family – Page 75 – Karla's Cottage

Twinkle has a go at helping decorate the studio

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, Food and Drink, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 19, 2007

Its a relief to be feeling well again and back to getting ready for the holidays!

I am feeling all well now, thanks for all your kind thoughts and wishes!

My flueyness was gone and I was able to go to my cookie exchange party last night. The best part was that I got the dates wrong and made up fudge to take to it last week instead of this.

Which was great, because this week, I would have been sick and couldn’t have done it!

The flu-germ-free fudge was made a week ago and frozen, ready to add tags to before the party.

My Aussie pal, Natasha had sent me some wonderful, old, textured wallpaper that I made simple tags out of, and added a snowflake sticker to and then tied to the dishes of fudge.

I like giving treats out in containers that people will use and keep and enjoy, a gift in a gift. For bake sales, I always put my goodies on vintage plates from garage sales, they are so cheap to find around here. As little as a nickle quite often.

I love living in the Midwest!! Mess_014

Every year, I think I am going to go all out and wrap gifts so beautifully and they all will match and be breath taking. But, I never do. I wrapped all these yesterday and towards the end, the were lucky to get stuffed into a bag with a bit of tissue.

What’s my favorite thing in those bags and boxes? This sweet little dress for Sugarwings! Can’t you just picture her playing in the garden and getting all muddy in it this summer?

Maybe we can dress her in a long sleeve onsie and tights underneath it, so she can wear it this winter too.

Our swap is full! And a great mix of artists, bloggers, friends and fun people are in it, we are so lucky to have them join. Thanks everyone!!

Doesn’t Twinkle look like a sweet little angel? That girl thinks that her only job is to pose for the camera.

Well, that and CHEW things. My favorite chair!!!!!!! And now that she has had a taste of it, she won’t let it go. Any tips on stopping a dog from chewing your furniture??? I’ve never had a Dorkie as hard to handle as this one. She chews, she licks, she jumps, she hams it up every time I try to take a photo. She is one tiny,wriggling, bundle of desperate need for attention.

I am still feeling sentimental today. This table was one of my mom’s favorites and was made for her by a friend. No, actually, I think her friend made it, and her husband got it as payment for a poker debt at some bar. Oh well, what ever its origins, it is hand made and she loved it and now I do too!

The drawing was done by my great grandmother in 1906, and is another treasured possession of mine.

Notice the alarm clock?? I found a non-ugly, electric clock on Ebay, finally.

Then it quit working after about 6 weeks. So, I am back to looking, if anyone has any leads, I’d love to hear them.

People are still visiting our "What do you LOVE about your Holiday Home?" party and I am still adding links. Feel free to visit here for some holiday decor ideas and pretty things to see. I don’t even know how many sites I have linked, but I know there was a lot of beauty and warmth out there!

I want to thank Sara (Sadie Olive) for adding my latest magazine to the line up at the left. If you ever decide to have a blog redo, I have to tell you that she is so reasonable, helpful, talented, and easy to work with!

Sara is going to add my next few issues too. I have a collage kit shown in Somerset next month, and another in the next issue.

I am always surprised and thrilled when something gets published, since I am not a professional writer. All my articles have been just lucky strokes for me. A right place, right time, type thing.

Oh, and thanks also to my friend, Gail, who always takes time to visit and comment, has entered my Sweet Treats and Roses swap, PLUS bought this desk from me!! Thanks, Gail!!!

In the few minutes that I have sat here at my computer writing my blog for the day before I go run holiday errands, this sweet angelic little dorkie of mine as done-

THIS.

Oh man, just that much more I need to clean up before I can turn this mess into a dining room for 3 big dinners, at Christmas.

I am having a Christmas Eve prime rib dinner for the immediate family, then have invited about 28 people for Christmas Day Brunch and will have about 18 for Christmas dinner that night. Do you think they will enjoy dining in Twinkle’s decor and my mess from the sale??? I really need to get to work………. but for now, I am going out to lunch and playing with Sugarwings!!

don’t forget every comment is an entry to my monthly giveaway!

A red and green (with only a hint of pink), sentimental journey through Christmasses past

family, holiday decor, paintings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / December 18, 2007

Throughout my kids’ lives, I have painted an ornament each year for them to hang on our tree. Ry is still a bachelor and lives in an apartment we built onto our home, so he shares our tree, (plus most of his apartment is a home gym, with punching bags and weights, not exactly Christmas tree friendly).

But Adam lives with his pretty little hippy chick and Sugarwings, so I think it is time to pack up all of his ornaments and send to his own happy home.

The teddy on the rocking horse was an early one for him, painted in 1981.

But his all time favorite was the pink Care Bear. My little guy was never afraid to be fond of pink toys. He had a pink water balloon named Pinky that lived for over a week and went every where with him when he was four. He wrapped Pinky up in a towel "blanket" to cuddle it. (the towel came in handy when Pinky met his demise)

This was one rough, tough, little boy, but he had his sweet side too, and that might be why he is such a great dad now.

This Care Bear ornie is even more special now, because Sugarwings is a huge Care Bear fan, and her uncle Ryan is giving her a big stuffed pink Care Bear for Christmas.

Some of the balls that I painted over the years are satin, most are glass.

When I was a single mother, working as a waitress, I used to buy all the kid’s Christmas gifts with money I made by selling hand painted ornaments for $3- $5 each. And my hand painted ornaments were the gifts I gave to everyone else. I still do a few dozen each year as presents, as well as selling them.

I also used to paint these pre-made ceramic pieces too. These two horses were painted to look like our own horses, Scooter and Fairy Belle. I think these were made for Adam in his Jr. High years.

Here is a cartoon of Adam as a high school wrestler.

And a moon face for the year he had his bedroom done up in gargoyles.

The marble looking balls were some that he and I made together, by pouring and then swirling acrylic paints and glitter into clear glass balls.

Sadly, not all the ornaments survived, we’ve had a few mishaps over the years. But I have quite a few to pass on and to hope he will pass on to Sugarwings someday.

Some of them do make me cringe, looking back at them. I think I was lucky to sell my work for five bucks back then! They were all cute, but maybe not that good.

I enjoy seeing the progression of my style over the years. And I am glad I didn’t trash the ones I painted when I was young, no matter how bad they look to me now.

Some of my sentimental things always make it into my holiday decor, things that aren’t necessarily Christmas items.

Like this scrapbook, that I made last year of Sugarwings. I have it opened to the page of her first Xmas.

(of course, I made the book so thick, it never closes anyway!)

The book that Mr. Snowman (the doll is not sentimental, only 50 cents at a garage sale) is reading was written by a friend, Vicky Howard. And the apron covering the chair was sent to me by my great Aunt Caroline who is turning 100 this next summer.

I had painted this little wooden box for my mom one year. And she didn’t really like cats, so i don’t remember why I painted a kitten for her.

I think I was just in a kitty phase and was painting a lot of kittens in late 80s.

I always have family things on display year round and dedicated one wall in my stair way to paintings and photos of people I love.

The background of the oval painting of my mom is of a quilt she made for me. And I hung the necklace she wore in the painting to a nail I put into the frame. It is a charm necklace that I made for her, and she used to wear it a lot.

Here is a painting I did of my husband’s grandmother, and also used a quilt she gave to me as a background.

Her name was Gladys, so I added a gladiola to the painting.

I used her quilt top as a table cloth in the library and set out more family scrapbooks on it.

One page is open to Grandma Nathan’s picture in a cabinet card. The background is "quilted" with strips of paper, and I tied a teeny sewing machine charm to the flap of the photo cover.

And the card opens up to the photo I did the painting of.

Well, I’d better get to work. I have a studio to clean up and turn into a dining room.

Does this look like a place you’d want to eat Christmas dinner?????

I have packed up a few things, sold a few, gave some away, and then the rest of the things from my sale are just shoved here and there and every where. I have to do a major transformation, plus buy gifts for my family and wrap them. And did I mention that not a single Xmas card has been made or sent??? I’ve been in bed with the flu and have severely fallen behind.

Heck, I’ve shown you bad artwork from my youth, the total wreck of my studio, I’m sure you’d love to see the ultimate in NON-eye candy photos- me recovering from the flu. Ugh. Now, I have probably chased away all my readers for good!

At least I have Twinkle by my side through it all.

Now, for a shower and back to work. Or maybe a nap.

PS– here is a little tidbit of decorating advice from my funny freind, Beth. She was sick too, and stayed at an auction long enough to buy a transferware bowl before going home to bed, and I said, at least she had a pretty puke bowl to keep by her bed.

"That’s a pleasant thought- maybe you should write an article about how to keep living a lovely life while you sick- pretty puke bowls, arrange your pills in the shape of flowers, use antique lace hankies instead of kleenex to blow your nose, take your cough medicine from a sterling silver spoon"

Romantic Country, Toasty Trees, and enough tiny trees to fill a country

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, give away, holiday decor, how-to projects, I do tend to run on, don't I?, magazine pictures or articles, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / December 15, 2007

I have news- my latest story is out!! Romantic Country is on the stands now, I picked up this issue at Borders.

I had dealt directly with the managing editor, Phyllis, for the whole article and didn’t even know that our fantastic blogging friend, Fifi was the guest editor!!!

If you don’t read her blog, you should get right over there, it is full of great how to’s for beautiful projects and sneak peeks into her lovely life.

I wish I had gotten to work with Fifi, she seems like a fun person and everyone who knows her says such wonderful things about her.

The issue is 100% gorgeous, and I am thrilled with the whole magazine.

The titles to my story, that Fifi added, are cute as a button and add so much to the article, I wish I could take credit for them.

Here is a tiny snippet from one of the photos by my good friend, the talented, Diane Guthrie. Diane and I had worked together on an article for Romantic Homes a couple of years ago, and it was such a great time. She is a buddy and we get together regularly for coffee and hanging out.

Diane is the one on the ladder in the photo on this posting, and there are also photos from our collaboration for Romantic Homes on that post too.

And now for more news- the winners of my drawing are:

Lori Oles– Vintage Flair (blogger winner)

Gail Sell (non blogger winner)

Gail has entered the Sweet Treats and Roses Recipe Swap that Beth and I are doing. I know that Gail LOVES roses as much as I do, and can’t wait to see what she comes up with. We still have a few spots left if you are interested in joining in too.

The two winners get to chose either a pair of earrings I made from vintage pieces, or a copy of The Crown and Tiara book (great ideas in it, and so pretty!!) First come, first serve, email me with your choices, I only have one book to send.

Remember, there is still the monthly drawing that you can win too. I’ll draw that the beginning of Jan.

We’ve had a fun morning here, yesterday was a Sugarwings sleepover night.

She helped cook breakfast.

A favorite around here is "Egg in the Hole"

You cut a hole in bread with a glass, biscuit cutter- or even better, holiday cookie cutter, then drop an egg into the hole and fry it up together.

Of course, the best part of egg in the hole is the little piece that you cut out, that you cook in butter too, then add jelly to.

Sugarwings liked the jelly covered Christmas tree shape, but notice that under her high chair, Twinkle is having the rest of the meal. I think Twinks gets more food than the baby does at mealtimes.

Well, I never have to mop after I feed the baby.

Sugarwings was fascinated by the Christmas tree project I did too, but I had to keep her back from the bleach and the dye. She isn’t quite ready yet to be a hands on helper with these kind of things.

I found the directions to this on Clarice‘s site.

I am crazy about the results!! Vintage looking, beautiful bottle brush trees from brand new ugly ones!

First you soak them a few minutes in bleach and hot water, and rinse well.

They already look great once they are bleached, but if you want you can dye them any color.

I used professional quality fiber reactive dyes, just because I had them, but am sure that Rit would be fine too.

Of course, I should have changed clothes. I should have done this in my studio. But no, I was too excited and wanted to play with the colors, so did it in my kitchen sink. There is a perfect, made for projects, sink in the studio. But, heck, it is only dye, I bleached it out of the sink when I was done. I think the sink might return to white again………

I left the dye in the trees for about 10 minutes.

And since I hate to let anything go to waste, I used the left over pink dye that was in the bowl to dye some shirts for my fairy grand baby.

Once the dye is washed out, the trees are perfectly vintage looking!!

These trees are on sale at Michaels right now for 25% off, plus they are pretty cheap to start with, a big bag full of all sizes for $14.

My little helper was pretty impressed with the results too.

Thanks for the tip, Clarice!!

And thanks to Fifi and Phyllis for making my article look so good in Romantic Country!

And thanks to Sugarwings for making my morning such fun with her giggles and all her help.

And thanks to Beth for being such a fine administrator for our swap and for being such a buddy.

And thanks to Diane for being such a pal and for her great photos.

And thanks to everyone who participated in our "What do you LOVE about your Holiday Home?" party

I must be feeling very thankful today. Just extra happy and exuberant, I guess. I need someone to start playing the music that tells me it is time to shut up, like they have at acceptance speeches at the Oscars.

Edited note: These trees really are not my own idea, I saw it on other blogs!! here is another one with them, http://mamanjackjack.blogspot.com/

and here is a flickr site to see everyone’s!! http://www.flickr.com/groups/563828@N24/

They are so fun to make, and so easy. Nothing like a simple project at this hectic time of year!

And speaking of passing along project ideas, Dona has used my lamp/coat rack idea and tweaked it into her own. Mine is featured in the Romantic Country magazine article that I wrote.

Macho Decor and close quarters

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, family, give away, Hand Painted Furniture, hand painted signs, holiday decor, Moving to DC, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / December 9, 2007

We are home from our relocation trip. I didn’t see much of DC at all, we were in the burbs the whole time apartment and furniture shopping.

At first, I thought it looked like Anytown, USA with all the chain restaurants, apartment buildings and strip malls, but then realized, that the East is very different.

Burbs in Kansas City or St Louis SPRAWL. Outside of DC, they build UP not OUT. The buildings are high and all the people stack up and squeeze in.

I got a bit homesick for the spaciousness of Kansas, but will learn to live with the high paced, jammed in life style there.

We got a bit homesick for the fairy grand baby too, and went immediately to pick her up when we got back from the airport to take her out to lunch. Of course, we’d been out to eat for every meal since Thursday, but there was no food in the house and it is always a good excuse to go pick up Sugarwings and her family and take them out to eat.

We find ourselves coming up with so many of those little bribes, I mean excuses, to see her.

OK, this doesn’t look like my style, but I took my husband into consideration while furnishing the new place. At first we were going to go with rental stuff. then used, but decided to buy some decent pieces for his place because it is going to have to be his home away from home for a long time.

I got a slate top dining table and matching living room tables for the apartment. All the colors are earthy and the look is slightly rustic. No girly roses at the East Coast Bachelor pad.

I shopped like a woman possessed trying to find the cheapest, yet still stylish things I could find in just a day. It will all be delivered on Jan. 2nd when we go back to get settled in.

Do you have any idea what kind of pain it caused me to buy brand new things from a furniture store and have it delivered???? I just don’t do that. I buy the things no one wants and fix them up.

I know that I could have gotten a sofa table for $3- $20 at a garage sale in Kansas instead of $159 there. Really painful.

But here were my concerns:

no time
no truck
no tools

Of course, also my husband wants it all simple and easy to care for and doesn’t give a durn about Pretty.

He doesn’t notice stuff like in this photo of our Kansas living room, a cabinet from a junk shop ($35) repainted and set on top of a small table from a garage sale ($15) that was painted to match.

Or the mirror from the dumpster above it. Or the free lamp given to me by Beth. I foofed its lampshade and painted it, then set it next to some old chippy paint finials that are serving as candle holders ($5).

So- I know how cheaply I can find things and what can be done.

I am still in pain from going to a furniture store and decking out most of the apartment in one swoop.

Oh well, it will work out. It is stuff he likes and will make him comfy there.

Now on to something more interesting. Joy and Roses!!

I’ve decided what to send the winner of my November drawing, Joy. I know I am a bit late, but with the trip and the open house, she was very understanding about it.

I am also behind on Etsy shipping, but will get all of it caught up and in the mail tomorrow. Thanks so much to everyone who shopped there and thanks also for your patience.

I am sending Joy a JOY sign. It is made from the end of a magazine rack that came from the same dumpster that mirror in the earlier photo did.

She seems to be a person who enjoys salvage and sees the possibilities in a discarded piece herself and I thought she might like this hand painted wreath on something rescued. If you’ve read her blog, you know she has a great eye for redoing things herself.

Don’t forget that we will have more gifts during the What do you LOVE about your Holiday Home? party on Wed. the 12th and that all comments are entered into the giveaway for December too. I love to try to match the gift to the winner instead of just naming something that will be given away at the end of the month. Joy will also receive a little pack of ephemera and doodads for projects.

I had sent Natasha some vintage and hand painted ornaments as well as a Noel banner made up of vintage papers for our trade in the Deck the Halls Swap hosted by Monica. I love the way Natasha has displayed the ornaments on a springlike vine to complement the Australian weather at Christmas.

But wait till you see what she sent to me!!

And to Sugarwings too. Of course, Twinkle thinks everything that the baby gets is half hers.

There is a possibility that Twinks will be wearing this cute little crown that is meant to hang on the tree as a gift to the fairy baby. Either one of them would be adorable wearing it!

And look what else she got- a Santa on a Kangaroo! She thought it was hilarious. That kid has a sense of humor that makes her have deep belly laughs when she sees something funny, and this little santa really struck her funny bone.

She was also given a book about Santa’s summer Christmas, so much fun to read to her and tell her about Christmas in other parts of the world.

Natasha had everything wrapped up so sweetly. And yes, I saved every pink rosebud!

She made a wonderful wooden banner with a matching snowman in glitter, the pink rose bud "cookie", and the 3 little glitter framed wallpaper pictures to go on to the tree.

And she sent Tim Tams. Which we discovered are the world’s best cookie. And I cant find any more around here, I was hoping World Market wold carry them.

And thats not all. A blown glass angel ornament that I immediately hung on my white and gold tree.

Thanks, Natasha! and Thanks to Monica for hosting. What a fun swap. I made out like a bandit on this one. But I do say that bloggers are the most generous people around and if you get a chance to swap with one- DO IT!!

Little Miss Maddy Cat came by to have her Christmas photos taken at my house to use the painted bench as a back drop. I had some trouble with the red eye on this one, but as cute as she is, it didn’t matter.

She and Sugarwings are starting to interact now that Miss Maddy Cat is getting bigger. Sugarwings leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek and it looks like they are about ready to plan a cousins play date together.

Wow, I’ve ran on long enough. I’d better go and mail those packages. Thanks again to all of the shoppers who went to my Etsy Shop and to Natasha!

Pure Luck

family, housework

By Karla Nathan / November 3, 2007

Boy do I have some good friends. And I know how lucky I am to have them.

See the peeling shutter on the top window? That is what all my shutters looked like before today.

Two of my craft night friends came over today and helped me scrape and repaint them!

We have done projects for each other, like helping Jen sand and prime her kitchen cabinets and doing a faux finish in Diane’s entryway.

But the biggest and toughest project of them all has been Lori’s shed.

We hauled all the junk out, then cleaned and painted the shed for her, as a group.

We rented a spray gun and just shot paint all over everything.

One of the group, Diane, is a photographer. She and I got to talking about how cool it would be to do a before and after story about the shed, so she snapped some shots before we got started.

I fetched a "few" of my pretties from my studio and staged the room, and got out my paint brush to foof things up a bit, so Diane could take these shots.

I wrote up a little article to go along with the photos and we sent the package into Romantic Homes, and it was published last summer.

I am lucky to be a part of a group of such giving, talented, and HELPFUL friends!

I think our buddy, Shanna, is next for a redo project, she is house shopping, so is saving up her turn for something in the new home.

I was so relieved to have this eyesore taken care of today. My Holiday Open House is less than a month away and those ragged shutters were one of the things that were making my eyes pop open at 3am with worry.

Thanks to my pals, I can start worrying about something else now.

But not about the eyesore that the yard had become, that is handled today too!

Sugarwings, my husband and I started the big fall clean up.

He had taken down a 30 foot tall cedar tree that needed cut up and burned, along with sticks and leaves around the farm that were cluttering up the yard.

Our friends saw the tree laying out by the driveway, and commented "Karla is going all out for Christmas again, huh?" Apparently, I am known for my excess and no one was surprised to see a 30 foot Christmas tree in my drive way.

But in a matter of hours, that tree was kindling and burned away in the bon fire pit behind the garden.

After climbing up and down ladders and scraping old paint all day, I was ready to relax by the warm fire and watch the last of the tree go up in flames while I sat back and sipped a glass of wine.

There is nothing like a crisp fall day when you can accomplish a lot of needed yard work and home repairs, enjoy the company of your friends, and then relax by a bonfire at the end of it all.

I think I have mentioned it before, I am pretty lucky!!

What Is Lurking out in the Pet Cemetery behind my cottage????

family, Food and Drink, I've been tagged, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / October 31, 2007

Ghouls just wanna have fun!

Welcome to the Halloween Blog Party!! It is sponsored by a group here and they have their scary tunes going, I have them playing in the back ground while I write to get me in the mood.

My niece, Shelli, made this ghostly cake. Enjoy a piece while you mingle at the party!

And Sissy has been crafting again! Look at this creation, I just want to move right into this cottage.

There is even a crystal ball waiting for me on the table. Have I ever mentioned my fortune telling hobby? I call myself Madame Karkina and wrap the nearest table cloth around my shoulders like a shawl and pretend to read palms. (It is usually after a couple of glasses of wine.)

That is a picture of Sissy as a witch next to the black cat.

And speaking of familiars- oops, I mean pets-

did I ever mention this?

Yep, I have a pet cemetery on my 10 acres, right along I70. It used to be a bit of a land mark around here, but as it rusts and the trees grow up around it, you don’t notice it along the highway any more.

Yesterday was such a pretty fall day that Sugarwings and I got dressed up and went back to the punkin patch for another visit.

I went as a princess and she was a pink butterfly. (I am wearing big sunglasses to hide from the paparazzi and trying to teach her the princess wave- also known as the beauty queen wave: ELBOW ELBOW WRIST WRIST WRIST).

Her grandfather didn’t wear a costume. As usual, he just dressed as a handsome husband.

Aren’t they so cute together? This might be my favorite photo of the two of them.

Tonight for trick or treat, she will be dressed as Dorothy and Twinkle will be Toto. I have a feeling I will be posting photos…. Sweet2btreat2bread

I was tagged by Michelle to name 3 blogs I like to read. That is HARD to do, I am a blog-aholic and love to peruse the boundless bounty of blogs.

So, I’ll just list who I looked at this morning, these are some good ones:

Bethany has hand made felt goodie bags for Halloween

Heather always has some of the prettiest photos around, and she is showing some Silver Bella themed kits she will be selling

the queen always has great photos too, and right now there is a wonderful vintage Halloween masked ball print to see.

And of course, I always check out my buddy, Beth to see what wry and witty things she has to say or what fab finds she got at the last estate sale. Right now, she has an infestation of creatures creeping around her place and hiding in all the nooks and crannies.

One last Halloween Witch, looking really really scary before I remind you this is the last day of the

October Drawing. I will wait till the 2nd to announce the winner so you can leave comments on THIS POST till then. (COMMENTS FROM ALL MONTH COUNT TOO)

The prize is a Cottage College Kit with vintage wallpaper OR a hand made item from one of my kits.

Happy Halloween, everyone! Of course, you know what that means tomorrow is?? The biggest candy bargain day of the year! I will fill my shopping cart with 75% off chocolate and start the count down to Christmas weight gain early.

Following the wrong path and enjoying the surprises along the way

fairies, family, paintings, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / October 26, 2007

I’ve had one of those weeks, where no matter how earnest and sincere my plan to stick to a schedule is, those plans just disappear into something totally unplanned.

Today was supposedly a work day. It turned into a ride to Kansas City to buy a used truck for my son. That turned into a trek with the entire family to find a Cracker Barrel, which should have been simple, but somehow wasn’t. The search was worth it, have you tried the carrot cake there? But the hour and a half trip to get the truck so I could get back to work was now 3 1/2 hours at this point.

And what did I drive by on the way home? A sign for a pumpkin patch. I HAD to stop and take Sugarwings.

Pumpkins as far as the eye can see, and in Kansas, you can see pretty far into the horizon!

She picked out a ghost and a tiny pumpkin that was just her size.

Notice I have my work clothes on? I certainly had good intentions of running a quick errand and getting right back to work.

Then, at home, I was packing up my watercolors to take to the Ozarks for the weekend. Instead of getting them ready, and then working on my hand painted signs that I need to finish up, I hit another sidetrack.

And ended up with this painting of Sugarwings. I’m going to use it for our Christmas cards this year and maybe work it into a blog banner for the holidays.

So, even though this day was far from what I had planned, it was a great day- Carrot cake, family time, a first visit to the pumpkin farm, then a surprise painting. Much more fun, (although less productive) than sticking to a schedule and working all day.

I’m lucky to be able to let the day lead me where it wants to. Not a bad life, huh?

Now I am off to the Ozarks for 3 days. See you later!

Hanging around

antiques/junking, family, hand painted signs, paintings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / October 25, 2007

I did manage to get a few signs painted yesterday. A friend was having a garage sale and of course I had to drop by to see what she had… and this cabinet door was only 50 cents! What great old crackly paint, it made a perfect surface (after a light sanding) to paint on!

The design is pretty simple, not a lot of detail goes into my signs and wall hangings.

Which is how I am able to get so many done in one day. Actually, these 6 were all after dinner last night. From about 8 till midnight or so.

Twinkle seems to think all cameras are aimed only at her, nothing else. I have raised her to be a ham, she loves to pose!

See what I mean?

These stockings were half off of 75% at Tuesday Morning! That made them about $1 each. I’d like to embellish them and foof them up, but don’t sew. It can only be glued on items, or maybe some paint?

The round white frame isn’t finished yet. It was gold with a print I didn’t care for in it, cheap at a garage sale, or somewhere, I buy so much crap, sometimes I don’t even remember getting it.

I painted over the print and the frame and am going to make an acrylic painting of roses in it.

The red signs are parts of a broken magazine rack I pulled out of a dumpster.

This is the mirror I got from the same dumpster earlier this year. I thought I’d paint it, but I really like it as it is. I hung it in my living room this morning and think it goes well with the faux finish in there.

While I had the hammer and nails out, I found a place to hang this BEAUTIFUL piece that Beth gave to me.

I used pink tulle topped off with a millinery flower to hang it by the guest bath sink, then filled it with soaps. I buy a big bagful of those Bed Bath and Bodyworks glycerin soaps (vanilla!) in January when they go on sale for a dollar each. It is usually a years supply, for little gifts and filling baskets and jars, and for using them too, since they smell so good!

Yesterday afternoon, I made this custom order for Heather who is going through a sad time right now.

Usually, I hang the signs from wire that doesn’t show, but knowing Heather and her romantic sense of style, I thought I’d add a millinery flower and some tulle to hang it from. I also spent some extra time on the roses, they aren’t the typical quickie ones I did on the other signs.

Since she has had a loss in the family, I made a little gift to put in the package too, I know she likes vintage wallpaper as much as I do, so used that. I also found an image with a little girl and some doves, which I thought went along with the phrase she had asked for on the sign. I put an "H" for her name in rhinestones on the tag made from old paper and hung it on an aqua organdy ribbon to personalize it further.

There really isn’t much you can do for someone when they lose a family member. I just wanted to show her that I cared and was thinking of her.

Well, on a happier note-

My niece, Shelli (Sissy’s daughter, who is closer to my age and more like a sister than a niece) sent this photo of pumpkins her family carved.

She says they toasted the seeds after and ate them. I’ve never tried that, my boys and I always had pumpkin "gut" fights with the innards. We’d throw the slimy stuff at each other and it would always end up with the two of them smearing it in each other’s faces. See why I love little Sugarwings so much? I deserve a sweet little girl after raising those two boys!

More Halloween goodness from family- Sissy made these witches with pictures of her friends.

Don’t forget every comment enters the drawing. The giveaway will be November 1st!

TWO HUNDRED posts!

celebrations, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, family, give away, I do tend to run on, don't I?, Sugarwings, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / October 22, 2007

Today is my 200th post! Wow, who knew when I started doing this I would LOVE blogging so much and have such a great time with it?

Before I started writing a blog, I didn’t even really read them. I didn’t know the wealth of friendship, entertainment, and creativity out there.

If I had, I would have come up with a more creative name, or at least I’d like to think that! I would have at least used "Karkie" instead of "Karla", that is what my family calls me. My business name was "Comfort and Joy" that might have been better. Oh well, too hard to change at this point!!

Maybe I’ll list 200 reasons why I love writing my blog?! I am known for long and rambling posts….

Well, here are a few at least-

I’ve met the most generous and fun people. Like the blogger friend who sent little Sugarwings this dress as a gift, but doesn’t want me to tell anyone who she is.

I always say that bloggers are the most generous souls I’ve ever met.

I’ve gotten to know some other artists, whose works I’d never have seen, like my friend, Bethany who drew this for her 200th post and let me "borrow" it because I just thought it was the cutest sketch ever.

I get to have fun with my Sis, by she and I participating in challenges and swaps together.

Beachy is having a challenge now to use an old photo and show what you have done. This is Sissy’s result!! Wow!!

Here is mine, from the same vintage photo. Not as fanciful as Sis’s, but what could be, hers is so wonderfully fun!

I combined the challenge with making a card for Carole who is a kind hearted blogging friend who is having a rough time with her back surgery.

Mary Lou is gathering up cards to send to Carole. See, didn’t I say that bloggers were giving people?

I’ve shown this photo before, it is of my Sissy. Can you see why her challenge photo turned into a flock of fairies? She IS a fairy. Sugarwings takes after her Great Aunt Sissy.

I love that my blog keeps me in touch with my family and friends. I live far away from most of them and this just makes me feel a bit more connected. Maybe they can feel like they are more of a part of my life when they see Sugarwings and the rest of us and read about what we are up to.

And of course, I have been able to sell my work from the blog, and connect it to my Etsy Shop, which I’d never even heard of before seeing it pop up on so many other blogs.

Now, Phyllis will be having a virtual craft show, yet another fun way to meet more bloggers and do some mingling and shopping.

I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to show some of my artwork too. What artist doesn’t need a venue to be seen in?

And I have been encourage and inspired to try different things and branch out by other bloggers and the things I see them do.

My buddy, Beth and I like to make projects together and gossip about what we’ve read and who is doing what. We feel like these blogs we read are written by neighbors and friends. Each one is like getting a post card full of news from a pal.

(by the way- there is a FLEA MARKET on Beth’s site right now, time for more shopping!)

Also, I get to share my experiences and talk about where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing.

Like the party I went to on Saturday. An artist friend,Louis Copt, has "CoptOberFest" every fall at his home.

Louis and Phyllis have the coolest, artiest home ever and I just feel like I HAVE to have a place to show photos of it! How many people do you know that build a kitchen around a wood fired pizza oven?

This is in Louis’ studio, with his Kansas landscapes on the walls behind Jen and Diane (more art friends).

Louis doesn’t just paint Kansas, he travels the world and does scenes from all over, he has taken groups on painting tours of France and Italy through the local art center. Someday, I hope to join one, but it will take a while to save up for it!

I took a class from Louis, and this is one of the paintings I did in it.

Which brings me to another reason I love blogging- tea parties!! Wasn’t Karis tea party fun? And I was so thrilled that I had so many ‘guests’ at my Romantic Country publication celebration, showing what they LOVED about their own homes.

I look forward to the "What do you Love about your Holiday Home" party. It will be on Wednesday Dec. 12th. PLEASE NOTE, THAT THIS IS A CHANGE- TOO MANY PEOPLE DON’T HAVE THEIR HOMES READY BY THE 5TH AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED!

I hope to meet many more new friends at that party. I hope you can all attend and tell your friends to come too.

I always am inspired by the generosity of bloggers, and want to thank Angelina’s cards for featuring me in her hightlighted artist segment.

And have I mentioned swaps and giveaways yet?? How fun are those? I just won these pretties from Dena, and will have tea party with my fairy grand baby with them soon.

I also love having giveaways myself. For my 200th post, all comments on #199 and today’s 200th will be entered to win this book and hand made book mark.

I will announce the winner on Wed. so everyone has time to enter.

Plus all comments through out the month are entered into my monthly drawing.

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to look at my pictures and read my ramblings and to the people who have taken the time to leave me over 3,500 comments! I try to answer each and everyone, but sometimes, for some weird reason, Typepad kicks the responses back to me, and the emails don’t go through. If you didn’t hear an answer from me, it wasn’t because I didn’t try.

Thanks again!

Guests come by the Cottage and one is a real live doll

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, family, Food and Drink, give away, hand painted signs, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / October 20, 2007

We have house guests at the cottage this weekend. An old college friend of my husband’s and his 3 teenagers with their dog, Bennet.

So far, Bennet and Twinks have wrestled non stop since he got here. It sounds like an entire herd of dogs running around upstairs. That is, when Twinkle’s feet get a chance to touch the ground. Our beautiful guest,Maddy is quite the dog lover and has been carrying Twinks everywhere she goes.

Maddy looks a bit like this paper doll doesn’t she?

I did this picture yesterday and have it listed on Etsy today.

Something a little different than what I usually do. I discovered that framed collage pieces require a a different mindset than the tags.

I made a couple more hanging pieces while I was at it. This one has a unique frame, it is a metal dish that I found junking this summer. Those portraits are tinted with pastels and then set down into the 2 cups of the tray. The piece itself is like a nut dish, or something like that. I can see it used for mints and nuts at a wedding a long time ago.

I am pretending that the old photos are of two sisters, one kind of plain and serious and the other blond and flirty and cute. Sounds a bit like the beginning to a Jane Austen novel, doesn’t it? I’m sure that the plain and serious sister married well and for love. And had nuts and mints at her wedding.

This is another metal tray from an estate sale, maybe it was meant as a boudoir tray? I think it might need a word or a phrase added to it. I am not good with that part of collage, but I will think about it, and look through some old books. Down near the doll there is a spot that could use a little something.

How sick are you of me showing button jars? I LOVE making those. I listed this one yesterday, all the others have sold and I only have 5 empty jars left to embellish, a couple of them will be commissions.

I’ll have to start checking out other jars to use, because they are so fun to make and it is rewarding when they fly out of the Etsy shop!

Although, I really need to get ready for my Holiday Sale. I should be getting serious and getting some painting done. I have to hand paint a few dozen ornaments and make some more of these signs.

As well as a million other things I need to have ready. I try to make a list of what needs to be done when, but I simply can’t follow it. I am not wired that way. I get side tracked by shiny objects and go off track and do something totally different.

Or I get sidetracked by my fairy grand baby. She has spent a lot of time with me this week. Last night she helped me make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from this recipe. I don’t usually use recipes, I wing it. But I saw this on Monica’s blog.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:
2 Cups flour
1 cup quick or old fashion oats, uncooked
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter /margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Libby’s Solid Pack Pumpkin
1 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels

preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Cream butter; gradually add sugars beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in morsels; drop by rounded spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Remove from sheets and cool on rack.

With a houseful of teenagers for the weekend, I thought I could use some more snacks so I mixed up a big batch of honey roasted nuts, regular peanuts, cashews, candy corn, broken up Hershey bars, and peanut butter chips.

I like to keep bowls of treats out to spoil the kids when they come to visit, and this is about as easy as it gets.

Speaking of cooking, I need to go tend to my huge pot of black bean chili that is on the stove. I am feeding a lot of people while they watch a KU game this afternoon. Maybe while they are watching football, I can squeeze in painting a few signs.

I will have my 200th post on Monday. Please leave a comment on this one, #199, or the 200th and I will have a drawing for the Foof of Life book and a hand made book mark to go with it. The drawing will be on my 201st.