vintage paper/collage art – Page 43

I’m outta here

Etsy Goodies, holiday decor, magazine pictures or articles, Silver Bella, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / November 7, 2007

The Lawrence Magazine is out now. It is local, so I’m sure that doesn’t mean much to most of you.

I had to have 3 rooms of my home decorated for Christmas by Sept 15 so they could shoot this, and what pictures do they use?? Two, both from the same room!!

Oh well, at least I have the upstairs decorated and ready for the Holiday Home Tour and can concentrate on other things. If I hadn’t had this early deadline, I’d be scrambling to get those rooms done now instead.

This year, the tour will feature a Kwanzaa home and a Hanukkah home too.

(I am in the top photo.) I wore jeans, not knowing I’d be in the pictures. Its lucky I don’t have paint smeared all over me!

These pictures are by Jason Dailey Photography

http://www.daileyimages.com
http://www.blackboook.com/jasondailey and he was kind enough to let me post them.

I took time to list a couple things on Etsy today. I made these boots for an article I wrote for Victorian Decorating. I am keeping a couple and selling the others.

Aren’t the old buttons great?

One already sold too! They are $7 and there is one left in the shop if you are interested.

I had Sugarwings most of yesterday. It was her first peek at our Christmas tree, I was waiting for her with the camera so I could capture her face.

I think the lights and decorations will mean every bit as much to her as they do to me! We walked all around the house and pointed at pretties and talked about the holiday.

This morning, I decorated my tiara. It was a store bought rhinestone one, pretty enough. But I thought that to be worn at Silver Bella, it needed more. I think it might have plenty now.

The scarf it is sitting on will be what I tie around my waist for "Junk Gypsy" night at Silver Bella. I am just wearing jeans and a tee shirt and this scarf (with the tiara of course! I might have that on all weekend!)

I think the scarf might be a Xmas tree skirt when I get home…

I’m not getting decked out like a lot of the attendees. But I also am a lot older than most of them too.

Which reminds me, I should go and pack my bags. My swaps and tools and goodies are ready to go but my clothes aren’t.

When you are about to turn 50, the clothes don’t seem as important. A few t-shirts and some jeans and my tennis shoes and I am set for anywhere. It took a lot longer to figure out which glue, which pretty rhinestone buttons, etc to take than what clothes to pack!!

Good bye, everyone- hope you have a good weekend too. I plan on having a spectacular one.

Presents, packages, and procrastination- a look at my October giveaway prize

Etsy Goodies, give away, paintings, swaps, Travel, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / November 6, 2007

Am I making any progress on the studio before the fairy grand baby gets here and I have to stop? Well, kind of.

I packed up my swaps and am taking them to the PO today. This ornament goes to Shirley, as my part of the swap that my Pretty Romantic Homes group on Ebay is having.

And my package, all wrapped up in vintage wallpaper, is ready to go to Natasha in Australia for the Deck the Halls swap hosted by Monica at:

monicaanderson.blogspot.com/

I won’t show Natasha’s gifts yet, so she’ll be surprised, but here is something I am sending to her son, Leroy. I doubt if he reads my blog.

KU is undefeated so far this year (that is a very big deal to my husband). Natasha is a football fan, so I thought it would be nice to send Leroy a football. Now my husband tells my that "Australian Rules" football is a different ball. Oh well, little boys have a good time with throwing balls around, so I’m sure he’ll enjoy it anyway.

I have a side swap at Silver Bella with Julie. Its funny, I listed 3 mini wallpaper,ephemera packs with an ATC as side swaps and Julie took me up on it.

The trouble is, that she was already in my ATC swap and I was including that same pack as part of it!!

So I told her I would bundle up some big pieces of wallpaper as a swap so she wouldn’t get the same thing twice.

I am hoping someone else takes me up on these ATC/ephemera packs. It would be sad to offer to trade and get no takers!!

I also made a gift for the winner of my OCTOBER GIVEAWAY– Jessi

She happens to be a Bella too, so I am taking the gift to her there.

You know you can enter my November drawing for a custom Christmas gift by leaving a comment, right? Any comment, any time , all month.

Lets see, what else did I do yesterday while avoiding cleaning the studio?

Well, as I did attempt to clean my work table, I came across a few things I wanted to finish, like this piece.

And I made up 6 of these little vintage ballerinas, so they could be fairies.

They are sweet little things. I guess you have to be pretty sweet when you have a face like that.

(oops, that was catty- but really, look at that face!)

I also framed this watercolor, but I just don’t like the vintage frame gold, it will have to be painted white. Well, I tried to get by with not painting it.

So, I am packed up and ready for Silver Bella at least, and all my swaps are done and ready to go to the PO, as well as all my Etsy sales for this week.

I am lucky to have 2 boxes to Australia and 2 to Canada on the same day! One trip to the PO for all, instead of going back for each. Out of country boxes have to go through the main PO here, I can’t just drop them off at the grocery store like most parcels.

OK, enough procrastinating. I have to go and clean the studio. Or I could go pick Sugarwings up early today……

Why do I have to be “Hex Goblinweb”????

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

By Karla Nathan / November 5, 2007

My fairy is called Hex Goblinweb

"She is a bringer of riches and wealth.

She lives in places hexed and tainted by black magic.

She is only seen in the mist of an early morning.

She wears black feathers and rose petals. She has gentle green wings like a butterfly."

You can get your fairy name too, although, I hope yours is prettier than mine. Hex Goblinweb?? Why couldn’t I be "gossamer petals" or "blissful bella" or "glittered sparkle wings"

I saw this fairy name finder on Phyllis’ site, check it out and see if you get a pretty name: http://www.emmadavies.net/fairy/default.aspx

While I was going through the handmade greeting card drawer, I thought I’d show

another old Christmas card. Some years, I’d do a golfing themed card for my husband to send to his colleagues, I’d also do a pretty card with angels or fairies to send to family and friends.

I always loved this angel’s face, just don’t look at her poor hand. Ugh, that is badly done.

(this is the only one I don’t have extras of to sell, they are sold out till I copy more)

I am happy (and relieved) to say that my house is decorated for Christmas and ready for the local TV crew on the 15th!

I still have this mess to deal with before I leave for SILVER BELLA on Thursday.

I’d had the front third of my studio set up for the Holiday Home Tour and gift shop way early, back in Sept. so a local magazine could do photos of it. That was a great head start. Xmas_021

But now, all this mess is in front of the pretty stuff!!

I can’t seem to keep a clean work environment. It clutters up so fast, I am always shoving aside one mess to work on another.

At least I know I am 90% done inside the house, and the studio looks really bad right now, but I’ve seen it worse. I’ll have it whipped into shape in the 3 days I have before I leave.

Well, I will be babysitting Sugarwings over night on one of those days, so between watching her, and the recovery time I need to rest after keeping her out of the Christmas tree, I won’t have a full 3 days.

I’d better get busy.

Feeling the JOY

Etsy Goodies, holiday decor, how to's, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / October 30, 2007

I had a good studio day yesterday after unpacking from my trip to the Ozarks. Well, I am half unpacked. And the laundry isn’t quite done yet. And the bags of non-refrigerated foodstuffs are still sitting around in the kitchen.

Maybe I am not quite half way unpacked. But I had a great day in the studio avoiding it all!

I made a few banners for Christmas from vintage wallpaper, millinery flowers, sheet music, tulle, and purchased letters.

Here is a close up of this colorful one.

But this is the one I will keep in my living room to use this season. (it says MERRY)

It is made with all gold and white wallpapers and I added some chandelier drops to the tulle the banner is strung on.

This is similar to the first one, same wallpapers, but instead of the bright colors, I accented it with pages from an old book and vintage buttons with pearls and rhinestones.

This is actually a cleaned up corner of the studio. I might be in trouble- I have a local TV show shooting here in 13 days. 4 of those days, I’ll be at SILVER BELLA!! and a few others,(like today) I’ll have Sugarwings.

But, yet, I let my unpacked weekend getaway things pile up in the house and trash my studio while I string letters on tulle.

Well, actually, here are some not even strung yet.

Aren’t these pearl letters cool? They are at Michaels for $1 each. I bought enough to spell out a few words,

‘Merry’

‘Joy’

‘Snow’

‘Noel’

I fell hard for this wallpaper, wish I had more of it!! It was one page of a 1930s wallpaper sample book.

I could have used a whole roll! The sample book comes with an order form where you can get the paper for 39 cents a roll. But, since the book is more than 70 years old, I doubt if there is much of it available. If wishes were horses, I’d need a really big barn.

Are you seeing a pattern here? JOY is a favorite word of mine. It sums up the holiday season so well. It is short, concise and just says it all.

Plus, I’d say this sign would be pretty in a little girl’s room year round. Or in my kitchen. I love that word and don’t limit it only to Christmas.

I also framed some vintage doll clothes. I’d bought a cute wooden box at an antique shop for $8. Then, I found as a bonus- a bunch of these old clothes.

I sold quite a few of them on Etsy (pictured here), but saved my favorites, knowing I wanted to do something with them eventually.

This little pink dress is hand beaded and has a matching necklace to go with it.

I painted a small frame white, distressed it, then glued down a piece of vintage wallpaper.

The dress is attached with double sided tape.

I glued a bundle of millinery flowers tied up in a faded ribbon to the wallpaper, and then glued the beads to the wallpaper too.

The dress is removable if I ever want to. But then, I wonder, why would I? Maybe I should just glue it down too?

I glued another old, pink ribbon to the back to hang the piece from. It was a very easy project.

This little dress was even easier.

I cut an oval of the old wallpaper to fit this antique pewter frame (hard to believe I didn’t paint over it, huh?), then used double sided tape to lay out this aqua dress, and put it into the frame.

These old doll clothes are art in themselves, but I still needed me some foof.

So I gathered a scrap of vintage lace into a bow, and glued it to the top of the frame and added some old jewelry to it with another dot of glue.

All of these projects will be for sale on Etsy, or contact me here if you are interested. I might not list them, since I have a sale coming up at my house. But if you want one, I’d be happy to sell it from the blog. Heck, I am always happy (and JOYful) to sell anything!!

You can still enter my October drawing by leaving a comment on this post. I’ll annouce the winner on the 1st.

Hanging around

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

By Karla Nathan / October 25, 2007

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

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

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

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

See what I mean?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, on a happier note-

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

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

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

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

TWO HUNDRED posts!

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

By Karla Nathan / October 22, 2007

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

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

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

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

Well, here are a few at least-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks again!

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

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

By Karla Nathan / October 20, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

198 and Counting and Sugarwings serves Tea

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

By Karla Nathan / October 18, 2007

Will you be irritated with me if I complain about not getting much done again? I work fast, but I seem to have LIFE get in the way of getting artwork done.

Yesterday all I was able to do was this painting of roses, in an embellished frame, and a few more button jars.

I’ve really enjoyed making these jars, and they are selling as fast as I list them! That is a nice (and rare)feeling.

The pink one, filled with all pink buttons is my favorite. I hope to list it today. Yesterday my Internet went down, it was going off and on, unpredictably, and I would get kicked off just as I was in the middle of downloading a photo.

I have spent the better part of the morning talking to a tech person on the phone, but I think I have the computer back up and running. Or at least I hope so. Maybe I should make this a fast post instead of my typical ramblings, so I don’t lose it all?

The other reason I didn’t get work much done? I was doing better things!

Sugarwings and I had our first tea party together. She was excited to put on her party dress over her regular clothes and actually played with the tea cups and spoon as they were meant to be. She is growing up so fast.

She spent a lot of time pretending to feed Twinkle and the teddy bears. But Twinks was more interested in eating the crayons we’d been using instead.

OK, this is classic Karla here– notice the bright orange Goodwill tag still on the shoulder of the pretty dress? Yep, I take special "First Tea Party" photos for the scrapbook and the baby is wearing a Goodwill tag.

My fairy grand baby stayed over night and most of both days, so we got a lot of playing done and not much else.

We both woke up with the same bed-head hairstyle. Somehow,it is cuter on her….

Sugarwings went with me to run errands, I had to drop off some packages. I’d run out of poster board to wrap wallpaper in, and had to use the poster that I had as display for face painting last week.

When there is a baby around, you have to make do with what you have, it isn’t easy to drop everything and run to the store for poster board to wrap a package.

By the way, the going rate around here for a pumpkin or a butterfly on the side of your child’s face is $2.

This is fun- Beachy is having a challenge. She wants us to use this photo any way we want and then show the results. I plan on making a get well card for Carole of Scoundrels and Rogues, who is having a rough time with back surgery. I’ve had quite a few back surgeries myself and know what it is like. I spent a couple of years practically bed ridden and still have some nerve loss in my left leg.

If you want to send Carole a card, I can give you the info on where to send it. Marylou is putting a box together for her. I promise to add the link tomorrow, but am having computer issues today and can’t seem to do it.

Today is post #198, remember on my 200th, I will be giving away this beautiful book and a hand painted book mark to keep track of your place in it.

Also, leaving any comment at all, any time this month enters you in the regular drawing I have. Do you get sick of me explaining that every time? I should make up a button or something to keep displayed so I don’t say it over and over!

EDIT: here is the info for Carole

Hello Gal blogger friends! Our dear sweet friend Carole of Click here: Scoundrels And Rogues is having a very hard time of it. She’s had 2 back surgeries in the last 10 days. When she called me last Saturday she was in so much pain. I felt so bad for her…She’s in for a long slow recovery. She told me it will be 1 to 2 years until she will be able to walk again on her own again.

Marylou from Click here: Marylou’s Thoughts & Other Critical Matter:) has started the project "Cards for Carole" to help cheer Carole up. She would like you to all send Carole a get well card..Please. Click on Marylou’s blog to find out more of what’s going on. Or you can email Marylou at maryloudalcino@sbcglobal.net. I’m trying to get the word out for Marylou. Thanks so very much!! You and Marylou are just the best group of Gals there is out there in blogging land. Lets all show Carole how much we care about her…

Bless your hearts! ~Mary~ IsabellasCloset

I have a screw loose

antiques/junking, Etsy Goodies, paintings, redos, Sugarwings, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / October 14, 2007

Last night, I embellished old jars that I had filled with vintage buttons.

I used wallpaper on the lid and the label of this one, then added hand drawn swirls onto it in that translucent gold pen I like to use.

It shows up a bit here in the close up of the lid, but really is prettier in person. (I just got an email, the first jar sold on Etsy, but I will list more)

Everything I used on these jars is from my stash of old stuff. I have tons of scrap booking paper and supplies from Michaels and Hobby Lobby, but when I do my art projects, I prefer vintage materials.

I also finished up my Silver Bella ATCs. They have trim at the bottom and a ribbon to hang from, so I don’t know if that breaks any ATC rules, or not. But the swap is at the holiday time, so I thought they’d make nice ornaments.

They are all basically made the same, but no two are exactly alike.

Today, I haven’t done much of any thing but piddle around here and there. I listed a button jar on Etsy and those beautiful, old French illustrations on Ebay.

I’ve been struggling to get this crib together for Sugarwings for months now. I’ve asked everyone to help and no one could figure it out!

The friend who loaned it to me came by and we got it together, but of course, I am missing one screw. As always in any project!

It looked kind of plain so, I added an old table cloth as a skirt. My mother made the quilt years ago, the rosebuds are perfect for this room.

Now the fairy grand baby can actually sleep in her special room, instead of a portable bed downstairs.

(the bed has wheels and I will roll it away from the wall and cords before I let her sleep in it, don’t worry!!)

This chair used to be in the corner of her room, but I moved it into the library to make space for the crib.I added an old slipcover I had made for the chair when it was previously in the living room. For a heavy chair, it sure gets moved from room to room a lot.

The old log cabin style doll house was at a garage sale for $8. I painted it ivory and took the removable roof off to use it at a book rack for the baby’s favorite stories.

This is one of those catch all rooms that a lot of people seem to have. Where all the odds and ends go and you try to make them fit. (this room will need a LOT of work before people tour the cottage!)

This garage sale wicker desk needs repainted, but for now, I just laid two hankies on the top and covered them with a piece of glass from a dresser top.

I’m getting ready for a holiday home tour, so will stick with red and green for this room, and bring in my funky knee-hugger elves and other kitschy things.

The library is a room we added in the attic, this is the little room in the main part of the house that serves as an entry way to the space.

The library walls were textured, by adding joint compound to the paint.

The entryway is the same color of paint, but no texture. I painted leaves onto the wall with acrylic craft paints thinned with glaze, in a slightly darker green. (I just love the fabric on the old chair! It used to be curtains)

We walled of the end of the room to build a linen closet. To give the tiny room some interest, I cut up a broken Victorian foot board to hang above the closet doors.

I have a few of my watercolors hanging in this alcove area.

Sugarwing’s room and our guest room (also part of the attic) are upstairs also.

This is the door that was on the front of our old farmhouse when we bought it.I wanted to keep it, but really had no where practical for it, so here it is at the top of the stairs.

Some one had irritatingly painted over all the glass! I stripped those down to discover that some of the colored glass had been replaced with clear. So I used stained glass paint from Hobby Lobby to fill in. (the fakes are the purple panes)

My last piddling around project this morning was hanging the old print I had added fairy wings to, and above it, the portrait I painted of Sugarwings, back when she was 5 months old. (seems like ages ago that she was a tiny baby!)

These are in her room now and I think I am completely done in there and ready for the Holiday Home Tour!! The baby’s room and the guest room are set to go. Well, except for that one missing screw to the crib……

I’m off to go paint something. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway drawing.

Step by Steps and a peek into the crazy mind of a serial redecorator

Etsy Goodies, fairies, how to's, how-to projects, I do tend to run on, don't I?, magazine pictures or articles, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / October 9, 2007

The slipcovers are done! And in use, you can see them here under my little fairy grand baby. Her dad has dislocated his elbow -ouch- and it looks like I will be seeing a lot of her this week. He is in bad shape, and can’t use his arm, so he can’t pick up his baby. I’ll be helping out till he is better.

We are hoping rest will do the trick, the poor guy has no health insurance and can’t afford time off work, or doctor bills.

Since I know I will be busy with the baby this week, I kicked it into over drive to finish the slipcovers and the wall behind the couch.

I decided to use a mix of books for a varied look on the wall. First I removed all these cool illustrations to use for projects or to sell on Etsy for someone else to use. Aren’t they beautiful???

I have 2 French books in different sizes, and one slightly more aged looking plus a book about roses with black and white illustrations.

I was so pleased to see how easily the textured wallpaper came down. Just a bit of peeling and patience and it was done.

If you know me at all, you know that I don’t waste anything. The wallpaper I pulled down was cut up into craftable sizes and saved for future projects. Some of it was used already to wrap up some Etsy purchases tonight. It made really cute wrapping paper.

I used all three books, with the pages turned upside down, sideways, all topsy turvey, with no real pattern or plan.

Wallpaper paste was rolled onto the wall and I added the pages to the glued wall, then rolled over the top again with glue.

The first part of the wall was dry by the time I finished the last part, so I started right away on the metallic glazes. Gold, bronze and umber glazes all went into the pan together.

To apply, all three were used on the rag at the same time.

It gets glopped on with the rag.

When you first start to smear it around, you think, "oh no, what have I done???"

But just a little blending and it starts to look good.

I wish you could see the metallic sheen this has, it is a nice effect, but doesn’t show up well in the photos.

I like the aged colors of the paper and the golden sheen over the top kind of blends the papers all together. The only color on the wall is this one page with the tiny word "Paris" in red.

Ta da! New slipcovers in one afternoon (it helps to not measure or be too picky, just go for it!) and a wall stripped of its old wallpaper and re-papered in vintage book pages in about 3-4 hours the next day.

One thing I really like about the slipcovers, besides the fact that they are washable and I have a houseful of dogs and a baby- is that I made the backs of the pillows all out of velvet. When you lay on the couch, it will feel good to flip the pillows over to the soft side to get comfy.

This is what I started with, and was ready for something more neutral.

(I found this brand new couch at a sale for $285!)

I’d used dark slipcovers for last winter,but it was way too much color for me and I got tired of it fast.

And before that, we had this couch that I gave to my son when he got his own place. He stripped off all the pillows and the cover that I made for it and likes it plain tan velvet.

Here is another version of that sofa.

Both of these photos were used in magazine shoots and were taken by Bill Mathews and styled by Gloria Gale.

And way way before that, we had this look. This was in Country Almanac, and was done by Bill and Gloria too.

And don’t ask me how long I will keep the new look I did tonight. Chances aren’t good that it will last!!!

Don’t forget about the giveaway, leave a comment to enter, I have two drawings this month!!