Sunday, December 13, 2009
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Why Christmas Tights Are Important For Little Girls

This looks so much like my sister -- OK, and not just as a child (she wears pants now Christmas Eve for a reason!) I wish it was a photo of her, because then we'd have had an Andy Gibb microphone!
Via Flickr
Labels: childhood, children, Christmas, fashion, Ghosts of Christmas Past, old photographs, retro








Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Skin Cancer For Christmas? You Shouldn't Have!

Labels: 1960s, beauty, Ghosts of Christmas Past, vintage ads, vintage advertising








Saturday, December 20, 2008
Garters On Maids Are Sexy

Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in White Christmas.
Labels: celebs, fashion, Ghosts of Christmas Past, movies, musicals








Friday, December 19, 2008
Old Christmas Tree Lot
Christmas tree lot at Jennings Lawn & Garden in Overland Park, Kansas, 1955.
Labels: 1950s, Christmas, Ghosts of Christmas Past, old photographs








Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Forecast For Santa's Lap: Wet With A Chance Of Tinkertoys

Via Flickr
Labels: Christmas, Ghosts of Christmas Past, old photographs, retro








Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Paper Crowns For Jesus

Via Flickr.
Labels: 1960s, Christmas, Ghosts of Christmas Past, old photographs, retro








It's Easy To See Which Snowman Wears The Pants In The Family

Via Flickr.
Labels: Christmas, ephemera, Ghosts of Christmas Past, greeting card, illustration, retro, vintage








Saturday, December 13, 2008
Buying A Christmas Tree?

Via Flickr.
Labels: 1960s, beauty, Christmas, Ghosts of Christmas Past, old photographs, retro








Friday, December 12, 2008
Christmas Dey Curls

Labels: 1960s, beauty, celebs, Christmas, Ghosts of Christmas Past, vintage magazines








Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas Decorating Tip

Via Flickr.
Labels: Christmas, decorating, Ghosts of Christmas Past, old photographs








Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The Sunshine Family Doll Christmas

Family photo via Flickr
Labels: 1970s, dolls, Ghosts of Christmas Past, old photographs, retro








Like Birthday Hats For Jesus

Via Flickr.
Labels: 1960s, childhood, children, Christmas, crafting, Ghosts of Christmas Past, kitsch, old photographs, retro








Monday, December 8, 2008
Santa Gets Juiced

Via Jazze Junque.
Labels: Christmas, Ghosts of Christmas Past, kitchen, kitsch








Battle For The Soul Of Christmas

Labels: brownies elves imps whatever, Christmas, collecting, creepy, Ghosts of Christmas Past, kitsch, photographs








Saturday, December 6, 2008
Pixies: Guardians Of PJs


Turns out he is not an elf, but rather both a pixie and a pajama bag. Click the images to get the patterns & instructions (I tired to color correct the pattern page, but that's the best I could get it). If you make any pixie pj bags, I'd love to see 'em!


I put the skirt instructions for crocheting the long red hostess here -- I'd love to see those if you make them too.
Labels: 1960s, brownies elves imps whatever, Christmas, crafting, free patterns, Ghosts of Christmas Past, retro, vintage magazines








Friday, April 4, 2008
Craft-Scan Friday: Get Yer Space-Age Santas Here
See, our moms were busy creating space-age Christmases. Just like Ethel Peterson who had covered the face of her clock (now at a thrift shop near you) with a half-circle of gold-flocked cardboard. "Stars, pasted onto the blue crepe paper, give 'sky' effect."

Pretty potent stuff, merging forever, the idea of travel, space, and free gifts.
Here Santa rides a rocket -- which they call a "jet" ("cut from linoleum rolls and covered with shelf paper, then painted").

What the heck can be better than typing "a reindeer rests on the rings of Saturn"? Seeing it. I can't wait to make hundreds for next year's holiday craft fair.
Labels: 1960s, childhood, Christmas, Craft-Scan Fridays, crafting, decorating, Ghosts of Christmas Past, planes, retro, space, vintage magazines








Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Have A Coolie Christmas

Included in the Pacific Palisades Holiday Tour was this exotic outdoor decoration that blends East and West. Set on an outdoor patio, the antique rickshaw carries a Santa Claus figure and a collection of brightly wrapped Christmas gifts.Found in the 1959, Better Homes & Gardens' Christmas Ideas.
The coolie figure was made of papier mache with an Oriental mask face under his collie hat. This holiday display decorates the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Kalasardo of Pacific Palisades.
Labels: 1960s, Christmas, decorating, Ghosts of Christmas Past, kitsch, racist, vintage magazines








Tuesday, March 25, 2008
When Your Plastic Pine Needles Fall...
Here's another version of a tissue paper flower tree, made on last year's tree frame.Yes, "another version" -- because in this 1959 holiday magazine there's a more, err, traditional tree with tissue paper flowers. I don't honestly know if there is such a thing as a traditional tissue paper blossom decorated Christmas tree... But the other one is huge and I'm saving that one for holiday time. So you get this "diminutive" version, "just right to decorate a dining room or entrance hall table".

I'm not very surprised to find such a "spring posies on a Christmas tree" project; but I am surprised that the last year's artificial tree was plucked of the plastic needles so quickly...
Just in case you need to recycle your artificial tree -- and don't find tissue paper trees anything to sneeze at, here's the pattern & instructions.

Labels: 1960s, Christmas, crafting, free patterns, Ghosts of Christmas Past, kitsch, retro








Thursday, February 7, 2008
Thirteen More Bits 0 Paper Scans

The first three are vintage illustrations cut out of some publication or another. Two of the three had the poems on the back, and suggest a primer or other children's book. It could have been for really slow adults too -- I know I like them. But then, I am drawn to lovely old drawings and sing-song-y rhyme-y poems (and easily amused).
"A Fairy Went A-Marketing"


"The Snow-Fort"


Trades

OK, enough of the cute stuff.
When you get boxes of old greeting cards, most of them are Christmas cards.
The cover isn't very festive, with it's "Statement At Christmas" tome; and seeing the red mittened hand of Santa doesn't really help.

Inside we find a bland message, which, upon seeing it is a corporate card, makes more sense. No, it's no more festive; but we can forgive companies for not knowing how to be fun. What I cannot forgive is the stupid company name & 'signature'. Just "4 - 0 Cleaners"? How memorable.

If the commercial corporate card was boring, this next one is a hoot. Clearly the art work was created by hand and then printed in some quantity or other. "Merry Christmas Happy '56" from the king and queen -- of cards. You know, the playing kind of cards -- see the suits? Maybe this was specially made for their couples canasta league -- or bridge group. Could be poker. Who knows.

The kicker is the inside quote, written by hand. Which is sort of ironic...
No longer able to write a verseOh, Jane and Ray, you're such cards! You ought to be dealt with.
Even the coloring gets worse
But we're glad we're still able to say
'Have a Joyous Christmas Day"

I know I said I was done with the cute stuff and that you're going to see this cute vintage elephant card and yell at me. But hold on there, missy. This isn't just a cute elephant card; this is a vintage 'Secret Pal' elephant card -- complete with a printed 'X' for the mystery signature. I know if I was a Republication, I'd keep it a secret.

Oh yeah, I can hear the Republicans getting their knickers in a knot -- and the cute lovers are up in arms for mocking an innocent baby elephant. Want to get back at me? Write a pithy (spelled p-i-t-h-y, not p-i-s-s-y) comment. Maybe I'll give you an award. Maybe I'll just stalk you on the Internet and send you this card...
Now that you're all keen on cards & graphics you might be inspired to create some art. Valentine's Day is only a week away, and you've got nothing better to do this weekend anyway.
Here we have some Valentine card creation advice, straight from that 1971 Pack-o-Fun, "The Only Scrap-Craft Magazine". Yup, you know when it's from Pack-o-Fun, it will be crap-scraft-actular.
First, the boys get to make "Zany Valentines". 'Zany' in this case means corn-ball kitsch cards with found objects of the more masculine metal variety: hardware. (Must. Resist. All. Puns.) My personal favorite is the "I know it's TACK-less -- But I have to say I love you!" 'Cuz there it is with a tack, so how can it be tack-less?

Please note, if you opt to create variations on the theme, beware what message you use with a screw. (Unless you are a consenting adult with a partner who approves of -- even prefers -- naughty kitschy advances, like us.)
Girls,

My favorite here is the "Can't I RUFFLE your feelings, Valentine?" Any man getting that card is gonna agree that you can; and that's when the fight breaks out. Now, with any luck at all, at this point he'll be holding the impotent lace-card as a weapon, and ladies, you'll have the one with the rusty old metal piece.
Now that you've made all your pretty paper Valentines, you'll need a place to stuff them. :ahem: In case you need help creating animals with heart-shaped heads (the paper kind), I've included both pages of instructions.

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Labels: crafting, ephemera, free patterns, Ghosts of Christmas Past, greeting card, illustration, kitsch, Thursday Thirteen, Valentine's Day, vintage








Thursday, December 20, 2007
Thirteen Kitschy Christmas Crafty Things
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Labels: 1960s, candles, Christmas, crafting, decorating, foiled again, Ghosts of Christmas Past, retro, Thursday Thirteen, weird







