January 2021 – Karla's Cottage

An altered doll wardrobe, everything is better with wallpaper!

redos, vintage paper/collage art, wallpaper

By Karla Nathan / January 30, 2021

Beth gave me a doll wardrobe that definitely showed it’s age. She knew I needed a challenge.

See what I mean?
It needed a few minor repairs where the joints had pulled apart, but mostly just some pretty papers.

Keeping with the theme, I glued vintage paper with pictures of children’s clothes patterns to the inside.

I used two wallpapers on the outside.

Then I added clusters of flowers on the ribbons that tie the top and bottom together. I sanded the edges a little, so it didn’t look too fresh and new, then hung a nicely tattered, old doll dress on the hook inside.

Most likely, I’ll just use it as a storage box on my desk, not for doll clothes. But it was cute to see it with the dress hanging in it, as it was meant to be.

A book for Ryan

Books, celebrations, Corona virus, family, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / January 27, 2021

When Ryan died, I looked on Facebook, my blog, old albums, anywhere I could to gather photos of him.

With a break to raise puppies, I have been working on a scrapbook for him since.

Some times, the pictures and memories would reduce me to a puddle of snot and tears so, I couldn’t work on it every day.

The goal was to have it done today, his birthday.

He was a guy who loved his birthday! He usually took a week off of work, just to relax.

Although, relaxing for Ryan meant going to the gym to work out and walking 20,000 steps a day.

I will celebrate his birthday by going for a walk, and have been trying to get one in daily this week, like I would’ve if he’d been with me.

On cold days, we’d go to the community rec center. I was worried about using it now, but checked it out, and it is pretty empty. The track is built as a loft over four basketball courts that are not open due to Covid. It is a newer building and seems airy.

On nice days, I walk on the sidewalks and trails we used to go on together. But there has been a cold streak in Kansas, so I needed to use the track for his birthday week. Which is tough, because it requires a mask. That in itself is fine, but when I am thinking of how much I enjoyed running, walking and talking with my boy, I start to cry.

You can’t cry well in a mask.

So, I listen to an audiobook and try not to sob and get my mask soggy, since I can’t take it off to blow my nose.

Ryan’s book is finished, I made it from the canvas of a pour painting that he hung in his apartment.

I wish he would’ve joined me in creating a painting of his own. He did hang out with me as I swirled and played with paints, and he loved watching them come together.

The charm on this book was a pour paint necklace that he wore.

The book itself is a planner from Hobby Lobby. I cut the painting off its frame and pieced a gold toned canvas together to cover the exterior.

The interior is covered in a red canvas he also had in his room.

Ryan’s life long friends gave me an entire folder filled with sketches and doodles he did over the decades while playing card games with them!

What a treasure!

Some I cut up to make a collage, others I used as backgrounds as is. And the rest I used as additions throughout the book. I included some condolence cards too, this page is made of a card from his friends’ mom.

It’s too bad my hand writing isn’t nice, but it was still very important to me to add stories, so I didn’t let it bother me.

On this page, I listed some of his favorite tv shows, that we’d watch together.

And I added a few on my own doodles too.

Now that it is done, I am wishing that I’d bought a bigger book to use. This is stuffed tightly, and I would’ve liked to add printed pages from my blog about Ryan. There is no space left in this book.

I will keep this book by my favorite chair.

There is no recovery from a loss like this.

But there is comfort in reminiscing, and in memories.

Working on this album was healing for me.

And I’ll be glad to keep it nearby.

It looks like it was a big effort, but this is really just a mini redo

cottage, Hand Painted Furniture

By Karla Nathan / January 24, 2021

When I fell in love with this hutch, it was despite the yellow, goldish color it had been painted. I thought I could live with it as is, but it grated on me, until I finally had to neutralize the piece and make it this classic white.

The original hardware was gorgeous, but too dark for me, so it got painted too.

See what I mean? It is a magnificent hunk of furniture, but just didn’t go with my house as it was. Maybe the tones were more Mediterranean instead of romantic cottage?

Ahhhhhhh, much better!

And a much more simple project than you’d think. I bought a quart of white chalk paint at JoAnne’s with a 50% off coupon. (There was a lot of paint leftover)

No prep needed, I just brushed it on. I didn’t take out drawers or remove hardware, I just carefully painted them in place, watching out for drips as I went along. After painting a drawer, I’d leave it open a crack so it didn’t stick shut.

I considered doing a glaze over all of it to accentuate the carvings and details. Then decided against it, because they showed up nicely in the solid color. Plus, other items in the room were painted that way, and I don’t like things too matchy.

The handles got the treatment, though. They looked odd in plain white, like they were unfinished.

The brass was turning a little green through the white paint and I kind of liked it, but didn’t want too much of it, so I used a clear coat on them, then another coat of white, barely leaving the green patina to peek through.

After that, I brushed on umber paint and wiped it off.

Then the whole cabinet got a satin, water based clear coat. Not wax! That stuff would have been soooooo much work to apply and buff on something like this! The clear poly worked just fine and was done in a fraction of the time.

Chalk paint dries quickly and covers well. It took one coat plus touch ups. The entire project was done in three hours, start to finish.

In a painting frame of mind

flowers, friends, Hand Painted Furniture

By Karla Nathan / January 21, 2021

Lately, I’ve been getting some furniture painted. I’ve enjoyed it so much, that I am considering painting some pieces to frame too. I hope I get around to that.

A “painting with thread” project got started too. Those are drawn on a shirt with washable marker to start with, and the marker is more of a guideline than anything else. I liked this sketch, so will try to follow it. Sometimes things change a lot once I get started.

Here is a photo of the dresser, not all the way before, but near the beginning. It is in Angie’s booth at Good JuJu and we went in there one afternoon while the building was empty for me to paint while Beth and Angie redid their neighboring spaces.

It had been a while since I’d added roses to furniture. I had planned something completely different, but this is how it turned out.

Collecting memories

jewelry, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / January 17, 2021

For Christmas, I had some blown glass pendants and beads made from Ryan’s ashes. They are done by a local artist, Vaughn.

They are even prettier in person. It is hard to get a good photo to show the luminous quality they have.

Vaughn had a holiday special with free beads added to the order. I added some to this larimar, aquamarine, and adventurine stone necklace that I made.

(Oops, the silver bail is upside down in the pic).

This is a necklace that I’d already made and had dangled a bead from my father’s ashes on. One of Ryan’s beads matched it, so I placed it next to my dad’s.

Ryan had a bead from my dad’s ashes and really appreciated it. I had a rough time looking at my order when I picked it up, Ryan’s voice was in my head as I pictured how excited he would’ve been by how beautiful the pieces are. He was always so enthusiastic and appreciative.

I have a pendant to create a necklace with for myself. The others went onto hemp or leather cords for Adam and Rich to wear, another hangs from Rich’s truck visor, and one hangs from the ash urn.

When the puppies were born I took a break from working on Ryan’s scrapbook, then the holidays came along. I think I need to get back into working on it. It is a painful process, but in a good way. I spend time reminiscing about each photo, and thinking about my boy.

Not that I don’t think about him all of the time, with or without reminders. I don’t need mementos to feel Ryan near me.

But I am drawn to these items, the gifts that came after he died. The blooms I dried from flower arrangements sent to us. The photos, the wind chimes, so many little things. Sometimes they make me smile, other times, I still crumple with grief.

Mostly, I am comforted by keeping these things around me.

A cheeseboard with heart

cottage

By Karla Nathan / January 14, 2021

The artist/carpenter who built our dining table and dog crate also made this cheese board for me.

I’m always on the look out for found hearts in nature. This is a log that was in our woodpile. My husband cut slices of it for me, and I set them aside to dry a few months.

The heart isn’t as clear after drying, but it’s still there. With a few additional marks that developed in the wood, I think it looks pretty cool.

A Dog Crate That is a Piece of Furniture

cottage, dogs, Hand Painted Furniture

By Karla Nathan / January 10, 2021

Ta Dah!

The crate is finished and I am thrilled with it.

It’s very spacious inside, actually a bit larger than our wire crate.

And a whole heck of a lot prettier. We keep a crate by the back door so we can send dogs with muddy feet right into it until dry. I was so tired of looking at that eyesore. I tried covering it with a tablecloth, but it just looked bulky.

The crate was exactly across from my seat at the dining table, my view every day when I sat and had my morning coffee. And over dinner.

I was over it.

Still, an ugly view was better than a muddy one that I had to mop up.

We still are using the wire cage until the polyurethane smell is gone, we don’t want to have fumes affecting the dogs. So for now, the wire one is still in the room and a hepa filter is running in the new one for a few weeks.

I think I’ll probably need to keep the metal crate out for a while after the fumes are gone, though. When I ordered this, we hadn’t planned on keeping a puppy. I am sure that no matter how good of a pup little Molly is, she would be tempted to chew on wood if locked inside. It’s probably safer to use it just for the big girls, not the baby.

And look at this!

From my seat at the table, this is what I see- the corner of the cabinet creates the silhouette of a bird!

Do you see it?

The front is a vintage floor grate. The top is from the same tree that that our table is made from. There is a door on each end with four metal medallions from Hobby Lobby as air vents.

I’d been worried about the hardware since there were no flea markets to go to, due to Covid. But I found some vintage styled ones on Amazon that worked out fine.

My dogs have always loved their kennels, I hope they like this one as much as I do.

Christmas decor blended into winter decorating

cottage, Goldendoodle Puppies, Hearth Room, redos

By Karla Nathan / January 8, 2021

It was time to take down my holiday decorations and trees. I didn’t do a lot (for me) this year, mostly trees, pinecones, and lots of lights.

The warm white lights had brought me a lot of joy this season. The first thing I did every single morning after letting the puppy out to potty was to flip all of the power strips on to get that cozy glow going. Molly wakes up way too early and everything is still pitch black and feels very wintery. She is desperate to go tinkle and doesn’t care if I am half awake, she is ready to go.

When she comes back in, I take a few moments to snuggle with her before making coffee and getting on with my day. Typically, I am not an early riser, but we enjoy our quiet mornings together with the lights sparkling in the darkened rooms.

January itself is too stark to go from a house full of festivity to none at all. So the lights above the windows are staying for a while.

Along with our hot tea and cocoa station. It got de-Christmassed, and we have rules about no cocoa parties unless they are near a Christmas tree.

But we have been known to still sip a cup of hot chocolate now and then…

The mercury glass stayed out too. It fit nicely with the holiday, but I think it will also be pretty for the rest of the winter. Anything that is reflective adds light to the dark months.

The Christmas trees had been decorated mostly in pinecones and twinkle lights in honor of a happy day that Ryan and I had together gathering pinecones last year.

After plucking them out of the branches and packing the trees away, I decided to keep the pinecones out for a while. I stuffed newspapers into the matt white pottery and a few mercury glass candle holders, then topped that with the pinecones. Some rosebuds, dried from an arrangement that came after Ryan’s death were put under glass for a hint of faded color.

Swans from Lesa Daily’s A Snowbird’s Song class are on top of the kid’s game and book cabinet. I like their silhouettes in the mirror.

The hutch previously had lots of mini, battery operated LEDs on its shelves. I took them down, but kind of miss them. I might bring a strand back out.

The mantle didn’t get much of a changearoo. I took out the pink shiny brites and left the garland stuffed with hydrangeas and pinecones.

For now, these changes feel right. I have some natural elements from outdoors and mostly neutral, low-color tones with a hint of sparkle throughout. Plus warm throws and lots of extra pillows, for us and the dogs. It always hurts to put the Christmas clutter away, but streamlined, serene surroundings aren’t bad either. I’m spending so much time indoors, it is nice to have the calm decor around me, along with the warmth of the lights that I left in place.

A mini greenhouse gets a mini redo

collections, cottage, redos

By Karla Nathan / January 6, 2021

I’ve had this little terrarium for ages and always thought I’d try to make it look a bit more vintage. (This is the after)

Here is the before.

Then I saw that Hobby Lobby still sells the exact one, and when I noticed it on the shelf, I thought to myself that it really needed a makeover. I guess I’d just gotten used to seeing it as is in my house and had gotten to the point where I probably didn’t see it at all.

In the midst of putting away all of the Christmas stuff (admittedly, there wasn’t much of it this year, but it did take all day), I took a break and repainted this white. I glued a couple of ornamental dodads over the open hearts too.

Looking for found hearts is a hobby of mine, I love seeing them appear in nature. But not so much as cut outs on things in my home, although I do love this old, old, tin trim filled with hearts.

There might have been too much impatience in getting it done, because I had some issues with the glued on pieces. I was trying to paint them while the glue was still wet and at one point, the heavy, wet paint was too much for the gloppy glue and one embellishment slid right off. Which wouldn’t have been so bad, if it had just landed next to the terrarium on the newspaper I was using to protect the table.

Nope. It decided to fling itself away from the newspaper with a hefty bouncing motion and spew minuscule paint drops across my kitchen floor.

Once I finally got it dry, in one piece, and the floor mopped up, I refilled it. I pretty much reused what I’d already had in it before, just rearranged and cleaned it up a little.

It might be a tad too springlike inside for the rest of my winter decor in the room, but I like a splash of spring somewhere in my home. I keep some favorite things in it, porcelain roses broken off of a vase, a sea shell with a glossy pink interior, crystals and pretty rocks I have found on trips.

Oh, and crystal balls, plus some houseplants that are easy to keep alive. And a sweet birdie. I always need little birdies around. I hope she likes her spiffed up, new home.

Fairy Family Fun

celebrations, fairies, family

By Karla Nathan / January 3, 2021

Katie Tree’s wing making idea was just plain brilliant for our family’s holiday.

The crafting started on the Winter Solstice and we had a tasty Ramen take out meal, so no one would have to stop to cook.

That part was MY brilliant idea. Not cooking? Yay!

I knew we would need extra time to create these flights of fancy.

What I didn’t know, was that her gift to the family of wing making supplies would turn into a full week of working on these off and on together.

It was an actual gift that just kept on giving.

We had bonus craft dates while the project continued, and everyone was in and out of the studio til New Years.

I went from crying at the grocery store over trying to plan a minimal Christmas, without both of my boys and missing one girl to rejoicing over the surprise of Adam and Dewdrop showing up, and then having a house and studio full of family fun for days on end.

Right up til New Year’s Day, when we had a fairy dress up party together.

And of course, the newest family member, little Molly, got a set of wings to wear to the party too.

We only had a couple of precious days with my boy, but he left Dewdrop with us for a week.

My kind hearted husband offered to drive her halfway home to North Carolina and meet up with her dad for the drop off. Instead of tagging along, I am spending time undecking the halls and editing fairy party pics.

Ha, who am I kidding? So far, I have just sat and edited pretty pictures, played with pups, and snacked on leftovers. (Pumpkin pie cake makes an ideal breakfast)

I have a book that is calling out to me, but I’m resisting, and gearing myself up for the tree tear down.

I shouldn’t be procrastinating, the chore won’t be hard. I kept the decor soooo simple this year, there isn’t much to take down.

I plan on leaving up the lights and frosty leaf garlands over the windows for adding some sparkle to a cold January.

This Christmas certainly was an unexpected joy in a dark, sad year.

I will be savoring the memories as I tuck away the trees.

Well, actually as I shove trees into the closet and do my best to shut the door.

Thank you, Katie, for such a fun project!

I think we need to plan a spring time, Fairy Tea Party for more dress up fun.