Karla's Cottage – Page 159

Sewing a vintage slipcover

cottage, dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers)

By Karla Nathan / July 21, 2013

Lately, I've been on a home fix up kick. Just little things, like new pillows and touching up paint. (yes, those a doggie pee pads on the other side of the couch, those little brats are hard to train! They'd rather use a pad than go out their dog door. And they think rugs are pads… so no rugs)

Sometimes cleaning up means more messing up. I could go out to the studio to sew, but since I was making sofa cushions, it was more convenient to bring the sewing machine into the kitchen.

I'd been collecting old drapes and fabric for years and finally got around to redoing my couch cushions with them. I'm not a big fan of sewing, but I can make a simple pillow case for my cushions and pillows, and get a whole new look for the room with some garage sale fabric and a straight stitch.

I don't really measure, I just lay out the fabric, put the pillow on it, cut around, then turn the fabric inside out, pin together and run it through the machine, hoping the bobbin lasts through the session. I use whatever color of thread was last put on because I am a total loser at changing threads and bobbins.

It's far from a pro job, but I'm usually okay with the results. The whole job took me a couple of hours and less than $60 in materials.

Some of the fabric was too bright, even though it had to have been at least 50 years old, so I flipped it over and used the backside for a more faded look. I also bought pieces that were far from perfect, and just cut around the holes or stains and used only the good parts.

The pink silk brocade on the seat cushion is from an entire roll of old fabric that I'd found at an antique mall for $9. I doubt if I could buy a yard of cloth that nice for that kind of price at JoAnn's or any where else, brand new. The roll was in good shape too.

And funny, after I found this, I ran across a half roll of a slightly darker version of the same cloth at the Salvation Army ($5)! So, I used it to coordinate with the lighter brocade and the different floral pattern curtains I'd been gathering. I used it on the backside of all the pillows.

It doesn't show much, but looks nice when you sit on the couch and it peeks out when the pillows are mussed around. Which, with two little girls and three dogs in the house, they usually are.

While I was at it, I moved the furniture around. Then a week later, I put it right back where it used to be.

I think the new pillows look better with the bark cloth drapes behind them than with the emphemera covered wall.

The dogs don't care, as long as I point a camera in their direction, they are happy. Especially if it involves being on a soft pillow.

Do you ever have little things around the house that bug you, but you try to ignore? Since I hung these curtains (years ago), I'd been irritated that some of the clips were dark brass and some were painted cream. I finally grabbed a brush, and stood on the buffet with a capful of paint and quickly made them all match.

It only took a couple of minutes. Now, why did it take years to do??

Craft Day at Gail’s- vintage wallpaper tags

vintage paper/collage art, wallpaper, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / July 19, 2013

Last weekend, my friend, Gail, invited me to a craft day.

I didn't really have a project to bring, so I decided to make tags. I packed a lot of old wallpaper scraps, some other ephemera and card stock. Then, I tore the papers into rough edge bits and strips, then I drizzled glue over the card stock and layered the strips of old paper onto it.

After it dried, I ran it through the Cutlebug using a three part tag set die cut.

This made an interesting background to embellish with some tidbits I'd brought along. I had a handful of lace, a small bag of flowers, some ribbon, two vintage greeting cards, a die cut rose and some ink pads.

When I'm working with wallpaper, I keep a container near me to save scraps. No piece is too small to save, you never know when you'll need an itsy bitsy piece, and why cut into a big hunk for a two inch strip?

Plus, I'm cheap. I don't like to waste scraps of pretty paper if they can be reused. Tags are an excellent way to use up the remnants of a bigger project.

This was an ideal project for craft day. It was easy to pack up and bring, didn't take much thought, and I could chat while I worked. Gail and her daughter-in-law, Marj, had both been to my studio at Birdsong, and I felt like I already knew her grand daughter, Corrine from FB stories and pictures.

But the other ladies were new friends, and the projects ranged from crochet to scrap booking. Everyone brought something to work on while they hung out, that is my favorite kind of craft day.

Gail made us a tasty lunch, and gave me a tour of her cute place. She loves vintage roses as much as I do, and her home was filled with pretty pink blooms.

She also had houseful of things she'd bought from me, back when I used to host antique sales at my house. I knew she'd been a generous customer over the years, but I didn't realize just how much she'd got. It reminded me of visiting my mom's house and how every where I looked, I saw something I'd made or painted.

Gail might just have more of my stuff than I do. I felt right at home!

Thanks, Gail!

Creating

vintage paper/collage art, wallpaper

By Karla Nathan / July 19, 2013

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

So you don't think I've done nothing but goof off, here are a few things I've been making.

This collage is done on a book cover.

And this one in a jewelry box.

This is a frame that had a few die cut roses in it. I covered it with modeling paste, scraped some off, added lace and images, ink, and embellishments.

Part of my Summertime Adventuretime is about creating for just the plain old heck of it.

Not to make something to sell or to teach.

Just to connect with the joy of making it.

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.

Hoppity Hearts and Whammy Time

celebrations, Dew Drop, family, Hens, Nathan Family Fairy Food Forest, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / July 15, 2013

We've been spending a lot of time outdoors this summer. Breakfast in the fairy play yard, bubbles in the Food Forest, swimming at the lake, and just plain soaking up some daylight and goofing off.

There has been a lot of side walk chalk involved in our summer fun too. We have always liked hopscotch, but around here, everything needs to be cranked up a notch. So, we came up with Hoppity Hearts. It's like hopscotch, but with heart shaped steps. That go on and on and on across the drive way.

And leave it to Sugarwings to add yet another element to a game. If she isn't making up guidelines, she isn't happy. So, soon a dress code was added. Although Dewdrop refused to submit to the dress code, which is why there are no photos of her. All she was wearing was mud. And lots of it. While that was pretty cute, I didn't think a totally naked baby was blog material.

Boxes full of blueberry plants had arrived for the Food Forest, and Sugarwings gloms onto any empty box to transform it into part of her games. And these seemed to be a perfect fit.

The weather has been perfect too. The forest and the work my son and our Gypsy have done is just blowing me away.

There is something tasty to add to our dinner every night, as well as a garden so pretty that I just want to go out and stand there and daydream instead of work.

I love the mix of wildflower seeds in with the veggies. We have done pretty well bugwise, with the good bugs to eat the bad, and with flowers that keep the nasties away. It seems to work much better than I'd thought, but we are having trouble now with some squash vine borers. But pesticides don't work on those anyway, you have to do surgery on the joints of the vine to cut the varmits out.

I've decided that I'm soaking up the fun, the beauty, and the opportunities around me this summer. I'm taking some time off and saying YES to adventure. Even if it is as simple as laying on our backs and seeing fluffy shapes in clouds. I'm also planning on taking the girls out at least once a week for a field trip. And I'm going to try to travel with my husband more too.

I swear, that little break from work while my wireless was wonky and my hard drive died, has given me a new outlook. I'm all in for summer now! A little taste of leisure and I'm hooked. I tend to be a bit of a work-a-holic, but that is on hold for a while.

Summertime, LOOK OUT! Here comes Whammy!! (Dewdrop can't say Grammie, she calls me Whammy, and I kind of like it, it sounds much more adventuresome than Grams)

Studio Tour 2013- Where Bloggers Create

cottage, Dew Drop, studio tour, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / July 12, 2013

Karen Valentine is once again hosting a "Where Bloggers Create" blog hop.

Thanks for stopping by!

I've shown my studio so many times, I wondered if I should join again, was there anything new to see?

Basically, it is still the same. But there has been some rearranging.

At least a few tables were shoved to new locations.

And a 2nd table was added to the fairy grand's area. I finally got smart enough to move their things closer to the sink, broom, and TV (behind the lace). This spot is much more convenient for them to work in.

They are no longer teetering across the room to the sink with a tipsy bowl of paint saturated water, that splashes and spills half the time. Now, it's a quick reach over to the sink to wash out brushes.

I also moved their cabinet of supplies right over next to their work area.

It seems to be a hit.

(I love the clothes they pick out when they dress themselves. Dewdrop's shirt is inside out and backwards, Sugarwing's dress is vintage silk and also inside out)

Lately, home made play dough has been the craft of choice, but moods change, fairies are whimsical sorts who flit from one activity to another.

I really do love my studio. And even if I have shown photos of it over and over, I never get tired of the space.

I like that it's such a homey place, filled with things I love, my fairy babies and the dorkies. Since both girls have moved into the cottage with us for about half the week, my work schedule has changed a bit. There is often a couple of little faces pressed to the glass door waiting to be invited in.

How can I say no? But we did have to make some firm rules.

First Rule of Studio Club:

There is no crying.

Second Rule of Studio Club:

There is no crying.

I tell them that the Studio is our Happy Place and no tears are allowed. If someone happens to feel like they should have the pink paintbrush instead of their sister, or that the other girl's wad of playdough is bigger than theirs, they have to talk it out. If crying occurs, the cryer is picked up and set down outside the door till she is ready to discuss the problem instead of crying.

Other rules? You work at your table, I'll work at mine. I won't use your supplies without asking, you must ask to touch mine.

It's going well. There is only a trace amount of snot and tears on the door from cryers on the outside wanting back in. We are keeping the Studio a Happy Place.

I've enjoyed the company of my two little sprites, but it's nice to have the space to myself every once in a while too.

Here is my work spot. I rarely have more than a 8" working area, because I clutter up so much. It was nice to have the excuse of this blog hop to clean up a bit.

Who am I kidding? A bit?? It takes more than a bit of cleaning to make my studio look good for photos. I spiffed it up all morning. See, all of the ink pads are even neatly tucked into their box.

Everything was tidied up for Birdsong last month, and after that, I did some rearranging and found a new order for the room. I'm trying a slightly different set up and it's working out pretty well.

Whenever I host a class here, I end up moving things around afterward when I put the room back together, and end up getting a more useful and better set up every time. This year, since I had more attendees to the event, I had to clear out and make extra space. One thing I did was to make the office part of the room smaller. I thought I'd change it back after, but I kind of like it this way. I'd rather have the roominess out in the room, not in the computer area.

I've also changed the spot the jewel table sits. I'm not sure if it will stay there. If I leave the lid open, it gets in the way of the TV.

But that isn't too bad. Since I am such a TV addict, I have to be careful to limit myself out here. I listen to NPR on weekdays and don't allow myself to turn on the set. Unless the grand fairies are visiting, and then only when they have been working awhile and begin acting restless. We are all trying to control our addiction, they love TV as much as I do. Especially Sugarwings.

Most of my Birdsong decor is still up.

Including the little wire cages we made in my class.

I'd made so many to perfect the technique before I did an online tutorial and a class here for our arty weekend, that they have taken over!

Plus, I like them all too much to pack them up yet.

And some of my Birdsong decorations just might be permanent. I really like this old poster. Although, I do think I'd like to paint the door. I'm over this green right now. I've just not had a chance to get rid of it. I'm thinking about aqua.

Most of the little birds from around the room have been packed away till next year, but some favorites remain out.

And the birds I made to hang from the ceiling are still there because I can't reach them without going to get a ladder. Which explains why I had to take down Valentine hearts from the ceiling in June when I hung these birds up for our party.

This is another thing I'd been putting off. All of my cabinets are pretty full, and each is meant for different category of supplies. But this fabric wardrobe had really gotten away from me. I hate folding and my linen closet doesn't look much better, I'm afraid.

I'd taken on a sewing project this week and had such a hard time trying to find my rose patterned barkcloth, that I decided enough was more than enough and I tackled this jumbled up mess after avoiding it for years.

A silly little tiny amount of time later (only an hour and a half out of my life, why didn't I do this sooner instead of ignoring it for sooooo long?) and it is not only functional, the door shuts correctly now.

Most of the cabinets around the room are display pieces for my supplies, so I keep my favorites out where I can see them easily and get to them quickly. I mix in completed pieces and pretties too.

I've got a ton more photos to show you. I'll stop rambling and yammering on and just leave you with some pretty pictures. It's more like bombarding you with pictures. There are a LOT.

Thanks again for coming by.

You can see the rest of the studios on tour (and it's always a treat to peek in on the creative spaces!) by going by Karen's blog for a list of sites.

And if you'd like to see my studio from previous years, you can see the past couple here.

Complaining, but still thankful

bird song art event

By Karla Nathan / July 9, 2013

Well, I'm still recovering from my hard drive's slow and painful death during my wireless black out. Both at once? Now really, is that fair? It did make solving the issue a little harder, but both are repaired now. Hundreds of dollars and endless hours later, I'm almost sane again. There are files still playing lost and found with me, including all of my email contacts and most of my older photos, among a slew of other things that I'm discovering as days go by, such as an inability to save passwords, each has to be typed in every time I open something.

It might not look like I was gone as long as I really was from my computer, because I had pre-written a few blog posts, and then did a few quickies from my iPad. But it felt like forever to me, even though it was only a little more than a couple weeks.

I'm back now and I did manage to redo all the pass words to my website and find my way back in to finally mail out purchases. And I set up a new 40% off sale HERE if you'd like some Christmas in July savings from my Boutique – and there are lots of: tutorials/trims/flowers/junk/pretties/crapola/doodads/millinery/and other stuff till left. (fair warning- my computer will be going back to Best Buy to do a hunt for lost items, and might be gone a few days again later this week, so shipping could be interrupted a little)

My time off was a mix of illness, issues, stress, and family traumas offset by leisure activities and playing with the grand fairies. So, while it wasn't an ideal situation, it was a good time to take some time off, and it was nice to have the sweet sprites around to cheer me up.

It's good to be back, even if some of my info is lurking in the dark depths of mysterious workings of the new hard drive!

It seems like Birdsong was eons ago, but I still have some pretties to show you from it. The crystal perfume bottle (filled with fairy dust) was a gift from Guncle Randy. And this half doll in blue is the one that I received from the generous boxful of handmade dolls sent by Brier Rose.

Terry gave me this mother of pearl necklace topped with rhinestones. As well as a whirling, twirling, wonderful salad spinner! She saw me washing and patting down lettuce leaves to feed 30 people and decided I should be spinning them dry, not trying to dab the water off each one. She was right, it was a great gift. I've found that storing the lettuce in it after washing, keeps it crisp and fresh much longer too.

Sissy gifted me with this beautiful jewel box topped with brass birds.

Along with a silver bird charm to wear on a chain. I might add it to the knotted necklace that I made for myself.

My sister, Bobbie had filled a decorated bag with lots of fun items, including this pie rooster.

These sweet S&P shakers were just the right touch for the cubby on my new TV cabinet, and were part of Bobbie's bag-o-goodies.

This bounty is just a few examples of the thoughtfulness at Birdsong. I just have to look at a single one of the gifties I got from my family, or from my friends and be reminded that I'm pretty lucky to have such nice people in my life. I was in a foul mood from the gum infection and all the online woes I was having. And even though the computer repair was (and still is) very time consuming and costly, my gums have hurt like heck, and my poor kids are going through a rough time, over all, the good very much out weighs the bad.

I'm lucky that I could afford the computer repairs and time off, and the dental bills that went along with the sore mouth. I'm lucky to have a family that I care about and who I think also care about me. And who I know will be around for each other and make things work, no matter how hard it all seems at the time.

Plus, I had my beautiful Birdsong memories to get me through some unpleasantness.

PS-While I was computerless, I realized that I'd left off Jennifer from our list of sponsors! Sorry, Jennifer. That has been fixed now and here is some info about her upcoming event if you'd like to build some art getaway memories of your own.

A fairy play room

cottage, Dew Drop, fairies, family, Hand painted, paintings, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / July 7, 2013

Remember the canvas mural I painted for Kim's Enchanted Affaire? Instead of trying to sell it, we cut it up and are using it in the fairy grand daughter's room. I still need to touch up the vent so that it doesn't have that ghostly glow and stand out so much from the painted trees.

Sugarwings had not used her bedroom since we bought her this big girl bed. So, I never bothered to repaint it like I had originally planned. Now that the enchanted forest is part of her room, she has been happy to stay up there, so I'd better get busy and paint something in the ovals of her head and footboards.

Previously, there was a shelf all the way around the top of the room, and a sky painted above the shelf. The rest of the bedroom was left that way, my son only took the shelf down in the space where we added the canvas.

Since we lost a big section of shelf, it was a good excuse to dust and redo the rest of the shelves.

While I was at it, I tidied up the fairies hanging above the windows from sparkly white branches.

There are fairies peeking out from all sorts of vantage points around the room.

And of course, real live fairies running around the room too.

Little girls seem to like a newly redone room as much as big girls do. As soon as I finished getting it all put back together in it's new configuration, they set to tearing into every corner and exploring toys they'd over looked or forgotten about.

The canvas is stapled all the way around, but hangs a little loose. If I ever have more time….(yeah, right) I hope to tighten it up a bit, or at least steam out some wrinkles if they don't straighten out with time. I'd like to add some fairies too. Maybe portraits of the girls as fairies?

I'm not so sure I still like the closet doors painted as a fairy garden any more since it doesn't match the new scene. I'll have to do something about it.

On the other hand, the kids like it as is and it is their room. So that probably means more than my sense of continuity.

At least the ceiling was ideal for the new look, it blended in perfectly!

Of course, the room is not this tidy any more. Instead of two little fairies flitting about, it looks like it had a couple of ogres tramping through it. For dainty little cuties, they sure can trash a place. It is now knee deep in dress up clothes and who knows what else.

(the magic mirror on the wall is one that I made for Sugarwings. Here are the directions if you are interested)

Here are some pictures of the room in it's various looks over the last few years.

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!

I just discovered that all my older photos are GONE. I'd thought I'd found most of everything from before my hard drive died, but just now realized that I don't have any photos from before 2009.

Thank goodness my life is on my blog. I can retrieve all my favorites from there. I only started taking digital photos in '07, when I began my blog, so I'm missing two years of pictures. All of my previous pictures are in print. And I'm sure that most of my faves from the missing years are printed and in albums. But still, it's disconcerting to look for a file to reuse a pic and not find it. At least I know that it's only the file that is gone, I have the photos in albums or on my blog.

durn

But look at how fast I found a couple from my blog archives.

I'll seach out some more later, after I talk to the Best Buy Geek Squad and see if they can find any other old files. This whole hard drive/wireless debacle has taken it's toll on me. Stress, stress, stress.

While my computer was down, shoppers waited so kindly and patiently for me to mail their 30% sale packages from the Boutique, that I gave them another 10% off when I finally got things mailed.

I've decided to extend the 40% off sale before I start to restock the shop. Since I haven't really kept up the poor little store since the holidays, months ago, I thought a Christmas in July Sale was fitting.

Use this link for an automatic 40% off at check out:
http://www.karlascottage.com/?code=sale

And please note that I do refunds of shipping overages after I box up the package and figure the actual cost to mail it. Sometimes, buying lots of little things make the shipping price go sky high according to the way the website calculates it, so I adjust and refund as needed.