Thursday's Unique Picks - Little Green Men

Top O’ The Mornin’ revelers and Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Do you think it is too clichéd of me to write a blog with a St. Patrick’s Day theme? 

O.k. good, I knew you liked clichéd too (Especially after all of those green beers you have had).

"A Happy St. Patrick's Day to Ye!" Vintage greeting card found in starmango's Pink Tree etsy shop.

Irish or not, you are in luck, I am going to share some great finds from etsy sellers that will have you dancing a jig!

Wear a little bit of luck around your neck any day with this lovely handmade four leaf clover charm and green jade drop necklace from MoonRox on etsy. This seller is donating proceeds from this necklace to the Red Cross to help Japan in their recovery efforts after the recent earthquake and tsunami.

What comes to mind when you think of St. Patrick’s Day?

Ireland? Totally.

Sensational handmade bracelet upcycled from a vintage swizzle stick that features a map of Ireland from My Mom's Basement's etsy shop.

Four leaf Clovers? Sure.

Beautiful mini bouquet of handmade origami four leaf clovers from My Bohemian Summer's etsy shop.

Green? Always.

Don't get pinched! Perfect for St. Patrick's Day or perfect for any spring day. This sweet vintage find from Tea at home with Olivia's etsy shop is so versatile. It is actually a three piece set, button down top, sassy skirt and a shamrockin' pair of wide leg pants.

Beer? Of course.

My goodness, My Guinness! These bottles have been upcycled into drinking glasses from Nickpaul Windy City Glassblower on etsy.

Yes, all of those things come to mind today, but I have to say that this year, I am especially fascinated with leprechauns…

Why leprechauns you may ponder?

It is all because I scored this lovely piece at an estate sale.

I was very excited about it. It would be perfect for St. Patrick’s day because he is an elf. Duh Girly, ELF, not a leprechaun. This little detail eluded me at first. I posted this photo of my sweet find on twitter and it wasn’t until Buddy the Elf commented on my photo (yes, I said Buddy the Elf. Please don’t be jealous.) that it dawned on me this little guy is an ELF not a leprechaun.

What’s the difference between all of these little green men anyway? 

Interesting query. I just happened to do a little research on this subject, from some very reliable sources (of course), and would love to share my findings with you.

This 1968 delightfully decorated ceramic liquor bottle from A Collectible Cachet on etsy, features a little harp playing leprechaun "Wearin' O the Green".

A leprechaun makes cereal and an elf bakes cookies. Just kidding.

Leprechaun: Usually wears a red or green coat. It enjoys partaking in mischief. The leprechaun spends his days repairing shoes and collecting gold coins that are in a hidden pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If captured by a human, the leprechaun uses its magical powers to grant three wishes in return for their release. (wikipedia)

The elf himself, this little vintage buddy was spotted in gathersalot's etsy shop.

Elf: It is a little more complicated to define this little creature, just because there are so many different types of elves. Elves were originally thought to be divine or semi divine beings that possessed magical powers, that they could use to either benefit or injure mankind. (wikipedia)

Generally speaking they sound pretty similar, right? 

Here is the major difference, a leprechaun is a type of fairy from Irish folklore, and an elf is from Germanic mythology. 

BAM! Now go wow your pals at the pub with that little nugget of trivia.

Are you a pixie, an elf or a leprechaun? I don't think it matters because he is just plain cute! This sweet vintage figurine is from Own Back Yard's etsy shop.

Now what about pixies and trolls? 

I will try and figure out what the heck a pixie is another day and you can ask Charlie to tell you about trolls. 

I wish you all a very Happy St. Patrick's Day and wish you luck with finding a leprechaun...

Sweet little handmade plush dolls from SwenNatural on etsy.

to direct you to the rainbow...

Here is something you don't see every day, these 1960's rainbow striped heels from are General Whimsy's etsy shop.

Where he has stashed his pot of gold!

Well, technically it is a pot of gold...it just happens to be a fondue pot that is gold. This fun vintage find is from A Simply Charming Life on etsy.

Cheers to that...

Awesome handmade reusable fabric cocktail napkins from Terre Mum on etsy.

and Cheers to the fact that today is the one year Blog-A-Versary of my weekly Unique Picks blog post! Thank you to all of my readers that tune in each week to read my random stories, and oh so informative bits of trivia and history, but more importantly to check out my unique finds from great etsy sellers.

Play Date

You are invited to a 

Play Date

At The Unique Bird.

Recently listed collection of vintage and handmade decor from The Unique Bird on etsy.

Kitschy finds to add playful touches to you decor.

1951 illustrated children's book, Little Dilly's Party, features layered die-cut illustrated pages.

1951 illustrated children's book, 12 Little Rabbits, with more to die for, die-cut pages.

1949 children's book, Mouse's House, illustrated by Richard Scarry (famous for his Busy Town children’s books), has a flock of adorable flocked pictures.

Let's get things started with a little bit of light reading. These sweet vintage c. 1950's children's books have the most adorable illustrations that would look fantastic framed as artwork or could be used in a crafty project or scrap booking extravaganza.

Hello My Baby, hello my honey...1962 felt hand puppets. 

p.s. Do you know how hard it is to take a photo of your own hands with puppets on them? Not easy.

Fun to play or fun to display, these great vintage puppet make quite a conversation piece when placed on a bottle of wine (no kidding!) 

Dress Up - Handmade Vintage Paper Garland

Setting the "Play Date" mood with handmade garland upcycled from sections of illustrated vintage wrapping paper. Add a vintage touch to a little one's room or use as an adorable birthday decoration hung around a cake table or strung on a mantle.

Here kitschy kitschy.

Not just for the kiddies...

Play Fetch, vintage doggie pottery bud vase. I assure you the placement of the flowers in this kitschy little bud vase will be a conversation starter.

Lil Growly Bears, vintage pottery planter. Sure it would look great holding flowers, but it could also be perfect for those pencil pushers who are looking to express a little playful personality on their desks.

Don't delay, be sure to visit The Unique Bird on etsy, 

for a  Play Date with these unique vintage finds!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Button, Button...

Have you ever had a nickname? I have personally had quite a few. Lil S, Crazy, Sweat pant, Sandwich, Patchwork, Sar-a-bear, Garage Sale Girly, just to name a few.

Recently, I have been fortunate enough to gain a new nickname, thanks to my Hubby. He is now calling me “Buttons”.

Buttons for Breakfast. Beautiful original photograph from Dear Machine's etsy shop

I actually don’t mind this one. It is not because he thinks I am “Cute as a Button” or because I tend to “push his buttons”, it is because I have been sitting on the floor of our family room sorting through jars of vintage buttons.

 Cute as a Button, original digital art print from henna tayeb photography's etsy shop.

So you may be wondering, are this week’s Unique Picks from great etsy sellers all about nicknames? Good guess, but it is less about nicknames in general and more specifically about my nickname. This week’s findings were picked because I have buttons on my mind, and because it is apparently my new name.

Gorgeous collection of vintage buttons from eliabethwrenvintage on etsy.

You may be inquiring, “What is with the button bonanza Girly? Sorry, Buttons?”

It all started with a custom request in my etsy shop for a reusable fabric coffee sleeve. Since I kind of have a “thing” for vintage fabrics, etc., I tried my best to come up with a design that incorporated some great vintage materials.

Voila. Reusable Vintage fabric coffee sleeve from The Unique Bird. P.S. they are machine washable.

With one under my belt I thought I would test the waters with a few more. For the record, I am covered on vintage fabrics from now until the end of time, but as for the buttons… I had this pretty glass button jar filled with lovely vintage buttons that had been given to me by friends, and ones that I would pick up from time to time at flea markets. Sure, I would nab one of the buttons here and there to use on a pillow, but mostly it was just sitting on a shelf in my sewing room as a pretty decoration.

Great find from This, That, & Other Things etsy shop. It is a lovely vintage glass jar filled with vintage buttons that would be great on display or may even become quite handy one day.

My little jars went from decoration to sew-eet usefulness. The only problem was every time I need one, I had to dump out the entire jar and hunt for a pair that sort of went together. A few weeks later, after repeatedly dumping the jars and then having to clean them up, and snagging a hefty stash of vintage buttons from my Mom, I decided that I should get wise and organize my collection. Buttons went back to her post, sorting on the floor.

So, it is not vintage and awesome, it is plastic and cheap, but I was desperately in need. I have at least sorted them by size now. I will deal with color another day.

To Satisfy the slightly OCD crafter (like myself)  but also fulfill your desire for cool vintage storage for your sorting...

Industrial chic, vintage metal bread pan rack from Sarah Antiques on etsy.

"Button, Button, Who's got the Button?"

I just thought this was something silly my dad would say to me when I was little. It turned out it is actually a traditional children's game that dates before the 1900's. Thanks to my pals at Wikipedia for cluing me in on this.  

Well, I have the button, or I have some more great picks with buttons in mind. Finds that are button encrusted, to button embellished, to things that aren't even buttons at all...or are they?

Who has the buttons? I am pretty sure this vintage purse does, found in Vintage Valley Girl's etsy shop.

Miss Mary Mack had buttons all down her back, but this sweet handmade upcycled mini dress from Rusty Cuts etsy shop, happens to have buttons all down the front.

This find is dripping with dazling buttons. Here is something new for the blushing bride, a one of a kind handmade bouquet of buttons and beads from FindingFlora's etsy shop.

Did you know that buttons were first used over 3,000 years ago in the Bronze age. The buttons that they used though were purely for decoration. It wasn't until the 13th century that buttons started being used as a functional closure on garments.

Whimsical pink and brown buttons have been combined to create this delightful detailed headband from Mama Made's etsy shop.

These delicate vintage floral plastic buttons have been upcycled into a precious pair of earrings and can be found in handyjan's etsy shop

Even this dear little duckie pincushion from Pozey's Pincushions "Plus" on etsy, has been detailed with an array of vintage buttons.

Buttons and Bow, brilliant handmade embroidered pillow from Studio 35's etsy shop.

Just to button up this week's picks here are some buttons that can't be tossed into the button jar.

Off the cuff. This fab handmade porcelain votive holder from reshape studio on etsy was actually slip cast from vintage button and frayed fabric.

So delicious you could eat them up! You really can. These amazing vintage inspired buttons from Andie's Specialty Sweets etsy shop, are actually made of sugar. They would be the perfect touch on a crafty vintage inspired cake or cupcakes.

I hope that you have enjoyed my findings!

Until we meet again next week with more picks from etsy sellers...

Sincerely yours,

Buttons

Thursday’s Unique Picks – Scrappy Do!

Greeting to you all from my little nest in SnOw Hio!

Sure it would be a good day to curl up by the fireplace with a good book, but it is Thursday and I have a blog to write...

Great 1977 children's book, "What can you make of it?" found in Bountiful Books & Papers on etsy.

Today’s Unique Picks may have started out as just a bunch of scrappy bits and pieces, but these great etsy sellers have made some love out of nothing at all (if you will). When I say nothing I may be exaggerating just a little bit. These creative sellers have taken often dismissed or discarded vintage scraps and repurposed and upcyled them into some quite unique pieces!

Don't have your own vintage junk? Well, you can find a delightful selection of Dorothy's "junque" to fill your drawers and upcycle into masterpieces, in Surrender Dorothy etsy shop.

Just to clarify these buzz words if you are not familiar…

Repurposed: “To give new purpose or use to… <repurpose the archived material>” as defined by the Merriam- Webster online dictionary. First known use of this word was in 1984. How about that?

 Upcycled: " is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value" as defined by Wikipedia (one of my never fail sources for information). The first recorded use of this term was in 1994. This word has not yet made it into the official Merriam – Webster Dictionary, but I bet its coming.

I guess in some cases some upcycled items can also be considered repurposed.

My excessive nerdiness can be quite exhausting some days.

The truth of the matter is, that upcycling and repurposing really isn't a new concept though. Throughout history people have been creating useful things out of other items. We just now have some snazzy words to describe this process.

Image found on PBS's website. Check out the link to see what it appraised for...

This is actual depression era repurposed upcycling in action, that I saw it on an episode of Antiques Roadshow, a few months back. This is a cigar box that was lovingly converted into a functioning mandolin.

Fast forward to today...newly upcycled finds in all shapes and forms from etsy sellers

Wearable Upcycled

Found in Lovely Nest Designs etsy shop. A sweet little jacket delightfully detailed with vintage lace.

What a dream..in shades of cream. Slip into this former vintage slip transformed into a gorgeous dress from Velvet Ruby on etsy.

Vintage knitted afghan upcycled and repurposed into a cozy cape from SAXIIB on etsy. I once attended an auction and the auctioneer was commenting that someday someone would appreciate all of these old afghans. Ta Da! He was right.

Accessorizing upcycled with repurposed...

or vice vresa. You know what I mean.

This adorable vintage clutch from In Love Again's etsy shop, is given a unique one of a kind touch with applied cuttings from a vintage Children's book illustration.

This striking cuff bracelet, found in Lena Sekine's etsy shop, was handmade using a combination of vintage 1950's men's kimono fabric and silk screened handmade Japanese washi paper.

Even the littlest ones can get in on the upcycled vintage accessory action. The sweet little booties were crafted from a reclaimed embroidered vintage linen tablecloth. You can find these in LeilaBadblood's etsy shop.

Are you bookish? Even if you aren't an avid reader, you will be delighted by this great find from The Lint Balloon on etsy. This handbag has been upcycled from a vintage book.

That sweet little book bag is kind of my transition into upcycled repurposed home decor and decorations... but before I share anymore picks from etsy... I had to show you this.

Yes, Pottery Barn has been at it again with their 'pick it for you' vintage finds.

New on the Pottery Barn Website. Book Bundles...hmmmm...Where are the covers? $39. How can they do it for so little? (sarcasm). I am just waiting for them to block me from their website.

In case you missed my blog post on Etsy Vintage vs. Pottery Barn Vintage, you will find that they are trying their best to get in on the vintage selling trend. And with this new listing...well, it doesn't claim that these are repurposed or upcycled, but these bundles are described as "authentic vintage books and turned them into art objects by removing their covers and binding them together". Exactly what I was thinking when I saw this "art objects". Not to mention that these stacks of vintage paper are, "Purely decorative; contents and titles are not important". This just gets me all fired up, especially when there are folks that are actually making lovely and unique art objects using vintage books...and they tend to know the titles of the books.

Now this is an actual Art Object created by Lisa Occhipinti, was found in The Shop House on etsy. I love this "Bookmobile" that was created using a 1943 book. Even though this book was upcycled into a piece of art, the seller actually knows the title and has included a brief summery of the novel. Novel idea.

Pretty and playful! This large upcycled wreath was created from an adorable illustrated vintage children's book. It can be found in PhotographicAmy's etsy shop.

What a cozy reading light! This is a bright idea From mostaza seed's, etsy shop! It is a vintage tea cup turned into a decorative light.

Here are a few upcycled bits and pieces to decorate for special occasions...

These adorable little crown shaped confetti were upcycled from vintage wrapping paper scraps. These are from Jardin de Papier's etsy shop.

My shop, The Unique Bird's upcycled holiday offering.

Let's just say that this heart shaped vintage fabric garland was kind of the inspiration for today's post.

Over the summer I picked up a bag of little vintage fabric scraps at a tag sale and wasn't really sure what I was going to do with some of the tiny scraps. It turns out that they were just the right size for cutting out little hearts for garland. To top it off...or back the vintage fabrics up, I actually used some lovely bright red suede that I cut from a vintage skirt!

I am pretty excited with the way they turned out, and REALLY excited that I was asked to make some of these garland for Sobo Style! Sobo is a unique store in Central Ohio that specializes in old and new home furnishings and gift items. The icing on the cake though, is that I have been asked to sew up another batch for their great shop! Sew I better get back to work on that.

I hope that you have enjoyed today's great upcycled and repurposed finds!

Take a peek in that junk drawer. I am sure that the upcycled possibilities will be endless. Even the smallest scraps do make some pretty great items!