Tuesday, June 30, 2015

UP-CYCLED FUN

Children love their own personal items as well as their own personal space.   

I make these bags just for children, but while the children have the fun, mum dads, even grand parents benefit from these because the child is busy playing and not bored while the adults visit.   I call my bags that I make BIZZEEE BAGS, and many of these bags never get to the on line shop!   

Last week a repairman who came to fix my furnace was telling me his little 3 year old just loves his toy bag, it goes everywhere with him.  It has been washed and washed since it was given to him at Christmas time as a stocking stuffer gift from his granny and it is one of his favourite things he carts around and takes along when they travel to visit with family and friends.  He has it brimming full of all his own stuff....

This is the bag I finished this morning from a little boys sheet.  I have made several from this sheet and they never stay in my inventory for very long.  Making a new item by giving something used a new life through up-cycling is a good thing , wouldn't you agree?    The bag I made this morning can be found here.



Children love things that are different as well as eco-friendly.  Our children are now being taught to conserve, recycle and reuse as much as possible.  


Here we have cute up-cycled Lunch Totes for little girls...not only would these lovelies make great lunch totes, but given the fabric used would be wonderful to take along to the beach with a towel, beach shoes and swimsuit.  The open weave will allow any loose sand to sift out leaving the majority of accumulated sand at the beach and not anywhere else...I found these cute bags at Sewsacksew.

Look at this wonderful idea for children this summer, this is terrific, wouldn't you just love to give this to a child as a gift this year?  It really is such a wonderful play idea and its sure to fire up a child's' imagination.   A very long time ago I can remember my brothers playing for days with this idea.....not just out of doors but inside on rainy days made for tons of summer fun.






This is called a Fort In A Bag, a fantastic idea and it can be personalized with the child's name on it, making this a very special gift.   I discovered this terrific item at UrsulaGlassGoddess

Another Eco-friendly Fort in a Bag comes from zJayne!




There is nothing better than up-cycling, useful, washable and lasts forever, to be handed down from one child to another.  Endless hours of imaginative fun and learning.  How much simpler can summer get?

One last item I found that I thought might be a whopping great gift to give kids this summer!  Up-cycled Crayons!  From TheUPcycledCrayon these look alike Lego Robot Man Minifigures will please a child to no end, once again using something which has been given a new life sure to provide hours upon hours of fun!



There are numerous creative and talented shop owners at Etsy shops, all independent and brimming full of wonderful ideas suited for children.  Two months of summer is a very long time and keeping children busy with creative ideas can make this summer less stressful for all of them as they play away their days with terrific up-cycled things to keep them BUSY!

Off I go to sew some more, see you soon!


The world is so full of a number of things, I ’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”― Robert Louis Stevenson

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Popcorn Anyone?

Finally my lawns and gardens look civilized!  I took yesterday off to have them manicured and spruced up because they looked so worn and bedraggled.  The heavy rains took their toll, no complaints about the rain though because all that came down from the heavens saved me having to use my well water, which is right up my recycling and conserving alley!

After speaking with my lawn man and watching him get down to all of that hard work, it made me tired!  I actually didn't even bother with the computer much at all yesterday, I grabbed my latest Fern Michaels novel and enjoyed the day away!  

Today I wouldn't mind sharing something I found while browsing through Vintage shops on Etsy last night.   I found myself in a shop called Jalopee and discovered this amazing Electric popcorn maker from the 1940's !  Even I don't remember these from my past although I really should.  An electric popcorn maker as far back as that and it bears no resemblance to those we've seen from the 60's, 70' but wonders of wonders I bet, it still works today in the year 2015!  


Discovered at Jalopee!   

Remember this one from the 1960's?  Once again, a treasured memory to me and actually still working and looking as shiny as it probably was on the day it left the store shelf away back when!  I discovered this at TwoCousinsCollection



AND this one from the 1970's discovered at digatomic!  Remember these, made from a plastic resin, easy to use and easier to clean up....



Then there is this one from a store know far and wide with the name of  Bed,Bath & Beyond...harking back to the "Nostalgia" of yesteryear!  


Can you not smell it?  That aroma of freshly popped corn wafting over you from a cinema lobby concession booth, or, at the drive in theather (do they still have drive-ins?  If your like me, salted and smothered with melted butter ready for devouring!
Real freshly made buttered popcorn is One of the reasons I love going to a cinema! Before you even buy your ticket the aroma of it permeates the entire lobby making you want a fresh batch just waiting there at the Concession booth with your name on it! YUP these popcorn makers always did a number on my smell and taste buds every time, no matter where it is I!  Needless to say I hear you saying "Butter" and all that "Salt" Yikes, not healthy, but guess what - it tastes soooooooooo yummy!

Browsing around Etsy Vintage Shops is such fun, you won't believe the hundreds of items and gadgets you'll find there!  From hand mixers for baking to telephones and everything in between you can possibly think of.  There is nothing more fun than a ramble down a memory lane, and for those of you born in the 1990's your in for such a treat!  Everything from those "Good Ole Days" can be found and bought.  

Vintage shop keepers go out of their way to research the items they've found for the public who know the true value of something made over 60+ years ago and can still be put into service.  Be it a retro kitchen your decorating or a remodel of a room in retro style, your sure to find just the right items for your décor and use here at Etsy.
To find something your interested in, just plug in the words using Etsy Search engine and it is sure to pop up....You will be surprised at the amazing things you'll find in these Etsy Vintage shops...


Now because I have waxed on about those wonderful popcorn makers, it is time I had some, so see ya later...and please don't forget your comments are welcomed at any time!

Plant more trees, God's garden needs them!





Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Keepers

During the past many years, Vintage items have become sought after, and no longer need an individual be a collector of things which lived in our historical pasts, but now more than ever before these wondrous things have been dusted off and made visible and become very accessible in a broad genre of categories, thanks to on line shop owners.  
As one of Etsy's shop owners of Vintage Estate pieces, I want to share some of my finds with you.   All that is required to find anything your interested in is the Etsy Search Engine.....it will lead you to whatever it is your searching for. 

One sought after category is the delicate porcelain china or glass items used to adorn a boudoir dresser or side table even a room as a colour accent to enhance a specific décor, or for that unique gift you might wish to give that special someone in your life.  

This Antique Bisque trinket dish is wonderfully unique and different!  Look, a young couple in love each clad in traditional colours depicting gender sitting atop of a brown coloured vessel (dish) depicting which I take to be a log!  This is just so sweet and would make the loveliest of gifts to give any woman for her dressing table.
I discovered it for sale at HunkoFunko.



Red is Vibrant and striking, conjuring up visions of those ladies in red evening attire *such as in Gone With The Wind* or the more modern film *Pretty Woman*! This beautifully crafted Limoges Covered Trinket Dish is just the piece I would think women everywhere would adore!  It is dressed in the finest of red with gold trim and features on its delicate lid a transfer printed Fragonard scene made popular in the 17th and 18th centuries "the every present "Courting Couple" once again clad in the gender specific colours of Pink for her and Blue for himself.  



I discovered this at Taingtiques and this shop has the most exquisite ring keeper which caught my breath actually created and made in the 1980's by Royal Stratford. If I actually had a dressing table I would snap this delicate beauty up in a heartbeat!

These delicate exquisite pieces were made for women whose jewellery when not worn would be placed inside a beautiful vessel, even when not worn their precious keepsakes would be safely guarded against misplacement or damage. 

Like this set from Noritake during the Art Deco period of porcelain which I found at TeaJay.  It is actually a set of three pieces, featuring two Trinket Pots with lids and a Ring tray.  Each piece lavishly hand painted and dominated with lavender coloured flowers and trimmed in gold!   Absolutely stunning pieces.  



When redoing a bedroom or boudoir, one cannot go wrong hunting for décor accessories at any one of the thousands of Etsy shops!  Vendors take great pride in what they themselves collect and offer up to the public for sale.  

Because I ended up with an Estate to liquidate I too have several delicates for sale, one piece I simply love is this Depression era Elegant Frosted Pink Glass Shell Shaped dish set into a gold coloured metal holder.  It looks delicately fragile, but it is strong and sturdy and would look beautiful in any room.




This can be found at Bygonera.


Wishing you a wonderful day free from crisis and worries and as I am want to remember, Faith in our Creator is simple, without Him, we wouldn't exist!


Monday, June 22, 2015

A Blue and White Day

After a long hiatus I'm back! It has been quite a busy 6 months at my house and time seemed to sprint past without leaving me any time to come and play.  Now that I have more or less caught myself up and it being an absolute real old fashioned summer day, I'd love to begin sharing many beautiful shop items which may be bought from the thousands of independent shops located at Etsy once again!

Today I have been enamoured with the colours of Blue and White and found some prominently displayed in several shops such as this lovely Vase from Carriage Oak Cottage 

Or how about these cup cake wrappers?  I found these at ooohlalapaperie!  Wouldn't these make your muffins or prettily decorated cup cakes look divine!

How about this very pretty blue and white Quilt from QuiltedPleasures?  It is handmade and the toile squares are so very vintage looking and would fit into any room for any person, or accent any theme.  Nothing like a pretty quilt to set that home feeling to a room, or comforting to take a snooze under.

Who could resist a little Angel dressed in this frilly Blue and White Cinderella dress also handmade from Knotted Wear 4 Kids!  Oh my how sweet this would look! 

There are 250 pages of images holding Blue and White items of every thing under the sun you could be searching for.  ALL you have to do to discover what it is your seeking is put BLUE and WHITE into Etsy's search engine and voilla it will display a plethora of items in all shades of blue and white. 

I leave you with one more item of blue and white, which are Nikko Blue Bonnet patterned saucers from Bygonera, Vintage Estate items!   *A disclaimer here, Bygonera is the Authors' shop. 

Blue and white is some a versatile colour combination, from Greece to Great Britain to The Netherlands and Scandinavian Countries, this combination can set the tone and theme for whatever decorative or fashion design your following. 
You can wear it, sleep in it, eat from it, decorate with it, or just simply admire it!

I leave you with just a sampling of beautiful blue and white things which can be bought at shops over at Etsy.com ....time permitting you might come and visit with us, we are certain your going to see and find things you don't necessarily see at other on line shops....why?  BECAUSE these items are all either HAND MADE or VINTAGE! 

Have a perfectly wonderful summer day today, and I'll be back with more of my Etsy forays.....

**My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_inspirational.html#4Va2oDurQUyB5lQk.99**