Karla's Cottage – Page 286

Pretty packaging and some procrastination

give away, jewelry, paintings, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 4, 2007

I have been packaging today. Funny how those little details at the end of a project can take as long as the project itself.

Here is how I finished my charms for the swap. I added beads to compliment the roses, I ended up using a variety of crystals. Then I tied each to a business card with a sheer ribbon. I will slip each into a little plastic bag as soon as my poor arthritis eases up a bit. Too much ribbon tying today!

I still have 3 charms left to sell, if you want one. Plus, you can win one in June by leaving any comment.

I jump from media to media, partly because I want to do EVERYTHING and also because I get easily sidetracked by shiny objects and go off to start another sort of project.

But also because I am always hurting, my joints are a wreck. So, I will paint a few days, do jewelry a few, etc. If I were to do the same thing day after day, I’d cripple myself. I need to keep changing my repetitive movements so that they aren’t too repetitive!

I had a good time wrapping up my fairy swap pieces to send off to Australia, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.

I used pages from a flower fairy book to fold around each tag, and tied them up with ribbons, a business card, and made use of some of the hanging frames that came with the charms I painted roses on. I added a bead to the center of each open frame, hoping that Holly, Natasha, and Heather will be able to use these in one of their projects.

I really like the open frames, now that I decided I didn’t want them on the charms. I bought a million of the set (trying to save on postage and thinking I’d use a ton of them), and thought I was stuck with something I hated, but now can see endless opportunities for these as separate bits instead of together.

Well, I should finish the charm packing. Or I should unload the dishwasher from our dinner party last night. Or I should change the sheets from yesterday’s house guest and get ready for the next guests. Or pull weeds in the garden. Or attack that cobweb I saw swinging from the chandelier. (I know if there is one, there are others up there on the ceiling.)

But I think, I’ll goof off and play in the studio. The house always gets cleaned up somehow before guests arrive. And if I turn down the lights and use candles, maybe they won’t notice the cobwebs?? I know, I’ll make them gifts to welcome them! They will appreciate presents more than non fuzzy chandeliers! (but I will manage to change their sheets before they get here, for sure, don’t worry about that one)

Paper Doll Fairies

fairies, Food and Drink, paintings, swaps, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / June 3, 2007

What a wonderful day! It started with a big birthday brunch for my husband. I made biscuits and gravy along with eggs, bacon, fruit salad, and fresh muffins. Then, since it was officially brunch and not breakfast, we were required to have dessert. Every good brunch has yummy desserts!

Ours was a yellow pound cake topped with fresh strawberries, then a layer of vanilla pudding and cream cheese, and on top of that, whipped cream. Sugarwings enjoyed her first taste of whipped cream!

(I cook with as many low-fat products as I can, but even with skim milk and low fat sausage, this was still a, shall we say "filling" meal.)

Afterward, we took our pontoon and my brother-in-law’s ski boat out on the lake for the afternoon with our kids and all the nieces and nephews. Most of us are a bit sunburned, those cloudy days can trick you. Besides the slightly pink noses and red shoulders, we had a great time.

I had a couple hours between boating and when company came for dinner. (a crock pot full of roast and veggies, that cooked itself while we played)

So, I made up my 3 fairy swap pieces to get into the mail tomorrow to Natasha, http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/, Heather http://prettypetalsboutique.blogspot.com/, and Holly http://hollydoodledesigns.com/WordPress/

We are each making 3 items that fit into an envelope and are fairy inspired, so I made three tags. I started with a regular manila tag, rubbed with aging inks. I glued a pretty bit of scrapbook paper on each one. Then, painted a fairy on watercolor paper and snipped it out like a paper doll and glued it down.

The wings are cut from photo copies of vintage butterfly post cards than I encrusted with glitter.

Vintage posies were added to each sprite’s hands for a 3-D effect, and one of my hand painted charms was tied on with a bow of polka dot ribbon and pink tulle.

Natasha was so nice to set this up for me, I was complaining about missing out on the fairy jar swap and she offered to do this mini swap. I had a great time with it and hope they enjoy their hand painted fairies. I’ll have to look around and see what little thank you I can add to Natasha’s package. I appreciate her doing this. And I can’t wait to receive my fairies from them!!!!!

I joined the tiara swap that is being hosted by Holly too. I might just becoming a swap junky.

Last week, I showed you pictures of Sissy’s magical cottage while I was visiting her in Indiana. Here is a picture she sent to me of what she found at GOODWILL. What a beautiful platter.

Eat with Caroline

antiques/junking, flowers, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / June 3, 2007

Thanks for all your votes and input. I Love hearing from everyone, its nice to know I am not just writing this to myself, that there is actually someone out there who sees it!

Remember, you can still win a hand painted rose charm by simply leaving a comment this month. I love comments and don’t mind bribing you to get them!

I had a lucrative garage sailing morning with my sis-in-law, Sharon and her girls. First of all, she is an expectant grandma, and I am a slightly newbie grandmama, so we enjoyed scooping up baby goodies today. I used to drive right on by the sales that were all baby stuff, but now we squeal with joy when we pull up to the curb and see piles of tiny pink dresses and big, colorful, plastic baby paraphernalia that takes up half a room.

I loaded up on pretties for Sugarwings, including a monitor to keep here for when she naps and the foo-fooiest pink dresses ever ($1 each!) I will keep the dresses at my house for her to wear to our tea parties.

I managed to squeeze in some non-Sugarwings purchases too. This tray was $4 and the overnight case was 50 cents. I plan to line it with vintage papers and paint roses on the exterior.

The linens were 10 cents each! (I bought 32) Heck, that is less than bubble wrap. At that price, I should wrap all my packages in linens when I mail breakables.

I always seem to find a new birdie for my collection when I am junking. These pink tweeties were only a dime.

"Eat with Caroline" was a quarter, how could I pass that up?

I don’t know if any of Caroline’s recipes will grace my table, but they sure will adorn my collage work!

We took a break from junking and strolled through the farmer’s market. Because an interesting market like ours, here in Lawrence, KS deserves strolling, not just walking through.

I really liked all the hand painted signs the vendors use.

"Friday Night Bakers" was the prettiest sign. but it was late in the day so there wasn’t much left of the baked goods.

Isn’t the bundle of wheat next to the simple daisies and the yarrow a lovely combination?

Kansas is known for its wheat, but I have never thought of picking it and using it in my flower arrangements.

And look at this flower, it reminds me of Queen Anne’s Lace, but has bigger petals.

I’d love to grow Queen Ann’s Lace, and have tried digging it out of a field of weeds and transplanting it to my garden, but it never lives. Now how hard can it be to grow a weed?? I seem to be a whiz with dandelions and poison ivy in my yard.

I got up at 6am (not like me) to go Garage Sailing this morning, spent the middle of the day in the garden, then cleaned the basement. Which in our 100 year old house, is more of a cellar. Nasty. But after that was done, we went to a movie, then out on the lake to watch the sunset from our boat (and eat cheeseburgers with sweet potato fries from the Marina). Not a bad way to end a day. Although, it didn’t end there, I have a dozen people coming for biscuits and gravy tomorrow morning and a dinner party and house guest tomorrow night (with a day of boating in the middle). So, groceries and baking came after the lovely sunset. And of course, BLOGGING! Now, off to clean bathrooms for company and then finally, to bed. Night, night

To Frame or Not to Frame, that is the question.

flowers, give away, jewelry, swaps

By Karla Nathan / June 1, 2007

Thanks to everyone who helped out with advice! Overwhelmingly, the frames have the vote. But, here is a close up in case you want to re-think it.

3 ways of doing the charms are shown here:

1- plain

2- dangling frame

3- plain with vintage pink crystal

I think my problem with the frame is that it is kind of big, and slightly cheesey, too shiny, maybe?? And see how the rose paintings sway inside of the frame?

Well, the photo in the catalog I ordered them from looked so much better! I’m sure there are ways to age them, a little sand paper and a soak in an oxidizing liquid might make them more appealing to me. But, I do tend to be overly picky, maybe that is not necessary.

Here is what I did with one empty frame, I used it on a page in the scrap book I am making for my sister-in-law, Sandy. I added gold paint and glued a gem into the jump ring.( I went back and glued another tiny jewel in the other jump ring hole after I saw this picture)

Speaking of cheesey, not every page in a scrap book is a winner. This one is a bit much. I just gaudied after slapping down the picture by trimming it in gold paint and plopping some Michaels clearance stickers in the corners. Sometimes it is nice to just do some quick & simple pages and not worry about being ‘arty’!

My BFF, Beth http://bethleintz.typepad.com/ came over today to work on charms together. She is in the same swap and we thought we’d hang out while we worked on them. She is in the tiara swap too. I’m really looking forward to that one! We’ll get together to make those too. It is always good to have another person to bounce ideas off of.

I should have taken a better photo of her charms, instead of just this one of the one on her nose.

Here she is in action. Looks like she is in CRAFTING NINJA MODE.

We are signing up to go to the Silver Bella classes in Omaha during November!!!! I’ve never done anything like that before, am more of a do-it-yourselfer than a class-taker. But I think it will be a blast and I hope to meet some blogging friends there.

If you want to join us, it should be a lot of fun, and we can take that sharp knife away from Beth if it frightens you.

We like to get together for projects as often as we can. The shirt she is wearing is one we did last summer. I threw a tie dye baby shower for Sugarwings, and everyone brought something white to dye. I ended up with a life time supply of fiber reactive dyes because I bought so many, wanting one in every color to use that day!

So every once in a while, we do a craft day with them. She and I both complain about how many shirts we ruin with Coffee splotches, and this is a good way to save a stained tee shirt. Tie dye camouflage!

I’m a coffee dribbler and about half of my shirts are dyed over. I’m wearing one in the photo above, with Sandy and I surrounded by stickers and gaudy gold paint.

You can still enter my charm/swap giveaway! I made 30 of them and only need 22. So for any comment left in the month of June, I’ll enter you to win one. And if you like them framed, that is how I will send yours to you.

I also have some to sell if anyone wants to buy one. They are teeny little paintings of a rose on a piece of textured watercolor paper attached to a metal charm then protected with diamond glaze. With or without a frame as you would like, with or with out a vintage crystal bead, as you would like. But no two are the same, all are hand painted. Some have hydrangeas with the roses, some have daisies too, but most are a single rose. Heck, I can custom paint one for you how ever you’d like too. They are fun to make.

$10 each plus $2.50 postage

I might need better photos. I am not having a very attractive photo day. Oops, no offense, Beth, that isn’t how I meant it!!

Another Giveaway, Another Charm

flowers, give away, jewelry

By Karla Nathan / May 31, 2007

I’m no longer confused by my charm swap, the kind hostess, Mary, http://mymothersdaughter-maryb.blogspot.com/2007/04/anyone-up-for-charm-swap.html explained that we still need to make 22 charms even though she hasn’t heard from everyone. If there are extras, she’ll send them back.

So this afternoon, I painted 25 thumbnail size roses on watercolor paper, (and added 3 teeny fairies too, wonder what that is for??).

I am so bummed by the charm pieces I ordered to put them on. When I ordered them online, I thought I was getting a solid piece, but they are two pieces, the centers come out and swing free in the frame.

And of course, I ordered about a million of them at once, thinking that the photo of them was perfect and I’d want to make a TON of these things, and just ought to order them all at once to save postage. Now I have all these charms and don’t like working with them.

There are a lot of extra steps involved since I can’t simply pop the paintings into the tiny frames and cover them with diamond glaze. I have to take the pieces all apart first, and now will have to reassemble them. But- I think I like them better WITHOUT the dangling frame. What do you think?

I have the diamond glaze coat on them and sprinkled a hint of glitter over it. The glaze is still wet in the photo here, it looks cloudy yet. I am always too impatient to wait for things to dry.

I’ve never been in a charm swap before, I want these to look nice. So here’s an idea, give me your advice and have a chance to win one!!

Here is a close up, still cloudy, because it is wet- but what do you think? Should I hang them in their frame or leave them as is? Vote or leave a comment this week and I’ll enter you in a drawing to win one of the extra ones I made today!

Someone always ends up being a fairy

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

By Karla Nathan / May 31, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sisters Junking Day in Indy and MORE $1.99 roses!

antiques/junking, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, flowers, Travel, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / May 29, 2007

What’s one good thing about being back a day early from vacation? Being at the local grocery store for the Monday markdowns on flowers! $1.99 bundles of roses are almost enough to come home early for. (But I also got a day with Sugarwings!)

I bought the roses in a lavender pink color, and got a $1.99 bundle of snap dragons to match. Then it just so happened that the color of the flowers looked so beautiful with the mail I happened to be opening- look at my presents!! I received a bundle of pretty cards and papers from Vickie at Stampin’ Up and a dainty little rose scented candle that came all the way from Norway and http://brittarnhildshouseinthewoods.typepad.com/brittarnhilds_house_in_th/. She gave the candle as a prize for her Caring Bloggers Rose Day and I was lucky enough to win it. But, I think I have mentioned before that I am a lucky person. Thanks to you both for the pretties!!

Here is a pile of the loot I found on my Sisters Junking Day in Indy.

Southport Antique Mall was HUGE, it had wings, upstairs, downstairs, back alleys, hidden rooms, and felt like a maze that went on forever. Why aren’t all antique malls built that way????

I accidentally left with the clothespin that was used to mark my pile of purchases. It said "Carolina" on it, and I had just been in N. Carolina a couple days ago, seemed fitting. My niece was given a clothes pin that said Loo Loo, but she insisted it was 007 007. Bobbie Sue had one that was just a number 3, so I asked if they would trade it in for a pretty name. She got "Peace" in place of #3, much better!

A favorite find was the cute jar with the pink lid, that was full of rhinestone buttons for $6.

I found 2 of these albums, for $12 each. Both in decent shape, but one a bit better than the other. I will probably make one into an art journal and use the 2nd for parts.

The dish with pink flowers is actually tin! very pretty. I also got a big bundle of china flowers for $12. I never really like the plastic stems on these things, and often just use the buds in mosaics. Not sure what this bunch will be yet.

We had a mini shopping trip the day before, a stop at Goodwill and a spin through TJMaxx. I found new towels at the Maxx, Sissy found the new sheets and the chocolate bars wrapped in pretty papers, as well as the 3 sisters mug.

She found the blue skirt with pink roses (a Ralph Lauren) at the Goodwill along with the pink basket. I got the soap dish at the thrift and plan on painting it ivory to use in my kitchen to hold the sponge by the sink.

I’m jealous about the basket Sissy bought, it was just the right size to fit 3 Dorkies in. I loved the skirt too, but my sis is about a size minus zero and that skirt would have ripped in half just holding it up to my hips.

Tonight I started working on my vacation scrapbook. (Walgreens has a special now for 15 cent prints by email, ready in an hour). I thought I’d turn some little nieces into fairies, this first one is Hannah. I was lucky enough to be in Indiana while she was having her nursery school graduation and got to attend. Hannah and her friends sang and danced for the crowd and it was so cute, I laughed till I cried.

Her cousin, Mikaela is a couple years older and loves pink and princesses and fairies. She makes an elegant little flying sprite. Their grandparent’s last name is Valentine, so I added some hearts in the pictures.

Home again Home again, Jiggitty Jog- I ate too much on vacation and now I’m a fat hog

Chandeliers, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, flowers, paintings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 28, 2007

It feels so good to be back in Kansas!! The trip was great, but of course, when you live here, there is no place like home!

Twinkle was worn out by the end of the trip, so many new toes to nibble and new yards to explore.

I’ll miss having my morning coffee on Sissy’s porch. She has such unique features in her garden. The morning sun sparkled through the crystals she draped over this candle holder hanging by the deck.

This white flower at the corner of the deck would open up wide every morning, then close throughout the middle of the day. It would reopen in the evenings while we were outside sipping our wine. Does anyone know what kind of flower it might be??? She says it just came up, she didn’t plant it, but that if it is a weed, she doesn’t care.

Last time I visited her, I brought one of my "Magic Mirrors". It is an old frame (whitewashed) that held a curved glass. I had a mirror cut and placed under the glass for a magical effect.

Reflected is one of her many angel collections on top of an antique wardrobe. You can also see a fairy watercolor I did for her a few years ago.

Here is a close up of the watercolor. I guess it would be more accurate to call it a mixed media piece, I used a shimmering, white metallic acrylic paint to make the fairies glow and there is glitter sprinkled over the page too.

My sister also had a copy of a watercolor I did of the barn my grandparents owned.

I am always flattered when I go to visit and see my work hanging on the walls of relatives. It is nice to know they have enjoyed the gifts. (unless they only hang them while I am visiting, and take them down as soon as I leave??)

This monochromatic watercolor is hanging in my brother-in-law’s home up in the North Carolina hills. It is a painting I did of the home his dad grew up in.

And at my sister-in-law’s home on the river in Tennessee, she had this yellow iris hanging in her kitchen. Both of these were done so many years ago, I had completely forgotten them.

My sister-in-law, Sandy has a fantastic home too! She lives out in the middle of nowhere, in a home nestled into a valley. It is built on the river and has a wrap around porch where we spent much of our time.

I could have sat and watched the river from her porch all week. But we did take time to eat loads of fresh veggies right from their garden, go into town to antique, visit a local winery and do some mega wine tasting, visit a Mennonite farmer’s market, and then race around on their 4 wheeler through the woods.

Sparkle enjoyed the view off the deck too, but didn’t care for the 4 wheeler.

The town that Sandy lived in was full of cute shops, but I just didn’t have much luck in shopping that day. Some days are good for shopping, others are made for just going "feeling" (as my mother used to call it when she went shopping but didn’t buy anything.)

Sandy has a doll collection that her son has always hated, he says that they ‘freak him out’. She was kind enough to start to pack them up before he arrived for the weekend from Charlotte where he is starting a new job.

I told her she couldn’t pack them up, he’s a grown man and if he was scared of dolls, then that was just a good excuse for us to mess with him. I arranged all the dolls on top of the cabinet and had them staring down at his bed in the guest room. That wasn’t quite enough, so I gave them some knives. One doll was hidden under the pillows of the bed, and another stared up from underneath the bed on the floor. He was properly freaked, I think. And Sandy and I giggled like little girls.

The entire trip was fun. In N. Carolina we hiked in the Grandfather Mountain area. Notice how far back I am with my camera taking this shot? That is as close as I ever get to the edge of anything up that high! I hate heights. I was comfortable back on the trail looking out through the trees at the view, but wouldn’t venture out any closer.

My brother-in-law has a house he built himself up on a mountainside. It was a house full of happy kids, animals, and laughter. Our time there was rustic and beautiful and full of life.

I can’t imagine a better trip. It was like a sampling of 3 different styles of B&Bs. First, Sandy’s river side ranch in the valley with its grand porches. Then, Mark’s cabin up on the mountain with its rustic charm. After that was Sissy’s magical cottage full of glitter and flowers. But best of all, was that these weren’t really B&Bs, but family homes full of our loved ones. It was a special treat to be able to go and stay with all of them.

But as wonderful as it all was, we had to cut the trip short a day to get home and see Sugarwings. We missed her too much.

There is just no place like home. Especially when you have a tiny little fairy girl waiting there for you!

And The Winner Is……..

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), flowers, Food and Drink, give away, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 27, 2007

Just a quick note to announce the Cottage Charm Giveaway WINNER– I’ve been busy smooshing as much as I can into my last day of vacation, and here it is almost midnight and I want to get the winner named before the next day begins. So, congratulations to:

Niki at http://nostalgiaatthestonehouse.blogspot.com/

Thank you everyone for all the kind comments and for entering. I promise to have many more give aways, these have been a lot of fun for me, and I make a lot of crap (I mean arty stuff) so will always have something to give as a present!! So keep checking back, I’ll start another contest soon.

Today is the last day of my trip, tomorrow will be spent in the car all day. Hopefully, not too much of it will be spent stuck in Indy 500 traffic as we try to leave this town….. My day started with a special brunch by Sissy.

Fresh fruit salad, homemade bread, cherry jam that I bought in the mountains, vanilla yogurt, and wait, what is in the chickie?

A boiled egg!

We’ll all miss staying at Sis’s enchanted cottage. Sparkle and the other dorkies were treated like treasured family members and were spoiled rotten. But, that is how every guest is treated here.

(Even though Twinkle pooped on Sis’s rug and it had to be taken outside to be washed. That is why it is on the ground behind Sparkle)

Well, I’m off to pack, then get a bit of sleep before we fight the race crowd traffic tomorrow and head home!

Last Chance to enter the Drawing, Peacocks, and Petunias

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), give away, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 26, 2007

Twinks is enjoying her vacation too, and has been playing with her Aunt Sissy’s petunias.

We’re off to a big old antique mall south of Indy to shop. Hopefully, I’ll have photos when I get back.

In the meantime, I wanted to remind everyone that it is not too late to enter the COTTAGE CHARM GIVEAWAY.

I will pick a winner tonight after I bask in the glory of playing all the treasures I find on my junking day today. My sis is going to help with the drawing tonight, so keep entering, you have the rest of the day to EMAIL OR LEAVE A COMMENT to win.

One more photo from Sissy’s magical cottage. Here is a table with a blue mirrored top that I painted and gave to her. On it, sits a Goodwill vase and Capademonte angels she also scoured from Goodwill.

Our Grandma did the needlepoint peacock picture in the back, and the peacock feathers in the vase were from Percy, my pet peacock.

I know, I know, I already said, One More Picture- but while I was talking about peacock, I had to show you what we found yesterday, so here is another One More Picture.

Sis bought this pretty peacock purse at Goodwill yesterday, along with the etched wine glass. (yes, I know it is a clutch, not a purse, but I was in the mood for alliteration). The purple perfume is vanilla violet, and I splurged on that for myself at Sephora. My sisters, niece and I were all spritzed in multiple vanilla scents and I tried on every single color of eye shadow in the store. One was accidentally a lip gloss, so my eyelids got a bit goopy.

Underneath the peacock purse is a gaudy, frilly, bathing suit with sequins that I found at TJMaxx for myself. It was supposed to have a skirt, but that was missing, so they sold it to me for less. And I will keep a pair of shorts over my big butt the whole time unless I am under water any way. The skirt wouldn’t have covered enough, so I was happy with the discount and leaving the skirt behind, where ever it is lurking at TJMax.