antiques/junking – Page 8 – Karla's Cottage

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antiques/junking, Good JuJu, Hand painted, holiday decor, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / August 30, 2022

In my last post I mentioned that I got my booth set up at Good Juju before my trip to Indy. I have more to add, and hopefully will get it there before the sale this Friday and Saturday.

My Halloween theme is in full force, with pumpkins and witches everywhere.

I especially love these old sign letters that I found on a junking morning with the Guncles. I’ve made BAT, EEK, BOO, and CROW with them.

And of course, more mushies in fall and Halloween colors. Thank you to everyone who bought my tutorial to make their own. Please send pics when you do!

If you’d like to make one, you can find them here.

There are handmade witchy hats too.

Plus vintage things, of course.

With a spooky turn to them.

As you can tell, I have embraced fall colors. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate their beauty and have e corporates them into my style.

I hope you’ll be in to visit for the show! Please drop by my booth to say hello if you do.

There are still all sorts of things I need to tag and bring in yet, so this isn’t all of it.

My second wall at Good Juju is ready for it’s first run

antiques/junking, Good JuJu, paintings

By Karla Nathan / August 3, 2022

This Friday and Saturday are the Good Juju sales date for August, and I am enjoying having a bit more space this go around.

Rich added the shelf up above for me. It is higher than the one on my other wall. I’d say it’s more decorative than shoppable, although the things on it are priced. Still, it’s more for atmosphere than selling.

But isn’t atmosphere part of selling? It is for me.

Here is the upper shelf on my opposite wall.

I have painted some pumpkins to add this month. It’s 100 degrees and humid here, a typical KS day in August, but not too soon to start daydreaming about cooler, autumn days, right?

Some of the pumpkins are done on pour painted canvasses.

And some have flowers.

I’ve also packed in my mushroom colony and have lots of jewelry too.

I hope it goes well, I love having a reason to make things!

Adding real estate to an antique mall booth, things are looking up!

antiques/junking, Good JuJu, redos

By Karla Nathan / July 10, 2022

Well, it didn’t take me long to become infatuated with the antiquing world after a few years off. I haven’t had booth space since 2009, or so, besides a few pop up Birdsong shops in my garage, and when I quit, it took me years to get over the itch to buy junk to redo and repurpose. I very much loved the business.

Over time, I got out of the habit of getting up early every weekend for garage sales and stopped yearning for ugly little tables to transform into cuties and even started clearing my house and storage out. Goodwill, friends, and family got all of my back stock when I cleaned out.

My friends still had spaces and sometimes I’d get my redo fix by helping them paint something or redecorate a booth. Finally, I gave in and joined them full time by taking on a wall at Good Juju at the Old West Bottoms. I was very, very worried about finding enough to fill it, since I’d gotten myself down to bare bones and had nothing to bring in. But a couple months of very hard work and hunting built my stash up enough that now, I’m taking on a second wall.

It is also thanks to Beth, as my first wall was. She had a bit more space than she needed, and offered to share. We’ve been partners in the past, and mesh well together, plus have lots of giggle fits and fun while doing it.

When I painted my original wall, I also painted a couple for her, and this is one of them. Here is how it looked when I took it over this week.

I like the color I’d chosen for it, so that worked out well for me. But I wanted it completed, without spending any money, so had my dear, helpful husband come in with me to add a shutter over the vertical missing plywood, and I covered poster board in heavy vintage wallpaper to cover the horizontal hole. It wasn’t quite enough, so we patched with a piece of ceiling tin and then a strip of leftover trim to finish it off.

Did I mention that my husband has been soooooooo supportive and sweet?

He also hung 3 chandeliers, put in a French door, hung a vintage window over my wall, and then made a shelf from hinged shutters.

The shutter shelf looked so good, I texted Beth to see if she wanted one on her wall too. So he put one up from a pile of shutters she had, and it immediately split and all the slats spilled out.

oops

But, I mentioned she had quite a few, right? So he pulled out heavier duty ones and switched them out. I’m glad it all worked, because they add so much to the space. For one thing, it extends our real estate, and we are making the best use of the area. For another, it just plain old looks good, and hopefully will bring people in.

With having this area to fill too, we are making the most of these tall walls and grabbing more spots to sell from.

Juju is such a cool place, people always come in, and there are so many dealers very talented with styling and design, so it’ll be nice if we can grab a little more attention. Beth has amazing finds and a great eye, so already has her regulars, but I could use a few of my own.

I know that poster board isn’t a very durable way to build a wall, unless maybe you are the 4th little pig and were left out of the story because it is even dumber than straw. But it was efficient and looks fine. I can change it any time I want, pretty quickly. But, so little of it shows, I probably won’t bother.

The French doors were some I used in the studio at home, and I also had the wallpaper (of course) but struggled to figure out a quick, cheap way to get it up over the hole in the wall. Then, I noticed that I had pieces of poster board on my table at my work space, and thought I’d try using that, by glueing the paper to it and stapling it to the boards.

It seems fine. We will see if it holds up.

Now that I have committed to more space, I am slightly freaked out. Honestly, I love the venue, hanging with my pals, and decorating the space, but I do worry about the time and commitment of keeping the space filled throughout the winter when there are no garage sales. I hope to be able to make jewelry and some other creations, not just hunt and gather.

Please wish me luck. I think I could use a bit of my own good juju.

Happy 4th of July!

antiques/junking, celebrations

By Karla Nathan / July 3, 2022

It was a festive weekend at Good Juju, and every month I am enjoying the venue more and more. I even got into the spirit of the holiday and put together a mini, red, white, and blue display to fit in with all of the other patriotic arrangements around the mall.

My itsy bitsy wagon with a couple red and blue doodads in it wasn’t much compared to the rest of the mall’s July tones. There were varieties of these colors used throughout the mall.

And Uncle Sam on stilts even came by to say hello to us.

I’ll leave you with a few pictures of the place, and then I’ll be headed outside to watch the colors in the sky.

We live right by the I70 overpass and every year, I walk up to the bridge to watch all of the neighbor’s fireworks being set off.

It’s a pretty low key way to celebrate, but it’s a tradition I look forward to. Sugarwings and I have been doing this since she was tiny.

As I get older, holiday traditions mean more and more to me.

I hope you are enjoying yours this weekend too.

Ready for First Friday at Good Juju

antiques/junking, Good JuJu

By Karla Nathan / June 29, 2022

My space at the mall isn’t large, but it can sure hold a lot.

So much so that I was very surprised at how much I packed in.

The lower shelf on that table might not look very full, but that is because I am bringing in sterling silver jewelry, that needs to be kept packed up so it won’t tarnish. On Friday morning, that shelf will be as overfilled as the rest of the set up.

See what I mean?

Hopefully, it will tempt guests into wanting to treasure hunt and dig through.

This month, I was set up and ready way early, and did it all in one trip. Previously, I was just getting settled and figuring out my space. I had painting and construction to do, and wasn’t quite sure how things were going to fit. Between the concussion that was still lingering, and being overwhelmed trying to figure it all out from scratch, I was, well, like I said – overwhelmed.

But now that my head is better, thanks to PT and time, and possibly the CBD oils gifted to me by Treadwell Farms, I am ready to enjoy the process and have fun being with the creative people around me at the venue. Man, that concussion made me feel flat. And like I kinda had tunnel vision. I could only barely focus on what was just right in front of me.

I’m feeling more like myself now, but still not quite right.

While getting ready for my first month here, while I was still in pretty bad shape was it pretty tough, it was worth it. I am very excited to be a part of Juju, and am already looking forward to planning set ups for fall and for the holidays.

If you are in the area, come by and say hi. I am downstairs and to the right.

There is so much to see in this big mall, and in the surrounding warehouses, it is quite an event.

Good Ju Ju

1420 W. 13th Ter

Kansas City, Mo. 64102

816-421-1930

A lesson learned in the past, that I am remembering as I set up my Good Juju booth

antiques/junking, collections, Good JuJu, paintings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 1, 2022

Hmmm, now I am wondering why I spent so much time remaking my wall, when you don’t even see it. Yep, this spot is FULL.

Adding the “porch” awning allowed me to really overfill. I love that structure that Rich built for me, even if it got buried and is now hidden.

One reason that I am excited to join the Good Juju venue, is that while it is full of wonderful antiquities and awesome junk, there are also handmade items and lots of artwork.

All of my favorite things, so right up my alley!

I’ll be having hand painted furniture, vintage paper collage, old stuff, painted signs and canvases, and some jewelry.

These necklaces are my “Recycled Charms”, pendants made of bits of jewelry I have collected over the years.

This side of the door holds sterling silver with genuine stones.

If all goes well, this can be a place where I can indulge my creative whims.

While I am kinda rusty on the antique mall biz, and it’s been a while since I had a booth, I did set up my garage as a shop during Birdsong events, so I stayed, somewhat in the commerce world.

I’m hoping I’m just a little rusty, not completely out of it.

No matter how long I’ve been away, there is one rule that will never leave me- I will NOT willy nilly buy things just because I think they will sell. I’ll only offer goods in my booth that I would want for myself, in my own home, and stay with my own sense of style.

For one thing, you never know what you’ll get stuck with, so I have things I like just in case they do end up at my own home later on. My house is furnished right now with leftovers that did not sell.

Also, with a small spot, I need to be able to coordinate the items and have a flow. Although I do have to admit, that I’ve packed so much into this little corner that the flow could look more like a log jam, huh?

I feel like everything I add to the spot should give me a little tug, one that says, “Hey, don’t sell that! Think how great it would look on my living room wall! Or in the studio! Or hey- I can make something with that!”

Please wish me luck, it might take me a while to find my niche at this mall. For now, I’m throwing all my faves into the spot and seeing how it goes.

A redo at Juju

antiques/junking, friends, Good JuJu, redos

By Karla Nathan / May 25, 2022

I have been busy. Way busy.

My upstairs spot at Good Juju was not quite the right fit for me. Plus, my friends were downstairs and I wanted to be near them. Beth offered to share, but I am not ready for a big space, so she offered me a sixth of her big area and that was just ideal! And she let me do some remodeling while she was on vacation.

She also got some solid walls added. Our friend, Sam, covered bare 2x4s with paneling so I could paint them, and I used some of the leftover colors to paint the back of this display too.

The new walls are neutral shades of blue, green and grey. On the back wall, to cover an old garage door, we hung a 9×12 canvas and way up high, added some homemade grapevine wreaths. I covered the table this hutch sits on with a burlap skirt and added a strip cut from a lace curtain across it so the bright light bulbs don’t bother anyone’s eyes with their glare.

Beth also offered to share this spot, it is her craft supply corner, and I added a few tidbits to the display after setting it up.

Here is Sam, hard at work, making the walls. They really add a lot to the area.

Here is a before, or I guess, a during shot. With Sam building wall to the right, and my darling husband building a shelf/porch awning for my wall to the left.

In the back, you can see the before of the garage door wall.

This is a close up. It looks a little sad here, but Beth is so good with displaying her great finds, that honestly, you didn’t even notice it before. Still, I’m pretty happy with the streamlined look that the canvas drop cloth gave the room. It was $10, and simply nailed to the wall above the garage door windows. But, it let light shine in weirdly. So I had to go behind it and nail cardboard over the panes of glass.

Here it is with fresh paint, back wall covered, wreaths in place, and a picket fence hung from the ceiling to cover some grids.

The wreaths are huge! Sugarwings and Rich pulled the vines down from trees in our woods, and we wrangled them into shape together. It was harder to do than you’d think, you really need to man handle those thick vines to convince them they want to be in a circle.

After the thickest pieces were twisted into each other, we secured them with a bit of wire. Then, I started weaving smaller pieces in and out to fill in. I don’t know if you can tell just how big these (very heavy) guys are, but the largest is about 4’tall.

Here is another in progress photo, before the wreaths and picket fence. My wall is gray.

And I am sooooo happy with how it turned out! The porch columns give it a sense of structure, so I feel like I have a real spot of my own, not just a wall. And the door on the front will give me space to hang jewelry that I have made.

And the shelf!!!

So much can fit onto that wonderful shelf! If you don’t have much square footage, go UP. Use the air space, right?

Here is a cleaned, but not finished pic of the spot. Beth and I were going to work on it after her trip, but she got sick. So Angie, our delightful neighbor, helped move furniture with me, and I rearranged things as much as I could. Beth will bring in more before the sale and add to it quite a bit.

I had told myself that I wouldn’t set up too much of her area, but hey- that’s the fun part!

So, I am guilty of doing a few displays… with the knowledge that she will probably remake them when she comes back. But on the other hand, this way, she doesn’t have any pressure to come in if she isn’t up to it. It’s okay as is, if she needs more time.

My wall needs more work, there are changes I want to make. I’ve kept a black tub underneath the table for storage, and the lace on it stands out to much. I need a plain, dark cloth over it so it disappears. And I probably have too much hanging from the shelf. It went from full to cluttered.

For now, I’m headed to Florida for a rare, springtime sister trip. My plan is to rest my poor head and recover from this concussion. My doctor says I have been over doing it and while I hate to admit that, I agree. I have felt awful throughout this whole escapade and look forward to a quiet week with dark glasses on to rest up.

Good Juju

antiques/junking, Good JuJu

By Karla Nathan / May 6, 2022

I’ve been so busy getting ready for my first First Friday at the West Bottoms.

Lots and lots of painting!

And jewelry making.

And sorting, tagging, cleaning, marking tending, wrapping, and more.

My decision to set up there was kind of spur of the moment, and I was not prepared, so had to go into overdrive to get it done.

Because of my concussion, it has been rough. One day was about ten hours of tiny, little price tags.

Yes,TEN HOURS.

By the end of it I was a wreck, too much time of using my eyes for up close work.

All of it is stuff I love to do, but I have to admit, that it was a struggle and wasn’t as enjoyable as it should’ve been. If I’d known that the confusion, eye strain, and headaches would linger like they have, I probably would’ve skipped this month.

I really am excited to be there and honored to get a spot. It’s a great venue.

I am just not myself right now. I’m a pretty sad, sore, tired version of me. Which is too bad because this endeavor is a major change in my life and I am not experiencing it to its fullest, instead, I am just coping and trying to get through it.

Come by and visit if you can. I could use a smile from a friend!

Actually the place is full of nice people, old friends, and new buddies. This is Beth’s booth.

As is this.

And Angie’s.

And these deliciously scented strawberry sundaes are made by Lily, next door to Beth.

I know I am going to love it there once things get back to normal. And for now, I am just going to do my best to get through it, then go home and nap.
Ugh, I’m tired of feeling bad.

A new venture

antiques/junking, collections, Hand painted, Hand Painted Furniture, hand painted signs, junk

By Karla Nathan / April 29, 2022

I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be setting up my pretties at Good Juju, starting next Friday! It was a rather quick decision, and pretty bad timing because I’m dealing with the after effects of my doodle running joyfully at full speed across a field, straight into my head.

Yep, concussion time again.

I have not felt my best. But because of this head injury, I had to cancel a trip, knowing that I couldn’t do the long drive. Joining the Juju family has been on my mind, so when Pam welcomed me in, I thought I might as well go for starting right away in time for the next sale since I wasn’t going to be traveling after all.

So, I have been combing through my stash, sorting my jewels, stringing banners, and tying up papers to prepare. I’ve had to take a lot of breaks, then stop by 4-5pm because of my eye strain and headache, but I have managed to pull together even more than I expected to.

I will have a small spot, so it wasn’t too hard to fill, even with a headache. And as I feel better throughout this week, I hope to craft more items to bring in.

I’m also doing something new, a sort of “Charm Bar”. I’ve made some sweet charms/pendants with a mix of vintage, crystals, and pretty bits and pieces. Each is ready for a chain, or to be clipped onto a leather or silk cord that I have ready to go, clips added. I love them, and think they will be excellent Mother’s Day or graduation gifts.

Since I am a bit confused now and then, I will not be working at the desk for the sale. But I will be there to visit, please stop to say hi.

https://www.goodjujukc.com

A book club party with bookish party favors

antiques/junking, Books, celebrations, collections, cottage, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 20, 2021

The annual holiday party for our book club was at my house, well, I have to admit that it always is at my house. I tend to hog the date because I love parties so much.

And I love party favors! I decorated the table with the book page/paper ornies that I’d made and sent one home with each person. You can’t see it in this pic, but each ball has a tiny, book charm dangling from it.

Here is the table before my friends arrived.

I have been collecting 49 cent Christmas plates from Goodwill all year, there are a few different patterns, but I like the mix.

It’s all a bit of a mix match. The water glasses almost all are the same, but the silverware, wine glasses, napkins, and plates are all over the place. The placemats are pages from the Grand fairies’ outgrown Christmas books.

Here is what I have learned about hosting a party:

NO ONE CARES IF IT MATCHES!

But they do appreciate an effort to make things pretty for them. I doubt if they cared that the plates were only 49 cents each and were various patterns. Or that to have enough wine glasses, I had to use a very non traditional, purple one.

They might have cared that the pie was a little dry.

Durn it. I used frozen blueberries, but made it the same as I usually do with fresh ones. That just isn’t the same, I love the juiciness of the fresh ones. Frozen requires more sugar, liquid and some lemon, I think.

The peach pie was better. I used pecan flour, eggs, some juice from the canned peaches, cinnamon and brown sugar in it.

This was my first time using Aldi’s crust (I never make my own crust). It was so-so. Not very flakey, and a little dry. I’ll stick with Sprouts, their crust is always ideal. Plus it is vegan, which is good when I am feeding my family.

Also, this might not be the prettiest place to set out desserts, but it worked.

I found some “Vintage Tinsel Sprinkles” at Homegoods and happily glittered all the treats. I love them so much that I had some glittery, festive-ness on my peanut butter toast today. Using my holiday plates.

One very nice thing about my big stack of thrift store plates is that I don’t have to be gentle with them. They are special, but they aren’t worth anything, so we have been using them daily since Thanksgiving.

Dishes are breakable, so I never want to own any that I am afraid of using. I like plates that I can enjoy.