Play Time

  Play, vintage flashcard at Field and Ramble

Manbird, wood sculpture by ilurama

 Play Time, an Etsy treasury by Yours Truely

April means more walks, more visits to the park, more time with the windows flung open (both in car & house) and in general it means....more play time! A happy month of April to you ;)

Block Collection In Uppercase

I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of issue #14 of Uppercase Magazine. When I glimpsed the familiar envelope in the mailman's hands this afternoon I zipped out the door to retrieve it immediately.

Yes, I've expressed my undying love for this magazine in the past but this issue is special indeed. I was thrilled when Janine contacted me to put together a grouping of my vintage block images for the Collection spread (see pages 58 & 59 of your issue or you can preview a digital copy here).

Lizzie was just as excited to see the feature as she has arranged many of these block designs for me to photograph. The theme of this issue is all about PLAY and I must say it looks chock-full 'o fun. Now I just need to settle down with a cuppa and leisurely enjoy its pages!

If these vintage block images are making you itch to get your hands on a set of your own I do have some available in the shop right here. Or....you can pick up a set of reproduction color cubes by Froebel right here.

We also love the old-school pennant with the Uppercase slogan of "Creative & Curious" that was tucked inside our package. It will be proudly displayed here at the Sushipot headquarters! And now....I'm going to take a bit of time off to PLAY (and clean up the house a smidgen!) as my parents are headed this way for a visit (Yay for grandparents!!). See you back here next week.

Happy Fall Y'all

I'm thrilled it actually feels like autumn today on this first official day of Fall--it's sunny, crisp and cool (ie, just perfect!). Aren't these the sweetest illustrations? They are from a grade school primer titled Friends, which was published in 1929 and illustrated by Marguerite Davis. Happy Fall Y'all!

Rush Less, Play More

Skipping Rope from Box Of Hollyhocks

I'm thinking "Rush Less, Play More" is a fitting mantra for this new month as we soak in these last weeks of summer. Happy August!

A Few Characters

Thought I'd show you a few characters I've collected recently. These wooden fellows stand about 4 inches tall and have a pleasant 'chippyness' (new word folks!) about them. As for the old playing cards--they arrived in the mail a few days after the wooden men--a surprise gift from Bird Nests & Papers from whom I'd purchased these lovelies. From what I can find the cards are from a 1930's Snap game by the British toy company, Chad Valley. Anyhow, the figures and playing cards paired up so nicely, I did an impromptu photo session of all these good lookers together.

Playmates

Playmates, original collage on book cover

You'll be seeing many more of these collage narratives on tattered book covers. They are sooo much fun to make and you know I've got paper coming out my ears 'round here. Enjoy!

Garden Swing

Feel like reminiscing your childhood and those lazy afternoons on the garden swing? I finally put one of these found figurines to good use by making her a swing to perch upon. She's a sweet little thing and looking for a new home. You can take a closer look right here.

Tea Party Time

Vintage Tea Party Time Set

If you're anything like us there's always time for a tea party! Impromptu occasions for celebration are continuously popping up at our house. Lizzie will spread out her dishes and serve us all little imaginary cakes, pies (with whipped cream on top of course), tea and usually some strawberry juice too. We politely sip our drinks and smack our lips as we eat the party fare--seriously, I hope she never outgrows this tea party habit 'cuz I for one will miss it when she does!

Spring Fling, A Collection of Tin Saucers


Vintage Afternoon Tea Service


Really Red, A Collection of Tin Saucers


Dutch Children, Tin Cups & Saucers

Vintage Snap Cards

This adorable set of vintage Snap cards, published by the Austrian company Piatnik circa 1940's, was recently acquired on Ebay. The box is marked "The Happy Children's Game" although now it's makin' one grownup very happy indeed! The graphics on these cards are so vivid they seem to have been printed yesterday. My favorite image is a tossup between the clown and the sailboat. If I had to choose, I'd probably pick the sailboat if only for that crazy lookin' moon face. What's up with him?!

Toy Shovel Collection

Don't you think this collection of tin toy shovels would make for a darling wall display in a nursery or play room? The set is available in my vintage shop. Have a beautiful weekend!

Fuzzy Felt Fun

We were cleaning out our hall closet a few days ago and Lizzie re-discovered this box of Fuzzy Felt's that I picked up last year on one of my thrifting adventures. These kits of simple flannel board fun, which use colorful felt shapes to create images on a flocked board, were created by Lois Allan in 1950. Did a quick Etsy search to see if anyone is keeping this activity alive and am happy to report that they are! I also discovered that the original Fuzzy Felts are alive and well as a 60th anniversary edition is on the market in the United Kingdom.