Karla Nathan – Page 237 – Karla's Cottage

In the pastel forest

antiques/junking, Books, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, family, paintings

By Karla Nathan / October 22, 2009

Thanks for all your well wishes for poor little Bookie. His fever is
gone, and he is doing better. But I can tell that he is still feeling
bad, he follows me around and stares at me, like he is begging me to
help him. It just breaks my heart to see him in pain and confused about
what is going on with him.

My trees are coming along well. I have some of the actual vintage ones that I have dyed and glittered listed in my Boutique.

There weren't very many to list, because I was using them all up in my own projects! I've been decorating the trees themselves, and also using them on the Putz houses that I've been remodeling. But I've got lots more soaking in the bleach right now and will be dying them tomorrow.

Sugarwings has offered to help, so I'll be dying them in Kool Aid. I've never tried that but hear its wonderful to use.

There are a few more finished pastel trees in my Etsy shop, too. Not many until the fairy grand baby and I get that soaking sinkful finished. Hopefully, we'll do that tomorrow, because I need to RE-DO the glitter on my Grumpy Fairy books over the weekend!!

The printer made a mistake and the covers that I spent hours glittering were cut wrong. But I didn't cry. My lip might have trembled a bit, but I took a deep breath, and took the box of pages back and asked for a redo. I'll just need to set aside a few more hours to glitter these new covers. Oh well. That kind of mistake happens, I just have to deal with it and get glittering.

While waiting for the new book covers and for the dark trees to bleach out, I started planning my Silver Bella booth.

Next week, we are going to Florida to help clear out my Great Aunt Caroline's home, so I want to have everything done and ready before then. When I get back, I'll do price tags and pack it all up. I'm happier if any show I do is packed and ready at least a week before the event. It makes life so much more calm and enjoyable!

So, in the front half of my studio, I'm setting up a 10' x 10' booth to play dress up with my goods. We have a very small window of time to set up the booth on Vendor Night at Silver Bella, so I want to be as prepped as possible. No surprises, no problems, all planned ahead.

Plus, it would be hard to relax on my trip to Florida, if I was fretting about all the work I've left behind. And this is a special trip, Sugarwing's first time on an airplane!

We have a day to go to the beach in Jacksonville, then down to Orlando for a day at Sea World, and another day that we don't have plans for yet. We can't take her to Disney World… a long story that I'm sure you don't want to hear… If you've spent time in the Orlando area with a 3 year old, I'd love some tips on where to take her for that last free day.

Any ideas?

And please remember, that all comments go into the drawing for a copy of the Grumpy Fairy bedtime story book as the gift for the OCTOBER GIVEAWAY.

If it ever gets done and glittered, that is.

Tending to my Christmas tree farm

collections, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), holiday decor, redos, vintage paper/collage art, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / October 20, 2009

Progress is being made on the Christmas trees. All are bleached, dyed, and glittered, and a few are foofed.

This year, I am trying something new with the glitter. I used a high gloss poly spray to mist each tree, then rolled it in a snowy glitter. After that, I spritzed it with a spray can of silver glitter/poly, hoping that would seal it.

Now, some of the glitter always flakes off no matter how you put it on, so there will be some molting, but it seems to be working very well.

The cold weather snap is over and yesterday was beautifully fallish. I had the doors and windows open, and sat outside in the rocks to spray trees. Is it ironic that I was enjoying the warm weather so much that I started on a Christmas project?

While I was feeling the holiday spirit, I started on a few putz house remodeling projects too.

It involved repainting some of the more garish colors, adding wallpaper, glitter, fake snow, and some of my teeniest dyed trees. Also, some little vintage characters, snowmen and deer that I glittered up.

These houses are now ready to display as is, or for me to use on some ephemera covered boxes I want to get started on.

My table is looking like Santa's Workshop!

Of course, I don't have any of that cheap elf labor, its all me doing the glittering and gluing. The only helper I know that would work for candy canes is Sugarwings and she has a bit of a heavy hand with the glue… I've known her to use a half a bottle on one bird house, so I doubt if I'll let that little pixie be my assistant on this.

Beth did help me out, though, she GAVE me a lot of the boxes that I will be covering with ephemera and topping with houses, plus a ton of the old bead garlands!!

Normally, I collect those old mercury bead garlands all year at garage sales, flea markets, etc, but this year was a bit of a dud. Not much luck on the strings of beads, no matter where I looked. (at a decent price, at least)

There were some left from last year and I did buy 4 strands, but I go through quite a bit of them at the holidays. So, Beth was a great help, but then, she always is.

By the way, Beth is having a wallpaper giveaway, you should go visit her!

She is owed a lunch for her generosity, at least, huh? I think I need to treat her to our favorite place, Pei Wei, on Friday when we hang out together. She is always giving me the best stuff.

We are planning on estate sailing on Friday in Kansas City, then crafting at her house, but it all depends on how this little guy is doing. This is Bookie, you rarely see photos of him, because he is old and likes to spend his days sitting on the porch all alone, or laying on his pillow.

The poor little guy has been attacked, by something, I have no idea what, or when. He is such a loner in his old age, that some days, I hardly see him, he is like a shadow around the house. We have a doggie door and a fenced yard, so he comes and goes as he pleases. So, I'm not sure when he was hurt. I know he was fine on Saturday when I gave him a treat.

But on Monday, I noticed he was covered in blood and was ill!! I rushed him to the vet, and was told that something had bitten his head and that it was infected pretty bad. He had a fever, and his head was horribly swollen. He might have a broken leg too, but was in too bad of shape to be put under for an X-ray.

What could have done this to him?? A possum? A raccoon? Our mean farm cat? That cat hates Bookie, it could be. It has to be something that could get over the fence. It terrifies me to think that there is a creature out there on my property that is attacking my mild mannered, sweet, little, guy.

Piles of Pretties

Books, games, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / October 18, 2009

Thanks to everyone who has signed up for Artist Class using my code! I hope you enjoy all the tutorials, it looks like a good range of classes and lots of fun.

I've been working away on the Grumpy Fairy book.

The hardest part about glittering the book pages is simply space. The pages need to be seperated so they don't stick together, so I need to spread them all out. Funny, that even a large studio isn't big enough…. I have one table filled with jewelry making projects, one with book pages, two with pre-bella set up, and another with an assortment of odds and ends that I am working on.

So, I've moved into the kitchen and am filling all availalbe spaces there too! My kitchen cabinets are covered with hand dyed bottle brush trees and the dining room table has more book pages.

My little Sugarwings and I had a fun Girl's Night, and I had plenty of opportunites to be the wicked witch. Luckily I was wearing a hoodie, so I could pull up the hood, cackle and offer her an apple. She'd take a bite, fall over, and I'd have to quickly switch to a Dwarf's hat (a stocking cap) and cry that Snow White was asleep and wouldn't wake up. Miss Snow White would then lay still, looking beautiful, and trying not to giggle until her Prince Charming would kiss her face.

And who got to be Prince Charming? Twinkle. She was happy to lick Sugarwings face every time Snow White would lay down on the floor.

About 40 times. I think the movie was a hit with her. Usually, we play Wizard of Oz over and over. But now, my flying monkey arms might get a break for a while, maybe we'll play Snow White instead of Dorothy for a bit.

Back to my tables full of piles, and piles…..

Whisked away

Books, fairies, family, give away, paintings, parties, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / October 17, 2009

My Handsome Husband whisked me away to Chicago for the night to see our favorite musician, Lucinda Williams in concert!

Typically, I'm not a concert goer. Too bad, my husband loves them, and would really appreciate it if I'd go with him to more shows. But Lucinda is such a favorite of ours, and the setting was a more intimate club, not a big convention center or stadium. We had great seats, and she is so real and down to earth, I'd go to a lot more concerts if they were as nice as this. Not too loud, not too crowded, just right. Geez, do I sound like an old fuddy duddy? But, I've always been like this even in high school. I'm just not a concert person.

Even though the hall was all black and set up with typical stage lighting and paraphenelia, I had this pretty view above our table. The building used to be an old theater and they were smart enough to save the intricate plaster work on the ceiling when they remodeled it.

Before the concert, we went out to dinner at Art Smith's cozy little restaurant, Table 52. I'd seen him on Top Chef Masters, and if you've ever read my blog, you know what a tv junkie I am, so I was excited to go to a place I'd heard of on one of my regular programs. I was as excited as Sugarwings would have been if she'd gone to Arial's grotto for dinner.

And not only was it a lovely place to eat, the food was amazing. And I do like good food.

The next day, I flew home just in time to make it over to my friend, Angie's house to be a part of a surprise party for her. She had NO idea that we were all in her home waiting for her, it was so cute to see her reaction and to see all the love and caring that her family put into the planning.

See the painting behind us? She
got it at an estate sale, and took it to Antiques Roadshow. She was
told it is worth $8,000, not bad for a $30 estate sale piece, huh?

Why do I show bad photos of myself? Yes, I was pretty tired, (and look it, too) after two days of travel and being stuck in Chicago traffic, and waiting at the airport for hours on standby, trying to get back a bit early so I could be home for the surprise.

But honestly, NO ONE would look good next to Angie, she is such a beauty.

I guess you could say she is the fairest of them all.

Tonight, Sugarwings and I are having a girl's night. Its just the two of us and we are going to spend it watching Snow White and making caramel apples. She loves to act out her favorite parts of movies, so I bought her this gown to wear and I am prepared to be the wicked witch. I am always assigned the scary parts, the wicked witch, a flying monkey, or the big, bad wolf.

In the meantime, I have a few hours before she gets here for our Snow White Festival and will start assembling the Grumpy Fairy books. I'm extremely happy with the paper quality, and color. But am not so happy with the mountain of work ahead of me, binding them all myself.

Especially since I decided to hand glitter highlights on the pages. Stickles is a wonder product, and the sparkles won't rub or flake off like gluing down regular glitter, so I think this is the answer to getting Sugarwing's wings to look sugary and not having glitter all over the reader's hands.

I'll let you know if I ever get any ready to sell… I hope to have them in the Boutique in time for holiday shopping, and also have some to take to Silver Bella. But I will for sure have one ready to give away for the October Giveaway.

All comments all month count for the prize. (I do appreciate your comments!)

Spa Day for Dolly

Uncategorized

By Karla Nathan / October 16, 2009

As promised, here is the tutorial on dolly do-overs. Also, a reminder about the

October Giveaway of one of my GRUMPY FAIRY books.

I've figured
out the printing problems and will have some ready to sell soon. As
thanks for all your inquiries and interest (and patience!) I'll give
one away in October to a commenter.

Helpful tips:

Keep a baby wipe or Wet One handy to de-glue your mucky finger tips reguarly

To use the light bulb for ironing, you need at least a 60 watt bulb

Pull the dress tightly over the bulb and run it back and forth, go all the way around the skirt

You can use the light bulb for ironing ribbons or flowers too

Sometimes, you just need to dip your fingers in water and dampen a ribbon that is already tied to the doll, to pull on it and straighten it out.

Keep your embellishments in scale with the doll. No giant buttons or jewelry, they all need to be small bits.

Try to use items the same age as the doll. You don't want to add brand new embellishments to a vintage doll.

Don't be afraid to glue everything directly to the doll, her clothes don't need to come off to be washed or changed, so just glue everything permanently to her!

She doesn't have to be perfect. You want her to still look her age.

If her rubber band that holds her head and arms on is loose, just glue the body parts in place. She really doesn't use her arms, or turn her head and look around anyway. But do it after you fix her up, if the arms are glued solid, they might be in the way. Add them last.

PS- adding lots of flowers to her hair covers up any bald spots that couldn't be corrected!

Altered muffins/ altered dolls

collections, flowers, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / October 14, 2009

Today, I had a mini craft day with my friend, Angie. I'd made some muffins for us, and we talked for hours, while we worked. It sure brightened up our gray, cold, rainy afternoon!

I used a box mix for the treats, but changed it up a bit:

One box of cinnamon muffin mix

2 eggs

1-1/2 cup organic cinnamon applesauce

1 cup of dried mix fruits (blueberry, cranberry, cherry)

1 cup of roasted sunflower seeds

3/4 cup milled flax seed

Angie had brought some old French postcards, that we scanned, printed, and glued to some little wooden plaques that I spray painted cream. They have a touch of glitter to them too, but it doesn't show much in the photo.

And look at the vintage glitter that she gave to me!!! I love the can it comes in, too. She says she also has a giant vat of OLD german silver glitter that she will bring over next week. Can you hear me squealing with joy??

My job today was dollie do-overs.

(Isn't the lamp fab?)

Over the last couple of years, I have been collecting neglected, old, washed up beauties to rejuvenate.

Don't you think that the girl in the back probably resents the one in the front? If they were sisters, she'd be the big boned, "handsome" one who watched her flirty little sis attract all the men.

I really should have gotten a before pic of this bride. She was so spooky looking, that I was tempted to use her as a Halloween decoration as she was.

I did get a before of one of the pink dolls, and wrote up a step by step how to for the makeovers. I'll post that Friday if you are interested.

Also, geez, here it is mid October and I haven't announced the OCTOBER GIVEAWAY yet!!

Don't worry, I thought of something fun for you. Remember, all comments, all month count, there is always a monthly giveaway. I was just so busy with other stuff, I forgot. But I have it figured out, how about one of my GRUMPY FAIRY books?

I've figured out the printing problems and will have some ready to sell soon. As thanks for all your inquiries and interest (and patience!) I'll give one away in October to a commenter.

Hansel and Gretel

Uncategorized

By Karla Nathan / October 13, 2009

A big part of today was spent making kits, packs, and organizing. I sorted through tons of old papers to package up for Silver Bella Vendor Night, but I also made time to do some special orders of old wallpaper and assemble some other bits of ephemera for the Boutique while I was at it.

If you are doing Artist Class, I have added 4 kits with goodies to make your doll dresses extra special, including some nice flocked papers that would make lovely party dresses to hang on a Christmas tree.

There are also some regular wallpaper packs available.

This is my all time favorite border, I put a 12" strip of it in some of them.

My nephew is now stationed in Iraq, I can't help worrying about him and his sweet little family. His kids (who remind me of Hansel and Gretel- they both speak German as well as English) received these "Daddy" dolls with their father's photo on the face. Cute and comforting, but sure not a real daddy to hold.

Please keep him and the other soldiers in your thoughts and prayers.

And remember the redo I did on my husband's office? His new desk arrived and all is done now. I found one on sale, normally $1,400, now only $400. Now, personally, I'd have preferred a $30 one from a garage sale, but he is pickier than I am.

He didn't even notice that the desk was from the scratch and dent clearance area of the store. I figure that its going to get scratched up and look used once he gets to work at it, so why pay full price for a perfect one? And who pays $1,400 for a desk anyway??

He's enjoying the addition to the room. Now, the office part of his man cave juts back out of the rest of the space and leaves him plenty of room for lifting weights and watching golf on TV.

Ooops, gotta run, my son has finished dinner and has called me in to the dining room. On Sugarwing nights, we have family dinner hour where we all sit down together and talk about our days. I can't keep them waiting!

Artist Class Project

Uncategorized

By Karla Nathan / October 11, 2009

My project for Mary's

online tutorials, featuring 12 projects, daily posted tips and tricks, called Artist Class

is done and ready to go!

I've made a paper doll, and include scanned ephemera, patterns for a sun dress, a school dress with apron, and a party frock with tips and instructions for making the garments.

If you sign up for Artist Class and use MY $10 Discount Code: Karlascottage

I will enter you into a drawing to win the original doll I drew for the tutorial.

Plus for every 10 people who sign up using the Karlascottage code, I will give away one ephemera pack full of tid bits to make your doll dress cute as a bug.

Its a good feeling to have the Artist Class project done and ready to roll. I enjoyed the little break from my Sliver Bella and Miss Frenchie prepping to play with paper dolls.

But now, back to work, I've been tagging the earrings I made last week and hanging them in this old trunk.

If all goes as planned, these teeny clothespins will hold the earring cards on the wire. So that when I get to the show, all I have to do, is open the trunk and set it on the table. Of course, there is always the huge possibility of all of the earrings being strewn from one end of the truck to the other and jumbled up when I open it. I'll have my fingers crossed.

It hasn't been all work around here. I hit a gold mine of a garage sale this weekend and found my hat whispering skills in full force. In such fine shape that I got a head vase wearing a hat and a cool old picture of a lady in a hat too.

Over at Nice and Easy Antiques

There is a Junking Monday show and tell, that I thought I'd join, since I had a great haul over the weekend! Check it out for more great finds in blogland.

How wonderful are these??????

I am always ruthless about ripping the flowers off and gluing them to anything I can get my hands on, but I'm wavering on these beauties.

Its like a whole English country garden on one head.

I found a giant scrapbook of vintage holiday cards, some are pretty pastels, but most feature lots of red and green. I plan on taking this to Silver Bella and selling the pages full of cards individually. People can look through the book and tear out the pages that interest them.

Speaking of hats, isn't this sweet? If you'd like to save and print it to use in your own projects, please feel free. I'd love to see what you make with her.

This old ring binder was from a garage sale too. I couldn't wait to start gaudy-ing it up. The gaudier the better, of course!

In the Sunflower Fairy House

family, flowers, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / October 8, 2009

Thanks for your interest in Mary's

Artist Class, I'm looking forward to not only my part in the class, but doing the projects that others will be teaching too. Not all the projects are listed yet, but she is planning 12, plus daily tips, tricks, and techniques.

Here is the $10 discount code that you can use to sign up for ALL TWELVE of the offered classes, plus be included in all of the prize drawings I will have to offer.

karlascottage

Thanks for using my code for if you sign up!

Personally, I am way beyond swamped right now, getting ready for Silver Bella, but I plan on catching up with all the Artist Class projects after the holidays. That is the joy of having an online class, I can look through them all in my jammies, late at night, whenever I get a chance to, not on someone else's schedule.

Of course, knowing me, I won't wait. I spend way too much time on the computer and will be too curious and excited about it all to wait "until I have time". Because "until I have time" is kind of like saying "once upon a time, in a land far, far away".

It is FICTIONAL. I never have time!! And never will have time to do what I want, but heck, I just do it anyway and it all works out somehow.

Of course, there is always time for Sugarwings! But then, she might be the reason why I don't seem to have as much time for other things…

When I drive her out to school, I love to linger and look around. The gardens and the play yard are so creative and fun! They grow food and flowers for the local farmers market and the huge (organic) garden is the first thing you see when you get out of your car.

As the looming sunflowers died out for the year, they were bundled up into a tee pee for the kids to play in, and Sugarwings calls it her fairy house.

And this thatched roof play house makes me feel like I am on Gilligan's Island. Or Survivor. Which is on tonight, and I have my fingers crossed that the evil troll man goes home.

How is that for a jungle gym? It makes me want to climb and play on it! I love that this school is against big plastic junk toys. They focus on all natural materials and lots of imagination.

She loves her school, and as much as I miss her during the day, I know this is a good place for her. Plus, I'm enjoying the short drive out to the countryside to get her there and back, its a reminder to me to stop and appreciate my surroundings and realize how lucky I am to live in such a pretty area.

And of course, I always know how lucky I am to have this pretty baby in my life.

Paper Dolls and other fun projects! Sign up to play along!!

vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / October 7, 2009

My pal, Mary, is hosting online tutorials that she is calling "Artist Class". If you sign up for her program, you get lots for your money, classes from a selection of artists, tips, tricks, photos, videos, downloads, patterns, on and on!

I'm lucky to be included in her group of teachers! My project isn't ready yet, to show you exactly what it will be, but you might be able to tell, that it will be paper doll dresses.

You can go to Mary's blog for details, but PLEASE use my code to sign up!!

karlascottage

(It has to be all one word, too.)

With my code, you get a $10 discount and I get paid per student!!

She will have lots of artists and all are doing something different.

Because I am going to keep track of "my students" and have special prizes and drawings for supply packs.

What will I have to offer for the lessons?

1. Detailed, step by step instructions with photos

2. Patterns of dresses to print and cut out

3. Vintage wallpaper scans for you to print and cut out to use for your dresses

4. One hand drawn paper doll, scanned for you to print

What are the prizes I am offering for those of you who sign up using my $10 discount code karlascottage?

1. Drawings for vintage paper packs and supplies to use for making the paper doll dresses. I will offer one pack per 10 people who sign up for Mary's classes who use MY $10 Discount Code karlascottage.

So, if 50 people sign up, I will give away 5 gift packs of ephemera. If only 2 people sign up, I'll give out one ephemera pack. But I really hope we get a big bunch!! I have plenty of old wallpaper, and am happy to share!

2. One drawing from the whole group of students who sign up using my $10 Discount Code karlascottage for the original hand drawn paper doll that I use to create the patterns.

I hope you will sign up and play along with me!

(Please note, that these dresses posted today, are examples of past dresses I have made, not the ones that I will be teaching you.) And thank you so much for using my $10 Discount Code karlascottage to join in!

Author name: Karla Nathan