altered vintage book pages

I have a love affair with vintage books and if they are falling apart I still love them. What to do with a great book that is not whole anymore? Alter the pages! This page is from a vintage French book and it needed a smashing fashion image print to make it live on, reinvented, to be loved for years to come. What caught my eye was how she is clutching her gloves. I always clutch my fashion gloves like that when I am rushing into the grocery for a gallon of milk--- well, don't you?



These next few pages are from a vintage Honey Bunch book. Have you ever read Honey Bunch? The covers of these books usually are simply adorable themselves. The text on this page is about how Honey Bunch is in a department store with her mother and aunt where there are beautiful fur scarves and muffs. The print turned out better than I expected as the word muff is just under the image of the muff. So cool.


This book page talks about a sweet little dress and describes it in detail. This dress print is not identical to the one described but is sweet none the less, yes?

This page talks about a rag doll...thus I used a Raggedy Andy print. These altered book pages were so fun to make and they are one of a kind due to the fact that they are the original book pages and not copies. I had them in frames displayed and now it is time to change things out from my own decor and pass them on in my effort to downsize the household.

On the page below, the story tells about snow and a snow plow "running up and down the trolley tracks". A very precious red snow suit fits this page well. Don't you love the bonnet style hat and the spats style leggings?

Here we have a story line about a baby carriage and it matched an image with that theme in my ephemera scraps.

Then I got this idea to print some of my original colored pencil bird art on some vintage French grammaire book pages. They are actually antique pages as they are 100 years old! So fun to have these displayed in frames at my place, enjoying them for years, but alas they will be happy finding new homes where they will be loved.

These are avaiable in my Etsy and you can enter though my right sidebar link to the shop. Happy Browsing!

fairy houses (a re-post of an old story)

Being a stay at home mom used to involve more staying at home time when the kids were all younger. Now it is about trying to find the time to stay at home in between all the running here and there.
I admit I reminisce much too frequently over the good ol' days when we would spend a whole day out in the front yard under the tall, tall pines and "play fairy houses", as my girls always called it. They used the whole phrase as a verb instead of verb and nouns. Funny how a lot of their toddler language has stuck in our daily speech...to the point of me sometimes reminding them to not use our many, many little endearing phrases in front of the general public, lest we all be seen as some uneducated lot.

Click here for an old post about our wonderfully fun fairy houses, some of which are still standing today!!
We used to spend entire summer days out in the yard. Most days no place else we wanted to be and no place we had to be. Playing with no sense of the clocks of the world and dragging a blanket out in the soft grass under the cool cover of the shade trees. Piles of picture story books at our sides with many decisions to make over which one to read first or last.

Of course I remember that some days (all too many as I look back) the dynamic and mood of the day was lead along by E and her state of mind. Some days you could not win with her. The sky was green and the grass was blue and there was nothing anyone could do to change it.

We went to A2 as a spur of the moment road trip the other day and went to some of our favorite places and some news places too.

I was suddenly consciously struck by how many places we return to that remind me (no matter where we go in and around our town or out of town) of the specific melt down she was having that day. Believe me there are many! Yet, I am reminded that I never felt anger or loss of patience over the situation, but the pure agonizing heartbreak I felt for this smart, multi talented little child, little girl, young adult. My E.

I had no control over making the world right for her --or her siblings as their worlds were altered as a symptom of her symptoms.

Maybe today I will toss a blanket under the canopy of cooling leafed branches overhead and pile some picture books at my side and stack a few twigs to shelter a fairy or two and pretend that the clocks of the world do not exist--even if it is for a few ironic moments--and hope that the grass will be green and the sky blue for my E. today.

nicely aged

For your art projects. This is a lovely color, aged page, fallen from a nearly 100 year old book. Beautiful for an altered art project or tag or...

Click to enlarge then zoom in, and then right click and save.

Please play nice and do not sell image as is.

very vintage

Digital scans for your crafting enjoyment-

You'll find them when you click here

vignettes

Collections... under a sepia tone world map clock. White ironstone pitchers. Thrifted red books with great old covers that feel better than any modern-ebook-thingy can ever feel.

Pheasant feathers in a vintage small crock. Birch. More vintage red books.

Rustic cottage sign (more about this one later) against brick.

And the tell-tale signs of 3 children living in this house. Need I say more??

dictionaries

I collect old dictionaries. Books from pre-spell-check days.

I especially am drawn to old tattered, well used copies with the thumb indents along the edge or fancy colored page edges, and also old illustrated children's editions. There is something about the soothing colors in the old illustrations. My buying rule is that it can't cost more than 50 cents!! Some of my favorites are throw-aways from people who love computers more than books.

What do you collect from pre-computer days?

Hepburns

Are you an Audrey or a Katherine fan?, Hepburn that is. I am both an Audrey and Katherine fan. I like many, many movies done by each of these women who share the same last Hollywood name. Lots of people have seen "...Tiffany's" but do you like her in "Sabrina"? I love that movie. Lots have seen "Guess who's coming to dinner" but do you like "Desk Set"? I love that movie!
I love them all!
What is your favorite Hepburn movie?

Book from 1941 with super wonderful colors on the cover.

dust bunnies and cob webs are a decorator's friend

Do you ever use the excuse that you need to rearrange absolutely everything to dust properly? Ok so maybe I'm just weird that way. I have been told I am weird for many reasons, but we won't go into that just now.

Yesterday the sun was shining and I love that. But that happy bright sun has an evil side. It shows all the cob webs and dust bunnies. You don't have those? I'm happy for you --now go away! Just kidding.



I love to rearrange things. Furniture and "stuff".
"Blame it on the doll house that Santa brought", my mom always said. I got one when I was in 1st grade. You know, metal with plastic colored furniture? I was constantly changing it all around. Even putting the kitchen in the bathroom and the bathroom in the living room. Now that's weird for sure. But fun, admit it! I can't be that creative in real life but I can change lots of other things around my real house without someone calling for the men in white coats to take me away.

This sewing machine went to live at my brother's house for a while. When I was about 9, Santa brought me a mini, real working sewing machine. Good grief... my smile wrapped around the back of my head that year  when the wrapping paper was torn off !

So now there is a new arrangement and a few less dust bunnies and cob webs about.

Good thing they come back. Good, you say? Yes. That way I can change things yet again!

How often do you rearrange "stuff" and make new vignettes?

Post note: The things shown were given to me and nearly all of it has subsequently gone on to live at someone else's house (my brothers and I trade things back and forth), or they have been sold off. The old books were my great grandmother's (I still have those) and have her name handwritten inside the cover with the dates they were received. looking at them is kind of like a time capsule of a simpler time before all our connectedness to so much technology. I have a fondness for old thread spools that are wood and for old sewing books. One year for Christmastime I took all the red and green wooden spools of thread and piled them inside a clear glass canning jar with hinged lid...I had more positive comments on the uniqueness factor of that, than on the beauty of the live Christmas tree.

10 or more thoughts...

in no particular order...

(Our babies from a few springtimes ago.

Just a random cute photo to go with a random post)

1. I am looking forward to a trip coming up soon.

2. I have so much to do before upcoming trip.

3. The slush and piles of dirty snow are slowly disappearing, as the air smells like springtime.

4. I love fresh white snow covering everything.

5. I also like the smell of springtime.

6. I am going to eat a BMT. This is my boy N's coined abbreviation for bacon, mayonnaise and toast.

7. I should probably skip the heart clogging bacon, heart clogging mayonnaise, oh- and the toast too. But then I would have no fun heart clogging flavor to savor. At least the bread is whole grain wheat, give me some credit. The tomato was beyond saving and the lettuce has had better days.

8. Note to self: buy a fresh tomato and some non-wilted lettuce.

9. Do you ever write on the bathroom mirror in the foggy steam after your shower? I yell at the kids for the streaks after it dries when they do it, but boy is it fun to do anyway. Maybe I'll do that today. Write on the mirror, not the yelling at the kids part.(Yes, then I wash it!)

10. Oh did I just admit I have been known to yell at my kids? So sue me! They sometimes "forget" to pick up after themselves either. See, I knew you'd be on my side.

11. I read to N. the other night while we were cuddling on the couch. He got very quiet and I read 2 more chapters before I realized he was sound asleep.I read one more chapter to myself after that.

12. We finished the book last night - after I back tracked to find the paragraph in which chapter he actually recalled last hearing.

13. I will miss the times when N. wants to cuddle and be read to.

14. I know I am not supposed to end a sentence with the word to.

15. I am going thrifting today in my window of opportunity. Translation: The shop is along the route from one place I have to be to the next place I have to be...with 40 minutes in between the two location responsibilities. How 'bout that for a relaxing session of browsing? Sometimes you have to take what you can get. My budget is $2.00.

16. Those bunnies we raised, shown in the photo above, were so cute (and so fun to dress in Barbie doll crowns), but I am actually happy to say "Been there, done that."

17. Random thoughts can be fun to record.

a dish of art

My ATCs (artistic trading cards) I have made, in a glass vintage 1920's powder dish, with vintage dictionaries in the background.

holiday decorating with old books

The Santa book is from the 1950's and has flocking on the cover for Santa's mittens and hat. The open book is one of a series from the 1940's about three girls named Flicka, Dicka and Ricka. I love the colors of the illustrations. The book, A String of Blue Beads, was given to my Great Aunt in the 1950's. It is one of my favorite stories and is a twist on The Gift of the Magi story.
I read it over and over again as a child.


I really love these big old books. They are very tattered on their leather covers. The photo in the frame is of my Dad opening one of his Christmas gifts in 1967. I made the 3 dimensional Carolina snowflake. The book, The Shiniest Star, is one that Santa brought to me when I was in about kindergarten or so. It has wonderful illustrations and pop up pages. I remember holding it in my lap and running my finger over the embossed metallic star on the cover. I was always careful handling it and the plastic spiral binding is still very sound. The little pamphlet near the photo frame was featured on a previous blog post (here) and is just a hoot of fun vintage ephemera.

This is a great book. I like the ratty dust cover because it shows it was well loved. It holds significance for me as, when I was a child, my Mom sold personally engraved Christmas cards and wedding invitations in our home or other people's homes for several major greeting card companies. I would often go with her on her outings before Christmas time and many of her regular customers would sit me down with home made cookies and a glass of milk while they looked through the sample books and chatted away for what seemed like hours.

This Snowbound book is on display in different areas in my home until sometime in February each year. I love winter and being snowbound. I remember as a child how people would stock up on bread and milk when a storm was on its way to the point of emptying the grocery store shelves in a panic. I always thought it was exciting to anticipate a big snowed in storm. We often cooked in our big fireplace, while keeping warm when snowstorms downed tree branches, heavy with the weight of snow, knocking the power out-- for sometimes days. These days that happens less frequently in our heavily wooded area. Once the leaves fall each year, some crazy tree trimmers, hired by the town, come and trim (butcher) the trees that surround power lines to the point of ugliness.

The green books are from the 1920's and were my Grandfather's. A red taffeta ribbon dresses them for the holidays. I see from looking at this photo that I need to add some pine sprigs from the yard to the silver berries so it looks more full and complete. Do you ever see things after you take a photo that you didn't notice before?

Look through your own books and see if you can add them to your seasonal decor.

777 posts and What's on the corner cupboard?

It's amazing to think about...my last post was number 777. Can you believe it? I can't! I wonder how many of them were interesting and attention keeping? I hope a few, anyway.

Soon it will be time to clear off my red corner cupboard shelves and put my vintage Christmas thingies out for display. Why not take a peek at what has been collecting dust, errr...I mean...displayed there lately? These things all just happened, more than being consciously planned. Does that ever happen at your house?

The old book Freddy and the Fire Engine is from the 1920's and is a favorite find. I love the colors of the graphics, the feel of the old pages... and the fact that my own brother is a brave firefighter.

I have a weird thing for old Fisher Price toys. I like the 1960's best, but also enjoy the 1970's. The Fisher Price radio is one that someone was throwing away because their kids out grew it (many decades ago). It still plays music.

All 3 of my kids seem to accumulate small bouncy balls (in my day we called them super balls)and although the cat thinks it's fun to have them randomly scattered throughout the house, I don't. They ended up being corralled nicely into a glass candy shop jar.

The 2 old Boy Scout books were also being thrown away by some person who thinks that any book still not on the top 10 best seller's list is much too old to bother with...so of course it now lives happily in my house among the other tattered adopted books. Since N. is now a Cub Scout he enjoys a look at what was being done in scouting even before his Daddy was born, and that's reeeeally olllld!

The red tin was my Mom's and she always had it in the kitchen filled with all those Betty Crocker points things that you tear off boxes and labels. I don't think she ever really sent them in to redeem for anything. I think it had something to do with the fact that you could buy most of those offered items somewhere locally in the store and not pay the shipping fee.

The vintage music sheets are only taped up to the back of the shelves, so they can be changed when I feel like exerting the effort at some point. I have loved the look for a while now and credit my friend, Sharon, for the idea. Thanks Sharon!

I will do a little photo shoot of all 3 shelves once it is dressed for Christmas. Stay tuned!

milk glass

The green beads are a necklace that was my Mom's from the 1950's at one time there was a set of clip-on earrings to match which she often wore for card club night with her friends. Vintage red and white linen towels like my grandma had in her kitchen, folded among the milk glass. I love anything red and white.

Green apple candles (that look nicer in person than in this photo) and red berry springs add pops of color.

Vintage string of wooden beads in green, red, and golden shades.

Snowflake shaped candle that is actually a floating-type candle (which I have used in a shallow milk glass bowl filled with water and then floated cranberries in along with the candle), paper hand made quilled snowflakes made by me tucked into a pile, and Paper Posie flowers made by me scattered along a pedestal cake plate.

A vintage porcelain carnival prize doll with the "cold paint" all worn and chippy.

Many of the things in these photos will be let go in the circle of collections...some come in and many go out to new homes.

These are actually in another area other than my hutch. Stacked compotes in graduated sizes and some ratty old books: Peyton Place and Art Linkletter The Secret World Of Kids. The angle of the photo makes it look somewhat like a leaning tower. It is straight, I assure you.

All of my milk glass was either my Mom's or was thrifted. I have found a great fun place where they always have milk glass. I have never been there that they did not have at least 1 or 2 pieces. One day I was there they had the craziest price point too....55 cents.... too bad they only had 3 that day!!! Have you seen what this stuff sells for on the _bay site??

I grew up being surrounded by all my Mom's milk glass. She collected it over about 50 yr's time. It is adaptable to any decor or time of year or holiday! See what I did here with candles!!!

You can see all old milk glass posts here.

A look back...

I know it is late to show these photos, but I wanted to give an insight to our Halloween house before moving on to Thanksgiving. So here we go...

N. decided to carve his Jack-o-lantern at the last minute on Halloween day. He drew the design on paper then I transferred his idea on to the pumpkin with a marker and he carved it.

My kitty is looking on as a supervisor.

You know what's weird? I love the smell of pumpkin guts filling the air in the house. Silly.

This is the shelf in the hall.
We always love unpacking the insane asylum sign to hang up each year!
I painted the wall many years ago.

I always include old books in my decor. I have gathered old orange and black books, of course, for this. My twisty candle stick holder is a favorite item that I thrifted long ago. It is very heavy and has a great patina!!


I think we bought the skull at the dollar store at some point in the past and the bottle was thrifted. It is a real vintage medicine bottle from a Toledo pharmacy. I love the old label. I have never dared open the cap!!



This was the middle of the table with wooden scarecrow, glass pumpkin shaped jar filled with Indian corn and silk leaves, a thrifted porcelain Autumn house that can have a night light inserted into the back, a Mary E. Autumn book from a friend, a yummy smelling candle, some yummy candy, and a framed picture of me at my first birthday on a horse with my Dad as his brother stands nearby, (this is my Uncle I now help, he is 84 and has had Parkinson's for 17 years) . The picture has nothing to do with Halloween or Autumn, as my birthday is in Springtime. I just like the photo.

The bear was my Mom's. Teddy Bears are not personally my "thing", but my Mom really loved them so I have kept some of her bears. The large majority of them went to live with my brothers.

I painted the top of this thrifted dresser to look like copper with a patina of green.

This is also in the hall. I love these ratty old books!!! Another skull from the dollar store and another silly fun sign. The eyeball is a bouncy ball and A. put it in the skull. Funny! The kids keep changing the position of the "eye" when they walk through the hall, so you never know which direction he will be looking!

The hairy spider is fur and the Mummy and Dracula are really candles.

Don't you love the old books?

What do you decorate with that is thrifted or your favorite to unpack each year?