August 2008 – Page 2 – Karla's Cottage

When it rains it pours!

By Karla Nathan / August 14, 2008

Progress! So far, I have 3 books assembled. It takes a while, because I am embellishing each page, and all are a little different.

I’ve made two multi colored, pastel books with lots of glitter for a friend’s daughter and for Sugarwing’s birthday gift. (hers will be laminated, because she is only two). And one with all pink backgrounds for a gift I will give to the friend I am throwing a baby shower for tomorrow night.

Just in time to make a ruffle on this heart, I got a box in the mail from Heidi, full of goodies, including this pretty pink crepe paper.

Its sure fun to win a giveaway, even better when it is something that you really have a use for! Thanks, Heidi!

On the 2 books I mentioned for the older girls, there is a lot of glitter, all the wings are "sugared".

But on the 3rd book, for another friend’s expected new baby, I’ve left off the loose glitter, and only used Stickles, since it is not going to flake at all.

For the text page opposite of the picture where Sugarwings is holding a magic wand, I made a wand to tie to the page.

And on the page with the tea party painting, there is an invitation to come to a party, "in the playroom, after nap time".

I haven’t used my treasured vintage papers on these books, they are more scrapbook style. But I’d love to make a book that is all old stuff for the embellishments, just for me!

Beth and I have plans to get together and make ourselves each an embellished book, so I am sure those will be full of ephemera and special things.

But first, I have a job to do. I have written magazine articles here and there, and consider it a hobby. A very fun hobby, but not a real job.

I take the jobs as they come, and don’t really push it. If something interesting comes up, I consider myself lucky, but I don’t try to do this full time at all.

But, when it rains it pours!!

First, I have the inquiry from "Where Women Create" (not for sure, of course, just an inquiry, and I wouldn’t be the writer, or stylist on this one)

Then, Phyllis Goldstein, editor of many Harris publications asked me to do an article about a romantic bedroom. I’m guessing she’ll use this for Romantic Country and I’ll get to work with that Sweetheart, Fifi again.

So, I suggested my own, that I just redid recently.

Trouble is, I have to have the pictures and story done by August 25!!! Oh my.

My husband is home this week, I have a mess, a party, Sugarwing’s birthday, her Hippy Chick Mommy’s birthday, and whatever happened to my pact with myself to list something on Etsy everyday??

I need to get my friend, Diane (who shot the fall party pictures that Carol and I did for the next issue of Romantic Country) out here with her camera and equipment next week. She says she’ll fit me in.

I’m lucky that I can spend a day with a good buddy while actually doing a job. It feels more like playing that working!

Phyllis also talked to me about some Valentine’s photos Diane and I did 2 years ago.

The last time I had an antique sale at Valentine’s Day, I had Diane come over and photograph some of the displays.

Here are some snippets, I can’t show you the whole picture, yet.

The story will be "What is your Valentine’s Decorating Style?"

I came up with that idea because the three displays are so very different, I didn’t know how to tie them together, so decided to write how to tips to achieve these three looks:

Whimsical and Fun

Vintage Cottage

Glamorous Elegance

I think I’ll enjoy writing this one! Trouble is, it is due Sept. 14th, and I have a trip and house guests planned. Oh well, writing usually goes fast once I have an idea, and these photos are already done and ready.

And I am not complaining, just trying to figure out how to get it done. Whenever I do an article, I always figure it could be the last one I do, so I do my best to make it enjoyable and memorable. I know how lucky I am to have these jobs dropped in my lap.

Well, time to get Sugarwings, she offered to help me bake cupcakes today. First I need to de-glitter myself from making all these books. or we’ll have some shiny sprinkles on those cupcakes.

Babies, babies, babies

Books, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, family, paintings, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / August 12, 2008

I’ve been ensconced in my studio all day, and although the book is coming along, it is slow going.

So I took a little break from painting my baby to fix up this baby.

I had the perfect bittersweet colored silk dress for her, to match her auburn hair, but as soon as I put it on her, it shredded.

Sometimes, there is such a thing as TOO vintage.

So, I found this little silk number and gaudied it up for her. Here is what I said on Etsy:

"This darling little red head came to me needing some help, wearing nothing but a pony tail and a Made in Japan stamp.

I found a pretty silk dress in my collection of vintage play things, but it was a little boxy and didn’t really flatter her. So, I created an apron with old trims and pale pinkish seam binding ribbon, and it suited her much better. Custom fitted clothes are always so much nicer than "off the rack". (Although, I am sitting here in a ripped tie dye shirt and gym shorts, so I really wouldn’t know what custom fitted clothes are like)

Her long, flowing, pony tail was in good shape, but the hair on her head seemed a little sparse, so I gave her a ringlet of old millinery flowers. She liked them so much, I added some to the hem of her dress.

A few coordinating ribbons in her hair and a vintage, glass, floral button on her dress and she is all ready for her new home.

She is about 5 1/2" tall and her body is a very soft, pliable rubbery material. She’s Made in Japan, so is old, but over all has held up well for her age. Better than I have."

Four paintings are finished for Sugarwing’s birthday book. Two more to go.

Plus the backgrounds for the text.

I’ll take them to a copy shop tomorrow and start making up books, or at least I hope to.

This is my favorite of them all, its number 5. I need to paint it, and then do one more tomorrow morning so I can start working on embellishing the copies. I hope to make another one to give as a gift to a friend. I am throwing her a baby shower on Friday night, she is expecting her first daughter.

Or is that odd, to write a book about my own little girl and then give copies to another little girl? My friend has Dorkies too, actually puppies that are children of my oldest dog, Bookie.

I’m impatiently awaiting the day that Twinkle becomes a puppy momma, she should be ready very soon. And although Bookie is no longer capable of being the father, I have a neighbor down the road with the cutest little 4 pound Dorkie you’ve ever met and he has a bit of a crush on Twinks.

Maybe before winter comes, I’ll be a gramma again! I miss having little puppies running around, I just can’t wait!!

OK, back to painting. I’m running out of time, I’d better keep working. I just wanted to take another break and visit blogland a bit.

PS- I’ve had no time to add to the August giveaway, but promise to when I get caught up.

A rare treasure

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, flowers, paintings, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / August 11, 2008

You were all so thoughtful in cheering me up, thanks for your well wishes!

I am usually pretty upbeat, but I think I was suffering from vacation overload! I went from weeks of family and friends and travel to an abrupt stop and was feeling it. Isn’t that what makes blog friends so nice to have? They are always there to visit and company is only as far away as the keyboard.

Today’s sketches even went a bit better. Sometimes, sitting at my desk to work on my latest project can cure any worry or ill, but other days, it is just hopeless. And if it isn’t going well, I need to just walk away from the table and give it a break.

Yes, today was a good one, I was happy with the drawings, I heard from Fifi that the story Carol, Diane and I worked on turned out well and is set for the next issue of Romantic Country. Of course, she hadn’t given me any reason to think they wouldn’t use the article, but I am always reassured when the type is set and the magazine is final. Things get shuffled sometimes and it is good to know this didn’t.

Then, I heard from Jo Pakham that she could be interested in my studio for "Where Women Create". Of course, nothing is settled, it was only an inquiry, but I was flattered to be asked. I’ve heard a lot of positive buzz about this new publication, and I am honored to be considered.

I’ll spend part of next week taking a shovel to the room to make way for some sample photos!

I also kept to my deal with myself and listed more on Etsy today, another altered fairy and some flocked paper packs.

As if today wasn’t already a nice day, look what I found when I went out to do some yard work-

Surprise lillies everywhere! I adore these pink blooms that pop up over night sometime mid-August.

The fragrance outside my studio door caught my attention before I even saw the flowers. I picked an armful to bring in and scent my home too.

But there is more- Sugarwing’s Daddy came by to visit, just to hang out and talk. As close as we are, that just doesn’t happen as often as it used to, grown sons hanging out, one on one, just for the fun of it, is a rare treasure!

grumpy

Books, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, paintings

By Karla Nathan / August 11, 2008

My birthday book for Sugarwings is not going well today. Very little got finished this afternoon.

The tea party page is done as well as the text page to go next to it.

I painted a light background, scanned it, and then printed it with the words on it.

I’m sure that if I knew how to do digital scrapbook techniques, or just plain old, how to add text to a picture, this part would be easier!

The plan is to scan each page, then print and glue and embellish and sparkle them all up after I make them into a book. That way I can make multiple copies, with no two exactly alike.

But on this page she looks way too grown up. It’s not good enough to use. Luckily, not much time went into this picture, that also might explain why it isn’t very good??

Since painting wasn’t going well today, I took a break to add some things to my Etsy shop.

I seem to have piles and piles of crap, I mean finished art, around the studio that needs to be moved out of here!

So, I listed a few, but never seem to get many listings done.

I wondered if it was because I take so long with the photos, but from the looks of this one, that can’t be it, I didn’t even bother to comb this poor fairy baby’s hair before I took her picture!

Two fairies got listed and are ready to go to new homes.

And I dithered on whether or not I wanted to sell this wallpaper journal. It seemed like it should be a keeper, it is made with such pretty, old papers. But, I can make more if I need one later on.

It could be a scrapbook, or a journal, it is all vintage pages (9" x 11") ready to be filled with whatever the new owner feels like doing. It also comes with a scrap pack of coordinating wallpapers to use for further embellishments.

And lastly, this 8" x 4" tag.

Five items, is that all I listed today???? Geez, I am really not getting much done. I have a goal of 100 items, but have trouble keeping it at 50. And even though sales are not bad (thank you very much!!) they are not the reason I can’t keep up.

It is because it would take me a solid week to list another 50 items to get it up to that point! And I get bored doing it.

Its so much more fun to make things than to try to sell things.

Leelee_book_010 Sorry about the whining. Too much time off coupled with not enough time to finish a project that isn’t going well can do that to a person.

And maybe I miss my buddies who were here all week? It is sad to see them fly back to Florida and California. We’ve been friends since we were 11. Here is a picture of Sandy and I in our 20s, looks like we were hanging out in a bar…. probably were.

Plus, today is my 23rd wedding anniversary, and even though we had a wonderful celebration early, I felt a little lonely today, with Rich out East and me here.

Here we are with the kids that day, and my, we look like kids ourselves!

Doesn’t Sugarwings look like her daddy, my youngest son?

Thanks for listening to me be down a bit. Blogging friends are good to have. I’ll cheer myself up by blog hopping around and seeing all the beautiful eye candy out there on my favorite sites!

Before I go, here are a couple things I added to the August giveaway. A pair of pink vintage earrings and a Victorian calling card to go along with the brooch with the blue stone.

More goodies to come, you deserve it after putting up with my wallowing in self pity tonight!

ps- thanks to all of your kind wishes for my fairy baby. She is doing much better now.

Gone by in a blur

fairies, paintings, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / August 9, 2008

A little bit of painting got done today, not nearly enough. I only have a few days to finish this book for Sugarwing’s 2nd birthday!

Her party is one week from today. Its hard to believe she will be 2 already, but on the other hand, I feel like I have known her forever and can’t even remember what life was like before she came along!

Instead of making more illustrations for her birthday book, I puttered about instead. I did little projects like hanging my rolls of ribbon from a ribbon on the spool shelf I store my supplies in on the desk.

The ribbon ties to the spindles and can untie to change spools. It really only took a couple of minutes to do, so I can’t say what happened to the rest of my afternoon. It was a blur of non-productivity!

On 8-8-08, Sugarwing’s Hippie Chick mommy had a Leo birthday party and I went to face paint for everyone.

I was a bit early, so the fairy grand baby helped me get set up and tried out the paints. She wasn’t quite herself, and I realized the poor thing had a fever, so I took her to my house for a sleepover and her parents got to stay and enjoy their party.

We cuddled in front of a movie, and every once in a while, she’d turn to me and say, "I sick". She just was not feeling well at all.

Maybe being up checking on a feverish baby throughout the night explains my lack of accomplishments today?

Oh, I have a thank you to mention- look at these pretty butterflies! A kind hearted reader, Caitlin, sent a rainbow full of them for me to use to make fairies.

I will be making some little sprites, but for now, I had to hang a few of the butterflies up to enjoy.

With company and trips and everything else going on for the last two weeks, I haven’t made up a prize for the August giveaway yet. Any suggestions?

There is one going, of course, all comments count.

We just don’t know what the prize is yet, except for this little vintage brooch with a blue stone.

Attack of the Seven Pound Monster

celebrations, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, family, Food and Drink, We're having a party, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / August 8, 2008

The house seems pretty quiet now that I have taken my childhood friends to the airport and their visit for our Fabulous Fifty Birthday Celebration has ended.

We had a lively week full of tiaras and champagne!

Because a good bottle of champagne can make any occasion special, even if it is just a dinner of egg salad.

It was a week of simple pleasures, like just sitting on the porch and talking.

Of course, we couldn’t leave the Dorkies out of the party.

Twinks just isn’t the type to let herself be left out of anything. Even though Sandy wasn’t exactly a dog person.

Twinkle couldn’t get it through her fuzzy little head that Sandy wasn’t crazy about her and she wouldn’t leave the poor woman alone all week.

But the dorkies got plenty of attention and even got to model some of the tiaras themselves.

We also did a bit of shopping downtown Lawrence. No luck on finding a prom dress to fit.

My pals aren’t the vintage type, but they were good sports about poking around the old dresses and helping me in and out of the ones I got stuck in.

It wasn’t the first or the last sticky situation these two have helped me with over the last 40 years.

After saying goodbye to my dearest friends, I came home to finish the scrapbook of Sugarwing’s second year. Her Hippy Chick Mommy’s birthday is this week and I wanted to give her a completed album of her baby’s adventures.

On Friday, 8-8-08, there is a big birthday party for all of the August babies. Sugarwings and her Hippy Chick Mommy are both Leos, as well as a few of their friends, so they are having a blow out party to celebrate.

I’ll be packing up my face paints and glitter and going off to join the kids tomorrow.

But the best part is, that Sugarwings and I will be leaving early and she will be staying all night with me. Now, that is something to look forward to, and to keep me from being too down about my child hood friends leaving today!

Fabulous 50 Celebration Reunion

We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / August 6, 2008

The Fabulous 50 Celebration Reunion is going so well! We are having a blast.

Debbie Kay flew in from Ft Lauderdale and Sandy is here from the Sonoma Valley. I’ve tried to make the trip special for them, since they came so far and from such interesting and beautiful places.

While we started with a bit of a heat wave, (101 degrees!) that only made the lake water even more inviting.

We’ve picnicked out on the water and watched the sunset while sipping wine that Sandy picked out for us from her wine shop back home. It’s wonderful to have a friend who loves wine and knows it well. I always learn something from her when she comes to visit.( her latest tip for a great value and high quality wine? Sbragia)

We’ve eaten lots of good food and even made a late night run to the store for fresh ingredients to make up a midnight snack to go along with our strawberry margaritas.

While the heat wave was at its worse, we spent time indoors at the movie theater and saw "Mama Mia", and had to stop at Target on the way home to buy the soundtrack, so it has been playing constantly in the background for the rest of the week.

What a perfect movie for a reunion of good friends! We definately identified with the ladies in the film.

And after the influence of the movie, I have been breaking out into spontaneous dance moves everywhere I go. And no, that is not just the margaritas and the wine making me dance, as ship captain out on the lake, I have been very responsible.

Today we are indulging ourselves in a special treat. Sugarwing’s Aunty Rae Rae is a massage therapist and she brought her table over to my house.

I fixed a French toast brunch, then everyone is taking turns soaking in the jacuzzi and getting the best massages ever from Aunty Rae Rae.

Debbie and Sandy have been great friends since we were in 6th grade together, and even though we haven’t lived in the same state since we were in our early 20s, my time with them always feels like I just saw them the day before.

Our get togethers aren’t as often as we would like, but that makes me appreciate and cherish them even more.

Party hats for party time!

We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / August 3, 2008

Another quick posting- I’m off to pick up my friends at the airport in a few minutes. Of course I am covered in glue and glitter and in my jammies- I decided to do a last minute project when I got up today!

The gift baskets are filled and ready to go, and birthday presents are wrapped.

But I realized I was missing something vital…. mmmmm… what did I need??

Party hats!!

On our 40th birthdays we all went to Mendocino and stayed at a B&B (and for our 50th- Kansas? Gee what happens when we turn 60? How can we top Kansas?) and after a day of wine tasting, we all put on glittery crowns I had made for us and packed for the trip.

I used pictures of us wearing our tiaras for these hats.

The photo of me at 40 in my crown with a bottle of port in my hand is not very flattering, but don’t I look like I am having fun?

We had a blast and I can’t wait for this visit to get started.

I made vegetarian lasagna and spaghetti squash casserole (with goods from my garden!), plus got the table set last night before bed, so we don’t have to do anything but have fun today.

Debbie Kay’s birthday was in February, so her hat has purple crystals to represent an amethyst birthstone.

Sandy and I are both May, so we got emerald green stones.

I added extra ribbons at the base of the hats to tie them on with, these beauties seem a bit top heavy with all the magic wands and fairies on the tops of them.

I’m off to the airport! Well, as soon as I get dressed, that is. I doubt if I’ll have time to get the glitter and glue off, but I doubt if they will mind.

Gifties Galore!

celebrations, family, give away, paintings

By Karla Nathan / August 1, 2008

edit- aparently there is a bug with Sitemeter now, and it is blocking all typepad blogs. I just deleted mine, I don’t use it anyway. Sorry if you tried to visit and weren’t allowed to!

Just a quickie here between family fun events. Everyone is out on the lake right now and I am taking a break to clean up and run some errands. Then I am picking up all the teenage types that are visiting and taking them to see the Batman movie this afternoon before we have another cookout tonight.

But now- time for giveaway prizes! I added a sweet little blue rose pin from my trip out to Karlapalooza.

For the July Garage Sale Bling Bargain Blowout Bag-

JEAN EAKIN

is the winner. Please email me with your address, Jean.

And the Christmas in July gift goes to:

Lolly

Whats up for a giveaway in August? I never plan ahead much, and kind of like to see how the month goes and what interests me. But, so far, I have decided to give this pretty brooch from Karlapalooza.

I’m sure more will be added later on.

And look here, I got a giftie too!

Lori Karla, one of my Karlapalooza buddies, sent me this adorable collage.

And as if that weren’t enough, she added MORE to the package of treats.

Lori had cut out this little girl picture and instead of using her in a project, I stuck her into a bingo thingy. What are these called anyway? The cage that the numbers go in to be spun around and then pulled out to call?

This baby might get some wings later, but I think she is pretty cute just hanging out in the thingy with some millinery flowers. (a 1 minute project, if that long!)

Lori also cut out this girl and sent her, along with the butterfly crocheted doilies.

As much as I like vintagey girl pictures, I like them even more CUT OUT already! Wow, they are snipped and ready to go into what ever project I want to do with them.

Heck, I think she looks pretty cute just on the table as she is with the doilies and the gift wrap ribbon!

But there’s more! Sweet Lori had sent me this rolled pack of papers with an earlier package (yep, she is a generous soul).

At Karlapalooza, I had asked her a about the buckle she uses on her packaging, I like the way all of her goodies come, wrapped up so pretty with old ribbon and a shiny buckle.

She sent me a handful of these buckles to use for my own outgoing packages too!

Boxes are starting to arrive on my doorstep filled with swap goodies from the Pre-Silver Bella Inspiration and Get Acquainted Swap that I am hosting.

And what pretties there are! How exciting that I get to get the first peek at all the special things first! Especially from this list of ladies:

1-Heather http://www.prettypetals.typepad.com/

2-Cheryl Dack http://roseyposeyconfections.blogspot.com/

3-jennifer hayslip http://sweeteyecandycreations.typepad.com/

4-Jessi Nagy http://www.scrappyjessi.blogspot.com/

5-Kim Caldwell http://www.artisticbliss.typepad.com/

6-Holly http://www.hollydoodledesigns.com/shop/

7-Natasha http://www.natashaburns.blogspot.com/

8-Analisa http://www.leesiebella.typepad.com/

9-Andrea http://velvetstrawberries.typepad.com/andreasingarella/

10-Cheryl Stoneham http://www.insidethebubble.typepad.com/

11- Tiffany www.shabbyscraps.typepad.com

12- Carol Spinski – http://raisedincotton.typepad.com/

Cheryl and Tiffany included totally unnecessary (but lovely) little hostess gifts.

I feel totally spoiled rotten this week, after my trip to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, with all the dinners out and shopping and blog friend treats! Now, piles of goodies coming to my door? Wow.

I also won this FABULOUS tank from http://marvellousmousedesigns.blogspot.com/

Actually, some one else won the giveaway, but she is giving a second away, because she says she enjoys making people smile. How sweet is that? I like it so much, I am ordering a white tee shirt with pink crystals on it saying

"Karla Bella"

in what she calls a "swirly girly" script. How perfect will that be for Silver Bella??? (by the way, she does custom orders)

I have had NO time to work on anything since I got home, besides restocking the fridge and trying to find the stench that developed in my house while I was gone for a week (it was a potato gone bad- how can one potato make a whole house stink that much?)

But before I left VA, I had about 10 minutes as my husband was gathering up last minute details before we left to the airport and I added a dollop of color to one of the pages I am doing for Sugarwing’s birthday book. I’ll work on it more next week.

I won’t be posting much this week, there is a BIG BIRTHDAY BASH with my childhood friend starting Sunday!! Can’t wait.