A Day at Karla's Cottage

I was invited to Karla's Cottage for a Craft Day earlier this month.  I love to visit Karla's studio...it is such a beautiful, inspiring place to create!  Beth, Mary, Marilyn, Shawn and Bethany and I all brought our own creative projects to work on.  

After we worked in the studio for a while, Karla invited us into her dining room, where she had the table beautifully set ~ the chandelier over the table was adorned with a few of Karla's personal touches ~ a vintage child photograph embellished with painted fairy wings ~ that she illustrated directly onto the old photograph ~ and a chandelier crystal which dangled from the bottom of the photo was one of my favorites!

Each of our place settings had a special small package with an old Frozen Charlotte doll and our name written on a handmade flag that was tucked into a piece of beautiful folded blue flocked wallpaper and tied with a satin ribbon to match.

Also at each place setting was a special fairy doll who was nestled in the center of a small decorated peat pot filled with all-encompassing little flowers and moss.  The fairy was adorned with glittered ephemera wings and a little pink flower petal dress with a lovely piece of lace added for the bodice.  So sweet ~ I brought this one home with me to display in my own studio to share Karla's art with all who visit my studio! 

As we sat at the dining room table, your eye's captured the loveliness of Karla's surroundings...such beautiful decor...so warm and welcoming...

After we had a lovely lunch (everyone brought something to share) ~ Karla had her dessert cart ready and waiting with scrumptious desserts ~ the made-from-scratch Carrot Cake was the best!

It was such a lovely time that we all had ~ I look forward to another visit ~ soon, I hope!

K.C.'s Newest Monthly Antique and Vintage Market Opening ~

The snow was falling and the fog was settling in, though the temperature didn't feel that cold.  My mom and a friend of ours, Lisa, and I went to the opening of Kansas City's newest monthly antique and vintage market in the historic Kansas City West Bottoms ~ called "Bottoms Up."  

As we found our way to the location next to the railroad tracks and just north of the 12th Street viaduct ~ it was in an old Holsum Food Products warehouse ~ that had been long closed down, but still had remnants of days gone by ~ how appropriate for searching for antique treasures!

Some of Kansas City's best dealer's were presenting some pretty amazing finds in this 8,000 sq. ft. warehouse setting ~ some very high end, primitive European pieces that were hard to "touch"...but also some very reasonable finds that anyone could bring home.

The old historic buildings that were towering over us and the viaduct that we stood near looked rather ghostly, but somehow comforting, with the snow that was falling over the city this early February day.