Karla Nathan – Page 179 – Karla's Cottage

Making a fairy doll from sticks

By Karla Nathan / May 28, 2012

School is out! And for the next few weeks, it looks like Sugarwings will be spending some time here with me while her parents work. We thought there would be an opening at her new school in June, but oops! I didn't follow up to double check before she lost her spot at the old school.

So, we are going to be doing lots of crafty things for at least 2 or 3 days each week while she is here with me. And I am hoping to take her to some gymnastic and dance classes, plus hire a tutor to work with her before Kindergarten starts in August.

This project was entirely her idea, not mine. Maybe I won't have to come up with plans, sounds like she could be in charge of that, not me.

She read in her story book about kids making a fairy doll, so she found sticks laying around that were the right sizes for a torso, arms and legs to make one herself.

I was in charge of hot glue and ribbon to attach all of the limbs, then she picked out scraps for me to glue around her fairy to make a dress.

We added wings from a hobby store butterfly, and she cut a Tinkerbell face out of her coloring book.

Next came lots of glitter.

And more glitter.

Then a bit more.

If you are looking for a good investment, buy stock in glitter. I see a huge jump in glitter consumption coming this summer.

It took quite a few applications of the coveted sparkly stuff till she was satisfied. She'd stop, hold it up, and study it for a while, then add more.

Yep, we are definitely related.

When the glitter level finally met her approval, she picked a petunia blossom to add for the dolly's hat and her new best friend was ready to play with.

Nests and fairies and birdies and peeps

bird song art event, Dew Drop, fairies, family, free images, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / May 26, 2012

While I was in CA, I celebrated my 54th birthday, and it was a joy to be with friends that day. A group of them took me out to lunch the day before, and Carol treated me to dinner that night.

My roomie, Lori, even brought me a sweet little gift in bed when I woke up on my birthday. Now, that is special treatment!!

Lori has some photos in Jenny Doh's new book, and one of them is of me! Well, part of me, at least.

As a thank you to my freinds for making my birthday so nice, I made up some wire nests (from my Twining and Twirling online workshop).

These are all on their way to my thoughtful buddies now. Just a token to thank them for the great weekend.

(I've added a few nests to my Boutique also)

While we are talking nests, I thought I'd show you my banner from the Birdsong swap I joined. I wish I could have been a part of all of them, but I was a little overwhelmed at the time. There were some really great swaps, I was impressed. And so glad that I was in this one! I usually try to join one swap whenever I go to an arty event, because I spend so much time oohing and ah-hing when I watch the trades getting opened and end up jealous over the beautiful loot everyone gets.

These letters were temporarily clipped to my curtain rod in the kitchen, but I kind of like them there, and they might hang out that way for a while.

This book is a Birdsong treat that I got from my friend, Tami.

Its more than perfect, because when I send messages to the Birdsong group, I call them my "peeps". Plus, I kind of like fairies a bit…

Its an adorable book, that Sugarwings and I fell in love with right away. Cute illustrations,and a fun little story filled with songs and poems and lots of fairies.

She has been entranced by it, and after I read it to her, she sat and looked at the book for over an hour.

And this is a kid that doesn't sit still much.

The peeps who came to Birdsong were overly generous! Very thoughtful gifts came our way, what a wonderful bonus on top of the great weekend of fun that I had with all the ladies.

I'll leave you with a scan of one of my favorite pages, and of the cover. Click to open in a larger size before you save them to your computer to print.

Time with Tiffanys

Uncategorized

By Karla Nathan / May 25, 2012

Thanks for all of your input about blogs. I don't want anyone to think I am contemplating quitting! No way. I'll still be typing away my ramblings long after people have stopped reading them, its become my diary of sorts.

Two art retreats I went to this year both had this topic come up and I hated to think that blogs were considered passe. I'm glad to hear from my friends that we don't agree with that sentiment! Yay, blogging!

Kim out did herself with her latest party. Oh my. That lady knows how to embellish every detail with sweetness and beauty!

Everywhere you looked there was something even prettier than what you'd just seen. An explosion of gorgeousness!

She plans down to the smallest detail and it all pays off in how smoothly her events run.

Yet, she is welcoming, friendly, and seems to be having a good time herself while she is at it. The perfect hostess!

I was thrilled to have my painting as a backdrop for photos by the Fancy Farmgirl, my pal, Tiffany.
(yes, I had trouble keeping my eyes open for photos, as always!)

So, I told everyone just to give up and photo-shop some googly eyes onto my lids. Picmonkey didn't have any, though. I subbed buttons. I think that works nicely. Especially since they are Tiffany Blue.

We all had fun posing for pictures, and I was glad that my roomie, Lori, convinced me to borrow her extra black dress. I'd only packed jeans to wear. After Birdsong, I was BEAT, and didn't really care what I packed. I was thinking comfy and relaxing. But it really was a formal affair for the first evening, and it was nice that Lori had something with her that she could talk me into wearing.

I had the wrong shoes, and hairy, pasty white legs, but I still felt festive.

Lori is a good friend, and was a fun roomie. She even brought a gift for me to open in bed when I woke up on Saturday, for my birthday!

It was the best birthday! A few of us rented a car and went downtown to shop in the garment district, and they all took me out for a special lunch.

One of my favorite parts of travelling is trying local restaurants, and this one was quite the treat. Really glam, I felt like I should be seeing movie stars around the room, but was having so much fun with my friends I forgot to look.

Lori and Andrea

Hitting the downtown wholesale areas was a good idea, all of us found some tidbits for our artwork.

I'll have some photos of the projects I made later. The classes were fun, I learned some interesting tricks and came home with completed items that I was happy with and am already using in my home. That is a plus! Not a single, "hmmm, what am I going to do with this thing?" piece.

I like them all.

Dear Kim surprised me with this Tiffany's box inside a Tiffany's box as a thank you for the banner I painted. Its a precious little thing, that will be a treasured memento of the weekend. Not that I need something to remember it by, It was a remarkable trip!

Thoughts on blogging

family, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 23, 2012

Lately, its been really hard for me to get back in the swing of things. I'm so out of my normal routine that I can't seem to find my way back into it.

Its been a LONG time since I've taken care of my Boutique, and that poor little neglected Etsy shop… the poor thing, it is just going to whither up and die if I don't add something soon.

For the whole month of April, I was working on getting things set up for Birdsong, then had the event itself and my double the fun vacation at Tiffany's then onto Disney with the grand fairy.

Since that, I've limped back into production slowly, and not so surely. My days have been more catch up than getting ahead. I'm happy to say that I finally made something new, at a fun craft day with Beth a few days ago, and I actually listed some supplies in the Boutique.

These are new buckles that I oxidized to create a vintage looking patina on.

I've done the same with some pink rhinestone chain.

And some aurora borealis chain too. Its not much, I really need to get photos of the piles of stuff waiting to be sold posted onto the site.

But honestly, I've been just puttering my way through the weeks, not getting a lot done. Mostly goofing off stuff, like I think I'm still on vacation. We've gone to the zoo, had tea parties, I've done yard work, edited trip pictures, messed around with rearranging the studio, wrote in my blog, visited friends, sat in the yard and watched the new chickens, just fun little things.

My blog is supposedly "work" for me. Its how I sell things. But, if I don't have things to sell, its not really working, its just hanging out!

Which brings me to this- my buddy, Carol, gave a talk at Tiffanys. She spoke about blogging, business, and related topics.

Here are some things that came up in the interesting discussion with the crowd. Is blogging dead? Do people even read them any more?

If you blog, should it be all business? Some thought posts should be direct and short, and stick to a subject. That people only cared about photos, or only about Pinterest, not blogs. But where do you get the photos for Pinterest if there are no blogs, I wonder?

Others said they hate blogs that try to push shopping on you. That they feel used if a blog is just used for self promotion.

The way I see it, if I don't use my blog to sell some stuff here and there, I have no excuse to keep one and will have to get a (god forbid) REAL job (gasp!).

Even though I show photos of whats new in the shop (when I get off my behind and add something to the shop, that is), I try not to cram it down the reader's throat. And its hard for me to stick to just business, although I think my family would prefer that I did. Or to keep it short and simple.

What do you look for in a blog?

Do you think blogs are on their way out?

How do you read them, if you do- Facebook, Googlereader?

Tea Party Time

Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / May 21, 2012

Sugarwings and I decided to throw a tea party. Laurie had given her some tiny cookie cutters and we wanted an excuse to bake!

I kept her home from PreK to bake treats, make sandwich roll ups, dips, and veggie trays then set the table pretty with me. We had a great time planning and preparing.

She also learns about counting from gathering the cups and saucers, as well as how to set the table. So I didn't feel too bad about her skipping school, we had lots of learning opportunities throughout the day.

She was so excited about the party, she changed her dress 4 times.

We'd invited about 20 people, but not all could make it. And some forgot to come, but I don't think my fairy girl even noticed, since she was face first into the sugar bowl most of the meal.

It was a special day for me with her, soon she'll be a kindergartner and I won't have the option to pull a skip day with her any more. But…. Dewdrop was sure into the tea party herself. I have a feeling that my party days are just beginning!

Welcoming the hens to their shabby chic chicken coop

Hens, kitties, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / May 19, 2012

The ladies seem to be adjusting to their new home and are happy to be here. They came from a larger group of chickens, and I think they will like their extra space and room to roam. Ariel appreciates the mirror.

They've been up on their perches too, and even like the chandeliers. I'll have to get a picture of them on one.

Sugarwings tends to think of the coop as her playhouse, but it hasn't been covered in poo yet.

Soon, it will be much less appealing to hang out in.

Ariel, Small World, Unicorn, and Mator don't use their nesting boxes yet, though. The eggs (yep, we already have egg production starting the first day!) are nested under the table holding the boxes instead of in them.

We started with 4 Rhode Island Reds, and have room for lots more, so will pick up a variety of different kinds of birds later on. We found these on Craigs List for six bucks a piece, and the farmer met us halfway from his place in the country to drop them off.

I'd really like to get some that lay those pretty blue/green eggs.

And I look forward to the time when I can let them have the whole yard to play in and find bugs. For now, they are penned in till they adjust.

The other animals will need some adjustment time too. Twinkle and the cats have been pacing along the fence trying to find thier way in to properly greet the new arrivals. I have a feeling that Twinks will need to be locked up whenever the ladies are having a promenade around the yard.

Or the birds won't be surviving very long. I'm not sure about the cats. Can a cat take out a hen? I know they want to.

We were told that our coop could hold 50 chickens comfortably, but we aren't interested in doing that. Maybe 10-12 at the most. I don't want so many that I can't get to know them!

Tiffany Blue

hand painted signs, Travel, We're having a party, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / May 17, 2012

The best part of going to these art events, like Tiffanys, is the people.

Great people, great friends. I might only see them randomly at various arty weekends, but we pick right up where we left off and continue the fun that started at the last party.

I've met some people who I consider very close friends, not just acquaintances or work friends at these places.

I have great memories of this latest trip, and many pretty pictures to show you. But since the people I meet there mean so much to me, this post has not come easy.

I share more than laughs with these ladies. I care about them. And I cherish our times together.

So I don't want to be flip and go on and on about how wonderful it all was.

Believe me, it was WONDERFUL, Kim is an over the top, talented hostess who attends to every detail. The teachers and classes were lovely. The decor amazing. The women were the best.

But there was also heart break this time.

My long time, Bella buddy lost her husband in an accident while we were there.

I'm glad she was surrounded by some of her closest friends when she got the news. The ladies she was with that day were good people who had sturdy shoulders to cry on, and strong hearts to offer support.

I do have more pictures to show you, and it was a lovely weekend. But my heart aches for her now.

She should be proud and thankful that the night before her husband's accident, she was saying very nice things about him and not complaining as many of us tend to do when we are idly talking about our husbands. Not a negative word left her mouth when she talked about the two of them restoring a cabin together and about his job as a fireman.

Lots of us might (me included) might throw in a snide or complaining comment about a husband's design choices, forgetfulness, or who knows what when talking about doing a project like that together or be crabby about the long hours he works at his job.

She spoke with pride about his work and with happiness talking about their project.

The minute I heard the news about her loss, I had to call my own loved one right away and tell him how much I appreciated him. You never know when it could be too late. Or when your last conversation about someone was not a flattering one.

Mother’s Day Chaos and Joy

holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / May 15, 2012

Mother's Day this year was not what I had planned. But some days just rolling with the changes and seeing what happens is the best way to go. You never know what little surprises await you.

We thought we'd do a girls day, the Hippie Chick, Gypsy and I. But nursing school finals were looming, the Gypsy was feeling ill, and KU graduation was going on, so between the KU crowds and Mother's Day, no tables were to be had at restaurants around Lawrence. So, I ran to the store to get dinner to cook at home, we tucked our Gypsy in on the sofa to rest, and we rolled with it.

My husband and Sugarwings mowed an "I heart MOM" into the grass and lined it with white flowers. When he called me outside to see their creation, I was in the middle of one of the many crisises of the day (spilled syrup in the fridge- into every drawer, with broken glass every where/ a whole set of tea cups knocked over and broken/ baby pee to steam clean out of the new mattress/ trying to create a spur of the moment meal for 8/ as well as a few more stressors along the way) and I maybe wasn't as impressed as I should have been.

For one thing, it said "mom", so I figured it was for Sugarwing's Mommy. He meant it for all the moms in the house, But I didn't realize that at the time. I said it was nice and the flowers were pretty and went back to my kitchen problems.

The day was not the Girl's Day Out that I had planned and there were lots of glitches throughout the afternoon. But I tell you what, it was still a beautiful day, somehow.

The hour cutting fruit and veggies at the sink with my son while we talked about nothing in particular
The early morning arrival of our new flock of chickens and watching the grand fairies play with them
All of us telling stories about our own moms over dinner
Seeing the happy faces of our grand daughter's moms, who we now consider our own daughters, as they opened the gifts we picked out for them
Looking around the room and feeling the love of this woven together group who became a family

All of those heart warming moments, as well as the chaotic, messy ones made the day memorable. And thinking about the trouble my husband went to, and the thoughtfulness of his mown message made me smile, and wish I'd acted a little more appreciative at the time when he showed it to me.

It really was a sweet thing to do.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Hens, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / May 13, 2012

When I got back from California, there was a delightful surprise waiting for me as a Mother's Day gift! Our Gypsy and Dewdrop completely cleaned up my studio and garage from the chaotic mess left behind from Birdsong!

She even took photos of them at work for me. And it looks like they turned the day into a party, drinking ginger ale from the plastic wine flutes I'd bought for the event.

Before I left on my trip, I was drained and exhausted from the prep and work, and excitement of Birdsong and I just wasn't up to cleaning up before my flight. Then, I was even more tired from a week of fun on the trip and dreaded facing the rooms as I'd left them.

It was the best gift ever to get home and see how thoughtful my girls are!! They cleaned, swept, and put all the furniture back in place. I don't know how the two of them managed to bring the big dining room table from the garage to the studio on their own.

Not only that, but she saved up some floor sweepings while she worked. Its funny because when Beth and I cleaned the room to get ready for Birdsong, Beth told me that there was enough detritus on the floor to make a whole project. And after the party, there was apparently even more.

Because that is just what our Beloved Gypsy did! She used the feathers, glitter, moss, ephemera, ribbons, lace and beads to create a wire wrapped fairy for me.

Now, that is a true souvenir of the weekend! And one of the sweetest Mother's Day Gifts ever.

But that isn't all, today is shaping up to be quite the Mom's Day. My family made an early morning run to a farm to buy us some hens! Yep, the ladies are finally here.

I'll have some photos of Ariel, Small World, Unicorn, and Mator soon. (guess who just got back from Disney and was full of great names for the new pets?) But for now, I'm off to enjoy my special day and hang out with my loved ones.

I hope that your day is a special one too.

Delightful Disneyland

Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 11, 2012

This little angel doesn't look exhausting, does she? Oh, but she kept us running!

She was worth the chase, and I loved our trip to Disneyland.

Especially since we went off season, and on a Monday. NO LINES. And I mean NONE.

We loved Ariel's ride so much that we just stayed on it and kept going round and round, we didn't even have to get off and get back in line. Because there were NO LINES! wow, I was happily surprised by that.

All of the characters we met were happy to see us and spent some time conversing. Alice really liked the white rabbits on Sugarwing's dress.

Before our trip, I bought a few cutey pie dresses on sale at TJMax for about $10 each, with some leggings and light sweaters for layering to keep up with weather changes. That was the right choice, and I thought she looked adorable. Even with the dresses pulled up over her head most of the time. At least they all had underskirts.

But the highlight of the park for our kiddo? Ariel, her hero. We made reservations at Ariel's Grotto for lunch, and the morning leading up to meeting the world's most wonderful princess was filled with anticipation.

Finally, lunch time came, after hours of Sugarwings telling us she was soooo hungry, trying to convince us that we should go straight to the restaurant at about 9am. And 9:15, 9:16, and so on.

Meeting her idol was everything she had hoped it would be.

And was followed by meeting a few of the "lesser" princesses, who while weren't as dreamily ideal as Ariel, were all beautiful and she was happy to meet them.

Our own princess was so exicted by Belle, that she did a twirl for her and whacked her elbow on the wall. Belle was kind enought to kiss her arm and make it feel better.

Cinderella sat down to chat.

Sugarwings didn't see any reason to let her lunch get cold just because royalty was visiting. She got a laugh from each princess who came by, just by being her own sweet, silly self.

She sure kept us entertained.

From her insistance that her Lego race car had to be the tallest one ever.

(even tho it would only roll a couple inches)

To her zest in chasing down every character that she saw. (Even though it was a bit like being outside with Twinkle when she sees a bunny and takes off. Zoom, she was GONE. )

Good thing the park wasn't crowded, and we could easily follow her.

And her joy in the small things, spot lights, statues, flowers, etc. This kid would have been fine not going on a single ride, she was happy with just poking around and looking at all the details. She played with this spot light on the carpet for about 30 minutes while her tired, old grandparents enjoyed the break and sat on a sofa in the air conditioning while clips from our favorite movies played on the giant screens.

I'd never been to Disneyland in CA before, and it won't be my last time. I enjoyed the small, compact size of it, and the fact that everything was in walking distance. No boat to the tram to get to the parking lot to drive to the hotel like you have to endure at the Florida park.

We could easily walk to the hotel mid-day to take a break and rest, then walk back later on for more fun.

We stayed at the original, recently remodelled, Disney hotel and it felt upscale and pampering.

I was also thrilled with the quality of the food. We had great meals Downtown Disney and in the parks too. We'd packed lots of organic, healthy snacks to carry with us, so bought very little in the way of junk. A couple little treats here and there, just because it was a vacation. But mostly, we sat down at good restaurants and ate grilled fish, or chicken, and lots of veggies.

By bringing our own snacks, we saved a lot of cash and could spend more at restaurants and eat much healthier. And it was nice to take the time to have a sit down dinner with a glass of wine after traipsing through the park all day.

Yep, it was all the best.

The only thing that could have made it better, would have been to have the rest of the family with us. I hope we can take them sometime, fun is best when shared.

Author name: Karla Nathan