Beth is now a contributer to The Vintage Workshop. Her how to projects will be in upcoming newsletters. Sign up HERE for a free newsletter and learn all of her crafty tricks!
Thanks for all the nice comments about the pictures of my home in the snow. Here is a photo of the front of the house. Like I said, it is a weird one, we have added on so many times, it is a conglomeration of different shapes and styles stuck together!
It is still FREEZING here. I can’t get warm, no matter how many pairs of socks I wear or shirts I layer on. The part of the house that is about to turn 100 is drafty, the new part is on a cement slab. No where is warm when it is this cold outside!
My studio/office has a cement floor and Twinks refuses to stay down there. I can’t keep her off of my lap for anything. It isn’t that easy to type with her helping me, but painting is even worse.
So, I put away the brushes and decided to work on more recipe book covers for the swap.
Some are going way over the top.
I wonder, is my resolution to use my ‘good’ supplies making my work a bit too much?
This one is a little bit more restrained, but uses some of my favorite things.
I covered this 25 cent wooden cut out from Michaels in old, pink wallpaper, then painted her up a bit, and added a glitzy necklace with a heart charm.
(it dangles)
Isn’t the image I used wonderful??? Sissy found a website and emailed it to me.
It is a blog run by a generous person who posts vintage pictures and ephemera to share!
Check it out, the Graphics Fairy has a lot of great pics to offer!
(I drew the crown onto this lovely lady that I downloaded from her)
After I finished this cover, I realized- it had no roses!
Maybe I will add a rose to the hair of one of the ballerinas. hey- wait, it looks like their dresses already are garlanded in roses! That qualifies!!
I liked tying tidbits to the bottom of it, a rusty key, a heart charm with a red stone, and the last tassel from the pillow that Twinkle chewed up.(waste not- want not)
And how beautiful is this??
Last night, I went to an art opening that some of my friends were a part of.
I was delirious about this beaded piece! Laurie said she worked on it for a YEAR. The time she put into it certainly shows. 
I would love to own it, but it is slightly (ha) out of my budget. (but worth every penny of the $6,000 price tag) 
Laurie offered to custom make a single square for me at an extremely reasonable price and I almost teared up.
She asked me to pick a style I liked. So, I pointed out about a dozen that I loved most, and told her that I liked the soft colors, and to surprise me with one. 
It was hard to choose, I just couldn’t. I loved them all.
Here is our group of art appreciators in front of one of Linda Baranski’s paintings. (I am the one with the spinach between my front teeth- the food was great there!)
I wore two shirts and a big heavy furry lined sweater. I cannot get warm this week.
I wish that it would warm up even just to NORMAL winter cold. This single digit stuff is creeping into my poor old bones and starting to get me down.
It is so cold, I haven’t gotten done nearly what I wanted to this week. I should work out in the studio till midnight or so, but I am giving up and going in to sit by the fire and shiver. I’d go and rent a movie to watch, but that would involve going outdoors.
This is a box I had made previously, but to make myself feel productive, I listed it on Etsy. I didn’t make anything to sell today, but I felt better having listed something.
SOLD-THANKS!
I am nearing the end of the book covers.
Soon, soon, I will be done with them. I have loved making each and every one, but it has been a big job!
Of course, I am already trying to think of a good idea for a new swap with Beth, we have loved hosting this one so much!
But before I do, there are some projects I want to make, and things I want to create to sell on Etsy.
Hopefully, there will be photos coming in the next week or so!
How awesome that you will get a custom square! I teared up too just reading about it :). I know what you mean about the cold – freezing here too! The covers are so gorgeous!
Karla
Pretty snow but can see that you could be over it quite quickly. Oh that dog . . . that fur baby . . . Isn’t that beading the most incredible thing? Well worth $6000 if you could afford it, looking forward to seeing the piece you get. Hope you warm up by the fire with your fur hot water bottle:) Rachael
Oh Karla, I hope it warms up soon !!! I tell you every time I come to your bog, I get soo inspired. xoxoxo Clarice
I love the art work!!! And your covers are looking so good!!! I don’t think anything is overdone… you always seem to know just what to add. I hope you stay warm! It is really, really cold here too and my youngest is sick with a cold.
Oh Karla, I just can’t imagine how cold you must be. I have only ever been to the snow once in my life and I was soo… cold I never went again. maybe you have to be born and reared into it.
Looks beautiful but makes me feel cold.
Alison
Love the covered box, and I LOVE the swap cover done with the lady in the crown, you are so creative!!
I hear ya about the cold, I am an old scrooge when it comes to the thermostat. I always have it set on 68 but this weekend I cranked it up to 73! WHOOO HOOO an entire 5 degree increase made SUCH A BIG difference. I was just so tired of being cold and sitting under a lap blanket!
I just LOVE the cover with the bird, locket, and rose.
That is a great picture. You are so photogenic!
Guess what! We’re supposed to get snow on Tuesday! The snow level is supposed to drop to 2,500 feet. I’m at a 3,000 foot elevation is sunny SoCal.
~elaine~
I adore the bird with the locket! So sweet!
It’s cold here in the mountains of Arizona too ~ around 7 degrees tonight! I have a kitty sitting on my lap with her front paws between my hands on the table at the computer! Looks like she’s reading blogs too! We are both warm this way but it is hard to do any art or crafting!
I do not want to remember the cold still, I have moved bad the last winter. The ornaments hanging in the covers are great and the box is fantastic.
More beautiful covers! I cannot wait to see which one graces the front of my cookbook!
I love the artpiece your friend did. It is just stunning.
Stay warm!!
Karla,
I know you’re busy, but if you are looking for something to do – I just signed up for a round robin journal. You start with your own book and decorate a few pages, and then send it on to up to 10 people and they decorate in it too and then you get it back! You also get to do pages in all of theirs too. It’s at shopgirl.typepad.com to sign up and get more info. Thought you might enjoy that. Tell Beth too and anyone else!
I’m also trying to keep warm- its kinda bad when the ice is on the INSIDE of the windows!
Cheryl
Those covers look gorgeous, I’ll have to disply the book looking OUTWARD on a shelf to see the wonderful cover! WOW!
Everything is awesome…Smiles
You never cease to amaze me with your artistic ability. I love all the things you are making. Just beautiful. It is really cold here too. I know what you mean about not being able to get warm–I can so relate to that! Here’s to warmer days ahead! Amy
Yay for Beth!!! I already subscribe to this newsletter, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing her contributions. As for the covers, each one is more beautiful than the last! I think each one I see is my favorite. 🙂
Samantha
Everything is beautiful!
Loving all the covers! Try to stay as warm as you can. I will have to go sign up for the newsletter. Thanks for posting the link. I will definitely check it out.
Barbara
It’s cold up here in NE too! I’ve been shivering all week myself. Fireplaces are the best.
Gosh I love that box you made! LOVELY!
I think you have been wonderfully productive for such a cold day!
Everything is so pretty! I especially like the recipe covers. Do I see aqua velvet ribbon on one of them? Love that!
I’m pretty much cold all winter long, but the sub-zero temps really frost my bum.
A hot cup of coffee, warm jammies, and my big down comforter is the only thing that works for me.
Stay warm.
Kimberly 🙂
I feel your pain with the cold! We are frozen solid here too with more winter weather on the way tomorrow morning!
I can’t wait to hear about the next swap!
I signed up the other day and now I’m glad I did. Looking forward to seeing Beth’s contributions. The box is fantastic. I love boxes and that one was so nice. Rainbow Bling is out of this world. I look forward to seeing your custom piece, it will be beautiful.
Karen
So pretty! Stay warm 🙂
Karla, I just love the look of the recipe book! So pretty! Your friends art piece is wonderful too! Thanks for the b-day wishes too! xo natalea
I guess I shouldn’t tell you that we worked outside in short sleeves yesterday! oops Well at least the cold gives you a reason to stay inside in front of the fire.
That box is wonderful. Your friend’s art collage is absolutely gorgeous. I can’t imagine the work that went in to it. How lucky you are to get a smaller version.
What Pretties, and what a lovely blog you have!
Karla, I hear you on the cold weather. I’m here in KC and I have never been so cold in my life! I’m tired of this and want this winter to be over. I LOVE the beaded squares — wish I could have seen it in person.