flowers – Page 24 – Karla's Cottage

There’s No Place Like Home, but Okoboji isn’t bad

antiques/junking, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, flowers, give away, Sugarwings, Travel, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / July 16, 2007

It feels good to be back in Kansas!

We are back from our family reunion at Fellenwarth Beach, Lake Okoboji, Iowa. I felt like I took a trip back in time, or was on the set of Dirty Dancing at the Kellerman Lodge! This place was built in that era and has been updated, but still had that old fashioned feel. (but no Patrick Swayse, drat)

There was the cutest little amusement park next door, called Arnold’s Park. Sugarwings rode on her first carousel horsey and her Uncle Ryan won a prize for her in the bottle toss.

She had her first taste of ice cream.

At first she wasn’t sure what to think, and the cold didn’t make her very happy.

But once the flavor hit her taste buds, she decided Ice Cream is the best!!!

It wasn’t the cheapest place to stay, and I’m afraid that we made it even worse by pulling our boat up there, along with my BIL bringing his boat. If the nation experiences a huge gas shortage this week, it is because we used it all up in those two trucks. We could have spent a week in Florida at the beach for what we spent on a long weekend in Iowa.

But seeing relatives from all over the country made it worth it. It was great to be there for Little Joan’s 75th birthday (oh, and she liked the photo album I put together for her.)

I snuck away with baby brother, Randy and his husband, Kevin for a bit and we did some junking. Both of them are avid antiquers and that Kevin has a great eye and so much knowledge about what he sees. I just look for what is pretty, he knows values, and the history of what we come across.

I only had an hour or so to shop and there were SO MANY antique places up there. I was hoping to take more time junking, but just couldn’t be selfish during family time. But I did find lots of cool old papers, this album full of anniversary cards was $8, the kids books were $2, the kitten post card with glass eyes (how cool is that??) was $1.

I found a few other little pretties,

the white dog salt shaker- $2
shell vase $1
an oval frame with a German die cut cherub – $4 (and I seem to have packed that away somewhere in the vast luggage that isn’t unpacked yet)
But my best find, was these two cardboard courthouse record keepers, from 1917-1930.

They were jammed packed with correspondence, typewritten, and hand written!!

I’ll be adding some of these pages to the July Cottage Collage Kit giveaway. There are some wonderful pieces in the boxes, I can’t wait to have time to sift through them all. (the boxes were $15 each, but I was only going to buy one and then my BILs surprised me with a second one, how sweet)

Back to normal life, houseguests are gone, the vacation is over. I have so much unpacking to do and errands to run.

I went to the store to get soap to do up the mountain of laundry I brought back from Iowa, returned our books on tape that we listened to on the drive, and of course had to get some of the $1.99 bunches of flowers that are on sale every Monday. And Peaches were on sale for 88 cents lb. If they are good, I’ll go get more and make a pie or two.

Then, I swung by the Vet’s office to get my pile of Dorkies, and all of us worked outside, watering the garden and flowers. The little dorkies are all as happy to be home as I am!!

Temporary Studio Makeover and a Dog full of Glitter

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, family, flowers, Food and Drink, give away, Hand Painted Furniture, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / July 11, 2007

Entertaining at the cottage is going well this week. We had 21 for dinner tonight and my studio was set up as a dining room, all the kids craft projects and my work was hidden away.

I have discovered that when you are feeding a bunch of people, it doesn’t pay to plan too exactly, you need to go with the flow. Tonight I made the mistake of setting a big table up for all the adults, and a couple smaller tables for the kids. But of course, people just sat wherever they wanted and adults had kid silverware and kids had white table clothes under their BBQ! Oh well, you do what you can, but the most important part of a dinner is making everyone comfy and not bossing them around, so they can sit where ever they want. It is casual here at my cottage. People fix thier plates at the stove and carry them to the table. I keep it as simple as possible so I can enjoy the day too.

Flowers from the gardens, along with some china flowers from a flea market are on the table in a variety of vases, with votive lights in teacups for atmosphere. Very few of the chairs match each other, and neither do the salt and pepper shakers. The room itself is a bit of a hodge podge of stuff.

Here are a couple of my guests, Emma (who is so dainty and tiny, I call her a Mini M & M) and her baby sister, Rosebud, who seems to have glitter all over her somehow.

Speaking of glitter, if you look carefully, you can see just how much glitter Twinkle and her "trainer", Luke, have on them too. Click on the photo to enlarge it to see better.

Don’t forget to enter the drawing for a Cottage Collage Kit! Just leave a comment to enter.

Rose Moss, Red Birds, Cleomes and Rosebud

family, flowers, how-to projects

By Karla Nathan / July 8, 2007

Most of our houseguests are here and the visit is in full swing. My brother-in-law and his family, including a 5 year old who has decided to be Twinkle’s trainer (they have met their match in each other, both are constantly in motion) and a 5 week old baby. Life is exciting around here right now!

I did get all the cleaning done in my studio and transformed it into a dining room before they arrived. But barely! I was up til 4:30am, and they showed up at 7:30, after having decided to drive all night instead of stopping at a hotel. At least we were all equally tired!

While our cottage guests are out doing a bit of visiting, I took a calming, quiet breather in the garden and watered some plants. I was happy to see how big the rose moss in the bird cage was getting.

The rose moss has some filling in to do yet, but is getting a good start. I chose that to plant because I knew it could tolerate heat and didn’t need a lot of moisture, since this was a shallow planter. I always plant rose moss in my vintage cement swans for the same reason.

To make a bird cage into a planter, all I did was line the bottom with coconut fiber and fill it in with dirt. I dug up some good compost from the garden, added quite a few plants, maybe 10? and then put in a couple of old cement red birds, one is missing a beak, but I still love him. I could easily become the crazy old lady with too much yard art and more junk in the flower beds than flowers if I am not careful!

And look, my cleomes have started to bloom! Definitely one of my favorite garden flowers. They are so sturdy and easy to grow, and always reseed themselves. Yet, they have such a dainty look about them.

Here is a photo that Sissy sent to me of her cleome garden. Doesn’t it look like a fairy land??

Well, I hear the sound of 4 small children and a baby getting out of the car, the guests must be back. I get to go and hold the little 5 week old girl now. Her name is Sydney, but she has such a sweet little rosebud mouth, that of course, I have to call her Rosebud. She still has that little old man look about her, but with that mouth, I can tell she’ll grow up to be beauty. And she is a cuddly girl. With 4 older sibs, she gets passed around a lot!

I DO have Red, White, & Blue!

antiques/junking, flowers, Food and Drink, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / July 4, 2007

When I helped my friend Beth http://bethleintz.typepad.com/ redo her booth earlier, I took photos of it, saying that I wouldn’t have any red white and blue to post for July 4th and wanted to use her patriotic display that we made.

So here are a couple of shots of her antique booth. She does have cool stuff.

And then, my match box swap partner http://www.hophopjingleboo.blogspot.com/ sent this piece to me, along with the box full of goodies. I added glitter and punched a star in it to tie a ribbon onto it.

While I was sitting at the craft table, I noticed the stack of matchboxes that I bought for the swap. hey, r,w, & b! (and yes, of course I saved all the matches from the boxes I emptied out)

My glazed pottery jar full of markers was on the work table, and I saw that it was along those lines of patriotic colors too.

I looked around the studio some more and saw a white ironstone cup full of blue bird feathers, sitting on a post card featuring red roses.

I also noticed a collage I had done last year that had this little gal with red roses and blue forget me nots in the center.

The first stepping stone outside the studio has red and blue flowers in stained glass (and whitish cement).

And there are red begonias, white dusty miller, and a blue plumbago outside my door too.

I can’t forget Ole Blue! My ’81 Ford Ranger that has an 8 track player in it and came with a box of country music 8 tracks under the seat when we bought him.

My little red gazing ball has blue flecks in the glass.

Happy 4th! Our coolers are packed and we’re headed to the lake.

Gorious Gifts, Grandbabies, and Gardens

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), flowers, Sugarwings, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / July 3, 2007

The fairy grandbaby and I had a great day in the gardens. I had found this bouncy car at a garage sale for $2 and it is perfect for her to sit in while I plant, dig, and do a shot of Miracle Grow here and there.

I’d say my Miracle Grow is working- look at the height of that gladiola!!!

I am almost 5’3", here I am standing in the flower bed next to the gladiola and holding it up to the back of my head and trying to snap a photo to show how high the plant is. I’d say it is at least my height.

and yes I know my fingernails look awful- I’ve been gardening and don’t wear gloves. plus I have an ugly rash. I have been sick from a tick bite and am on antibiotics for it. Maybe I shouldn’t show these kinds of photos???

At least Sugarwings is pretty in this picture! Our poor front yard is a mess, we have a construction project on the road in front of the house and it is so torn up, it is hard to get a mower over to that spot. This flower bed just goes wild. I haven’t done much to it in years, planted hardy native plants and let it go.

We worked in the herb beds together, after going to the garden center and getting a lot of 99 cent plants that were on clearance.

Sugarwings and Twinkle are totally in love with each other. That dog never leaves the baby’s side. Of course, the baby often has tasty things smeared on her too.

See my old wheelbarrow in the back? Kim at http://deardaisycottage.typepad.com/ has one like it with flowers planted in hers, but I use mine to do yard work.

The planter boxes on my gazebo are starting to fill out. I kept them simple this year, just some inpatients, begonias and ivy.

This is the first time I have ever bought the hanging planters ready to go, I usually make my own. But Walmart had them on sale for $5.88 each, how can you put one together for much less?

I have 3 planter boxes on the gazebo, but they don’t match. I find them at garage sales and kind of like that they are all different.

A friend made the mosaic birdhouse for me in trade for a little fairy watercolor I did.

The garden center also had these glow in the dark hose guards on sale too.

(yes, Sissy, I bought some for you and Bobbie Sue too!)

I bought a glow in the dark hose guard for Sugarwings to put in front of her house too, but I think she wanted the big ball instead.

Well today might have been about as nice as a day gets. I could be the luckiest person around.

And speaking of lucky– look what I got in the match box swap that Natasha http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/ hosted. Deb at http://www.hophopjingleboo.blogspot.com/ was my partner and she sent me a big box full of delightful things!! I am starting to feel like a chintzy partner, I haven’t sent that much out, and always get such generous packages from everyone. Heck, for the tiara swap, Barb http://www.123lavenderlollipoplane.blogspot.com/ even sent my fairy grand baby a gift!!

Look at some of these treasures from Deb!!!

One side of this medallion was her logo, the other side has my name.

I hung it in my dining room china cabinet on the carnival glass dish that was my mom’s.

And look at the box itself, she used the large size (of course I used the small one and feel bad) and added to it, so that you wouldn’t even know right off that it was made from a matchbox.

I wonder if I should even continue swapping? I need to beef up my packages. I have been on the skimpy side too much, do you think I am getting a bad rep out there in blogland and no one will trade with me after this?? Karen of http://www.creativechaos.typepad.com/ was my first partner and she went over board too. An unbelievable may basket came from her.

Anyway, Deb, thanks so much, I am overwhelmed, it is such a great box of goodies. Love it!! And everyone should go to her site and see the bunny swap slide show she has, way cool.

Well, I’m off to take a nap before dinner, a day with a fairy grand baby can be a wonderful and exhausting thing. Plus, the Dr. says I have some sort of rare blood infection from this tick bite and I just don’t feel like myself. I think that is why I was so grouchy while trying to do some red, white, and blue bookmarks. It wasn’t the color, it was the ehrlichiosis!

More is Better!!!

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, flowers, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 25, 2007

Why would I just make one of something when I can make a bunch?? Seems to be how I live my life, "More is Better!" should be my motto.

I really enjoyed the matchbox swap and just had to make up the rest of the package of matchboxes into something pretty.

I used vintage papers, ribbons,

and added some hand painting or drawing to each one, along with some 3-d bit of something nice to the tops.

And yes, they are filled up with trinkets and trivial little goodies.

Oh, and did I mention Glitter? Yep, there is glitter.

All 4 sides of the sleeves are decorated and the entire tray is painted, with glitter sprinkled inside the tray.

The bottoms are cute too.

Every one contains:

a page from a mini almanac from the 1800s

a bit of old wallpaper

a die cut flower from an old page of English die cuts

a stamp sized copy of an old portrait picture

some jewels

2 genuine amethyst beads

a vintage button or two

a large, tear drop shaped, moonstone quartz bead

some teeny bezels to add something to, and one bezel with an old bead added to it already

a charm frame to use in your crafting

The almanac page in the moon inspired box is about the eclipse of 1893.

All of them are a bit different, but have a similar amount of work and comparable amount of trinkets inside.

I’ll be listing a few on Etsy, but if you’d like to own a hand crafted, tiny treasure box you can contact me through this blog or email. They will be priced at $10 each.

And of course, "more is better" with Dorkies too! I took my 3 and my brother-in-law’s 2 dorkies out on the lake last night.

Oh my god, did I really just post a photo of myself in a bathing suit??? I must be crazy. I guess I am so covered up in furry little dogs, no one will notice my middle aged body.

Back when I was in my 20s and probably looked OK in a bathing suit, I never would have allowed a photo of myself in one to be seen. It is a relief to be older and comfortable in my own skin, even if it is starting to sag and crinkle up.

"More is Better" but 5 dogs in a boat is a lot. They are:

Sparkle, Twinkle, Arty, Bookie, and Ruby. Hopefully next year, Arty and Twinks will ‘hook up’ and we’ll have a few more puppies around!!!

I have a list of people waiting for Dorkie babies. We usually give a couple away to family and friends from each batch, but it has been 4 years since our last litter. So, the list of people waiting for a dog is getting long. Twinkle had better be as prolific with her puppies as I am with my art projects!

SIX DAYS LEFT TO ENTER THE DRAWING FOR THE HAND PAINTED CHARM, leave a comment if you want to enter!

Ps- does anyone have trouble opening my blog? Kim at Daisy Cottage says that she does and my neice told me that it opens slow for her. Any other problems with it?

Also, should I try to do shorter posts? I do seem to run on and on and on. Like I said, "More is Better" has always been my motto, but I wonder if I get a bit carried away and no one has time to look at what all I put out there?

I’ll be back on Thursday, we’re going to St Louis for a couple of days!

Dumpster redos

antiques/junking, flowers, Hand Painted Furniture, how-to projects, paintings, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 22, 2007

Today was mostly a day of primers and base coats. I spread drop cloths everywhere, set up card tables and got out a bunch of junk that needed to be painted white.

I found this little toy vanity/jewelry box at a garage sale last week for $2, and the weird mask thing was in the dumpster that I climbed into.

Presto chango- and abra cadabra- magically these pieces are now transformed.

A light sanding, 2 coats of bonding primer, and some white paint were added to all these items. Then, for the mask and the shelf that I also found in the dumpster, I added 3 more shades of white with a sponge.

Medium grade sand paper, lightly rubbed over the edges of the toy vanity gave the piece an aged feel. I added a vine of roses to the top of its oval mirror, then a garland of flowers to the bottom drawer.

I was glad I got to get some flowers done, because I had so many things to get a coat of white onto, plus visited with Sugarwings for a few hours today, did yard work and went to the grocery store TWICE.
Here is my list of what got base coated today:
the 4′ x 4′ mirror from last week’s garage sale (flowers to be added later)
toy vanity
weird mask thing (finished)
a piece of ceiling tin to add flowers to
part of a desk, cut in half and made into a nightstand -(pictures later, when I add the finishing touches)
the shelf from the dumpster (finished)
4 pieces of a magazine rack I found in the dumpster and took apart to make into wall hangings (pictures later)
a small gold frame that I added music paper and flowers to (finished)
a metal box with a lid to add flowers to later
a watering can to paint flowers onto

I am not sure about the odd mask. It is interesting, but Not My Style. Although, I do like a bit of funky stuff around. Maybe in the garden? Or maybe I’ll sell it, let me know if it is YOUR style.. $15?

Playing with Sugarwings was a good break in the afternoon. After she left, I finished up with the white and then had time to add some flowers.

I had bought this tiny frame (with an ugly picture in it) when I went on vacation last month and shopped at goodwill in Indianapolis. Today, I primed, and painted the frame, then glued down old sheet music. Over that I painted some flowers.

I distressed the frame slightly with sand paper, and coated the whole thing, picture, frame and all, with umber glaze and wiped it off. $35 if anyone wants to buy it. I will add it to my Etsy shop next week, or email me here before then.

My handsome son, Ryan, came down to the studio to talk while I painted. He’s good company and loves to chat. But, he is so shy with other people. I wish he’d meet a girl. He simply will not get out and meet people, and certainly will never find the love of his life playing his guitar or video games up in his apartment, or hanging out watching horror movies with his mom or staying up all night working out with the punching bag or watching wrestling on TV. That is all he does besides go to work.

He is my biggest worry in what I think is a pretty happy life. I just want him to meet someone he can be comfortable with, but he is so reclusive and shy. It certainly isn’t his looks holding him back, is it?? What a cutie.

Typical mom, I worry. I want this son to be as happy as Sugarwing’s dad is with his little family.

Sorry, I shouldn’t be running on like this is a diary and I am pouring out my problems. Back to some eye candy—

Michaels had swavorsky crystals on sale for $2 a bag.

I bought a few bags in different colors and shapes. Love the teardrops.

Oh, I forgot to add this soap dish to my list of what I base coated white today. It was brass before. I might add a glaze to give it some age and depth.

And here is another photo of my new cafe set, just because I like it and it is fun to get new things that don’t need anything done to them! No painting, no fixing, just unload it from the car and enjoy it!

But I did paint the cement cherub statue. She was spray painted gold, uck.

Dumpster Diving, Glittering Bottles and a Shimmering Fairy

antiques/junking, fairies, flowers, jewelry, swaps

By Karla Nathan / June 20, 2007

Some signs are meant to be ignored.

Especially when they are on the side of a dumpster full of good stuff! Well, not all of it was good, but it was all old. Much was broken or ruined from rain on the dumpster the night before or from years of neglect in the basement.

And by the look on my face, some of it smelled.

If only I was searching for polyester, I’d be set.

But I did see an old bottle at the bottom that might be interesting.

Here are my favorite finds from the dumpster. Love the mirror!

The shelf and the rusty wire thing are cool too. I also got a gold Syroco Mardi Gras type mask.

I did manage to dig out the bottle I was digging for too. It is a Johnson & Johnson glass bottle, not all that old, I’d say early 60’s. But it is a cool shape and cleaned up nicely.

I filled the bottle with glitter, added a silver engraved bit from an earring to the top, an aurora Borealis rhinestone pin to the bows, and a lovely tag from Holly Doodle to the neck of it. I tied another of her tags to the Tuesday Morning clearance aisle bottle that I got for 99 cents and am using it for glitter too.

And how was I lucky enough to get these pretty tags with "K"s on them from Miss Holly Doodle?

Natasha Burns http://www.natashaburns.com/ set up a mini fairy swap, with Holly http://hollydoodledesigns.com/WordPress/ and Heather http://prettypetalsboutique.blogspot.com/.

The package that came in the mail today from Holly had the prettiest box, covered in old wallpaper and sheet music.

Inside the box were three vintage wall paper tags with glittering "k"s on them.

And nestled down into a pink tissue nest, was this little ballerina fairy. She is sprinkled with shimmering glitter and seems right at home here at the cottage.

I have her next to the pansy mug I bought at Junker Jo’s garage sale for $2. It is filled with my $1.99 clearance roses from Monday’s floral markdowns at the grocery store. Aren’t they are perfect fit together?

I HAVE AN ETSY SHOP!!!!!!!!!!

Etsy Goodies, fairies, flowers, Hand Painted Furniture, paintings, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 19, 2007

I started an Etsy Shop!!http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5099942

I only listed a few things so far. I will add to it as the week goes by.

I hope to carry raw materials for supplies, like these garden tags, and some finished pieces like the tags I made up from a couple of the tags always available.

These tags look like they were meant for a garden center to use to mark their plants. I have plenty, the offer still goes for 12 for $1, includes postage,(unless you live somewhere overseas, then the postage will need to be added)

I also listed one of my hand painted switch plates. I have sold a couple through the blog already, and am making more.

I will be listing more hand painted items too.

Well, it is a start, I actually set the shop up and listed some stuff, after saying for MONTHS that I was going to! Wish me luck.

Today started with me going over to Sugarwing’s house to pick her up. She was sound asleep, but always wakes with a smile!

Their place is a rental, but that is no reason to live with plain walls! I faux finished these for her to enjoy. When they move out, a quick coat of white over it will get their deposit back.

Her bed is painted with fairies, the one on the right is a Dorothy fairy, Sugarwing’s mama is a big Wizard of Oz fan.

I got this bed for her on clearance for 75% off. It had been $1,000!!! My god, who pays $1,000 for a baby bed?????? I was happy with this cool bed for $250, though.

We picked up my niece and met a group of friends for coffee (for the moms, not the girls, they had juice) at Bella Bistro. Lovely murals there to enjoy. (not mine, although I have a few murals at places here in Lawrence)

While my fairy grand baby is napping, I went out to pull some garden weeds.

It is starting to look good out there! The green tomatoes are getting bigger.

My husband tried to help by tying up the tomato plants for me, but he used old mop handles, broken bits of wood, and metal fence stakes for posts. He honestly sees nothing wrong with that. I tried to politely explain that it was sweet of him to help, but that I wanted a prettier garden. Oh well, the tomatoes will grow and cover it all up with green and I’ll never notice the mop handles. I guess I am just lucky to have a husband who helps.

12 days left to enter the drawing for a hand painted charm! Leave a comment or an email, enter as often as you’d like to.

my Brother from another Mother, a Fairy Princess, and a purple haze

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), flowers, how to's, paintings, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 18, 2007

I just found out that my tiara swap partner

http://www.123lavenderlollipoplane.blogspot.com/

and I have the same birthday, 5-5-58! Now I am curious to find out how close horoscopes actually are. I want to quiz her to see how Taurus-ey we match up.

I wrapped her tiara up like a birthday present with some sparkling tissue and a dangling purple crystal. And of course a flower, us May girls love flowers–"April showers bring May flowers". My mother always used to tell me that meant me, I was her May flower.

Barb’s address is 123 Lavender Lollipop Lane, so I made a tag for the package with a hand painted purple lollipop all glittered up and tied with a bow.

I like to mix collage work with hand painting. I am such a quick painter that it is actually faster for me to paint something than to dither through all the boxes and shelves of papers I collect to decide what to add next. But, then half the fun of doing any collage work is playing with all that gorgeous paper you collect!

And of course, the lollipop had to have a crown too.

I painted the lollipop on watercolor paper, cut it out and glued it to the tag that I had attached pretty scrapbook paper to (on sale at Michaels for 10 CENTS a sheet). Then, the crown was cut out of gold holographic mylar paper, that I glittered up and added crystals to.

I wrote the address directly onto the tag and screwed it up (I have notoriously bad handwriting). So I re-wrote it (more carefully this time, I do tend to scribble) onto a snip of matching scrapbook paper and glued it over the screwed up writing and outlined it in marker. Sometimes, messing up a project makes it better, I like the added layer of the striped paper on the tag.

Next, I glued a border of sparkling trim (used on the tiara) to the edges and tied a bunch of ribbons to the top. Then of course, the ribbons were in the way when I went to glue down paper to the back of the tag. I do get ahead of myself.

Sugarwings tried on the tiara before she went home after our Father’s Day Extravaganza Brunch.

I should make her a princess crown of her own. But she’d eat it.

More purple! A verbena started up between the bricks at my garden entry. Last year, I had planted some in the hanging baskets above the bricks.

Don’t those pavers look like they have been there forever? Actually, it is just simply bad installation. I did it myself and they are all settling in and sagging. I like that look, though.

I accomplished lots of yard work yesterday, was spreading mulch and trimming up. When I went to the garden center for a few bags of Cyprus, I found this table and chair set for 75% off.

And since my husband shared his big casino jackpot winnings, not only with his son and dad- but with me! I treated myself to something new. I usually just buy garage sale furniture, but couldn’t pass this set up. It was $79 for all three pieces. Not a bad deal for such a heavy, well made set, and its very Frenchy looking, isn’t it?

(and look- purple in this shot too)