Karla's Korner

Owl Painting in Progress...

I thought you might enjoy a sneak peak at my newest painting in progress!
If you remember, I have a couple of owl art prints done in pen and ink but
I've never painted one on canvas before and I'm having so much fun with it!

 It's looking like spring time, don't you think?
I'm really liking it so far... especially the colors and textures...
but it still has a long way to go!

Poor owl... he's missing his tail feathers! Soon little owl... very soon you will
have your tail feathers... and the flowers will have color and the whole canvas
will come to life with delightful details and greater depth!

I gotta say... it made me think about how we are also a work in progress!
You see, our God is the Master Creator Artist and we are His paintings...
His masterpieces... and praise Jesus...  He's not finished with us yet...
Hallelujah!

But can you imagine when we get to heaven and walk through God's Majestic
Gallery of Glory and Grace and behold all the finished masterpieces
that will fill the Halls of Heaven? Including you and me!! Oh what glory
will be His and what blessings will be ours just to be among them!

Isn't it comforting to know that this life is not all there is? That one day all
our tears will be wiped away and sorrow will be no more... and we will have
all our tail feathers... and we'll be whole and complete in Jesus! Amen.

xoxo
Karla

One Proud Momma...

Michelle and I met at our local Barnes and Noble last night for a little coffee,
catching up, and some fun magazine browsing!

It was the first time I had seen the newest edition of Somerset Studio...

and the fantastic spread they did on Michelle and her artsy stairs that lead
to her even more artsy studio! Needless to say... I am one proud momma!

The folks from Somerset spotted her stairs on Pinterest... amazing! I'm on
Pinterest if you want to follow me there. I'm not an avid pinner but it is a
great place to visit for eye candy and inspiration if you want to check it out!

And I love the quote she used... it's from John Maxwell...
"Dreams don't work unless you do."

Reminds me of the verse that says "faith without works is dead."
Sometimes God gives us dreams and visions of the good works He has planned
for us... and then He waits to see if we wil believe Him enough to put feet to
our faith and go for it... to act on His Word and the promises He's given us.

How about you? Has God given you a dream? A promise? A direction to go?
Who knows... maybe today's the day He's stirring your heart to take the first
step toward making your dream a reality!

God bless you my friends... and the work of your heart and your hands!
xoxo
Karla

Bingo Pennant Banner

Yesterday was just one of those days when I should have been painting...
but just couldn't get motivated. So instead I played!


Remember these bingo cards from a couple of weeks ago?

With a little added lace, ric rac, felt flowers, pom-poms and buttons...


they were completely transformed...

...into this wonderful fun Bingo Pennant Banner!

What a delightful touch of whimsy it adds to this corner of my studio!

You know... I've always loved banners... and for two reasons.
The first is because the Bible tells us that God's banner over us is LOVE!
And the second is because they shout out CELEBRATION... and I want to be
a woman who celebrates life and all the blessings God has so freely given me!

So how about you? Are you a woman who celebrates life?
Do you have a stack of vintage Bingo cards you've been holding onto?
You might just want to make your own banner and have some fun with it!

Blessings and God-hugs...
Karla

Love Like Crazy!

One of my goals right now is to finish up some of the paintings I've had
started for a while and this is one of them... Love Like Crazy!


I love this photo of Abigail helping me as I add the finishing touches
of color and detail. She's such an encourager!


You can't tell I love detail, can you? 


Especially when I can weave a story into it...
a picture to remind you that God's banner over you is love!

...or how the taste of His love is sweeter than a cupcake!


God's love for us can unlock the prison doors of our hearts and set us free...
and our love and prayers for others can sometimes do the same thing!


And this Crazy Love of God flows down from the cross and fills our lives to
overflowing... so that we, in turn, can love others like He loves us!

O Lord...I want to be a woman who loves like crazy...
so that others will know that I belong to You and You will get all the glory!

May it be so for all of us!
xoxo
Karla

Floral Cross For You to Print & Color!

I've been doing a lot of pen and ink drawings in my journal lately
and I wanted  to share this one with you as a little token of my appreciation
for your friendship... and for being such a sweet part of my life!

It's yours to download and color... so pull out those paints or colored pencils
and have some fun... on your own or with your kids or grandkids!



I thought you might be able to use it to make a few special greeting cards or
maybe even frame it as a gift.  Whatever you do... I'd love it if you'd come
back to this post and tell me about what you made or leave a link to your
blog post if you decide to share it with your world!

Just one note... this one is for personal or ministry use only...
thanks for understanding!

xoxo
Karla

Holding Onto Hope!

I finished this piece just last night...
and I love the spiritual symbolism tucked into the details!
Now I don't know if you need encouragement or not,
but there are definitely days when I need to be reminded...

that even when the struggles of life seem overwhelming ...
I can still hold onto hope! 


Not just hope for the sake of hoping...
but a living hope found in the promises of God.

A confidence in the One who is able to transform our sorrows into joy...

and Who gives us wisdom as we seek His heart and wait on His timing.

It is a hope in Christ... the One with Whom all things are possible.

So my prayer for you, my friend, is that whatever you may be facing today...

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13

xoxo
Karla

What's New?

I was thinking about new beginnings this  morning... about how Jesus died
on the cross and rose from the grave to give new life and the hope of new
beginnings... to those of us who put our faith in Him.

I personally love new beginnings. Maybe that's because I get bored easily...
I don't know. But it did get me thinking about some of the new things in
my life lately...

1. I have a new art agent, Cruise Creative, who will hopefully open new
doors for my artwork to find new product homes.


2. I've started more than one new painting, including this one...


and I'm loving the detail that's happening in the background!

3. I joined the Firstenburg Community Center and am taking a Zumba Gold
class and water aerobics... both new to me and so much fun!
My granddaughter, Alexis, even decided to join me for Zumba!

4. I have a couple of new craft projects I've started...

repainting an old welcome sign...

and a flag banner I'm making from vintage Bingo cards.

5. We've been going to a new church for the past few weeks and loving it.

6. I got my nose pierced!!  It's tiny... but I just had to do it!I

7. And I submitted a new book proposal to  my publisher... a book designed to
encourage your heart to trust in the new mercies God gives us each new day!

I am so thankful that Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly...
and I love living the NEW life He gave me which includes being creative and
trying NEW things!

So how about you? What's new? What are you learning? What step of faith
have you taken recently? What new thing have you tried? Sometimes it
takes courage to make a change or try something new... so I pray you
will find your courage in Christ and take the step!

Lord God, thank You for coming and giving us life... not a boring life...
but a life full of adventure with You... a creative life designed not only to
meet the challenges we face but also, to celebrate the beauty and bounty of
the blessings You've given us. Open our hearts and minds to always be
willing to learn, grow, and experience new things... for your glory!

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