Karla's Korner

The Sweet Taste of Friendship...

Surprise!  I have another new book out!

With an apple theme, perfect for fall, this sweet little gift book uses a few
ingredients from earlier books, combined with a measure of new, to stir up a
batch of friendship blessings for you to share with the girlfriends in your life.



It includes scripture, poems, prayers and words of affirmation, as well as
a collection of apple recipes and apple gift ideas.
It also includes a few journal pages, perfect for writing down some sweet
friendship memories to make this book a very personal from-your-heart gift.

You can check out just a couple of other pages and purchase it here!




Dear God... thank You for my friend! She is such an incredible blessing in
my life. I am so glad that You made her just the way You did... right down
to the number of hairs on her head... and the color of them too! She truly
is fearfully and wonderfully made - one of a kind by Your creative design!

I pray for my friend today that You will always enable her to see herself
through Your loving eyes... not her own or the world's. Remind her how
there is only one of her and only she can fulfill that perfect plan that You
have designed especially for her.

Bless her today with confidence in who You'e made her to be. Amen.
(an excerpt for The Sweet Taste of Friendship)

Thankful for the Flush!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to take a few minutes
to count your blessings and truly give thanks.
My friend Becky counted a bunch... and her list really makes you think about
so many of the things we so easily take for granted... it's inspiring!

And speaking of taking for granted... when was the last time
you thanked God for indoor plumbing and a flushing toilet? 
Well, it's been at the top of my list recently!

One of the reasons we got such a good deal on our new house was because
one of the previous owners had built our wonderful four car garage right on
top of the drainfield for the septic and thus the septic had failed!  Duh! 
Hmmmmmm... that means...
No Septic = No Flush!
So for the first three weeks of owning our new home, we drove in from
Battle Ground, worked on the house, took potty breaks at
Jack in the Box up the road and then went back to Battle Ground to sleep.

Our hearts were overjoyed the day the truck arrived with a new septic tank!

It was amazing to watch them lift it up over the fence...

And gently lower it into place!


The drainfield was installed in trenches...


transforming the side yard from this...

to this... and it will stay this way until next spring.
It is now slightly mounded in the center but I am just soooo thankful they
were able to hide all the mess  behind the fence... thank You Lord!

But the most exciting part of the day came when they told us we could use
the toilets and sinks! Thank you Jack in the Box for being there when we
needed you but thank You God for our own working septic system
and all the men who played a part in getting it installed!

So for today ladies...

I'm giving thanks for the flush! How about you?


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

Blessings and love and hugs...
Karla

Giving Thanks...

I've been silent for a very long time... I know.

So much has happened in the silence... so much I'm eager to share with you.

But for today... I just wanted to pop in and say...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
for it is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord!

And I am thankful for you... your faith and friendship...
your comments and camaraderie...
your love and encouragement...
and for you not giving up on me in the silence.
I'm back... and blessed to be so.

LOVE & HUGS...
Karla

30 Days of Thanksgiving... Day 2... Holding Hands!

Today I'm thanking God for you and your desire to join hands and hearts
with me and other sisters in Christ...
counting our blessings and giving thanks to God!
I know the Lord is smiling as we celebrate this month with gratitude!

I also want to thank God today for being a part of the body of Christ
both in our local church and the body at large.
Michael and I were away from home Sunday and visited a church
where we were welcomed with open arms. It is a blessing to have family...
sisters and brothers in Christ... wherever we go!

Have you thanked God lately for your spiritual family?
It is good to give thanks to the Lord!

Just look below to see who you're holding hands with so far...
please take time to visit some of them and hear
how God has blessed them... let us encourage one another.

remotetreechanger.blogspot.com

homespunsimplicity.blogspot.com

simplyheathersblog.blogspot.com

luckebabe-reflections.blogspot.com

dailyreminders4me.blogspot.com

composition-life.blogspot.com

shortybearsplace.blogspot.com

patchworkangel.blogspot.com

devildogfamily.blogspot.com

crochetbythesea.blogspot.com

bgladpapercrafts.blogspot.com

elliemaescottage.blogspot.com

composition-life.blogspot.com

creativecountrymom.blogspot.com

christianunschool-more.blogspot.com

faith-byfaith.blogspot.com

noteworthyforgod.blogspot.com

encouragementfrommyheart.blogspot.com

sherrie-plummer.blogspot.com

charliejuliefoggfamily.blogspot.com

liftingmyeyes.wordpress.com

inlightofthetruth.blogspot.com

trudystreasures-2cats.blogspot.com

blissfulanddomestic.blogspot.com

thewashingtonwalkers.blogspot.com

jenssimplepleasures.blogspot.com

sewblessedwith3.blogspot.com

If you want to join this 30 Days of Thanksgiving at any time

just leave a comment on that days post and if you have a blog,
Link to my blog and I'll gladly add a link back to yours.
And if I missed you please let me know!

xoxoxo
Karla

The Winners are...

Thank you all for your great suggestions! It was so fun to see your choices!
It was still hard to narrow it down to just 3 so I went by the number of votes
per image and still ended up choosing 4 instead of 3!

So here are the winning art prints that will be added to my Etsy shop soon:

 
Autumn Give Thanks 7.5x7.5

Autumn Tea 8x10

Cupcakes 8x10

Core Values 6x8

And the WINNER of the FREE ART PRINT is...

Deborah of debsberrys


Deborah... please choose one art print from the above four winners...
email me with your choice and your mailing address and
your winner print will be on its way to you in just a few days!

Thank you all SOOOOO much for participating and for your sweet comments. 
Please know that I read, appreciate, and SAVOR each one.
You make my heart smile!

xoxoxo
Karla

Monday Musings...Taste and See

What foods do you savor? Cupcakes? Chips? Fruits or veggies? Savory or sweet?

As I pondered Psalm 34:8,
"Taste and see that the Lord is good...",
I thought about some of the foods I love to taste... including chocolate!
But I also thought about how someone can place a piece of chocolate on a
plate before me and I can know it's chocolate... I can see it's chocolate...
I can even acknowledge out loud that it's chocolate.
But... if I don't purposely choose to pick it up and put it in my mouth,
I will never taste it's sweetness or savor it's flavor.

In the same respect, God doesn't want us to just acknowledge Him
from a distance. Instead, He wants us to experience Him intimately...
to taste His love and grace through His Word, His Spirit and His blessings.
His sweetness will beat out a cupcake any ol' day but we must choose
to eat from His banqueting table in order for our souls to be well fed!

I love Matthew 4:4 where Jesus says:
"Man does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."
God wants us to eat His Word and with every bite, taste His goodness!
As we "chew and swallow" God's Word about who He is, who we are in Him,
and His great promises for us...  truly believing it for ourselves...
and as we respond to His Word  with faith and obedience...
the taste of His love lingers long in our hearts!

Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for making Yourself
known to us... so much so that we can truly taste of your Presence and
savor the blessings we know come from Your hand. Lord you also know
how big the battle is to keep us away from Your banqueting table... help us
be overcomers so that we may eat well and find nourishment for our souls.
Amen

xoxoxo
Karla

Give Thanks is Here and it's Gorgeous!

My new book "Give Thanks" is here and I know you're going to love it!!

I LOVE this book and am excited about it because...

1. I KNOW that God loves it when His kids... you and me...
  give Him thanks... and that's what this little book is all about!

2. I KNOW the difference that giving thanks to God
 can make in a person's life... including yours and mine... 
 and that's what this little book is all about!

3. this book represents a personal growth in my life
 as an artist and I LOVE the combination of Klassic KARLA
 and Kontemporary Karla artwork... and I know you will too!

4. even though I was uncomfortable and apprehensive 
 about not seeing color proofs of the book before printing...
 the colors are rich and warm... and absolutely beautiful!

Thank You Lord... and thank you to all the wonderful
folks at Thomas Nelson Pub. who made it all happen!

I am so excited for you to own your own copy of "Give Thanks"!
I know you're going to LOVE it!
You can order your signed copy from me here!

And don't forget... we're still going to do some great promotional
fun things a little closer to Thanksgiving...
but you'll have to wait until then to see what we're up to.

Lord bless you today with eyes to see
 all the blessings He's poured out on thee!

xoxoxo

Give Thanks... a Sneak Preview!

Are you ready? My new book, "Give Thanks", is on its way! And...
my publisher and I are working on some great ways to celebrate its arrival too!
I know you're going to LOVE it!!

Someone asked me recently what some of my favorite 2 page spreads
 in the book were and I wanted to share one of them with you today.

From an art perspective, I love the whimsy of this girl
 but even more... I love her expression of praise and thanksgiving.
She truly seems to be blessing the Lord with all that is within her!

But it's the devotional that I know will speak to your heart...
 as it does mine... it says:

We all talk to ourselves, don't we?
I know I do, and so did David, the psalmist.

One of my favorite psalms is 103,
where, in essence, David does a little self-talk
to help him refocus on the things that matter.

He basically says to himself,
"Now listen to me, my soul.
Despite what's going on in the world,
stop right now and bless the Lord.
Don't forget all He's done for you, soul.
Think about those things and give Him glory!"

David goes on to count his blessings,
naming them one by one.

So next time your soul is downcast, try this:
Tell your soul to take a break from the pain,
to consider the good that is in your life,
and to bless the Lord!



Heavenly Father... prompt us today to listen in to what we're telling ourselves... what we're saying to our souls... and Lord, if it's not good or true... stir our hearts to take time out and focus on You. Deliver our souls from downcastness, despair and depression. Set us free to be women who bless You Lord with all that is within us... and give You thanks! Thank You Lord Jesus... Amen.

Thankful for God's Amazing Grace!

The book is done... well... almost... and I'm glad to be back!  I sent in the final pages  of "Give Thanks" to my publisher on Friday.  There are a few details to be worked out and glitches to be fixed, but my part... for the most part... is done!  And I met the deadline... with the incredible support of my amazing husband and lots of help from my publisher, editor and my good friend Gwen! Thank You Jesus!  Finishing a book is like giving birth and I'm so excited about my beautiful baby... but I can't show her to you until sometime in June! Oh how I want to!!  But I can tell you that God poured out His Spirit on every page and I'm truly grateful! Thank you for all your prayers and emails of encouragement! Bless you all!

God's amazing grace not only flowed into the pages of this book but I was so grateful to be working on this particular theme, when I got the call from my sister telling me that my mother had had a stroke. She passed away 10 days later on Thursday evening February 5th. God's grace carried me back to Quincy and home again and I was so thankful to have the book to focus on during that time... making me even more grateful for His love, healing and the blessings He has so generously poured out in my life.  Everyone, including me, wondered if the book would be finished on time but my constant encouragement was that God already knew before I said yes to the book what was going to happen. Our God is sovereign and faithful. Even though those two weeks were very emotionally challenging, finishing the book could have added more stress but instead became a blessing.

Once again, a testimony that givng thanks to the Lord is not only a good thing, but our thanksgiving opens a door for God to show Himself mighty on our behalf.  Now that's something to be thankful for!

Is there a difficult circumstance in your life right now? Ask God to show you what, in the midst of your circumstance, you have to be thankful for? His grace? His love? His blessings? Give thanks to the Lord for He is worthy of our praise!

It is good to give thanks to the Lord.
Psalm 92:1

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for loving me and being my song, my strength, my comfort and my hope. Apart from You, Lord, my life has no meaning but in You I have boundless blessings and my heart overflows with praise and thanksgiving. Thank You Father for showing Yourself mighty in the creation of this little book, Give Thanks.  I look forward to seeing how it is going to bless the lives of many women... turning their hearts to You and to the blessings that You have so graciously given them. May You be blessed Lord by our praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

It's Been A Long Time!

Where have I been? In my studio painting away! I want to show you all the art I've been working on for my new book, "Give Thanks", but since I can't, I thought I could at least give you a sneak preview of a portion of page 47...

I have to say I feel a bit more flaky than fragrant though! I had such grand aspirations of blogging in 2009 on a more consistent basis and I had a wonderful list of things I wanted to share with you... including my studio transformation... and then came the phone call. "The deadline has been moved up," she said. In one short conversation I discovered that I would have two less weeks to complete all the art and more design responsibility then I had expected. Well... so much for more blogging... and time to spend on my studio transformation!

But... TRUST ME... I am not complaining! I am THANKFUL! God already knew it was going to happen before I even said yes to the book and my times are in His hands. I am confident He will give me everything I need... faith, creativity, strength, endurance and a heart to praise Him throughout the next few weeks! And I'm so excited to share with you everything in the book, both in story and art, I can hardly wait! And I can hardly contain myself wanting to show you what I had already done in my studio before that phone call... including some fun tutorials. So don't give up on me too soon... there will be more to come!

My times are in your hands...
let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
Psalm 31:15,16

But even now, after putting in some very long hours and therefore feeling a bit more confident about meeting the deadline... I think I'll be able to visit a bit more often.  Now don't hold your breath but I do promise to be back!!

Love you guys!

Painting In Progress!

I just started painting this week for the new book, Give Thanks! I am having so much fun combining my traditional style and some of the great new techniques I've been learning and I thought you might like to see the process of a painting coming together. I've never thought to photograph steps along the way so it was fun for me too. I paint rather willly nilly so you'll have to look at each one to see where I skipped to next! 

This is one of three paintings I did this week and I'm thrilled to see how God continues, not only in transforming my life, but transforming my art as well!!  I'd love to hear what you think about the new style if you have a moment!

My very first acrylic painting for a book... but using Golden Fluids is similar to watercolors but better!

Choosing colors... especially with a new medium... can be challenging!

I love the depth you can get with these paints! SWEET!

A little close up.

Oh... the pattern along the side ads some whimsy.

Adding a few more acorns.

Okay... it's almost finished!

Tadah! (spelling?) Thank You Lord... and now only 77 pages yet to do!!

Blessings to you for a great week... I'm off to the coast to work on the writing part of the book and I'll try to post while I'm there but no promises.