January 2013 – Karla's Cottage

More Hawaii, less cash and the giveaway winners

By Karla Nathan / January 30, 2013

It was nice to come home to the puppeesh, I'd missed the Twin Terrier Terrors. And the grand fairies. I've been making up for lost time with plenty of snuggles since I got home.

Here i am trying to gracefully pose by a waterfall, and I slipped just as the photo was being taken.

Its not easy to go from Paradise to real life, so I've eased into it with playtime with the kiddos and finishing my travel journal. Yes, I know, I should be back to work, but it's taking me some time to get into gear. Maybe next week I'll have some new goods for the Boutique. I really do need to beef up my pay pal account, we went broke in Hawaii.

Literally, out of money!

We had no idea that there would be so many cash only places. Plus tips were cash only for classes and couldn't be added to the credit card when the class was paid for. And the surfing instructor wouldn't even take a card for the class itself.

Before the trip, we'd just gotten new debit cards and changed our password, and then promptly forgot it. And we never do cash advances on our credit card, so didn't have that pin number handy either. We arrived on Thursday and realized by Saturday that we were low on cash.

Then we also realized it was a three day weekend and we couldn't get ahold of the bank. Luckily, we had my pay pal business account, but unluckily, I'd transferred cash from it to our checking account for the trip and had only a couple hundred left in it!

In Hawaii, that isn't much more than an afternoon's spending.

We came up with a plan where my husband could go to my online store and buy a bunch of tutorials from me to refill the account if needed, or we could wait till Tuesday to get hold of the bank after President's Day.

But by Tuesday, we were pretty much done with lesson type activities and souvenir shopping. We were were ready to roll on the Road to Hana and visit the volcano the next day, so we had a couple of days where we did okay without much cash on had.

If we ever go back to Hawaii, I will know to pack one suitcase full of money and one full of light sweaters and wind breakers. (this single white sweater that I brought was kind of grimy by the end of the week, and I had to buy a hoodie. Somewhere that took credit cards)

Thanks to everyone who left a comment to enter the drawings for Amy's books. The winners are:

Charlotte

and

Mitzi

PS- the Valentine Journal Workshop is this Saturday and I have PLENTY of room for more students. email me for details if interested. I would love to see you here….

Maui dreams

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 28, 2013

We had a welcoming committee waiting when we got back from Hawaii. Sweet Sweet Sweety was happy to see us and was perched by the door asking for attention as we pulled up. (my porch needs some attention too, huh? Christmas branches? Let's just pretend they are "winter decorations" not holiday ones, okay?)

The grand fairies liked the souvenir tees they got, but I think what they really liked was the boxes and bags of macadamia nut and chocolate candies we filled a carry on up with.

Our trip was the best ever. Terry and Dale, my in-laws, were there for 3 weeks (lucky ducks) and greeted us at the airport with leis. I wore mine till it was brown and limp, and still the scent lingered on, so I kept it draped across the lamp shade in our room.

I hope we get to go back again some day. It could very well be the prettiest place in the world. Even the overly populated and tourist areas are lovely.

Its definitely varied, from dessert, to bamboo, to ocean, to rain forest. All of that on a single polka dot in the middle of the Pacific.

We participated in lots of tourist activities. Our travel buddies had been there a week before us and knew all the best places to go ahead of time, not just from that week, but from years of experience. It was nice to let go and let them plan. They were kind enough to haul us from one fantastic place to another.

Terry even took me to a swap meet for some cute little ticky tackys to take home as remembrances. And she isn't a swap meet type shopper. I think she enjoyed it too, we both made a good haul there.

The swap meet had lots of $4 tee shirts, plenty of junk, but also some nice things made by local artists, farmer's market goods, and a few vintage things. Terry surprised me with this necklace from a jewelry vendor whose work I admired. I don't know how she managed to sneak buying it with me standing right next to her! It was a sweet surprise. The stone is larimar, and it will always remind me of the ocean in Maui.

My favorite part of the whole trip was just simply being there, soaking it all in, listening to the ocean outside the balcony of our hotel.

I almost admitted to you that my most favorite part was sleeping, but I don't want everyone to know just how boring I really am.

But, dang! That was the BEST sleep of my life! Not only was the weather perfect, and the air bug free so that we could leave the sliding doors open all week, but we could listen to this fountain as well as the ocean in our dreams.

I slept 8-10 hours, and while it felt like a deep, deep, restful snoozefest, I still was aware of the sounds of the water. So soothing.

My body stayed on Kansas time, and I was up before the sun every day about 5 or 6 am. For those of you who did the math, yes, I was in bed by 8 some nights. I never see the sunrise around here, I'm never up that early on Central Time, so it was quite a treat. My mornings over looking the ocean and drinking Kona coffee were highlights of my trip. Waking up was as much fun as going to sleep.

Oh my, I am a little old lady, aren't I???? Who goes to Hawaii then talks about how good the sleepin weather is there???

The food wasn't bad either. I loaded up at a local fruit stand a couple of times.

The same fruit I buy in Kansas, was sooooo different there. The pineapples were beyond juicy and ripe, so much so that there was no core at all, we ate the whole thing. No fibery center like we have in the ones at home.

Funny, though. Roadside, the pineapples were $10, and at the Safeway they were $7. Today at Walmart in KS they were only $2. Now I have to say, the fresh in Maui ones were so good, they were worth ten bucks, but it confuses me that its cheaper to ship them across the world than to buy them straight off the bushes.

Everything there was pricey. Beyond pricey.

But the beauty was free. I loved the little touches I found, like this painted weed outside a store.

And the floral message left in the banyan tree courtyard.

Little details kept catching my eye, like this recycled glass used in planters of a parking lot. It sparkled so bright, I was drawn right to it. We were hunting back and forth, up and down for a parking spot, but instead of watching out for one and being a helpful passenger, I kept saying, "Is that GLASS?" "That is so sparkly, what on earth do you think it is?" "Maybe that is glass!"

Parking is not easy on Maui. Lot of cars and not enough spaces to put them. Plus the spots are tiny. Who drew the parking lot lines anyway? Some one who only drives a moped?

I have more photos and more to say, but I have a grand fairy visiting now and need to go scoop up my hugs. I have ten days of lost huggin time to make up for.

To be continued…..

ps- last day to enter the drawing for one of Amy's books!

A Hawaii Travel Journal

Travel, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / January 25, 2013

For my trip to Hawaii, I made up a couple of travel journals, one for me, and one for my sister-in-law, Terry, who we are meeting up with in Maui.

This one is for her. The cover is layered in papers, images, paint, and modelling paste.

This one is mine, done in the same way. Its not quite complete, but I can finish my own any time. I wanted to make sure the gift for Terry was ready for the trip.

My plan is to sit on the balcony and watch the ocean, relaxing while I snip and glue as our husbands play golf.

I'm packing old papers, ribbons, lace, and all the essentials to work on these while we are there.

Usually, I'm not a big fan of scrap book paper, it does have its time and place, and this book was right for it. I bought a big, tropical themed stack pack for the main pages.

Then, I created some home made papers for accents.

Using bubble wrap and a wide brush, I blobbed and blotted colors till I got something I thought would look good in the books.

Some of it I tore before gluing in.

And I made lots of pockets to fill up with mementos, while leaving plenty of space for journalling too.

I had a great day working on these, I spent an entire afternoon and evening in the studio watching a whole season of Parenthood that I'd recorded and saved. That show had me laughing and crying as I worked, this was a rough season for those Bravermens. After suffering through all of that with them, I was sooo ready for a vacation!

Hopefully, I'll have a full book to show you when I return.

Felted pink hearts

holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / January 25, 2013

Some of these hearts were cut from felted wool (in a perfect pink!) for the Valentine Art Journal workshop that I am doing on Feb 2nd.

And some, I just wanted to play with. On this, I used cream felt to make the big heart, and added lace, ribbon, and jewels.

Inside is one of the tiny pink hearts.

Peek-a-boo!

I'm away from
my computer on a dream trip to Hawaii right now, but please check back
for fresh posts left for you before I flew off. If you want to order
from the Boutique, all orders will be shipped on the 30th. If you'd like
to enter the drawing for one of Amy's books, please leave a comment on
any post.

If you'd like to sign up for my Valentine workshop, please email me for an invoice at: karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

Oopsy daisy

cottage, dogs

By Karla Nathan / January 23, 2013

Even when my house is cleaned up, it still looks "homey". Toys, books, a soft blanky left out, that never bothers me. I smile when I see reminders of the grand fairie's last visits.

But this is just a bit much, isn't it? As I was about ready to leave for my trip, I discovered that my dog is in heat. And messy as can be. Ugh. I had to cover up everything in house just in case she jumped on something while I'm away. Towels and old blankets drape all the furniture. I hate leaving Sandy to deal with this and I hate leaving my house looking like a wreck, but man, am I ever ready to get away.

Aunt Sandy will be watching Twinkle and will keep her locked in the studio (where there is a moppable cement floor) while I am gone. But, yuck. Double Yuck.

Sorry, I do tend to talk about unpretty things, don't I?

There is plenty of floor cleaner made up for Aunt Sandy to use. I make my own, using white vinegar, orange peels, and a few drops of lavender oil, and of glycerin.

You are supposed to strain it, but I never do. I just leave the peels in the jar.

And letting it age is good, but I use it up before its ready and it still works fine.

This January has been mild so far, a bit cold, but not too bad. Still, I've craved green, so I made up some planters, but that is not the same as spring air and being outdoors in the gardens. Carol brought me the flowers last week and they were just right for this display.

My trip to Hawaii should cure my yearning for growing things, a week in paradise is just what I need right now. Although I almost didn't get to go! At 24 hours pre-flight, I went to print my boarding pass and discovered that my ticket was for the WRONG DATE.

We bought tickets months in advance, using my husband's travel points for a free flight, and booked it for the wrong day.

I had to scurry to get a new ticket, and I can tell you that it was NOT free. Not close. At all. My trip is beginning with a huge expenditure that we sure didn't expect.

But- I'm lucky we could pay it. I'm lucky that there was a seat available. I'm lucky to be going to freakin Hawaii!! So what if I will have to watch my spending there since we blew our budget on our date screw up? I'm still lucky to be going.

If you'd like to sign up for my Valentine workshop, please email me for an invoice at: karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

Hopping down the Valentine trail- hand made felted wool bunnies and chicks a bit early for Easter

holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / January 21, 2013

My mom was a seamstress, but I am NOT. Yet, every once in a while, I'm attracted to a project that involves needle and thread. Even though stitchery is not my strong suit, I give it a little try here and there. I've discovered that as long as I don't have to use patterns, I do ok. Or measure. I don't measure well either.

If I can make something up as I go along, sewing isn't bad. Well, till the threads tangle. That part keeps happening to me a lot. But, I power through and keep stitching.

These guys are pretty simple, not a lot of sewing involved and I just love doing them. They are cut from felted wool. Beth gave me some scraps that she had from Lisa.

Yes, it's not even Valentine's Day yet, but when I saw that soft fluff, I just knew it had to be bunnies and chicks!

Especially the pink. It was calling out to me to be bunnied up. I had no choice, even though there were dozens of other things that I should have been doing, I took an afternoon off to snip and stitch Easter critters.

I used up all of my little scraps, and thought I was over the impulse, but guess what?

This package arrived from Lisa!

She sent a big bundle of soft toned felties for me to play with! I was just thinking that I needed a little craft that I could do in front of the tv at night, and this might just be the thing that keeps my paws out of the popcorn while I watch my favorite shows.

Doesn't that larger cabled white look like it is asking me to be a sheep? I can hear it.

Thanks, Lisa. I can't wait to start sewing!

And I can't believe I just said that I want to sew. My mom would be so shocked if she could hear that.

This is another future sewing project. Lori Oles sent me this roll of rosy paper, and I plan on using it (and some other wallpapers) to make pouches for my journal kits at Kim's big Snow White affair in April.

If you'd like to come to my Valentine workshop, please email me for an invoice.

Workshops, giveaways, and an angel of a dog

dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, puppies!, vintage paper/collage art, Workshops, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / January 19, 2013

Dorothy Rosebud and I just might need to order more cupid wings for foofing. She likes to play dress up as much as Sugarwings does, apparently.

Plus, I like making them.

I've also been hooked on making wire cages. As I work on them, I'm taking photos so I can do an online tutorial too.

But so far, the cage details aren't worth passing on. I need to make a few more to get it perfected. Each one I make teaches me a bit more on the best ways to build them from the ground up

Which is important in a tutorial. The first few I make of something, I just wing it. Then, if I like the idea and make more prototypes, I start narrowing down just what works, what doesn't, how long is this piece, how big is that one.

Weeks of work go into making a tutorial, but they can sell for years, so they are worth the effort for me to get it right.

And if you enjoy my online classes, maybe you'd like an in person one? Valentine Journal Workshop on Saturday, Feb 2nd, all supplies included, just bring tools! $100, Details in the previous post.

I'll be giving away one of Amy's books then. Or you can win one by leaving a comment on my blog on any post.

I'll be away from my computer for a while, I'm in PARADISE as you read this. Any Etsy or Boutique orders will be mailed on the 30th.

Valentine Workshop

Books, holiday decor, vintage paper/collage art, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / January 16, 2013

It's been fun to make a Valentine journal for the upcoming workshop. The books are stuffed with vintagey goodness, and lots of fun, romantic details.

Since it's a journal, I decided to add some "journaling" which I have never done before. Of course, leave it to me to decide to teach a class about something I've never tried. But I think I worked out the basics on what to do in which order for a balanced effect. How to fix mistakes (they happen, for sure!) and some other tidbits of advice.

Seems to me that journaling isn't any different than other art forms that I do. It needs to be pretty and looked at as much as an arty creation as it is a written paragraph or phrase.

I'm printing out some prompts for students to use, and will have some basic guidelines to help get them going too.

I've been gathering up piles of pretties for supplies.

I've got lots of old Valentines,

Victorian postcards,

Charms,

and German die cuts of roses, plus tons of ephemera to use as the pages themselves.

We will build a book from scratch from old papers in neutral tones, then fill it up with lots of rosy toned hearts and flowers.

The cover will be decorated similar to an old fashioned box of chocolates, with a flocked heart, ruffles, and a millinery rose.

We'll add love notes, and envelopes to save romantic souvenirs from our sweeties. In my own book, I'm making places for photos too. All students can email pictures to me, and I will size, edit and print them for the books and have the pictures ready when everyone arrives.

The class will be all day, at my studio in Lawrence on Saturday, Feb.2nd.

Lunch and luscious chocolate treats are, of course, included!

Cost is $100 and covers everything you will need from cover to cover.

And we will be using The Good Stuff to make this book!

Its a small, intimate class, and we should be able to get the book completed that day. But remember, with a project like this, they sometimes never end! You will want to continue adding adornments and doodlies after you leave, too.

I'm away from my computer on a dream trip to Hawaii right now, but please check back for fresh posts left for you before I flew off. If you want to order from the Boutique, all orders will be shipped on the 30th. If you'd like to enter the drawing for one of Amy's books, please leave a comment on any post.

If you'd like to sign up for my Valentine workshop, please email me for an invoice at: karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

Craft day with Carol Spinski, Debbie Dusenberry, and Amy Barickman, woo hoo!

flowers, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / January 14, 2013

Last Tuesday, Amy, Carol, and Debbie came over for a craft day and lunch. It was a fun day of catching up, creating, and chatting.

Amy's friend, Cindy, came by for a while, it was nice to meet a local Lawrence lady who was a big shot blogger (Skip to my Lou). I had no idea. Wow, 2,000,000 hits a month?? Not only was she a big time blogger, she was sweet as can be, which is appropriate since she has a store called Sweet.

In the kitchen, my dining table was set with a drop cloth cover, white mismatched linens, cream plates, and white salad plates with tiny rosebuds. I added matt white pottery vases with bright roses (on Mondays, my local Kroger marks leftover flowers down to $1.99 so I snaf up armloads, then feel greedy and put back all but two to take up. Happens every time. I see the sale price and start grabbing, then stop myself).

The look of the room inspired me to get out some Valentiney themed and colored papers to add to the all neutral books we were making. I loved the look so much, in the room and in the book I made that I thought it would be fun to have a workshop to create Valentine journals. The details are in the previous post and I'll have some photos coming up in a couple days with more info.

Knowing that
Carol and Debbie were both fans of "low color" style,I'd set out a
studio table full of neutral ephemera so that we could sift through and
pull together pages that we wanted to use in our books.

I'll be providing similar for the books we will make in class. As a matter of fact, I probably won't be putting these away, I'll leave the piles out for us to work with.

At a flea mkt last fall, I scored an 1800s receipt book stuffed with fantastic writing and logos. We all used pages of it in our books that day.

Of course, an afternoon with these three ladies is pretty durn inspiring in and you know that they can put together something scrumptious no matter what supplies they have on hand!

I had some ticking stuck away and pulled it out knowing that Debbie would use it in an interesting way, and she did, fraying the edges of strips to make ribbon, and lining some pages. She generously left the book here to use for ideas during the workshop.

Amy's book is a sweet pink tone.

And she generously left some of her books behind too. These are copies of two of her latest books and she gave them to me to offer as giveaways.

Vintage Notions and Fabric Flowers.

While I am away in Hawaii, I'll have some fresh posts done up ahead of time for you, so please come back. Leave a comment on any post between January 14 and 28th for a chance to win one of two books.

The third will be given away during my workshop on Saturday, Feb. 2nd to an attendee.

Cupid’s wings and a journal workshop

Valentine's Day, vintage paper/collage art, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / January 12, 2013

This has been a week of puttering. I made some caged fairies and love birds, and some more angel wings. Had a couple of fun craft days with friends, played with felt, and read too much. Nothing real productive, but relaxing and wonderful.

What more can you ask from a week?

Maybe should I call these Cupid's Wings, not angel wings? They are smaller than the crepe paper ones and the feather ones I made at Christmas.

While I think both sizes are nice for Valentine's Day, I kind of like the idea of the smaller, cupid-ey scaled ones.

I've also been working on a journal for the upcoming holiday and have enjoyed doing it so much, I was wondering if anyone wanted to come to a workshop to make one at my house? I'll have some photos soon.

Its all very very very vintagey papers in neutral colors, with pops of red and pink in roses from old Valentines, postcards, millinery and wallpaper.

I'll have lots of papers out to play with, and we will keep it a small group. It will be an all day class with lunch and treats. That will give us plenty of time to create the pages, bind the book, adorn the cover and do some embellishing and journaling.

There is even a cheat sheet made up with journaling short cuts to help get your doodling in gear. Email me if you are interested, please. This will be an intimate group, not a large class and I'm not making a seperate site for sign ups.

It will be Saturday Feb. 2nd and will cost $100. Just bring your tools, all supplies included.