antiques/junking – Page 2 – Karla's Cottage

Finalizing my new spot and finding joy in doing it

By Karla Nathan / February 3, 2025

My new space is done, inventory set up, and ready for this week’s sale at Good Juju.

The front portion of the booth is my jewelry boutique.

The very front entrance holds a jewelry shelf dedicated to Valentine’s Day.

Once you step into the main part of the space, there is an abundance of tributes to the holiday sprinkled about.

But the entry is mostly jewels. I set up a small table with Cheifs colored pieces since we are located in KC and the Super Bowl is this week. And to not be just an opportunist, I actually watched a game (for the first time). While I cannot call myself a football fan, I am a huge Kansas City fan, and love the way my adopted town’s citizens support it local teams, events, the city itself.

By the way, that might be the last game I watch. As a person who has had multiple concussions myself, watching the crashing bodies gives me the willies.

There is a row of gigantic metal poles down the aisle of Good Juju that support the high ceilings. I have one at the left side entrance in my area, and I refused to ignore it or treat it like a wasted space. Instead, I used magnets to wrap the top in vintage wallpaper and the bottom in silver velvet. Then I added more magnets with hooks and hung necklaces from them.

Eyesore into asset, with just a few magnets!

With the expanded dimensions I now have, I could bring in another full table of old earrings. And of course, if you layer upwards, you get even more display space.

I’m taking advantage of the extra wiggle room to bring in more handmade bits too.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite games was playing “store”. With this new, improved, larger spot, I actually feel like I’ve gotten past the make believe stage of my game and have a real, live store of my own. The walls we built and the spacious layout of the area combine to bring a more professional look to my junk and treasures.

Fingers crossed that my jump to a larger spot (and higher rent) pay off. Whether it improves my sales or not, it has brought me joy.

A good day out of the house and a FB snafu

antiques/junking

By Karla Nathan / January 25, 2025

Since all of the foundation work last fall, the holidays, then the huge job of switching booths, plus a blizzard and never ending, pipe freezing weather, I hadn’t gone shopping in months.

That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Most of us antique dealers are only in the biz to support our junking habits.

My town is a gold mine of garage sales in the summer and I stock up well then. But I missed the thrill of the hunt. With Rich out of town and Sugarwings at mama’s, I took a mini road trip and filled my car to the brim.

I adore this bargain priced chest of drawers as is, with a bit of clean up. I am torn, since I also love painting furniture. At Juju, these things do better natural, but my booth is mostly light. Although I do think contrast is nice and a dark piece can be a great background to show off lighter pieces.

I’m leaning toward a good clean up on the base, with a sanded down top and a clear coat I kinda like that idea. But you never know, it could still get a coat of paint if I can’t stop myself.

As much as I liked the dresser, I almost passed it up due to needing to replace the hardware. That could’ve cost me as much or probably more than the piece itself. Then I spied drawer pulls for 50 cents each.

Once I spent what felt like a huge chunk of my day out digging through this bottomless box of screws to find a dozen to fit, I almost gave up again.

I braved through the ordeal and started to load my new treasure up, and was pleasantly surprised when two workers took it off my hands and out to the car. It’s not often that stores will load furniture for you any more. It was my lucky day overall. A very old, very cool piece, 6 handles with a complete set of screws, and a car full off smalls. Plus two nice kids to carry the heavy thing.

A great day!

Ps- if you have depended on my links on the Karla’s Cottage FaceBook page to know when there was a new blog posting, gosh I am sorry. Yep, I’m still blogging, and yep, I’ve been linking on FB, both on my business and personal pages. But no posts on the business side are on there, since October!

Who knows why. And I hadn’t looked for the same reasons I hadn’t shopped. I have found a work around for future links, so you will find them there again. Thanks for your patience.

It isn’t taking long to fill up my new booth at Good Juju with my junk, you can’t even see the beautiful walls we built any more

antiques/junking, Good JuJu

By Karla Nathan / January 19, 2025

Well, I’m moving in!

The new space is approximately divided into two areas, the back is my regular stuff while the entrance is jewelry.

With a larger space, I realized I needed bigger furniture so it would feel more to scale. This cabinet had to be pilfered from my studio so I’d have a solid “anchor” piece in the back. The door was placed next to it for the same reason. I didn’t want to use too many white tables stacked up. That worked well in my half space, but a full booth required substance.

This felt like it gave the room more balance.

Small, white tables were definitely used a lot, they work great. But before I brought in the big cabinet, that section needed more umph.

I still need to get a clip light for that top shelf in the cabinet, then this side is ready to roll for First Friday weekend.

I love, love, love, love, love the pergola/entryway Rich built for the doorway leading to Beth’s space next door! So much so that I told myself I would leave it empty to show it off.

Hmm, it seems to have some things hanging on it. Oh well, I tried! At least it isn’t completely covered. You can still see the structure.

Not quite the entire front half is jewelry. One wall is still stuff. I think this area is complete too. I’m still working on the jewelry spaces and will show that later.

“IT’S SO FLUFFY I COULD DIE”- As Agnes says in Despicable Me

antiques/junking, Good JuJu

By Karla Nathan / January 14, 2025

Despite the harrowing cold, I bundled up, then we filled the truck with wood, paint, and power tools to overhaul bare two by fours into making my new booth feel cottagey and welcoming.

In a week, we faced two walls with tongue and groove. This one got distress painted.

This one was painted a soft, green/blue.
And columns were added as trim.

Two other walls were crafted from a rougher lumber, some with a live edge. I liked the look so much, I decided to leave them raw and natural.

One got an iron shelf and the second, a hand painted garland of roses.

We also hung clusters of chandeliers to block the sight of a big vent, added more lighting and some decorative pieces. I wrapped the giant metal pole in vintage wallpaper and crushed velvet, and will use it to display necklaces hung on magnets.

Oh! And look at this! I love this walkway to the next door neighbors! (Although from the look on that neighbor’s face, she seems a bit judgey)

Seriously, I love it all.

It was sooooooooo much work, but exhilarating to do, because I was extremely excited about how each area was turning out. I love every square foot of my new cottage at Juju. We had such lucky timing to be gifted truckloads of attractive lumber. Those various textures and sizes of boards add so much more character than the plywood we would’ve had to use without the freebies.

We worked so hard, that I wasn’t even cold. I actually pulled off a couple layers because I was getting overheated. The temperature inside the building is set just high enough to keep the pipes from freezing and it’s always chilly inside. I surprised myself by not even being bothered by it. The worst part was unloading the truck in icey snowdrifts. The outcome was worth the effort.

Much of it is more than I really needed to have done. But we had the week to do it, the free materials, and to me, having a wonderful back ground will bring joy to me every time I go into work. I’m already filling it up, and it hurts a little to cover up my pretty walls. Still, I’ll know they are there, peeping out from behind my piles of stuff, and it will make my heart happy,

A Christmas Collection Over the Years

antiques/junking, cottage, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 23, 2024

Yummy, huh?

Guncle Randy had a boxful of these vintage beauties and sold them to me for a sweet deal.

My plan, and it was a good one, was to keep a couple faves and sell the rest.

Oops!

Somehow they all landed on my own tree! Who could pick a favorite from them? Too pretty and full of vintagey goodness.

My home is filled with good intentions. This is a bench I paid my son to build for me, I painted it and planned to sell it. 20 years later, here it sits, still in the cottage. That banner was made to sell too, I kept it because I love the word, MERRY.

When I was first in the junking biz, there was a revolving door of inventory that I’d decorated with then sell and replace. Over time, I appear to have gathered bits and pieces that never leave. These mirrors, each with a rose theme, have found a home here and seem to be permanent.

There are some things that just seem to fit where placed and deserve to stay there. This cabinet is the perfect size for this wall.

As is the hutch that sits near it. But what about the holiday decor? As I was arranging Christmas decorations this year, I was pondering that.

What makes something “a keeper”? Often, it’s a gift, or from the past.

Other times it’s something I made at a friends’ gathering.

Or a project I made that no one bought. Same with inventory I bought to resell, and it just got overlooked and is still here.

Sometimes, there are special, family items, like these snowflakes my great aunt made.

There are even pieces I found in trash along the road, like this broken buggy.

All I know is that, whatever the origin, heirloom, trash, hand crafted, unsold inventory, gifts, all of it- when they come together to fill my home- it feels like Christmas.

Thanks to everyone who came to see me this weekend

antiques/junking, Good JuJu, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / November 4, 2024

We had an action packed weekend at Good Juju.

Although we were right on the tail end of Halloween, you’d never know that only the night before, trick-or-treaters are ghouls were roaming the streets.

On November 1st in the aisles of our store, it was full on Christmas time.

My booth was probably 60% handmade holiday decor, 35% vintage Christmas, and a mere 5% other stuff.

Now, don’t quote me on this numerical division, it’s just a guess. What I’m saying is, I doubled down hard on the holidays myself.

I love every moment of Christmas decorating and crafting, so am thrilled to have five days of holiday sales at the venue this season.

Not only our First Friday weekends in November and December but a bonus shopping day on Saturday the 23rd.

And you know me, I went all out, over producing since I was doing what I love.

So I will need that extra day to get rid of, I mean market, my inventory.

No worries about you coming to see us on the last date of our holiday sale and not finding anything. We are overstuffed, especially me. I still have a table filled with goods in my studio to bring in, and most likely will have so much extra that I’ll be packing it up for next year too.

That’s the nice thing about vintage goods, or arty goods made with vintage style and ingredients. There is no expiration date. A fifty year old item will just be even better fifty years from now, right?

An elf on steroids

antiques/junking, Good JuJu, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / November 1, 2024

It’s my favorite time of the year for creating! I’ve been whipping out tree after tree, angels, ornies, and more. Santa’s little helpers have nothing on me, I could out tinker them any day.

This season, I might’ve gone overboard…

But I kept thinking, okay that’s enough, but wait, just one more?

So of course, I’d make ten more.

Who am I kidding- I’d make twenty more!

How could I possibly let any dove go unglittered and crownless?

Or leave a stack of tulle in a pile when I knew it deserved to be a tree?

No old, broken dolls were going to the Island of Misfit Toys on my watch, they needed a do-over.

And wings!

Just because vintage satin balls were missing a way to be hung, didn’t mean they couldn’t be glued onto a wreath. Someone had to do it and that someone was me.

No candleholders were going to be left empty and bereft of use. They needed to be topped with sparkling trees and tiny deer.

Same with the boxfuls of lanterns I’d gathered at garage sales all summer. I was not going to let a single lantern go unlit. They were stuffed with twinkle lights, trees, deer, and any other glittery item I could shove inside.

See what I mean? I couldn’t stop. Luckily, our foundation is collapsing and we have a major reconstruction project to start today. That will finally stop my uncontrolled holiday crafting obsession.

More about that later. Ugh.

Come and see us at Good Juju for First Friday weekend today and tomorrow to see some of my creations. We also have a single bonus day to be open on the Saturday previous to Thanksgiving before our next First Friday weekend on 6-7.

A tub of treasure

antiques/junking, jewelry

By Karla Nathan / October 13, 2024

Jackpot!
At an estate sale, I bought tub of dirty, dusty jewelry, but could tell at a glance that it was worth washing. What I didn’t see was that it was vintage new stock, still in original packaging, never worn!

Some even had their display stand. I was thrilled with this find, but had some more complicated cleaning ahead of than I had planned. It was important to leave them on their cards, but most were paper and all were dirty. I gently cleaned each with a toothbrush, paper and all.

Some of the cards were a bit torn up, but most were in decent shape and looked great once I washed them.

In total, there were 155 old clip ons, maybe half of those are bead clusters. The other half are nicely varied. I also scored a couple dozen singles or broken bits to use in crafting. And a pile of eighties pieces that I personally don’t care for, but which might be to someone else's taste.

Here’s a bonus! Heavily tarnished, chunky silver pieces that have a nice glow once polished.

Overall, it was an exceptionally good garage sailing weekend. I tended to buy a lot of project pieces and filthy stuff, but all worth the effort. I’m not afraid of a little cleanup when it comes to bargains.

A Nightmare Before Christmas combo with a few turkeys thrown in

antiques/junking, Good JuJu, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / September 30, 2024

Yep, it’s that time again.

I am all set up and ready for First Friday Weekend in the Old West Bottoms of KC.

And for October, many dealers have taken on a range of holidays. We are still featuring Halloween, and autumn, and there is some Thanksgiving decor here and there too.

And for everyone who thinks it’s too early for Halloween, here’s a lil bit of Christmas for ya. It seems way too early for me too, but in the past couple of years, I did not get on board with early Yule tide wares and my October sales were lacking. I don’t know why I didn’t just go whole hog holiday, xmas is my absolute fave and I have a ton ready to go.

Fall is not my best theme, well excluding Halloween, that is

I love the Romantic Gothic, spooky stuff. So I have a combo booth with a different theme on each wall.

Plus my regular jewelry set up and some pretties to go along with that.

These are some of my witch’s brooms. I still have a big selection of those. Actually even though my Halloween sales last month were good, there is plenty left of it. I tend to go way over the top when creating for the seasons. In my mind, as I’m crafting and collecting, my booth must be full sized, not a tiny little half space.

It can look a little crowded, with so much inventory in an 8 1/2’ area. I’d love to have more space!

But knowing me, I’d just overcrowd that too.

Come and see us if you can, like I said, this month- there is a little bit of everything on top of our regular wares and vintage goods. Say hi and wish me a Merry Halloween if you come by.

Part Three of the Fall Display

antiques/junking, Good JuJu, Halloween treats

By Karla Nathan / September 4, 2024

Here is part three of my spooky corner at Good Juju, a little less scary than the creepy doll parts, skellies, and poison toadstools.

This side is full of sparkly crows wearing crowns.

And a few traditional fall colors.

Hmm, I think I forgot the price tag on this black metal planter. There are always a few things that slip through.

I brought in my hand painted clothing too.

And a couple of banners.

As always, it’s jammed in pretty tightly.

The entryway features my previously floral umbrellas and white wisteria. Both got spritzed with black spray paint and hung up high along with some witchy hats.

After it was done, I looked up at it and pondered what was missing. Then added a “haunted” sign to the Karla’s Cottage. It’s only on a piece of paper, and not quite where I wanted it, its as high as I could reach from my ladder.

But it made me smile..