Last of the Red, White and Blue...White King Uncle Sam!

Uncle Sam inspires our latest craft group project.

The Uncle Sam Project

My local crafting group met a few weeks ago to work on our Uncle Sam projects.  The challenge was to create an Uncle Sam figure from an old tin and a paper clay head.  We meet in Alpine, Utah at the home of Jann Olson of Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson.  She is the half-way lady...half way between southern Utah County and the Salt Lake City area.  It's always so much fun at Jann's house!  She is an amazing person with so much creative talent...as her home and garden will attest.  You never know what her "Theme" will be from month to month...bees and old plaid thermoses come to mind...lol!

This is my finished Uncle Sam.  

He's created from a can of White King Cleanser.

I used measuring spoons for his arms.

"Heads of State!"

Making the air-dry clay heads took up most of the time.

My fellow crafters chose some really fun tins.

It's harder than you think to find something red, white, and blue!

What a crazy variety of expressions, don't you think?

Paula's Sam, in the middle, is amazing!  

Closer view of Sam's hat.

Made from a toilet tissue roll.

I sat Sam's drum on a pedestal for a bit of height.

It's an empty ribbon spool.

I love using rosettes...they make things so fancy!

It looks a bit out of balance...but that's just the angle.

Wooden Patriotic Banner.

I finished this banner yesterday...better late than never.

Bit closer view.

Wooden Bingo pieces are fun!

This is just a quick post to catch up.  Today I am getting out my fall and Halloween craft boxes.  I am starting to see creepy little crafties in my dreams.  I just thought of a Carousel of Creepiness...so stayed tuned.  I think my visit to Nederland, Colorado to ride on the Carousel of Happiness may have something to do with it...lol!

My Dream Tin.

This would be the basis for the perfect Uncle Sam Project...if only one would come my way!

Happy Summer Crafting!

Baby Dot...Vintage Baby Powder Doll!

Vintage Baby!

I love the soft colors of vintage baby cards!

When I was expecting my third daughter Sascha in the 1980's I was mad for all things Vintage Baby!

I decorated her nursery corner with vintage baby dresses hanging on the wall and a vignette of baby care items on her dresser...little pink containers for cotton balls and baby pins, tiny brush and comb.  Every thing for Sascha was soft aqua and pink.  I still love the soft colors of vintage baby cards and baby care items like baby powder containers.  Some of the graphics are amazing...I only had the basic Johnson's Baby Powder.

The variety is endless!

My friend Dorothy sent me a pin one day...a vintage baby tin that I immediately felt needed to be repurposed into one of my vintage tin characters.  I wrote back that it needed a doll head and arms. From her response of "Mercy!" I gathered that it sounded a bit creepy...lol!  I already had an old composition Patsy doll that was in pretty bad shape.  The sawdust and glue was starting to deteriorate so I though it might be fun for a creepy Halloween project.

I found a darling baby powder container from 1936 at a Salt Lake antique mall.  The brand was "Baby Dot."  I wish I had taken a pic of the container before I transformed it.

Baby Dot!

She's about 8 inches tall.

Close-up of Powder Container

Rear View

Side View

The top of Patsy's head was crumbling.

The bonnet is made from a vintage plastic Easter party favor.

So that's the story behind Baby Dot.  I went on a tin buying binge yesterday, so there will be some odd new characters coming up in the next few months.  It is so strange when Easter is in March.  It leaves April all dressed up with no place to go.  I leave up a lot of my spring decor until Mother's Day, so things look cheerful even when it's a rainy day.  Spring is definitely taking her time this year as I know many of you will attest.

Happy Spring!

PS: Some darling vintage baby images for you...

Die Schilling Zwillinge...and the Cookie King!

Snowmen for My Gingerbread Kitchen!

Looks delicious!  How I wish my name was Gretel!

Die Schilling Zwillinge...und der Konig der Kekse!

How'd you like that tongue twister?   Die Zwillinge is German for twins....der Konig der Kekse means Cookie King.  I still have a bit of German Christmas on my mind from last year.  And it's fun to say..."Schilling Zwillinge!"  Say that ten times fast!

I just created something new for my Christmas Gingerbread Kitchen.  It all started with a trio of Schilling spice tins and some Dept. 56 snowman beads I found on clearance.  The beads were sold separately and were intended to be put together into a snowman ornament with interchangeable heads, hats and bodies.  I just wanted the heads, but couldn't resist the quirky headgear.

Cookie King's Court...complete with Jesters!

It's good to be King!

Can't resist these faces!

Reigning over the cookie tray.

The snowmen are mounted on this "tray" of gingerbread cookies.

After all...a king must have subjects!

Hansel and Gretel...German Scrap.

Carrying home "souvenirs" from the Witch's house?

New Ornies for the Kitchen Tree!

 Lebkuchenherzen...Gingerbread heart ornaments made from heart-shaped tins.

A painted "orphan" measuring spoon makes a cute ornament.

The paint is a multi-surface paint...can't remember the brand.

Cocoa Bean is the color and it actually smells like cocoa!

These were all made from stuff I already had in my craft room.

I can't get enough Gingerbread!

P.S. Meri...I think this candy border came from you!

Holiday Preview...Christmas Characters From Vintage Tins!

Recent Tins.

Found at Flea-ology...a local Vintage Fleamarket.

I recently posted the picture of some tins I found at Flea-ology, which is held at my good friend Paula's home in Payson, Utah.  Paula blogs at Pollyanna Reinvents and is my favorite vendor at Treasures Antiques in Springville.  The moment I saw these, I knew they would become new additions to my collection of holiday characters made from vintage tins.  I have just finished a couple of these characters and can't wait to share them with you.

Jack Frost...

Jack Frost...a snowman from a vintage Postum tin.

Jack is about 8" tall on a 6" oval base.

Vintage Postum Tin.

I forgot to get a picture of the tin I found.

A Bit of Postum History...

I have fond memories of Postum.  My grandparents drank it all the time and I enjoyed sipping it from a tea cup and pretending it was coffee.  Members of the Mormon faith abstain from coffee, so it was very popular in the Mountain West.  It is made from roasted wheat bran, wheat, and molasses.  Although the Postum Cereal Company stated in its ads that it didn't taste like coffee, the drink was enormously popular during World War II, when coffee was rationed.

There is a similar product in Germany, called Caro...also known in the US as Pero.  My German friend, Monika...who is also a Mormon...used to invite me over for "Coffee" every Wednesday.  She brought out her nicest tea set and baked a traditional German dessert.  I must have downed gallons of Caro during my three years overseas.  I still miss it...especially the "instant crystals."

Kraft discontinued production of Postum in 2007.  Eliza's Quest Food, licensed the trademark in 2012 and sold it online.  Since 2013, it has been available in a limited number of stores...primarily in Utah and other Mountain States.

Side View.

Jack's head is paper clay...his arms are measuring spoons.

Back View.

I thought it would be fun to put Jack in a snowy scene.

Dri-Shu Santa...

Cute Santa made from a Dri-Shu tin.

Dri-Shu protects Santa's boots from Snow and Sleet.

Santa is about 6" tall.

His head is a vintage Santa ornament.

I used wooden half-eggs for his boots and trimmed them with chenille.

Tin for a tummy...no bowl full of jelly!

His hands are some kind of electrical doo-hickeys.

I bought a big bag of them for $1 at a vintage yard sale.

Side and Back View.

Santa's Winter Scene.

Give Thanks...

Thanksgiving scene with old spice tin.

I have a bunch of turkey and pilgrim candles.

I haven't made a lot of Thanksgiving crafts...my house is decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving so my Idaho Falls grand kids can see my Christmas decorations when they come for dinner. I do decorate the tables for Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for so many things...I need to express those thanks more fully.

I am so thankful for this blog and those who read it.

Thank you!