Karla's Cottage

Yummy Bread Machine bread - too, too good

This week has been a hodge podge.  I repainted a fairy, finished another, signed up a TON of people for the swap (yay! This will be a fun one!), babysat my own little fairies, and baked a TON of bread.   I might just weigh a TON more now that I've experimented with my new bread machine a bit...

As the smell of fresh baked bread fills the house, my Sister-In-Law, Sandy, and I do all we can to stop ourselves from standing over it, each clutching a stick of butter in our greedy little paws.

You know you've baked too much, when you realize the 5 lb bag of flour is empty.

I'm not a measuring type, but I've tried to approximate measures, so that the machine will be filled with the right amounts, and not overflow.  And I've learned that as much as I love the pure whole wheat flour, it can be a bit heavy for most people.  I've switched to mostly whole wheat, and about a 1/3 bread flour.  Its lighter and breadier.   

Pure whole wheat does make a good, solid, filling peasant type bread though.

Here is my favorite made up recipe (sort of- my own measurements are eyeballed)

Yummy Bread (as Sugarwings calls it)

1-1/2 cup leftover coffee, still warm, not hot (I drink Starbucks Vanilla)

1/2 cup organic clover honey

3/4 cup dried mixed berries

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds

2 cups whole wheat flour (organic)

1 cup unbleached organic bread flour

2-1/4 tsp bread machine yeast

Dump into machine in that order. From what I hear, you want the liquid on the bottom and the yeast on the top.  I don't know why.

Bake on the whole wheat setting. 

Stand by with your stick of butter so you are ready when the bread is done! (notice that I didn't add oil or butter to the mix? I forgot to, and liked it better this way, it was moist and soft, and I put enough butter on top while its hot, that I do not need any inside the loaf too)

Bread machines are too, too easy to use.  It takes me less than five minutes to make a loaf of deliciousness.  If I keep this up, I will become housebound, too big to fit through the front door.  

On Thursday, it got up to 107 degrees.  In June.  Yes, 107. Dang!

I had both little girls here, and we really did try to play outside. We turned on the hose, made mud pies and stayed in the shade till almost noon. I was proud of myself for staying out that long.  As soon as lunch time came, I had the perfect excuse to give up on the great outdoors and get into the air conditioning.

Then, we did the same thing we do on blizzardy days. We built a fort of blankets over the dining room table, filled the floor with pillows and climbed in to watch movies and read books.  We also brought markers, and drew all over the under belly of the table. Sugawings traced her foot and I dated it.

It was too hot for the chickens today too, when I turned on the hose to water the flower beds, a couple of them dove in to cool off in the water.

 

There hasn't been a lot of time for making things other than bread this week. I did finish a few book covers for the swap, I need to keep on top of that and make a few here and there, so I'm not swamped with too many at the last moment.  We are at about 60 or so right now. 

I hope you'll join us if you haven't yet.

 

Believe it or not, I actually made time to list some millinery packs in the Boutique! 

Including some Halloween/Autumn tones. 

And one magnificent double white rose with white velvet ribbons!

Painting fairies

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This week, I've done a lot of painting.  Still not sure, but I think this might be the right fairy for the book swap covers.
I'm experimenting with different copy sizes and papers.  When I make the covers, no two will be exactly alike anyway, even if I use the same image.  I'm using vintage millinery petals and leaves for the wings, and trimming the bottom with a variety of laces and ribbons.  The wallpaper under the title will be changing too.  I'll have an assortment of florals that I'll be cutting from. 

The back of the cover will be done in vintage wallpaper too. But I like the text behind the fairy. Or do I? Maybe I'll do some with wallpaper too. 

When I have to make dozens and dozens and dozens of something, I need some variety as I go along.  So a few changes here and there make the work much more interesting.

  (by the way, thanks to all of you who signed up!! I'm excited that so many of you wanted to play fairy with us- and I have room for plenty more if you haven't signed up yet.)

The painting I did has a flower on the fairy's head, but I'm gluing a teensy millinery bloom over it.

She also has some wings, and a painted background, but I like the idea of cutting out the figure and adding 3-D wings.

I'm not one hundred percent positive that this will be the cover yet.  I'm in a painting mood, I might do a few more girls and see which I like best.   There is also no reason why I have to do all the covers the same, either. 

If you'd like to join the swap, please do!  Email me me with your name, blog name, and email address ( you do NOT have to have a blog to join, of course)  Details here.

A girls weekend

Dewdrop had a sleepover with us this weekend.  And while she was here, she wanted to help me in the kitchen with everything I did.

I learned with Sugarwings, that few things entertain a baby longer than playing with water.  A bucket and a plastic fish, a sink full of bubbles, or a sponge and a bowl, all were endlessly entertaining to her.  Looks like her little sis feels the same way.

The only difference is,  now I have wooden floors instead of tile.  Which changes my carefree attitude about sloshing around. 

We still enjoy splishing and splashing, but I have to be a bit more vigilant about where the puddles end up.  Dewdrop was surrounded by a pile of towels today while washing dishes for me.  It didn't interfere with her fun, but it saved some sogginess for my flooring.

Both girls came to spend the day, and I can't imagine a better way to spend a Sunday.  

I did manage some time to work on a painting, but its not something I can show you, till the person who commissioned it shows it herself.   I hate having something new and not posting it! That's not like me.  I write my posts the way I talk to my friends, the minute something crosses my mind, I say it, usually without filters.  Not showing something is a lesson in self control that I could probably use...

I've also started a couple more fairy paintings, I'm on a painting kick right now.  I've got some more vintagey ideas for the Faerie Book Swap cover.  

If you are interested in joining, click on the button on my side bar for more info, or scroll down a couple of posts and read about the details.

Winged friends

Things are going well with the Ladies.  They are feeling enough at home that we can leave their doors open all day, and they return to the coop to lay their eggs. 

We have 8 boxes for them, but there are only two or three that they like.  And they deposit the eggs together in the same nest all day. The next day they might use a different box, but all will use the chosen box of the day.

The Rhode Island Reds are about as lovable as a chicken can be.  All run up to me when I step outside. I'd like to think its genuine fondness, but I think they are just greedy pigs and  wondering if I might have a treat.

What surprises me about hens, is how soft they are. And that some of them actually seem to like to be petted. 

Our other four ladies, the Americaunas and Red Stars, are not nearly as friendly, but I hope that changes. They are much larger, louder, messier, and squawk at me like I have no right in the coop.  I am kind of wishing I'd stuck with just the Rhode Island Reds, since they are so sweet, adorable and act like they are thrilled to see me.

I guess its time to tell the big, noisy, messy birds that  they are too juicy and fat to not at least pretend to like me.  Because I love fried chicken more than I love hens who act like I am an annoyance in their lives...  No, thier eggs are too pretty to give up on them.  Sugarwings and I enjoy the blue eggs they produce.

Don't forget, we are having a Faerie Book Swap!  Scroll down a couple posts for details. I painted this fairy as a possible part of the collage for the cover, but I'm not sure I want to use it.  I think I'd rather have a more vintagey looking fairy.

What do you think?

 

I found Hat Heaven (and the giveaway winner)

Our trip to NC was just perfect. 

A highlight  was a shopping day with my sis-in-law.

Actually, we had TWO fun afternoons of junking.  Our first was at the Vintage Village, and I was captivated the minute we got out of the car.

And the best part of it all was Susanna's Antiques, where I went to meet my blog friend, Jenny.

She and her mom have a cute as a bug shop together- filled with too much to fit in my suitcase...

(yep, my eyes are closed in this photo, of course)

Another friend, Becca, took a break from work, and came by to visit too.

The mall was just wonderful. If I needed a light fixture, I'd be looking there for it. They had the best selection of old chandies at good prices that I have seen in a long, long time.

And the atmosphere of the whole area was just plain fun.  I loved all the little cottages and piles of junk out doors amid the plants and flowers. The best part was a fresh fruit stand where we bought ripe Carolina peaches and washed them in a garden hose to eat while we walked around.

I had some great food while on our trip, but those peaches were hard to beat.

Then, I saw the hats.  Hats, hats, hats everywhere!!!!!!!!!

Hat Heaven.

If you need floral hats, head to see Jenny. But wait a bit, I cleaned her out for now. 

Don't worry, she has plenty of other pretty things to buy.

I don't know why I didn't buy this print. 

But I did snag this story book for my grand fairies.

Jenny had some of her work there for sale too, she makes these vintage brooch bouquets for brides.

And how sweet is this?  This bracelet was a gift from her. 

The next day, my sis-in-law, Sandy, and I went to the flea. There is one every weekend at the fair grounds, and it was a good one.  I bought a ton more flowers and hats, as well as bags full of broken rhinestoney jewelry. 

I bought so many hats, that I had to pull all the flowers off to make them fit into my suitcase. Sandy was horrified, she collects old hats and thought I was too ruthless.  But she ended up helping, and we sat on the balcony of her son's home drinking wine, plucking hats and playing with her little Yorkies.

 

Now that we are home, Sandy, Dixie, and Daisy have come to stay with us for a while.  They'll be good for Twinkle, she misses her Agnes Rosebud.

That is, if she doesn't try to rip their cute, fuzzy heads off. She doesn't like many dogs.

After a few days with family in Raleigh, we drove to the Outer Banks.  This was a work trip for my husband, I was just tagging along, which is a nice way to travel. For me at least, my poor husband had to work all day while I goofed off on the beach.

He was able to be done working in time for romantic walks on the beach, and watching the sunset on the sound. Then, stuffing ourselves with locally caught seafood.

We stayed in Duck, NC and it was a very peaceful, quiet beach.  I wonder why there weren't more people there? It was beautiful.

Oh, I forgot to announce the winner of my giveaway!!  This collage goes to:

Linda Owen Postma

Faerie Book Swap and free fairy images

 

(click pictures to open in a larger window, save to your computer to print)

Do you LOVE fairies?  We do around here. Of course, its probably because I have a couple of living, breathing, little fairy kids running around pretending to be human grand children.

And of course, there are teensy fairies elves in my gardens, and guardian fairies watching over the house.   Not to mention all the woodland fey habitating the Fairy Berry Trail out in our woods.

Fairies come in all shapes, sizes, occupations, styles, and forms. Naughty little trouble makers, angelic helpers, wild and wonderful tree dwellers, water nymphs, and of course the springtime sprites who paint all the pretty flowers to welcome the new season. 

  And I am delighted by all of them. 

If you are too, maybe you'd like to join our swap in honor of the capricious, flittery creatures who are so illusive and lovely?

This is a little different than past swaps I have hosted. This time we'll be by passing tags and using half sheets of standard 8-1/2 x 11" card stock.  (Or your choice of materials, cut to approximately this size) The theme is so special, that I wanted to do a "real" book instead of tags.

I will provide a front and back cover, with vintage papers, and my own art work, coordinate 8 pages to send back to you, ring bind the books, add ribbons and a fairy charm.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Here are the guidelines, if you'd like to join:

• The theme is fairy, any interpertation you'd like
• Size is 5-1/2" wide, 8-1/2" tall (approximately)  A bit smaller, larger will work.
• Please use card stock, or something sturdy.  Please feel free to be creative and use other materials (cloth, felt, tin, chipboard, etc), just nothing too flimsy like plain copy paper. 
• Make 8 pages front and back, (the back can be simple but please at least cover it in pretty paper, not leave it blank) So that means 8 pages/16 sides total
•   Sign each page, add your blog name if you have one
  
• LEAVE ONE INCH ALONG THE LEFT HAND SIDE FLAT, no 3-D items along the edge, so I can punch holes.  Decorate the crap out of the rest of the page and goober it up as thick as you'd like, but please leave the left 1" for me to bind!
• Email karlanat[email protected] with your info to join.  Please include:

1.  Your first and last name
2. Your blog name and URL (you don't need to have a blog to participate)
3. Your email address
   

Deadline

Tags should be to me by September 1, 2012

In your package, include:

1. Your first and last name, same as you provided at sign up
2. A slip of paper with your name, and address, if your mailing address name does not match the first and last name you provided, please alert me
3. $20 fee for USA, $25 for overseas (these will probably weigh about one pound or so per book)

Here is a button you can post on your blog for the swap.

I look forward to seeing the piles of pretty pixie pages flying into my cottage!

Mail your sprite-ish art to:

KARLA NATHAN

1754 E 1200 RD

LAWRENCE, KS 66049

 

 

Faerie Swap Book Update, And an explanation of the costs

The Faerie Swap book covers are coming along fine.  Here are 77, almost finished ones. They still need a magic wand and some lace trim.

I've been trying to do them assembly line style, gluing all the wallpaper backs on, sanding and inking the edges, cutting out and adding the fairy with her vintage millinery wings, then the wallpaper circle with the title, then some glitter.

Whew.

It was going very well and I was pleased to see I was almost through the stack.

But the stack looked kind of small.

Then, I counted and realized that the copy store had only made 60 copies, not 100. So, back to the copy store for 40 more and start the process over again.

Now, I 'm working on the back cover. The very back is flocked wallpaper on the outside with some other pretty paper on the inside. I haven't decided which yet.

I bought chip board to use for a sturdy backing. I'm covering 50 in paper, then cutting them in half.

I plan for 100, my smaller swaps have gone way over that, but this one is more involved.  We are not quite to 100 yet, so you still have time to join.  Click on the side bar button if you want more info.

Some of the charms I ordered to tie onto the rings have arrived!  I've got some other ones coming. I'll be tying pretty ribbons onto the binding ring and dangling charms from them.

I've had people asking me why I am charging so much to join the swap, when postage won't take $20. 

So, I thought I should explain.  First of all, I have to buy charms, chip board, wallpaper, glue, more glue, ribbons, ring binders,card stock,  ink, and glitter.  I have to pay for color copies, plus use my own stash of wallpaper, flocked paper and millinery.

It adds up for 100 books.  And the postage will be higher than previous swaps I've done, these books are much larger than little tag books.

I put in hours, and hours, and hours of time to this. Starting with the watercolor of the fairy, so that there is an original design on the cover, not just an image I got from the internet.

Plus, all the sorting, and book making, then the days of making labels to send out the packages, plus the ink and paper for my printer.

Now, its true, that not all the money goes to purchases, some goes to my time. But it doesn't cover the extent of time that I put into the work. I'd make a lot more if I was taking photos of my things to sell and adding them to the Boutique. Or making something arty to add to it instead of this.

But I love swaps and its so fun to see my studio swamped in pages and pages of your art work! 

So, I enjoy doing it, but I simply could not do it if I didn't charge, it takes away too much time from my real work. I hope you don't think I'm trying to gouge you on the price.  Honestly, I'm not getting ahead on this.  If you think I've over charged you, I hope this explains the costs behind the price.

 

Happy Birthday to Beth

We got back from our trip just in time for me to celebrate Beth's birthday with her. 

She is notoriously hard to shop for, because she is the world's best shopper.  If she wants it, she'll find it.

So, I prettied a box up with vintage wallpapers, made her a necklace, and filled the box with tibbits I thought she'd enjoy working with.  Because its always fun to get new arty supplies!

I asked her what she wanted to do to celebrate and she said she was going to her regular, twice a month auction. Years ago, I used to go with her to this auction, but since I closed my antique mall booth, it became too dangerous for me to attend.   I have a history of always buying the heaviest thing in the whole place every time I go, and since I no longer drive a van, or have a booth to put big heavy pieces into, I just don't need to buy that kind of junk.  Even though I can't seem to stop myself.

This time, I proudly constrained my urges to buy big things, and just picked up a few smalls that I didn't need.

It helped that the auction goods that were offered that night kind of sucked.

Big time.

The auctioneer even seemed bored with the offerings and started playing games with it all, like seeing how high he could stack them.

This is a stack I couldn't resist, even though it wasn't very heavy. I paid $17 for all of these Oz books.  And I bought a flat of Oz dolls for Sugarwings. Beth mentioned that it wasn't complete, there was no Dorothy. But I assured her that we might have a couple around here to fill out the set.  Lil Sugarwings is a bit of a Dorothy fan.

While the goods for sale weren't all that good, the company was, and we laughed and chatted all night.  I packed a birthday picnic to feast on and pretty paper plates and napkins to serve it on.  It ended up being such fun, I was wishing I had a birthday coming up to spend there. 

Its good to be home, and I have plenty of vaca photos to show.  But for now, here is what greeted me when I returned, our new cat.  She was a stray that decided to adopt us, and Sugarwings has named her Sweet Sweet Sweety.   (that name is said really fast with some jumping up and down, each time it is said)

She is a pretty cat.  Or he is a handsome cat, I'm not sure yet which.

Twinkle is not around right now, she has gone to see her boyfreind for a week or so.  Looks like our vacation ended just in time to get her over to see him, so we'll be having some puppies in August!  Maybe about on Sugarwing's birthday, August 16th. 

Pools Of Light

My sissy is a vintage jewelry expert.  She collects a wide variety of beautiful pieces and I've learned an appreciation about the subject from shopping with her or looking through her vast, luscious piles and stacked boxes of precious pretties.

I've long admired her "Pool of Light" beads, without really knowing what they were,thinking  just pretty little crystal ball type dangles.

So, when Beth had some junk jewelry for sale and had some of these little marble thingies in it, I was quick to snap them up to make my own necklace with.

Then I did some research about the balls, here is one thing I found:

For thousands of years this optically clear quartz has been used as gemstones because of its enchanting ability to absorb and affect light in the way that it does. Images viewed through genuine rock crystal balls appear to be reversed or upside down. They are brilliant, luminous and will be a conversation piece wherever worn. These literal works of art are finely crafted and are from turn of the century.

I  also found out that they were very expensive.  And felt a bit guilty about buying them from her for a couple bucks.  But I'd already made a necklace for myself, and one for a birthday coming up for some one else. 

And I did NOT want to take off my necklace!!

So, I made a necklace for Beth too, using pieces I thought she'd like, including an old luggage tag from the Santa Fe railroad.

And that didn't seem like enough, so I foofed up a box for her too.  Its an old jewelry box, and to the top, I added text that included the word "prism" (seemed fitting) and a die cut rose. Over that, I smeared modelling paste, let that dry and added ink.

To the interior, I glued text to the inside lid, and a tiny die cut rose over that. 

Next, I layered hand writing from a ledger page, that had been waxed, so had a nice, transparent quality, and scraped it away from the rose under it, and glued a teensy millinery posey under that.

While my jewelry tools were out, I made this necklace too, as well as some earrings for a pal.

Its inspiring to have beautiful baubles to work with, so I was on a roll.

I did a bit of painting that day, too. I'm not done with this one, I'm adding some 3d wings to her too.

 

Last day to enter the drawing for the bird themed collage! Drawing is Saturday.

I'll leave you with some photos of newer listings in the Boutique.

Happy Birthday to my handsome husband

For my husband's birthday, I had some help whipping up homemade blueberry pies.

It was pretty exciting. But anytime Sugarwings does some baking, its a joy-fest.

I tried something a little different with the pies. We filled a shell with fresh berries, then topped it with a mixture of butter, organic brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.  We drizzled a little water over it, added a heart cut out of pie dough, and baked it. The berries' juices mixed with the topping as it melted into the pie, and it was really yummy. It left a slight, crispy top, but not the same as a crumble, because I used very little flour in it.

Along with the pies, I made fried chicken,(catfish for the vegetarians too) mashed potatoes, gravy, corn (fresh from the cob) green beans, coleslaw and rolls.  Plus a strawberry cheesecake. 

whew. 

4 and a half hours in the kitchen, I made it all the old fashioned way, like my grandma and mom used to.  What a lot of work. How on earth did they cook like that on a regular bsis???

It was a good party, and the kids gave Pop Pop a book to read to his littlest grand fairy, plus he got plenty of hugs and cuddles, so he had a happy birthday.

They made him some flower pots, and he got a mint plant and lime tree to grow his own garnishes for cocktail hour. 

He's one hot grandpa, isn't he? 

ps- you can still enter the drawing to win this collage by leaving a comment

Special friends and a special day

Before I left for my North Carolina adventure, I had a little party for some special friends.  Kecia, who I met at Tiffanys in CA is on quite an adventure herself.  A two month plus trek across the country, hop scotching from one friend, family member, junk shop, to another. She stopped to see me here at the cottage on her way across I70.

And my beautiful friend, Angie, was having a birthday.  Two reasons to celebrate!

You know me, it doesn't take much to convince me its time for a party.  I love any excuse to set the table and invite friends over.

And with two special occasions, I was raring to go. 

I stole my buddy, Carol's tip about using vintage wallpaper as a table runner. And I just happened to have a few rolls to choose from...

Angie had another very important celebration, she is a first time grammie as of a few days ago! So, I broke out the extra special, hoarded, fairytale  wall paper from the 20s and made a frame for her to put a baby picture in.

Instead of just having a dinner party, I invited everyone to come for the afternoon and have craft day too, and friends dropped by here and there for whatever time they could make it.  Some just for craft day, some just for dinner. 

My favorite way to spend a day. Good friends, good conversation and stuff to make!!

I'm still hooked on slopping modelling paste on my collages. So, I made some books with covers all textured up. (this one is in the Boutique)

On this one, I collaged the back too, but instead of texture, I dry brushed paint over the collage, then inked it a bit.

This book needs a slight re-do. I've filled it with pages and pages of old papers, and they are too delicate to turn with ribbon ties. I have to add some rings instead.

Here is the back of this one.

IIt will be a while before I burn out on this technique, I'm super into smooshing the modelling paste around over pretty papers!

Dew Drop's mommy, our Gypsy, made a journal this way too, Beth worked on some stiitching, the other Karla was doing needlepoint, Shanna had some painting to do in an enamelling project, and Angie was foofing up vintage bottles with messages and trinkets. 

The great thing about craft day, is that everyone works at their own pace on whatever they feel like, and the conversation flows here, there, and everywhere.

Kecia arrived later in the day, and said she had not had a chance to create while on her trip, so I set her up with supplies to make a book too.  I love the layers she put on her cover.

After dinner, when the other guests had gone, she and I went back out to the studio and worked till after midnight finishing our books.

Twinkle bonded with her, and we will both miss her, the visit was much too short!