Karla Nathan – Page 156 – Karla's Cottage

Holiday Home decor temptations

By Karla Nathan / December 8, 2013

This season, I was a tad bit worried about the Christmas decorations staying where I put them.

Between the dogs and the Grand Fairies, I doubted that any of it stood a chance of surviving till Christmas, since it went up so early.

But the little girls have been ideal. Dewdrop is enamoured of it all, yet doesn't mess with it.

Much…

I think the trick to keeping little fingers off the vintage and hand made pieces that I want to use, but not have destroyed, was to give them their very own tree.

Sugarwings and I started this tradition when she was tiny. I gave her a pink tree and a basket full of decorations to put on, take off, play with, do as she pleased.

Now, Dewdrop is enjoying the tree along with her. And is pretty good about not getting into the other decor.

I also think it helps that I make a big deal out of the way the house is decorated and pick them up to show them individual things and talk about them. The Grand Fairies feel included, and enjoy the pretties around the cottage, I want them to feel like our home is fixed up for all of us, not that it is just a big pile of Grammie NO NOs.

Kind of like what we do in the studio. The girls have their own tables, and cabinets full of art supplies that belong to them. They have learned to, well kind of, keep curious fingers out of my supplies. I like to show them what I am working on and tell them about it, but I am also trying to teach them to respect my things and to use their own.

Of course, Dewdrop is barely 3, and Sugarwings has an ongoing story happening in her head that requires lots of interesting props to act out… so, it's a challenge and a gamble to set out precious things within their reach.

But worth it. If something breaks here and there (which it has), it's only stuff. I hope that I am showing them how good it is for the soul to have the peace and calm that pretty surroundings can bring to you.

And it means a lot to me to have our home all Christmassed up.

I think they like it too.

Now, if I can only convince the Twin Terrier Terrors that none of it is meant for them. Those dogs are infatuated with it all.

Wish us luck!

Hand painted ornaments

flowers, holiday decor, paintings

By Karla Nathan / December 5, 2013

For my guests at Romantic Cottage Christmas, I painted some ornaments.

Hand painted balls used to be a huge tradition with me. I have no idea how many hundreds I've done over the years. When I was a poor, single mom, I hawked these like crazy to earn money to buy the kids' gifts.

Then, for 20 years or so, painted ornaments were gifts I did for family.

Somehow, I've gotten away from making them. A few here and there maybe, over the last few seasons, but not to the extent that I used to make them. My boys have one for each year while they were growing up, with all sorts of pictures, from snowmen, to Santas, to a picture of their first cars, but I don't think I've made any yet for the grand fairies.

Maybe I needed that little break from making these, because it sure felt good to sit at the desk and swirl roses out of pink paint onto glass balls. Ryan came by the studio while I was working on them, and seemed so pleased to see me back at it. I guess I didn't realize my family had missed them.

I'd kind of branched out into different types of holiday projects once I discovered how much I loved playing with vintage elements. But painting was my first love and I had a great day making some for my friends.

Maybe I'll get out the brushes and make a few more…

December calendar

free images

By Karla Nathan / December 2, 2013

Happy December! As much as I abhor the cold, I still can't get enough of this time of year, and love every day of December. The girls and I will be hanging a candy cane (organic and delicious, in soft, sweet colors) on the tree for every day till Christmas.

Each night, we will take one off the tree, break then share it, and read a Christmas story together while sitting under the twinkly lights. It's a tradition that I did with my boys when they were little, and I am so glad to continue it with the Fairy Grand Girls. They aren't here every night, but I do my best to keep up with the candy canes. Poor me, I have to eat a tasty treat all by myself when the little ones are at their mommy's home!

I've printed off this calendar for myself and am busily filling it in for as many Christmas parties and activities as I can. If you'd like to do the same, click on the image to open it in a larger window before printing it, so it won't be all pixelly.

These antlers are from Dollar Tree and I've added some Stickles glitter and millinery to them, along with a few sparkly beads and of course, jingle bells. It's not December without jingle bells!

And you can never be too festive. I think the antlers are just the right touch to add some celebration to any outfit this season.

What else is new around here?

I have been dying more trees.

Yep, MORE TREES. And I even got quite a few into the Etsy shop.

And I am getting back into the angel wing groove too.

Here are some that Sugarwings dyed. Last year, she made some money selling trees, so she is hoping to have some repeat luck. Although, she doesn't seem to get what money is yet. I'm setting aside her earnings for when she needs them.

This is a mixed pack, with tiny trees, bigger trees, and a couple of wreaths too. I've made up a similar one in pink.

Romantic Cottage Christmas in the Studio

celebrations, holiday decor, studio tour, vintage paper/collage art, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / November 30, 2013

Seems like I've been full tilt into Christmas for weeks now. With all the fun of getting ready for my holiday workshop, I had my decor up and running way early this year.

I don't always deck the studio, but I sure am enjoying having all the holiday pretties up in here.

The party itself was such a good day. I hope the ladies enjoyed it as much as I did.

On Monday, I've got another group of friends coming over for an ornament making party, and on the 20th, I'm having a family ornie party. So, I'm hoping to keep the room tidy till then.

There is something about a tidy studio, that just fills me with anticipation. Because I know that it wouldn't be all cleaned up, if something fun wasn't about to happen in it!

It's exciting knowing that the room is looking it's best and ready for company!

And having holiday decorations in the room makes it even more fun. I kept the decor simple, but still festive. I exchanged the hanging birds, still up from Birdsong, with some ornaments.

And traded out bird pictures in the old frames for some glittery holiday messages and stars.

And of course, the Treat Cabinet always looks better when filled up with goodies.

But my favorite part?

A room filled with creative souls, laughing and making pretty things together.

I'll leave you with some pictures from the day.

PS, there are still some kits available for the cherub and the tree on a spool in my Etsy shop.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dew Drop, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / November 28, 2013

I hope you are having a special day! We have been busy bees, making up goodies for ours. While it might take twice as long to get the treats baked with these helpers, they end up tasting twice as good because of all the extra sweetness.

Wishing a sweet day to you too!

Christmas ornament kits

holiday decor, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / November 26, 2013

Our workshop was such fun on Saturday! What a nice group of ladies.

I'll have photos of the day to show you, but today has been crazy. We own a driveway full of vehicles (3 cars, 2 trucks), and are down to one that runs, or isn't loaned out to someone. We've been jumping, towing, trying to find rides, swapping them out, loaning them out, it has been a jumble around here.

The Hippy Chick's car died too, and we loaned her a truck that, of course, died. And our other truck died on the way to fetch her and Sugarwings when they were stranded on the roadside in the cold.

But I wanted to pop in here quickly, to let you know that there were still a few kits from the party left over. I made up extra of three of the projects, and they are going fast on Etsy.

I will be listing some of the angels that I made in preparation for the class, later on, if you are interested in those.

Or there are still kits if you'd like to make one of your own!

There are versions in pink and in gold/neutral tones.

Hopefully, in the next couple of days, I'll get some photos edited of our lovely day making these Christmassy goodies and get a new post up about it.

In the meantime, please check out the ornie kits for sale. Grammie needs a new alternator belt (and a compressor, and a battery, and well, probably a whole new car…)

Reunited

cottage, family

By Karla Nathan / November 24, 2013

Years ago, my Sissy used to make teddy bears. Really, really cute ones. She made all sorts of them and had an agent who sold them for her. But she gave some to family too, and when my boys were just little guys, she made them each one. (I've added the foof, the bears were just plain for the boys, of course)

Now that my sons are adults, and one is a father, the bears have been passed along to the grand fairies. But one has been missing for months. I've looked high and low for it, but it was no where to be found. Who knew what those girls could have done with it? Both kids are busy bees around here, hauling crap from their toy stash to various parts of the house or yard, or even out to the woods.

That bear could have been anywhere, including their mom's house or car.

Then, I decided to give my closet a fall cleaning and reorganize it. (this is my new coat from Victorian Trading!)

When our boys grew up and moved out, we did the smartest remodel project ever. We used an empty bedroom to expand our closet and bathroom, then moved the laundry room right into our closet. Perfect for a couple of empty nesters. We could take clothes right out of the dryer, and turn around and put them on a shelf or hanger. We no longer needed laundry baskets or even a chest of drawers. All of our things stayed right in the same room. It was great!

Till we started having people move in with us. Over the years, we have hosted many, many, many long term guests. Some for weeks, some months, some for years.

An empty nester laundry room isn't quite the same when your nest is over flowing, not empty.

But, back to the long, lost, little pink bear. (yes, my son has always had a fondness for pink, I'm glad he ended up with two, tiny, pink loving daughters)

The fuzzy pink bear turned up during the laundry room reorg!

Way, way, back in the corner, squished under a cabinet, she was hiding out! I squealed when I found her.

(please do not ask how often I clean behind or under things. You don't want to hear that, just know that I was quite brave to reach my arm under the cabinet to explore what was lurking under it)

To celebrate the bear's reunion, I cleaned them both up and brought them out to the studio to hang out for a while, before they are once again cuddled up by the two grand fairies and drug into games of hide and seek and who knows what else.

Cagey

holiday decor, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / November 22, 2013

When I am planning a class, I always make more than one example of the project. When I made the little wire birdcages, I probably made two thousand or more, since they were pretty complicated and I wanted to streamline them before writing up instructions for the online class. Online versions have to be extra careful since the student isn't in the same room to easily ask questions like at an art event workshop.

So, as I was spiffing up the studio and getting ready for company and for the holidays, I came across those two thousand plus cages- here, there, and everywhere around the room.

Instead of packing them away to make room for holiday things, I decided to use them as holiday decorations on my mini tree.

Of course, the tree is pretty tiny, and they take up most of it, but I like the look. I think I'll put some on my big tree in the house too.

Wouldn't they be cute with a few tiny shiny brites in the cage?

Since I have a few thousand of them to use….

For every before and after, there is an in between

celebrations, We're having a party, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / November 20, 2013

Saturday is my party!! I feel like a kid waiting for my birthday, I'm so excited. I sincerely enjoy throwing these little arty bashes, and when you add Christmassy decor to it, I'm plain old giddy about it.

My kits are together, but the room is still a mess. I've skipped over and tripped over piles of stuff to take a break from the boring part of getting ready to do some of the fun stuff, the foofing.

And when I say "tripping" I mean it. The room is a wreck. But- it is an organized mess. Those Trader Joes bags on the table? Each one is full of 20 kits for each of the ornaments we will be working on. It might look like chaos in here, but it's all coming together, and my stacks and piles have purpose. Soon, they'll be packed up and piled elsewhere, or used, or arranged, or something, and it will all be ready for company.

But I am not the type of person who can do all the grunt work at once. I need little pick me up, fun breaks. So, I'll trim ribbons, cut paper, and print images to pack up a kit, then I'll sneak over to hang a banner or pretty up a corner of the room.

The clutter will be cleared from the tables eventually, the dog pee pads will be picked up and tossed out, and the floor mopped, but having my pretties up on the walls around me as I do the drudgery part makes it more bearable.

Although, I might be sorry I am taking my time and preparing the room in the fun way instead of the practical way. Last night, the handle snapped off of my kitchen sink faucet!

No repairing, this needs replaced. Now, I'm off to Home Depot and have to clear the whole counter top and under the sink. A bit of a time suck, when I have a lot to do in the studio. I might have to be a firmer taskmaster to myself to get the room ready for Saturday.

On the other hand, it is nice to know that a lot of the pretty part is done and waiting for guests. I can always shove a bunch of stuff in the garage and the room will pull itself together quickly if need be.

Wish me luck….

Varieties of pretties

Dew Drop, jewelry, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / November 18, 2013

My son has been making these "alchemy" pendants with semi precious stones and other properties, and hopes to get an Etsy shop going soon for himself. They sold very well at the Renaissance Festival and have a lot of meaning behind them. He's versed in what crystal combos do, although I don't exactly understand, I enjoy seeing him being creative and leading his Zen lifestyle.

Plus, they are pretty. I do understand that aspect of them!

I do love me some pretty!

At Victorian Trading Company's outlet store in KC, I loaded up on it last week with Beth.

This velvet coat came home with me for less than half of the catalog price, plus came with a $20 gift certificate that I spent on a whole big pile of clearance items along with that apothecary jar in the previous picture.

See the skirt under the coat? It's not a skirt, it's a ruffle at the bottom. Kind of like a skirt dickie for a coat. I can feel dressed up even when I'm not. And I rarely am. I'm the type that wears slippers outside. But hey, don't these slippers look like boots? They are warm, cute and were only eight bucks at the outlet store.

Do you watch Big Bang Theory? I love those guys. And Wallowitz's colorful outfits, each with a dickie under his shirt. So I have been calling this my Wallowitz coat.

Part of my $20 gift rebate haul was a $3 card making kit, that Sugarwings went bonkers over. She made cards, slipped them into envelopes, and gave them to everyone. She was a regular, one person, Hallmark machine.

I also got a free, crystal wreath brooch, cup cake wrappers, a cute coffee mug, and way too much candy.

And all of it, pretty as can be, piled up on my dining table.

But the prettiest thing on the table?

Sugarwings decided to act out some sort of play going on in her imagination by crawling up on the table and swooning away till her prince charming came along. Of course, a Grammie will indulge such funny, foolishness instead of shooing her off the table.

Then again, Grammies are the type that like to indulge little fairy girls a lot. We bought some Crayola window markers that dry in a crystallized design and I let them draw all over my windows with them.

Author name: Karla Nathan