collections – Page 2 – Karla's Cottage

Velvet Mushrooms

collections

By Karla Nathan / July 30, 2022

When Guncle Randy visited, we didn’t get much studio time. But when we did, it was consumed by making these.

After he left to go back to Florida, I kept up with the shroomy construction.

Then, my pal, Beth, gave me some vintage velvet quilt squares and I doubled my obsession construction.

Oh my, look at those fabrics!

Most have felted stems, but some are glass. This one has a tiny little mushroom world inside the glass.

And this big one’s stalk is part of an old lamp.

I could just keep at it, on and on. But I’m afraid that it’s time to move on to the next thing, I’ve amassed quite a few of these little darlings.

Well, maybe I can make a few more….

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 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

Simple Treasures and Dealing with Grief at the Holidays

collections, cottage, dogs, family, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 25, 2021

2020 was such a wreck I almost didn’t decorate for the holidays. But with a grand fairy around, one whose year was as bad as mine, I needed to.

And the twinkle of lights during a dark winter is very uplifting.

So I did some holiday foofing, and was glad that I did. But when I found the bag of pinecones that Ryan and I gathered on a walk, the recollections of that day wrenched my soul.

We’d had Sugar with us, and we were in an area we called The Danger Zone, because there were so many squirrels. Balancing a squirrel crazed dog on a leash while trying to fill our pockets with pinecones, and having them fall out every time we bent over made us laugh til I cried.

And I cry now, just thinking about it.

But it was a fun memory, one to hold on to. So, last year, I put out just the trees with lights and pinecones in honor of him and how much we laughed that day while picking those up.

I will always have a tree decorated with pinecones for Ryan now, and use them throughout the house.

Every day is hard when you lose a child. But little things, like a pinecone, that can bring back flashes of a very happy day, are treasures that can help.

I have added his picture to one of the pinecone trees, and I love this one because it shows his caring and kindness.

I have used a bit more red around the house too. It was his favorite color.

And I have done mosaic glass on vases that flowers were delivered in after he died. They have flickering candles inside and make me think of how many ways he lit up my life.

This is our second Christmas without him. Sometimes I am shocked that so much time has gone by.

Other days, it feels like he has been gone forever.

I look at Molly, watching her grow from a wriggly little pup into a lovely dog, and realize that Ryan never even met her. She is a living symbol of my time without him.

I can just hear his voice if he knew we kept this pup from the litter. He’d probably say just what his brother did- are you crazy!? You do not need another dog!

But he’d have loved her to pieces.

She and I go for long walks on the sidewalks Ryan and I followed and some days we stop at the Danger Zone where all the pinecones fall and I tell her about him. She is a good listener.

There are so many happy stories to share. And so many pinecones covering the ground. Each is a reminder that nature renews itself, life goes on. That the little, simple things are what is important.

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.

Birthday goodness

celebrations, collections, friends

By Karla Nathan / June 9, 2021

With puppies coming on my birthday, I have been completely absorbed in furry, cuddly fun. And I forgot to show a couple of beautiful birthday gifts that I was honored to get. I have a painting from Clover, that I am calling, “Our Lady of the Swans” and have her displayed with the Swans from Lesa’s class at our last arty gathering here before the pandemic struck.

The teeny swan was an adornment on top of this overflowing box of delight from my pal, Angie.

Not only is the old, glass box beautiful with its vintage ribbon and silk rose trim, it is filled with timeless treasures.

See what I mean? Filled to the brim with lovely packages, too pretty to open (but I did!)

There were layers of Good Stuff supplies inside that I can’t wait to use, but haven’t yet due to my fuzzy, little friends.

I did pull out some of the frothy, lace hankies to show off on a couple puppies.
This tiny, black pup took on an RBG vibe, didn’t she?

And Miss Daisy looks like a doll baby.

Speaking of dolls, my sweet grand fairy, Clover was so thoughtful to share her artwork with me. That kid has skills!

Before I know it, my time with the babies will be gone and I’ll have plenty of time for crafting. It will be heart wrenching to see them go, so it is helpful to have such delicious goodies to delve into once they are gone, to take my mind off missing them.

A small addition and a bit of an escape

collections, Corona virus, cottage

By Karla Nathan / February 10, 2021

Sometimes adding a little knick knack brightens a mood. Especially in these days where, if you are anything like me, you don’t get out much. After looking at the same sameness all the time, even a tiny twerk in home decor cheers me, so finding a nice treasure to add to my countertop and getting out to shop made for double the good time.

The other day I just needed to go SOMEWHERE. Do you get those feelings? Or are you already out and about? I’d been hearing about a new antique mall for months and months, and figured that if I wore a mask plus shield and didn’t linger, I should be fine.

And I was. Plus, I had such a great time. And I wanted everything I saw.

My main purchase was this chippy, old cigar stand that seemed perfect for my kitchen window.

Just what I needed to hold some greenery. I wish I could fill the window with herbs, but there isn’t enough sun. Instead, I use low light plants and cut flowers. Because plants add so much life to a home, don’t they?

I am not exactly a recluse, I do get out. These aqua appliances are from Hobby Lobby. Shopping there and at Michaels are just as essential as the grocery store in my mind.

Antiquing, on the other hand, isn’t something I’ve done much of.

And I’ve missed it!

There is no rush for me, though. There is a light shining brightly through the gloom, a beacon of hope that makes me feel like we can soon get back to a “new” normal.

The other day, I volunteered at a Covid vaccine drive through. It was very moving to be a part of, even if all I did was a Vanna White point to the exit. (I tried to make pointing and waving as fun as I could).

With a few, well a lot, more of these dates under our belts, there is a plan for getting out safely.

And I see a lot of antiquing around the corner!

A mini greenhouse gets a mini redo

collections, cottage, redos

By Karla Nathan / January 6, 2021

I’ve had this little terrarium for ages and always thought I’d try to make it look a bit more vintage. (This is the after)

Here is the before.

Then I saw that Hobby Lobby still sells the exact one, and when I noticed it on the shelf, I thought to myself that it really needed a makeover. I guess I’d just gotten used to seeing it as is in my house and had gotten to the point where I probably didn’t see it at all.

In the midst of putting away all of the Christmas stuff (admittedly, there wasn’t much of it this year, but it did take all day), I took a break and repainted this white. I glued a couple of ornamental dodads over the open hearts too.

Looking for found hearts is a hobby of mine, I love seeing them appear in nature. But not so much as cut outs on things in my home, although I do love this old, old, tin trim filled with hearts.

There might have been too much impatience in getting it done, because I had some issues with the glued on pieces. I was trying to paint them while the glue was still wet and at one point, the heavy, wet paint was too much for the gloppy glue and one embellishment slid right off. Which wouldn’t have been so bad, if it had just landed next to the terrarium on the newspaper I was using to protect the table.

Nope. It decided to fling itself away from the newspaper with a hefty bouncing motion and spew minuscule paint drops across my kitchen floor.

Once I finally got it dry, in one piece, and the floor mopped up, I refilled it. I pretty much reused what I’d already had in it before, just rearranged and cleaned it up a little.

It might be a tad too springlike inside for the rest of my winter decor in the room, but I like a splash of spring somewhere in my home. I keep some favorite things in it, porcelain roses broken off of a vase, a sea shell with a glossy pink interior, crystals and pretty rocks I have found on trips.

Oh, and crystal balls, plus some houseplants that are easy to keep alive. And a sweet birdie. I always need little birdies around. I hope she likes her spiffed up, new home.

A mini treasure box makeover

collections, redos

By Karla Nathan / October 14, 2020

Years ago I found a kitschy, plastic, touristy treasure box for a dollar, brought it home and tossed it in a drawer and forgot about it.

See, it had potential, but needed work.

But not much work.

I pried off the green, plastic bauble, dry brushed on some white paint, and glued a larimar stone on top.

Now it makes the ideal storage for my summery, beach colored bracelets.

I am still redoing rooms, and moving things about

collections, Corona virus, cottage, family, Kitchen remodel

By Karla Nathan / August 23, 2020

A couple years back, I decided I needed a big hutch type piece to use in the kitchen for extra storage. I found a large base cabinet, and a tall book shelf with glass doors that worked.

But wasn't just quite right.

THIS piece is very much right!!!

And very old and well made. Look at the construction of the drawer!

This is what I had before (it is now in the studio, which means a big shuffle up out there and a cabinet from the studio being moved to the breezeway, and well, more shuffling).

See, it holds a lot, but wasn't just quite right. I did like the way I could see all the of the dishes behind glass, but all of this and more fit into the newer, larger hutch.

I might miss the display area behind glass when it is time to dust. The new one has much, much less of that.

But it holds soooooo much, much more inside the doors and drawers below that I am very happy with it.

My Apple Watch has been broken for months. And I have been too cheap to replace it. But when I saw this, I didn't have second thoughts about being cheap, I'd looked for so many years for a hutch that had this much storage space.

Plus, I have been on an organizing, cleaning, and storage redo blowout lately.

When this came into the house, I decided to take every single thing out of all of the other kitchen cabinets and rearrange every bit of it.

Maybe it is my way of dealing with grief.

Maybe it is from being cooped up in the house for so many months.

Either way, my many redos have been helpful. I've fixed up Ryan's room, the gazebo area, both little grand fairies' rooms, the breezeway, part of the studio, now this. I'm running out of house to redo.

Even though I knew this hutch was ideal when I first saw it, and was ready to buy it in snap with no thought, I did have a horrid moment when I realized how heavy it was, and how many other big pieces of furniture would have to be moved to make space for it.

And remembering that Ryan, my "Machine", was gone. He was so strong, and so helpful, that was his nickname. He just kept going, working hard and making it look easy.

He was always around to carry and move things for me.

I was knocked over with pain as these thoughts went through my mind.

There are going to be a lot of those moments. A lot of that pain.

But we go on, don't we?

My very strong, older grand fairies came over to help. We used pads to slide the piece through the house. Between the two girls and my husband, they hefted it out of the truck and lifted the large top piece onto the base once they got it into the kitchen. It is even heavier than it looks, and we all missed Ryan while it was being moved.