give away – Page 19 – Karla's Cottage

To Frame or Not to Frame, that is the question.

By Karla Nathan / June 1, 2007

Thanks to everyone who helped out with advice! Overwhelmingly, the frames have the vote. But, here is a close up in case you want to re-think it.

3 ways of doing the charms are shown here:

1- plain

2- dangling frame

3- plain with vintage pink crystal

I think my problem with the frame is that it is kind of big, and slightly cheesey, too shiny, maybe?? And see how the rose paintings sway inside of the frame?

Well, the photo in the catalog I ordered them from looked so much better! I’m sure there are ways to age them, a little sand paper and a soak in an oxidizing liquid might make them more appealing to me. But, I do tend to be overly picky, maybe that is not necessary.

Here is what I did with one empty frame, I used it on a page in the scrap book I am making for my sister-in-law, Sandy. I added gold paint and glued a gem into the jump ring.( I went back and glued another tiny jewel in the other jump ring hole after I saw this picture)

Speaking of cheesey, not every page in a scrap book is a winner. This one is a bit much. I just gaudied after slapping down the picture by trimming it in gold paint and plopping some Michaels clearance stickers in the corners. Sometimes it is nice to just do some quick & simple pages and not worry about being ‘arty’!

My BFF, Beth http://bethleintz.typepad.com/ came over today to work on charms together. She is in the same swap and we thought we’d hang out while we worked on them. She is in the tiara swap too. I’m really looking forward to that one! We’ll get together to make those too. It is always good to have another person to bounce ideas off of.

I should have taken a better photo of her charms, instead of just this one of the one on her nose.

Here she is in action. Looks like she is in CRAFTING NINJA MODE.

We are signing up to go to the Silver Bella classes in Omaha during November!!!! I’ve never done anything like that before, am more of a do-it-yourselfer than a class-taker. But I think it will be a blast and I hope to meet some blogging friends there.

If you want to join us, it should be a lot of fun, and we can take that sharp knife away from Beth if it frightens you.

We like to get together for projects as often as we can. The shirt she is wearing is one we did last summer. I threw a tie dye baby shower for Sugarwings, and everyone brought something white to dye. I ended up with a life time supply of fiber reactive dyes because I bought so many, wanting one in every color to use that day!

So every once in a while, we do a craft day with them. She and I both complain about how many shirts we ruin with Coffee splotches, and this is a good way to save a stained tee shirt. Tie dye camouflage!

I’m a coffee dribbler and about half of my shirts are dyed over. I’m wearing one in the photo above, with Sandy and I surrounded by stickers and gaudy gold paint.

You can still enter my charm/swap giveaway! I made 30 of them and only need 22. So for any comment left in the month of June, I’ll enter you to win one. And if you like them framed, that is how I will send yours to you.

I also have some to sell if anyone wants to buy one. They are teeny little paintings of a rose on a piece of textured watercolor paper attached to a metal charm then protected with diamond glaze. With or without a frame as you would like, with or with out a vintage crystal bead, as you would like. But no two are the same, all are hand painted. Some have hydrangeas with the roses, some have daisies too, but most are a single rose. Heck, I can custom paint one for you how ever you’d like too. They are fun to make.

$10 each plus $2.50 postage

I might need better photos. I am not having a very attractive photo day. Oops, no offense, Beth, that isn’t how I meant it!!

Another Giveaway, Another Charm

flowers, give away, jewelry

By Karla Nathan / May 31, 2007

I’m no longer confused by my charm swap, the kind hostess, Mary, http://mymothersdaughter-maryb.blogspot.com/2007/04/anyone-up-for-charm-swap.html explained that we still need to make 22 charms even though she hasn’t heard from everyone. If there are extras, she’ll send them back.

So this afternoon, I painted 25 thumbnail size roses on watercolor paper, (and added 3 teeny fairies too, wonder what that is for??).

I am so bummed by the charm pieces I ordered to put them on. When I ordered them online, I thought I was getting a solid piece, but they are two pieces, the centers come out and swing free in the frame.

And of course, I ordered about a million of them at once, thinking that the photo of them was perfect and I’d want to make a TON of these things, and just ought to order them all at once to save postage. Now I have all these charms and don’t like working with them.

There are a lot of extra steps involved since I can’t simply pop the paintings into the tiny frames and cover them with diamond glaze. I have to take the pieces all apart first, and now will have to reassemble them. But- I think I like them better WITHOUT the dangling frame. What do you think?

I have the diamond glaze coat on them and sprinkled a hint of glitter over it. The glaze is still wet in the photo here, it looks cloudy yet. I am always too impatient to wait for things to dry.

I’ve never been in a charm swap before, I want these to look nice. So here’s an idea, give me your advice and have a chance to win one!!

Here is a close up, still cloudy, because it is wet- but what do you think? Should I hang them in their frame or leave them as is? Vote or leave a comment this week and I’ll enter you in a drawing to win one of the extra ones I made today!

And The Winner Is……..

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), flowers, Food and Drink, give away, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 27, 2007

Just a quick note to announce the Cottage Charm Giveaway WINNER– I’ve been busy smooshing as much as I can into my last day of vacation, and here it is almost midnight and I want to get the winner named before the next day begins. So, congratulations to:

Niki at http://nostalgiaatthestonehouse.blogspot.com/

Thank you everyone for all the kind comments and for entering. I promise to have many more give aways, these have been a lot of fun for me, and I make a lot of crap (I mean arty stuff) so will always have something to give as a present!! So keep checking back, I’ll start another contest soon.

Today is the last day of my trip, tomorrow will be spent in the car all day. Hopefully, not too much of it will be spent stuck in Indy 500 traffic as we try to leave this town….. My day started with a special brunch by Sissy.

Fresh fruit salad, homemade bread, cherry jam that I bought in the mountains, vanilla yogurt, and wait, what is in the chickie?

A boiled egg!

We’ll all miss staying at Sis’s enchanted cottage. Sparkle and the other dorkies were treated like treasured family members and were spoiled rotten. But, that is how every guest is treated here.

(Even though Twinkle pooped on Sis’s rug and it had to be taken outside to be washed. That is why it is on the ground behind Sparkle)

Well, I’m off to pack, then get a bit of sleep before we fight the race crowd traffic tomorrow and head home!

Last Chance to enter the Drawing, Peacocks, and Petunias

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), give away, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 26, 2007

Twinks is enjoying her vacation too, and has been playing with her Aunt Sissy’s petunias.

We’re off to a big old antique mall south of Indy to shop. Hopefully, I’ll have photos when I get back.

In the meantime, I wanted to remind everyone that it is not too late to enter the COTTAGE CHARM GIVEAWAY.

I will pick a winner tonight after I bask in the glory of playing all the treasures I find on my junking day today. My sis is going to help with the drawing tonight, so keep entering, you have the rest of the day to EMAIL OR LEAVE A COMMENT to win.

One more photo from Sissy’s magical cottage. Here is a table with a blue mirrored top that I painted and gave to her. On it, sits a Goodwill vase and Capademonte angels she also scoured from Goodwill.

Our Grandma did the needlepoint peacock picture in the back, and the peacock feathers in the vase were from Percy, my pet peacock.

I know, I know, I already said, One More Picture- but while I was talking about peacock, I had to show you what we found yesterday, so here is another One More Picture.

Sis bought this pretty peacock purse at Goodwill yesterday, along with the etched wine glass. (yes, I know it is a clutch, not a purse, but I was in the mood for alliteration). The purple perfume is vanilla violet, and I splurged on that for myself at Sephora. My sisters, niece and I were all spritzed in multiple vanilla scents and I tried on every single color of eye shadow in the store. One was accidentally a lip gloss, so my eyelids got a bit goopy.

Underneath the peacock purse is a gaudy, frilly, bathing suit with sequins that I found at TJMaxx for myself. It was supposed to have a skirt, but that was missing, so they sold it to me for less. And I will keep a pair of shorts over my big butt the whole time unless I am under water any way. The skirt wouldn’t have covered enough, so I was happy with the discount and leaving the skirt behind, where ever it is lurking at TJMax.

On the Road

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), give away, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 17, 2007

We’re leaving on our trip, driving from KS to North Carolina with a stop in Tennessee on the way there and Indiana on the way back. Family visits, hiking, rafting and junking are what we have planned (well, my husband didn’t hear about the junking part yet!).

My bags are packed and I am ready to go. Now, if I could just get Twinkle to throw her toys in the bag, we’re set.

I will try to check email from the road, so go ahead and keep entering for the Cottage Charm giveaway! Here is the charm that will be the gift from me. If you have trouble leaving a comment, just Email me, and that will count too. I don’t know why it can be hard to comment sometimes.

I have to extend the deadline for my part of the contest, I am afraid. More chances to enter!! I will be back Memorial Day. See you then, and please don’t forget about me, I’ll be back soon and posting ridiculously long and meandering things like I usually do.

Feeling Sentimental and LAST CHANCE FOR THE MAY BUCKET

flowers, give away, jewelry, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / May 14, 2007

Still basking in the glory of my marvelous Mother’s Day, my thoughts are on family things.

I never knew my great grandmother, but found out that when she was 18, she went away to art school. Not something a lot of young girls did in 1906.

She did a handful of pieces while there, then came home to be a farm wife. No more time for art when there are chickens to feed and a family and garden to tend. Thinking about it makes me realize how lucky I am to have so much time to make things pretty.

I was given these two pictures done by my great grandmother, Nellie during her short time away at art school I think that if I had known her, we would have had a lot in common.

Sentimental days are good for scrap booking. I’d made a book of my husband’s family earlier, but didn’t care for the way I’d done the cover. So, I added a faded and torn old piece of red velvet from an ancient album and glued a vintage oval framed family photo onto it.

Rich (my husband) is the dapper young man in the bow tie.

At the top of the oval frame, I added a brooch that belonged to my sweetie’s grandma. I used to wear it, but the clasp is broken, so I thought this would be safer.

Since I had my glues out, and was thinking family type thoughts, I made a couple more Sugarwings pages in my journal/scrapbook. I was never a scrap booker until she came along. Now, I try to add a few pages a week, as I take photos of her.

When she grows up and looks at my book, do you think she’ll roll her eyes at me, and say, "Oh, Grandmama, wings- again??!"

I also did a photo shoot today at my house with my pal, photographer, Diane Guthrie, who did the Romantic Homes layout with me last year. We got half done and will finish tomorrow. I’m afraid that I can’t tell you any more about it for now, but here is a teeny peek from my camera- not hers.

We did 3 photos in 2 hours, that is not a bad rate. Maybe 3 or 4 more tomorrow and we should be set.

Well, maybe one more teeny peek.

You know a photo shoot sounds glamorous, but in real life it is a mess. I had cords and lights and equipment all over, plus I had all the ordinary, everyday, useful things piled up out of the way of the camera, so that only pretty things were in the shots. I did run across town to Walmart before Diane arrived so I could get 2 white toothbrushes in case they showed, I wanted them to match the bathroom! Sounds silly, but those little details matter.

My bathroom is still all topsyturvey and will be until we are done.

Don’t forget about the MAY BUCKET!!

Today is the last day to enter!! I will be shipping it off to its new home tomorrow.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your kind comments and entries. I had over 500 entries, what a surprise for me!!!!!!!!! I counted each and every comment you made as an entry and will continue to do that for the COTTAGE CHARM GIVEAWAY.

You can enter the Cottage Charm Giveaway as many times as you would like. I love getting comments and will bribe you anyway necessary to get you to write to me!!

I am making the $1.99 a dozen roses I bought a week ago last till the very last petal curls up and turns brown. I keep trimming the stems and making them a bit shorter each day. But I might like them this way better than any of the other arrangements so far.

Cottage Charm Giveaway

give away

By Karla Nathan / May 9, 2007

Hey, wasn’t I just here a few minutes ago? Yep, two postings in a row, I forgot to mention a couple things last post. First, I am participating in http://owcl.blogspot.com/2007/04/sign-up-for-cottage-charm-give-away-day.html this wonderful cottage blog give away and will have more details later. But here is my giftie to add to the prizes- it is a CHARM FOR THE COTTAGE CHARM GIVEAWAY:

It is a mini painting in a tiny frame with vintage crystal and a garnet bead to wear as a pendant on a ribbon or chain. Or tie it to a lamp, hang it on a Christmas tree, it would be pretty in many places.

To enter, leave a comment on any post I’ve made.

You can still enter the May Bucket Giveaway too, until the 15th. With each comment, I’ll enter you in BOTH!

Also, people were asking about the addition my studio is in. So here are pictures of the outside. Now, why am I showing a gloomy, rainy day picture of my house with nothing blooming in the beds yet and a dirty car parked in front? Probably the same reason I showed all those photos of my studio in a mess with no real focal point in the pictures. Just felt like goofing off instead of working and didn’t take the time to "style" any of the pictures. I promise better, blooming, pretty pictures some other day.

We live in a farm house that is about to celebrate its 100th birthday. But it was tiny, we have remodeled and added on so many times. Originally, the house was one room! It had 3 when we bought it.

My studio is in the newest, big monstrosity of an addition, and is connected to the main house by the breezeway. Above my studio is an office/pool room/workout room for my husband. Next to that, with its own entrance is an apartment for my son, Ryan. He tried living on his own, but has some handicaps and we decided to build this to give him a home where he can be near us, but still have his privacy.

Here are Sparkle and Twinkle on the breezeway porch in a chair I found in the trash and painted pink.

And poor Bookie never gets in any of the photos because he is shy. Today he is really upset and shaking and I think he might be having back problems. He is hiding in the bathroom,so I brought him a pillow to lay on in there.

One more thing, if you can stand me running on and on- I mentioned before that I am totally addicted to the SEVEN WEIRD THINGS that a lot of bloggers are telling about themselves. I was tagged by Natasha http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/ and answered it, forgetting completely that I was also tagged by Sonia! http://ccraftscollectibles.blogspot.com/ Does that mean that I get to list more?? I do enjoy weirdness.

#1- I am hooked on reading these 7 Weird Things lists just like I am hooked on American Idol, Survivor, and some TV program every single night of the week. I admit it, I live to Tivo

#2- I save up dirt. If I know that I have to clean for someone coming over, or my husband coming home from a business trip, I will ignore a glob of mess and wait to clean it right up before whatever event or visit comes. I don’t want to have to clean up then turn around and do it again. So I save it up and do it once.

#3- I am easily distracted and waste a lot of time, but when I work, I can zoom through and get more done in a day than some people do in a week, art wise.

#4- I used to make a ton of money doing murals, one day I made $1,800. But I am terribly afraid of heights and got tired of climbing around on scaffolding. Also I got tired of painting what other people wanted, I like painting what I feel like, then seeing if someone wants it or not. I tend to paint a LOT of free murals and faux finishes for family and friends, but take on very few paid jobs. And only if they are low- never scaffolding jobs!

#5- I don’t sort silverware. I dump the whole basket from the dishwasher into the drawer at once. Saves me a lot of time for goofing off or for painting or for singing to dorkies.

#6- I had a laundry room built right into my closet so I can pull things out of the dryer and put them into baskets on shelves so I don’t need to carry anything out of the room to put it away. I don’t fold anything that isn’t absolutely necessary either, it gets tossed into its own basket. Once again, think of all the time I save to goof off, paint, or sing to dorkies.

#7- I like to listen to rap music and can shock people with some of the lyrics I sing, when I don’t realize I am singing out loud in public. I am as big of a Michael Buble~ fan as I am a Ludacris fan. I have an odd taste in music, but mostly would rather listen to NPR while I work.

Okay, I am off to search out more stories of the weird on other blogs, unless I need to take Bookie to the vet, poor little Dorkie. Check out http://owcl.blogspot.com/2007/04/sign-up-for-cottage-charm-give-away-day.html this blog for some great giveaways and come back to see how to enter mine.

May Bucket Giveaway Updates

give away

By Karla Nathan / May 8, 2007

I added another prize to the May Bucket! The newest addition is a pair of earrings I made from vintage crystals in a pretty amber-peachy color with old pearl beads on 14kt gf ear wires.

So here is the list of what is in the MAY BUCKET:

1- well, of course- the hand painted bucket itself is the main gift!

2-vintage lace trimmed hankie

3- china shard pendant

4-robins egg blue vintage pearl beads (gotta love that color!)

5- vintage pearl brooch

6-note cards made from my artwork

7-sheet music tied up with a bow and two old keys suitable for tying onto a knob of your favorite antique dresser.

The first bonus prize was won by Karla at http://sugarbeardesigns.blogspot.com/ and hasn’t been mailed yet because I set it down SOMEWHERE in the studio. And the studio is a wreck right now. I’ll find it and get it sent. The drawing is MAY 15TH and there will be a 2nd prize too. I will enter you for each comment you leave here, on any posting. As many times as you’d like.

I also want to thank Karin http://www.creativechaos.typepad.com/ and http://gumbo-lily.blogspot.com/ for purchasing shard pendant charms – (don’t worry those aren’t lost too, they’ll be in the mail soon)

This photo might explain how I lost the pendant- it is a view of the workroom part of my studio with the office I showed yesterday behind the french doors. Yep, there is a lot going on in this work spot.

I use lots of doors to make partitions in the room, it is just a big open space, about 1,000 sq feet. Great studio. I collect armoires to store my supplies in and have got it so organized I just want to squeal with joy. But then, I start on a project, halfway through, I start 2 or 4 more, and next thing you know, not a thing is in those wonderful armoires.

My black and white cabinet with hand painted roses holds my tie dye supplies and some tools.

The 3 big cabinets in this shot are full too as well as the old German trunk on top of the French vanilla colored cabinet. This view is from the front door of the room.

I keep a wicker rocker on the front porch of the studio to relax in when I need a break. I made the black shutters on the window out of boards I saved when we tore down an old garage. It was the first garage built in Douglas County KS and I thought they needed to be saved!

This dining areais the view to the left of the front door when you first walk in.

All the doors I use are great partitions, because they are portable. I can arrange and rearrange to my needs at the moment. Family reunion coming up? the room becomes a dining room with seating for 25. Painting party planned? I can set up card tables everywhere and friends can have a craft day.

I could have gone with indiviual rooms with solid walls when we built it, but I prefer the versatility of being able to change it to how I need to use it.

One more photo in my studio- the entry way to the back door has been painted to look like brick. Very easy, I tear a kitchen sponge the size of a brick, and dip it into a few paint colors at the same time, and it blends as it is sponged on.

And for my ROSE A DAY FOR TEN DAYS IN MAY- #8

Hand painted roses on the back of a chair.

Birthday Presents and day #5 for 10 days of Roses in May

give away

By Karla Nathan / May 5, 2007

Why do I wait till the last day to finish up before an art show??? It is my birthday and a beautiful day outside. I should plant flowers, or go for a walk or something other than make price tags!!

Oh well, we will celebrate my birthday tonight, we’re all going out to dinner. And I did get to do something fun, I covered this partial mannequin form with old papers, then set up a practice booth in my studio to see how it all fit together- a dry run for tomorrow.

If I were more efficient, and made price tags,as I was finishing the jewelry, or just did them and not fiddled with everything, it wouldn’t have taken all day today. But, how could I resist playing dress up with all the stuff I made and arranging it all?

I have very little artwork to sell, mostly jewelry. I made up about 100 or so note cards, some collage, some repros of my paintings. That will just have to do! It is getting late and almost time for birthday cake.

And anyway, looks like RAIN tomorrow. Might not even be a show.

I happened across a wonderful blog today (yes, of course, I goof off on the computer between price tags, another reason it takes so long). She is planning "Cottage Charm Giveaway" and getting as many bloggers together as she can to join her. The date is May 26th and you can check it out at her cool site: http://owcl.blogspot.com/2007/04/sign-up-for-cottage-charm-give-away-day.html

Of course, I want to be a part of it! I’m happy to share and give something away. Speaking of- it is time! I need to pull a name from the flowered hat for my EARLY BONUS GIVEAWAY as part of my MAY BUCKET FULL OF GOODIES for May 15th.

Now, remember the rules- who ever wins, has to promise to eat a piece a cake and say Happy Birthday to me while they eat it!

And the winner is:

KARLA- wait,I am giving myself my own gift??? No, another Karla at Sugar Bear: http://sugarbeardesigns.blogspot.com/ . Karla, I have a LOT of china shard pendants if black and white isn’t your color. You can choose another.

Oh, fun! I love presents. Remember, I still have the May Bucket and another bonus prize for it coming up May 15th. You can enter that by leaving any comment. Also, I am signing up to be in the Cottage Charm giveaway May 26th, so expect a prize from that too. What do you want it to be? Any ideas, from what you’ve seen me do?

To enter, leave me a suggestion!

Now, for day #5 in the ROSE A DAY FOR 10 DAYS IN MAY- I am crazy about porcelain roses, the delicate English bone china ones are gorgeous, but I am really fond of the big, bright Italian ones too. Here is some of my collection. Behind it, is a tray I painted.

Note Cards in the May Bucket

give away

By Karla Nathan / April 19, 2007

Have you seen http://todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com/? Kim Demmon has this site along with her other one http://scrap-to-my-lu.blogspot.com/. On Today’s Creative Blog, she finds good stuff out there in the blog world to let us know about. It is a good guide for who has what and fun to look at. She has kindly offered to feature me this week! Take a peek, you never know what you’ll find there! And thanks, Kim! I appreciate it.

This morning (before my big Kansas City Junking Day with Beth) I made some note cards with copies of my watercolor hydrangea and acrylic antique roses paintings. I mounted them on simple white card stock and left the inside blank, so someone could add a personal message there.

I hope to get more paintings made into cards for the show coming up in Lawrence- Art in the Park. Cards do well, it is the week before Mother’s Day. I sell them for $2.50 each or a 6 pack (assorted or one kind, your pick) for $10.

For now, I thought a few would be a nice addition to the MAY BUCKET GIVEAWAY.

I’m off to meet Beth http://bethleintz.typepad.com/gathering_dust/ for our junking day! Can’t wait to see what goodies we find!