December 2014 – Karla's Cottage

Some holiday projects

By Karla Nathan / December 31, 2014

Was Santa good to you this year? I think I was pretty good to Santa, myself.

I found this guy at a charity thrift shop for 75 cents. He wasn't brand new, but not quite into the category of vintage yet.

I gave Santa a makeover with some lux velvet, a rhinestone buckle, wool roving and goat hair.

I was trying to keep it a no sew project, and I like the effect of the two toned coat, with the dark, rich velvet bottom that I added and the velvet belt. The material that made up his jacket seems to be just fine with just the top showing.

I couldn't get his sack of toys to work as a no sew piece, though, I had to get out the dreaded needle and thread to stitch up a sack made of felted wool.

Then, I stuffed it and added some presents wrapped in vintage papers, a tiny gold horn torn from a 50s Christmas corsage, and candy canes made from twisted chenille stems from mini Shiny Brites.

The velvet I used for Mr. Claus was a unique piece. It was lined with felted wool. I used it to make these stockings too. (please avert your eyes from the awful sewing job I did on these stockings! I should NOT have used fancy gold thread that really stands out and shows my lack of skill, I should have gone with the color of the material instead)

One, complete, for Guncle Kevin. And one in a kit for Guncle Randy who loves to craft.

Along with the stockings, I sent them a clear ball with them inside all decked out as elves. It is a picture I took of them at their wedding and I added a tag at the top with the date. On the back, it says, "Finally!" (They waited almost 20 years to be legal)

These guys always appreciate a hand made gift. Randy is a crafter too, and understands the love that goes into something created just for someone special. I hope he will enjoy making his own present….

This year's Christmas cards featured the angel I made for the Nature's Blessings journal swap. I had a few extras left over and thought they would be appropriate. I didn't have quite enough to do many cards, but was able to whip up a few. I'm not all that good about mailing cards anyway.

A couple of other angels got makeovers this year too. When I saw seashell angles at Kohls, I knew that I needed to get them for my sisters, in remembrance of our Florida trip in October.

But of course, they needed a foofing.

Crowns, lots of ribbons, sea shells from the trip, sparkling doodads… and more. This is the back view. That poor little angel has so much stuff goobered onto her wings, she'll be lucky to ever lift off again.

The one for Bobbie got a necklace and a scattering of hearts on her skirt (Bobbie's last name is Valentine).

Sparkly, happy, rainbow feet- a Pinterest fail, but still fun

how to's, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / December 29, 2014

At the end of the summer, I found these canvas Mary Janes in the clearance bin at a craft store for a couple bucks. I kept thinking I'd turn them into something arty and wonderful, but realized that Sugarwings was going to outgrow them before I got around to it.

So, I turned them over to her. I'd seen a Pinterest pic of a tee shirt rainbow done with Sharpies and alcohol, so thought we'd try that.

It was a big deal for her, because she isn't usually allowed near a Sharpie. Permanent markers and 8 year olds rarely are a good mix.

We used a dropper for the rubbing alcohol, and it only took about a 1/4 cup or less for both shoes. We realized that the marker wasn't bleeding as much as we liked, so we scribbled in more yellow here and there. Yellow is a nice color for blending when you are creating a rainbow effect.

The silver marker did nothing. No bleeding at all. Maybe it faded a bit, but it wasn't the best color to use for a tie dye look.

But it was nice for her lettering, the words, "Love" both stayed legible, but the pink hearts melted away.

I washed them alone in the machine with hot, sudsy water and they a bit faded. I just hope they didn't shrink. Kids' feet grow fast, and I've had these around a while. It would be too bad if they were already too small.

Still, it was a fun project, and I think we will try it on some other things. One problem we did have was with the alcohol burning a small ouchie on her hand, so she asked me to handle the dropper for her. I doubt if a band aid would prevent that, but gloves might for next time.

Now, we probably need to add some glitter fabric paint before she wears these, doncha think?

Our Christmas

Dew Drop, family, Food and Drink, holiday decor, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / December 27, 2014

Sugarwings and her mommy spent the night with us on Christmas Eve, so we had her here when she woke up to find what Santa had brought to her.

And to check and see if he'd found the cookies she'd made for him the day before. (Yes, and speaking for the jolly, old guy, I have to say, they were YUMMY!)

We do our family party on Christmas Eve. It's a day of hanging out, baking, dinner, and then opening gifts together.

Mid-afternoon, we realized that we had no cookies to leave out that night! Oh my! So, we all chipped in to mix, roll, cut, bake and decorate a giant batch of sugar cookies and a small batch of gluten/dairy free ones too.

I discovered that almond meal is perfect for dusting the table to roll out the gluten free ones. I'm not a fan of most of the flours used in that kind of baking, and if you dust with them, the cookies aren't very good. Almond flour was ideal, plus it gave a nutty flavor to the goodies.

Making cookies at the last minute set us behind a little on our dinner. So, the prime rib got into the oven a bit late, then just would NOT cook. It was taking forever, we started in on gifts and decided to open a few before we ate.

So we had some back and forth, checking on dinner and opening pressies. Till we realized that the hunk of meat was going to be in the oven way, way too late, and we might still be waiting to eat, with Santa sitting up on the roof waiting for us to get tucked in so he could come on down.

We went into high gear, slicing up the giant slab of prime rib, and turned it into rib eye steaks, while my husband fired up the grill (in the dark, on a 30 degree night).

I was glad he did because, man, were those good, and grilled to perfection!

My son sauteed a few pounds of mushrooms with eggplant and golden beets, and I'd baked a layered red beet, asparagus, and rainbow carrot casserole. Along with that, we had smashed potatoes with garlic aoli sauce and panko crumbs. Plus fresh, homemade rolls, and canned green beans from Aunt Jenny's garden.

No one minded waiting, it was delicious, and a big group effort.

And soon, we were right back into the fray. Leftovers were popped in the fridge, the table was cleared, and dishes were piled up to do later, getting those packages open was much more important.

We like to open one gift at a time, with everyone getting to watch and enjoy seeing what the other person got. That way, there is time for modelling and admiring the presents too.

And plenty of time for hugs and thank yous.

We are all about the hugs around here.

See what I mean?

I hope there was lots of love in your day too.

For the rest of the week, my husband and I are loading up these two fairies and driving south till we find some sunshine. It's an impromptu trip and who knows what we will find on our "maventure" as Dewdrop calls it.

Our adventures have been nonstop for the holiday, and it is very exciting that they are still ongoing.

Last week, we saw "Mary Poppins" at the local theater the same day that we attended a "Santa Splash" at the indoor aquatic center. Along with all of the other parties and plans, it has been one fun event after another for about a month of Christmassing. A little vacation is just what I need to rest up from all of the celebrating that I've been whooping it up with since Thanksgiving.

Between being on the go all of the time with holiday happenings, buying and wrapping gifts, shipping packages like crazy (by the way, thank you for all the shopping at my Boutique and Etsy store!!), being sick for months, (I'm finally done coughing, it was a Christmas miracle), redoing the bedroom (pictures to come of the new look) and everyday life, the beach is sounding pretty good right now. I hear it will be too chilly to swim in the Gulf, but I'm happy with playing in the sand.

There are new pre-posted blogs upcoming, so please do check back. And have a great new year!

Merriest of Christmasses to you!

Dew Drop, family, holiday decor, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / December 25, 2014

I hope you are having a lovely holiday!

Full of hugs…

Special moments…

New traditions…

Special treats…

Silly times and laughter…

And love.

Merry Christmas from all of us, here at the cottage!

A festive season

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 22, 2014

I've been going full speed into Christmas this year. I always love the season, and this year even more. I've arranged one activity, party, or gathering one after another.

It has been glorious! (that word should always be spoken the way Will Farrell says it in "Old School")

Last weekend was Breakfast with Santa at Lion's Gate country club. They have the BEST Santy Claus.

Sadly, Dewdrop was ill and couldn't make it. So, we will be taking her to see the jolly old elf at the community pool for a Santa Swim party.

I've bought tickets to plays, gone to craft parties, thrown craft days, arranged luncheons, attended gatherings, hosted gatherings, and have had so much going on that there has been something exciting almost every single day.

If there wasn't a special activity going on, Sugarwings and I would make one up. We'd turn an ordinary day into an event. We'd dye trees (our Christmas version of doing eggs at Easter), set up a fancy table with good dishes in front of the Christmas tree and have a cocoa party, draw up a list of holiday lit homes in town and go on an adventure hunt to follow a map and find all the brightly lit up neighborhoods, or just snuggle up and watch some holiday specials on TV.

I've thrown a few parties this season. I like to have my friends over for an annual ornament making party with their kids, and this year, with my husband's travel schedule for work, it didn't look like we were going to be able to have our big bash.

So, instead of my usual weekend dinner party with a bonfire and beers for guys and crafting for anyone who wanted to hang out in the studio, I switched it to a luncheon for some of my friends and ornament making afterwards.

I wanted to try making these tarts, they are thinly sliced veggies, rolled into spirals and baked in a pie crust lined with ricotta cheese. And I also wanted my friends to know that they are special to me and I wanted to create a treat for them, so I set the table pretty and had them over.

But we didn't stop there. After school, their kids joined us for more crafting and a few other friends were able to come by to make ornaments too.

We turned it into a whole evening, ordered some pizzas, drank some wine, and had a cocoa party for the kiddos.

I set out thermoses of hot milk, a big bowl of marshmallows, organic candy canes, chocolate syrup, and some cocoa powder and let them serve themselves from the treat cabinet.

We also broke up candy canes and put those in the cotton candy maker and that was a hit too. Although, at times, the cotton candy maker was left on unattended, and big fluffs of spun sugar would float across the room.

I was ready to chase those puffs down and try to catch them with my tongue like snowflakes.

(and was glad that I'd covered up my vintage wallpaper with a curtain before setting the cotton candy maker next to it)

It is always fun to see what everyone comes up with, when presented with a table full of supplies and left on their own.

Lots of different styles of crafts get churned out.

But the best part is the laughing. It was a fun evening.

I've not finished my shopping or wrapped any gifts yet. I'll make that work out somehow. Gift cards for the big kids and a few toys under the tree for kids, probably. This year, I've tried to make the season about the people, not the presents.

And to have the holiday spirit of sharing and togetherness for the whole month.

And of course, soak up the joy every single day!

How to make miniature book Christmas ornaments

holiday decor, how to's, how-to projects, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 20, 2014

As promised, here is the mini lesson on making mini book ornies.

I used paper cut from vintage Christmas cards glued over chipboard for my covers, and card stock for the pages. If your old holiday cards are sturdy enough, you could probably cut the covers directly from them and skip the whole gluing process.

First step- cut out the cover material, fold in half. Cut out three pieces of card stock slightly smaller than the cover, fold in half. (Any size you want to use works fine, most of mine are under 2", this one made from a card is larger)

Glue decorative paper to the cover. The backside of mine was white, but if yours isn't, cover both sides. This is a good time of year to save up chipboard,some pieces that I used were folded up inside a new shirt. Stores often use it chipboard to hold the shape of folded garments. So, as you are opening gifts, don't forget to salvage the packaging materials! (you could also cut up a cereal box)

Add glitter, ink, etc, to your taste. Don't add any 3D elements yet, though, embellish to your heart's content after the book is assembled.

To make the folded and decorated chipboard look like a real book, a piece of decorative tape, as faux binding can be pretty.

Put your three card stock pieces inside your cover, line them up, and punch two holes along the fold.

Tie the pages into the cover with whatever you think looks nice. Here, I've used vintage ribbon.

For a festive look, I like to use metallic pipe cleaners too. But first, I vintage them up a bit.

Give them a haircut and rub the newly styled piece onto a brown ink pad for a tarnished finish.

Next, add a hook (to whatever you tied the book together with) and hang it up.

I used these as favors and to decorate with for my book club holiday party. I think it would be fun to start a tradition of passing around a tiny book at Christmas dinner to have each person write a small message, or just sign their names. Date it, and hang it on the tree each year.

If you'd like to make some bigger books in different styles, I have a tutorial available here.

I'll leave you with some photos of what is new in the Etsy shop, it has been a busy Christmas tree season for me. I just now got around to adding some decorated ones.

Normally, I do get them out earlier…. But it has been quite a holiday season for me. Very fun, very busy!

I have some extra bright trees this year, thanks to Sugarwings. She and I had a dying party the other day.

And we got creative with our colors.

Around the cottage in December

cottage, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 18, 2014

Before I decked the halls, we did a mini makeover. This wardrobe had been in the bedroom, but my husband never liked it there because when the doors were open to see the TV, they were in his way.

So, we moved the tvs and their cabinets from room to room. Once we did this, I felt that the space next to the cabinet was too empty, so I brought in a column from the studio, and another from the bedroom. both fit nicely behind the door when it is open and one even peeks over the top.

I also made a trip to KC's new IKea and got white, netting curtain panels, $2.99 for a package of two. I bought four sets to replace my lace curtains that were so old they finally shredded (but are now considered craft supplies!!). I love the fullness of having panels of netting on each window (and the price).

I was happy to have the perfect spot for a winter wonderland forest of trees on giant cabinet.

And I like the way the columms look from the dining room.

I wasn't as happy with the tv cabinet that got moved to the bedroom, because it held the television too low to see from my side of the bed. But my son is going to build up a box to set it on. I'll have some pictures of that when it is complete.

(by the way, if you ever have to do a switch-a-roo with tvs, I suggest taking a photo of all the wiring on the back so that it is easier to hook them back up again. With satellite boxes, DVD players and who knows what, all those wires are confusing. My son did a great job with it all, including drilling bigger holes into the back of the vintage cabinet to fit cords through, when the new box didn't fit where the old one was)

Here is a photo of the kitchen from our luncheon during my craft party/workshop. I've been thinking about painting my kitchen white, but I am liking the warm creams when I see this picture. I might have to rethink my plan…. But then, I do love the idea of bright white with some pale blue. Everything I own will still match.

That is what is nice about having so much neutral stuff, it goes with anything, I can mix and match pieces from one room into another, and a quick coat of paint can freshen up a look without changing anything else in the room.

The centerpieces were mismatched, matt white pottery vases from garage sales, filled with branches I cut from the yard, a $2 bundle of mark down roses from the grocery store, and poinsettias I cut from a plant I bought. I love to use the poinsettia blooms as cut flowers in water, instead of leaving them on the plants. They hold up well, and stay fresh for over a week.

And for one $6 plant, I got enough flowers to add to these four vases, plus plenty were still on the plant, so it will look nice as is. Until I'm ready to pluck them off and replace these blooms as they wilt. The branches should last the whole season.

In the middle of the table is just a large bowl of glittered pine cones. I figure I have so much going on with holiday decor around the house, I need to keep things simple here and there.

A Holiday Party for my Bookclub and some JOY

cottage, Food and Drink, holiday decor, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 16, 2014

"Merry" used to be my favorite word this time of year.

But now, I kind of like "JOY."

It is this silly elf's middle name and that has made it my favorite seasonal word.

Plus, we could all use all the joy we can get.

I hadn't planned on Sugarwings being here for book club, but her daddy had a chance to go camping with his buddies. (Even though it was going to be EIGHTEEN DEGREES THAT NIGHT!!!!!!)

So, I picked her up after school, and we ran some errands, then came home to foof up the house for the party. She was glad to help, but I was worried about her being on her own all evening while I entertained.

She had no problem with it and was excited to dress up like an elf to greet the guests (she is all about the costume, no matter what the occasion is)

I set up a table of crafts in my bedroom in front of a TV full of holiday shows to watch on the DVR. First of all, she never gets to craft in the bedroom in front of the TV, and take food in there too. Double forbidden fun.

Of course, there was some hot cocoa spilled on the chair, but hey, why use slip covers if you don't plan on pulling them off to wash them?

I guess these photos are pretty similar to the previous post, showing the dining room all set up for a party. But since this is an evening gathering and that was a luncheon, maybe they are different enough to show?

I love to use lots of twinkly lights when I have a party. The ones on the table are wrapped on gold branches and are battery operated. (bought on clearance after Christmas last year, 75% off)

I've added lots of layers of table clothes, and some lights under the table too. This time, I have vintage curtains as a table skirt and the string of lights show more. Usually, I have a regular table cloth draped to the floor, and get a softer glow. But this look is kind of fun too.

I chose the wine for the pretty labels. And it was good, too, and very affordable. It's nice to find a tasty wine under ten bucks.

I kept the food simple, like brie sprinkled with rosemary and wrapped in puff pastry, with a side of fig jelly and crackers. That is one of the easiest things to ever make, but sure looks special.

Another trick I have for elevating an ordinary dish is to, well, elevate the dish.

Here, I've set a compote of chicken salad on a plate, and set that on a cake plate, making three levels.

This compote full of dip makes this veggie tray more interesting than it would've been if I'd had it served on an actual tray. And lining the bowl with ruffly kale made it prettier too.

The three vases of flowers (left over from my last party) are also on different levels. I turned a bowl upside down to set one vase on to lift it up.

The cheesecake is a regular cheesecake, but I added a hand full of chopped pecans to the graham cracker crust, and then mixed in some of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Carmel Sauce into the batter. When it was done baking, I drizzled a little more on top.

One thing I should have done was to take some leaves out of the table, but I can't do it by myself and my husband was out of town. There is too much space between the dishes. since it was a small gathering, I didn't have a ton of food out, and it was spread out a bit too much to look its best. But that is just nit picking, huh? I doubt if my friends were gossiping about how much space I'd left between bowls…

For party favors, I made tiny, glittered books out of vintage papers. I'll have a mini how-to coming up soon if you want to make some yourself.

More pictures from Romantic Cottage Christmas

holiday decor, studio tour

By Karla Nathan / December 14, 2014

Its just too dang bad that my studio doesn't stay this cleaned up. I love having it this way. But in reality, it is a work space and while it lends itself to getting prettied up for a frothy afternoon of glittering guests, it is where all the hard work goes down. And 90% of the time, the room doesn't look so great.

The space tends to pile up with shipping materials and crafting materials, not to mention the fiasco that appears under the grand fairies tables every time they come out to play.

So for now, before the room becomes total chaos again, I'm loving the holiday atmosphere and the cleared off table tops.

My Valentine fairies seem to be very happy living with pink flocked Christmas trees, too.

Even the fairy I made in Hawaii last year seems content in a snowy forest.

Sometimes, the decorations here in the studio are very subtle. Like adding a vintage Christmas card to an old frame.

Or tying some blue Shiny Brites to the branches above the table.

The treat cabinet got a little foofing too.

Here is a simple idea. I painted on the glass of an old frame. If you aren't a painter, writing a holiday message with a marker suitable for glass is an easy way to make a cheerful decoration. You can add pretty paper behind it, or leave the glass on its own like I did.

And of course, since you are writing on the clear glass directly, it would be very easy to trace something that you have printed, if you aren't into hand lettering either.

It is a joy to have my desk area kind of cleared off for now. I find myself working in a 4" x 4" spot sometimes as bits and pieces accumulate as I make things. Maybe I should do a resolution to have better workspace hygiene for 2015?

Hmm, it would be too bad to fail on a resolution before the first week of the year was even up, so maybe not…

PS, there are a few class kits left here and here.

Vintage baby shoes and socks ornaments

holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 12, 2014

Throughout the month, I spent time making little pretties here and there between all of the other hustley, bustley stuff going on. And I finally listed some of them. Not all! Dang, I love making holiday ornaments more than just about anything, but I'm so far behind this year, I've been spending more time making them than trying to sell them!