Pookie from Laredo

New Blog!

2011-04-25T02:44:00.000+10:00

I'm now blogging about our new etsy shop, Paper Doll Girls, HERE. Come check it out!

Villa Bella...

2011-01-30T07:46:00.017+11:00

I decided to update the banner for our etsy shop, Paper Doll Girls, and in my search for someone who could do that for me, I discovered a very talented graphic designer, Heather, who has a shop on etsy, Villa Bella. It was so difficult to decide which one of her beautiful designs to choose from. Check out her shop and you'll see what I mean! Working with Heather was a pleasure--she provided me with several samples very quickly.

Not only does she do digital work, she can also provide you with matching printed business cards, return address labels, postcards, etc. to give your etsy shop a professional look.

This is the lovely banner and avatar she made for our shop. I LOVE IT! It really reflects what we sell.

Here's just a small selection of what she has in her shop:

Rene Bouche

2011-01-24T12:27:00.001+11:00

One of the lovely customers in our etsy shop, Paper Doll Girls, just shared a gorgeous photo from a recent issue of Town and Country magazine. She had just purchased one of our fashion illustrations by Rene Bouche from a vintage Vogue magazine and wanted to show me where she got the inspiration to start her collection of illustrations.

You can see from the photo below why Rene Bouche is one of my very favorite illustrators from the 1950's.

You Rascally Rabbit....

2010-12-29T14:40:00.001+11:00

I just ran across the most amazing craftsperson/artist on etsy. If I had $595 to spare, this rabbit would be living at my house. I tried my hand at felting once, something simple, of course, and it turned out to be a disaster. This rabbit is fabulous!!! I am so in awe that someone can turn a bunch wet limp wool into a creature that is just so magical.

The shop is called The Barnyard by Sara Jo Renzulli and you can find her critters at sarasark.

Vogue Posters....

2010-12-28T15:22:00.002+11:00

I love the look of the art deco style of fashions from the 1920s, and the work of fashion illustrators who worked for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

Here's some of my favorite cover posters from our etsy shop, Paper Doll Girls:

Pop into our shop to see more of these delights!

Paper Doll Girls...

2010-12-05T20:25:00.004+11:00

I've just recently converted one of my etsy shops, Paper Doll Girls, to sell my collection of vintage Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Seventeen magazine advertisements and fashion pages from the 1920s to the 1960s. Come check it out!

It's Elementary, my dear Watson.....

2010-10-14T08:15:00.004+11:00

I recently blogged about a lovely book I own which is entitled, Playing with Books, The Art of Upcylcing, Deconstructing, and Reimagining the Book. My absolute favorite item shown was a cute little handbag made out of a book.

Well, lo and behold, there is a wonderfully talented craftsperson named Autumn who has a shop on Etsy called Bibliobags, where she sells just such handmade handbags. Not only does she make the grooviest purses you've ever seen, she photographs each one with an appropriate theme, i.e., Snow White, an aproned chef, sixties secretary, etc...

My favorite bibliobag is this one, Sherlock Holmes. You can tell just from looking at her photos that she puts lots of care and love into each bag she makes. Have a look at the photos and then I'm sure you'll want to head on over to her shop to see some of her other purses!

♥

Lovely felted slippers...

2010-10-07T08:57:00.008+11:00

I just checked out the items on the front page of Etsy today and discovered a really talented felting artist from Vilnius, Lithuania. Her name is Grazina and she has been felting for a couple of years. You can tell that she really loves what she is doing and she is so VERY talented.

Please go check out her shop, Grazim, and see what all she has on offer. All you need to do is let her know what size you would like her to make for you. Honestly, I'm starting to save my pennies now to buy a pair, but the problem is deciding which pair to buy.

I'll let her beautiful photos speak for themselves! I especially love the ones with the little curly bits at the back! How clever.

These are just a few of the ones I would love to own from her shop....decisions, decisions, decisions....(I have blisters on both my feet today from wearing a pair of high heels yesterday and I would LOVE to have a pair of these RIGHT NOW!!)

♥

Circus Clowns....

2010-09-26T10:30:00.006+10:00

I haven't been to a circus since I was a kid, but recently I acquired a set of victorian die cuts for our etsy shop, allen and patty, that brought back so many memories. It makes me happy just looking at it and thinking of my trip to the circus when I was 10 years old! After that visit, my dad made me a trapeze suspended from the clothesline pole in the backyard and I spent hours practicing for a life in the circus as a trapeze artist! Mmmm....I hadn't thought about that in years until I saw these die cuts...

♥

My flea market finds...

2010-09-26T09:40:00.008+10:00

Today was the first flea market of spring and my favorite seller was there. I LOVE her stall! She's the only seller at the market that actually takes the time to put a little vintage label on her item and write a little message about the history of it. She puts so much effort into making everything look inviting.

I wasn't disappointed today with what she had on offer. I came home with a great old potato masher with a faded blue handle (my new grocery store one is now going back in the drawer never to be used again), a very French looking green and cream colored jardiniere full of a gorgeous home grown bouquet of pink flowers from her garden (smile), a small hardback edition of Michael Ondaatje's "The English Patient" (I love finding little books I can pop in my bag for reading on my daily train commute), a 1950's turquoise and white large gingham check round poof pillow that is now residing in the chair where I'm sitting, and a 1950's souvenir headscarf from Balmoral Castle. I have a small collection of these scarfs and just love wearing them in springtime.

I try not to buy anything at the market until I reach her stall because I know I won't be able to resist what she has for sale. Luckily, today, her stall led me to another gorgeous find! The woman next to her had a basket full of linens and right on top was a vintage white linen tea tablecloth with a beautiful crocheted border and a little French laundry monogram stitched in red on the back side. It is in exquisite vintage condition--no spots, no holes. And, the best part is that the price was an absolute STEAL!

So, I had my French straw basket bulging at the seams as I walked back to my car ...oh, what a glorious day! Lots to smile about...

Combining Two of My Favorite Things...Travel & Food, of course...

2010-09-26T07:04:00.001+10:00

If you love to travel and eat beautiful food (who doesn't???), there are a couple of websites I found that offer sustenance for your soul and your body.

Check out The Travel Editor to "rediscover your world". You'll be inspired to put on your travelling shoes and head out to destinations you might not have thought of before. This website is chock-a-block (a good Australian term) of useful information and it offers independent travel reviews from experts that have "been there, done that". Nice photos, too!

I've just been reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (yes, I'm a little behind as everyone else on the planet has already read it), and I have become enamored with learning to speak Italian and visit places in Italy that she mentions. I want to go back to Rome for a second visit after reading the book--I obviously missed some of the finer points of the city after spending eight days there and coming away with a love/hate relationship!

This was one of my favorite photos from the whole eight days. It was coming up on Halloween and we found this bakery somewhere on our travels in the city. Cool, huh? This was one of my "loves" of Rome...

But, nothing compares to Venice for me. In her book, Elizabeth Gilbert describes the city by saying, "Venice is beautiful, but like a Bergman movie is beautiful, you can admire it, but you don't really want to live in it". That's probably true. I think there is something to be said, however, for the city on a cold November morning just as it is bustling to life. Venice is a photographer's heaven--there's a photo opportunity around every corner!

Okay, I could natter on about Venice, but on to my other favorite website, Poetry of Food, which is a combination of beautiful travel photographs, recipes, and food stories. Can you think of anything better than that???

When you sign up to their complimentary magazine, you get a postcard every week sent to you in your inbox. This week's postcard features Aigues-Mortes in France, where sea salt is harvested on the Camargue. An interesting place I've never been to, but almost did. Luckily, I came to my senses and decided that travelling down the Canal du Midi and Rhone River in a boat with just my husband and myself to get us through zillions of locks was probably not one of my best ideas! Especially since neither one of us has ever driven a boat--unless you count a small ski boat on a lake about a thousand years ago.

At any rate, the website has some lovely photos, and wonderful recipes that will make you want to rush to the kitchen and get cooking!

Now I'm off to one of my favorite other things in life...a flea market to search for treasures. Till next time.

There's just something about pink that makes me smile....

2010-09-23T10:42:00.002+10:00

I thought I would cheer myself up today by posting something about the color pink. I just finished reading a lovely little book called, Designer Scrapbooks with Dena, by Dena Fishbein and thought I'd share a few of the pretty photos.

Wouldn't these be delightful swaying in the breeze on a beautiful June evening? You could hang them on your verandah and ponder the world while you sip your PINK lemonade!

I absolutely adored the paper ballerina tutu in one of my recent posts, and I found these little tabletop decorations to be equally amazing! If only I had the patience to whip some of these up....

And if you're going to have dresses on your table, how about making an invitation that looks like this...

If you had this colorful little workspace, you could close it all up at the end of the day waiting for morning when you could start all over again.

This book is a visual joy...it really does make a grey, cloudy day seem alot brighter.

Allen and Patty Made It Into ANOTHER Etsy Treasury...

2010-09-14T17:59:00.005+10:00

Our thanks to fellow Etsian, ViolaBlush, for including TWO of our shop items in her latest Etsy Treasury, "French Emphemera".

We appreciate being included along with all the other beautiful French items.

♥

PLAYING WITH BOOKS.....

2010-09-14T08:53:00.008+10:00

I just wanted to share with all you crafty folks a book I have added to my collection. If you LOVE books as much as I do, you'll go nuts over this one! The full title of the book is "Playing with Books--The Art of Upcycling, Deconstructing, and Reimagining the Book" and that pretty much says it all. Jason Thompson, the author, has produced an absolutely gorgeous soft cover reference book that will send you scurrying to the used book store or flea market....

I know, if you're like me, you hate the thought of destroying a book because, let's face it, someone worked hard to come up with all those words! But, if you can't save a book, then you can at least turn it into something else and give it a new life.

The book is divided into three sections:

1. Getting Started: Fold, Mutilate, Staple and Spindle (Now that's a section that will send shivers down any good book's spine....)

2. Projects to Play with: Novel Ideas for Artists and Bibliophiles (This is the real "meat" of the book)

3. Gallery: Reimaging the Book (You just won't believe how talented someone can be upcycling a book!)

I especially love the laminated tote bag--what a perfect way to carry your books with you as you search through dusty old bookstores for that one perfect little treasure....
So, here's just a few photos of the book that might inspire you to get busy looking for old books. The ballerina tutu on the front cover just absolutely amazes me:

♥

Not One but TWO Treasuries.....

2010-09-09T19:05:00.005+10:00

Allen and Patty, the etsy shop that my son and I just opened was included in not ONE, but TWO etsy treasuries today....and to top it off, we had our FIRST sale.

My thanks to Artful Vintage for including one of our French postcards in her gorgeous treasury called, "Steely Blue Gray". Drop in her shop and check out all her vintage goodies--you won't be able to resist her lovely shop!

And, our thanks to Cindy from cindycolumbia1958 for including the May 1957 British Vogue magazine we have for sale in our shop. Cindy is a very talented mixed media folk art painter who has some really lovely items for sale in her shop. Stop by and check it out!

Merci beaucoup!

♥

Allen and Patty.....

2010-09-08T04:30:00.004+10:00

Sorry that I have been away so long, but I've been working on a new project that has kept me busy. I've just gone into business with my youngest son, Allen, to set up a new Etsy shop, allenandpatty, to sell digital collage sheets based on ephemera he sources from his home in France, and from what I find in my searches here in Australia. We both love scouring antique shops and flea markets in search of vintage paper items, so this should be a fun adventure for us.

Please stop by for a visit as I will be adding new items every day. It's been a slow start getting the scans made and images cleaned up, but I should be listing regularly from now on. Here's a sample of what we've been finding for all you arts and crafts friends out there. These are just a few of the vintage French flower seed labels dating from 1920 which I have started listing in the shop:

♥

Two New Etsy Treasuries...

2010-08-10T11:07:00.012+10:00

Today has been a really good day for me.   Two of my vintage knitting and crochet patterns were used in Etsy treasuries!

My thanks to Sema of ZuZu's World for including my 1950's pattern for vintage gloves in her gorgeous treasury entitled, "Black White and of Course RED".

I've just been to have a look at Sema's Etsy shop and all I can say is "WOW". I had never seen any traditional Turkish needlework and what she has made is amazing. Here's a photo of one of her gorgeous items:

Go and check out her shop!

I've also had one of my 1940s Jack Frost crocheted handbag pattern featured in Sukran's shop.  I recently blogged about her beautiful handcrafted jewellry in an earlier post, and if you haven't had a chance to see what she makes, please pop over to her shop and have a look.  She's a very talented jewellry maker!

Thanks to both of these lovely ladies for choosing to include my patterns in their Etsy treasuries.

♥

Fashion Museum Treasures...

2010-08-08T18:52:00.006+10:00

The Fashion Museum came to Bath as the Museum of Costume in 1963.

"A museum is a collection of precious objects, and this souvenir book showcases treasures in the Fashion Museum collection. From the beautiful embroidered pieces of the 17th century to the show-stopping ensembles from the world's most famous fashion designers at the beginning of the 21st century, these pieces give visitors the opportunity to discover more about fashion, and to marvel at the beauty of the design and the exquisite craftsmanship of the work."

♥

Australian Home Journal...

2010-08-07T16:17:00.001+10:00

The Australian Home Journal was a magazine mostly about fashion for the average woman. Each cover featured 3-5 outfits and inside were full-size paper tissue patterns and instructions on how to make them up. There were also more outfits illustrated inside, and you could buy them by mail order from the AHJ pattern service. The rest of the magazine featured knitting and crochet patterns, fashion-related DIY and handy hints, short fiction, advice columns, recipes, and plenty of ads for powders and potions to keep you regular, make you slim, and keep your baby quiet.

Here's some of the covers of the magazines I've collected, dating from 1939-1956, and some black and white illustrations of the fashion advice given inside. You can see what the well-dressed Australian woman was wearing back then. Enjoy!

♥

Etsy Treasury...Breathtaking Handmade

2010-08-04T08:53:00.013+10:00

My thanks to Etsy seller, Sukran, who used one of my vintage crochet patterns from my Etsy shop, Vogue Vintage Knits, for a 1953 circular shawl, in her Treasury called "Breathtaking Handmade". I am so pleased to be included with all the talented craftspeople in her Treasury.

Sukran makes the most beautiful, intricate jewellry.  Please go and check out her Etsy shop.  I'm just off now to read her blog, http://sukran-kirtis.blogspot.com/.

♥

Little Bits of Paper...

2010-08-03T08:27:00.003+10:00

A couple of years ago I became interested in making paper collages.  I enjoy the whole process of taking bits of paper and turning them into something pleasing to the eye.  No surprise that the subject of my collage work was PARIS and HAUTE COUTURE. I spent many happy hours cutting and pasting--it made me feel like I was back in elementary school! 

Here's some the results of my ACEO(*) endeavours:  

And last but not least, my favorite because of the RED coat:
*In case you aren't familiar with ACEO's, Art Cards Editions and Originals, they're 2.5 x 3.5 inch heavy cardstock which artists trade and collect.Have a look on etsy.com and you'll find many talented artists selling ACEOs.  It's a great way to collect artwork!

♥

French door knockers...

2010-08-01T19:53:00.002+10:00

The ornateness of French doors is something else that I love to photograph. Here are just a few from my collection of photos. Enjoy!

♥

Resting in Peace...French Style...

2010-08-01T18:08:00.008+10:00

I love taking photos of things other people don't usually pay much attention to. Architectural details fascinate me, no matter where they are. As strange as it may sound, I love visiting cemetaries, reading tombstones, and taking photos.

The photos of the vault doors in this post were taken at Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in the 20th arrondisment of Paris, and cemetaries in Nice and Collioure. Pere Lachaise is really one of the loveliest, quietest places in the city. It's hard to believe that you are in the middle of Paris as the main sound you hear is wind rustling through the trees.

While you're there, be sure to find Jim Morrison's grave--it'll be the only one with a guard keeping watch over visitors. You can buy a map just outside the gates (you'll need one), because there are so many famous people buried there. My favorites are Chopin, who is buried in a beautiful white vault, and Edith Piaf, whom you will need to look for under her family name, Gassion.

You'll be amazed at some of the vaults in the cemetary. They are the size of small homes. There are graves there from the 1700s of families that have apparently completely died off and the vaults are disintegrating from neglect, but amazingly, it's still a working cemetary. It's really impossible to see the whole of the cemetary in one day and if you do go, you need to wear sensible shoes as the sidewalks among the graves have been disturbed by tree roots from all the beautiful trees that provide the shade on a hot day.

♥

Vintage French Textiles...

2010-08-01T17:03:00.000+10:00

Vintage textiles are one of the things I always look for whenever I visit France. I couldn't resist snapping a photo of these lovely little children's outfits I found in an antique store in Pezenas in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France.

I can't imagine little Bobby or Janey wearing something like these nowadays!

♥

Pretty in Pink...

2010-08-01T12:09:00.001+10:00

How can you be in a bad mood when you're wearing PINK?

Don't these photos from my collection of vintage Vogue Knitting magazines make you smile...

Or perhaps these two lovelies I chose from my photo collection of Paris museum trips?

♥