March 2008 – Karla's Cottage

The Rest of the Studio and a Bucket of Buttons

antiques/junking, redos, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 31, 2008

Over at Sugar Sugar, there is a button challenge. I’ve enjoyed looking at the linked site’s bountiful displays of beautiful buttons, but the best is Beth’s. (now we need to see Susie’s seashells or hear Hilda’s horn, I do tend to over do the alliteration, huh?)

All the buttons on the challenge tour are so nicely displayed and there are even tips on washing the collections.

Washing? I dump mine into containers, dig out a handful here and there to use in projects or to send in packages. Hmmm, they are supposed to be washed?

I am hugely ignorant of button value. I was floored when Beth sold a set of 3 buttons for $150 on Ebay!!!

I just use mine, gluing them onto pretty pieces I make. I wonder how many valuable ones I have glued onto a collage and sold the whole thing for $5-10? Story of my life. If you ever buy something from me, examine the button, it might be worth a lot more than the piece itself!!

Thank you for all the kind comments about my studio.

I am CRAZY about my studio and know just how lucky I am to have it. I’ve had to store supplies under a bed, and set up card tables in crowded corners in the past. It is pure joy to have all this space to spread out into now.

Heck, at near 1,000 sq ft this studio is larger than the 90 year old house was when we bought it, and started adding on to the building.

There are benefits to living in Kansas where land is cheap and prices are low!

I thought I’d show you some more of the room and how I use the space.

Of course, there is a spot for Sugarwings and her best pal, Twinkle. Or as she calls her "Yeenkle".

The space is one large open room, that I have divided up with old doors hinged together, and with large pieces of furniture. The desk sits under a gazebo I made from 4 porch columns ($6 each at a junk shop) and a miss matched bunch of 8 white wrougth iron corner brackets.

Right next to Sugarwing’s area is my office. (I’d like to recover the chair, but don’t know if I am up to the task)

This old hutch in the office area holds all of my mailing supplies and collage kits listed on Etsy and waiting to go to their new homes.

That office hutch sits back to back with this giant piece (known as the crying cabinet because it about caused a nervous breakdown at the auction Beth and I found it at- that is a long and whiny story you don’t want to hear).

I have two large closets in the room. One is full of shipping boxes and bubble wrap, the other is for utilities. The door with the iris was an original kitchen door in the farm house. I added the flowers with stained glass paint.

Here the door is from the other side, with the sunlight shining through the glass.

This storage room is in the back corner of the room and is where I keep my paints, tools, seasonal storage and just JUNK.

At the other end of the storage area, I keep completed projects I am sick of looking at and jewelry I have made and the displays I sell it from.

This odd assortment of furniture and a screen is what I have lined up to make the wall that forms the storage area behind it.

The more I look at this the more the black cabinet bothers me. I really think I need to paint that…

And what do I watch on TV while I work? Dragon Tales, what else? Although prefer the Hoobs and Tiddlypeeps.

My studio will never look totally pulled together, because I have so much stuff in it. I love all the little details, like ballerina fairies on the candelabras. What is a studio without fairy candelabras???

There are sentimental things too, like this "wishes" tag that my Sissy sent to me.

And a lot of my labels are made from gifts other artists have given me. This fabric covered piece is from Beth, as part of a birthday card she made a few years back. I saved the cover and turned it into a box label.

The birdie adorned box was a gift from my first swap partner, Karin.

It holds Valentine ephemera.

Of course, there is a picture of Sugarwings. This is her Easter picture, instead of putting it in the scrapbook, I decided to stick it into the corner of this De Longpre print that I found at a garage sale for $10.

My Sweet Treats and Roses recipe book sits near my desk too.

The cabinet it sits on holds my sewing machine (which rarely gets used) and its top is a ceiling tin that my son added for me. That sure changed the look of this piece that I found in the trash and fixed up.

As a matter of fact, most of this furniture was free or dirt cheap. Trades, trash, or cast offs from family that all got fixed up. My main splurges in this whole studio are the 3 folding tables that I actually use for work space. I’d say that $58.00, 6 foot table is the most expensive thing in the room.

That is, if you don’t count my collection of wallpaper. I’ve probably spent more on that than I have furniture.

Well, I seem to be organized now, I hope I can make it last. I love my new storage pieces, the trick will be using them instead of making piles everywhere.

Wish me luck!!

ps- birdhouse decorators are still adding their links to our party post on March 27th, if you want to see more, check out the lastest comments.

ppss- I will draw a name for the winner of March’s giveaway tomorrow, you still have time to enter!

A winner, A feature, A first auction, and A redo

family, give away, I do tend to run on, don't I?, parties, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 30, 2008

First of all, I want to thank everyone who came to the "What do you LOVE about your Birdie’s Home" party that Beth and I had on Thursday. What a fun turnout, lots of blinged out birdhouses to see! Wow, thanks so much for coming by and for creating such palaces for us to enjoy.

I had forgotten to show this one that I made, it is a music box, jewelry box, and used to be a Swiss Chalet. I faked the birdhouse part, by adding this tiny blown glass bird and the piece of black onyx jewelry to represent a hole and a perch.

Thanks also to everyone who bought a birdhouse from me! If you buy one from that post, it is only $15 each. I will be listing them on Etsy for slightly more later on.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that one goes as a gift to a commenter during the party? The winner is:

Denise

And on Tuesday the 1st, I will draw a name for the monthly prize, so you still have time to enter that. The prize is a secret. (Because I haven’t picked out a gift to send yet)

I also want to thank the group at the Snooty Women’s Club (they really do seem nice, not snooty as their name implies!) for featuring me this week. Thanks, ladies! Good luck with your new site!

It has been a bit hectic around here, Sugarwing’s poor little Hippy Chick mommy had her gallbladder out this week, so I have had the baby staying with me.

We went up to see her mommy in the hospital a few times, went for walks in the park, played with Twinkle, had tea parties, mostly just stayed very busy so she wouldn’t be asking where Mommy was too much.

I even took her to her first auction! Here she is with Beth, we just popped in to visit and eat her pretzels. Beth got a ton of great stuff and I was a bit jealous, but staying to bid wasn’t really an option with my little helper along.

While at the hospital, my son pointed out one of my paintings hanging in the office!

I didn’t even know that the hospital owned it, they had purchased it at a benefit auction I had donated to a couple years ago.

What a nice surprise to see it hanging there.

Look at what I have been doing while the baby napped or after she went to slept at night! Organizing, big time!

I’ve taken every single piece of paper in my studio and FILED or stored it!

Tuesday Morning had all these pretty desk organizers on sale and it inspired me to try to pull the whole room together.

I hung all my past blog banners on the wall along with my business card template and a photo of my grandma and some rosey plates.

Well, that lead to repainting my furniture so that the pieces matched each other, and looked more pulled together, then rearranging it all.

I made used of all my old wallpaper storage items, and turned this vintage shoe rack on its side, then used it to file scrapbook goods into.

I didn’t repaint the black and white cabinets with the roses on the door, thinking I might like the contrast, but now am not sure. I might paint it lighter (but leaving the roses on the doors).

When I didn’t have enough storage containers, I made some by covering Girl Scout cookie boxes in old wallpaper. Don’t ask why I had so many boxes….

I moved some rolls of vintage wallpaper close to my desk and stored them in this old trash can holder. I think it was meant for a park, to keep animals out of the trash. I found it at an antique store and have been using it for bubble wrap, but I like the rolls of paper in it.

The front part of the room got a clean up too.

There is only so much I can do with this room, it isn’t easy to tidy. I keep so much out there and it has so many uses, that even with about 1000 square feet, it is jammed full.

And no matter how much I tidy up there will always be a card table set up full of junk to be sorted, mailed, put away, or made into something, etc.

Just like, I think I am going to write a post that is tidy and everything looks pretty together, and next thing you know, I have done this- run on and on and on about a dozen different things and then the posting is all messy and run together.

My life tends to be like that, lots going on at once, and all the pretty things jammed in with the clutter and mess of it all.

But I love it that way, there are some sweet little details jumbled up in that mess and they are worth sifting through it all to get to!

Time to preen your feathers and Bling that Birdhouse!

Etsy Goodies, fairies, parties, swaps, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / March 27, 2008

sk! What do you LOVE about your Birdie’s home??

Welcome to our Self Linking, Self Swapping, Self Marketing party! Yes, Beth and I are lazy hostesses, she says this is the equivalent of inviting people over and asking them to bring all their own food and drinks, then clean up after themselves.

The rules are simple: you can buy, sale, or trade, if you like, just let people know in your posts, or on the flickr site if you want to moving the real estate.

I will be giving one house away today to someone who leaves a comment.

The rest are FOR SALE!

And for a special price too, any of these cuties, big or small, simple or ornate, blingy or elegant (who am I kidding, these are all blingy and gaudy!!)—if purchased this week from this post— are only $15 each plus postage.

Ok, so those are my personal specs for sales. Make sure you state yours if you want to sell or swap a home during the party. I am also up for a swap…… I could use a special bird house for some fairies to move into up in Sugarwing’s bedroom.

The birdhouse with the kitty is sold to Louisa

Now, for the party linking rules. Like I said, we are pretty laid back about this one!

All you do is leave a comment, on my blog, Beth’s blog or BOTH.

In your comment, tell people that you are inviting them over to see your creations. Birdhouse_201

Make sure you leave the URL or link to your blog, or you can show the birdhouse on our flickr site if you don’t have a blog.

Everyone is invited to play along! Flickr is free and easy to do, so jump in and give it a try.

Birdhouse_203 Simple huh? Leave a comment, join the party!

Now, if you want to party hop and visit all the homes on display for our feathered friends, all you need to do is read the comments on my blog and Beth’s blog.

Not everyone who reads my blog leaves a comment and if you haven’t because you don’t know how, here is what you do:

At the end of the post, the small print says the time it was written, a list of categories, and then "comments". Click on that word.

Then, you get to read all the previous comments. Usually, you can click on the author’s name and it will take you to their blog. Sometimes, you can’t.

If there isn’t an active link, then you can copy and paste the URL that the birdhouse blinger has left for us to find them and see what they have made.

Any questions, feel free to ask. Email me or Beth and we’ll do what we can to help you get to visit everyone or to help you invite people to visit you. Fairy Banner house sold to Betty

Fairy houses count too, right? I’m sure that if a bird wanted to share the rent, they’d be allowed to move in.

The postage might be a bit higher on these fairy homes I have made. A couple of them are covered in stones, glass, beads, and trinkets, which tends to weigh more than the vintage wallpaper I put on most of the houses.

All the fairy homes come complete with a nest ready for the fairy to curl up on.

As you can probably tell, I got a bit carried away, like usual. I tend to make more than one or two when I try something…. I might have a done a couple dozen houses or so.

I could just keep going and going, these are such fun to decorate! I hate to have this challenge come to an end.

But I am sure I will feel exactly the same about the next project I take on. Don’t you just love to experiment? In the last year of blogging, I have had opportunities to participate in so many fun swaps and challenges and each one I did, the nests, matchboxes, tiaras, doll hats, all of them, I just wanted to make more, more, more!

Blogworld is such an inspiring place to be. Always a new project or idea to sample.

So, Beth and I decided to sponsor another swap. Details to come, but it will be through Vintage Workshop and we have permission to feature their images and offer free samples to our swappers to use!

We’ll let you know when we get it all worked out and are ready for sign ups.

Please check back later if you are interested in our Spring Swap.

And for today, thanks so much for coming to Our Bling Your Birdhouse Day and please go and visit some of the other bird abodes that our friends came up with!

Over the top? Why of course!

fairies, family, how to's, magazine pictures or articles, paintings

By Karla Nathan / March 26, 2008

So many people were asking me about the mural I did on my baby B-I-L, Randy’s, floor, that I thought I would post more photos.

Here are a couple of snaps of it that I have in my scrap book.

This little fishy is drawn in the scrapbook too. He is a reminder of the one painted by the threshold in Randy’s craft room, kind of like a Walmart greeter, for everyone who comes in. We named him "Wallerford" after the Walmart greeter and the beautiful crystal Waterford glasses we were sipping our champagne from while we painted. Randy does know how to treat his guests right!

Here is Wallerford in person. Please ignore the twig laying on him, and by the way, it is a good idea to sweep the floor before photographing it, if you don’t want sticks in the picture.

Last year, I did a how-to on painting a concrete floor. If you’d like to read it, you can find it here.

Randy’s craft room was painted in stages. One night, years ago, we started painting family and friends on his wall as fairies.

It became a tradition, every time I’d go to Jacksonville to visit him that we would listen to show tunes (we both love Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and Dreamgirls), drink champagne, and add more paintings to the room.

Now, two walls are a fairy forest, this is what the rest of the room looks like, a garden wall and sky.

Little whimsical details are everywhere. Like this frog chatting with a dragonfly while holding a champagne glass.

And one trip to visit was spent making the ceiling a sky.

After that, he HAD to pull up the carpet and turn the floor into a pond. What kind of magical, fairyland garden is carpeted??

Now, every inch of that room is all muralled up. I still add characters when I go now, there will always be room for a flying puppy, or Randy’s best friend as an elf somewhere in the gardens.

While I had my photo album out to get these pictures of Randy’s craft room, I came across these pics of "Jayhawks on Parade" and with the Kansas Jayhawks doing well in March madness, I thought I’d show you some of the work I did on the giant Jayhawk sculptures that were on display in Lawrence, KS a couple years ago.

This peacock represented team pride and was commissioned by the Art Center. It is painted in iridescent colors and features stained glass mosaic.

The "Marvelous Mosaic Floral Fantasy Joyous Jewelhawk" is the gaudiest thing ever! And you know I love gaudy.

Hand painted flowers, mosaics, beads, old jewelry, and more- this creature is one blinged up baby.

Over the top? Well, yep, just the way I like things.

Speaking of Blinged up, tomorrow (Thursday March 27) is our Bling your birdhouse day.

Hope to see you there!

Remember, I will be giving away one gaudy home for birds to someone who leaves a comment on the party post.

Oh, and GO Jayhawks!!

Somerset Life is chocked full of bloggers!

Etsy Goodies, magazine pictures or articles, paintings, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / March 24, 2008

I received my advanced copy of Somerset Life and it is delicious! The best Easter treat that I got this weekend!

I was so happy to see so many of my favorite bloggers featured in it and can’t wait to fill up the tub with bubbles and take a nice long soak to read this cover to cover.

My collaged business card was used in one shot, and I was surprised and happy to see that! My collage kits (inspired by my Sissy) are on pages 52-54

And my framed vintage doll dress is on 126.

But my favorite thing about the whole magazine (of course, I haven’t read it all yet, mostly I have just looked through it), is the article by Jenny Holiday. What she has to say about blogging expresses my feelings so exactly, that I could just hug her.

There is also a GREAT article by my pal "The" Heather (a joke she and I have, I always add "the" to her name), Heather Bullard. (page 18-21).

And a photo from my pal, Natasha is on page 132.

And who doesn’t love to read anything that Sandra writes? She is on 76, and 96-97. There are TONS of our favorite bloggers and artists in this issue, it’s a good one!

Heather is in multiple magazines out right now and so is Sandra. My BBF, Beth, had this to say "I think its so interesting that blogs are really the trend setters and the magazines are reporting on it." and I believe that she has something there. Aren’t blogs fascinating? No wonder you see so much of what is going on in the blog world and in blogger’s home printed into magazines any more. We are now getting double the pleasure, getting to read the blogs on a regular basis with in depth stories and then see the featured articles in magazines that we can tear out and save (You all have those files don’t you? The torn out pictures of what you’ll do someday? Don’t we all???)

I worked on a proposed article and a second secret project today with my photographer/artist friend, Diane Guthrie.

No details yet, on the project we shot today, I’ll let you know when I know! Here is some of the ideas involved, I am taking some of my artwork and using glazes and crackle finishes on copies of it.

I am going to be in a local art show this spring, here in Lawrence and hope to get a few of these made up to sell. That hydrangea is one of my favorite paintings that I have ever done.

And since I painted this one in my mom’s hospital room as I was keeping her company in her last few weeks, I can’t sell it. But, I have found a way to make attractive copies and sell those.

I hope to list some in my Etsy shop soon too, but the days seem to be getting away from me, and I just can’t quite keep up with everything I want to get done.

And why can’t I keep up with my work anymore? Well, look at this sweet little face and see why I get so distracted! When she tilts her chin up and looks at me that way, there is no way on Earth I can go to my studio and work, I have to scoop her up in my arms and go play a game or sing a song. Work will always be waiting for me later…..

Which reminds me, I am still working on birdhouses for the big, blingy, birdhouse bash on Thursday. Hope to see you there!

You are welcome to add the birdhouse button to your blog if you’d like. If you don’t have a blog, please post pics to Flickr. (An account is free and VERY easy to set up)

What are you hoppy about this year?

Etsy Goodies, fairies, family, holiday decor, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / March 22, 2008

My studio is semi- cleaned up and the tables are set for our family Easter dinner tomorrow.

Every holiday, we go around the table and take turns saying what we are grateful for this year. At Christmas, I ask what they are "Merry" about.

And at Easter, I ask what they are "Hoppy" about.

Everyone rolls their eyes and makes a protest, but they all go along with it to humor me, and I think, that they really do enjoy it, since it is such a tradition at this point.

As far as setting the table, I don’t go to a lot of trouble. All I do is the center pieces, the food stays right on the stove and everyone serves themselves buffet style.

But look at my pretty pan for tomorrow! A PINK skillet from TJ Max. The Easter Bunny brought it by to me a little early so I could whip up something tasty in it for guests.

I line the center of the table with some pretties, usually my latest projects. This year, I have teacup nests and lots of birdhouses.

And of course, a fairy or two! This one is listed for sale on Etsy right now.

(oops, I just realized it is not listed yet! If you are interested for $18, email me)

I’ll put out some fresh flowers and probably fill the center of the table with even more pretties I have made. I like it to be full and have something interesting in front of each dinner guest.

There will be more birdhouse pictures on Thursday for the party Beth and I are having, "Bling your Birdhouse Day" or "What do you LOVE about your Birdie’s Home?"

I will be giving away one of these birdhouses that day, leave a comment to enter the drawing.

I have my Easter bonnets all ready to wear. I think I might try this new blue one, I got it today for $6 and it is abundantly full of blooms!

It was a lucky flower day, I got the little white flowered hat for $5 and the roses, carnation, and little velvet posies were a gift from a friend. Now that is a good friend! She knows what I like.

Since I knew that Easter would be busy, with turkey basting, egg hunting, and all the visiting, we got the littlest Nathans together early and took photos in their fancy dresses.

One of Sugarwing’s photos is already framed, so I can surprise my husband with it as his Easter treat.

Another copy of that picture has been added to my scrapbook. I cut out around the baby’s picture, then cut a slit into the rose cart with an exacto knife, following the outline of the roses. The portrait was then slipped into the slit and glued down, then the whole thing was glued to some vintage wallpaper.

hmm, I should add some fairy wings to this….

Little Madison was a much better poser than my Sugarwings. She is still too little to get away from the camera!

My fairy grand baby was too much of a moving target, running up and down the stairs, and dumping out the baskets full of grass and bunnies.

Most of her photos are of her diapered backside as she scoots up the steps again for the 50th time.

Her dainty dress and her tidily fixed hair didn’t last long either. This little wild child was having too much fun to care about pictures.

And to me, this shot of my pixie is even more precious than the perfectly groomed and posed ones we had hoped to get.

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday with your own cherished loved ones. I can’t wait to see mine tomorrow!

Frilly Things, Blings, and Butterfly Wings

fairies, family, holiday decor, how to's, parties, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 20, 2008

I was invited to a fairy tale party with Sugarwings yesterday and of course it was right up our alley. We got to wear our wings and frilly things, plus do some blings !

The party was at our local HyVee grocery store promoting the release of "Enchanted"

All the little girls got craft packs to decorated crowns and wands, that of course came with a ‘poisoned’ apple, since they were all fairy princesses. Sugarwings decorated me with most of her glittery stickers instead of putting them on her tiara.

Afterwords, when I went grocery shopping to get some forgotten items for the dinner for 18 I was cooking that night, I looked very sparkly in the store with my extras the baby added to my fairy grandmother outfit.

They dined on mini pizzas. Dessert was a chocolate fountain with lots of goodies to dip into it. So, she wasn’t too hungry for my build your own burrito bar that night for the big family dinner. I don’t blame her, its hard to come back to reality and eat a burrito when you have spent the afternoon as a princess and being served chocolate from a magical fountain.

With company here, gallbladders going bad every where I look, and tax season approaching, there certainly has not been much creative time at my cottage lately.

I was able to squeeze in an hour or so yesterday and made 3 eggs. I’d seen these made at Amy’s and hers are so much better, but I chose to use throw away materials, not anything wonderful like her velvet ribbons and rhinestones.

The trim I used was just snippets of crepe paper and tinsel. I was too cheap to use the ‘good stuff’

Heres a quick how to:

Start with the large sized plastic eggs

pick a paper you want to cover the egg in, tear in small strips and soak the paper for a moment in water

brush glue onto one side of the egg, add paper strips, mushing them down well with your fingers, then brush glue over the top and sprinkle with glitter (I used the kind that looks like sugar)

Repeat with the other half of the egg, being careful to get close to the edge but not interfere with the lip.

Glue trim along the edge to cover the rims, so they don’t show when the egg is put back together.

I’d keep these out of candy baskets, because of the glitter, but they make a pretty display and I will put a gift card in them to give to the bigger kids.

I also got started covering my Swiss Chalet music box. Not exactly a birdhouse, but it is a house and I will add some birds, so I think that if I get it finished, it can come to our Bird House Bling Party next Thursday.

Check out the details if you’d like to be a part of it. And remember, you don’t have to be a blogger, you can get a free flickr account and upload photos there too.

This chalet is barely begun, but I think that the pink polka dot ribbon might be jarring. I usually go for all vintage trims and maybe this one is too new looking?? The velvet is a scrap from a rocking chair I redid for Sugarwings when she was born. I found some white velvet, and was able to do a soft pink marbley look with fiber reactive dyes. Her little Hippy Chick mom loves tie dye, so this was done just for her.

Today will be a craftapoolza- Beth is coming to play! We will be making birdhouses all day to be ready for next week (I hope you join us! Feel free to add the button to your blog too). We’ll also be plotting our next swap, so I hope you’ll join that also.

We aren’t the only ones planning a party, there is always something fun going on in blogworld. Sandy is hosting an Easter Parade today and is asking us to show our Easter Bonnets. Here are some of my latest purchases, in a basket on the fairy grandbaby’s piano. She likes to wear one while she serenades me.

She is going through a hat phase right now and luckily, I can keep her supplied with plenty of rosey ones to show off in.

Thanks, Sandy!

And over at the Part Tea Planner’s there is a tea party welcoming the first day of spring.

Enjoy the celebrations!

Greetings! A mini tutorial on making some greeting cards with vintage papers

family, how-to projects, paintings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 18, 2008

My baby brother-in-law, Randy, has started making cards and has been asking for a bit of advice.

I offered to send him a box of goodies to use, and he said he didn’t know what to do with pages from an old book or vintage wallpaper.

So, I am making these cards with some how to’s for him to follow along with when he gets his package of vintage delights in the mail from me.

(All of these cards have been created with pre-made linen cards from Michaels.)

The first one is on a white card. I started by laying the card onto the wallpaper and cutting out a piece to fit with an exacto knife.

The piece of wallpaper was then attached to the card with a glue stick.

After the glue dried, I sanded the edges with the sponge sanding block, for a smooth finish.

As if vintage wallpaper isn’t old enough… I ‘aged’ the sanded edges with the side of my ink pad. This color is distressed walnut.

After the base of the card is ready, then the fun part happens! Time to embellish-

I cut an oval from a page torn out of a 1917 book with French text, and inked the edges with the walnut ink, then added a smaller oval of a coordinating wallpaper to the center and to that added a gold foil butterfly.

Some old brown ribbon and a single bloom of an old millinery flower are arranged across the bottom. I glued a crystal rhinestone (I only use glass ones, never plastic) to the center.

Right now these stones are on clearance at Hancock Fabrics for 75% off.

For a touch more sparkle, I’ve used a Martha Stewart glue pen to draw dots around the small oval of wallpaper.

I then dusted my favorite glitter over the glue.

As much as I hate to make Martha even more wealthy than she already is, I just HAVE to buy her glitter. It really is so good to work with! I use the fine ones, for a sheer look.

This card starts with a reddish-pink, kind of an azalea color, paper as its base.

Decorative scissors were used to cut out the French book page and the vintage wallpaper.

After gluing down the papers, I once again inked the edges. This time, I blended the ink a bit with a cosmetic sponge.

These old papers can be very fragile, so do this gently.

To finish, I added a snip of embroidered old ribbon, a mother of pearl button, and a teeny butterfly shaped button.

(Randy grows a butterfly garden, so the flowers and butterflies are some of his favorite things)

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, old red flocked wallpaper that I got from Allissa is glued on to a warm pink card for this one, traced with an exacto knife and inked on the edges the same way the first card was done.

After, I used 2 different decorative scissors to cut out the French book page, and a color copy of one of my own paintings.

At the bottom is a brass charm accented with 3 pink crystals.

One last how-to for Randy, this card has a pretty cornflower blue base.

To it, I added a strip of wallpaper cut with decorative scissors, and a piece of anaglypta wallpaper that I have aged with an umber glaze.

After the wallpaper was glued into place, I inked the edges with the side of the walnut ink pad.

In the center is an oval of the French book pages, and a German die cut.

To finish it off and add some glitz, three little crystals in the same blue are glued to the border of the anaglypta paper.

While I was making these examples for Randy, I thought he’d appreciate a kit for each one. While I was at it, I made a little extra.

I had enough bits to make two kits of three cards each.

Everything I used to make my own is in the kit and ready to be glued and mailed out to someone special (Mother’s Day is coming up, before you know it)

The pieces are already cut with decorative scissors, all you will need to complete the cards is:

glue

ink

glitter

glue pen

exacto knife

If you are interested, email or leave a comment. Each 3 card kit is $12, including postage. (unless overseas)

The last time I went to visit Randy, he and I painted the floor of his craft room to look like a pond.

I wish I could be back there in his colorful room and make cards with him, but isn’t the Internet great? I hope he reads this and feels like I am there with him.

I love you baby brother!!

St. Patty’s Day Two Tag Swap and a BIG, Ole, THANK YOU

fairies, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 16, 2008

Thanks!!

To all the people who wished Ryan and Sugarwing’s mom quick recoveries on their gallbladder dilemmas. (both are doing well, and Ry is home from the hospital now)

And thanks to all the people who joined in on my St. Pats Two Tag Swap, late as it is going out.

There were so many pretty little extras tucked into the envelopes people sent to me.

I shared as much as I could and sent divided up a lot of the extras to include in the envelopes that I sent out.

I also included some vintage wallpaper scraps with plenty of greens from my insane, over stocked, stockpile of crazily hoarded old beautiful papers.

I feel AWFUL that I mixed up the boxes and don’t know who this is from!!! Whoever you are, thanks, I will be wearing these tomorrow! I can use some good Irish luck, after the hospital stays we went through this week in Nathanville. EDIT- the socks I’ll be dancing a jig in on St Pattys are from Jeanie-Thanks!!

And look at how darling this is, a rose patterned cosmetic bag, that I will make lots of use of on my trips to DC.

It was made by Lisa, and is such a pretty thing. Thanks, Lisa!

This PERFECT for me brooch was sent by Wanda (among a huge box full of treats, equally wonderful)

Look- is symbolizes my heart in DC, for when my husband is staying there!!!

It came in the cutest little birdhouse jewel box, that I will show photos of on our "What do you LOVE about your Birdie’s Home?" Day (otherwise known as Bling your Birdhouse Day) that I am hosting with Beth on March 27th.

To be a part of it, all you have to do, is leave a comment with your link to your blog. Details can be read by clicking on the button at the top left of my blog. We also have a Flickr site, if you don’t have a blog and wish to participate, show your photos HERE. A flickr account is free and easy to set up if you don’t already have one.

But back to the St. Pats Two Tag Swap- look at the cuteness!

I tried to get some photos of all the tags, but some pictures were blurry, and by then, all the tags had been wrapped up and tucked away into the packages going to their new homes.

Twenty swappers participated and each and every envelope was a pleasure to open.

I was so pleased with the quality of the tags that everyone made, it was hard to give any of them up!

It was such fun for me to do a swap this way, so that I got to look at and play with all the tags!

I just hope I didn’t screw anything up, and everyone gets the proper goods in the mail! I am an artist, not a secretary and I am not known for good organizational skills. (I already mentioned shamefully losing the name of the sweet person who sent the cheerful socks)

I worked with 3 different checklists to make sure everyone got:

1- a package (sounds simple, and elementary, but really, I had to double check twice)

2- two tags from two different people

3- a little surprise from the goodies that were sent

4- some vintage wallpaper from me

Please, please, please— let me know if you didn’t get what you were supposed to! If you didn’t, it was due entirely to my inability to be organized.

Well, after telling you how bad I am at being organized and making sure all the swaps go out correctly, you probably don’t want to hear this, but- Beth and I are planning another swap!

(by the way, she is EXTREMELY organized)

Details to come, we’re making plans this week, hopefully we will announce it during our Bling your Birdhouse Day party.

And lucky little Miss Sugarwings was given a box full of fun things by the kind hearted Wanda,

And this sleeping fairy baby is for her too, from my pal, Pam along with a blooming rose pin for me.

I feel every bit as spoiled as that rotten little Sugarwings

Thanks everyone for being so nice.

And good luck chasing the end of the rainbow, I wish you all the Luck of the Irish on St Patty’s Day!

A Tale of Two Gallbladders

Etsy Goodies, family, Sugarwings, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 14, 2008

Well, this week started out nice. I was able to make some things, then had lots of Sugarwings time.

This picture is a copy of an old postcard that I crackled and aged, and popped into a frame.

And my book club meeting on Wednesday night was fun, with an interesting discussion. (the book was Housekeeping by Marylin Robinson)

Of course, I am always thrilled with an excuse to entertain and make trays of goodies.

But about midnight, I started to feel pretty awful, and was up all night, ill as could be. There has been a nasty bug going around and I am afraid it bit me too.

So, when Ryan called at 6am to tell me he was having stomach pain, I told him to take some Pepto Bismal and try to rest, I couldn’t have much sympathy for him, when I had spent the last few hours wondering when the room would stop spinning,( and if I had passed the bug along to all the guests who had been to my house that night).I figured he had the same thing.

But finally, hours later, when I took a look at him, writhing in pain and turning funny shades of green, I realized he had more than a virus.

I chugged some more Pepto Bismal myself, and helped him dress and got him into the car and to the hospital.

The ER found a gigantic gallstone and an infection. They kept him over night and scheduled surgery the next day, after a round of IV antibiotics.

While Ryan was in surgery, Sugarwing’s hippy chick mom made a trip into the ER with pain also, to find out that she had an inflamed gallbladder.

Ry’s surgery was not as easy as expected, his infection was pretty serious, and the gallbladder was gangrene, no wonder he was writhing in pain (as I ignored him). Tonight, his fever is down, and he is finally resting comfortably in the hospital and will be there a couple more days.

Of course, surgeries and ER tests don’t go quickly and there is only so much you can do to entertain an energetic little girl while the whole family is going back and forth from the waiting room on the surgery floor to the ER waiting room.

She got lots of shoulder rides from her Pop Pop, up and down the halls.

She made wishes and threw coins in the lobby fountain until we had no more coins to pass out, no matter how pretty she begged.

She found some wheelchairs to be pushed in while she yelled "Go! Go! Go!"

She thought that the glass elevator was not bad entertainment for a few rides too. And she found the buttons inside very compelling.

Luckily, my bug was a 24 hour thing and I was up to the task of turning a hospital into a playhouse for 8 hours. But it feels even better to have Sugarwing’s mom out of the ER, back home, and not requiring surgery, and to have Ryan losing that funny shade of green and to ask for a cup of broth for supper.

I’m afraid that THIS does not make me feel so good. Oops, I haven’t had a chance to mail out my St Pats Two Tag Swaps. I am so so sorry. But at least my excuse is valid and not some lame, my dog ate my homework excuse. Although, Twinkle would be thrilled at a chance to chew these up!

I am exhausted and way behind on getting stuff out in the mail. My Etsy customers have been left in the lurch too, I’m afraid.

I promised to have them sent out in time for the swappers to receiveby St Pats, but now I hope to just get them in the mail by St Pats instead. Please forgive me, and I will send all 20 of my swappers some extra swatches of pretty vintage wallpaper as an apology.

Tonight, my husband is sitting up with Ryan and I am getting some sleep so I can go up to the hospital in the morning. Thank goodness Ryan is better, that fever had me worried, and it was so awful to seem him in such pain. I will spare you and not show the photo of the nasty, green gallbladder that the Dr gave to us as a memento. Even though the color would go nicely with the St. Pats theme….

I usually am really good about mailing things and also at answering Emails and comments. Please understand if I don’t respond to comments this week.