Karla's Cottage – Page 85 – by Karla Nathan

Mini Halloween Art Journal Kits in the BOOtique

By Karla Nathan / September 12, 2018

Yep, I'm still paint pouring.

And still making books. This one is Wicked Green.

I thought I'd turn them into Halloween art journals.

So, I gathered up some vintage black lace and millinery, cut up some pages, and tied them together.

And of course, they needed some coordinating supplies, right?

Thank you to those who bought me last little booklets.

I've added a few more of the floral ones along with the Ghoulish toned kits, in case you wanted one and didn't get in on the rush.

I very much appreciate you coming by to look and shop!

Here is the info about the books and kits:

These 4 x 4" art journals are made of a sturdy tag, painted in a "flow" style with acrylic paints, folded over and filled with pages made of themed or plain cardstock to use as is or cover as desired.

The cover was embellished with millinery taken from an old, floral hat and black lace peeks out from inside the books.

Each kit contains a vintage photo, a sprig of fall toned forget me nots (vintage), an old earring, two fleur de lis charms, an assortment of vintage wallpaper scrap and some text (including from an Edgar Allen Poe book). There are also a few photo copies of vintage pictures, as well as one printed onto vellum, for a ghostly look.

Available in the BOOtique- www.karlascottage.com

Good friends, good lodgings, and goofiness

family, friends, games, guncles, Travel

By Karla Nathan / September 9, 2018

Foofy, gorgeous, girly, Karen, is also an avid hunter and outdoors woman. She turkey hunts at Rawhide Camp Outfitters

It is in a beautiful setting, on a bluff overlooking a bend in the Missouri River.

And it just so happens to be a hop, skip, and a mini jump, down the road from my favorite flea, at Sparks, KS.

Since flea market season and hunting season do not coincide, she stays at the camp in August to go shopping, and is kind to invite some friends along for the trip. This is my second year there with her and I hope, not the last.

Some Birdsong friends, local and from far away, gathered to enjoy the hospitality of the home. We were all spoiled by Tracy's cooking, did some crafting, some shopping, lots of laughing, and maybe drank a bit of wine…

Angie gifted us with a vintage craft pack, and Beth made up a Flea Market Survival Kit, with wet wipes, mints, and tissues.

The home is owned by a super nice family, some of whom came by to visit.

The rooms are filled with trophies, and has a distinct hunting theme.

There are "sheds" everywhere. I was going to say hundreds, but I'll bet it is more like thousands.

This guy was our crating, buddy and watched over the table we worked at.

You can tell by the surroundings that the place is probably more used to Turkey and Deer Hunters than Vintage Junk Hunters.

I thought it was pretty clever, to use one of their empties for a soap dispenser. And to top off the popcorn with a light bulb when there was no lid for the jar.

And yes, there were plenty of empties…. NO, these were NOT ours. Like I said, we were daintily sipping wine.

And honestly, not that much wine…. goofiness sometimes just occurs when the opportunity arises.

And then it escalates a little bit.

Well, maybe more than a little.

See?

This is the room that Guncle Randy and I shared. I am lucky enough to have been a guest in the Crown Royal Suite two years in a row. I felt like a princess.

The views were dreamy.

I had a feeling that I wasn't in Kansas anymore.

It was the best!! Thank you Karen, and thank you to the Whetstines for hosting this fun filled getaway!!

The Pet Butler at the Flea Market

dogs, family, guncles

By Karla Nathan / September 6, 2018

Any place I go with Guncle Randy, he makes friends. He has always been so charming and interested in people that they are irresistibly drawn to him.

At the Sparks Flea Market he was visiting his brand new best friends more than he was looking at the goods for sale.

It isn't only humans that gravitate to his presence, all the 4 legged shoppers wanted to visit too.

As well as the 3 legged ones.

I can see why his business, Randy the Pet Butler, has grown since he began it not that long ago. He loves all the furry friends that he comes across.

He has been known to pet sit more than just dogs, of course, but I don't know if he has taken on piggies yet.

Although, if he did, it looks like they would welcome his care.

These piglets were for sale at the flea market, and we spent as much time squealing over their cuteness as we did shopping. I was sooooooo tempted to bring one back with me.

But, as sweet as Sugar is, I doubt if she would be all that nice to a new pig brother or sister. Or would appreciate the motto on the sign with the pigs for sale,

"Pigs are for LOVIN, not for the oven."

She was head over heels for her Guncle, and slept with him every night that he was here. When he left, she was searching everywhere for him at bedtime. He affects everyone that way, whether they have 2, 3, or 4 legs. We all want some Randy time!

I miss him too, Shuggie.

Around the Cottage in August

cottage, dogs

By Karla Nathan / September 4, 2018

My flow paint obsession is still in full force, and I used some of the run off paints to make a cell phone cover.

After a long, HOT, summer of drought, we had some much needed rains. And all of a sudden, the flowers forgave the heat and celebrated by exploding in color.

My estate sale shopping was minimal, but SO worth the one trip I made. Look at this score!! I'll let you know as I have journals and kits made up to sell from these fab papers.

And big thank yous to everyone who purchased some of my paint pour art journals, and mini journal kits. I have a couple left (from the dozens I'd made) if you'd like one, you can find it in my Boutique or Etsy.

All of us are celebrating Albie's new found happiness. After a couple of years of struggle with anxieties, he has become a loving, and pretty much, comfortable dog. We used a belly band on him to stop the indoor peeing, and worked with integrating him with the big dogs, plus gave him tons of extra attention.

He hasn't peed in the house in weeks, even after we stopped using the diaper. And he is much calmer.

Sometimes I am shocked that I have FIVE dogs and wonder what the heck I was thinking.

But of course, it means I get five times the love, and that isn't bad at all. They make me crazy at times, but I don't know what I'd do without them.

A Woodland Fairy Themed Birthday Party

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / September 1, 2018

Sugarwings hosted her 12th birthday party at her family's Kismet Farm. She, her sister, and I set up the cake table, and I brought a few of my things to use, as well as a stack of paper butterflies I'd gotten at an estate sale for a couple of bucks.

(I wish I'd gotten a photo of the cake her mom made, it was really something special! That lady has a magic touch with cake decor)

To go along with the woodland theme, the kids and I walked to the treeline and we gathered grapevine hanging from the trees, to craft fairy crowns and dream catchers from them.

There was a nature walk and scavenger hunt, time to play on a swing, then a picnic.

The kids got to do a circus workshop and learn some tricks.

And of course, we had marshmallows to roast for s'mores!

Our Hippy Chick brought a pile of hula hoops too.

But in my opinion, the best part of a party is to just let the kids play outside and have all the fun they can make for themselves.

There was camping for those who wanted to sleep overnight in tents, so the party favors were LED glow sticks and flashlights to play with after dark.

Walmart has these mini lights for $1 each.

We also gave out necklaces that Sugarwings and I made, using paint pours.

The cake table was outside against the covered patio wall, and we hung odds and ends of fabric remnants and curtains behind it, then layered old tablecloths and burlap onto it. The butterflies were pinned to the fabric and it was a pretty simple set up to create and to take down. I brought serving pieces that I already had, along with the $2 pack of butterflies, so we didn't put any money into the decor at all.

I didn't get a photo of the table with the cake or punch on it, but the cake was so cute. And the punch was berry juice mixed with lemonade. Sugarwings and I sliced up fruit and froze it into bowls of lemonade to make pretty ice that wouldn't dilute the punch as it melted.

What a nice evening!!

A Woodland Scavenger Hunt for a Birthday Party

celebrations, family, flowers, games, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / August 31, 2018

My son and his family now have a 13 acre home in the woods, and I think Sugarwings loves it out there more than anyone. So, when it was time to plan a party for her 12th birthday, this is where she wanted to have it. She suggested a nature walk as part of the activities and I made up a scavenger hunt list (spelling her name) for the kids to take on the walk.

Her dad mowed the trails ahead of time, and we walked along them to explore the woods.

It is a pretty time of year and there was a lot to see along the way.

Sugarwings stapled the list to sandwich bags for the participants to fill with their finds.

I was struck by how beautiful the trails were, and what a wonderful piece of property he'd found. He has been working on cleaning it up and making it a retreat for yoga, permaculture, and other workshops in the future and I'm looking forward to seeing this land become a growing business as well as a home.

And to watch the grand fairies grow up in the woods.

Even more so, after seeing how some of the "city kids" who came to the party reacted to being there. Many seemed unsure of how to handle themselves walking along a trail and few were able to find the items on the list.

All of my family spends so much time connecting to nature that it didn't occur to me that some kids were uncomfortable in it and happier on their iPhones than running through the trees.

One thing I noticed that made me happy, was that every kid did find a "TREASURE" from the list on the bags. They might not be used to woodland walks and seeing the details in nature, but they could still connect enough to know that an acorn, a rock with sparkles on it, or an empty snail shell was truly a treasure to find and keep.

And it made me so happy to know that our grand fairies, while they love screens and devices, like most of us in this world, still love being in the woods and the magic of finding a leaf with a hole in it and peeking through that peephole.

Pretty Poured Paint Pendants for a Party

celebrations, Hand painted, how to's, jewelry, paintings, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / August 28, 2018

Sugarwings wanted some gifts to give to her birthday party attendees, and I wanted to make something special for a gathering I am attending this week, so we saved the drippings from our last day of painting to make some necklaces.

This is how it starts.

Ugly, huh?

She laid a piece of parchment paper under her work area to catch drips, then spread the paint with a spatula so it would be thin enough to use in a pendant tray.

The name for this is ugly too. These are called "skins".

Bleck!

But once you start looking up close, you find some lovely, little areas that are ideal for jewels.

A generous dusting of glitter went over the wet paint, then we let it dry a week.

The next step is isolate the pretty areas and place 1" glass nuggets over them.

They are glued to the paint covered parchment, cut out after the glue dries, then the parchment paper is peeled off the back and the domes are glued into pendant trays.

I use a decent sized dollop of glue, press the dome into the tray tightly, then clean off the excess glue that oozes out.

This one had a surprise heart show up.

After drying, I slide them onto a leather cord and tie slip knots onto it to make the length adjustable.

I've also tried just dipping the bottom of the glass into the paint, but I don't think it is as solid of a hold as gluing the paint skin to the nugget then gluing that to the tray. Plus you get more control over the paint this way, you can pick and chose where you want to glue the glass down.

Sugarwings also made this painting to give as a grand prize to the scavenger hunt winner. I was proud of her work, she knew exactly what she wanted to pour and how to do it. This is done with the end of a water bottle! We cut off the curved bottom of the bottle and placed it in the center of the canvas. Then, she slowly and carefully poured one color after another onto the bottle piece, and let the paint flow across the canvas to create petals of a flower.

This kiddo is growing up. She is attending Jr High, taking martial arts, and has a whole new sense of self confidence to go along with her joyful, zest for life. I'm impressed with her as well as her paintings.

If you can’t choose between a Unicorn or a Mermaid, have both

cottage, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / August 25, 2018

Sugarwings has been busy making pour paintings with me, and wanted to decorate her room with them. She was turning TWELVE and I figured she was old enough to make her own choices for her bedroom. She loves magical creatures, so decided that would be the theme. I found some inexpensive decor at TJMax, Target, Hobby Lobby, and Homegoods, not wanting to spend too much, knowing that the phase might not last too long. She will soon be a teen.

Oh my god, did I just say that???

She will soon be a teen??

Yep. The time is coming. So, I thought I'd indulge her in this magical theme while she still wants it. But knowing her, she will always be a mermaid/unicorn fan. It is in her genetics.

She comes from a long line of true believers on both sides of the family.

Her twin bed is rainbows and unicorns, the double bed in the space has mermaids, the comforters don't exactly match, but the colors are similar and the beds look fine together.

Oops, looks like I didn't get a photo of both together…

We painted a table for the space, and it has shelves for her special things, as well as magazine racks on each side for reading materials.

The table is a pour paint style too.

She has been busy hanging her artwork, all by herself. It probably isn't how I'd have hung it, but I left it up to her, she did the paintings, and she chose where to put them.

She has some pretty ones, doesn't she?

This one is my favorite.

The room is colorful and fun, and suits her ideally.

And she has a few more pictures to hang yet, so I see even more joyful color ahead.

Lake time with Mr. Ray

family

By Karla Nathan / August 22, 2018

This summer has been HOT.

And DRY.

And things were looking brown.

It has almost been too hot to do much boating. But here it is, mid August, and we get unexpectedly, lovely weather, with some more mild temps, then much needed rain. I've had my windows open for fresh air, and have loved every minute of the breezes.

Before the rain began, we took advantage of the pretty day by spending an entire Saturday out on the water, staying out till darkness came, with just a small break to leave the boat and go downtown for lunch.

No picnic to pack, no mess to clean up, I was thrilled with just how perfect that can make a boating adventure. Normally, a lot of time goes into chopping, packing coolers, and serving a meal on the lake. This was so much easier, and more pleasant.

We had a new tube, that fits five people, or as here, 3 plus a dog. Twinkle loves tubing, "Grammie Style" which is barely fast enough to break a wake. She was a happy dog that day, enjoying every minute of her time out there. Her doggie grin was almost as big as mine.

But not as big as Ray's.

Ray is what we named him because he reminded us of Mr. Ray from Finding Nemo.

And then it was over….

family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / August 19, 2018

Somehow, summer is gone. Well, not the heat, and August is still here, but Sugarwings has started JR HIGH and Dewdrop has headed to NC to attend school there and be with her mom.

We tried to jam as much fun into the season as we can, so why am I so down? Except for an illness or two that slowed me, it was a lovely summer break with my grand fairies.

Somehow, I feel like it whooshed by me and I missed out on lots of things we wanted to do. I had travel plans and outings that never happened. But we did go to Topeka a few times to the Discovery Center, Zoo, and park.

And any place I go is fun with these two.

We went to Michaels Kid's Craft days so many times we were practically regulars.

And had plenty of craft days at home. Sometimes I think I have waaaayyyy too many craft supplies, until I look at the grand fairys' stash… They don't really need to go to Michaels for Kid's Craft days, but there is always a special feeling when you use new tools or learn a trick or two, especially in a setting with other creative people.

Although, they are perfectly happy hanging out in the garage and pour painting with me. Sugarwings is redoing her bedroom with the paintings she has made this summer.

One of my plans that didn't materialize was to go to the Omaha Zoo. I've been trying to get there for years now. I shouldn't feel bad about not getting to take them there, because every day with these sprites is like a day at the zoo. They are a fun couple of monkeys.

We've seen every kid movie that came out, we've gone to plays, and boating. We've gone through buckets and buckets of water balloons. Hours and hours and hours were spent in the studio watching the Disney channel and creating art.

It has been a very good summer.

But it simply was not long enough. I just want to hang onto these seasons with them as tightly as I can, but reality gets in the way, doesn't it?

Being a grandmother means knowing exactly how fast childhood spins away into adulthood, since we have lived through it once before.