antiques/junking – Page 28

Pretty packages and hand dyed feet

antiques/junking, Etsy Goodies, fairies, paintings

By Karla Nathan / June 22, 2008

My little fairy dolls are flying out of here! I will miss them, but I just bought a big bag full of Nancy Anns that have fairy wings in their future!

One thing that is fun for me about my Etsy shop is wrapping up the purchases. I try to put some time and creativity into each package.

This little sprite is going out in a tulle bag topped off with a hand dyed vintage rose.

I’d bought a hat filled with yellow roses, which aren’t my fave, so I thought I’d try getting them wet and spritzing them with dye to see how it turned out. I’m pretty happy with the results.

Whille I had the dye out, I thought I’d try it out on these shoes.

I found them at a garage sale for 50 cents yesterday. My feet are so fat it is hard to find shoes and I love to find some already broken in!! These were comfy as can be, but an ugly orange. I thought I’d be happy wearing them around the studio, but then decided to try the dye on them.

The dye has some gold sparkle to it, very shiny and glinty in the sunlight! I added some more glitz with a few charms, and now I think these might be my vacation sandals for my trip to Florida this week to see my Aunt Caroline and take her the big old bag of 100 (plus!) cards.

Will my feet turn colors from the dye? Maybe….

One of last week’s garage sailing purchases was a stack of folders for 5 cents each. They are perfect for packaging my Cottage Collage Kits on Etsy.

Also, I think that the person who buys the papers will be happy to receive a storage folder for them, as a surprise.

Although it looks like I am finding plenty of goodies on garage sailing days, I feel like I am losing my mojo.

Besides toys, and clothes for Sugarwings, I am finding very little lately compared to my past shopping. Maybe I am more selective?

I do like this 25 cent chandelier drop bowl. Its not old, but has the ‘look’ anyway.

And I can’t wait to serve something tasty from the $1 green compote at my next tea party!

This compote is a pretty one too, I paid a bit more for it, not typical of me, it was $4.

The cute kitschy kitchen utensils will be included in my June Garage Sailing Giveaways Prize pack. They will look pretty with the green and white theme I have going on in the gifts.

I am still receiving cards for Aunt Caroline’s 100th birthday. This one is from Kathy at Kathyscottage.blogspot.com, how cute!!

Hopefully ALL the cards are photographed and loaded on Flickr. I chose a diefferent vintage wallpaper background for each card, to set them off.

I would hate to leave any out, they are so thoughtful and unique!!

If you sent a card, please check out the Flickr site and add any comment to your card, more info, such as blog address, home state or country, or anything at all will be appreciated. Also, some have no names, so if you see one that doesn’t and know whose it is, or if it is yours, please do leave a comment under the photo on Flickr and let everyone know!

Another fun thing to look at is a doll gallery that Bethany is hosting on the 25th. I entered this one, oh, and she is for sale, of course! $15 if you are interested.

She is painted with crackle paint, and decked out in vintage wallpaper, flowers, rhinestones and ribbons, with fairy wings sprouting on her back.

I think I am about caught up on things I need to do before my trip. This week I:

painted a pole on a business downtown

listed things on Etsy

photographed and posted over 100 cards on flickr

repainted my bedroom and rearranged my living and dining room

bought new shorts to wear to FL (ugh, not fun, after 50 years old)

I still have to paint two shutters, go through a HUGE stack of bills, and pack.

I should have done some of that earlier, since Sugarwings will be staying with me tonight. Oops. I’m sure she’d love to help paint those shutters!

The store owner was happy with her pole. She had at first wanted red flowers, but I tried that and from across the street they looked like blobs. The flowers needed more depth and red is hard to get that with. So, I changed them to shades of pink with red centers, which stands out nice on the color she chose for the background.

I used lots of blue undertones in the leaves so they would pop against the peachy color. Contrast is important with big, outdoor art projects. I feel so good about getting all this done before my trip, it is a relief to have those cards on the site, they are so precious, I want everyone to see them!

I won’t be able to mail any more packages after Monday, till next week when I get back, but there are a couple of dolls still on Etsy if you are interested.

Using what you have

antiques/junking, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, give away, magazine pictures or articles, redos

By Karla Nathan / June 20, 2008

ur Those two talented sisses are asking us to show our mantels. Well, that is right up my alley right now, and I am so happy with my bedroom do over that I’d love to show my mantel again.

I usually don’t keep anything on it, just the mirror above it, and sometimes a stack of books or magazines.

I promised to show some other corners of my room, here is the doorway. Well, I guess that is pretty self explanatory, sorry.

See the pretty alarm clock? A gift from Beth, that was so pretty, I just had to paint the room to match. Even though the clock is merely ornamental, isn’t a cute little ornament?

The table it is on is from a whole set I bought an auction, 2 twin beds, dresser, mirror, and two tables. I repainted them all and sold them, but had to keep this one table for myself.

This recliner, which is a concession to my husband, is the inspiration for the bronze/sepia vines on the ceiling. I wanted a soft blue room, but had to tie in this chair that sits smack dab in front of the TV.

In the alcove above it, I have my screen from the Birds and Bonnets Swap. I’ve used little birdies around the room, I thought they went with the garden feel of the space.

Beyond the chair is my sink area. I painted it a slightly darker shade of the same blue, and used a warm carmel-ly brown on the ceili ng.

The carmel brown color matches the Shabby Chic (from Target) shower curtain in the connecting bathroom. I always try to give my rooms a flow from one to another.

By redoing the bedroom, I ended up redoing the rest of the house too! Not repainted, but switched around and knick knacks traded back and forth.

These metal salvage pieces were in 3 different areas, but I really like the affect of having all four of them lined up together.

After an evening of "use what you have decorating", I had given three rooms a new look just by shuffling my junk around. The drawing of the goddess now in the living room, used to be in the bedroom, and it was replaced by a picture that was previously in the dining room.

All the things on top of the entertainment center (except the goddess statue I just repainted a couple of posts back) used to be in the bedroom. Now the little birdies are in their place there.

The large print on the wall in the dining room used to be in the guest room.

So, for simply repainting one room and getting a new (vintage) bedspread, one goddess statue and an alarm clock, I feel like I have a whole new look!

But then today, I went to some garage sales, and look what I found to replace the too small, too old lady looking, too brown little chair that was there before!

A THRONE! A Leopard print covered throne!

In garage sailing dollars it was kind of pricey, but in antiquing money, it was a bargain. I paid $60 for it, and it is solid as a rock, and very old, with brand new fabric.

I do think it could use some paint. Something like the way I painted the banister, but not exactly, I don’t want it too matchy matchy. A little darker and with some glimmer, maybe?

yes, yes, yes, I know it is solid oak and the wood is in perfect condition!

It was a quick garage sailing morning, that one stop used up my cash supplies. I did get a couple of trinkets here and there, and added some treats to the June Garage Sailing Giveaway Prize Pack.

Can you spot the new additions? green lace ribbon, a bag of old buttons, and an old green plastic cup.

I’m going with a green and white theme for garden season, it looks like!

Remember, all comments are entered, every one, every month counts towards my drawings.

As usual, I have run on long enough, (too long, actually) but I wanted to mention that I listed a couple of my fairy dolls on Etsy and also have reduced some prices, so please check out the sales!

I did finish my article for the fall issue of Romantic Country, thank you to those who were asking how I was doing.

Here is the first paragraph if you’d like a sneak peak:

When the air starts to develop a slight nip and rich reds and golds begin to tint the leaves, it is a perfect time to savor the outdoors by dining al fresco. While summer is known for picnics, fall is much more suited to the venue. The heat has eased up, and most of the summertime bugs have flown away. In this Mid-Western town of Kansas City, artist and antique dealer, Carol Spinski took advantage of autumn’s agreeable afternoon weather and created a garden party under the trees to welcome the season.

Elphie

antiques/junking, how to's, magazine pictures or articles, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / June 19, 2008

Meet Elphie, who seems to like vintage hats as much as I do. Now I know why I buy so many of these, they make great cat toys!

Little Elphaba (named after the witch from Wicked- she is Kansas kitty, after all!) is only 5 weeks old and is nothing but a teeny little puff of fur.

She hides under furniture in my studio and comes out covered in dust bunnies bigger than she is. She walks across my keyboard and doesn’t have enough weight to push any of the keys.

Elphie was meant to be Sugarwing’s kitty, but I discovered that Sugarwings is not a cat person, at least so far. She has no interest at all in this little cutey. She did tell her some long meandering story that involved lots of mentions of "Yeenkle" (Twinkle), so she might have been telling the new cat that she already had a pet.

Twinkle also doesn’t care much for Elphie. I hope I haven’t done the wrong thing by getting a new pet. Hopefully, they will all come to terms with each other and be friends.

My advance copy of Somerset Life came in the mail and I was sweetly surprised to see my magic wands in the issue, as well as the magnet board that I knew was going to be included. In the back, is a photo I took of some (what else??) millinery flowers.

I had last heard that the wands weren’t chosen to be used, it was nice to see them there.

Also, Dawn let me know that the new romantic Country was out and that my article was right next to one about her lovely pincushion.

Both of our projects have how-to instructions if you are interested in making your own.

I always hear that this magazine can be hard to find. And I had to go to two stores to get a copy yesterday too, so was very glad to see the new subscription cards! I plan on filling one out and getting it into the mail right away.

I’m going for the 8 issues at $29.97, that is a bargain, and I’m all about bargains!

Speaking of bargains, don’t forget about my June Garage Sale Goodies Giveaway!

Every comment is entered and I am adding more prizes after going garage sailing this weekend. And who knows, you might open your prize box and have a kitten pop out if I can’t teach her not to walk across my keyboard while I am trying to write an article.

Karla and Twinkle’s VINE COVERED Cottage

antiques/junking, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), give away, redos

By Karla Nathan / June 17, 2008

My bedroom is all redone and put back together, and today I finished the connecting sink/nook-type area.

I used the same shade as on the walls of the bedroom, but slightly darker. And the ceiling is a warm caramel with the door faux finished in the same color.

Peaceful, tranquil, romantic, and cottagey was what I was going for, and I am so happy with the color! The name is "nurture" and it is a Behr paint, my favorite to work with.

Behr is affordable and has fantastic coverage, usually one coat plus touch ups.

The ceiling was actually a pretty simple project, sepia and bronze glaze, swirled around with a one inch flat brush that I turned sideways for a thinner line for the vines.

Speaking of vines, I noticed a theme in my home. I do love flowers, but I seem to be drawn even more to the vines that flowers grow on. I know I am always scribbling little vines and swirls on collage pieces I make, and painting vines on furniture.

Do you ever have a theme that meanders through your home without you really thinking about it or planning it that way?

So, I’ll show more photos of the bedroom redo later, right now I thought I’d take a tour of the twisting vines around my cottage.

This closet door has been color washed in bronze over ivory with bronze vines painted with glaze.

The ceiling of my dining room is bordered in hand painted acanthus looking vines.

And of course, I have the vintage wallpaper vining roses going up my stairs.

The stairs lead to Sugarwing’s room, where I have a hand painted sign above her bed, with –what else– on it? Vining roses.

By the linen closet upstairs, I’ve painted vining leaves on the wall to mimic wallpaper.

The same look is on the bench that I keep out in the breezeway.

The guest bath has a hand painted floor that green vines wind around.

And while the cement was still wet, I took a stick and drew in the concrete. You should have seen the look on the face of the contractor, he was horrified!

Ceramic roses vine around the bathtub.

And wooden roses vine themselves around this $4 garage sale mirror in my bedroom.

In my entry way, the steps have a mosaic of marbles and Venetian glass tiles that are in an organic, viney design.

In keeping with my vining theme, I wrapped some roses and ribbons around this garage sale watering can I had painted white.

It will be part of my June Garage Sailing Giveaway prize pack, and every comment for the month is entered to win.

Included will be this Victorian scrap ephemera, a crocheted doily, and some vintage gold trim.

Along with those goodies, is the baby dress I found last week at a sale, a white ceramic teapot/flower vase, a pretty yellow flowered plate, a white pottery urn (old) that I added flowers to, a Lucky Day button card (don’t we all deserve a LUCKY DAY?), and filling the flowered plate is some bits of old jewelry.

If you enjoy mixed bags of free and vintage goods, you should also enter Beth’s giveaway. She has a big pile of cool auction finds to share!

Happy Birthday Beth

antiques/junking, celebrations

By Karla Nathan / June 14, 2008

How’s this for some GREEN? Sadie Olive‘s seeing Red posts were such fun, now she is hosting some greens.

The lovely lady prancing down the stairs is my BFF, Beth. She’s feeling light hearted because we went out to celebrate her birthday today. This photo was taken at Nell Hills (Mary Carol Garrity’s shop) in North Kansas City.

The main Nell Hills is in Atchinson, and I have to tell you it is soooo much better than this one. One thing (I thought) you could count on from Miss Nell is affordable and wonderful things. But her new shop has a different type of theme, and knick knacks were priced at HUNDREDS of dollars! Ouch.

It was really a fun stop, though and we enjoyed going there as sight seers, just not shoppers. As my mom used to call shopping with out buying, "feeling".

Thankfully, Nell Hills wasn’t our only stop. We started out at estate sales about 8:30am, hit a couple of good scrap booking stores, went to lunch at Pei Wei.

We went "feeling" at some hoity toity antique shops, and worked on Beth’s antique mall booth too. Whew, that was a full day. And full of laughs too.

Once upon a time, I had a booth at the same antique mall, and used to get free rent by painting murals around the store. Many are still there, some have been lost to renovations and remodeling.

This faux finished wall and painted columns is one of my favorites.

I’m glad we had such fun today, because Beth has had a really tough week. Her Kramer-haired sweet heart, Milo passed away this week from liver failure.

He was a good dog, and always greeted me with affection when I visited, I will miss him.

I did this portrait of him on a liquorish (Beth’s favorite) Altoid tin, and added vintage velvet trim to the sides, flocked wallpaper to the bottom, and a bone shaped charm to the side.

I also made a wallpaper journal for her with my BEST wallpapers. Notice the date on the old ledger paper? (the paper is from Rhonda)

I can’t believe I cut into a piece to make a tag and right on it was "June 13"- her birthday! What a co-inky-dink. I keep a file of these type of things, this one is going right on the list!

Beth had presents for me, she always finds junk for me at auctions and has gifts when I come to visit.

This time, it was a set of this old (made in Japan) but sturdy, doll furniture for Sugarwings. I will paint it to match her doll house.

The saucy little dancer is from Carol. She had a bagful of them for me, and I (of course) will fairy them up. Right now, I have a spray coat of white primer on them.

And how adorable is this?? A gift for me from my pal, Lori.

When I saw this curly feathered little fellow on her Etsy shop, I had to have him, and when the box arrived, she included the fairy tag and a roll of nice papers tied up beautifully with ribbons and a buckle.

Have you ever been to see Sandy Mastroni? Her blog is so funny, and her art is full of personality and charm. I was lucky enough to win this cupcake set of cards featuring her work.

Yep, I am pretty lucky.

Here are some of the bargains I found this week, out junking with Carol and with Beth.

The wallpaper is from Beth. So we don’t get jealous of each other’s finds, we have a pact. Whenever one of us gets a good roll of wallpaper, we cut off a hunk for the other one. It keeps our friendship safe.

Show and Tell Sunday this week is about flea market finds. Between garage sailing and flea markets and estate sales, I got the table top full, plus a few other things that didn’t squeeze into the photo. Its been a good week for bargain hunting around here!

If you want to see what others have found at fleas, Heidi is guest hostessing this week’s show and tell.

Don’t forget that I am assembling a good prize pack of June Junking Finds for my giveaway. If you want to win some garage sale swag, just leave a comment and you are entered.

A NON-virtual Blogger’s Tea Party in the Garden

antiques/junking, celebrations, parties

By Karla Nathan / June 11, 2008

We had a sweet little Blogger’s Tea Party in my garden yesterday in honor of Becca who was driving across Kansas and stopped to visit.

Since her blog is called "bluebirds and roses" I used that theme in my table decor. See the blue bird nesting in the etched glass compote with chocolate eggs?

I decorated bottles to give out as party favors, and used lots of roses and birds on the labels that I made.

This is Becca, myself, and Marilyn. It is so nice to meet blog friends in person, I have never been disappointed when I do.

Since it was mid afternoon, I kept the refreshments light, mostly snacks and goodies.

Instead of sitting down around the table, we pulled up chairs to the patio table and took our plates outside to enjoy one of the loveliest days of the whole season. What luck, to have a garden party on such a pretty day.

Especially when so many people across the country are battling terrible weather conditions.

My pal, Barb in Wisconsin is really having a stretch of bad luck, with family health problems, and now floods on top of it. I am sending her a package of crafty goods to create with, because her craft room flooded and she lost so much. With all the bad stuff going on, I knew that she could use a break from it all to be creative and rest her mind from her worries a bit.

I don’t like to take my good luck for granted, days like this should be appreciated because not everyone ends up like this. Not only the weather, but the friends who came by to visit, plus the fact that I am lucky enough to have a great life where I am able to take a sunny day and turn it into a porch party.

Becca made a "Twinkle" stuffed dog for Sugarwings, who loves presents more than anything. She is at that age where she thinks that everything is for her anyway.

Isn’t this just the cutest? Thanks, Becca!!

And thanks to Beth, Carla, Marylin, and Shawn for coming out to party on the porch with me and meet Becca.

Carol is also a Kansas City area blogger, but couldn’t make it yesterday to the garden party.

I needed to interview her for the article I am writing for Fifi for Romantic Country. So, we went junking in St. Joe, MO for the day, and then at the very end of the trip, we did a 3 minute interview in the parking lot!

I’ll have to email some more questions to her as they come up, but this was a great excuse to get out and play while pretending to work!

I might have bought a few hats today…….. I don’t know how many. I don’t want to know. But look at these!! Doesn’t the green one look like a mossy nest? It has birds and butterflies in it too.

And that pin cushion doll looks like she might have some fairy wings in her future if she hangs around me for very long.

And see the beautiful blue spread??? Twenty bucks and exactly what I was looking for to redo my bedroom!

It is vintage-ish, kind of older, but not old-old. And in perfect shape, plus the exact blue I wanted. On the way home, I bought two gallons of paint to match it to repaint the walls.

I am going to STOP myself from painting quite yet. It is hard. Very hard. Every cell in my body is telling me to stay up all night and paint the room. I have little elves dancing on my shoulder and whispering in my ear, "open the can, dip in your brush!! It will be sooooo pretty"

But- now that I am 50, maybe I have developed a bit of common sense and discipline??? I need to photograph all the cards for my Great Aunt’s 100th birthday and get that flickr site filled! Plus count them up and draw a prize winner. Or a few prize winners from all the kind people who made a card for her. I also have a mural to do on a business downtown and a commision paint job for a freind. So, no new wall color for me till I get my work done. I have to have my priories straight.

That painting job will be waiting for me as a reward for getting my work done. How is that for a grown up attitude?? Oh, but first, one more junking day, tomorrow is Beth’s birthday party, and we have a day out!

Seeing some more reds and getting an eyeful at the Wakarusa Fest

antiques/junking, Books, family, give away, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 7, 2008

I’m still seeing red! This time, it is tie dye and wild, hippy reds!!

We went to the Wakarusa music festival yesterday, not camping out for 4 days like most festival goers, we just bought a one day pass and took our fairy grand baby out for some good music, sunshine, hula hooping, and dancing. Oh, and FOOD!

I discovered that snow cones are her favorite food on the planet and that she can determinedly try scooping them it with the long plastic straw/spoon, long after the ice has melted away into a puddle of syrup.

Sugarwings traveled in style, in her canopied red wagon, complete with fairy wings on the back.

Sugarwing’s Hippy Chick mommy was one of my favorite things to watch at the fair, she was so graceful and pretty while doing her hula hoop dance.

Can anyone give me an idea on how to load a short video of Sugarwings dancing at the concert?

In the meantime, here is a link to the video on Flickr- its very short if you’d like to watch it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karlascottage/2561653016/

I’m not a huge concert fan, myself. I typically listen to National Public Radio instead of music, but this festival was more "event" than concert for me and I had a great time.

The lead singer of the Flaming Lips arrived in a giant hamster ball and crowd surfed while bubbles and confetti were shot out from the rainbow colored stage. And for some reason, giant Tele Tubbies danced away on the stage to every song. During one song, naked women from the audience joined in and danced with the Tele Tubbies. Now that isn’t something you see everyday!

Another thing you don’t see very often is me out garage sailing and forgetting to take my purse!

I didn’t realize until I got all the way across town this morning, that I didn’t have it with me. I guess I was beat from the late night at the Wakarusa fest and wasn’t thinking clearly.

So, I dug into my ashtray where I keep my emergency frozen custard money, and challenged myself to a morning of garage sailing on $8.75.

Not only did I do fine with a limited budget, I came home with change!

Not enough to stop for frozen custard, though.

I bought:

*3 hand made lawn baby gowns

* a delicate embroidered baby’s pillow case

* sweet little pink booties

* a small, old bottle with a glass stopper

* a tiny wooden doll to fix up for Bethany’s art show

* and this cute little child’s toy hutch to fix up for Sugarwings.

I promised that my June giveaway would be garage sale finds that I get this month. So, here is the first of the batch, one of the lovely, old baby gowns I picked up today.

Check back to see what gets added as the month goes by!

And leave a comment, on any post all month to enter, as often as you’d wish.

One more red, and some thank yous- Sarah, thanks for the "Seeing Red" week, it was a fun challenge.

Thanks to Rhondi for belatedly adding me to her porch party. I had been left off the links and thought I must smell bad or something, because I seem to be getting left off of party links lately!! She was kind enough to add me in to the party today. Even though, everyone was showing beautiful porch pics and all I had was a burr covered dog in a gazebo.

And thanks to everyone who inquired about my Friday Flea Market items in the last post, and to those of you who bought some pretties!

The table cloth and some hand made vintage wallpaper books are still available.

Here is what the covers look like, I was feeling Flocky when I made them!

Red Rover, Red Rover

antiques/junking, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 5, 2008

Sadie Olive’s idea to post our reds has got me looking around. There does seem to be touches of red throughout my studio and yard. I’d take pictures of some things in the house too, but the place is trashed right now. You DO NOT want to see that!

I’ve had the fairy grandbaby stay all night a few nights this week, plus worked on the Romantic Coutnry photo shoot with Carol for Fifi, and my house is beyond neglected right now.

If I manage to get a shovel and clean up the place, maybe I can add some interiors reds for the next installment, but for today, lets stick to the studio, it is safer.

Was I inspired by thinking of reds to add touches of the shade to Zack’s wings? Could be.

This is my brother-in-law, Randy’s dog and I painted it as a gift for when I go visit him down in Jacksonville soon. My sisses and I are going to my Great Aunt Caroline’s 100th birthday party (and thanks so much for all the cards, they are still pouring in, I’ll count and photo graph soon!–plus give away the prizes).

While visiting our aunt in Florida for her 100th birthday, we will swing by and visit Randy and his enchanted fairy garden too.

It will be Randy’s birthday while we are there too, so I whipped up this watercolor for him.

I’ve added gold glitter pen swirls in the sky and accents to the wings.

Maybe you can tell in the close up, but not very well, I guess. In real life, it has a nice sparkle to it.

There was also some red lurking on my desk in the midst of all the clutter.

Last night I made wallpaper journals, so had lots of vintage wallpaper scraps spread out.

I haven’t used the red flocked piece yet, but it is in line for the next book cover.

I usually sell these booklets on Etsy and will list them soon. But we can have a little flea market Friday if you want one today. (the one on the right is spoken for)

These are all vintage paper, ready for you to embellish as an art journal, photo album, scrapbook, what ever you’d like to use it for. I’ve bound them with a white spiral ring binder, and the front and back covers are flocked paper. All the pages are nicely coordinated and the books are cute as can be.

$30 each (includes postage) if you’d like one. I’ll include some wallpaper scraps for you to adorn your books however you’d like.

While we are shopping, here is something pretty (and RED). This postcard album isn’t in the best of shape, it is a cover with just a few pages left in it. But- wouldn’t it be a great starting point for a project?

Or pretty as is on a table?

$6 includes postage Milo_zack_024 sold thanks!

There is a front porch party going on today over at Rhondi‘s. This is my gazebo, not my front porch, but hey, anywhere Twinkle goes, there is bound to be some fun. She’s always the life of any party.

The vintage applique table cloth underneath the book and on the table in the gazebo is for sale too. Its square, has pretty edging and is hand made. Not perfect, but close. A couple of tiny spots are on it.

$6 includes postage for this one too.

Funny, I did find some red in my studio, but here I am trying to get rid of it!

These are pretty things, but like I said, I just don’t use much in the way of red.

So, here is one more:

A pair of pillow cases with red roses cross stitched onto them, and edged in hand crocheted trim.

I’ll stick to $6 including postage for this too. sold, thanks!

These prices all include shipping within the US. If you are elsewhere, I’ll have to charge a couple dollars. Let me know if you are interested in added a splash of red to your life (and helping me clean out the cabinet in my studio!)

This bench that my son made from an old head board, and I painted flowers onto, is a red that I won’t be trying to get rid of.

As far as the partied-out little dog in the red rose kercheif, I don’t think I’ll sell her either, unless of course, she keeps getting so full of burrs when she is out chasing bunnies that it becomes a full time job keeping her picked clean.

Did anyone else win any prizes during the Cottage Charm Giveaways? I won these from Inis Lovely and have just the perfect place to use them.

On Tuesday, Becca is driving through Lawrence and is stopping to visit. I am trying to round up some local bloggers and people who have participated in the swaps Beth and I have done to see if they want to come by for a little tea party and meet her.

If you are in the KC/Lawrence/Topeka area and are a blogger or blog friend, please contact me.

Two Sugarwings Fairies!!!

antiques/junking, collections, Etsy Goodies, fairies, give away, paintings, Sugarwings, swaps

By Karla Nathan / May 28, 2008

The swap panels are coming along nicely.

There are only about 400 or so to punch holes in and ring together.

But honestly, it isn’t monotonous or boring at all. I look at it as a chance to examine and admire each artwork.

Since Beth and I sorted them according to colors, styles and themes, they are already in piles ready to be assembled in groups that coordinate nicely.

Its kind of like doing one of those Flickr mosaics.

Or more like doing dozens of those Flickr mosaics!

I’m happy with the way they are looking, and hope everyone agrees that it was worth our time to match up sets of four instead of randomly hooking them together.

Tomorrow, Beth comes over for the day to finish and pack up the rest so we can get them in the mail.

A number of them will be late, though. Amy Barrickman wants to have a large selection professionally photographed for her newsletters and possible other publications.

We’ve had so many gorgeous ones come in, it will be hard to chose a few to send to Amy, so we are giving her a box full and letting her decide.

There are prizes going out to a LOT of swappers. Not based on their art (we love it all!) but by random drawing.

6 gift certificates from Vintage Workshop

2 clutches made by Beth and I with Vintage Workshop images

This lightweight cotton scarf, hand made by Beth and dyed by me

And a slew of tags I made from the images Amy provided

We’ve informed a couple of winners, but not all prizes are drawn yet.

I feel like I won a prize, look at the score I made today on a quick junking trip!

Sterling silver mini tiaras covered in crystal rhinestones, ready for me to foof and doodad up even further. I can’t wait to make these even more gaudy!!

Also, vintage trims and more cabinet cards. I KNOW I AM NOT SUPPOSED TO BUY ANY MORE PHOTOS. But when they are 50 cents or so, how can I not??? (the tiaras were $4 each and are going to be the most gaudily gorgeous things ever!)

Well, not as gorgeous as my fairy grand baby. Nothing is, in my book.

And look what I got, from my pal Lili! Isn’t she just adorable??? Thanks so much, Lili, I just love it!

I have my little fairy baby hanging on a chandelier in my art studio and can’t wait for her to come and see it there. She always notices my light fixtures and has a comment on them. I like to hang extras from them to surprise her, since she appreciates it so much.

Do you remember this photo of little Sugarwings at the zoo?

Today, after taking my husband to the airport at FIVE THIRTY IN THE MORNING– ugh- and going to the gym- double ugh- I sat down and painted a quick watercolor of this picture.

I ‘fairied" her up a bit more and added glitter. No respectable watercolorist adds Stickles glitter to their work, but hey, who needs to be respected? I’d rather be sparkly!

By the time this baby is in school, I’ll have enough paintings and collages of her to fill all the walls in my house.

If I had any sense at all, I’d spend my time on commissions instead of painting my own baby over and over!

Or instead of buying hats all the time. But, at least I pulled a few more flowers (and cherries!) off of a few and listed them on Etsy. And some on Ebay too. I hadn’t done Ebay in months. It isn’t hard to do, I just don’t enjoy it like I do my sweet little Etsy shop.

Thanks to all of you who help keep my shop going, I couldn’t do it, if I didn’t have you all shopping there. Yuck, I’d have to go and get a real job and not have time to waste on blog writing and reading all the other fun blogs out there!

That is why I am so happy to do giveaways. I owe you!!

So remember, you still have till the end of the month to enter to win the birdhouse for the Cottage Charm giveaway. And check out my previous post for the pics of my other giveway prize pack for May.

Hats, and Papers, and Bears, OH MY! Plus a Cottage Charm giveaway

antiques/junking, collections, Etsy Goodies, give away, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / May 19, 2008

Kim is hosting her 2nd annual Cottage Charm Giveaway and of course, I had to participate!

I have a lot of crap, I mean hand made creations, lying around my studio and I should dump them somehow, I mean give them away to readers.

So, if you would like to win a cottage style bird house, just leave a comment any time (and as many times as you’d like) between now and the end of the month.

Your comments will count towards this giveaway as well as my regular monthly prize. Which really isn’t all that regular, since I am so in love with May and am adding to the prize pack every once in a while.

Check out Kim’s site for a list of other giveaways all over blogland. There will be some good stuff out there waiting to go to a new home!

Our trip to the Topeka Zoo yesterday was delightful. Its a cute little zoo, just the right size for a toddler’s visit.

I saw a lot of these type of expressions on Sugarwing’s face, she was so excited to see the animals.

This photo might just have to become the basis for a fairy painting of her.

When I go to the zoo, or an amusement park, or any other tourist spot, I rarely photograph the place itself. I like pictures of the people I was with (and of course lots of Sugarwings!)

I don’t want to fill my photo album or scrap book or computer storage with stock photos of giraffes. The look on the baby’s face as she sees her first giraffe means a lot more to me.

Before leaving to go to the zoo, we all met downtown to have lunch. As we walked toward the restaurant, I heard the faint, but persistent call of the millinery flowers.

So, I told my family I’d meet them in a minute, and ran down to the antique mall to find this pile of hats, for $4-$6 each!!

I didn’t even miss lunch, when I got there, they had saved me a fajita.

I know you are asking yourself, what is that under the hats? Is that the elusive PINK flocked wallpaper?

(I refuse to believe that you are really saying, "there is a serious problem with this crazy lady and her hat problem. AND HER WALLPAPER PROBLEM.")

You are right, it is FLOCKED vintage papers in beautiful shades of pink, ivory and tan!

I’ll be making up some packs to sell on Etsy if I can force myself to share. I could be a little bit stingy about this stuff.

This one, I simply cannot call vintage, it is only from the 80s and I get irritated by that label on stuff that is not OLD.

I bought this paper to line a cabinet for Sugarwings. She is the worlds biggest Care Bear Fan.

She is so crazy about Care Bears that I added a pink rainbow bear decal to the window of my car, so she could see it from her car seat. And I am not a decal or a sticker person.

Before you start to think that all I do is shop for flowers and wallpaper, or play with the baby, I want to show you a project I actually made!

Yep, I sat at my desk and made something, it seems like it has been a while since I had a chance to do that. I spent most of the day working away on cleaning the studio, listing supplies on Etsy, and watering all my new plantings outside. But I did take time to use some of my favorite things and make this piece.

It has hand painted roses, vintage flocked wallpaper, pink pages from an old French book (from my pal, Lili), velvet millinery flowers, an old earring with rhinestones, seam binding ribbon, and sheet music. Wow, I don’t think I could have possibly squeezed in one more bit of any of my obsessions onto this gaudy little dumpling of vintage goodies.

Its rosey red and faded pink, I like those colors together. A little different, but nice.

One more thing before I go, in case you haven’t made up your mind that I might be crazy.

Remember the fall themed photo shoot I have coming up this spring with Carol? I decided to try painting some leaves, to make the trees look more fall-like. So, here is a tiny sample, and it seems to work.

I used a red spray paint meant for florists, so I doubt if it will kill the trees. I only painted a couple of leaves to see how it went, don’t you think they look like autumn?