jewelry – Page 14 – Karla's Cottage

Another Giveaway, Another Charm

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!

Someone always ends up being a fairy

fairies, jewelry, paintings, Travel, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / May 31, 2007

I’m in a fairyswap !!!!!!! I am so excited about it, I am a fairy-aholic. I was disappointed to see all the fairy jar swap people, knowing I had missed it and was too late to get in. Taking pity on me, (or maybe wanting to stop my whining?) Natasha Burns http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/ set up a mini swap with some talented bloggers, Heather http://prettypetalsboutique.blogspot.com/, and Holly http://hollydoodledesigns.com/WordPress/.

This will be my 3rd swap, and I am glad it is a small one, the charm one I am in is a doozy. I need to make somewhere between 15- 22- 33?? I need a final count, I am confused. I also need to start making them…….

I’ve spent the last two days making scrapbooks of my trip to give as thank yous to the people we stayed with. For my sister-in-law, Sandy, I found a clearance journal for 50 cents and foofed up the cover with vintage goodies and scrapbook paper. Hers has no photos yet, I need to finish it tonight so I can think about doing some charms……

For my brother-in-law, I bought one of those mini,ready to go scrapbooks, this one is from Studio K, love that line!!

I added more papers, copies of my paintings, some hand drawn doodles and writing, stickers, then the photos. I like to make pockets to slide the pictures into. I make the pockets from card stock so they are sturdy.

The ready to go books are so nice, since the background is already printed, they make simple gifts, just with a few personal touches and pictures, they are ready to go.

And of course, in every book I make, someone always ends up being a fairy. This is Emily, she is a tiny, dainty little 15 year old who has a natural fairy quality about her. She makes a lovely sprite.

Oh- I have been having inquiries about my hand painted charms. If anyone wants one, here are few to look at, I can send close ups, or photos of more. They are $18 each plus $2 shipping. Thanks!!

Homesick before I even leave

flowers, jewelry, Travel, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / May 16, 2007

I am leaving on vacation tomorrow and need to work my butt off today to get ready. First of all, I need to mail the May Bucket prizes.

I should be kicking up my heels with excitement over my vacation, but I am more worried about being ready to go.

I have a baby shower gift and a sign to paint and ebay boxes to pack and a magazine article synopsis to write and send off too. Did I mention that I have 2 painting jobs that need bids and a garden to plant and sprinklers to set up and PACKING before I leave tomorrow too????

Here is one thing that needs mailed today. I chose a 2nd place gift for Michelle Ward for the May Bucket drawing. Her style isn’t as pretty-foo-foo as mine, so I made her a special gift, something a little funkier. This necklace is made from an old piece of hardware I picked up at the flea market a couple weeks ago. I love the old green paint clinging to it.

Well, I should be starting on my mile long list for getting ready for my trip. I am such a homebody, I hate to travel or think about leaving. I miss my flowers, my pretty house, my wonderful studio, MY COMPUTER. But I always have a great time once I get where I am going.

I will have to pack up my flowers that are still looking fresh and give them away before I leave. How could I just leave all these pretty roses from the party last week to die alone while I am gone??? I’ll have to find someone to take them home and enjoy their last days. That is the kind of thing that I worry about before a trip, I can’t leave my pretty flower arrangements!!

And Sugarwings!! How can I leave Sugarwings for TEN DAYS???? I’ve never been away from her for that long in her entire life!!

She is coming over today to say goodbye. And I am going to finish a few more pages in my art journal about her, to keep with me in the car, so I can stare at her pictures.

My roses have started to bloom, finally,after the terrible freeze that I thought had ruined them.

I will miss them, and every inch of my fairy cottage. I love my home down to the smallest details like the vines I drew in the cement as the new sidewalk was poured.

And I will miss all my bloggie friends. What if you all forget about me in the 10 long days I am gone??? What if people get out of the habit of coming here to look because there is nothing new for sooooo long???

I won’t even think about that.

Off to work, I have more to do today than humanly possible and here I am playing with Typepad. Geez, sometimes I wonder about myself. But, I know I’ll be back today to write more… can’t help it.

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.

I am avoiding housework by taking pictures of the room I just happened to be in

jewelry

By Karla Nathan / May 7, 2007

Remember my beautiful swap gift from the May Day basket giveaway? It just got even better! Karin http://www.creativechaos.typepad.com/ sent me MORE! I got these two tags in the mail and promptly put them up on a shelf in my office. Thanks, Karin!

Which made me think about taking photos of the rest of my office instead of finishing the housecleaning that I have been putting off. It takes me days to clean because I get so sidetracked.

My office is a corner of my art studio and the walls of it are made up of old doors hinged together.

Here is a view of the outside, peeking in through a French door. I try not to block the light by hanging anything solid on the doors, so my sparkly K and an embellished frame are a perfect fit.

French doors (from a garage sale for $15) are the best, they keep the room from feeling too closed in. The gazebo thing is something my son and I made out of porch columns from a junk store for $6 each, some corner brackets and 2x4s.

The painting is a watercolor I did of the front of my studio. Did I mention that I adore my studio and spend all the time that I can out here? After years of using the kitchen table, or a card table in the guest room, or the garage- I am thrilled to have this space to work in.

The floors are cement that I have stained to give them some color. The rug is a vinyl floor cover remnant ($5) that I painted like stones, originally for an article I wrote for Romantic Country? Small Room Decorating? Can’t remember which one it was right now.

Having a computer right in the studio is way too convenient for goofing off and surfing blogs too. The room also has all of our home office needs, so I’ve tried to use attractive hiding places for all the necessities. Old suitcases, vintage paper covered boxes, parts of old dressers, etc.

For furnishings,I mosaiced the top of a narrow white cabinet I found at a garage sale for $2, used a $45 walnut drop leaf table for a desk, and the black hutch is another garage sailing find for $50- lots of space in it.

The shelf on the wall is an old chippy paint planter box I bought from Beth http://bethleintz.typepad.com/ and I like it so much, I don’t put much in it, I hate to cover it up. It has photos of Sugar Wings and of my Dad who passed away last year. (If you notice in the photo, I am in it- with ANOTHER hair color- and no paint on my clothes!!) the sign above the box "comfort & joy" is one that I painted, and it used to be the name of my shop.

The file cabinet is a new oak one that I painted white and distressed. As much as I like to use only vintage and used furniture, sometimes I have to be practical and a filing cabinet the right size was just not turning up for me, so I got a new one and made it look old.

One more thing I love about my office- I found this calender at Sentimental Journey (an antique shop full of bargains) with the month and day torn off to my birthday 5-5-58! Had to buy it, and it has a great pocket for stashing things.

An office isn’t that interesting, all the tech stuff and paperwork around, but I just don’t want to go and clean my house for the Boss’s Dinner Party Feast I have coming up tomorrow night. I was bored and avoiding work and I just happened to be in the office and started to take photos. It doesn’t take much to entertain or sidetrack me.

I do run on, don’t I? Well, I’ll keep going, the more I play around with this the less cleaning I have to face. No, wait, it will still be there, won’t it???

Two of my blogger friends asked about the shard jewelry I didn’t sell because of the art show raining out. so here are photos to shop from for them, if you are interested also, let me know. They are usually $28 each, but that is considering show fees, percentages paid to the fair, etc. So, blogging price to you guys? $20, what a steal!! The bails these hang from are sterling silver and the solder is all lead free.

Okay, here is my ROSE A DAY FOR 10 DAYS IN MAY– rose # 7, in honor of Caring Bloggers Rose Day on May 10th sponsored by: http://brittarnhildshouseinthewoods.typepad.com/brittarnhilds_house_in_th/

Twinkle in a rose patterned hankie sitting in a rose needle work chair. Happy May 7th!!!

Playing Jewelry and BONUS PRIZES

jewelry

By Karla Nathan / May 2, 2007

Today I have been making jewelry for the art show on Sunday. It has been so long since I "played jewelry" -thats what my sister and I call it, when we make things- that I spent more time looking through my stash and admiring the bits and pieces than actually piecing things together.

I collect vintage jewelry to take apart and remake, and over the years have gathered up a few containers like these.

It takes a bit of admiring and enjoying for a while before I get down to business and start making new pieces from all the old ones.

Yesterday was painting day, I did a dozen or so mini paintings to make into more charms. Here are a few finished ones as well as a couple pair of earrings I put together from my vintage goodies stash.

The teacup mini is the one I made for myself. My sis, who likes to ‘play jewelry’ too, gave me the very old blue topaz stone I put on it.

There was a casualty yesterday. I didn’t plan to be painting, thought I was going to be making cards. But,I got sidetracked, and picked up a paint brush. Next thing you know, I forgot I am wearing my favorite shirt. I have a bad habit of wiping my brush on myself as I work.

The habit got started when I was up on 20 foot high scaffolding or on a ladder painting murals. It was easier to use my shirt instead of a rag. Now, I just can’t help it, its automatic. And sometimes I forget what I am wearing. Sadly, I have more clothes that look like this, than look normal.

Here is #2 in my Rose for a Day for 10 Days- another little canvas I painted yesterday. It was a gift in my May basket swap from Karin http://www.creativechaos.typepad.com/.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s Rose for day #3 will be something from my annual Sparks and White Cloud flea market trip!! But the weather looks yucky, hope I don’t get too soaked there to find a pretty rose to show you.

Natasha http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/ has tagged me to list 7 weird things about myself. I emailed family and friends to get their opinion, I’ll see what they have to say about me and post it Saturday for my birthday.

On Saturday, for my birthday, I will also draw a name from the pretty hat. This will be a BONUS PRIZE!!!

Do you remember I told you, that if I had enough entries for the May Bucket FULL OF GOODIES, I’d add a second and maybe a third prize? Well, I certainly have had lots of entries! So I will draw a name for a birthday present on May 5 and send it to the winner so they can help me celebrate. But the winner has to promise to eat a piece of cake and think of me.

You can stil enter the Maybucket giveaway and this bonus prize too. Just leave a comment.

After Midnight

jewelry

By Karla Nathan / April 27, 2007

Tomorrow I get to babysit all day for Sugar Wings again. So, to make up for lost work time, here I am after midnight, making jewelry. Well, I guess it already is tomorrow?

I painted a few one inch pictures, cut clear glass to fit them added a copper back and tape, then soldered and added jump rings.

Here are a few that are finished, cleaned up and beads added. I used vintage crystals with genuine pearls. I only got 14 made, but might make more tomorrow while I have the mess spread out.

For now, I am off to bed. Tomorrow, I mean later this morning, I will be chasing after my fairy grand baby and she is a pretty fast little crawler.

I may have Dirty Floors, but I had a fun week!

jewelry

By Karla Nathan / April 6, 2007

Today was a blustery day in Kansas, a good day for the "virtual pot luck." I ‘m glad I got to visit with everyone and not actually have to go outside!

I spent the morning listing some things on Ebay and checking out the various party hostesses. Then, my house guests came early and I hadn’t swept the floors yet or done the dishes!

It is so much more fun to do the pretty part of getting ready for company, setting up a new guest room and setting a table.

So, while I made cups of tea and we talked, I got out the broom. At my house, it is always casual. As much as I love it to have sumptuous decor, it is always comfy and my guests are treated like family. Heck, they were lucky I didn’t hand them a broom!

Here are a couple of things I listed today on Ebay. I am still struggling with the best way to list, which key words, categories, etc. Wish me luck. So far, I am spending more on fees than I am actually making back. But it is a learning curve…….?

Skills of a Different Kind

jewelry

By Karla Nathan / February 27, 2007

In case you tried to look at my "Downey" album, I want to apologize, because I have lost it somewhere in blogworld. It is still there, lurking and I can find it from my end, (under an accidental new title) but it doesn’t show up on my site. Well, I am learning a bit more every day with this. Sometimes, I think I am just learning how inept I am at cyber-stuff.

Well, one thing I know I am good at is- shopping! I found some wonderful things yesterday at the Topeka antique mall, and that mall tends to be over priced and not the best place for things of beauty. I used my skills to their fullest and scrounged till I found these treasures. The rug is in perfect condition and will go in my kitchen to replace one very similar that I have just washed to death over the years. The lovely little water color of roses was hidden in a hideous frame, and I am sure I will be able to find one better suited to it. The little dolly is missing most of one leg, but with a bit of stuffing, she’ll be just fine. Of course, I am not into needle and thread activities unless forced, so she might remain lame and still cute as a bug.

I am also skilled at crashing into things and breaking them. On my studio redo last week, I broke a few dishes. I like to scavenge what good I can from a bad situation, so here is what I do with broken china. I grind the edges down from the shards and solder on chains to make jewelry. This is a photo of a few of them.

Oh, by the way, I noticed at the grocery store magazine rack today (because who can go to the store without looking through all the pictures in the magazines??) the issue of Country Victorian with my bedroom on page 16 is still out. The photo was taken for an article I wrote about my house, but it has not been published yet. The pictures from that story have been used in 3 other stories so far, so it has been interesting to see them pop up in other articles.

My bedroom looks completely different by now, heck that photo was taken almost a year ago! Here is a picture of what it looks like now. Well, not quite, this picture was taken in Nov. and I have changed a lot since then too. But it is closer than the one in the article.