Karla's Cottage – Page 34 – by Karla Nathan

Treasures

By Karla Nathan / August 21, 2022

Before school started, we tried to make up for missing out on some of our regular summer time activities and made trips to the Topeka zoo and spent some time on the lake. Along the way we met some friends.

The larakeets loved Sugarwings’ hair we decided it was because it looked a lot like one of their toys.

The zoo was pretty quiet, I think the heat kept others away. But it’s a small park with lots of shade and many indoor exhibits, so the heat didn’t bother us.

The gemstone sluice wasn’t running, but we had a treasure hunt anyway. Over the years we have discovered that you find just as many pretty rocks and fossils in the mulch under the structure. Here is our precious haul.

On the way home stopped at our neighbor’s farmer’s market for fresh sweet corn and tried to guess what animals would be on the porch to greet us. Because you just never know there. We got lucky and it was this very nice goat, who we nick named Oreo.

A sweet ending to a lovely day out. Ki Ki, Avahni, and Dewdrop are all going to be living far away, Sugarwings is 16 now.

A true treasure for me is any day with a grand fairy. I am holding each one close to my heart because I know that as they grow up and fly away, there won’t be many of these days left.

Tutorials in the Boutique

how to's, mushrooms, the Boutique at Karla's Cottage, Tutorials

By Karla Nathan / August 18, 2022

It had been a while since I cleaned things up. Both my Etsy shop and the Boutique were sadly neglected. When I made my Velvet mushroom tutorial, I did a little rearranging. I also marked some of my previous tutorials down.

So if you’d like to learn how to assemble an art journal, craft a mini dress form, create a cuff bracelet (all no sew, by the way) plus a few more- all classes are available at their new, lower prices.

And you can find them all here: http://www.karlascottage.com/category_15/All-items.htm

And thank you to those who have purchased my mushroom tutorial! I love those little cuties and hope you do too.

Molly got a haircut

dogs

By Karla Nathan / August 15, 2022

We had kinda let Molly’s do become undone. That poor dog was a fuzzy, matted mess. A no-no with doodles. I made an appointment for her to be shaved, but was actually turned away because she was matted!

So, we bought a good pair of clippers and I did it myself. This little dumpling was such a good girl, she stood very still, was calm and sweet.

And I think she looks beautiful. I know she is more comfortable now. This dog spends a lot of time in the woods, where she gets burrs, plus it has been HOT around here.

Now that she is sleek and trimmed, she is an excellent lake dog.

How to get the tutorial to make velvet mushrooms

mushrooms, Tutorials

By Karla Nathan / August 12, 2022

In the last month I have been swept away in a mushie love fest!

I sincerely ADORE making these!

At last count, I'd assembled… well, let's not go there. I might have gotten a tad carried away.

Luckily they were also popular at the last Good Juju sale, so I am not up to my neck in them like I could've been.

Maybe I am just to my waist now.

If you think you'd fall for crafting them as much as I did, I've whipped up a tutorial with directions. It is available in my boutique, you can find it HERE.

It is also on Etsy.

The class is in blog form, with written instructions that you could copy, print and keep on your desk plus the same instructions written out with step by step photos and tips.

I offer ideas on materials to experiment with as well as pictures on how different items look when transformed into a mushroom stem. The photo above show how I have used four different items to get a collection of schroomie styles.

The tutorial is only $9 and will be available as long as I have a blog on this Typepad platform. I'm at 16 years or so at this point and don't see any reason to quit, so that tutorial will be around a while. Please let me know if you have any questions.

There are tips and tricks for experimenting with various supplies in the class too.

You know me, I like changing things up and having variety!

Dewdrop came to see us

Dew Drop, family

By Karla Nathan / August 10, 2022

Dewdrop came to visit and stay for the big reunion. Our time with her went too fast.

I wanted to do all of our typical summer time traditions- a craft project each day, and outings to zoos, lots of movies, and more, plus boating and pool time.

With 30 some visitors coming, we had to do an abbreviated version of our summers. I asked what things she wanted to squeeze in and was happy to hear that she wasn’t too old for the activities we used to do. She chose the Children’s Discovery Zone in Topeka, eating at Culver’s, and seeing Minions at the theater.

And even wanted to ride the merry go round.

It made my heart swell up when I saw that these two grand fairies still enjoyed the carousel, and even held hands while on it.

With an acknowledgment that these sibs weren’t quite my itty bitty fairies any more, we also threw in some shopping for new clothes and make up. Even a few fireworks for the 4th.

The time zoomed by for me, and my moments were her were few and far between. One of the reasons she was here was for the reunion, so she got to spend time with cousins, and other local family members too. And since I was so busy with all the work that goes along with hosting that many people staying in my home, I was glad that she had so many other people around to keep her entertained.

And I count myself lucky that she still wanted to be my little buddy and hang with her Grammy for some nostalgic fun.

Painted pumpkins up close

collections, Good JuJu, paintings

By Karla Nathan / August 6, 2022

In my previous post, I mentioned that I’d been painting pumpkins for the Good Juju sale

As things tend to do with me, yep, this became another obsession.

I spent quite a few days painting one canvas after another. I’d probably still be doing that if I hadn’t had to get ready for the big family reunion that we hosted.

I was on a roll, and loving every minute of it. I was painting fat punkins, tall punkins, some on paint pour canvases, some on collage backgrounds.

Then I started stacking them.

And adding flowers.

Lots of flowers.

Sitting at my desk and doing one after another was pure joy for me. Luckily, we had to harvest our honey and peaches, then be ready for guests, because I needed to get away from these, I think I had plenty. They are all at Juju now, today is the last day of the August sale. It would be nice if I sold a few, if not, I’ll be displaying them for fall shows too.

(All are under $50, if you happen to need a pumpkin and are visiting the Old West Bottoms)

My second wall at Good Juju is ready for it’s first run

antiques/junking, Good JuJu, paintings

By Karla Nathan / August 3, 2022

This Friday and Saturday are the Good Juju sales date for August, and I am enjoying having a bit more space this go around.

Rich added the shelf up above for me. It is higher than the one on my other wall. I’d say it’s more decorative than shoppable, although the things on it are priced. Still, it’s more for atmosphere than selling.

But isn’t atmosphere part of selling? It is for me.

Here is the upper shelf on my opposite wall.

I have painted some pumpkins to add this month. It’s 100 degrees and humid here, a typical KS day in August, but not too soon to start daydreaming about cooler, autumn days, right?

Some of the pumpkins are done on pour painted canvasses.

And some have flowers.

I’ve also packed in my mushroom colony and have lots of jewelry too.

I hope it goes well, I love having a reason to make things!

Velvet Mushrooms

collections

By Karla Nathan / July 30, 2022

When Guncle Randy visited, we didn’t get much studio time. But when we did, it was consumed by making these.

After he left to go back to Florida, I kept up with the shroomy construction.

Then, my pal, Beth, gave me some vintage velvet quilt squares and I doubled my obsession construction.

Oh my, look at those fabrics!

Most have felted stems, but some are glass. This one has a tiny little mushroom world inside the glass.

And this big one’s stalk is part of an old lamp.

I could just keep at it, on and on. But I’m afraid that it’s time to move on to the next thing, I’ve amassed quite a few of these little darlings.

Well, maybe I can make a few more….

Scenes from the reunion and one from the past

family, games, Ryan, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / July 26, 2022

Before our big reunion began, I decided to go through old albums and pull out Nathan, Neibaur, and Nichols photos that I could slip quickly into another album to pass around. Not my typical style, usually I love making pretty albums. But I was in a hurry because it was a last minute plan. And a single, edited book was much better than stacks and stacks of books filled miscellaneous photos the guests wouldn’t be familiar with, like the kids’ old friends or our neighbors of the past.

I came across this oldie from our home in Arkansas. I don’t know the occasion, or who took it, but I felt it like a jab in the heart. It’s not a good photo, but it is a great picture. Adam is a blur because like his daughter, he is in constant motion. Ryan is wearing his tee shirt from his army man Halloween costume and has the “Footloose” haircut that he always insisted on. I have on a matching tee and shorts that my mom sewed for me, the wallpaper behind us was some my sister helped hang in this very first house we ever bought.

So many memories in one snapshot.

And so much love, too.

I love this photo and will never tuck it away in the dark again, this one goes on display. But it also started the reunion on a shaky note for me. The people coming to visit were all favorites of Ryan, he enjoyed hanging out with this group, and I sure felt his absence when I was with them.

Also, Ry died at 42, and was my good buddy, we had such fun together. But this picture reminded me- he was my baby. My little guy. The majority of my grief is about daily things I miss about my grown up son and best friend. When it hits me that I lost my baby, it’s a death blow to my heart, so I don’t dwell on that aspect of it.

When people started arriving to the party, my sister-in-law wanted to sit with me in Ryan’s apartment and reminisce about him. I have to admit, that was the highlight of the week for me. It means so much when people honor my Ry that way.

He is not forgotten.

Rainbows and Fire Dancing for Pride Night

celebrations, family, guncles, Sacred Circus, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / July 22, 2022

On Randy and Kevin’s night to cook for the family reunion, they wanted a Pride Night theme.

They had rainbow everything to go with the grilled chicken and salads. I don’t know why I didn’t get more pictures, it was quite the festival and the decorations were bright and fun.

Our Hippie Chick brought rainbow, glitter face paint and many partiers got all sparkled up.

There was even a fire dancing show.

Featuring our professionals.

And crowd members could take a quick lesson too.

There was a great view from the balcony. These two were on the lighting committee and did a spectacular job with it.

The night ended with a few 1am stragglers sticking their forks directly into the rainbow cake.

We had different events throughout the weekend, but I think pride night was the best.

I am going to leave all of those lights strung across the courtyard, and possibly add more as I find them at garage sales for a very pretty reminder. Thanks, Guncles!