fairies – Page 4 – Karla's Cottage

Captured fairies

By Karla Nathan / March 7, 2021

Some of the pictures from our fairy family photo shoot were simply ideal to use in cute ways, like Thia, here in this bottle.

And the bottle was ideal too! It’s a plastic bottle that unscrews from the bottom and came filled with candy. Why oh why didn’t I buy a case of them instead of just one? I’ve not seen another one since. I got the candy at Tuesday Morning a couple years ago, it was a brand I hadn’t seen before. I can’t remember what flavor it was filled with, but who cares, all candy is good and this bottle was meant to be a unique and wonderful craft supply!

Any container that has a good sized opening on the bottom is much easier to catch a fairy in than trying to use tweezers to slide them into a narrow top. This is an upside down sauce jar, not a fancy shape, but she went into it nicely. I should probably add flowers to the top to disguise it more.

The photo of me with Molly is printed a little larger than the girls, so I could layer them in prospective. I’m glued directly to the glass, a smaller Dewdrop a bit behind me, and slightly smaller Sugarwings a bit higher and to the side behind her.

Their photos didn’t show feet, so I used moss to hide that. In all the dioramas, I added pussy willow branches as trees, because I think fairies would really love to hang out under fuzzy, soft trees like that if given a choice.

This pic would’ve worked well in a box too, but is just so lovely, I wanted it framed as is.

And I thought the two of these were cute as a bug next to each other.

Our family has been known to don wings on more than one occasion. Here are pictures of the Guncles that I thought should be added to the grouping. I have one of my sissies that needs to go up here too.

This picture is from the grand masquerade we attended. I cut out the girls and glued them to a little blue mirror and glued it to the rosy tin lid. I don’t know where the bottom of the tin went, but held onto the lid, knowing I’d find a use for it someday.

Blue mirrors are significant in the fairy world! You can spot them in your garden by holding up a blue mirror and peering into it, looking over your shoulder to see them flitting about.

These sisters are glued to an amber glass, beveled “moon” and then onto a painting that Dewdrop made.

She swirled lots of glitter paint onto a paper plate, then smooshed it onto a canvas. Gorgeous, isn’t it? I think it looks like woodland flowers.

Twinkle lights are strewn throughout the display. I’ll get a photo of it lit up when I add more fairies to the mantle. The lights twirl between the frames, then up into my set of wings hung over the mirror. I didn’t realize while doing it that the lights formed a heart shape!

Fairy Family Photo Fun

fairies, family

By Karla Nathan / March 3, 2021

On Winter Solstice, our Katie Tree brought over wing making supplies that turned into weeks of creativity and craftiness for us all. Afterwards, we had a fairy fashion show and played dress up with our fabrications.
I thought I’d hang my pretty, Tinker Bell style wings in the studio, and probably will later on. But for the beginning of spring, I wanted to display them on the mantle with some of the framed pictures we took.

Looking through my stash, I found some appropriate frames, and a couple of shadow boxes that made me think of doing just a bit more than simply framing the pictures as is.

Most pics were groupings, and it wasn’t possible to cut out individual bodies. But there were a few that I could make work.

Even without complete bodies, if tilted and used right, I had plenty of fairies to use. Each one got some embellishing with glitter and metallic inks.

This vintage mirror was ideal for showcasing some flying fairies.
I’ll have some more close ups in my next post.

Fairy Family Fun

celebrations, fairies, family

By Karla Nathan / January 3, 2021

Katie Tree’s wing making idea was just plain brilliant for our family’s holiday.

The crafting started on the Winter Solstice and we had a tasty Ramen take out meal, so no one would have to stop to cook.

That part was MY brilliant idea. Not cooking? Yay!

I knew we would need extra time to create these flights of fancy.

What I didn’t know, was that her gift to the family of wing making supplies would turn into a full week of working on these off and on together.

It was an actual gift that just kept on giving.

We had bonus craft dates while the project continued, and everyone was in and out of the studio til New Years.

I went from crying at the grocery store over trying to plan a minimal Christmas, without both of my boys and missing one girl to rejoicing over the surprise of Adam and Dewdrop showing up, and then having a house and studio full of family fun for days on end.

Right up til New Year’s Day, when we had a fairy dress up party together.

And of course, the newest family member, little Molly, got a set of wings to wear to the party too.

We only had a couple of precious days with my boy, but he left Dewdrop with us for a week.

My kind hearted husband offered to drive her halfway home to North Carolina and meet up with her dad for the drop off. Instead of tagging along, I am spending time undecking the halls and editing fairy party pics.

Ha, who am I kidding? So far, I have just sat and edited pretty pictures, played with pups, and snacked on leftovers. (Pumpkin pie cake makes an ideal breakfast)

I have a book that is calling out to me, but I’m resisting, and gearing myself up for the tree tear down.

I shouldn’t be procrastinating, the chore won’t be hard. I kept the decor soooo simple this year, there isn’t much to take down.

I plan on leaving up the lights and frosty leaf garlands over the windows for adding some sparkle to a cold January.

This Christmas certainly was an unexpected joy in a dark, sad year.

I will be savoring the memories as I tuck away the trees.

Well, actually as I shove trees into the closet and do my best to shut the door.

Thank you, Katie, for such a fun project!

I think we need to plan a spring time, Fairy Tea Party for more dress up fun.

Winging away from 2020

celebrations, fairies, family

By Karla Nathan / January 1, 2021

The construction part of my wings is completed. I think I’d like to add dangling ribbons and flowers to the center.

I have Katie Tree to thank, not only for the group project itself, but for actually helping me craft mine. The heavy duty wire was hard for me to bend, and she twisted the main shape with her strong, aerialist’s hands.
I used smaller wires to make the embellishments, then wrapped it in glitter ribbon.

Mine are on a smaller scale than the rest of the family. Some are quite large, all are turning out to be magnificent.

This is actually two sets, a mini that Thia practiced on before finishing her grand scale set. They can be used separately or together.

The black on mine is more glitter ribbon wrapped around the wire. After doing it, I wondered if it was a good idea?

I like the look for when the wings are hanging on the walls, but when I wear them, will I seem to have antenna jutting out from between my shoulder blades? When I am all fairied up, I’d like to be correct in my Fay anatomy.

This is the first year that I haven’t done a year end, sum up type post. With all that happened in 2020, it didn’t sound fun to sum up.

Instead, I’ll look forward to soaring away from last year and looking only to the future.

The handmade wings felt like a much better way to begin 2021 than a look back on the sadness of 2020.

Thank you for the Solstice Wing party, Katie Tree!

celebrations, fairies, family, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 23, 2020

Katie Tree brought over all the supplies we needed to create fantasy fairy wings to wear for winter solstice.

The rest of the family was making life size wings, but I wanted to check out the materials and get a feel for how they went together so I made a few smaller ones to put on our naked, untrimmed Christmas tree.
I am glad I tried it out on a smaller scale first, I got to know how to work with the supplies. I gave one set to Sugarwings to destroy with the lighter and heat gun, which she enjoyed doing and which showed us just how much heat was too much.

While I was just “winging it” with quick twists of wire, everyone else was on track to craft works of art.

They each drew a pattern into cardboard, and traced it with wire. And yes, elf ears were provided as an essential part of making the wings.

When my husband heard about family wing night, he was pretty excited til he realized that a bunch of vegans and vegetarians were actually coming over to make cellophane wings, not chicken wings.

They are all turning out wonderfully, so I think I will have to whip up a pair for myself too. Plus, with the giant wingspan, they are perfect for marking your territory for social distancing!

Once the wire is ready, you lay the piece onto cellophane and use spray adhesive to attach it on both sides, press it into place, let dry, trim away excess, then melt with the heat gun for a tight fit.

I learned with the mini practice wings that too much glue or too much heat could cause them to turn opaque. And getting too close with the heat melted holes into them.

Once they are done, I’ll get the girls to model the finished product, photos coming soon!

I also made one set of wings, inspired by the angels on Victorian Christmas cards.

More from the Grand Fairy Room Switch Up

cottage, Dew Drop, fairies, redos

By Karla Nathan / September 25, 2020

Dewdrop lives in the hills of North Carolina, but we still want her to have a place she calls home back in Kansas.

(Because , of course- there is no place like that!)

After redoing the larger of the upstairs rooms as a birthday surprise for her big sis, I spiffed up the attic room for her.

I have to admit, that setting up the dollhouse was the most fun part.

She is ten now, and still loves her dolls. But she doesn’t use the play kitchen stuff much, so the little stove and cabinet are now used for storage instead.

Mostly, I shuffled decor items, fairies and toys from the other room into this one, and left the mermaid and unicorn bedspreads and wall color that were already here.

The only purchase I made was these pastel rainbow, ombré curtains with cut out stars that shine.

Amazon carries them, and they are prettier in person than in the photos on the site. I’m glad I gambled and got them, since I felt the colors looked a little dull on Amazon.

And when topped with the fairy collection that had been spread all around the other room, they look even better.

The collection does too, I like seeing them all in one spot.

A Getaway to the Asheville Mountains and Waterfalls

Corona virus, fairies, family, Ryan, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / September 8, 2020

Asheville, NC is home to some kick ass waterfalls, and while visiting, we trekked down to the base of one and spent some time playing in the water.

That place was over crowded, as I feared many Labor Day vacation spots might be, so I was extra cautious and had the family mask up, even outdoors, when strangers got too near. And did my best to constantly scoot away from people encroaching upon my space as I gathered shiny, quartz rocks to make a fairy to leave by the falls.

Since others simply didn’t seem to understand social distance guidelines, I left the pools at the bottom of the falls and found a cozy, mossy bed away from traffic for this sprite to make her home.

She is in a shady area, so you don’t see how the crystal sparkles in the photo. But she is entirely made of glittery bits and pieces. And look at the itty-bitty, fingertip sized crystal heart that I found for her to hold!

It was the first part I found when I stepped into the clear water, and I created the fairy around that heart.

You can tell how beautiful the water is here. And the rocks shining through were either frosted with mica or crystal. Each was a sparkling treasure.

I didn’t keep any from there, since it was a park. But, I was so tempted. Instead, I left my fairy as a thank you for nature’s blessings to me.

She sits at the end of the trail, right by the first boulders of the pools, so I hope some kids find her there.

Being with my boy, and his daughters in such a magical place was good for my husband and I. Some days are harder than others without Ryan, but no days are easy.

Being in a tranquil spot with loved ones was much needed.

A Digitally Painted Mermaid, before and after getting a stylus for detail

fairies, paintings

By Karla Nathan / May 18, 2020

There is a painting app, called Hello Watercolor, that I have enjoyed using on my iPad. There are several brushes, pencils, erasers, and pencils that have a real life effect.

But, my old iPad wasn’t compatible with a stylus, and the entire picture had to be done with my finger. It could get frustrating with the details.

I recently bought myself a brand new iPad, that is a huge improvement over my old one. And my sis, Terry, gifted me with a stylus!

This is how the mermaid looked with just finger painting.

And here she is using a stylus. The extra detail that I can get makes me happy!

90% of the painting is still done with my finger, but that pen makes all of the difference when I got to the pupils and eyelashes.

Thanks, Terry!

Thank you to all of the essential workers who take care of business, so old ladies with asthma, like me, can stay home!

Corona virus, fairies, paintings

By Karla Nathan / April 20, 2020

Nurses and other essential workers are putting themselves in danger for us and sometimes, the risk is too big.

My good friend, and sister-in-law is one of the many whose selfless hard work and service caused her to become ill. She is far away, and I didn’t feel as if there was anything I could do to help. So, I did this digital painting for her, and kept good thoughts vibing her way as I worked on it.

“Thoughts and Prayers” Has almost become a cliche in today’s world. But when heartfelt, the term is very real. I am focusing on sending mine to Sharon.

In case you are running low on fairies, I know where you can find some. And here is some info on upcoming classes

fairies, the Boutique at Karla's Cottage, Travel, vintage paper/collage art, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / January 12, 2020

There are plans in the works to do more tutorials, foof up and add to existing ones, and get my Boutique filled to the brim once again.

But I can't quite get to it yet.

For now, there are more fairies and books in the Boutique.

Because I simply could not help myself, I love making them too much.

But before I go restocking even more, I have a list a mile long of things to do, plus we are filling up our camper with three of the dogs, the two of us and heading to Florida for a 3 week trip.

The Boutique will be closed while I am away, but when I get back? I will be restocking and let you know when it is filled up.

A couple of things on my to do list before heading south, are: making kits for Karen Hillan's get together in Deland, "Listen to Your Heart". Spaces are still available for that party.

I also need to get samples ready for a class at the Guncles in April.

He has a few spots left. And there are also a couple of seats available for Karen's other gathering in Texas, "Beauty in Blue."

I am excited to have three upcoming teaching gigs coming up, and with some of my favorite people!

And I would love to see you at them too.

Here is how to find out more about all three:

Randy's "I Lourve Jacksonville"- https://www.facebook.com/randyspups Contact Randy for info, you can reach him here.

"Listen to Your Heart" in Deland, FL just in time for Valentine's Day– https://www.facebook.com/events/509270499709448/

"Beauty in Blue" celebrating the Texas bluebells– https://www.facebook.com/groups/2445165192414985/

And here is where you can find some fairies- http://www.karlascottage.com/category_15/All-items.htm