Karla's Cottage

Beth's Nature Journal Swap

Don't you love a good swap?

This is the group of pages I received as a gift from the Nature Journal that Beth hosted at last year's Birdsong. 

Beth Leintz

On Swap Night, I was regretting that I hadn't signed up to join in. I just KNEW how cool they'd be, and they were even better than I'd expected.

Sharon Morrison

Imagine how thrilled I was when a few weeks later, the ladies sent me these pages for my own, special book!

Beth Leintz

So, generous, and so beautiful!

Laurie Jackson

I thought the work was pretty impressive, and asked Beth if she'd do the swap again for this year's Birdsong.

                                                 Suzanne Wingfield                                                                                     

Since so many of the guests were part of last year's gathering, we thought it would be nice to have newbies to the event do a regular swap, with the complete book and cover, but last year's participants could simply swap additional pages for their existing books.

Kathy Hoylman

It has been very rewarding for me that so many of the people who came last year are returning this spring.  Some are even bringing friends or relatives.

Cammi Dilsaver

Of course, I am not anywhere near being ready for the upcoming festivities! I'm working on a banner that I needed to get painted for something else right now.

Its 13' x 8' and I tried to spread it out in the studio, but just didn't have the space I needed. Since the garage had to be cleaned out for Birdsong anyway, my son and I spent most of last Saturday clearing the room and making space to work on the banner. We brought the sewing machine out to the garage so I could hem the edges of the canvas, then covered the wall with dropcloths.

The material will go up over the dropcloths and will be ready to paint.

Can you tell the dropcloths have been used and reused a few times?  Their las incarnation was as ghosts at the Halloween party, if you look closely, you'll see a couple of ghosty faces painted on them, one upside down and one sideways.

Now, the tricky part is to keep the garage cleaned until the end of April so I don't have to do it twice! 

Debra Covey

Last year, we used the garage as a shop.  On Swap Party night, we had some shopping available for everyone, and that room was packed!  This year, we'll be doing the same thing, but I think we found a way to make it easier for the shoppers, we'll have the cashier station in the breezeway so there won't be a line of purchasers backed up in that little room.

Lisa Stanton

Don't ask me what I'll have for sale!!! I have no idea.  I'll probably gather things up from around my studio as I clean the room up to arrange tables and get it set up for Birdsong.    If I was smart, I'd have price tags in my pocket to slap on items I need to clear out of the way.  That should be a good sized pile of stuff to sale!  My studio is jam packed at the moment.

Swap Night parties are a highlight of any arty gathering for me. Even if I haven't joined in on very many, I love watching all the excitement and doing my share of oohing and ahhing as the creations are unveiled.

I did sign up to be in my pal, Laurie's swap, a banner to spell the word "sing".  There is also a charm swap and a matchbox swap as well as Beth's Nature Journal.  Thanks to all of the swap hostesses who are so gracious with their time!

Sponser gifts for Birdsong are still coming in!  My friend, Tami stopped by and delivered these in person. It was so nice to have some visitors! Especially when they are bringing a big box of pretties with them.

Making a new home for the hens

Yay, Birdsong is full!  Last week, I had a flurry of inquiries and it filled up fast.  Sponsor gifts are coming in for it, this sweet package came from Tricia.

I'm quite impressed with the care that people put into hand making pretty things for our gathering!

There will be chockful goodie bags as well as drawing prizes. I plan on having enough individual gifts so that everyone will win one. Maybe two...

Most of my prizes are ready to go, I've got a few more to make. But this weekend, I got side tracked with yard work and baby sitting fairies, while the guys built a chicken coop.

We have an old shed in our yard that has had a number of incarnations, but started off originally as a chicken coop. Its been a club house for Jr. High aged boys, a wood working shop, an antique store, a peacock pen, storage unit, and now back to its roots, its going to house hens again.

Being a pack rat pays off sometimes. We had a pile of old chain link panels out along the back of the property and were able to piece them together to make the chicken run.  All we had to buy were a few fasteners.  We even had a roll or two of chicken wire stashed away in the shed.

Looks kind of haunted, doesn't it? I hope it doesn't frighten the birds too much. What do you call a hen that is afraid of ghosts?

A chicken.

This is the back of the building, its divided in two, and this side will still be storage. Not exactly air tight...but its good enough to toss lawn chairs into for the winter.

I'll leave you with some pictures of a few newbies in the Boutique

This last journal is acutally a kit, and comes with a selection of papers, ribbon, lace and pretties to further embellish the book with.

Kansas Spring

Wow, what weather we are having!  Dewdrop and I have made the most of it by doing LOTS of yard work while the sun is shining.  These delightful days are unpredictable this time of year, so when one comes along, I make the most of it, knowing that it could be a fluke and I won't have a chance to work outside again any time soon.

But, they just keep on a coming. One beautiful  day after another, with just enough rainy ones in between to make everything grow and turn green.

I just hope they keep on a comin.  I could use this kind of weather for Birdsong at the end of April! I hope the prettiness continues. (Birdsong is full now, thanks!)

So far, just about every spring blooming tree and shrub has prematurely burst into glorious buds all at the same time.  Its one of those breath taking Spring times when everywhere you look, there are blasts of pastel color.  As much as  I love it, I think I'd still prefer the step by step color, where a few bushes start blooming, then more open up a few at a time.  Its a head on collision of color this year.

I do love seeing  it, but I worry that this way, its all going to be played out early and done by the end of April when my guests arrive!

Its tempting to plant too much too soon, and I've tried to stop myself from getting too carried away. Its entirely possible that we could get a late snow or at least a hard frost yet.

So, I've planted only things that would hold up if the warmth fades.  Lots of pansies and snapdragons so far.  Plus, I've been cleaning and clearing. Every year when I start my Spring yard work, I'm kicking myself and declaring that NEVER again will I wimp out on clearing all the fall leaves in Autumn.  Because every year, I spend a few hours blowing leaves mulitple times in October and September, but we have so many trees, it barely makes a dent in them.

At first, I'm enjoying being outside and in the crisp fall air. 

Then, my arm starts to get tired. 

Then, the leaf piles seem bigger and bigger.

That is when I start to day dream about moving away to a condo on a beach somewhere. With no elm trees. No walnut trees. No whipping Kansas wind blowing the leaves back in my face as fast as my leaf blower shoos them away.

Then, the resentment begins to build and I start to get ill tempered.

So I quit, thinking I'll get back to them "later".

And usually I  end up leaving quite a few of  them till Spring.

And every Winter, they pile up, all soggy, wet, and heavy, half decomposed and rotting, waiting for me to brave them in the Springtime.

One phrase I've always preached to my kids is this- "Ignoring your problems only makes them bigger and worse. Fix them while they are still small and easier to deal with"  But do I listen to my own advice when it comes to leaves?

Never.

But Spring always comes, and I finally have no choice, I have to face the leaves. I'd like to think that our flower beds are happier with all of the decayed vegetation overwintering in them.  And I try to leave as much of it as possible where it lays and just top it with mulch. I've got 20 bags to start with.

The rest of the leaves, I blow into the woods. It always seems like a lot of work, but at least I don't have to bag and haul them.  We like it natural around here.

And having a helper out in the yard with me makes the work go faster.

A clutter solution

It has been wonderful having the two grand fairies staying here with us at the cottage part time.  The best part is the morning, when they both come down the stairs with big smiles on their faces and hair sticking up every which way, with that sweet scent of sleepy babies.  They both wake up happy and laughing and ready to face the delights of a new day.

The bad part? Clutter. 

With extra people in the house and no space to put away all the kicked off shoes and scattered toys, the entry way was always a mess.

My solution was to drag this bench in from the garden (I found it at a garage sale about 10 years ago, and have had it outside since) and put baskets under it to toss shoes and toys in. I have space to add another basket for mittens, and probably should pick one up while Michaels has them on sale for 40% off, but was too cheap to buy all three at once.

The bench had a painted plywood seat, that was nicely chippy and I thought that would be fine, till I drug it all the way up to the house, and realized I was covered in ants. The wood had gotten all spongey and wet, and was nothing more than a nest for the critters, so I carried it out to the burn pile and cut another piece of plywood, wrapped it in fabric, and lined it with pillows I had in the closet.

Agnes Rosebud is pretty happy about the whole thing and I'm glad to have the shoes tucked away.

Now, we'll have to see if anyone actually USES the baskets!

Here is a picture of an earlier incarnation of the bench, I'd used it for an article in Romantic Homes a while back. 

This pretty photo of Beth's class is from Kristi Knox Day

Speaking of clutter, our hotel rooms at Paper Cowgirls were really knee deep in it all.  Between finishing up class projects we took, and working on our own teaching projects, plus helping Lisa with her kits, our rooms were like obstacle courses. Which is why Beth's little slide show is soooo funny. She is one witty gal.  Here it is if you want to see it (its very short, only 5 pictures will silly comments)

Karla at the Crafting Obstacle Course

Paper Cowgirls like to Shop!

Did I mention the SHOPPING part of Paper Cowgirls?

Not only was downtown Waxahatchie jam packed with good stores, there was a special event going on with Petticoats on the Prairie and we all got in at a discount for the sneak preview shopping night.

I'm still kicking myself for not buying this pillow!

The chaise lounge wasn't bad either, nicely stuffed with down and so cosy and soft!

And where else could you see a steam punk duck decoy? 

The displays were well done and I did get more photos. But- I had my crappy, little pocket camera with me and very few turned out.  I hear that the newer small cameras do better in low light. I've had mine about 4 years, so I know that updates have made them better since I got it.

My favorite booth there was Angela's.  I know her from her blog, but had never met her in person. I found lots of goodies in her space, including this small, Victorian loving cup, and this toothpick holder with the same trophy shape to it.

I'm using both on my dining table as part of my Easter decor, with some of my eggs and nests from the 3 Wire Workshops tutorial.

She had this lusterware mermaid too.  I couldn't resist it, since Sugarwings is a major mermaid fan. I knew she'd enjoy seeing it in the china cabinet.

It was fun to see some of my pal, Lesa's work there too. I spied these on a table, recognized her style, and wondered how she ended up there from Kansas City, then realized they are from her Bethany Lowe line.

The show was a good mix of hand made creations, market items, and vintage goodies.

One of my fave purchases is this pillow/pin cushion that was a prop used in Alice in Wonderland.   We all fondled it, hoping that Johnny himself had used it as the Mad Hatter. I was making people sniff it too. 

The table cloth its on is something I bought at a place Beth and I stopped at on the drive home.  It was only 10 bucks because of some bad stains.  They washed out easily, and the lace itself is in great shape.

There was a bit of hat whispering going on too.  I found quite a few for pretty good prices while in Texas.

The flea market we stopped at had lots of jewels too. I snapped up a bagful of cameo lockets from one dealer, they are in the boutique now, if you need one.  I kept a few for my own use, but had quite a few, so there are both blue and brown ones in the Boutique now.

There were tables of $1 jewelry too, I scooped up a few special pieces to work with there after doing some treasure hunting to find the good pieces hidden in the piles of 80s plastic beads.  

Beth knows that she can park me at a $1 jewelry table and go on shopping, because I'll be there a while. I take it as a challenge, and just have to delve in to see what is under all the junk.  Usually its worth my time, and I find a few decent pieces of older stuff mixed in with the not so interesting pieces. Either way, it sure keeps me entertained!

We debated stopping, since it was an 8 hour plus drive. But were glad we did.  The flea market was so good we stayed for over 2 hours, and filled a few bags. It was the icing on the cake to top off a wonderful trip!

Easter Eggs

Ahhhh, Spring!

The Bridal Wreath Spirea is blooming like crazy in front of my house. Sugarwings and I took advantage of it and picked armfuls to bring in the house.

For most of the year, they are not the prettiest of shrubs, but for a few weeks, these bushes are heart stopping.

We are also getting all Eastery around here.

I've been covering paper mache eggs in vintage papers and old flowers.  This paper is over 100 years old and is gold leaf.

This little egg is wrapped in a pearl finish gift wrap, then sugared.

This one really is prettier in person, its wonderfully gaudy with lots of gold trim and tons of flowers over one of my favorite rose pattern wall papers.

I wanted to list it for sale in the Boutique, but  I think I need to get better photos first.

Beth found a big bag full of paper mache eggs at an estate sale and gave them to me, knowing that I'd love covering them.  Some are egg shaped boxes like this one others are just plain eggs.  I've been making some for Birdsong, where I 'll use them for decor and drawing prizes, but a few just shout Easter, so those I'll go ahead and sell now, or as soon as I get better pictures that is.

Some are listed now, if you are interested.

Paper Cowgirl Round Up

Paper Cowgirls was every bit as much fun as I knew it was going to be.  Last year was a blast, but this year, seemed even more special.

Maybe because it was so small and intimate?  I love big, arty gatherings, but the small ones really are good bonding experiences. Being in Texas with this group of friends, old and new makes me even more impatient for Birdsong to happen in April!  I'll get to see my talented buddy, Lisa again, she and Beth will be teaching here at the cottage along with me.

The best part of the trip was just leisurely hanging out with friends. It was a laid back, low key event, lots of time to just sit and talk, or walk around and shop while chatting.  I wish had more photos of my buddies, there were so many nice people there! I packed my cheapo, pocket camera instead of my good one, and very few of the pictures turned out worth posting.

Over the weekend, I also got to hang with my long time blog friend, Dawn, who I was happy to finally meet along with Karen, whose blog and design work on other's blogs I have enjoyed for years.  Cindy and I have met up at other events and its always good to reconnect.

Dawn's class was a fun one to take.  I've made lots of peat pot babies in the past, as well as little nesting fairies, but its good to pick up some new tips and different ways of looking at a project from someone you admire.

I also took Donna's class, it was a goody too. I'll have photos later.

My own class went well.  It was an itsy bitsy teeny weeny class, only 3 students!  I told everyone that I should have been humiliated by the size of it, but it takes a lot more than that to embarrass me. 

Plus, I sold all of the kits I made up, thinking I'd have a full class, and didn't come close.  So, I did okay financially, and ended up with a small, easy going, peaceful little group in my classroom that was really kind of refreshing. 

Thank you to everyone who bought my kits. I'm sorry to say I don't have any left for those of you were inquiring about extra kits to buy online when I got back. I have plenty of supplies to make more.... but not plenty of time.

Maybe after Birdsong, I can whip a few more boxes up. I'll save your info and let you know if I get more kits together in May.

Our hotel rooms (which were really NICE and dirt cheap, a suite with space to spread out and work was only $69) often looked like this.

Beth and I helped Lisa make her kits the day before her class.  Beth and I worked on samples for her own class. I was able to make two complete collages from the kits that she had for her class, I'm going to save them to use as door prizes for Birdsong.  She has some kits left over if you want to make one of her adorable designs.

In Donna's class, she provided felted wool to make a crown.  I saved all my little scraps cut out from the crown's points and made these lil guys.

Even though I am not a good sewer, I was hooked on stitching up the felt and whipping out little felty guys with the 3" snippets I had left over.

So, when our room wasn't filled with paper scraps, there were bits of felt all over, or big groups of friends staying up late and talking.  I guess what I mean, is that our rooms were always filled with fun!

 

Birdsong Two Necklace

My necklace for Birdsong Two is finally ready to post!  I know its taken me forever to do, but I had a couple of hold ups on the supplies and didn't want to create an example that wasn't equal to the components that the students were given.

When you want to work with vintage pieces, its not as simple as ordering 25 sets of the same thing online. I had to scrounge to find the right beads, pearls, crystals, and watches to use.

The watches that I found are exactly what I wanted, all on the smaller side, dainty, and old.

There are different colors of watches, so I matched the chains and findings to the metal tone of each watch. Some are shiny golden, some dark bronze, some silvery.

To be sure that it was a good design, and easy to make, I whipped up a second one following my own instructions. This time I used a bigger watch, that wasn't as sweet and dainty as the ones I'll be giving to my guests. I also made it with different beads, so I wouldn't use up all the ones for the class, but I put it together with the same amount of beads and followed the basic plan as the original one.

I've been wearing it all week, and have got a lot of compliments on it, and it has been comfortable to wear, which is important to me. I don't like pieces that turn this way or that and always have to be adjusted, or are too heavy and in the way.

If you want to make one, Its not too late to join us at Birdsong in April!

We will make 4 projects, in two days.  There will be a swapping party on Friday night, and lunch is provided both days.

Or if you'd like to sponsor the event and make gift bag goodies, please let me know.

PS- These photos were edited on picmonkey.  I don't think I'll miss picnik at all! Picmonkey is every bit as fast and easy. As a matter of fact, I think its more simplifed and quicker.

Yay!

Binding the book

The round robin books are all packed up and sent to Somerset. It will be interesting to see what they will chose to print from these four books full of art. 

My own has a front and back hard cover, taken from a large vintage book and embellished. I wanted a sturdy cover for my own, and also wanted to bind it with rings, so it would be easy to flip through.   I tied a bundle of soft ribbons to the top ring to soften the look.

When I bind a book, I first punch the holes in the top cover.  Next, I line each page up, one by one, with the top cover, and draw a dot of ink onto the page through the punched holes of the cover.

Usually that works pretty well for making all the holes even.

The other artists' books are not bound.  For now, they are simply stacked, bundled in lace and tied with a ribbon.  I just wanted mine finished as an example.

 They would be pretty as wall art too, so leaving them unbound is a good idea.  But I think I'll love flipping through my book when the round robin flies back home to me again!

Packing my saddlebags and I'm off to be a Paper Cowgirl.

I've packed my boxes and my cow gal hat and am on my way to Texas!  I'll have new posts scheduled to pop up while I am away, but all purchases from the Boutique will be mailed on Monday after I get home and settled.

There are some digital images added to the Wire Workshops tutorial. They can be used to print and use if you want to make tags or image backed crystals to dangle from the ribbons on the wreath.  I think I like the wreath better with some cute dangly things on it, so I was making collage sheets for the class in Texas, and thought the online students would like them too.

Kind of like these.

When I return, I plan on having a fresh, green salad made with a mix of baby lettuce.  My son has built a cold frame to grow early greens and they are starting to sprout!