Karla Nathan – Page 223 – Karla's Cottage

Party prep

antiques/junking, Books, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, I do tend to run on, don't I?, jewelry, the Boutique at Karla's Cottage, vintage paper/collage art, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / March 25, 2010

We are counting down the days till puppy time, poor Twinks looks about ready to pop! She still has some time to go, and it looks like she is going to spend those days resting.

The whole time I am in the studio, she curls up in this dog carrier/purse. She barely fits anymore, and I'd hate to have to sling it over my shoulder with her (and that tummy full of pups) in it at this point.

It was given to her when she was a puppy herself by a friend, and I used to carry her around in it. It has become her dog bed under my work table. Now that her birthing time is getting closer, she rarely leaves the bag.

Or maybe she just hides in it to escape the chaotic mess that my studio has become?? I feel like hiding when I look at it too. I have two craft days and an Easter Egg party coming up, one tomorrow, so I might need to rent a back hoe to clean this quickly.

Here is something I have learned about having a nice, big studio to work in.

THE MORE TABLES I SET UP, THE MORE STUFF I LEAVE OUT.

Its really sad, because I enjoy having a pretty place to work in, and I'd never let my house get to this point. My home always looks lived in, but not scary like the studio. I like things pretty and peaceful. But out here, things just pile, and pile, and pile. Till I force myself to do something about it.

I knew I'd let it go too far when Sugarwings lectured me about covering up her Play Doh table with packing materials. We talk a lot about her not messing with my stuff, and I was in the wrong to over flow into her area. And I sure heard about it too.

It may look like utter chaos, but there really is a working order to it… at least that is what I tell myself. I'm sure that is what all the people on "Hoarders" say to themselves too.

So, today, I've spent the morning clearing away the last of the Alice themed goods. I've listed the remaining 4 tag covers (I think I'd made about 100!) in the Boutique and all of the materials I used while working on the tags and books are stowed away.

Then, I finished up making Peat Pot Pretties with Charlotte fairies from all of those materials that were still out. I've listed these two and have a few more to photograph. Soon, I hope to gather up what I need to make up the kits that you have asked for to make your own. Maybe after I face the taxes….

There was a big pile of flea market finds that I was trying to get photographed and listed, and that is done now too.

The trouble with cleaning up, is that I can't just put things away. I have to finish up whatever I had them out for in the first place. And use up the scraps. So, of course, when I come across something like an old candy box that was torn, I had to make tags out of it. If I'd packed it away, then it would have just become clutter and would have looked like I was saving torn up trash. Then, I really would have felt like a Hoarder!

So, I made tags from the box. And took photos, and listed them. (I'm patting myself on the back big time over that) I used tidbits laying around on my desk. That is such a much more fun way to clean than to just pack it all away. Plus, its a challenge to limit myself to using what is on the desk, not getting anything new out.

And then, when I get to the place when there is not much left to use on the desk, I can get back to the rest of the clean up.

I'm kind of looking forward to it. I have all day and all night by myself, till as late as I'd like to stay out here and putter and clean. I'll watch the Idol results and Runway while I work and eat granola bars for dinner.

Although, so far, this season of each has been kind of blah to me… Still a fan, but just not as excited about either this time around. I'm still hanging on to LOST too, but I kind of feel like every time they give us one of the so called, promised "answers" its still a question. So, is Richard right, is the island Hell, or was that just his way of seeing it, because of his background??

And please remember, if you want a chance to win this month's giveaway- the shard and rose quartz pendant, you can leave a comment on any post, you don't have to go back to the one where I ann
ounced the MARCH GIVEAWAY.

Okay, back to work for me. But first a quick trip to the PO and the gym.

The Tiniest Dancers

antiques/junking, celebrations, fairies, family, parties, Sugarwings, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 23, 2010

When I found these teeny little ballerinas, I was just charmed by them. At barely an inch, they are just as dainty and sweet as can be. I didn't get many of them, just a few to add to the shop along with some of their big sisses, and a few for me to use too.

It was a girly day for the Boutique. I added fairies, ballerinas, Charlottes and Alices.

Don't you just love the badly painted faces of the OLD cake topper ballerinas? So ugly they are cute.

This shipment of Charlottes is of all eensy weensy little girls. Each is every bit as dainty as that tiny ballerina, at about 1 inch long.

I scrubbed at a couple to see if the dirt comes off, and most of it will. But I am leaving it on, in case the new owner likes "patina" as much as I do.

They are just so tiny and sweet.

Kind of like these two, the sweetest little dancers ever.

We had a little tea party so Pixie Pie and Sugarwings could open the gifts that were sent to them by Debra Ganas. They loved them!! Thanks, Debra!!

Sugarwings loves her cuddly dog. But I made a mistake in my Swap Book notes and only wrote down that there was a gift for Sugarwings next to the giver's name, not what it was, because it wasn't open at the time. So, I won't know what is from who!

How rude of me. I'm sorry.

She has a couple more to open, and tomorrow is my Sugarwings Day, so she and I will spend some time enjoying the thoughtfulness of the givers.

You know that feeling after a holiday, or big event when all of a sudden, its over and you wonder what you are going to do with your time? That is kind of how I am feeling right now, I miss the Alice Tag Book Swap!

So, today I made up a book of my own tags, plus a few kits if anyone would like to make a book.

What’s new?

antiques/junking, the Boutique at Karla's Cottage

By Karla Nathan / March 22, 2010

Enforced time off can be boring. I won't say that I am sick of TV, because I worship and adore TV, but I am sick of just sitting in front of the set. I like to work while the TV is on.

But- I'm glad I took the time off, my arm seems right back to normal and the pleurisy is gone. In my youth, as Sugarwings would say "long, long ago in a land far, far away", I would ignore any ache, pain, illness or problem. But I've learned over time, that just either makes it worse, or makes it last longer. So, now, even though I feel wimpy doing it, I go to the Dr. And I take time off.

Today felt great, back in the studio and office!! I spent a good part of the day taking photos of vintagey goodies and listing them in the Boutique and on Etsy.

My poor little Etsy shop has been seriously neglected. My goal has always been to keep 50 items in there (I gave up on 100 a LONG time ago). Uhm, its not even close to that. Heck, its not even close to 20.

But I tried. And I'll slog away at it and try to get it going again.

But the trouble is, when I go to list things, I start looking through stuff and playing with it and thinking about what I could be making with it…. Listing things is boring. I'd rather be using them for something!

But not nearly as boring as sitting in front of the TV for about a week. So, I'm happy to keep adding things. When I am done, my reward will be a day to sit and do nothing but make crap for hours and hours.

These old papers will be fun to work with! I bought a never used box full of vintage wrapping paper. Most is in the Boutique, but you know I had to keep some of it!

(the pink hand is not paper, of course, it is felt. And sweet, embroidered felt! A little glove bag that I listed too)

We still have melting snow here, its on its way out. There are robins all over the place, trying to find worms in the puddles of slush, so I guess it really is spring, or they wouldn't be here yet.

I'm not going to be fooled by the calendar, or the robins. Its not Spring until I can wash my car and the slush doesn't immediately turn it brown again.

Or at least not until I can put on my little Spring ruffled skirt and prance around outside with my parasol.

Well, maybe I'll settle for that car wash. Since my youth was left long, long ago, in a land far, far away and my figure was left back there with it.

(But isn't that great stitching on these little butts? I think these towels were really well done!)

The very last of the Alice tag books got mailed out today too. I figured that it was already 12 days past the deadline, all the ones that were coming must be in.

I wanted to show you some of the little details that were included in the packages sent in. It was such a joy to open each envelope and see what pretties were inside. Not only were the tags themselves just great, the wrappings and little extras here and there were just wonderful!

All the treats and tidbits and pretties were really appreciated and will be enjoyed! Thanks so much, everyone!

Confessions of a sloth

fairies, family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / March 21, 2010

Sloth-dom agrees with me. While off of work this week, I've read Edgar Sawtelle plus a few back issues of Newsweek, rented Precious and A Serious Man, went to see Alice, She'd out of my League, Green Zone, and Shutter Island. Not to mention every single episode of anything that was waiting for me on TV in the DVR.

A few years back, I had tendinitis and learned the hard way that if you don't let it heal up, it can go on for months. So, I stayed away from work all week and didn't pick up anything besides a remote control or a book. I'm surprised at how easy it was for me to get out of my work-a-holic habits and just relax. It might have had something to do with the pleurisy, that kind of made me feel run down and yucky too.

Since it was spring break for Sugarwings and her Daddy, I didn't get any fairy babysitting in, which was a good thing, since I couldn't really lift her with my old lady achiness going on. But I did get to spend a day with the two of them at Crown Center in Kansas City. There was a fairy tale village sponsored by Hallmark, and it was cute as can be. Sugarwings was in princess paradise.

The event is free and so well made! Plenty of interactive stuff too.

She got to pull Pinocchio's strings to make him dance. That was a nice change for her, usually its my strings that she pulls.

Yes, she has had a lot of practice tugging on my heart strings.

Thanks again for all of your messages and nice comments. I'm trying not to type much, so please don't think I'm rude for not responding. I've enjoyed reading them all.

And if you want to be entered to win the March giveaway of this rose quartz/china shard/vintage crystal pendant, please leave a comment. Although it sure doesn't feel like March. 8 inches of snow on the first official day of Spring???

Thanks!

fairies, Sugarwings, swaps

By Karla Nathan / March 19, 2010

Thanks for all of your well wishes. I tried to return a few emails, but the typing is making my arm ache. I am enjoying reading them, and hope to visit soon.

So, for a few days, I'm going to try to keep myself out of the studio and away from the keyboard. NOT EASY!

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the tag books they received, didn't people send in some beauties? OK, I'm off to rest up some more. Its kind of nice, lots of movies, TV, and Sugarwings! Not bad. But I do miss my studio and computer.

March giveaway does really exist and some Tag Book Tendinitis

celebrations, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, family, give away, jewelry, Sugarwings, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / March 17, 2010

Happy St Pats! There is a great parade downtown Lawrence, but I had to skip it today. Sugarwings went with the rest of the family and I stayed home to rest.

Remember the Frozen Charlotte flu that knocked me out of commission a couple of weeks ago? It turned into pleurisy. But on top of that, I seem to have some tendinitis in my left arm, from making over 70 tag books and typing out the labels. Funny, when you are over 50 and call the Dr. to say that your chest and left arm hurts, everyone starts to panic.

But, I knew it wasn't a heart attack, I could just tell. But my Dr. wouldn't see me to say what it was, I had to go to the ER. And since my stubborn, doctor's office hating, husband has high cholesterol issues and a family history of heart problems, I knew that if I refused to go in to get checked, he would use this as an excuse to not get checked himself if a future chest pain ever came up for him.

Since I KNEW it wasn't my heart, I finished all the tag books (from the tags that were already here, I am expecting a few more yet) and got them to the PO before I went to the ER. The pain had been around for more than 24 hours, I figured that if it was an emergency, I'd already have been dead.

So, the tags are in the mail, I am feeling better, but am supposed to rest up. I might take a couple of days off from typing, this hurts!

Sometimes it sucks to get old. Things hurt more. And linger longer.

Just ask poor old Bookie and Sparkle, they know how I feel. Those two hardly ever leave their pillow by the space heater. But I did coax them out to pose in their St Pats finery.

I'm going to take today and tomorrow off to get cozy and rest up while I recover from Frozen Charlotte Flu induced pleurisy and Tag Book Tendinitis. I've got some reading to do for book club and need to go see Alice in Wonderland.

Before I go, I wanted to show you the giveaway for March. Yep, its once again past mid-month by the time I remembered to announce my month long contest….

This is a china shard pendant that I've made from a vintage plate, a rose quartz cab, two rose quartz beads, and vintage crystals. This giveaway is retroactive, all comments all month, all posts go into the hat.

Now, back to my ibuprofen. I hope you all find a lucky four leaf clover and a pot of gold today!

Woodland magic

family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / March 16, 2010

My cottage sits on ten acres. Lots of trees, a few fields, and I70 as a border. A bit loud out in the woods this time of year with no leaves to muffle the sound of the traffic. But this time of year is wonderful for exploration, there is no poison ivy and its not over grown yet.

In the summer we keep trails mowed to walk on, and call it the Fairy Berry Trail because it is lined with mulberry trees. But right now, the whole area is open and ready to explore. Sugarwings can run through the "deep dark forest" as she calls it like a woodland sprite and hunt for fairies, dance on fallen logs, and climb fences.

For years we had horses and they grazed the woods, but now they are gone, and the fences are drooping, and wouldn't hold a horse in for long. They were never very good, we were constantly mending them.After we quit keeping horses, I felt like we weren't even using our space. We rarely went out into the woods.

But since Sugarwings has fallen in love with the area, and we mowed the trails for her, it has been a joy to rediscover our land. Even if that is only a small area of it. We don't cross the creek, there is a few more acres back there that we still don't get back to.

There are also a couple of large, unused fields of brome grass. But now we have found a use for some of that too! Our niece is bringing out a group of young couples from her church and starting a community garden!! I'm so excited to see some of our space going to a good use.

It thrills me to see my fairy grand baby grow up with a love of nature and the outdoors. We are hoping to expand the Fairy Berry Trail this summer for her so she will have a large woodland play ground to enjoy. I want to add swings, benches, someday a tree house or little cottage.

Although, are the additions more for me or for her? She's happy with a twig that becomes a magic wand and a short cedar tree that can become a giant birthday cake with one wave of that wand.

Drink Me

Books, magazine pictures or articles, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 14, 2010

There was another little glitch with the tag books. I think these bottles are too fragile just to tie on the books! So, I spent time wrapping each one up in bubble wrap, then in pretty paper. I'll slip them into the bubble mailers with the books, and I'm afraid all the swappers will need to tie them on their own books. Its just safer that way.

It has been such fun making the books! I made up most of them yesterday. Today and tomorrow is the packing and labeling. Trouble is, they are so pretty, that I have to stop and look at each one again and again as I wrap them. Of course no two are alike, that is what makes it so interesting. I just wish you could see all the books together.

Some of the tags still haven't arrived in the mail yet, so what I'll do is finish the ones that are here and the latecomers will all be swapped with each other.

So this first "wave" of books will be sent out tomorrow. More the next few days. I simply don't have the concentration level to do all the packing, then all the mailing, so I need to break it up. I'm doing about 20 packages at a time, then starting on the next 20. I'll get to the PO each day to drop off a boxful, instead of waiting till all are done.

Feel free to go ahead and post photos on your blog (plus flickr) if yours comes early! We all want to see the finished books.

As promised, here are a few photos of the house from the day Carol was here. Now, her pictures are top of the line, done with a camera that costs more than a whole roomful of my furniture (of course, everything I own is from garage sales, so lets make that a couple roomsful of furniture at least!)

These photos are from my camera, which I love to pieces, but it sure doesn't compare with hers.

They are for Somerset Home. Hopefully. I hate to jinx myself, because you never know with a magazine until the type is set!

For the shoot and for the baby shower we had last week, I "made" a new table cloth. There was so much going on in the table settings, that I wanted something a bit more toned down.

So, I cut a square of burlap a bit smaller than a vintage crocheted cloth that I usually use. No sewing, I just layered the two.First, I put the burlap in the dryer with a wet cloth and a fabric softener sheet, to take the stiffness out. All I had to do after that was pull a few threads to fringe the edges and layer the burlap over the lacy cloth.

We did photos in the living room, dining room, and kitchen, and I focused the story on using ephemera in your home.The article should be out in August.

But like I said, you never know until you see it in print if it is a go or not!! I've got a few articles dangling around out there still unpublished. One is of my bedroom and another was done at Christmas a few years back at a Victorian mansion. Maybe they'll turn up someday, maybe not.

Ooops, I lied. This little metal table is not 2nd hand! I got it at a garden center on 75% clearance at the end of the season.

Everything here but the Gothic arch window are from garage sales. The alabaster lamp was only a few bucks and the chairs were $100. The arch is from my favorite antique store Rusty Chandelier and was a major splurge at $150. More than I paid for the couch.

Another non junk store or garage sale purchase in the room is my TV cabinet. Sorry, no picture. It was a scratch and dent piece from a furniture store that I repainted once I got it home.So yes, Carol's camera is worth a lot more than this room full of furniture and the dining room as well (that table and chairs was $600 from a friend's consignment shop)

Twinkle was hilarious all day while Carol was there. That dog never gave up on posing as long as Carol had the camera out.

We humored her and took a few pictures of her. Carol has a good one on her blog now. You can see what I mean about how good her camera is! And not just the camera, she's got mad skills.

Charlotte the bunny fairy?

Books, fairies, swaps

By Karla Nathan / March 13, 2010

Today, I am sending out this little Peat Pot Pretty with a Charlotte fairy to Amy. If you've ever seen her blog, you know she LOVES bunnies. So, I made slip on bunny ears for the fairy to wear.

Thanks for all your purchases, I love making these guys, and have plans for some pots covered in rosy wallpaper too. I'll let you know when they are listed.

That is, after I finish these!! Isn't that a pretty pile? Suz sent the book, and I can't wait to read it. but first, I am organizing tags into piles that look nice together.

While putting them together, I try to chose tags that look good together, but are still a nice assortment. I do take the assembly seriously, its kind of like picking out wallpapers or millinery flowers to put together in packs, you want some coordination, but still variety.

And I did keep the notes about special instructions to follow too. I just can't promise that I will be able to keep all of that in my head too, but will try. Please forgive me if you get your own tag back and you didn't want one of them.

But honestly, all of the tags are SO stinkin cute, you will love your books, I'm sure!

If I have loaded this correctly, you should be able to click on the collage and see it larger.

Okay, back to work for me. I have tags to play with! I also need to add the "Drink Me" labels to the little bottles. I'm going to drop a heart shaped key in each bottle, there was a bit of a problem with the keys I ordered. Apparently, I'm not very bright when it comes to metric sizes. These keys are miniscule!! If I tied them to the package, they'd just be lost. I need to either glue them to the covers, or drop them in the bottles. They are cute, just way too small.

what a nice week

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, swaps

By Karla Nathan / March 12, 2010

Well, the parties are done, and today was back to work. I wish I could have had one more day to play! Between Carol here to do photos on Monday, and the surprise online shower for Andrea, then the Craft Day Tea Party Baby Shower for Shawn, its been a blast of a week.

Not to mention all the Alice tags filling my porch every day when the post man comes! Talk about fun!

I'm excited about them all arriving so that I can get them sorted, stacked and ready to build into books. Some people are running a bit late, so it will probably be Monday before I start in on them. I'm sorry that so many of you over-nighted tags to me, just to have them sit and wait here for other's tags to arrive! I wish that you had asked me before you paid so much extra for postage, I feel really bad. But I do appreciate your efforts.

Also, I figured that you were sending 480 tags to me, I'm adding 81 covers, plus my 6 tags too. That is 567 tags. So, please forgive me, if I can't follow your wishes to put certain tags together in books. Some have asked to get their own tag in a book, others say to make sure that they don't get their own tag back. I will TRY, but honestly, I'm just not that sharp. My skills will lie in putting tags together that look pretty in a book with each other. I might not be able to do that plus keep track of who gets which tag.

I'm really sorry, but I can promise you that ALL the tags that are coming in are cute as can be and you will like your book!

And I greatly appreciate the tidbits that have been included! Its really nice to get so many extra tags as gifts, they will make my own book really special. I'm overwhelmed with the generosity that's been rolling in. Lace from Debra, teacups, bowls, goodies, all sorts of pretties. I'd just admired this Alice collage on Sandy's blog, then was so surprised to see it arrive here at my cottage! Notice the cards painting the roses? What a cute touch.

This package came from Marian Ballog and I thought it was just about too pretty to open, but I'm glad I did- it contained the book in the previous photo, by Marian herself!

Thank you everyone, its all such a treat for me. And for little Miss Sugarwings too. She has a little pile of pressies to open. We will have a party and I'll get some pictures of her as she sees all of her goodies. Debra (who sent this beautiful lace panel) also sent some books for Sugarwings to share with Pixie Pie, so we'll invite her to the party too, and maybe make some fairies from a kit sent by Cindy.

Thank you everyone, once again, I have to say, I'm just BLOWN AWAY !

Since I can't start on assembling the books until the tags all arrive, I spent the day photographing and listing goods for the Boutique.

Yep, there are Heavenly Paper Packs FINALLY for sale. In the extra large size, 11×14" sheets of some of the prettiest papers ever.

And Millinery! In gorgeous springtime colors.

Also bits and pieces of jewels, and a sparkling bird in its flowery nest (first photo).

It feels good to get the shop stocked up a bit. Yes, its been a nice week. And tomorrow is a Sugarwings day, so the week just gets better and better.

Plus- my house is still clean from getting it ready for Monday's photo shoot! That is a miracle of some kind. I'm loving having a tidy home. Lets see, its been 4 days
now and things still look good? Yes, a miracle.

I'll have some photos of the shoot for you in the next few days, thanks for asking about them. Now, I'm off to wrap up some Peat Pots and wallpaper and millinery that I need to get in the mail.

There are 2 Fairy pots left, from the 12 I had for sale, if you want one, please email me. They are $25 plus postage, and are not listed in the shop.

Author name: Karla Nathan