Karla's Korner

Art Journaling Friday

My daughter Michelle has been trying to get me to Art Journal for a very long time... bless her heart! I am convinced the timing simply wasn't right until just recently because now I'm loving it!  

Michelle and her friend Teri have been getting together every Friday for a few weeks now to share what they've been doing in their journals, what they've been learning and what new supplies they've been trying out and they've invited me to join them. Today, they brought their journals and art supplies to my studio and for 3 hours we chatted and painted and played! I had a great time... they are such an inspiration! Thank you girls!

We met two weeks ago at a coffee shop and left with a challenge to use the brown paper coffee cup sleeves in our journals before we met again. This was Michelle's page when she arrived. Can you find the sleeve?

This was her page when she left. Notice the frames around our pics? VERY FUN!

This is Teri's page and she picked up on the wording on the sleeve about "a greener future for our planet"... isn't that great? So creative!

Can you see the holder in mine? NOT! I started a page with the sleeve but it's far from finished and is rather boring at the moment! But I did work on this page this morning and I love it! I promise to show the coffee sleeve  page when it's done... really I will!

This is actually what I spent most of my time on this morning... hand carving four mini stamps and this cute little flower pot. Too fun!

I was reading Psalm 150 this morning and got to thinking about the last verse...

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

What struck me was that the breath we inhale is a gift from God and it is with that very same breath that we give Him praise. We inhale life and exhale worship. Whether we breathe in what is fragrant and sweet smelling or stinky and distasteful... with every exhale we are to praise the Lord! This verse reminds us and even commands us to praise Him for His mighty acts and His excellent greatness. Do you want to bless the Lord? Take a deep breath and as you let it out... praise Him!

Oh Lord... I am much better at praising You when my life is good and the air I breathe is sweet. Would you work in my heart to praise You even more when life stinks... because even when life down here on earth does stink, praising You lifts me up into heavenly places where the air I breathe is pure and holy... where the air I breathe is You! My our praises fill the earth with Your glory. In Jesus' Name... amen.

Michelle's Goody Giveaway!

You don't want to miss out on my daughter Michelle's Goody Giveaway #5

I absolutely love what she's giving away this time!
Hmmm... maybe I should enter!!

Hurry over to her blog to enter to win...

Flutter Clock, Flower Tea Ful Print, Bloom Frame and a Time Flies Clock!

A $164 value (and she takes care of the shipping)!

I HOPE YOU WIN!!

"Happy Easter" Now at AimeeAsher.com

I love bunnies and chicks and all the spring icons we use to decorate Easter even though I know that's not what Easter is all about. So to enjoy both the whimsy of these characters and the blessing of Christ's resurrection, this Happy Easter collection, in all it's simplicity, celebrates the joy and declares the true meaning of Easter!

I know... this isn't the digital collection that I gave you the preview of... but I've been working on both of them at the same time and this one just got finished first. 

This "Happy Easter" Clip Art Kit includes 5 bunnies, 1 cross, 2 Easter Message eggs, 4 decorated eggs, 3 borders, 1 frame, 3 papers, and 3 tags. I think these images will be perfect for Easter Crafts and Greeting Cards as well as for your Personal Scrapbook Pages. Please do enjoy creating with them!

 

I'm also so sorry to say, but I'm once again having problems with the program I use for digital downloads and am getting no support from the maker so, once again, I have to shut her down! I will be installing an entirely new program next month so until then...

 I am pleased to say you can purchase this kit and others at:
www.AimeeAsher.com

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.

Painted Valance Stripes Tricks and Tips

Now I'm not against free hand stripes... they have their place but sometimes a project calls for clean straight edged stripes and so I thought it would be fun to share the process of painted my valances and a technique for getting those clean straight edges I learned from my friend Nancy a few years ago when I painted stripes on my dining room wall.

For my valance I used a piece of white canvas.

The first thing you want to do is to base coat the entire fabric with the lighter color.

Measure and mark the width of your stripes and align your masking or painter's tape along the OUTSIDE edge of where you want to paint your darker stripe.

Here's the trick... paint along the INSIDE edge of your tape with your base coat
color first to seal the straight edge. Any seepage of paint under the edge of the
tape will become "invisible!"

Next paint your darker color stripe.

When you pull up the tape... what a perfectly clean crisp edge!

To finish it off I folded under the edges and hot glued them down.

To be honest, the sparkly twine was added to not only break up the space, which
it needed, but also because I was not paying attention and the top edge of the
curtain is not quite straight. The twine distracts your eye and you don't even notice!

You may never use this technique but then again, maybe someday it might come
in handy... it sure has for me!  Thanks Nancy!

Let each of you look out not only for his own interest,
but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:4

Heavenly Father, I thank you that You care about even the small things in our lives like decorating our homes and creating art and crafts Lord. I thank You too that You don't want us to think just about ourselves but to take what we learn, whether it's spiritual or earthly, and share it with others. I thank You that for me this blog gives me the opportunity to do that. Would You bless each woman who visits here today with increased creativity in sharing Your love and looking out for others needs and interests, especially during these hard times. Thank You Jesus for looking out for us. Amen.

Before and After Valances and Drawing Table

One of the most fun changes I've made to the studio was the valances above the patio door and the window. I have been wanting to change them out for a very long time so it feels so refreshing to have them done... and they're SO FUN!  I apologize for the horrible BEFORE photos... I am still learning how to take good pics and the light coming in the door and window made for very bad images but you can still see the huge transformation!

THE PATIO DOOR...
BEFORE: moss covered board with leaves and dogwood flowers... slightly outdated!

AFTER: fun hand painted canvas banner valance with glass crystals

The tinselee twine I got at JoAnn Fabrics after Christmas sale... it was a perfect touch!

I've had these crystals forever... can't even remember where I got them!
Strung them with some new beads for the finishing touch.


ABOVE THE WINDOW...
BEFORE: pink and white striped fabric topped with dogwood branch...so glad it's gone!
 
AFTER: hand painted stripes on canvas banner valance with green plastic crystals

The only reason these are hand painted is because I couldn't find the right fabric!

Love these crystals... picked them up at a yard sale about 5 years ago...
they've been waiting for such a time as this!


AND THE DRAWING TABLE...
BEFORE: A mismatched disaster (partly due however to the project in progress!)

AFTER: replaced mismatch with a variety of white containers... simple and clean... love it!
 
Notice the reading glasses on the table which are now required attire while painting
and the bunny who will be hopping her way to you very soon as a color book page!

THANK YOU...
for allowing me to share my space with you!
I've just been having so much fun and it makes me smile to be able to invite you
into my creative space... bless you for coming!

I took photos of the process of painting my curtains and I'll be sharing those with you
in the next day or so.  A friend shared a valuable tip with me that I'm excited
to be able to share with you.  Looking forward to it!

God bless you and keep you...
in His love and for His glory.

Buy One... Get One Free!

I believe the problems have been resolved with my digital download Blogstore
so I'm excited to say we are once again open for business!
As my way of saying thank you for your patience and understanding,
if you BUY any ONE KIT... you  can GET ONE KIT of your choice FREE!!
This offer will be good through Saturday March 14th.

Just visit my Korner Shoppe for details!

Project Studio... The First Peek!

I confess... I love bling & glitter & glitz! I love rhinestones and how they sparkle. I love crystals... and how they invite the light to dance playfully wherever it may!  So... when I decided to have fun with my studio, I invited the little girl in me to come out and play and she gleefully flittered and glittered... you'll see!

This little cabinet was one of the first things to liven up my newly transformed creative space. What do you think? Fun, huh? And if you look up, you can just barely see the wonderful twinkle lights my sweet hubby hung around the ceilings edge for me. I love them! Michael agreed... they look just like me!

Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
Oh Lord, we believe; help us with our unbelief!

I believe God plants dreams and desires in each of us...
so keep dreaming!
 
Inside this sweet wicker cabinet, I've tried to use creative containers...
including this old cupcake tin...
to store and display bits and pieces of ephemera and just plain fun stuff!

This shelf is collecting the start of my hand carved rubber stamps and the prints made by my three girls... the face on the left is by granddaughter Jess (age8), the elephant by Lex (age13) and the face in the middle is Michelle's handiwork!
Now you see where I get my inspiration!

The top shelf is holding some alphabet and
blessing cards in a white mini bread pan...

and a few game pieces I'm sure I'll find a use for some day!

I hope the first peek into my studio has inspired you to...
1) be who you are... let the little girl in you out to play!
2) look for fun and creative ways to display your supplies as well as your collections!

Holy Father,
When I look out at the dew drops on a leaf sparkling in the radiance of the sunrise or look up into the night sky and see the sparkle of twinkling stars... I delight to know that You like glitter and bling too... and I am my Father's daughter! And Lord, when You describe the New Jerusalem, You said her light was like a most precious stone, like a diamond, clear as crystal and the foundation of the walls of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones... emeralds, sapphires, jasper and more! Today I will delight in the bling in my studio and that of nature... oh but a hint of the glorious sparkle of the heaven that awaits us! In Your love we wait. Amen.