May 2007 – Page 3 – Karla's Cottage

Post Birthday Rainy Day Blues

By Karla Nathan / May 6, 2007

My art show, that I look forward to all year- is rained out today. And in the 46 year tradition of the show, this is the first year that we don’t have a rain date scheduled. Partially my fault, I am on the board of directors for the Art Guild that sponsors it and voted to not have a rain date because it is so much work to try to plan for 2 weekends instead of just one.

This rain is the kind that doesn’t let up, that steadily pours and pours and pours. Its gloomy and dark and has gone on for too long.

So I am cleaning today to get ready for the 2 parties I am throwing this week. Talk about feeling blue. I hate to clean. But, it does give me a chance to play with all my pretties, I get to re-arrange when I dust them.

Since I am feeling blue, I thought I’d cheer myself up by showing some blue stuff that is now dust free .

My mother loved butterflies and I always buy these S. American butterfly plates when I find them at the Goodwill in memory of Mom.

I painted this china cabinet for an article I wrote for Paint Magic magazine, that was out last summer. I have some of my favorite things in it, rose china lids from Italian dishes gathered up in an iron bowl that I painted white, some blue birdies, a blue beveled mirror that reminds me of my sisters, and a collage piece I did around a photo of my sisses and I. We were at a family reunion in S. Indiana and saw a ‘Downey’ street- my family’s last name! Had to have our picture taken in front of the sign, of course.

This close up is not clear. I am the one in the middle and I don’t have a twisted nose in real life, it is a glare, I think.

If you have noticed- in photos I have posted of myself on this site, my hair is always a different color. I think it is dark red in this one. It is a rare photo of me with no paint on my clothes too.

Another fave- I love to make "magic mirrors". I take old picture frames with curved glass and cut a mirror to fit into them, instead of putting a picture inside. These mirrors have a magical feel when you gaze into them and ask who is the loveliest of them all. Well of course, around here, the answer is: SUGAR WINGS!

Last, here is my ROSE for day#6, for my ROSE A DAY FOR TEN DAYS IN MAY in honor of Caring Bloggers Rose Day on May 10th.

These roses are on a vase I found out garage sailing a few years back. It was 5 bucks, high dollar in garage sale terms, but worth every penny to me.

Birthday Presents and day #5 for 10 days of Roses in May

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By Karla Nathan / May 5, 2007

Why do I wait till the last day to finish up before an art show??? It is my birthday and a beautiful day outside. I should plant flowers, or go for a walk or something other than make price tags!!

Oh well, we will celebrate my birthday tonight, we’re all going out to dinner. And I did get to do something fun, I covered this partial mannequin form with old papers, then set up a practice booth in my studio to see how it all fit together- a dry run for tomorrow.

If I were more efficient, and made price tags,as I was finishing the jewelry, or just did them and not fiddled with everything, it wouldn’t have taken all day today. But, how could I resist playing dress up with all the stuff I made and arranging it all?

I have very little artwork to sell, mostly jewelry. I made up about 100 or so note cards, some collage, some repros of my paintings. That will just have to do! It is getting late and almost time for birthday cake.

And anyway, looks like RAIN tomorrow. Might not even be a show.

I happened across a wonderful blog today (yes, of course, I goof off on the computer between price tags, another reason it takes so long). She is planning "Cottage Charm Giveaway" and getting as many bloggers together as she can to join her. The date is May 26th and you can check it out at her cool site: http://owcl.blogspot.com/2007/04/sign-up-for-cottage-charm-give-away-day.html

Of course, I want to be a part of it! I’m happy to share and give something away. Speaking of- it is time! I need to pull a name from the flowered hat for my EARLY BONUS GIVEAWAY as part of my MAY BUCKET FULL OF GOODIES for May 15th.

Now, remember the rules- who ever wins, has to promise to eat a piece a cake and say Happy Birthday to me while they eat it!

And the winner is:

KARLA- wait,I am giving myself my own gift??? No, another Karla at Sugar Bear: http://sugarbeardesigns.blogspot.com/ . Karla, I have a LOT of china shard pendants if black and white isn’t your color. You can choose another.

Oh, fun! I love presents. Remember, I still have the May Bucket and another bonus prize for it coming up May 15th. You can enter that by leaving any comment. Also, I am signing up to be in the Cottage Charm giveaway May 26th, so expect a prize from that too. What do you want it to be? Any ideas, from what you’ve seen me do?

To enter, leave me a suggestion!

Now, for day #5 in the ROSE A DAY FOR 10 DAYS IN MAY- I am crazy about porcelain roses, the delicate English bone china ones are gorgeous, but I am really fond of the big, bright Italian ones too. Here is some of my collection. Behind it, is a tray I painted.

Happy Birthday to Me, well almost

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By Karla Nathan / May 4, 2007

My Fairy Grand baby came by to spend the day and go to a birthday luncheon some best friends had for me. I dressed her up in this vintage hanky dress that was a gift from one of them.

Which brings me to being "tagged". I am supposed to tell you 7 weird things about myself. I asked friends and family for their opinions on the subject, and got a lot of the same sort of answers about my choice of wardrobe.

This photo of Sugar Wings and I going to a party might explain the comments I got from everyone. I got her all dressed up in a cute vintage dress, and I just wear my paint clothes. But I did put on lipstick, so that means, I am all dressed up! ( This photo was taken in my bedroom we are sitting in my favorite chair, it was only $34 at a junk store)

#1-Beth’s input on my weird habits is that I wear my paint clothes out with a mink coat. (It gets cold in Kansas!!)

#2-My sister, Bobbie Sue’s comment was that she can’t believe I go to the store in my slippers. And paint clothes. With a mink on.

#3-My other sister, Sissy (Sharon Ann) mentioned my habit of pulling off the closest table cloth, wrapping it around myself like a shaw and doing fortune telling, while calling myself "Madame Karkina."

#4-My handsome husband, Rich, and my youngest son, (Sugar Wing’s dad) both told me it was weird that I talk to our dorkies. I said, everyone who has a dog talks to it, but they said, yes that is true, but not the way I do it. Apparently, I talk to them a bit oddly? Mine involves long conversations and lots of singing with made up songs and rhymes. And I am tone deaf. But the fairy grand baby and the puppy love it.

That isn’t quite 7 since most friends agreed with Bobbie and Beth about the wardrobe, so I’ll add a couple from me.

#5-I turn 49 on May 5, but for the last few years, I have been telling people I am 54, so they think I look really good.

#6-Also, I never use recipes, and my meals never turn out the same twice, but I do have to say, I make a great soup out of anything that is in the fridge. So good, that I won’t let my family eat any until they call me the "Queen of Soup". Then, they are allowed to have some.

That is close enough to seven. this could get way too long if I list it all. I was tagged by http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/ Now, to pass it on:

Vickie at http://vickichrisman.blogspot.com/

** Beth at http://bethleintz.typepad.com/

** Carlene at http://carlenefederer.blogspot.com/

Poor little Sugar Wings might take after me a bit, look how messy her pretty dress ended up after we planted some flowers with Twinkle.

For my ROSE A DAY FOR 10 DAYS IN MAY- here is a pretty rose cup that Beth gave to me. She used to be a shabby chic-er with me, but has switched to a more mellowed neutral booth at the mall and now gives me pink stuff she doesn’t want! She is always generous anyway, has the BEST studio stock of vintage papers and goodies and always shares.

Speaking of sharing- Here is another rose, this one is black and white transferware. I mosaic-ed a table top with this pattern and had some left over, so today it is a necklace. And I want to share it with you.

This pendant is my birthday present to you tomorrow, when I pick an early prize (hey,its my contest, I can make the rules and pick prizes whenever I want!!)

Remember, any comment I have received since I started the contest has entered you. You can keep entering too. tomorrow I draw for this piece, but next week is the MAY BUCKET FULL OF TREATS!!

May’s Days of Roses #3 and a Soggy Flea Market

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By Karla Nathan / May 3, 2007

Wow, we had a long, and lovely, but damp, day at the flea market in Sparks and White Cloud. Both towns were not full like they usually are due to the drizzle, but there was enough loot out to make it worth the trek to get there. Plus, it is an Event- with a capital E- for Beth http://bethleintz.typepad.com/) and I twice a year.

It was Twinkle’s first Flea Mkt and she was pretty popular. Beth and I decided we needed to hang a sign that said "Twinkle/ Girl/ 3mths old/ Dorkie/6 lbs when grown" because EVERYONE wanted to know.

She made some friends, and besides peeing on Beth once, and barfing on me three times (her first big car trip didn’t agree with her), I think she liked the day.

We didn’t buy much, only had to unload our carts once all day! Normally, we will make 3 or 4 trips to the car to empty out so we can refill.

I got this oval frame (to paint white and put a rose painting into), this pink bird vase, and a sparkly K. I tied the K onto my azalea pink shopping cart for the day. Now that I have it home, I’m not sure where I’ll need to use it, but do know that there is an important spot waiting for it somewhere.

A green bucket with just the right amount of rust, and a nice little box came home with me too.

My highlight of the day was finding jewels for $3 a scoop. I spent 20 minutes hand picking just the right ones to put into my scoop! It was a treasure hunt, digging through the bucket of plastic beads, broken bits and made in china crap to find enough delightful sparkles to fill a scoop. I don’t think, that even if I had enough time, I could have filled a 2nd scoop, the pickins were slim. I got all the ones that spoke to me. ( I did have the permission of the proprietor to hand pick, she didn’t mind at all. I think she was just happy that someone was shopping during the rain)

My biggest surprise of the day, is that I didnt’ buy a single thing with a rose on it!! Unusual for me. So, for Day #3 in my ROSE FOR A DAY FOR 10 DAYS IN MAY in honor of Caring Blogger’s Rose Day on May 10th- here is an oil painting I did a couple years ago of some white roses. (I saw a vintage painting in a book and stole the look,repainted it for myself, I’m afraid. – Hope I didn’t infringe on any copyrights!)

Playing Jewelry and BONUS PRIZES

jewelry

By Karla Nathan / May 2, 2007

Today I have been making jewelry for the art show on Sunday. It has been so long since I "played jewelry" -thats what my sister and I call it, when we make things- that I spent more time looking through my stash and admiring the bits and pieces than actually piecing things together.

I collect vintage jewelry to take apart and remake, and over the years have gathered up a few containers like these.

It takes a bit of admiring and enjoying for a while before I get down to business and start making new pieces from all the old ones.

Yesterday was painting day, I did a dozen or so mini paintings to make into more charms. Here are a few finished ones as well as a couple pair of earrings I put together from my vintage goodies stash.

The teacup mini is the one I made for myself. My sis, who likes to ‘play jewelry’ too, gave me the very old blue topaz stone I put on it.

There was a casualty yesterday. I didn’t plan to be painting, thought I was going to be making cards. But,I got sidetracked, and picked up a paint brush. Next thing you know, I forgot I am wearing my favorite shirt. I have a bad habit of wiping my brush on myself as I work.

The habit got started when I was up on 20 foot high scaffolding or on a ladder painting murals. It was easier to use my shirt instead of a rag. Now, I just can’t help it, its automatic. And sometimes I forget what I am wearing. Sadly, I have more clothes that look like this, than look normal.

Here is #2 in my Rose for a Day for 10 Days- another little canvas I painted yesterday. It was a gift in my May basket swap from Karin http://www.creativechaos.typepad.com/.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s Rose for day #3 will be something from my annual Sparks and White Cloud flea market trip!! But the weather looks yucky, hope I don’t get too soaked there to find a pretty rose to show you.

Natasha http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/ has tagged me to list 7 weird things about myself. I emailed family and friends to get their opinion, I’ll see what they have to say about me and post it Saturday for my birthday.

On Saturday, for my birthday, I will also draw a name from the pretty hat. This will be a BONUS PRIZE!!!

Do you remember I told you, that if I had enough entries for the May Bucket FULL OF GOODIES, I’d add a second and maybe a third prize? Well, I certainly have had lots of entries! So I will draw a name for a birthday present on May 5 and send it to the winner so they can help me celebrate. But the winner has to promise to eat a piece of cake and think of me.

You can stil enter the Maybucket giveaway and this bonus prize too. Just leave a comment.

Happy May Day!

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By Karla Nathan / May 1, 2007

Happy May Day! check out all the pretty May Baskets at: http://www.artsymama.blogspot.com/. She planned and arranged this fun swap. I am enjoying my May Basket swap gift from Karin at: http://www.creativechaos.typepad.com/. Karin was thoughtful to include tiny canvases for me to paint, so here is my May Day painting of roses in a basket to go along with the theme! Next to it, is the lovely basket (box) she made for me, I am using it as a center piece on my studio dining room table. (I am lucky enough to have a giant studio, divided up into areas for multi functions!!!)

The rest of my studio doesn’t look as nice…. Thats what happens when I work on jewelry, paintings, charms, and who knows what all at the same time.

Whats in the pink bag under the work table at my feet?

Twinkle is using her carry bag as a doggy bed. She must think it is pretty cozy. I hope she cooperates this well on Thursday when I go to Sparks and White Cloud for the giant annual flea market and take her along in this bag!!

This is a close up of my painting. It is on my gifted canvas, and is painted with acrylic craft paints. One trick I use with acrylic paint, is to paint in layers, blow drying in between and adding clear coats of polycryllic. After it was done, I coated it with crackle glaze to age it, and covered that with a light coat of umber paint. Over that went more clear coat. I’d say it took me a couple of hours to do, thank goodness for blow dryers, or I’d go crazy waiting for things to dry! I get impatient and just want to get it done!! Of course, I never have a blow dryer in the house, it is always out in the studio. Explains why you don’t see ME in these photos.

If anyone is interested, the May Basket painting is $45.00

Well, it wouldn’t be May Day without a fairy flitting by, would it?

Here is a mixed media, tiny little painting I did. She is in a 5×7 mat that I painted and sparkled up to match.

This is day #1 of my 10 days of roses in honor of

http://brittarnhildshouseinthewoods.typepad.com/brittarnhilds_house_in_th/

and her Caring Bloggers Rose Day on May 10. I will be posting a rose a day till then.

And please, keep entering my May Bucket giveaway! I make an entry for you with every comment you leave. Some of you who have had trouble leaving comments, I have entered you when you email me.

Here is a reminder of why you should enter!

By the way- I found a Pretty Hat to use for the drawing (as per #7, if you read the rules posted April 16th).

Lucinda, my jewelry lady, is modeling the hat now. Of course, if she had a lick of sense, she’d be modeling the jewelry I am supposed to have ready for the art show on Sunday. Not too many pieces are hanging on her, are they??

Beth has a lot ready for Art in the Park, and has been showing it on her blog: http://bethleintz.typepad.com/

She is way ahead of me.