Monday, October 31, 2011

“New” Vintage Listings in MissEileen’s Shop

 

Vintage Stockings Nylons by Lorette Original Package Never Opened           Vintage Nylon Stockings….Lorette Exclusive with Kline’s

These stockings were made from Cantrece by DuPont, 400 needle, 15 denier. Cantrece was a new type of Nylon that was developed by Dupont to give perfect fit. It has stretch  but is sheer as regular nylon stockings with no looseness and were made to fit every contour of the ankle, calf & knee, all important to the fashionable woman of the 60’s.

 

Vintage Mid Century Black Rotary Dial Telephone    Vintage Mid Century Black Rotary Dial Telephone 

A little scuffed from use but still in incredible vintage condition. From the days when you had to call the phone company (there was only one) to hook up (install) your phone because jacks weren’t invented yet. Don’t even think or wireless or hand held. Those were imaginary things only seen in the movies or cartoons. Still works. These phones were built solid and heavy, meant to last a long time.

Vintage Chenille Bedspread Yellow with Blue Basket Pink Roses Full Size     Vintage Chenille Bedspread Yellow with Blue Basket and Pink Roses

This bedspread is gorgeous and in very good vintage condition. Absolutely beautiful. Tufting is all intact. It has been stored away for a long time. Full size, from the days when people were a little smaller in stature and money was tight. But then smaller beds meant snuggling a little closer. Hmmm….

Vintage Hand Held Mirror Blue Three Ladies Avon    Vintage Hand Held Mirror by Avon

This cutie was made in the Wedgewood Jasper style with 3 Grecian Ladies. I used to think hand mirrors were oh-so-feminine. Bring to mind pictures of Victorian ladies admiring their long tresses.

All of these wonderful finds are in my MissEileen’s Etsy shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Keep a Kid Warm This Winter

Found this in my mail box today. Craftsy teamed up with Project Linus and Kaps for Kendall and the “Keep a Kid Warm This Winter Campaign.” The goal is to collect 1000 blankets (Project Linus) and 1000 hats (Kaps for Kendall) by December 15, 2011. Knitted, crocheted, sewn, it’s all good. Here’s the link:

http://blog.craftsy.com/2011/09/help-craftsy-keep-a-kid-warm-this-winter/

And, here are a few hat patterns to get you started.

Knitted Hat and Scarf. Traditional is always in style.

Color Blocks, totally crocheted. Comes with the cardigan pattern, too.

         This one is sewn from fleece remnants. Vintage styling and very cute!

 

Post by Miss Eileen of GoofingOff and MissEileen on Etsy and Artfire.

Original Handmade Felted Designs, WoollySomething

Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks for October 14 was WoollySomething. Here is the interview.
Harvest Pumpkin Knitting Pattern
Harvest Pumpkin Knitting Pattern
Tell us a bit about yourself My name is Marie Mayhew. I was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I am pretty much a city girl. The big open black sky at night frightens me a bit. I love the streetlights and noise. I am married for 27 years to my dearest friend and husband, John. We have two teenagers, Hannah (13) and Isaac (16). I have been designing knitting patterns for about 10 years now. I learned to knit when I was 35 years old and Isaac was 6 months old. Thus, I am fairly new to knitting and I absolutely love it! It relaxes me and I consider it my recreation as well as my business mode of operation.

What are your favorite materials? Wool, colorful wool. My patterns are knitting and felting designs. I give the instructions on how to knit something really big and loose, and then throw it into the washing machine to shrink it down to the perfect size. Playing with wool, whether in yarns or roving, is really like playing with play dough. I love clay too, I guess. Play dough smells better than wet wool does, that’s for sure.
Wool Owl Knitting Pattern
Wool Owl Knitting Pattern
What are your favorite color combinations? I really love robin’s egg blue and brown together. I never tire of it. It truly is the perfect combination. It is hard to find the right yarns in my favorite colors sometimes. I also love anything green, every shade of green. And if you add a little pink to that, then I probably will like that too.
Robin's Egg Blue Roving Pack.        Robin’s Egg Blue Roving Pack
What is the first thing you can remember making by hand?
How and why did you make it?
It probably had to do with drawing. As a kid, I drew all the time. I loved to draw and write. My favorite item was my handmade Benji book stories. My mom gave me a ready-made book with blank white pages. I filled it with my made-up stories about Benji the bear and his friends. I illustrated it with simple drawings of bears, owls, rabbits and others. I loved bears as a kid. I remember having a lot of fun writing and illustrating that book. Two books actually. But I probably threw them away in one of my cleaning phases. My goal is to create a few felted characters that recreate some of those old ideas, like Benji Bear, for instance.
Wool Holiday Ornaments Pattern
Wool Holiday Ornaments Knitting Pattern
What inspires you? Whimsical items and colorful medium combinations will often inspire me. Walking through a specialty store can inspire me to go home and start creating. Nature inspires me too.

Where do your ideas come from? Again, I get so many of my ideas from nature itself. I love the color combinations of leaves, grasses, bird’s eggs . . . They are all absolutely perfect in and of themselves. And the detailing found in nature can take your breath away. You need to slow down enough to notice it though most times. I truly love detail. The more the better! God is an amazing detail Artist, my true inspiration!

What are your greatest challenges? How do you overcome them? Not having enough time in the day! I have so many ideas and so little time. Working out of your home can be hard too. When do you ever punch out for the day? I found a fun saying by Mary Kurtz. She said, “The only time needlework comes before housework is in the dictionary.” I love that! Yes, I would rather knit than clean the house. And running your own business can be a challenge too, the paperwork, etc. Knowing people that are good at what they do helps me a lot. Thus, I hire a bookkeeper and so forth. It is worth every penny I spend on these services. It frees me up then to do what I love the most. And I am finding it is really all about balance. Work and play. I definitely need to play more. The early creating stages of a new pattern can be really playful though in so many ways.
Wool Tooth Bear with pocket. Perfect for hiding your child's first lost tooth. First lost tooth certificate.       Wool Tooth Bear with Pocket for First Lost Tooth

Who is, or was, your greatest inspiration? Two people come to mind: Alexander Stoddard and Martha Stewart, believe it or not. Alexander Stoddard, early on taught me to start living in the moment, to make ordinary things an experience and to pay attention to the little things and to my senses. Martha Stewart really pushes things to a 15 for me. Details, details, details. But, she can really frustrate me if I follow her instructions exactly. If I make her project my own, listening to myself as I make it then I am a lot happier. She leaves out too much information in her instructions. Thus, I have become a bit wordy in my pattern writing over the years. My customers are appreciative, I have been told.
What is your favorite thing to do with your creativity? Knit things, of course. Make gifts for my kids and friends. I used to love to host my kid’s birthday parties. Having a theme and carrying it through. Making a cake to match. I love to cook and bake, as well. I used to decorate cookies, but now there doesn’t seem to be enough time. Plus, my eyesight isn’t what it used to be. Overall, I would say my favorite thing to do with my creativity is to decorate, no matter what the medium.

Wool Birds Knitting Pattern   Wool Birds Knitting Pattern


Why should people buy handmade? Any tips of wisdom on selling handmade? Handmade is unique, one-of-a-kind. Special. And in this day of processed everything, it is really refreshing to buy something handmade. It supports someone you can put an actual face to. My bit of wisdom on selling handmade is to listen to you. Let whatever is inside you come out. Don’t be shy. Surprisingly, people are waiting to hear what your art has to say. We need you and your art.

What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists? The biggest one is ‘just do it’. I need to stop thinking about it, worrying about it and obsessing about it. Just do it. Worry about the details later. I have found that once I start, then the details start to flow. I have also found that when I am really stuck on something, and I am striving too much to make something work, then if I stop and rest from it for a while, the idea will play out in your mind perfectly.

Apart from creating things, what do you do? I garden in the warmer months. I love to weed the best. Trimming back the dead head. I also love picking vegetables right off the vine. I always wanted to be a pioneer as a kid. But now I love luxury hotels best. Not that I get to use them too often. I am going to a lot of my kid’s soccer and baseball games and school concerts. My husband was laid off a while ago, so spending lots of time with him and getting to know him in new ways has been fun. He is helping me grow my business right now. And finally, I am learning to sit more, and be a bit more still. I am amazed how learning to be still can really help your creativity a great deal.
Wool Candy Corn Knitting/Felting Pattern    Wool Candy Corn Knitting/Felting Pattern 
What are the web addresses for your work? My business website, ‘That’s Woolly Something’ is www.woollysomething.com and my Etsy Shoppe’s address, in which I sell my patterns and sculptures, is www.etsy.com/shop/woollysomething.
Are you offering my readers any specials? Sure. If your customers purchase my Harvest Pumpkin pattern, featured in last week’s Miss Eileen’s Etsy picks, then they will receive another pattern, Woolly Candy Corn, for FREE, a $5.00 savings.
Thank you again for this opportunity. I really appreciate it and all you do. Take care
I love these patterns. They are adorable. Check them out. I think you’ll love them, too.
Post by Eileen
MissEileen (vintage and vintage inspired)
GoofingOff (sewing supplies on Etsy and Artfire)
MetalWoodsnWater (unique and sometimes downright weird)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

And the Envelope Please……

Harvest Pumpkin Knitting Pattern

Congratulations to Woolly Something, the winner of Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks, 10.14.11. Watch for the interview.

Friday, October 28, 2011

A Bagful of Etsy, Picking Out the Good Ones MissEileen’s Etsy Picks October 28, 2011

Halloween weekend is upon us with the cute little trick or treaters out in their adorable costumes, mom and dad trailing behind. By the time the kids make it back to the house they are all sugared and caffeined up, jabbering about the loot in their bags and the fun they had. I remember going through the candy with my sisters. We would dump the candy in piles on the kitchen table so Mom and Dad could check it out, then pick out our favorites. My favorites were anything chocolate. Anything, just had to be chocolate. That was long before I tragically became allergic to chocolate. I didn’t know other flavors existed. I didn’t understand why Baskin & Robbins had 32 flavors of ice cream; they just needed to make one as far as I was concerned.

Sorry, got carried away. Today is Friday and time for Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks. Like a bagful of Halloween goodies, I’m picking out the good ones and I’m in the mood for my forbidden treat, chocolate. Here’s what I’ve found this week:

Vanilla and Chocolate Wreath      Vanilla and Chocolate Wreath by Charisma Gift

Baby booties little loafers cream and chocolate with gift box size 0/3M-                      Baby booties little loafers cream and  chocolate with gift box by Cath94170

Coffee Liquer, Chocolate Metallic Gold Circle Necklace      Coffee Liqueur Chocolate Metallic Gold Circle Necklace by Roe Design

6 Caramel or Chocolate Covered Apples FALL SALE Save up to 35% off your order (see shop front for details)   6 Caramel or Chocolate Covered Apples by Sweets Fairy Bakeshop

Friendship Bracelet - Chocolate Brown Leather Woven with Swarovski Turquoise Crystals                       Friendship Bracelet - Chocolate Brown Leather Woven with Swarovski Turquoise Crystals by Kes T Designs

Chocolate brown knit fingerless gloves / arm warmers / wrist warmers / with flower embroidery  Chocolate Brown Knit Fingerless Gloves by Woolmint

Klimt and Starry Night Gold Pendant on Etsy       Klimt and Starry Night Gold Pendant by Creative Art Center

Chocolate Linen Rayon Pleated Jacket    Chocolate Linen Rayon Pleated Jacket by Carey Dion

OK, those are my picks. What do you think? I love the colors in each item. They all look so rich and yummy. Voting starts today and ends next Thursday. Shop with the most votes wins a feature interview with me, Miss Eileen.

Shameless plug…..new fabrics in the GoofingOff shop, new and vintage patterns, too. I found some amazing Pyrex and other fantastic vintage, too. I’ll be listing those in the Miss Eileen shop. Stop by when you get a chance. Coffee’s always on, served in vintage cups, of course.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Congrats to WoollySomething; CRAFTY Pattern Sale

Harvest Pumpkin Knitting Pattern
Harvest Pumpkin Knitting Pattern
Congrats to WoollySomething, the winner of last week's MissEileen's Etsy Picks. I am looking forward to her interview.



October 1 started the big 40% off sale at GoofingOff shops on Etsy and Artfire. All toy, decorating, handbag, craft patterns, and kits in the TOYS, BAGS, KITS section are 40% off with the coupon code CRAFTY. Make sure you use the code.

Some of the most unique, totally cool patterns have already left the shop. I don't know if I will ever uncover patterns like those again so if you see something you like, let me know. I can hold it for you. Some patterns, like the junk food and smocked pillow patterns, are pretty rare. They're gone but there's still some pretty cool ones in the shop, like these:



Vintage 1970s Looney Tunes Stuffed Animals Sewing Pattern Butterick 6347 Uncut Complete
Vintage 1970s Looney Tunes Stuffed Animals

Simplicity 5778 Stuffed Dolphin Hippos Gator Uncut Complete
Simplicity 5778 Stuffed Dolphin, Hippos, & Gators

Dog Coat, Hat, Bed, and Toys McCall's pattern MP238 Uncut Complete
Dog Coat, Hat, Bed, and Toys pattern

Canopy Designs Baby Bassinet McCalls 9253
Canopy Designs Baby Bassinette


Thursday, October 20, 2011

Oh Baby, Mine! Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks 10.21.11

Sing along with Bing!
One of the guys at work and his wife are having a baby so I went to a baby shower the other day. Maybe not a momentous day in someone’s life, that is, unless you are the new mom or dad.  Having a baby is such a major occasion in one’s life. Not only is it the start of a new life, it makes a couple a family. A shower gives friends and family the opportunity to share the excitement. Then I remembered seeing a news article about how October 5, my birthday, is the most popular birthday, which made me think September and October are big baby months. What better way to celebrate babies than looking for fabulous handmade baby things on Etsy? So, look what I found!

Baby Clothing Bouquet- 6 items Dakota         
Organic Coffee Heirloom Aran Bunting 
Mini Diaper Cakes Centerpieces Baby Shower ideas Baby Shower gifts Monkey Flower Giraffe Lion Bumble Bee Ladybug   
Personalized Owl Burp Cloths and Bib Gift Set for New Baby/Mom with Free Shipping

Baby Crib Mobile -- Owl family Play in Sunflower and acorns  (You can pick your colors)

Baby Crib Mobile - Baby Mobile - Decorative Baby Nursery Mobile - "Rock-a-Bye-Baby-Elephant" Design (you can pick your colors) 

Personalized Hooded Towel with rubber ducky gift set 

Cotton & Minky Baby Blanket -Green Giraffes 

So, what do you think? Any one of these items would make a wonderful baby shower gift but which one is your favorite? Vote for your favorite, or favorites. Winner gets an interview with me, Miss Eileen.

Shameless Plug Time:
There’s a big sale going on at GoofingOff Etsy and GoofingOff Artfire on all toy, decorating, handbag, craft patterns, and kits. A big 40% off with the coupon code CRAFTY.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Let’s Go to the Pumpkin Patch Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks October 14, 2011

Autumn finally came to north Florida. Finally. Sure, it comes every year but our fall season is usually short, very short. I’m loving it. The temps are a little cooler and the trees are changing color…a little. We don’t have a New England landscape but it’s still nice. Fun stuff, like harvest festivals, pumpkin patches, and mazes, are showing up everywhere. Taking my daughter to a pumpkin patch or apple picking are two of my favorite memories. Not too many apple trees here, though. Here we have Japanese persimmons. Not apples but still good for a fall day in the country.

Like always, one thought led to another and I ended up looking at pumpkins on Etsy. Here’s my pumpkin “picks” for the week. Hope you like them.

 

Hand Blown Glass Pumpkin Set. Hand Blown Glass Pumpkins by MontanaHotGlass

Fall Outfit  Pumpkin Shirt and Ruffle Pants Fall Outfit Pumpkin Shirt and Ruffle Pants by Laatandstitches

Wool Felt Flower  Headband - Autumn Pumpkin Orange on Brown Skinny Elastic  - Newborn to Adult Wool Felt Flower Headband Autumn Pumpkin by SnuggleBugBowtique

Fingerless Gloves Pumpkin Orange and Black Fingerless Gloves Pumpkin Orange and Black by HollynSage

Pumpkin Coasters and  Miniature Gift . Orange Drink Beverage Calabash Decor Crochet Cute Collection Set of 3Pumpkin Coasters and Miniature Gift Orange Drink by MariMartin

Pumpkins - set of 4 polymer clay buttons Pumpkins Set of 4 Polymer Clay Buttons by Ayarina

Mason Jar Container Fall Candle Bundle (Fall Harvest, Pumpkin Spice, Banana Nut Bread) Mason Jar Container Fall Candle Bundle by RedbarnCandle

Harvest Pumpkin Knitting Pattern Harvest Pumpkin Knitting Pattern by WoollySomething

Hoped you liked the picks. Which one is your favorite? Maybe you have more than one? Vote for your favorites. This week’s winner wins a feature interview.

There’s a big, crafty sale going on at GoofingOff’s Etsy and Artfire shops. All toy, decorating, handbag, craft patterns, and kits in the Toys, Bags, Kits sections are 40% off with the coupon code CRAFTY. Some of these patterns are vintage and hard-to-find so shop early to get the ones you want. Remember to use the coupon code CRAFTY during checkout to get the discount.