antiques/junking – Page 12

Using the GOOD STUFF to make an Art Journal, and my Birdsong project

antiques/junking, bird song art event, Books, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / January 23, 2015

Beth and I finally had a chance last week to have a play date and exchange Christmas gifts. Here is what I made for her.

She is as much of a journal junkie as I am, so I figured I could indulge my own love of making books by creating this one for her.

I bought this little framed photo of best friends when I was at a flea market with Beth, so I thought it was fitting to add to the cover.

These laces are both cut from the curtains in my house. I have very old lace curtains at the window and they got a bit shredded on the ends from blowing around when the window was open, so I had to chop them a little shorter.

The interior of the book is lined with canvas drop cloth, and the pages are card stock.

The "latch" is cut from an old necklace.

The exterior is remnants from the slip cover I made for my couch.

This is my idea of "Using the Good Stuff". Although, to some people, the ingredients might sound like trash. Trimmed pieces of torn curtains? A broken necklace? Scraps from a slipcover?

What makes supplies "GOOD STUFF" isn't what you pay for them. It's an item with a lush feel, something special, or sentimental. Maybe something old that you found at a flea market. They can be one of a kind, or just your very favorite kind of thing.

Now, some GOOD STUFF, can certainly be brand new and from a hobby store, of course. It can be any supply that you just plain old adore.

My idea of using the GOOD STUFF, is delving into supplies that I really love and feel like they need a special project for.

And then NOT saving them for something special. Anything you use them on becomes special by using the best supplies. I feel like any project worth my time is worth my best goodies.

But when I am making something for someone extra special, I'll use a double dose of goodies for her. This book is loaded, layered, and piled up with pretties. I hope she enjoys using it, half as much as I enjoyed making it.

I have not yet got my prototype put together for Birdsong. But I do know what I am making. And I promise, the kit will be over flowing with GOOD STUFF!

Last year, I couldn't stop making books. And I am still loving the process and making more and more. So, I simply have to do a book for Birdsong 5. How could I not? I'm more than a little bit obsessed with art journals lately.

So, my 1st class will be creating a journal, and embellishing it with lace, rhinestones, and millinery flowers. We will make it from the ground up, step by step.

My 2nd class will be about filling the book up. I'll provide a big, ole, scrap pack of fun and inspiration,, along with guidance from myself, and tips from Beth about designing pages. You'll get two for one teachers for the second day, Beth and I will teach together!

It's wonderful to have such talented friends. Class project pictures from Lori and Andrea will be coming soon. I can't wait to see what they have designed for us to do.

If you'd like to come to our classes, we'd love to see you here. And I know that you will just love these talented friends of mine, too!!

Old Summit Antique Show

antiques/junking

By Karla Nathan / September 13, 2014

On Friday, I took a day off to go to KC and do some shopping, I mean, help Beth set up her booth at the Old Summit Antique show.

Her booth is always the best deal in town. Great stuff, great prices, all arranged in an attractive way.

She and I used to do shows together on a regular basis, plus shared booth spaces at the mall. I kind of miss foofing up a booth for a sale.

So, every once in a while she invites me along to play with the goods and lets me arrange some of it.

Of course, as fast as it was selling to other dealers (I told you, GREAT prices!) I said we could have just set some tubs on the curb for them to look through on their way in and we wouldn't even have had to unload it, let alone set it up.

But we have fun decorating the space, even if the goods sell so fast, it doesn't matter where we place it.

We tried numerous times to get a good photo of the two of us, but after about 20 of me with my eyes closed, we about gave up.

If you are in the KC area on Saturday the 13th, it's worth a trip to Lee Summit to check out the show. Beth still has a ton of wares, and the show is a high quality production. Mostly primitives, and a lot of seasonal goods too.

Hat Whispering in Kansas

antiques/junking, flowers

By Karla Nathan / September 4, 2014

At last week's flea mkt, I hit the jackpot on millinery blooms.

At a booth of mostly linens and doilies, Beth found a pile of flowers, and picked a few out. I nervously stood by, hoping there were be some left when she was done.

She had a handful, and I looked at her in disbelief and asked if that was all she wanted.

Yep, she was done.

You're sure, really sure?

Yep. She had enough.

Then, I dove in.

I don't have the control she does. I bought them ALL.

For THREE DOLLARS.

Yep, $3.

Seriously.

All were still in the original packages, so I had to hire a helper to get them all unwrapped. It was her idea to sort them by color too.

I found a few hats on our junkin trip, all under $5 each. Before I came across them, there was only two other floral hats I'd seen all day, and both were over $25, so I'd been worried that I'd lost my touch and wasn't going to score on millinery that day.

It was a relief to know that I had not yet bought out the last of the cheap hats in Kansas.

There was lots of shiny stuff there too. I bought a few giant bags of jewels to sort through, here are some of the keepers. There is another whole different kind of keeper pile, that my assistant found. She was happy to sort jewels with me and got some plastic beads and Easter bunny brooches to wear with her dress up clothes.

She also tried on a hat or two to see how they looked with a twirly skirt.

Pretty dang cute, if you ask me.

Sparks Flea market

antiques/junking

By Karla Nathan / September 2, 2014

Last week, Beth and I went to my favorite flea mkt. Years ago we never missed it, but in the last few, we've not had the best luck with timing or weather to get to it as much as we'd like.

The weather almost kept us away this time too. I guess the day before we went, it had been pretty stormy there.

The forecast for Thursday was rain early, then again after lunch, so we decided to get up there and try to time the trip for the window of clear sky that the weather man predicted.

I'm glad we arrived when we did. The air was still cool, and parking was decent. Shortly after we got there, newcomers had to park along the highway, way up the road. The normal spots in the fields were a sea of mud. We snagged one of the last close places available.

Which really wasn't all that big of a deal in the morning when we got there. With all the excitement of hitting the booths, we wouldn't have minded a trek from the car.

But as the morning wore on, and the Kansas humidity from all the storms mixed with the heat of the day as the sun started to beat down, we were thrilled to not have to hike to the car. We were starting to feel like this poor fellow and decided we had shopped enough.

He'd taken up the best shady spot around, so we decided to head out.

It's a unique place. You don't often see shoppers walking their goats in many other antique venues.

We were satisfied with our purchases for the morning and ready to go. With age comes wisdom, and we were old enough and smart enough to leave before the weather got to us.

Back in the day, we'd have stayed til everyone closed shop and we had no where left to shop, no matter how blisteringly hot the day was.

We had time for a nice, long lunch in an air conditioned restaurant on the way home. And a stop at a couple of antique malls too.

Air conditioned, of course.

I should go to more estate sales

antiques/junking

By Karla Nathan / August 19, 2014

I had such fun a couple weeks ago, going to estate sales with Beth and Karla.

Not only did I find piles and piles of great lace to use for the book covers I'm making for the Nature's Blessing Journal Swap, it was good to get out and visit with friends.

(by the way, the swap is open for sign ups until the end, Sept. 20th. As long as you have time to get them mailed on that date, feel free to join in)

We had one really good sale, which made up for so so ones. In the basement I found this ironstone teapot, and a ton of old tart tins, which I love working with.

Last year, I had a Christmas workshop in the studio where we made a selection of ornies for our trees, and the most popular turned out to be the little Tart Tin Trees. the extra kits sold out immediately in my Etsy shop.

This upcoming holiday season, I'd like to do a variation of this project and offer it again. And now I have twice the amount of tins as I did last year.

I think I'll incorporate some of these wonderful, old balls that I picked up at the sale too. Another lucky find on that great day out!

Maybe I'll see you at my home for a day of holiday crafting? Hope so!

KC’s Old West Bottoms newest addition- Welcome back, Curious Sofa!

antiques/junking

By Karla Nathan / August 4, 2014

One of my all time Heros Of Styling is once again back in the brick and mortar side of doing biz. Debbie Dusenberry of Curious Sofa has reopened in the Old West Bottoms in a shop called Top Hat Mercantile.

I've always loved her whites, well, everything about her sense of display and style.

The store shows her attention to detail, what interesting signage.

I was happy to see my friend, Joyce there too. Some of the most favorite things in my home came from her in the past.

Beth, the Other Karla, and I decided we needed a day out. Beth is an accomplished shopper, and is serious about it. She likes to scour out the items fresh to the market, mostly from estate sales and auctions to offer her customers, not just buy something in a mall that someone else has already found and resell that. So first, we went to some estate sales, and snatched up some cool loot.

After restocking her inventory at the early morning estate sales, we took off for the Old West Bottoms for social shopping once her working portion of the day was done.

Not that we didn't purchase items at the vast warehouse style malls that Kansas City has to offer now, but usually the kinds of things we find at those places are for personal use or supplies for projects. And there are such pretty booths to look at that, it is always an inspirational trip too.

Gwen's store, French by Design is a great example of something drool-worthy and inspiring.

She and her sis, just got a container shipped back from France and have a giant sized, second spot at Bottoms Up filled up with old world beauty.

I could have dug through her piles of vintage French magazines for most of the morning.

That is The Other Karla in the mirror.

We visited Sandee Millet too. Her rustic style and sunny smile always draws me into her booth.

Stopping to say hi to friends, makes the day trip even more fun.

Gilding, Frenchness, and fun

antiques/junking, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / May 15, 2014

Darling LA locals, hauled a group of us around before the Downton Affaire began.

Cheryl and Andrea were kind to take us to visit Gilding the Lily, and the owner even accommodated us with an extra hour of time before the store opened. (photo by Tiffany)

The jewelry making side of our group really loaded up. There are vast amounts of charms, beads, dangles and doodads there.

And it is a charming place to shop.

I loved the props used for display!

And of course, the items that were on display too. Who can resist shiny stones?

Or piles of paper?

After, we were invited to the French General for a cute make and take plus shopping and lunch. All elements, including scissors and glue were provided, but I couldn't help shopping in the ephemera stashes and buying some special paper to cover my own box.

Lunch was perfectly wonderful. Kale salad with chopped cabbage, dried fruit and nuts, along with sandwiches and ginger cookies.

There were sweet little embossed name tags for the luncheon, and my pal, Hope, known for her world class journalling skills, wrote karla on mine. Since my handwriting is so bad that when I wrote one, it looked like Harla instead. (by the way, this photo was edited to leave out the sagging neck)

Normally, I'd have just left the name tag as I'd written it and pretended my name was Harla, but Hope was hosting a travel journal make and take at the Downton party and I wanted the name tag for the book.

My friend, Sherry, gave me this bit of ephemera that she found at the French General, it is going in the travel journal too.

A lot of our trip was spent eating. Lunches, and dinners out, many, many, many treats. I loaded up on goods at Louie's to share with everyone, then we were served a ton more at the dessert buffet during our party.

Good friends, good treats, shopping, and projects. And everything around us was simply much prettier than real life.

Just when I thought the trip couldn't be more perfect, it was time to meet Sugarwings to go to Disneyland. Yep, it was a fantastic week. I'll have some pics of that trip too, but for now will leave you with some more scenes from Downton

(that is my vendor night, lace fanny pack. I guess I should have taken it off for pictures, huh?)

How nice!

antiques/junking

By Karla Nathan / May 4, 2014

My sweet friend, Angie, gave me the nicest birthday gifts before I went out of town! We'd been trying to get together for months and the timing was just not right. She had Christmas, Valentine, and birthday presents all in one giant bag of goodie heaven for me.

Including this lovely custom creation.

Lots of lovely thoughtfulness.

Thanks, Angie!!

Bottoms Up KC, MO

antiques/junking, bird song art event

By Karla Nathan / March 21, 2014

The first Friday of every month, the Old West Bottoms warehouse district in KC is a treasure trove of antique shops. It started out with just a couple, and over time has grown into a bustling district with more than you can even get to in one day. In nice weather, it's almost like a street fair, with sidewalks and empty lots full of flea mkt goods, and food trucks parked everywhere.

Gwen McClure is one of the reasons this whole area is such a big success. Her shop is Bottoms Up and is floor upon floor of high quality antiques.

I always enjoy her own spot there in the mall. She and her sister haul back cargo loads full of finds from France.

Of course, I'm drawn to the ephemera to use in my work.

When I was visiting with her, she offered to sponsor a giveaway for my Birdsong peeps who are coming in June.

She is going to give us a drawing prize of a $50 gift certificate good for shopping anywhere in the shop.

I'd probably be tempted to spend it all on these $3 bags of lace, myself. I can't wait to see what the winner picks out, I hope she brings it with her to Birdsong to show us her purchase.

I've set the date for our gathering so that anyone who wants to can shop in the West Bottoms on Friday before our weekend classes, so I'll be holding the drawing ahead of time and the winner can pick up her prize there.

THANKS, GWEN!!!!!

Sponsors who give us little prizes for the gift bags or something for the drawing will be added to the side bar of my blog until the next Birdsong. Plus, I'll show off your kind gift on my blog.

And you will make the Birdsong peeps very happy! If you want to be a sponsor, please email me at:

karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

There are so many shops in the district, that I haven't even seen them all. My friend, Lori, and I spent most of the day and saw about half.

Not all are open only on the First Friday, some are available every weekend.

(notice all the floral hats? I had a lucky hat day, and came home with SEVEN wonderfully, flowery ones!)

My friend, Sarah, has a booth at Restoration Emporium.

And Lesa Daily had a temp spot set up at Bottoms Up for Easter. She will be there first Friday of April too. Then back again for Halloween. I treated myself to one of her birdies, and chose one with pink polka dots. I loved the bunnies too, but I am very, very fond of her special birds. They have so much personality!

One thing I appreciate about the shopping is that if you need a piece of furniture, you can find almost anything, and often redone and ready to go. Much of it is painted, and in trendy tones. You also can get many crafty items that are well done and in good taste, done with vintage materials. There are great uses of salvaged goods, like this centerpiece too.

Plus, the antiques of course.

Prices run the gamut from one store, or booth to another, but I've usually filled a bag or two (and I am cheap). And a couple times, even a truck. Springtime there is a perfect time to find white wrought iron garden pieces.

An antique picture frame redo

antiques/junking, how-to projects

By Karla Nathan / March 14, 2014

A while back, I found the coolest old frame at a flea market. But it certainly needed a redo.

This is how it began. I liked that it wasn't perfect, was a bit beat up and looked its age, but the pictures sure weren't my style, and I like things much lighter.

I've done a lot of painting over the years, and have many how to's listed HERE. For different looks, you paint things in different ways. For this, I wanted it white, but not "clean" white. So, instead of priming, like I suggest in most of the tutorials, I lightly sanded it. When I coated it in white satin latex paint, some of the wood tones bled through.

If I had used a primer, I'd have lost a lot of the wood grain that I wanted to still see. This paint was pure white, but also because I didn't prime, the wood wasn't sealed. The natural oils of the old wood stain caused the paint to darken.

I did a purposely semi-sloppy paint job, didn't get all the edges, left the indentations in the trim dark. But I was careful to always make my brush strokes the same direction as the wood grain so it didn't look messy.

The frame sections weren't typical modern sizes, so I didn't have pictures that would fit without having mats cut to fill out the frames. And since I didn't want the formal look (and expense) of mats, I layered cut out pictures of my fairy grand daughters over sheet music.

This is not a technique I would try on something that was in heavy duty use, like a table top. Unless I applied a ton more elbow grease into the sanding. But for a decorative wall piece, the light bit of sanding was plenty.

Once I was done taking a picture of the pictures, the dorkies insisted that I photograph them. They patiently waited by the bench while I took the frame's picture, then jumped up for their turn as soon as I moved it.

How could I say no to them? Little hams!