January 2016 – Karla's Cottage

Disney time, family time, and lots of books

By Karla Nathan / January 29, 2016

My Florida trip was not only a much appreciated break from the cold, Kansas winter, it was a family get together, a chance to explore all the theme parks with two life time experts in all things Disney, and I also attended a "writer and reader retreat"

This was something new for me, the event and the genre of novels. My pal, Terry was helping coordinate the workshop, and I offered to tag along and help her out. Her friend, S. E. Smith is the author of fantasy romance and was quite a sweet person to get to know.

I offered to make name tags from white card stock with book covers taken from the author's book jackets.

We clipped them to lanyards and I wrote the names on the blank backs of the mini books. Attendees could use the books to gather autographs from the writers and messages from their friends.

Gifts given out were non-stop, and I was lucky enough to win a couple myself, even though I was just there as a helper, I was treated so kindly, and like one of the group.You won't find a nicer bunch of ladies, anywhere.

There were games too. This is "Hero Bingo" done with the names of the hunks in the novels instead of numbers. I leafed through a lot of books during the writer's signing night, and "hunk" is a very mild term for the magnificent men described in those pages.

STEAMY STUFF!

All of us had gathered at Disney Springs, and when it ended, Terry, her daughter, Holly, and I moved on to stay at Animal Kingdom and a couple of other resorts there at the parks. They had gone in together to join the Disney Vacation Club and were hotel hopping to check out the various places.

How nice of them to invite me along on their mother/daughter trip!! I didn't want to intrude for long, so spent three nights with them, then let them have their own time together for the rest of of the week, while they visited a few more hotels. My three days were ideal from my point of view, and I hope I didn't wear out my welcome.

Our first night was spent at Animal Kingdom, a resort I've always wanted to stay at, and it was even better than I'd thought it would be. We woke up to the sight of an ostrich wandering around outside our balcony, then as the morning went by, all sorts of wildlife sauntered along on the grass below us. Feeding stations are set up in the courtyard to encourage visits, but we noticed that there isn't a lot going on very early in the morning.

If you are going to splurge on the cost of staying there, my advice is to make sure you aren't trying to get to one of the theme parks when it opens, or you'll miss the herds of hungry critters who happen by as the morning develops. We were lingering and leisurely, or we wouldn't have spotted so many creatures throughout the 9-11am period. This is the kind of hotel that is a vacation in itself, and if you stay there, you'll want to make sure you have plenty of time to take advantage of it.

Leisurely was the name of the game, we took our time and didn't feel rushed anywhere we went. Both of these Disney Pros know the ins and outs of where to be and when, what to see and what not to, short cuts, secrets, and were the perfect guides for seeing the parks.

Terry is a season ticket holder for Florida AND California parks. And she lives in Utah. That right there is true Disney love.

I felt as if I'd hired two expert tour guides to show me around. Not to mention, they are both a lot of fun, and we had a wonderful visit.

But the best bonus was having a chance to get to know a far away niece.

As a Vacation Club member, Terry got a lot of perks. Free photo passes, discounts, etc. And she was generous in sharing them. I rarely had my camera out, since there were professional photo stations at every landmark. Plus, I was a little chilly, and kept my gloves on. So it was extra nice to get photos that I didn't have to take myself.

Of course, cold temps are all relative…

In Orlando, I was loving the blooming flowers, while back home in Kansas, there was an ice storm.

I'm certainly NOT complaining about keeping my gloves on!

And who doesn't need an excuse to pick up a pretty, pink, Minnie Mouse hoody? I didn't pack as good as I should have, layers were the key. I ended up with a few wearable souvenirs to pile on.

We found some hidden Mickeys that I can point out to Sugarwings next time we go, too.

I now have so many things to show the grand fairies when we go back.

This trip was so much fun, that coming back again was on my mind the whole time I was there.

Thanks, Holly and Terry for such a perfect vacation! And thank you, Susan for letting me be a part of your workshop.

A family painting day, and yes, yet another Art Journal

Books, family, paintings

By Karla Nathan / January 26, 2016

Before I set off for Florida sunshine, the family came over to have a painting day in the studio. Miss Tree has a new nephew and her sister wanted a room full of paintings of trees done by her family. And I took advantage of having the paints out to do a little foxy picture for Guncle Randy.

My paints are typically packed away in the cabinet behind my workspace. Easy to get to, though seldom reached for. The times when I do unpack them, I wonder to myself why they aren't always out and ready.

I really do love to paint.

But somehow that gets away from me. I get involved with other things.

Like making books! I adore that too!!!!!!

Why can't studio days be longer? I could just bury myself out there in supplies and never come out. But, there just isn't enough time in the day to do all I want, or my house would crumble around me, my husband would go hungry, and grand fairies would miss out on snuggles.

So, I enjoy what time I do have, and make the most of it. I was happy to mingle the two genres, mixing making an art journal with a little painting.

And with collage. Another love.

Guncle Randy is a fan of foxes, so that is the theme of the book that I made to bring to him. Hopefully, we will have some craft time in his studio and I can watch him create on the pages inside of this book.

And I hope to have another family painting day in the studio to watch the creations filling the room. This is Kia's

And Miss Tree's tree painting got a palm tree with a lyria hanging from it. Kia drew the acrobat for her.

Avahni added the baby's name in stars.

And my son, who is so talented in so many ways, surprised me with yet another skill.

I had no idea he could paint. Nice, huh?

The little girls created piles and piles and piles of dripping, glittery, pink, gloppy painted slips of paper. And smiles. There were plenty of smiles. Too bad I forgot to put a card in my camera that day…

While I was away, my boy started this painting, done with layers of epoxy. It was a nice surprise to see it in the studio, and to know that he is exploring the world of painting. I think he has something going with this. It is a rich, deep shine, between each layer of paint. Hard to photograph, but it is really something pretty cool to see.

Magic- under the sea with the guncles, a trip to Jacksonville

guncles

By Karla Nathan / January 24, 2016

There were sooooo many highlights of my trip, but one of the most lovely was the special treatment that the guncles always offer to their guests. When you visit them, you feel treasured.

Randy set up his garden tent with an Under the Sea theme for a delicious crab leg dinner that was as beautiful as it was tasty. (I picked the fresh lemon from the tree growing near the tent in the garden-feeling very Floridian as I did it)

The tablescape featured oversized clam shells and a giant coral, sprinkled liberally with glitter and smaller shells, strings of pearls, and lots of candles.

But the best part? Well, dur-

those hosts!

Oh, and- that moss and "bubble" filled chandy, of course.

Terry, who I was meeting up with in Orlando, is in the process of moving and is making some major changes in her studio. She has been busy doing some destashing, and had sent a couple of boxes of delight my way earlier.

When I got to Randy's there was a pile of large,flat rate boxes there, and he saved them for us to go through together.

Geez, Louise, those were some fun boxes to delve into! I'd already had the squealing, oohing and ahhing good time of opening the ones at my house, and now I got a double treat by helping him open his.

On craft day, I made a thank you card for Terry, done only with things that she had sent.

We also played with metal sheets, dyes, spritzes, and embossing plates that she'd packed up for him.

Here is a card that Randy made.

I spent some time on a drawing, here it is in an early stage. It is for a coloring page, to go in a book I'm making. Anyone up for a "Farewell to Downton" book swap? Details to come. I need to design the cover and get the rules together. I'll have a blog post up about it before too long, but feel free to contact me at:

karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

to get on a list for me to contact you when I have the info together, so you don't miss it.

Or leave a comment and I'll get back to you when it is ready.

We had a good day in the studio, and had plenty of company while working there. Our friend, Regina, came by and we had a constant parade of pups under our legs and in our laps.

The food and company are always wonderful, (I loved the fresh shrimp whipped up in a New Orleans style sauce), lots of wine, laughs, and snuggle pups.

Even better, their eclectic home filled with antiques was still decked out for the holidays, yay! Kevin is a master of junking and is one the best hunters around. His vintage Christmas finds and bargains are the BEST. Whole villages of putzes. Silver trees with over 500 shiny brites. Comfort and Joy in every corner, on every table top, every where you look.

Ahhh, that fireplace…..

And that cabinet, full of collections….

All done with an eye to hospitality.

And love.

Kansas is too cold

cottage, dogs, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / January 20, 2016

As I wrote this before I left on my trip to Florida, we had a major cold spell. Our pipes didn't freeze up over night, but only because I know the drill. When temps plunge into single digits, the curtain comes off the cabinet under the sink, to let the warmer air in the house circulate through there to the pipes.

Of course, every time that I forget to do that, we wake up to no water in the kitchen.

Honestly, I shouldn't be such a wimp about the cold, this has been a remarkably mild winter so far. And here I am flying off to the land of guncles and sunshine right when it is at its worst.

But I cannot get warm! And I feel like my skin is made of ancient tissue paper that is disintegrating. No matter how much cream I slather on, no matter how many pots of water I set to simmer on the wood stove to put moisture in the air, nothing helps.

And my poor toes. They can't remember what it feels like to be pink and warm.

Sugarwings has had the opposite of the complaints that I've had. She wants SNOW and LOTS OF IT. We had this little dusting of flakes and she was so happy, she couldn't wait to get out there with her dog and show her how to catch snowballs. (While dressed in a fashionable scarf)

If this is the only snow we get, I'll be pleased as punch, myself. Or maybe there will be enough snow to satisfy these two while I am away this week. That would be ideal. They get to chase snowflakes while I soak up some sunshine, and we are all happy.

I plan on returning from my time in the South with a much better attitude, once my toes have been reaquainted with sandals and sun. My plan is to soak up enough rays of light to get me through the rest of this dismal time of year. And to remind myself that for some odd reason, I do enjoy living in Kansas.

Boy, am I glad to be getting a break from it right now, though.

And another one…I’m smitten with art journals

Books, Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 17, 2016

For such a homebody as I am, I sure travel a lot.

And I do love making art journals. Usually, I take one with me to work on while I'm on my explorations, but this book is a special request for someone else.

I'll just betcha that I start one while away on this trip to Florida…

I'd like to reproduce another page like this one, it is a fave of mine.

And I'd enjoy filling out a page like this. My husband and I love to experience local restaurants and trying new dishes.

While making this book, I came up with a lot of things I'd like to have in a book of my own.

So, don't be surprised to see a somewhat repetitive post coming up someday soon, when I show some replications that I make!

Although, since I use so many one of a kind, unique bits of ephemera, no two pieces that I do will ever be exactly the same. I can recreate the hand written doodly things, though.

And I plan on redoing some of these designs for myself.

A colorful art journal

Books, family

By Karla Nathan / January 14, 2016

Thank you for all of the kind messages about my art journal post. Right now I am away for a bit, spending some time with Guncles, then with Terry. I'll be helping her with a writer's retreat, then exploring Disney with her. She is a long time season ticket holder and knows the parks inside and out. A day with her at the land of the mouse, is a true education in all things Disneyworld. I feel like I get all sorts of insider info on what to and how to explore and do in that magical place so that I know the shortcuts when I take grand fairies there. Plus, Terry is interesting and talented, we never run out of conversation

Since I am gone for a week or so, I thought I'd do some pre-posting. So, please come by to visit here while I am off visiting Florida. If you want to order something from the Boutique or the Etsy shop, it will be mailed on the 23rd.

This is another book that I made. It was for Sugarwing's mamma a while back. She loves sparkly and red, so it is a little different than what I make for myself and I had a good time playing with brighter colors. Although, I did add a pink plastic nurse to the front. It doesn't really match, but she is an RN and I thought it was a nice touch.

She is also a rainbow lover, so I drew a rainbow as background for this photo, and found some colorful trim to embellish the bottom of the page.

This is an all time favorite picture for me. And it was taken on a special day, when we went to the theater together for Xmas '14.

A layout doesn't have to be complicated to look nice. This is just sheet music, two strips of trim, a photo and a ticket stub.

This one is a simple page too. Inked sheet music, a photo, and washi tape.

For this page, I layered wallpaper scraps in colors that went with the sunflower photo, then cut petals from yellow scrapbook paper to create the flower.

The picture is outlined in red, to make it stand out a little bit.

Another, all time favorite photo! Sugarwings twirling her Dorothy skirt in the sunflowers!

Often, I use up little scraps of paper on my desk to make the backgrounds. This is ledger paper, an old page from a fairy tale book, and 2 kinds of washi tape. One photo was cut square, then outlined in the polka dot tape. The other had the person cut out to layer over the first picture.

Nope, I didn't add a silly sticker to her nose, she did that in real life. It was a silly moment.

It is nice to add memories to a page. The quote is from Dewdrop. Ghost and Giggles is a Halloween event we like to attend, and it has stuck in her mind as a fun, but spooky moment. When she wants to tell a dramatic story, it always begins with:

"Once upon ago, Ghost and Giggles ate a child"

There are phrases like that from kids that make up a whole vocabulary for a family, aren't there? And I hate it when they are lost and forgotten, so I like to write them in books to remember years later.

This seems to be an over the top, rainbow explosion of a page, huh? Well, as close as I could get. I think it would have been better to use a colorful ribbon instead of a lace tie on the envelope. Sometimes you look back at what you've made and see things you'd like to change, or do different next time. Oh well, we artists are nothing if not harsh critics of ourselves.

I try not to be. My steps to creating are:

1-use what I love

2-use the GOOD STUFF

3-enjoy what I do

And if I do that, I shouldn't feel too bad about little things that I got wrong, right?

New marble tile in the bathtub and some much needed deep cleaning

cottage, redos

By Karla Nathan / January 11, 2016

Last February, I repainted and did a mini redo on the guest bathroom, after Dewdrop asked me to paint it pink for her. Of course, I like pink too, so was happy to do it.

The tub is original to the house and was awful. We'd put up a cheapo, plastic surround that never looked good either. I hated both, and while my mini redo last winter cheered the room up, it was purely cosmetic and didn't take care of the bigger issues.

Well, I'd decided that enough was enough, that nasty, old tub and the flimsy wall covering had to go. This was the GUEST room, the shower that all my treasured houseguests had to use. And it was embarrassing.

The contractor came out to look at the space, and he suggested a treatment over the old tub to freshen it. Those old, iron tubs are heavy, hard to remove, and are meant to last a lifetime, unlike the newer tub I'd be replacing it with.

But the tub was chipped in some spots, and stained horribly. My son was helping the tilers and asked if I'd ever thought of cleaning it.

Brat.

He meant, deep, deep cleaning and a scraping with a razor blade. Nope, I'd just used sponges and regular scrubbing stuff on it.

So, I soaked it 24 hours with a gallon of straight vinegar in the bottom, and the next morning, added a splash of CLR (to remove hard water buildup and rust). I went after it with a razor blade and magic eraser, and it very soon looked shiny and clean again.

A few touch ups with white enamel paint, and the chips disappeared too. Honestly, it isn't perfect, but it is 90 some years old and I like old things with imperfections, as long as they aren't grimy and gross. This tub looks shiny and clean, while still keeping the vintage feel.

I'm very happy with the results.

Next up, tile. And while the faucets and handles were taken off to tile around, I soaked and scrubbed them too. Our well water had left lots of filmy, white deposits on those and I had thought I'd replace them. Until I saw how nice the tub looked after some elbow grease, then I thought I'd give them a good scrubbing too.

And you know what? I had them clean in a matter of minutes after soaking. It was simple, fast, and saved me a lot of money.

I'd thought that that bathtub and the fixtures were ruined. Then I found out that I am just not much of a housekeeper.

The best part of the redo is this cute, little niche for soap and shampoo. Since this is an old house, we didn't know what we'd find when the walls were opened up, and didn't know if there would be a space to make this work, but luckily, there was space just where I wanted the cubby to go.

I looked at a lot of tile before choosing the marble. I was weighing in between this and white subway tile, both felt old fashioned and right for the age of the home. But the tile seemed toooo white for me, I like the variations of color in the natural stone. I have always admired marble, so I splurged and went for it. And this was a pretty small area to do, so the price tag wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. (and I saved money on not replacing the tub, so that justified it)

And I am so glad that it all worked out the way I wanted. The old tub is a keeper and the tile looks like it belongs there with it.

I've never liked leaving shower curtains open, in this room, or any bathroom I've ever had. But now? Well, I think I just might be keeping them pulled apart. (or at least while the toys are picked up, that clean, uncluttered look most likely won't last long, soon this will return to being a land of naked Barbies)

The lavender ceiling tin might get a coat of white paint…. I liked it before, but now it seems to stand out. (the ceiling tins are a mismatched bunch of leftovers from doing the kitchen ceiling and some stuff I had laying around in the garage from when I used to have an antique business)

A few pink roses in the hand painted flowers on the floor might look good too….

There is always a project waiting to be done, isn't there? For now, I'll enjoy it as it is.

Cirque de Lawrence

family

By Karla Nathan / January 8, 2016

Our small town has a circus school, and our Miss Tree teaches there. Her girls are star pupils and when there is a student performance, we are first in line to get tickets.

I've enjoyed every one that I've been to, but this latest was even better than before. It was such a professional production, and the costumes were gorgeous. I invited my pal, Beth to join me there, and told her that this wasn't like being drug to someone's kid's recital, this was a real SHOW. And it was.

My boy was the DJ and had some swinging, vintage style mixed music to keep the energy pumping.

There was contortion…

Lyra…

LED hoops…

Trapeze…

Silks…

And so much talent!

See what I mean? There were two nights of performances, and I could have used a few more nights of it, all were so good. Some of the contortion makes me turn my head, the drops from the silks make me gasp with fear, and there is never a dull moment. These performers were sharp, entertaining, and exciting.

And not just the ones that I happen to love…

The whole troupe was fun to watch. The theater that holds the event will be hosting it three times a year, if all works out as planned. Let me know if you want ticket info.

And maybe in the future, we will have more family members in the show?

I'll leave you with some highlights of the performances.

Under the Sea and still under the spell

celebrations, Dew Drop, family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / January 5, 2016

I know it is the New Year (already???!!) Well, at least I am trying to convince myself that, yes, Christmas is over, 2016 has arrived, and it is time to get back to normal.

Hmmm, if I could just figure out what normal is.

Anyway, our holidays were so full that I still haven't run out of photos from them. And I am still basking in that holiday glow. Soooo, I'm indulging myself with yet another blog post of girls being excited by the Christmas extravaganza.

Last year, we started a tradition of seeing a play at the local theater as part of our month long party in honor of the holiday. The play in 2014 was Mary Poppins, and was cute as a bug.

This year, we got to see The Little Mermaid. It was spectacular! Yet one more reason that we are lucky to live in such a cool town with so many interesting things going on.

I'll leave you with some pics from the day, and I just might sneak in a few more of happy girls enjoying Christmas too. Because those are my favorite pictures of all.

Unless we are at a beach… I do love beaches. That sounds especially good right now when the temps are dropping in the midwest and things get icy.

But for now, Under the Sea is close enough to the beach for me.

A year in photos through my art journal

Books, celebrations, family, photography, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / January 1, 2016

What better way to look back over the past year than through photos?

I take pictures almost daily, and while many are blogged and I can look back at them that way, I still prefer having books to leaf through and enjoy.

Most of my favorite photos get pasted into one of my art journals. A physical copy of a photo is very meaningful. And I always worry that digital pictures are only a dirty, cruel virus, or a silly mistake away from disappearing forever.

Plus, it just feels good to look through a book of memories.

I include some artwork, and other tidbits. Like the schedule I printed for Birdsong last spring.

And a painting that I'd done years ago and found in the bottom of a drawer. (It is mounted on paper that was dyed when I used it as drainage for some other hand dyed project.)

My books are a little of this, a little of that, and a LOT of grand fairies.

Here, I saved the tiny paintings I made to create the buttons on my blog. Next to it, is Dewdrop, snuggling a kitty both on vintage papers and tied together with ruffled ribbon.

While my books are quite a hodge podge, I do try to have adjoining pages look nice together, either by theme or color.

And I like to have different sized or shaped photos to add.

Sometimes, one photo is all I'll put on a page.

Other times, I'll fill the page up.

Often, I'll add cards that I was given during the year, and have pictures inside the card to see when it is opened up too.

And I'll add danglies, I love danglies. This heart was a "to-from" tag off of a gift given to me by my sissy.

This is the picture inside the card, along with lace and old images.

Sometimes I'll use inks or paints behind the photos. And on this page, is a tag given to me at Birdsong.

On this page, I've cut the people out of the photos.

Here too.

And here.

Doodle pages always add interest.

Throughout the year, I'll toss little items I like into a journal box and save it up for a day when I feel like sitting down to make a page.

Not all pages are elaborate. This is torn pieces of old paper, with two photos on it. I've outlined the pictures with a marker.

But other times, I feel like doing more. Like these branches drawn onto the page and the "hinged" mat. When the mat opens up like a door, the branches are drawn underneath to continue on the full page too.

Some pages are just for fun. But they still hold memories for me.

Not only do I love having these completed books to linger over, and sometimes pass around at family gatherings, I dearly LOVE making them.

And they really are never quite finished. It isn't uncommon to go back and add a little charm or doodad years after the book was supposedly finished!

And they aren't usually chronological, either. This is a picture from the year before that slipped into this book.

The important part of the books I make, is the love that goes into them. Yea, I know very corny. But true. I adore working on them, and have to stop myself from obsessing over making journals.

I thought maybe my New Year's resolution should be to not spend soooo much time doing books, when I should be making things to sell….

Nope.

I'll still have these books to pass down to great grand fairies someday. But if I made something to sell instead, I'd have spent the money on some little token and it would be gone by then.

So, maybe my resolution should be to not beat myself up over the time I take away from work to make books for myself?

These do bring me a lot of joy. And I am such a workaholic, I get plenty of other stuff done too.

Sugarwings has started her own art journal, plus is kind enough to make things for me to add to mine. Maybe I'll resolve to help her get her own journal habit going more this year.

As far as resolutions, those aren't bad. They are probably pretty doable.

I don't take resolutions lightly. The list's improvements for the year ahead are something I think about and try to uphold.

Last year, I worked hard on being more patient, and nicer. I think that helped, and I stayed aware of the issues I had to deal with. By doing that, I think it honestly made a difference in my attitude.

Vowing to enjoy the work in front of me, and not being impatient with myself for making what I want to make instead of what I think I should make, kind of echoes last year's resolutions. It is me being patient with myself, and not annoyed. Last year, I vowed not to get so annoyed with others.

It worked.

And I felt the benefits of it, personally and emotionally. I guess anytime you work on being nicer to others, it comes back to being nicer to yourself too.

I think I'll also resolve not to keep apologizing for other people's perceived notions of what I meant when I said something as opposed to what I really meant.

That is a hard one.

All I can do is explain what I meant, apologize for possibly being misleading, but assure that person that I didn't mean it unkindly.

I can't be sorry for what someone THINKS that I thought if that is NOT what I thought, right?

Sounds simple, but this is a trap I've been caught in.

So, as long as I know my intentions are clear, I can't feel bad about how upset a person gets with me. I will do my best to be a nice guy, if another doesn't see that in me, then….. well, not my problem!

We can only control our own reactions, not other's reactions.

Ooh, that one really is hard.

So, here is my list for 2016:

1- Keep trying to be patient and kind, and be true to my own emotions, do not let others perceived notions effect me if they are not correct. Of course, part two of that means, looking deeply into part one to make sure that I have not been hurtful.

2- Enjoy the work in front of me, whether it is personal, or profitable. This kind of goes along with my life motto of "Use the Good Stuff"- if it is worth my time, it is worth using the best materials. The work is also worth using my best outlook too, right? If I'm going to do it, I'm going to let myself go, and let the guilt go too.

So, 2016 looks like a year with some effort ahead for me.

And some enjoyment.

I hope that your year holds some improvements, surprises, many blessings,and lots of enjoyable, creative moments.