A Pink Elephant Parade

Hi!

http://www.artakimbo.etsy.com/

I have been preparing for my craft fair

TOMORROW!!!

No, I will not panic.

No, I will not panic.

No, I will not panic.

http://www.iwantedtowonder.etsy.com/

I have needed to be brief in my last few blogs

(Really? Is that possible for me to do?)

Today I would like to share with you one of my treasuries

that I have put together on etsy.

None of my shop's items are allowed to be listed.

It is a fun way to support etsy,

support other shopsellers on etsy,

and day dreaming shopping!

http://www.dodadchick.etsy.com/

Apparently blogspot today does not want to underline

 and put in blue all of my links.

Sorry, it's really not me!

So you will have to look just a bit harder to find the links.

It's worth it however!

Here is a direct link:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTc2MTA5M3w0MTE0NzI/pink-elephant-parade

"Pink Elephant Parade"

Rondy the Elephant can fly by http://www.oksancia.etsy.com/

I have just taken little thumbnails of each item

(there are 16 items in each treasury).

To really see the actual item go see the pix on etsy.

Those pictures will be larger, and usually you have an option

for several different views of the listing.

www.loranscruggs.etsy.com

Love Elephant pattern by www.DIYFluffies.etsy.com

vinyl wall art by http://www.holly.etsy.com/

I like pink elephants, I think they are fun!

I love real elephants, and hope to actually touch one, one day.

http://www.ninishandmade.etsy.com/

http://www.littlesidekick.etsy.com/

http://www.borntobewildstudio.etsy.com/

I just love that Elephant Tea Set! Really, really fun kitschy!

vintage plastic, http://www.ssmith7157.etsy.com/

needlefelted trio by http://www.saporta123.etsy.com/

nursery decor print by http://www.galerieanais.etsy.com/

When was the last time you watched Disney's DUMBO?

Wonderful movie.

If you have kids, or have access to them, gather a group together

and have PINK ELEPHANT NIGHT!

Of course, part of the night will be spent watching DUMBO!

You should have pink elephant ice cream

with some pink tinted cake.

Get one of these vintage cake topppers for it:

vintage plastic cake toppers by http://www.hellokewpie.etsy.com/



You can pass out special party favors, perhaps like this one:

http://www.lillyellen.etsy.com/

I hope you have enjoyed my little tour into DUMBO fantasy!

And remember, if you see a pink elephant

and it's not on the tv,

you might need to go to bed and get some rest!!

Erin an Elephant, http://www.elephanttrunkcrochet.etsy.com/

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

Don't forget, you can comment now very easily on my blog!

NO NEED TO SIGN UP!!

I'd love to hear your thoughts,

share you pictures

and try out some of YOUR yummy recipes!

vintage paper dolls and aprons

bonjour!

Today we will be visiting aprons.

This will be my quickie intro, with more tomorrow!

Dolls of the World (DOW) Barbie, 2nd edition, Germany, 1995



DOW Barbie, Italian, 2nd edition, 1993

DOW Barbie, Spanish, 2nd edition, 1992

As the above international dolls illustrate, 

aprons have been a part of many many different cultures, all over the world.

Of course! They are so handy!

BUT

They can also be decorative...

www.4RetroSisters,etsy.com

They can be part of a traditional costume....

DOW Polish Barbie, 1998

They can be part of our work....

vintage nursery rhyme illustration



They can protect clothes from spills and poofs when cooking...

www.DizzyDames.etsy.com

They can be part of our play...

Kate Greenaway

They can be a part of gardening...

vintage illustration from The Turned Intos

There has been a revival in

interest of vintage aprons,

and all kinds of aprons, for the past several years.

There are specific books written just on the subject of aprons!

You can find free apron patterns all over the internet.

and yes, you can still purchase very vintage apron patterns!

Several companies have taken vintage apron patterns

and adapted them to an easier pattern for today's sewers.

vintage apron available at www.reginasstudios.etsy.com

This revival has brought more and more collectors

to the fun, kitschy, functional, crazy and beautiful heritage of

Aprons.

http://www.apronsandmore.etsy.com/

Liana has several beautiful and fun aprons as part of her large paper doll costume collection that she illustrates. Check out her blog to find more:

http://www.joechip.net/liana/

You can find the paper dolls that fit these aprons in many of my previous blogs,

or on Liana's blog site.

Let's finish up today with a little paper doll named Trixie,

based on the cartoon strip series 'Hi and Lois':

see you tomorrow, with recipes that you'll need an apron for,

some vintage apron patterns,

and more apron resources and history!

inkspired
http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/
dominoes@myinkspired.com

A few of my favorite things

Bonjour!

Today I will be sharing a few of my favorite things, starting out with the French language, and one of my favorite fairy paintings!

Next up: Mermaids!

I do not have the artist's name for this lion fish mermaid, but I think the imagination and talent used in her is humongous!

a Max Gadd fabric block

Now, let's have some paper dolls - oh, and I might as well make them in the theme of my favorite things too! Two 'birds' with one stone:

I have 3 more pages of clothes I will post later.
When I was a girl, I had Liddle Kiddle paper dolls, and also the real dolls. I also had a plastic type doll house, with a carrying handle. The Liddle Kiddles fit into it perfectly! I was very sorry when I couldn't take it with me on one of our many moves.

Another favorite thing: sea life - a precious commodity that we have misused, abused and destroyed at an alarming pace. Here I have combined my love of the ocean, with my addiction to beads:



Midnight, by Mary Darwall

Here are some more of my favorite beads:

I made this bracelet from a necklace of my grandmother's. I knew I would never wear the necklace - the style did not fit me. BUT I wear this bracelet quite a bit!

I fell in love with name painting when I was on a vacation with one of my best friends - Glenda (Another favorite thing!). We took 10 days away from our families and drove to Orlando. We visited DisneyWorld (A HUGE favorite thing), of course, but also Sea World. There was this amazing artist there, doing sponge type paintings of names. The following examples are poor substitutes for the real thing:

(Danielle is also a favorite friend!)

If you google "name painting" you will find sites that do this sort of thing.
For Christmas one year my husband ordered a starter kit for me, with the paints, the sponges and a super book of tutorials. He also special ordered my name "inkspired" done in tropical name painting. I love it!

I love you Michael!

Here are 3 of my favorite things, all in one picture!

okay, I am going to have to put in some serious time to figure out why pictures that are not rotated in my files, turn up rotated in my blog!
Grrrrrr.
That is a photo of my husband, and one of my sister-in-laws, and of course, the Fabulous Tanner - who is being a pest right now, so I will pause and go feed him!

Tanner, the Great Dane

Koda, the princess Great Dane. She was our only girl Dane we have adopted.

Luke, our first ever Great Dane.



Gardening, big ol' pots and the Denver Zoo - 3 favorite things.

One of the many beaded jewelry items I have made: combines my love of beads, and my love of netting.

This shows the Founding Fathers of our original American Indians, and then the Founding Fathers of the United States. I like the way it shows that there were living, thriving people here - before the Europeans landed. I hope to go and visit the stone monument in South Dakota soon.

I love the Chinese culture, and the Chinese styles of traditional paintings.

I also love the Japanese culture, and their sense of calm. Here is a favorite Japanese thing:

I have a book on 'how to do Brush Painting', and I am looking forward to learning that.
Here is a lovely Pop Up card, with flowers - 2 more favorite things!



I think that's enough for one day!

vintage photos - a favorite!

Until tomorrow's fun-

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com