Karla Nathan – Page 273 – Karla's Cottage

Swept away by shades of pink!

Etsy Goodies, holiday decor, paintings, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / November 24, 2007

Thanks to everyone who came by yesterday and shopped or visited.

And thanks to Phyllis for hosting the craft fair. Easiest one I have ever done! No packing or hauling or setting up.

Friday’s craft fair items will be available for sale till Thursday the 29th. On Friday my studio sale starts and I will include what ever is left in that. The snowman and the top left ornament are sold

Here are the ornaments that remain from what I got painted yesterday. If you are interested, or need to see a closer picture, just leave a comment or email me. They are $10 (normally $15) each plus $5 shipping for the first, free shipping on all others, or on any included items, just not the albums. (The albums are too heavy to pack in the same box with the fragile balls)

Anything in my Etsy Shop can be combined with the shipping of the craft fair items too.

I didn’t go out in the crazy shopping frenzy the day after Thanksgiving, but I did go the day before to get new shower curtains so the bathroom would be all spruced up for my open house.

I had the floral curtains already, but a plain white shower curtain was under them. I bought a Simply Shabby Chic set of soft white cotton panels at Target and hung them instead. I even took down my clear plastic curtain that was underneath and gave it a good washing in hot water and bleach so I can see through it again. We have such hard water that those things cloud up fast.

I had to replace the curtain for the other bathroom too. I’d painted the ceiling in lavender and pink, and dripped onto the plain white curtain that had been hanging there.

Why don’t I know better? I should have taken it down first, but I get impatient and just want to start painting.

This faux finish is one of my favorites. I did it a while ago and am not tired of it yet. It started as a lilac ceiling and aqua walls. I blended in other pastel colors over these two and made gradual changes in the color as I went down from the ceiling to the floor.

It transitions from the purple to a green, with lots of blues and pinks in the middle.

That watercolor on top of the cabinet is one I did of Dahlia, my first Dorkie. She was such a lively dog, we still miss her. She was a great mom too and always had 7 puppies at a time. That is sure not typical for Yorkshire Terriers.

She was stolen from our yard, and was pregnant at the time. I felt like I’d had 8 dogs taken instead of one.

On a happier note- look what else I found—- A PINK vacuum cleaner!!!

It was only $18 too. Will it be any good? I don’t know, but it’s pink!

Craft Sale day, get out your list for Santa!

Etsy Goodies, holiday decor, jewelry, paintings, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / November 23, 2007

Phyllis is hosting an online craft fair today!

Here is my plan for the day:

I’m going to show a few photos of ornaments to start with and all are $10 each, a special price for Phyllis’s craft fair.( Plus shipping. )

Shipping for ornaments will be $5 for the first item, all others free.

I will be painting ornaments all day and will add them to this post as I finish them, or you can email special requests from me. check back later today for more to see!

All the ornaments can be personalized for free. Names and dates can be painted onto to the ball for you. Free personalization and custom order offer is good only Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th.

Sale prices and shipping specials are good all week

ROSE BUSH IN TERRA COTTA POT AND SNOWMAN SOLD

I make all of my earrings from vintage beads and findings.

The French hooks are always either sterling or 14ktgf.

For today, all these sparklies are SALE priced at $10 a pair, Shipping will be $3 or free with other purchases. GREEN EARRINGS TO THE RIGHT, BLUE EARRINGS SOLD

This vintage wallpaper star features old sheet music (a Christmas carol in green ink!) and an old millinery flower. (4 1/2 x 4")

$5 plus $2 shipping if alone (free shipping if included with another purchase) STAR SOLD

These sweet little peat pots are filled with glittered up vintage figures and millinery flowers and hung with old trim, then embellished with old buttons.

$4 each

plus $5 shipping (free shipping with other purchases)

6 PEAT POTS SOLD, BUT I HAVE a few more MORE email me if you are interested.

Also for sale today-

Any of the albums from this post: http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2007/11/twinkly-sparkly.html If you’d like to see more photos close up, please just ask.

These are prepurchased albums, that are made with really pretty papers inside. I have embellished them with vintagey goodness and lots of old wallpaper!THE PINK AND YELLOW ROSES ALBUM BEHIND THE BABY ONE IS SOLD

$35 each, plus shipping of $9

(I’m sorry, they can’t be shipped with the hand painted glass balls or the peat pot pretties, but anything else you purchase can be added to the box at no charge.

Hand painted charms with vintage beads are available today also.

$15 each, with $3 shipping

These can be shipped free with other purchases

BLUE BIRD SOLD

Thanks for shopping with me today, and make sure you check out the other locations that Phyllis will have listed. My friend, Beth, has some great stuff to check out too.

We all appreciate you buying HANDMADE!!

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving yesterday, like I did. We had a wonderful family day, and I didn’t have to cook it!! I made fudge (my specialty) and noodles, then brought the wine and pop. How easy is that????? A first for me, and I could easily make it a habit.

Aren’t Sugarwings and her Hippie Chick mom some of the prettiest things you’ve ever seen? My son is a lucky man to have them as his family. I’m thankful he has added them to our family.

OK, I am off to go paint ornaments. I’ll add some soon. This will be a loooong post.You’re used to that from me!

(Don’t forget about the party on the 12th.)

LATER: I have been painting a few ornaments in my breaks from making price tags for my upcoming sale here in the studio. Here are the newest, still wet ornaments.

Well, not the prettiest display to show them on, is it?

Upside down egg cartons work well for a drying rack .

I just painted 3 balls with butterflies and 7 mini ones with a tiny rose.

The small ones are only $5 each, but I’m afraid the same shipping applies.

But remember, the shipping is discounted with mulitple orders!

I’m off to paint more and will add them when they are done.

MORE!

Here are a few more ornaments. 3 rose topiaries and one rose bouquet.

What am I working on now? Cupcakes! But they are still wet and arent’ glittered yet.

UPDATE:

I’ve had a nice day. Made some pasta, watched some Tivo (30 Rock and House, not a bad way to spend an hour) and then painted a few more balls.

I’ve had some special orders to fill, which I enjoy, and got a few ornies painted for my gift shop this week.

All of these will be available until my gift shop opens on Friday. If you see one you need, let me know. I can do special orders on Saturday too, but after that, I won’t have time till my sale and open house are over.

Thanks, Phyllis, this was fun!

Twinkly, Sparkly Gifts and LOTS to be thankful for

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, holiday decor, how to's, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / November 21, 2007

Its not even Thanksgiving yet, and I am getting Christmas presents!

Earlier, a reader, Kathryn, played secret Santa and sent a box chocked full of goodness.

Now, my "brother from another mother" Barbara (we have the same birthday, plus a lot of other similarities) has sent these sweet silvery snowflakes to me.

With my dorkies’ names on them!!

I thought maybe they’d make great dog tags, but Twinkle didn’t agree and wouldn’t pose. Sparkle will do anything if I tell her she looks pretty. (a girl can get into trouble leading her life that way)

Thanks, Barb!!!

Another ‘kind of’ gift was some cards from Amy who through in a few extras with my order.

I can never get enough vintage cards.

The card addiction isn’t as strong as the wallpaper one, though. I’ve been battling the urge to buy more wallpaper, I wonder if there is a 12 step program for that?

But, I can rationalize my purchases of vintage paper, since I really do use it, and lots of it.

I covered these photo albums with some the other night.

I took new albums made with handmade papers, (on clearance from Tuesday Morning) and embellished the fronts of 8 of them.

At first, I was covering the backs too.

And inside the front covers.

Then, about midnight, when I did these two, I started only adding a tag to the inside cover.

And then, only a bow and some vintage posies.

But then, by 2am, they were only getting the fronts decorated!

They were made with such lovely papers to start with, that I think this is enough, my additions to these two were pretty ornate anyway. Or am I simply justifying my decision to go to bed instead of doing more to them??

These are laying on my faux brick floor in the studio. I painted the bricks with a kitchen sponge, torn to a brick shape (always tear sponges you paint with, it makes a more attractive edge).

I covered this table top with vintage wallpaper too.

It had bad veneer, cracking and peeling up. This isn’t a perfect fix, but makes it usable. After the glue dried, I put a coat of water based poly over it, so it should be durable.

I also sprayed all of the fronts and backs of the photo albums with poly to protect them. Of course, I did it AFTER I had added rhinestones and flowers, so had to cover those up. I’d say if you were doing this, spray BEFORE you doodad them up.

I will have these albums available for sale on Friday during Phyllis’ online craft sale.

I plan on working on some projects throughout the day and adding the pictures as I finish pieces. I’ll have special prices that day for people who want to shop at home for handmade pretties instead of fighting the crowds at the mall!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I know what I am thankful for.

I’m lucky enough to have great blessings in my life, and lots of love.

Life hasn’t been easy, getting to this point.But the struggles were all worth it.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Stairway to Heaven

Etsy Goodies, hand painted signs, how to's, parties

By Karla Nathan / November 19, 2007

Natasha is throwing a prom! I guess it is Spring in Australia, and the weather here today was downright Springy too, about 74!! A perfect evening for a magical night at the prom.

I thought I’d start with proms through out my life.

Here is my sister, Bobbie Sue, posing before she leaves for her prom.

That’s me, Karkie Jo Downey, the one missing a shoe. Next to my sister, is my god-mother, Bootie, the sweetest woman on the planet.

My mother made all of the clothes for us girls. I remember thinking that Bobbie’s dress was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

And it doesn’t look like I have changed much over the years, at least in attitude.

That is my mom behind me, does it look like I wear her out? Poor woman.

For some reason, we seemed to think it was more scenic outdoors for the pictures. Oh, yes, the outside of a trailer park is always such a pretty place!

That is my 1st car next to me, a 1963 Chevy Impala.

My mother made this dress too. I wanted something other than the pastels and frothy things everyone else was wearing that year. I drew what I wanted and she made it from the sketch.

Maybe she should have told me it was a bit naked for my age? Everyone else at the prom that night was ruffly and I was slinky.

She made a little lace jacket for the dress, so that covered me up a bit! But the lace emblem on the front of the halter? That was peek-a-boo, the satin was cut out and the lace was over the hole.

But hey, when you are trailer trash and are going to Ride the Stairway to Heaven (everyone’s prom theme that year) with the cutest boy in the school, you need to be a little sleazy, huh?

Didn’t work. He was voted Prom King, and he spent most of the evening dancing with the little blond cheerleader who was voted Queen. My heart was broken. (Did I mention that he drove a green MG convertable and his eyes were the same color as the car?????)

While I was looking through old photos to find the prom pics, I noticed one thing about myself. I have always loved roses! This dress that I wore for my senior picture is something I would wear today! (well if I still had a waist, that is). And both prom dresses had a little lace rose on the front.

I recently bought this pink dream of a dress, and have it as part of my set up for the upcoming sale in my studio.

If I don’t sell it, I think it will go into Sugarwings dress up clothes for tea parties with Grandmama Karkie. I used to love wearing my sister’s old prom dresses when I was little. I think my fairy grand baby will have a good time with the dress up clothes I am accumulating for her.

Thanks for the prom party, Natasha! It was fun taking a stroll up the memory lane stairway to heaven.

In honor of the prom party, I listed this ball gown on Etsy today.

I worked outside a while today too.

With the weather in the 70s, I couldn’t stay indoors, even though I have a ton to do before my open house and sale.

I cut branches from some fir and pine trees in the woods and wired them to this arch and over the front door of the house. When I was done, I was a bit like Chevy Chase in one of my all time favorite movies, Christmas Vacation, sap sticking to my fingers, and, then me sticking to everything I touched.

Then, I spray painted this sled white and set it out on the porch to sell at the open house. I hope to get more signs painted and use this as a display for them. I will also just pound nails into the siding and hang them all over the house.

Did I mention that I used to be trailer trash? I think I might still have that in me, a bit!

To fill an old basket, I decided to sparkle up some dried hydrangeas.

It was easy to do, (well, except for the wind blowing them. I had to hold on while spraying, but I was already sticky from the sap anyway)

First, I sprayed the blooms with clear poly, and sprinkled on glitter, then sprayed again to keep it in place.

Speaking of the open house, I need to get back to work on it. And don’t forget the Blog party on the 12th- "What do you LOVE about your Holiday Home?"

And don’t forget Phyllis’s craft fair next week too. I plan on making things all day and showing them on the blog as I finish and offering them for sale.

Have fun checking out the proms!

Not Bella-ed-Out Yet!

antiques/junking, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, holiday decor, I do tend to run on, don't I?, Silver Bella, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / November 18, 2007

Did you think I was all bella-out? Nope, here is more!

I was only in one organized swap, silly silly silly me.

Take my advice, if you go to Silver Bella, sign up for as many swaps as you can.

You would not believe some of the gorgeous creations that were given in trade!

I was lucky enough to get into a few side swaps to, besides my ATCs. Rebbecca, and Julie and …… and oh my, you know I am bad about this. All my notes and business cards are packed in the box with all the swaps and are all mixed up.

But that doesn’t mean I love all of them any less! I am going to add hangers and make ornaments for a special table top tree, all Silver Bella themed with the ATCs.

Thanks, Bella Buddies!

On the other hand, here is a mystery solved. Remember the beautiful box full of gifts I got in the mail and didn’t know where from, was afraid I’d forgotten a swap or a giveaway?

Well, the gifter wrote to tell me, that is what it was, a gift. How sweet and kind. She was trying to be a secret Santa, but didn’t want to worry me and make me rack my brain to figure out what I had forgotten!

Thanks, Kathryn!!!

My Silver Bella tiara found a home in the bathroom cabinet on the doll head I bought on the trip to Omaha.

We named the little dolly "Bella Donna"

On the shelf near Bella Donna sits my swapty gift from Dede, who by the way, said she wanted to be the "Blotto Bella" and was a blast the whole weekend.

She let me pick ornaments, and I chose "Naughty Bella"

Which is a good name for me since I was bringing a strange man into our room at 3 am.

Maybe I should tell the rest of that? My roomie, Beth, went to bed early and I stayed up late with my new Bella Buds, Carol, Heather, the other Karla (yep, there were two there), and Stacey. and we giggled like school girls till way too late in Heather’s room.

Did you know that if your key card is in your pocket with your cell phone, it loses its magnetic abilities to open doors? So I was locked out. The room was in Beth’s name. I couldn’t get a new key, but the manager said he’d let me in if I could describe the room and my luggage.

I told him he couldn’t wake up Beth, I was trying to sneak in! But it was the only way, he insisted.

So, I described my stuff as all the bags on the floor overflowing with purchases from Vendor Night, supplies for classes, all the stuff from the antique mall I’d gotten, and all the swaps, stacked and piled up on the floor from the TV cabinet to the front door, so that you could barely get in the room. He stepped inside, took one look and realized it had to be my room. Then, I promptly tripped over a paper bag and made a lot of noise, but Beth still slept through it.

I am continuing to burn the midnight oil getting ready for my sale in two weeks. I’ve been up till 4 am the last two nights.

I glittered all these Ballerinas that I bought at Vendor Night and added butterfly wings that I got there too.

They are hung on a Bethany Lowe tree I picked up on the trip.

Sometime around 2am I was making these cones. The base of them is a 90% off clearance Tussie Mussie that I ripped all the tacky things off of and embellished myself with vintagey stuff.

Most of the embellishments were from our trip too. Either leftovers from class, goodies from Vendor night, or from the shopping along the way. Beth was so nice to me on the shopping part of the trip. I don’t get out to junk as much as she does, so she was calling it my "Pity Trip" and giving me first choice on all the goods!

Look at the pretty ribbon on this one. it is from Rebecca’s class. Did she just get some old seam binding wet and crumple it, do you think?

Wish I could have gotten more than 3 of these cones for 50 cents each, they were great to work with.

One more purchase from our drive up to Omaha. I bought another Bethany Lowe tree for my living room.

I’m going with an all white theme, for Christmas in that room. Well ivory and cream really. Multi whites. I’ll show more during our

What do you LOVE about your holiday home? party

I’ve been so busy Bella-ing, redoing the blog (well Sadie Olive did all the actual work, but it took up a lot of my time too) and then getting ready for the upcoming sale at my home, I haven’t done much Etsy listing.

I did list this, the background is an invoice from Acme Coal Mining. I loved that 1917 paper! I wondered if Santa got his coal there.

I’m sure that is where Wiley Coyote and Bugs Bunny did, every exploding device or weird thing that they bought was from Acme.

(this sold to Louisa who had this wallpaper in her home growing up! I sent her all the scraps I had of it so she could make something too)

Now, I am going to be good, stop running on, and go list something else on Etsy. I am crazy about this old wallpaper too. I had made a banner from it also and that sold to Bethany. And that is all I had of this wallpaper. It is so rich and deluxe, but in small doses, I can’t quite picture it filling a room.

A whole new Me

give away, holiday decor, parties, Silver Bella, Sugarwings, swaps

By Karla Nathan / November 16, 2007

I am so thrilled with my new little home here! Sadie Olive Designs (Sara) has done such a beautiful job of using my original paintings in her design and making the blog still feel like "me" but be cleaned up and professionally designed.

Did you see how she turned my rose painting vertical and made it look like antique wallpaper???? I LOVE vintage wallpaper!!!

And I have my Sugarwings picture, roses, sparkling old rhinestones jewelry, scalloped old paper— it is all my favorite things!!! I don’t think there can be enough exclamation points to describe how happy I am!!!!!!

Plus, the poor woman was so patient and kind. I don’t think I was an easy job for her…….

I almost hate to write on this, it is so new and clean and pretty. Its a bit sad to start using it.

Kind of the way I felt after cleaning house for the photo shoot yesterday and had the house all perfectly sparkling and TIDY. Then, I heard that my son and Sugarwings were coming over. Now, I love them and loved having them here, but I knew that the small window of time that my house was clean was over.

And I was right. She did her best to wreck the place. And is really good at that. Toys, toys everywhere. Till she was worn out and fell asleep watching the Jay Hawks in her Pop Pop’s arms.

Yep, it looks ‘normal’ again. A big, ugly portable crib with a garage sale sticker on it, puppy chew toys and baby toys all over. The dog’s water dish spilled, ahhh, home sweet home.

My photo shoot went well. Or at least I think it did. I’ll have to see the program to know how much babbling and stuttering I did. This is the hostess, Lori Carson.

And this sweet guy, Neil, the co-producer/cameraman has offered to make a dvd copy for me that I can post on my blog!

I hope to have it pod casted by the "What do you LOVE about your Holiday Home" party!

(unless of course, I really sounded like an idiot, which I tend to do when I get on TV or the radio. I am a born babbler)

I still don’t have all my Silver Bella goodies out and unpacked! But here is a special pretty from Carol. She and I did a side swap. Ithink I got the good end of the deal on this one!

Carol made this little snow princess from an old watch box. I have it on my bathroom shelf and use it to put my rhinestone pin into when I unclasp it from my jacket.

This princess banner that is on Sugarwing’s doll house in the fabulous button that Sara made for our upcoming party, is also from Silver Bella.

I bought the banner at vendor night. It was done by Kathy and it is so cute and just perfect for the doll house!!

Speaking of parties, Natasha is having a PROM!!! I’m going.

And one more mystery to solve. A sweet and kind person, named Katherine, sent a goodie box to Sugarwings and I!! It included this pretty floral dish, old trims, ornaments, a cute ATC she made, a book for the baby, and this great doily.

I love it, but I don’t remember winning a giveaway. Isn’t that terrible? I know it isn’t either one of my holiday swaps. I enter every contest I see, they are always so generous and fun. But I don’t remember this one. And I don’t have a last name or a blog name with this gift so I can thank the person for the pretties.

Here is what I did with one of my Silver Bella projects. I hung the tussie mussie from a wall sconce.

I’ll be getting all the gifts, swaps, and purchases out soon, now that my photo shoot is done.

Although, I still have that sale to get ready for and it looks like I will have to clean my house all over again for the holiday tour! (I was smart and rolled up the newly washed rugs before someone could spill on them or twinkle could tinkle them up)

What do you LOVE about your HOLIDAY Home??

We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / November 15, 2007

Yep- it is time for another PARTY!

I had such fun with our last party, with everyone linking and showing what they love about their own homes (check it out here).

Many people told me that they enjoyed it too. And who doesn’t enjoy looking at all the holiday decor?

I have a feeling that there will be some spectacular displays of Holiday Glory out there in blogland! After seeing what Easter and Halloween had to offer, I am ready to be blown away by Christmas.

You can show anything you like. A whole room, a whole house, or just a close up of something special to you.

So, on Wednesday, December the 12th

If you have a blog: all you have to do is comment on my blog after you post your photos, and make sure I have your info.

I will link to your Holiday Home and we can all party hop from home to home and visit each other.

Please add the button, designed by the talented Sadie Olive, to your own site so everyone will know you are coming to the party and will meet you there!

If you don’t have a blog: please leave comments about what you LOVE about your own holiday home for others to read.

Just a Little Note about the Monthly Giveaway

give away

By Karla Nathan / November 15, 2007

I’d like to explain my monthly drawing to those who don’t know the rules yet.

Its easy! All you do is leave a comment.

Every month, I give a present to someone who left me a comment.

Leave your comment on any post- BUT NOT THIS ONE. This is just the explanation.

My gifts vary. I have tried to match the gift with the winner when I can. Other times, I will say in advance what I am offering that month.

If you are an artist or crafter, I have Cottage Collage Kits also, and that is always an option as a gift. Mention to me if you’d rather have vintage and cool goodies for your own craft, if you are a winner.

Every single comment counts and you can enter as often as you like.

I enjoy getting comments and try to answer each one or visit the commenter’s blog, but for some reason, sometimes the emails don’t go through. I think it is a Typepad issue. About 1 in 30 emails bounce back to me. If yours is one, I’m sorry.

Also, sometimes time doesn’t allow for me to answer all the comments. I definately read each one, and try to visit the commenter’s blog or else reply by email.

On the other hand, I do realize that some comments are just that, a comment or a statement abou the post. Not an ongoing conversation. And you are not expecting a return reply.

I appreciate the fact that you take the time to come and visit, and let me know you were here by leaving a comment. Its nice to know that there is someone on the other end of my endless ramblings!

Thanks for visiting!!

Part Three of Silver Bella, and my car still isn’t all unloaded yet, so I guess there is more to come!

antiques/junking, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Silver Bella, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / November 14, 2007

Ready for more project pictures? I am excited about this one from Charlotte Lyon’s class. It started out as a cereal box!

Since I don’t eat cereal, and Beth’s husband eats almost as much cereal as Jerry Seinfeld, she provided the boxes for both of us.

But what is exciting about this project is that Ms Lyons has a picture of it on her blog right now. (Beth’s too). Beth says that is like getting an "A" in class!

Country Living was there covering the event (to be published next fall) and photos were taken of my project. That sure would be cool, if mine made it into the magazine! They took tons of pictures, so chances are slim that mine made the cut.

Great supplies and papers were provided, but I chose to add my own embellishments, like the vintage velvet flowers and the hand drawn vines at the top, with glitter accents. And I am quite enamored with sheet music ruffles lately, so added one to the top.

In Rebbecca Sower‘s class, she provided bags full of goodies to foof up 6 wall hangings. I added my own ideas and pretties, but she had such a nice selection, I did use a lot of hers.

She made copies of old postcards for us to use, I loved that.

Out of the six provided, I only finished 3. I usually work fast and cockily brought side projects to do, thinking I’d zip through and be bored.

I learned quickly that these class projects didn’t go quickly.

On this Turn up the Twinkle (which I liked to call the Turnip class) I really really sucked. It was my first class there and my hopes of zipping through were dashed.

I didn’t even get this little so and so close to done.

I used the provided back ground paper from Melissa Frances. Our teacher, Caroline Peeler is a designer for them. Over that I used some wallpaper that I had brought with me.

The Country Living photographer also liked my hand painted craft bucket and borrowed it to take photos.

My sparkly "K" tag tied to the bucket was a gift from Holly and the apron was made by Beth. I thought I looked properly crafty for the weekend with my stylish supplies, I hope the editors at Country Living agree!

I guess we’ll see this time next year when the magazine is out. Better get your Silver Bella tickets early, because once that event gets a full spread in Country Living, we’ll never be able to get in, it already sells out quick!

I’m still not 100% unpacked from the trip yet. I did manage to pull out a few bags. And found things Beth bought, not me. Oops, the bags got switched.

But this purchase was definitely mine. I’m not sure what it is, I think old newsprint stamps for ads.

Back in the dark ages, before computers I used to do ads for the local JC Penny’s. Sometimes they would put a dress on special and not have a photo from the home office to use in the advertisements. So, they would call me to sketch it for them and my drawing would run in the Sunday paper. These metal plates remind me of those dresses, but I do think these are from an earlier date.

We found a new antique mall in Missouri on the way home from Omaha, and I bought enough old jewelry to last me a while, or at least until I come across another bargain jewelry find and buy it all out too.

This is just a handful of the 2 shopping bags FULL of sparklies that I bought.

The vintage bottle brush tree is a music box. It has little deer on its base, and the whole thing turns when it is wound up and the music plays. But I think it is from the island of misfit toys, because the deer face backwards when it turns.

I bought a few bottles to glue some of that old jewelry to. And an Eiffel tower. I wasn’t going to get one, but Heather Bullard insisted. And when THE Heather (as I call her) the West Coast style expert tells you to buy something, maybe you should listen!!

She also advised me to get a blog makeover and recommended Sadie Olive for the job. Sara, of Sadie Olive is ready to go and should have something done for the big "What do you LOVE about your Holiday Home?" virtual party on Wed. Dec. 12th.

So, I’ll have a decorated house and a decorated blog to show you!

(Heather has pink and white Eiffel towers on her blog right now, they are sweet.) I will paint and glitter mine up, as I was instructed to by my new style guru.

Friends that I met at Silver Bella, Carol and Jennifer also used Sara’s blog design service and have beautiful sites. Take a look and see. Oh, and so does Joy. All of them are so pretty. I’m excited about the new look!

I will try to unpack the rest of the loot from my weekend tomorrow. Today, we had a house guest. Sugarwings is spending the night.

Twinkle is always thrilled when the fairy grandbaby is here.

You know what happened next don’t you? It involved a lot of splashing and giggling and a very wet dog.

Silver Bella part 2 of MANY to come- you’ll have to stop me when you’ve had enough!

antiques/junking, give away, jewelry, Silver Bella, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / November 12, 2007

I still haven’t unloaded the car from my trip to Silver Bella, but at least all the glitter has been shaken from my suitcase and my clothes are put away.

I am the world’s biggest TV junky and had gone 4 days without. Last night was a pure veg out in front of the TV with Dexter and Larry David.

Today is a studio rearranging day that I can’t quite concentrate and work on.

So, I’ll take quick break from puttering and tell more about Silver Bella.

It was so fun to be able to deliver my October giveaway prize in person- wish that happened more often!

And yes, Jessi is as much fun in person as she seems to be on her blog. (And don’t forget, EVERY comment on my blog is an entry into the monthly drawing)

Here I am with Jessi, Natalie, and Jennifer, more of my blogger friends that I got to see in person.

I was all decked out in my Bella-wear. Tiara, crown shirt (blinged up), 2 vintage crown necklaces, official Silver Bella blinged up hoodie and toting an official Silver Bella tote.

I said that I if I were at Disney World, I’d be that person who was walking around dressed in Mickey Mouse wear from head to toe. I looked like the ultimate tourist/consumer who couldn’t say "no" to a souvenir! And who didn’t have the sense to not wear them all at once.

But the weekend wasn’t all play, there was WORK too. Well, that was more like play!

Each teacher prepared kits for us to make their projects. This one was Jenny and Aaron’s. They painted the scene, then copied it for us to reproduce ourselves.

It was a light hearted, fun kit to put to put together, and I was able to add my own touches, which all the teachers encouraged.

Here is a close up of mine, with a swirly snowy sky done with a ball point glue pen and clear glass glitter.

I also added a vintage reindeer brooch to mine, and switched the ruffle from the white crepe paper (I’m just not a fan of crepe paper) to old wallpaper that I brought along.

I also used a gelly roll stardust pen to outline the windows.

I tried to take a photo of each of my five projects next to the kit they were made from.

And here it is, in place hanging on the wall of Sugarwing’s room.

I liked it in there because it went well with my cottage print collection.

And of course, with the doll house too.

That is the only project I have unpacked so far. I am trying to get ready for the local TV show that is coming this week. The host will be here tomorrow for a pre-interview, and the shoot is Thursday.

Here is my roomie with her finished one too. She really wasn’t demented like the photo seems. She might have just been on glitter overload by then.

Oh, and here is one other thing that is unpacked, because it was in my suitcase not in the big shopping bags that have filled the back of my Scion. (or the Brave Little Toaster as Heather Bullard calls it after our antiquing trip to Brass Armadillo with one of our great teachers and a sweet lady, Jennifer. These rings (and a handful of others I HAD to buy) were black and dingy and over looked. I bought 8 for $7 each, all are vintage, most are sterling and one was 14 kt gold!

A few of us had some time to kill on Saturday afternoon, so drove the Brave Little Toaster (my family calls it the Refrigerator, but I guess it will answer to the name of any appliance) to Brass Armadillo, about 20 minutes from the hotel.

It was one of many highlights of my trip. Jennifer is fascinating and as down to earth and friendly as can be. Heather is hilarious and just too much fun. And of course, you know I love Beth.

And I was in on the birth of the next big design that will be sweeping the country. Jennifer found this vintage pillow and has plans to remake it in her Sis Boom fabrics and you know you will be buying one because it will be so cool.

I’ll have LOTS more of Bella stories, crafts and pictures if you aren’t tired of me going on about it yet.

In the meantime- don’t forget that I am having a virtual blog party on DEC. 12. It will be a Wednesday and we will all link and show each other what we LOVE about our HOLIDAY HOMES.

Author name: Karla Nathan