about seeing a touch of gray peeking through but now it is official... I've gone gray!  I've wanted to go gray for a long time but finally got brave enough to do it... thank You Lord! I cut it really short hoping it would make it easier to transition and it really did.  You can still see a touch of coloring at the tips but it won't be long til even that's gone. Personally... I LOVE it!! What do you think?

Catching Up!

First of all... I am laughing because I created this post last week and got side-tracked and never pushed "publish"! So it's a little dated but I wanted to share it anyway! Things have been busy!! So much to tell you but I know you only have a few minutes so in a nutshell...

1) We've decided to quit procrastinating and put our beautiful Grace Acres up for sale!  We will list it on Craig's List on Saturday. 

We do know the economy is not in our favor... but God is so we'll just see what happens.

We love this place but Grace Acres is crying out for a family with children to tend the garden and pick the fruit and play ball in the giant yard... and we are crying out for a simpler way of life with more time for people and less time tending the land. Please keep us in your prayers for this.

2) I am now selling some of my Digital Art Collections over at AimeeAsher.com. There are some other amazing artists there and the've been a pleasure to work with in getting my Kits uploaded to their store! I'm looking forward to seeing how their designers will use my art to create other products. I'll let you know when they do!

3) And I just started my very first online art class with Paulette Insall. I'm already learning new techniques and loving it!  I'm excited to see how what I learn will translate into my own style! I'll give you sneak peaks later.

4) There's more going on for sure but that's all the time to share for today! 

Love you guys...
Karla

Just So You Know...

I know some of you have been waiting patiently for me to make up my mind about the angel policy with the use of my digital art kits.  Well, I finally decided in favor of the angels... angels being YOU!  The Angel Policy is designed to allow you to use my art to create crafts and projects, not only for your own personal use and gift giving, but also for selling in limited quantities and with certain requirements.  I posted my Terms of Use over at Karla's Korner Shoppe, so if you'd like to use my art to make some crafts to sell at your church's Christmas bazaar or even on your own personal blog or website, you'll want to read it first.

I can still remember selling my crafts, especially at Christmas, to make a little extra money when I was a young stay at home mom and I'm blessed to be able share my art with you to help you do the same.

Also... I am pleased to now offer a CD Burning Service for those of you who want to use my digital art collections but are still on dial up. I know how it is... been there... done that!  I know that to download some of these size files would take days... and in most cases, you would disconnect before it ever finished. So now you can just add in the service and I'll put the files on a CD and pop in it in the mail to you... sweet!

And the third thing I wanted you to know was that my sweet friend Audrey of Audrey Jeanne's Expressions has opened her own Blogstore. She is so talented... just look at this scrumptious looking chocolate collection... YUM!!! I just updated her link in my sidebar so you can once again go visit her from here and be blessed by her life and her art!

Thanks for stopping by and I'm working on three things to share in the next few days... a new contest... a new coloring book page... and a freebie download!  Not sure in which order yet but they're all coming your way to encourage your heart in the things of the Lord!  Bless the Lord and bless you my friends... in His love and for His glory... Karla 

Some Serious Solitude & A Grateful Heart

I don't know about you, but sometimes I just need to get away to recharge and refocus. Sometimes a getaway can be as easy as closing the door to my studio or taking a walk... shutting out the world in order to have an hour or so of quiet time alone with God. But sometimes, when I have a big decision to make or am moving in a new direction, I feel compelled to seek out some serious solitude in order to just sit and wait on the Lord for wisdom and direction.  With that said... if you missed me... that's where I've been these last few days... hanging out with God in a little cabin on the coast... seeking affirmation and direction as I begin my newest journey into writing and designing my next book on the topic of THANKSGIVING! And I'm blessed to say... I'm off to a great start. It's definitely just a beginning but I have a sense of direction and that's a good thing! Thank You Lord!

If you've been visiting my blog for any amount of time, you already know the value I place on giving God thanks... simply because He is God and He is good.  But God is calling me to a deeper place of thanksgiving and I have a feeling He's going to be doing some things in my life... some challenging and some glorious... as I walk out the message He is writing on my heart even now.  I'll keep you posted.

Oh yes... and when I say I thank God for you... I mean it! Thank you all for allowing me to speak into your lives as well as many of you, I know, partner with me through my books and products to share the Good News of Christ with the world... THANK YOU!!

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy because of your partnership
in the gospel from the first day until now.
Philippians 1:3

Father God... thank You so much for each and every woman who comes to visit here. I may not know their hearts but I know You live in them and You are more powerful than the roaring ocean waves. And I may not know their circumstances but You do and I ask today that You would bless them in the midst of whatever is going on in their lives... that they would be able to sense Your Omnipotent Presence and thanksgiving would rise in their hearts just to know You dwell in them and with them... for Your glory... amen.

Announcing November's Contest Winner... and Catching Up on the Week!

I can hardly believe it's already December 14!  I have had a phenomenal season so far... very full but very blessed. The highlights of this week (and why I haven't been able to post again) included speaking for the Hinson Baptist MOPS in Portland on Tuesday and then for the Laurelwood Baptist MOPS in Vancouver just yesterday. Both groups were awesome... and we were mutually encouraged... encouraged to keep Jesus as the center of all their Christmas activities. And we all need that reminder, don't we?

Sandwiched between these two events was Wednesday and I had so much fun spending the day with my twelve year old granddaughter Alexis!  She is going to an all night Christmas Costume Party at church and we worked together to make a gingerbread man costume for her to wear. We had such a great time together and, even though I didn't have a clue what I was doing, the costume actually turned out quite cute.

Today I'm off to help my daughter with a project she's working on but I told her I have to be done with her by 3:00 because my younger granddaughter, who is seven, called me last night and asked me if I could pick her up from school and take her Christmas shopping. Now how can I pass that up? So I'm meeting her at the flag pole at 3:15 and we're going to go have a fun time together!

So now... the moment we've all been waiting for... including myself... the winners of last months contest is... by a random draw... Jen Jahromi from North of Baltimore!  Congratulations!!  Yippee!!  Yeah!  I love contests and love picking winners!!  Jen, you are the winner!  I decided to have two winners for this contest since it's too late to do a new contest for December so the second winner of last months contest is... Kasie and I'm not sure where she lives but what is fascinating is that both of these gals are artists! Take a minute to go check them out... they both love God and love glorifying Him with their art!  Please email me with your addresses and I will send you each a Thanksgiving/Christmas Package on Monday filled with goodies from my heart and home to yours!

Well... gotta run... full day ahead!  But as you and I are busy with Christmas and the business of everyday life... I simply pray...

Heavenly Father... may the words of our lips and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing... and glorifying... to You!  Fill our mouths with praises to You... and with words of blessing to all those who cross our paths... our families, friends and even the strangers we encounter on the roads and in the stores as we go about our Christmas business!  Praise you Jesus!

Creative Day Cafe Interview

Creative Day Cafe... don't you just love that name?  It immediately makes me think of sitting at a bistro table at a sidewalk cafe surrounded by beautiful flowers with all things in my site being beautiful and inspiring... sipping an espresso and delighting in a menu of fabulous food. Well, that's what my friend, Angela Fox... lover of all things creative... had in mind when she "opened" her blog Creative Day Cafe.  She offers heaping helpings of inspiration... and her menu features people who inspire her, art that moves her, beauty that intriques her and plenty of side orders of encouragement for her fellow creatives.

So what can I say... I am honored to be included on her menu... so if you're hungry for some inspiration and encouragement you can go READ MY INTERVIEW where I talk about what creativity means to me and my creative journey with Angela at Creative Day Cafe. Bon appetit!   

Autumn Bliss

I love autumn! Michael and I drove into town today and just ooohed and aaahed over all the rich and royal  hues of scarlet, yellow and russet orange that filled the skyline…colors that stir my heart to be creative.

And I love how the shapes of the leaves... that all throughout the summer were mute and blended... have now come alive with brilliance. Their shapes once lost in their likeness are now distinctly defined… the oak leaf with its rounded lobes … the royal diadems of the stately maple and the simplicity of the birch.... all pointing to how wonderfully creative our God is.

   

In the second chapter of Genesis while we’re being included in the unfolding of creation, God sets the scene for the introduction of the pinnacle of His creation…the original version of you and me.  And as He describes what must have been the most glorious garden, the Bible tells us that in it God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.

When I first read that… it leapt off the page and into my heart. God created this wonderful variety of trees, not only to nourish our bodies, but to nourish our souls through the portal of our eyes. He could have chosen to sustain our lives with colorless manna all of our days here on earth but He didn’t.  Our God is beautiful beyond description and He went to great measure to share His beauty with us!

As autumn unfolds and the fall leaves display their beauty and dance in the sunlight, take a moment to bask in the beauty of the Lord and remind yourself that He made all this for you… simply because He loves you.

Heavenly Father,
As always, I stand in awe of you as I consider the beauty of your handiwork but to consider that you were just as concerned about how I would be fed visually as well as bodily, makes my heart glad. And to think that this is all just a prelude to the beauty that awaits us in heaven with You… makes my heart sing.

Thinking Blog Award!

I've never been tagged before so.. thank you Jenny for the Thinking Blogger Award!  I am honored! Bless you! I am sometimes accused of thinking way too much so I'm just blessed to be able to pass on some of my thoughts and know that some of you are really reading them!

So let's see... now it's my turn to tag five other blogs that make me think. It's funny how I've really had to think about this because being new to the blogging world and with a schedule that does not allow much time for perusing the blogosphere... I wondered if I would be able to come up with five blogs that really make me think. I started off thinking they should be deeply spiritual (aren't I just funny?!?) but thought I have books and websites that do that for me... but not blogs. But then I realized that the Thinking Blog Award is for relevant content and that is subjective.. so the few blogs I do visit definitely qualify... they do make me think.  Some inspire me to think about art and creativity... some about the art of homemaking... some about the art of writing... and all in one way or another lead me back to thinking about how wonderful our God really is and what He means to me.

So... having said all that... I bestow the Thinking Blogger Award upon the following blogs...

1) My daughter Michelle... makes me think about how blessed I am to be called mom and so much  more.

2) My friend Audrey ... makes me think about the blessing of friendship and being an artist.

3) My new blog friend Clarice... inspires me to think about the blessing of being a keeper of my home.

4) Boomer Babes... makes me think about the joys of being an author and a woman of influence.

5) Sommerset Designs... inspires me to think about the business of being creative.

Jesus Painting

Someone sent this link to me in an email.  It is a powerful expression of drama and art that truly glorifies the Lord. As an artist and a believer... I was blessed... hope you are too!

Click here: YouTube - Jesus Painting