Karla's Korner

Pure As Snow 2 Just Added to the Blogstore!

More snow people to add to your holiday cheer! 
I included three full art images in this newest CLIP ART KIT that you can simply print,
cut and paste to create quick, easy and perfect Christmas cards
to share your joy and your faith this Christmas season!
To learn more of what is included in this PURE AS SNOW 2 Clip Art Collection
just visit Karla's Korner Shoppe!


  These art was originally created for my book, The Heart & Home of Christmas.
It's not only a "pretty" book but it will also help you keep your focus
and encourage your faith during the holiday season ahead.

Take a Day Break and Prepare Your Heart for the Holidays!

If you live in the Vancouver/Portland area,
I want to invite you to take a break... come, bring a friend and join me this
Saturday, October 25th
from 1 pm to 3 pm for a time of encouragement and blessing!
I'll be speaking about cultivating a thankful heart and how giving thanks
prepares and guards our hearts during the upcoming holiday season.
A Season of Thanksgiving

is a message that will help you stay focused on the real meaning of the season
which is right around the corner!

The admission is FREE...
LIGHT REFRESHMENTS will be served...
so come and share the afternoon with a friend from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at:

Parkside Church
1420 NE 3rd Avenue   •   Camas, WA

Mention this invitation and you'll receive an extra 10% off
any book and/or product you buy!

Check Out Michelle's New BlogStore!

Michelle recently got her Blog Store up and running!
Just in time for some Christmas shopping savings! Yeah! 

She will continue posting her Handmade in the USA-close outs/retired items on her Etsy site.
But, since Etsy is only US handmade she will be using
the Blog Store to sell the items that she make overseas. 

Here are a few samples of what you'll find!  FUN... very FUN stuff!

 

Creativity Galore at Lisa Kaus Workshop!

My sweet daughter Michelle gifted me a Lisa Kaus Workshop for my birthday this year... that's Lisa in the center... a truly talented artist! You could feel the creativity in the air the moment you walked into her fun filled studio... it was amazingly inspiring... a delight to the eye everywhere you looked! She not only shared her talents with us but her home and a wonderful lunch on the patio. I was so blessed to be able to spend the day with Michelle in this creative atmosphere and to add another layer of learning to my repertoire of new skills!

There were nine of us altogether and each one's house was so unique... that's what makes art so much fun! Here are 3 of the other gals who were there including Lani (below on the left) who Michelle had met recently at the newly formed Art Journaling Group she's started going to.

I thought for the fun of it you might like to see the details of my house and I know Michelle is going to post the details from her house soon so you'll want to go see hers too! 

I decided my house would be a memorial of the day so every time I look at I'll remember not only that it was a birthday gift but more importantly it will make me think of the giver of the gift and the great day we had together!



My House!

My Birthday is 10/10 so I played on those numbers with this flash card
and stamped my age... I've had 57 yearly new beginnings in my life and God's not done with me yet!

One of the children in this photo is my precious mom-in-law who went home to be with the Lord several years ago and the man watching over the flock is Mike's grandfather. We wouldn't have this photo if Michelle hadn't sent for a family album from one of Mike's aunts... thank you Michelle! And notice the circular stamps?  Michelle hand carved this stamp herself!  Fun!  And even the roses are special because Alexis and I found these and a box of other goodies at a yard sale just the day before!

Here again... my BD... BirthDay... is 10/10... marked by these BINGO markers! Isn't that fun? Michelle gifted me the "doorknob" from her stash of ephemera and the key was amongst the yard sale treasures Alexis, Jess and I snatched up Saturday.

All in all... it was a GRAND BIRTHDAY GIFT I will treasure in my heart forever!
THANK YOU MICHELLE!!

Every good and perfect gift is from above.
James 1:17

Lord God, I cannot thank You enough for the gift of creativity but even moreso for the gift of my daughter. And just like I will always cherish the gift of this workshop but the giver of it even more... I pray that I will always cherish You, the Giver of All Gifts more than the incredible gifts you shower down on my life. May it be so for all of us. Amen.

Delightful Time for All at Maryland Retreat!

My weekend in Maryland was delightful!  I delighted in the beauty of the countryside, the beauty of the women who invited me and those who came. But most of all, we delighted to together in the goodness of the Lord! I know He did great things in the hearts and lives of at least a few women there who will never be the same again because God met them there!

Above is the leadership team (left to right): Mary who invited me, Wendy who opened her home to me, me in the middle, Barbie and Tammy who planned some great fellowship times for the women. There was such a love and unity among these women that overflowed to all who came!

What a beautiful group of women... from 18 to 84! Estelle... I think that's how old you said you were!!  I shared throughout the weekend about how each woman there is "One of a Kind by God's Design" and we began Friday night, and every session after, surrendering our wills and wanting our own way for God's will.

The weekend ended with each woman writing on a balloon what God had revealed to her to surrender to Him...

and then altogether they released the balloons to the Lord and watched as their prayers and concerns rose up to the heavens. It was very powerful.

Lord God,
Thank You that your heart's desire is that we cast all our cares upon you... our pain, our circumstances, our trials and tribulations, our rebellion, our anger, our needs, our will, and our weariness... you want it all... because you want all of us. May the casting of our cares always be framed with thanksgiving for who You are and who we are in You.  And today I thank You again for Your promise that it is you that works in us to both will and do your good pleasure. May our lives bring you pleasure today.

Playing with Watercolor Pencils!

If you looked real close in the pile of goodies I bought at Art Media, you might have noticed a small tin of watercolor pencils. I took them and a small tablet with me on my trip to Maryland last weekend and played a bit while biding time in the airport and during the break time on Saturday.  I had so much fun and what I think I'm learning the most is to not aim for perfect... but to be happy with the process of learning even if I'll never use it in a book or product... even if the finished piece isn't a masterpiece or up to my expectations... do I hear any AMEN's? 

I've loved drawing faces since I was a child. In fact, the first compliment I remember ever receiving was from my 4th grade teacher, Mr. Conklin, about a face I had drawn in his class (probably doodling instead of paying attention, I'm afraid!). But his compliment was written upon my heart even then.

And this little guy turned out to be just too cute! I love birds... we are blessed to have a few hummingbirds hang around our house during the summer days so this is in honor of them.
This was my final piece for the weekend... simply an attempt to try out all the different colors in my tin! Yep... fun... oh so much fun.  In fact, I've been having so much fun playing... oops... I mean learning new techniques... that it's going to take much discipline to get myself back into the "work" groove!

Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are the God of new beginnings... and you have given us the capacity to learn new things... do new things... and become new creations in You. Lord, open our eyes to what you want to teach us... what you want us to learn spiritually, mentally, emotionally, artistically, even physically. Stir our hearts to be willing to step out of our comfort zones, to try new things, to spread our wings and soar to new heights with You! Be glorified in our adventures. In Jesus' Name... Amen.

October Giveaway!

 

I told you I've been on a LEARNING SPREE lately... so in keeping with the spree theme... this month's GiVeAWaY is for a SHOPPING SPREE in either my Webstore or Blogstore... $50.00 to spend on anything you want... and just in time to kick-start your Christmas shopping! (Magnets are excluded... sorry!)

To celebrate and encourage learning new things, I decided the way to enter the drawing for this month's GiVeAWaY is to comment on this post BEFORE 4 P.M. OCTOBER 28TH and tell me what's on your list to learn!  It can be either:

1. Something new you're learning right now

                                OR

2. Something you want to learn to do and why.

(think spiritual, physical, job-related, mom-related, artsy-craftsy, musically, cooking, etc.)

**You can enter as many times as you'd like as long as you're sharing something different you're learning or want to learn each time! 

Off to Maryland!

I have so much I want to share with you but so little time... I am sitting at the Portland airport headed for Baltimore. I'll be speaking at a Retreat there for the wonderful women of Burtonsville Baptist Church! I do love encouraging women in the Lord and looking forward to what He's going to do there! 

This is Town Hall Hotel B&B in New Orleans, MD where I'll be... I'm taking my good camera hoping to capture some great scenic views between sessions! I'll be back Monday to post a NEW CONTEST... so be watching it for it! 

A Work in Progress!

   
Okay Teri... this is for you!  Teri asked what I was doing with all those new art supplies... so here's a peek into my new art venturing. This is my present work of art in progress (sorry about the flash white spot).  I am taking an online art class from Paulette Insall and loving it!  I've never painted with acrylics before and I'm having so much fun and learning so much! This is one of the backgrounds I've painted for her class and the girl is not finished but I'm thinking she's pretty cute and I'll for sure share her with you when she's done! 

I'm also taking Paulette's face painting class right now but couldn't wait... so I'm trying this face on my own and looking forward to the tips and tricks I'll learn from her that will make it easier and better next time. Learning is so much fun!!


This is my finished piece from Ann Baldwin's workshop on Textured Backgrounds. I felt like a duck out of water as I've never worked with collage or texture before. I am not pleased with this piece but I did enjoy incorporating this great photo of my granddaughter into it. 

This is one of several experiments in texture mediums and paint that I did in Ann's class. Most of them are not worth sharing but I liked this one... the colors and patterns. I believe the texture was created with modeling paste, the circles with cardboard tp tubes and the cross-hatching with a comb. Ann was a great teacher and I learned some great techniques in her class... thank you Ann!

There are still more of those art supplies from that pile that I have not used yet... but I'll keep you posted as I continue to experiment and experience increased creativity!

Lord... thank You that You are the author of all creativity and you have passed down that trait to us your children! Increase our creativity Lord... in our art, our crafting, our homemaking, and most of all... in how we live our lives for You!

Art Media Shopping Spree

Today I am in a workshop with Ann Baldwin at Portland Art and Soul Retreat... learning new and creative painting techniques. So... yesterday I went shopping at Art Media for supplies for the class and oh soooo much more.  Doesn't that just look like a pile of creativity just waiting to happen? I'm learning so many new things right now there's an excitement in my soul!  Speaking of soul... gotta run... don't want to be late for class. 

But let me ask you first... what's on your list to learn today?  Let us encourage one another to always be learners... so seriously... what are you learning new or plan to this month?  I really want to know!

Love you guys... God bless you!