puppies! – Page 3 – Karla's Cottage

Our set up for the puppy nursery

By Karla Nathan / May 30, 2017

The pups now can find their way out of the whelping box. But couldn't get back in when they wanted to nap.

My husband built the box with a cut out segment for Honey to step in and out of, and when the babies got big enough, our plan was to add a ramp for them. But he was out of town and I had to figure out another plan.

So I flipped it over! Well, DUR. Why didn't I think of that before? I'd fretted about the best way to make the ramp for them, before I realized one wasn't even necessary. The cut out entry way becomes a doorway for the pups when the box is turned over. The black pad at the bottom is a thick, rubber mat meant for a horse stall. It keeps the babies off of the cold cement, and can easily be sprayed off, or just mopped, what ever works out the easiest.

I'm counting on them soon being big enough to stop peeing in the nest and am encouraging them to walk toward the pee pads (covered in paper litter for more absorption because these guys pee in VOLUME, unlike the Yorkie pups I've raised before). There is a space heater/portable radiator in the room for chilly nights. I've used it and the step stool to build a barrier that will encourage the tiny tinklers to head toward the litter when they walk out of the nest. Because as soon as they wake up, they need to go. And you do not want the pee pads right in front of the doorway, for them to walk directly through. I've laid a towel in the entry for them to use as a welcome mat and wipe their little footies on. So that they don't drag that pee smell on wet foot prints into their bedding.

They have graduated to a big kid bed now too. It is a fluffy cushion that is so cozy that they practically fall asleep the minute they touch it. To keep it out of the pee zone, I've sat it on a lid to a large, Rubbermaid container.

At 3-1.2 weeks, they don't have all the rules down yet, and still tinkle right on the bed, but they are learning. And I am doing a lot of laundry. This cushion, ($10 at Ross) washes up nice. While it is being cleaned up, they have to settle for towels and rugs.

I've rearranged the rest of the space too. The tea cart from my studio is now a nursery changing table. It holds formula, pee pads, and other supplies. It has space to hold extra rugs and towels but those are all in the washing machine at the moment. Did I mention that I do a lot of laundry with these guys around?

The back door to the breezeway (where I was standing as I took this picture) is left open all day for Honey to get in and out of. It has a board across it that the pups can't get over but their mama can.

And of course, the kiddos need some space to run and play, and a lounging area for when they have played so hard that they are too tired to make it back to the nest. The walls of the breezeway are a few inches off the ground, so I keep them blocked until I need to spray the room with the garden hose to rinse it out.

Seriously, could there be a more ideal space to raise golden doodles in?

I have folding chairs in the back corner to set up when guests come, and these little cuddlers get lots of company. Everybody wants puppy hugs!

And there is a wicker chair with a soft cushion for Honey to jump onto and watch her babies when she wants to be near them but still out of reach.

Happy 3 week birthday, Puppeesh!

dogs, puppies!

By Karla Nathan / May 26, 2017

When pups hit 3 hits, it is time to start weaning them, to give the mom a break. Feeding those growing, always hungry, furballs can wear her down.

So, I mixed up some formula, dipped my finger into it, and offered some to one of the babies, thinking I'd need to coax them into learning out to drink from a bowl.

But no, these guys were all into the new experience, body and soul.

They, slurped, gobbled, and swam in the dish of deliciousness.

So much so, that they all needed washed off. After sitting each on the potty pad (which they all used!), they were ready for a bath and then to be tucked back into their box. At this point, they are still too little to climb in and out of it, so they need the bedding changed throughout the day. Soon, they will learn not to pee in their nest, and will venture outside of the box to potty. For now, they will use the pad if I set them on it right after they wake up or right after they eat.

I had a small bowl of warm, slightly sudsy water that I dipped a cloth into for a soft wiping off. I kept towels on a space heater nearby to wrap them in as I finished washing them. With six, wet babies, it was a bit of a struggle to get them all warm and dry, I was able to wash one at a time, with two in a towel on my lap to dry off. With their fat tummies all full, they aren't very wiggly, and are happy to curl up in a warmed towel.

As I'd finish, I'd kiss them on the top of the head and set them back into their newly freshened up bed.

Rinse, lather, repeat.

This is what my days will be looking like for a while, puppy feeding and cleaning (and snuggling) a few times a day. Not a bad life….

Portraits from the past, thinking about Mother’s Day

family, paintings, puppies!

By Karla Nathan / May 21, 2017

I used to do a lot of portrait sketches. This was one of the very first ones, a charcoal pencil drawing of my grandma (Dad's mom) when I was 16.

These are colored pencil from a few years after the first. My other Grandma and my Mom. All of these pictures are on a shelf hanging in the stairway landing, in a grouping with other family pictures.

This shot from my wedding is one of my faves, it is the only picture I have of my mom and grandma together (along with my sisters and I).

The wall is a mix of paintings, drawings, and photos. None of the art is all that great, but it is sentimental to me. This watercolor is of a photo of my husband's grandma, Gladys, with one of her quilts behind it, and a gladiola in front.

The area is a quiet corner of our home, we rarely use the upstairs unless we have guests, or the grand fairies are sleeping up there. So, the mix of portraits aren't a focal point in our cottage, some of the frames are cheap and cheesy, like the one from the 80s on the drawing of my grandma, but the collection means a lot to me.

I take time to stop and look, sometimes will go upstairs just to think about the pictures and the people in them. Especially on Mother's Day.

Speaking of mothers- I can't leave you without pics of Honey and her pups, can I?

And of Twinkle, who has had her own share of puppies, wishes these babies were hers.

Pretty Puppeesh

dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), puppies!, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / September 27, 2014

Albie is crazy about his sister. She is the center of his world, and he shows his devotion to her. If he could, he'd probably place a crown on her head himself.

But this time, it was Sugarwings who did it.

The dorkies finally got their hair cut mid September. Poor pups, I should have shaved them earlier when it was hot out. At least they are ready for the "dog days" of summer and any last blasts of heat wave that Kansas might throw our way.

A yorkie transformation

Dew Drop, dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), puppies!, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / July 17, 2013

If you are visiting for the Where Bloggers Create Studio Tour, you can find my pictures here.

If My puppeesh are grown up. At least they look it now, with their new hair cuts. I avoided the first grooming for as long as I could, so they'd keep their fuzzy puppy look.

They left that morning as fluffy, black pups and came home as silver dogs.

Who were a little angry at me and refused to look at the camera. I don't think they enjoyed their day at the spa.

But they forgave us soon, and were happy to be cuddled. They got lots of extra hugs since their newly trimmed hair was so silky soft.

It's kind of hard to tell them apart now, Twinkle has the exact same cut. Unless they are all together and you can compare sizes, people confuse them with each other.

At least they will be cooler for the summer. And all that hair won't be blowing in their eyes out on the boat.

Hiding instead of repairing damaged dry wall and a rosey outlook for springtime

antiques/junking, cottage, dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, puppies!, redos, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / May 21, 2013

A bit ago, we redid a wall in the living room with ceiling tin. These were 8' strips, and were ideal for where I needed them, they seem to look nicer on a wall than the squares would have.

And after purchasing them, I happened to find the border at another shop and it is exactly what I needed! I'd planned on using wood trim and this is so much better. How lucky to find just the right amount of border.

The wall panels are from Nook and Cranny. When I drove around to the back of the shop to load the pieces, I happened to see the tin crown molding on the sidewalk in front of another store in the West Bottoms. I bought all the border, but there is a truckload of the wall panels left. ($40 each, but ask for a volume discount if you buy more than a couple)

The room didn't look bad before, I liked the faux finish. Until you got up close.

My old house settles, and the shape of a doorway kept popping through the drywall. Years ago, during a remodel, we'd covered up a hallway and this door shape would NOT go away no matter how many times I'd patched it.

I don't mind cracks, old houses have lots of them. But not door shaped!

(and yes, you are seeing nasty cobwebs in this photo, not just faux paint treatments and cracks in the wall)

SInce I have tins on the kitchen ceiling, I thought it would look good to also have the wall at the far end of the living room covered in them too. (this is before)

Luckily, I have a very handy son, who installed them for me. He ripped off the baseboard, and I squirted a ton of caulking back under the wall to help with drafts before he put up the tin.

We decided not to put up more baseboard over it, I like the look as it ended up without it.

The panels plus the crown were just the right size for the wall! My son wanted to cut the tins and line them up perfectly, but I told him not to. It went against his nature as a carpenter to not have the lines on the tin exact, but I like it as it is.

(the purple marks show the door outline we were covering up)

I promised him I would tell everyone that, because the lines bother him. Not me, I'm soooo happy with the whole project!! He had them up in a couple hours.

The lines that might bother me are the ones between each panel. They need to be caulked and sealed so they aren't as prominent.

But I haven't made up my mind about painting yet. I did paint over the rust on the crown, but only because it was too regular and stripey looking. Random rust makes me happy, but this was not that kind.

For now, I figure I'll leave the chippiness as is, I can always paint later. But I do think I need to caulk the seams….

The dogs always think each photo is about them.

So, I indulged the little hams and let them pose.

They love to be in pictures.

For springtime, I hung some rose pattern bark cloth drapes and wrapped the sofa cushion in another bark cloth piece. It has come untucked on the edges a bit. I guess that is the sort of thing you should straighten before a photo, huh?

My living room stays cream and white most of the year, and I love that combo, it makes seasonal changes so simple. A few pillows, a couple curtain panels and a switcheroo of some knick knacks and I've got a new look for a new season.

And the dogs love the BARK cloth.

Dorkies in flight

dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), puppies!

By Karla Nathan / February 9, 2013

Our neighbor, Scruffy, came to visit. He is Twinkle's son and brother to my pups, but looks like a different species! His fur is thick and black as can be.

They love to run together, and get so excited they practically fly. Here, I caught them all mostly airborne. Dorothy Rosebud is my best flyer, she is the one in front.

Look at this furball! He is the puppy who had the dark face as a baby. I didn't think he'd turn silver and I think I'm right. Although, Yorkies can surprise you, their color isn't set for months. Eventually, all the baby fine puppy hair needs to be shaved off and the new, adult dog is revealed in its glorious new color. But I hate to trim mine up too early, because I love that puppy stage and will miss it when they get their first hair cuts and look all grown up.

Our two are turning light and are so two toned and raggedy, they almost look like opossums. We call them Crash and Eddie because the look like the two guys from Ice Age. Plus, they are such goofballs. Which is also why I call them all Dorkies instead of Yorkies. They are a group of dorkie and silly dogs.

At the Valentine Journal Workshop AND some free images

bird song art event, Books, celebrations, dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), free images, holiday decor, puppies!, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / February 4, 2013

I had such a nice time at the Valentine Journal workshop. There is something wonderful about a Valentine theme, that always makes me happy. Roses? Hearts? PINKS? All of it!

We had a small group, so only needed to use half of the studio. I used this half to set out extra supplies. So, not only did we have kits stuffed with Vintagey goodies, I had enough extras to make dozens more books. One table was just used to display previously made books as examples. I showed my travel journal, my samples for An Enchanted Affair, the Valentine book, as well as a couple of books from swaps I'd been in.

By the way, Kim was able to squeeze in one more table at her arty event this spring, and has sold all but one space at it! If you are interested, better jump in fast! Hope to see you there.

Another table held lots of extra pretty papers, while a third was all tidbits, ribbons, lace, and embellishments.

I should do fresh flowers in my studio more often, its a nice treat.

Our local grocery store usually marks a dozen roses down to $1.99 every Monday, but for some reason, they were on sale this Friday too. So, I was able to set out flowers all around the house.

When prepping for the class, I spent about 14 hours making kits, and thought I might just end up running away from home to get away from them. What was I thinking, waiting till the last day to make them???? That isn't like me. I sure learned a lesson, and will be getting a jump start on spring time class kits so this won't happen again.

Kits can be fun to make, and I enjoy playing with my piles of papers and deciding what to include, but not at the last minute. I had to write instructions, edit photos, sort papers, plus dozens of other things that make the kits successful and well thought out. It shouldn't be done the day before the workshop!!

I made up what I thought were lots of extras, but not quite enough. They sold out in one day, thank you to all who bought them! It is never any more trouble to make an extra 10 or so while putting together enough for a class, so I always make some to sell. Plus one for myself, so that I can pull things out during class to demonstrate and know that the kits are functional and have what they need in them.

The best part of making a kit, is seeing how it is used.

Of course, since they are vintage, no two are exactly alike, but still I love the way everyone changes things around so much and puts their own stamp of uniqueness on their work.

And its very pretty to see how far some go to change it up.

We do mini workshops for holidays throughout the year, just for my friends and their kids to come over and play, and of course, I have Birdsong too. (Which I have not done a single thing for yet this year! I need to gather my thoughts and get the website done for sign ups!!)

We did a Halloween gathering and then this little Valentine party, and I really enjoyed both. I would like to do more small, one afternoon workshops if possible. Its so much more intimate than a big to do. Of course, even Birdsong is not big at all, compared to most arty weekends, its 25 people and all cozy in my studio.

Still, it would be nice to do a smaller class like this and have them quarterly or so. Just a thought. 10 people or less, hanging out, chatting all together instead of broken off in groups around the room.

Either way, no matter how many come, I love having company in my studio. Its not that I don't enjoy a good day alone with my creations, but since I have soooo many of those days, working all alone, its nice to have some company.

I can't imagine any other job than the one I do (although the thought of one that pays better, is pretty tempting), but it does get lonely. Which is why having a blog and all of my blog friends is so nice.

Of course, these guys too! They are great company when they aren't stealing things from me to shred. Dorothy can't jump or climb because of the injury she had when she was tiny, but Albie is good at getting on the table and grabbing something fun for them to rip up.

Auntie Beth brought them some Valentine tees, and even girlie-ed up Dorothy's with some lace.

She also brought this. Beautiful, isn't it?

One of my guests brought this lovely, old image, and I was asked to copy it to share. I thought maybe you would like to have it too. Just click on the image to open it to a larger window, then save it to your computer to print.

And this one was in one of the kits and I was asked to copy it also.

When scanning it, I took a few moments to edit it in a romantic way. Please save these the same way as the cabin picture.

Workshops, giveaways, and an angel of a dog

dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, puppies!, vintage paper/collage art, Workshops, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / January 19, 2013

Dorothy Rosebud and I just might need to order more cupid wings for foofing. She likes to play dress up as much as Sugarwings does, apparently.

Plus, I like making them.

I've also been hooked on making wire cages. As I work on them, I'm taking photos so I can do an online tutorial too.

But so far, the cage details aren't worth passing on. I need to make a few more to get it perfected. Each one I make teaches me a bit more on the best ways to build them from the ground up

Which is important in a tutorial. The first few I make of something, I just wing it. Then, if I like the idea and make more prototypes, I start narrowing down just what works, what doesn't, how long is this piece, how big is that one.

Weeks of work go into making a tutorial, but they can sell for years, so they are worth the effort for me to get it right.

And if you enjoy my online classes, maybe you'd like an in person one? Valentine Journal Workshop on Saturday, Feb 2nd, all supplies included, just bring tools! $100, Details in the previous post.

I'll be giving away one of Amy's books then. Or you can win one by leaving a comment on my blog on any post.

I'll be away from my computer for a while, I'm in PARADISE as you read this. Any Etsy or Boutique orders will be mailed on the 30th.

Sometimes I just babble on too much about things no one wants to hear

dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), holiday decor, puppies!

By Karla Nathan / December 23, 2012

House breaking puppies in the winter is NOT easy. Especially when they think that the corner behind the Christmas tree is the best place in the whole house to poo. Much better than braving the winter chill outside and much sneakier than leaving their "gifts" to me in an easy to get to place. So, I found some old wire fencing in my shed and wrapped it around the tree a few times.

They sure look sweet and innocent, don't they? Its shocking just how much poop two puppies can produce. Normally, they use the pads I have laying around the house (yes, its not very attractive, but better than them using the floor), but they are drawn to the white cloth that I used as a tree skirt too.

The little puppesh still like to climb into the bowl that Twinkle slept in while she was pregnant and that all nine used to sleep together in. I guess its home to them. There are pillows and other softer spots for them to lay down, but they love that bowl.

Someone needs to tell these guys that they might be getting too big to pile in together.

I've had winter puppies before and always told myself, never again. They are slow to learn how to go outside and not on the pads because I am too cold to take them out as much as I should. Just shoving them out the door doesn't do the job, they need to be told that they are good dogs at the moment they squat, not when they come in.