Sew it yourself in 1964

I love this adorable book, one of my latest thrift finds!
It's the Lucky Sew-it-yourself Book by Camille Sokol with sweet illustrations by Bill Sokol. Published by Scholastic Book Services in 1964.

A fun instructional book on how to make many things from one little square of fabric! Perfect to get young kids starting to sew. They will learn how to make a scarf, a little bag, apron, pin cushion and a pillow for their favorite doll. It even teaches a few stitches, and some ideas on how to make a sewing box. Such a great book!

Obivously i'm obsessed with the wonderful illustrations the most!

Mom i want to knit too...

Dutch Phildar booklet, not dated, looks to be from the 70's.
Mom, i want to knit too...

Very cute and clear explanations into the basics of knitting.

And it ends with a couple of adorable easy patterns for doll knitwear.
Guess it's time i pick up knitting again...

Vintage Valentine Love Books

Adorable little Valentine Gift books from the early seventies.
From the Sunbeam Library by American Greetings.
These recently were put up in the shop, only the last two are still available.

I Love You A to Z.
1972, written by D.A. Marcum, illustrated by Joan Allen.

A Valentine From My Heart To Your Heart.
1972, written by Jean Kyler McManus, illustrated by Maria Paoletti Gamiere and Elena.

Valentine, Know What Love Is?
1971, written by Jean Kyler McManus, illustrated by Barbi Sargent.

In the Shop! SOLD!
Everybody needs somebody... i'm glad i have you!
1972, written by Gail Golladay, illustrated by Karl Odenweller.

In the Shop!
A Valentine To Say I Love You.
1973, written by D.A. Marcum, illustrated by Joan Allen.

Hippety Hop Around the Block

One of the cutest small hardcover children's books i came across in a while.
Hippety Hop Around the Block. A Tell a Tale Whitman book from 1953.
(More recent printings were published under the name Baby goes around the Block)

The sweet story is written by Gladys M. Horn and all adorable illustrations are by Dorcas.

I love that the story begins with the little boy telling that he took Mommy walking, then the story continues by him telling about all the things they saw.

If you're hoping to find this book in my shop, got to disappoint you. Not planning to sell it any time soon, sorry, i love it too much!

Norman Rockwell's Merry Christmas

I came across a couple of vintage Child Life magazines and on the bottom of the stack was this one 1953 copy with Santa on it. It was pretty and i looked again. Norman Rockwell!
Oh how i wished it was in better condition. Not even necessarily mint, just a bit better. This rare magazine is in not so good shape. The inside is pretty decent. A couple of folded corners and the puzzles are done, but the cover... It's totally loose from the magazine! But i am so so glad it's not missing!

Norman Rockwell is maybe best known for his depictions of Americana, his work for the Saturday Evening Post. I have seen many illustrations by him. But never did i see a picture of himself (of course one google search could have changed that, but i never had done that). So i was even more pleasantly surprised when i saw this page inside the magazine. Norman Rockwell in his "Topsy Turvy" studio.

PS some of the other Child Life copies (in somewhat better shape) are available in my shop!

Hebrew Turtle Story

Shalom!
I can't read Hebrew, but i can definitely look at pretty pictures!

Found in the thriftstore. Dated 1977.

Going through the pages, back to front, what i think the story is about, is a young boy has to move house and packs all his toys and when he unpacks the turtle is gone.
Hm. Not really an obvious plot for a children's story. Where's the happy ending? Then again, there might be some very wise words that go along the illustrations, and my version of the turtle story most likely not even resembles what is really going on.

Nonetheless, i'm happy with my turtle book and its gorgeous pictures!

Wash your hands please

I have a thing for vintage children's books. Especially illustrated books. But every once in a while i pick up one that doesn't has a lot of pretty images. Sometimes it's because of the subject or if the book has a gorgeous cover.
Or in this case, it was the bright red sticker inside. I had never seen it before and i adore it. Looking at the stains underneath it, not everyone did actually wash their hands! (yuck!, but believe me, the rest of the book is very clean!) Plus the book has a lending card in it. Which i always see as a plus, because to me it adds some history. I love seeing handwritten kids names and the lending dates. Unfortunately on this card no year was added, but Jennifer L, Angela and Anfleur have all read the book at one time!
Hail, Hail Camp Timberwood by Ellen Conford was printed in 1978 and has a wonderful bound to stay bound leather cover (which is in perfect shape, so bound to stay bound really works).

Pretty Barbie Booklet

I found this adorable Barbie Clothing Booklet the other day. It's tiny! Each page is just 3" x 4". Unfortunately the cover is missing, but all the illustrations inside are gorgeous!

It's a beautiful thing that something so small can bring so much inspiration.
No, i won't put this one up for sale, this one stays right here with me!

Have a happy Sunday!

What will i be from A to Z

Every once in awhile i come across something that actually makes my heart skip a beat. This happened recently when i was at my local thriftshop and saw this vintage (1973) kids book called "What will i be from A to Z" by Donald L. Gelb.

From the first page of the book:
This little book is made for me.
It's fun to read as I will see,
For all the pages are in rhymes
And reading them makes happy times.
I'll turn the pages one by one
And join in all the choosing fun.
I'll follow on from A to Z
And help decide what i will be.
A Doctor, Milkman, Teacher, Nurse,
Are here with others all in verse.
Befor i Choose, it's wise to know
That wishing doesn't make it so.
I'll do my work and get my rest,
And eat the foods that are the best
For me, my sisters and my brothers.
Then i'll grow up and do for others
The work i choose to make life better.
What will i be? I choose the letter

I love how the book shows endless possibilities of what you can become.
And i Love Love the illustrations! I'm thinking that if, one day, i might have a little baby, i would frame some of these illustrations. Dream big, you can become anything you want to be!

I am a Bunny

I love illustrated vintage children's books.

I love them even more when they are about bunnies.

And sturdy golden books make me happy too.

I am a Bunny. Pictures by Richard Scarry. 1963.

Where do you live?

Found this oh so cute children's book at an amazing garagesale in Williamsburg a little while ago. The dustcover is a bit torn here and there, but the cover and the book itself is still in perfect condition!

Who builds the nests? Birds do.
A happy nursery book "Homes" written and illustrated by Virginia Parsons.

Who lives in the trailer? People do.
(there is also a page mentioning people live in houses too, not only in trailers!)

The book is from 1958 and once belonged to the library of a school in Manhattan. PS 61. Remember, before there were computers, you had to sign a little card with your name and the date when you took out a library book? This book still has the lending cards in the back. It adds such a wonderful feeling seeing those names in the handwriting of kids who just learned to spell their own names, knowing they read the book and admired the illustrations just like i'm doing now.

Little lost doll and a cat

Just sharing some sweet thrift scores with you all today. Hope you love as much as i do!

Hello Kitty

Not Sanrio's Hello Kitty. Vintage children's book "Hallo Poes" which is Dutch for "Hello Cat" but don't you agree, Hello Kitty just sounds a better than Hello Cat.


For your viewing pleasure!

Playmates for kids?

Not sure if Playmates is a proper name for a kids coloring book. Makes me think about the girls next door and Hugh Hefner..
I picked this up at my last thrift run. It was only 25 cents and i love the cover. Hoped the inside would be filled with cute coloring pages, but not this time. The drawings were definitely done by a different illustrator then the one who made the cover.
Thinking about framing it.

Dollhouse unveiling

If you're not already a frequent visitor of the inspirational cruststation weblog, pls do take a look soon. As of December 3rd, all dollhouse rooms will be unveiled!
Of course i'll show mine here on my blog too (after it's unveiled at cruststation), but all other rooms are well worth a look too!
I'm very excited to see the project being finished. It was lovely to work on and i would so much like to see all rooms together.

The image with this post is from a book i thrifted back in Amsterdam. Never did show it before. Maybe unconsciously i saved it for this dollhouse post? It's called "Kleine Tom - en de huisjes van mensen en dieren" freely translated as "Little Tom - and the houses of people and animals". It's by the French illustrator Alain Gree. Very cute!

Vintage mail presents!

What a joy to pick up my mail this morning!
I was jumping up and down with joy even before i opened it. hihi. i love pretty foreign stamps and cute wrapped presents!
My Portuguese friend Micaela has sent me these lovelies. The letter included was filled with creativity, thanks for the inspiration.
I can't read Portuguese, but the pictures in this children's book are sooooo perfect! Jumping up and down in excitement again! The vintage flower pin is so pretty too! And the plastic baby diaper fabric; what can i say? I want to make some great things with it, but at the same time it's so precious i don't want to cut it!
Thank you for the wonderful surprise mail gifts, I'm loving it!

Vintage Loesje Comic

Loesje - Village without friends
Loesje is living in Fieldvillage now. Her only friend is Anita. Anita doesn't want to have to do anything with the 'farmpeople'. One day they go swimming together...

1."Much nicer than a Real swimmingpool... in the middle it's really deep!"
"He, he... this makes you feel better!"
2."What must Jannie have thought when she saw me at that pigsty..?!"
"I am incredibly thirsty!"
3."He, how stupid... i forgot to bring drinks..."
"doesn't matter... i will go get something!"
4."...that is... eh...i believe that is that guy from those sorbets..."
"Hello! i believe we have met each other before!.."
5. "if i'm not mistaken you are that girl that wanted to be treated by me!"
"yes, sorry! but i didn't know that it was self-service there and i thought..."
6. "ah well, we here in fieldvillage do follow modern technology closely. We even have horse riding stables!"
"oh yeah? over where?"
7. "At our home! We have a farm and stables... come over if you feel like it. The first ridinglesson is free!"
"i will think about it!"

I thought i would share a page from my Tina magazines.
I still haven't decided what to do with them, so for now i'm just enjoying and reading them. Getting them in order at the same time. Every two pages is a storyline, that continues weekly in every edition. I have put the entire stack of mags next to my bed and read one every night before i go to sleep. Lovely end to each day!

Pollie Poodle

Pollie Poodle, Ducky Quack and the bunny Wiesje Wollepop. Wonderful illustrations done by Yvonne Perrin. From the Nutricia childrens book series from the early 1960's. Back in the days you could save up for them by collecting points from the Nutricia coffeecreamer. The entire original series exists of 15 precious booklets. Nutricia did do a reprint in the '90's of 8 of the booklets. Until now i've found numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8. Hope to find the remaining ones on a lucky thrifty day and make my serie complete.
I've found this link where somebody scanned in the pages of Wiesje Wollepop. It's in Dutch, obviously, but there is no language barrier in looking at the pictures!

Ideas please - Vintage magazines

What to do with these? Awhile ago I got my hands on this pile of vintage Tina magazines. And I just totally LOVE them.
For many reasons. Even though these editions are from just before i was born (1973 - 1975, i was born '76), i remember the magazine well from when i was a little girl. Of course i had a long lasting subscription when i was growing up. Child hood memories. I really looked forward each week to the postman bringing me a new copy of the magazine. Those have been thrown away in the past. Luckily some people held on to theirs and now i have so many beautiful copies again.
The magazines are filled with girl comic stories and few advertisements and crafty ideas. All drawings are so well done and have such beautiful styles. I adore. If you flip through them they aren't just comics for girls, they are very much fashion magazines too. Back then you didn't have no MTV's, Internet or many glossy magazines that showed what was fashionable. So all the characters in the Tina's were so incredibly fashionably drawn. Great outfits on all pages!
Every edition also has some pages of sent in letters from readers, and a funny thing is that lots of times kids would draw the vintage postcards that i collect and sent in their drawings.

But back to my question, I know i have lots of creative readers here, so what to do with these? The thought alone of having them already makes me smile. But it feels like a shame to have them stacked up in a box. They are too pretty for that and i see all the possibilities of inspiration and /or input for my creative projects. They also take up some space, so maybe that's a good excuse to use them. But would it be a sin to cut some images out? Should i just choose a couple to cut up and leave the rest in tacked? Ohoh, how to handle them?
Of course ideas for creative projects in which i could use these magazines are very much welcome too!
I'm thinking collages, ATC's, print some images on fabric ...

A dedication to love

My Love will be performing in Amsterdam. A new recordcompany Appletree records flew him over. Woohoo. I'm happy. Our hearts can hug again.

Dedicating love i scanned a couple of stickers from my old "Love is ..." sticker album from when i was still a little girl. I never made it to collecting all the stickers needed to fill the album, but i do got plenty to enjoy going through the pages. I must say there is a lot of old fashioned believes portrayed in the illustrations. Woman stays at home, cleans after the hardworking man. But then in other illustrations it makes up for that by honoring the woman and spending time together.
Kim Casali created 'Love Is...' back in the late 1960's when she drew the little pictures as love notes for her husband-to-be

Since most of my blogvisitors don't read or speak Dutch, let's translate, we go from left to right, top to bottom.

Love is ...
"... being a good listener."
"... listening even though you don't believe it."
"... finding a moment to call her all the time."
"... typing loveletters instead of invoices."
"... someone to cuddle all night."
"... celebrating your first anniversary and looking forward to the 25th."

things i love today

SUNSHINE, Blue Berries, smiles, Rooibos Tea, FRESH BAKED BREAD, sharp sewing needles, BIRDS, colors, chocolate, Sunday Mornings, adobe illustrator, Baby's, Vintage Children's Books, POETRY, getting a seat on a crowded bus, ROMANCE, postcards, TRIMS, stamps, Honesty, Penguins, tin full of buttons, CAPSULE TOYS, Joan Walsh Anglund, PAPER, amsterdam, sewing, my ipod, Time For Myself, BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHY, surprise packages, a long nature walk with a friend, FINISHING A PROJECT, falling leaves, Love, unexpected inspiration, Kindness, health, Soft Fabrics, INNOCENCE, green, Books, lovely soaps, FELT, freedom, Rechargable batteries, energy bursts, Music That Touches Your Soul, patterns, being able to help someone, STICKERS.

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