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Whilst looking for this on ebay, I came across this Merit "Six Memory Games" box. I'm not entirely sure what the six different games are, but I was more interested in the retro illustrations. They look like they must be out of some childrens' books and have a Provensens feel about them ... but I can't be sure. I can't find any info about them anywhere ... anyone have any suggestions?
Another vintage card game. This time SNAP designed by the Austrian company of Piatnik but I guess manufactured by "Benno Products London". Ebay find ... haven't seen anything like it since!
So, I have some "Lucky Finds" posts I've been lining up for ages ... I'd like to start them off again. This one I go at the same time as this. Another Abbat Toys' picture dominoes set - this time a "what-goes-with-what" one. The Abbat ones are harder to come by than say Galt ... felt very lucky to stumble upon two at the same time...
I found this thick tome (175 pages!) a while ago at one of my favourite charity sales where they have a whole container (as in back of a truck) of books. You never know what you're going to get - and this is what I got.
Its full of lovely illustrations by Alan Howard who I had not heard of before. Not much out there on the internets about him unfortunately :( There are about 8 colour plates and almost every other song/rhyme has a gorgeous ink drawing to go with it. Looking through flickr I found this image which is also in this book.
One day when I have more time I'll photograph a few more illustrations from this lovely lucky find :)
I found this just last week - for 20p ... TWENTY PENCE! - at a local charity shop. Haven't had much luck with childrens' books at charity shops lately but this was quite the find. Had never heard of it or the illustrator- but oh my it is so delicious!
Based on a story written for children by famous German writer Goethe; told by Laurence Collinson and illustrated by Keiichi Tanaami. Beautifully painted in true late 60s style. I looked up Keiichi Tanaami, but the wikipedia entry doesn't list this book so I don't know if it was by the same man - and I can barely find any other mention of this book anywhere apart from some Australian library catalogues. Image searches also yield nothing ... a little treasure for myself me thinks :)
I haven't done one of my "lucky finds" posts in a while so here you have a new one... Remember my Carlton Ware guards money boxes from last year? Well, I did manage to find the other two ... See Mr Policeman and Mr Scotsguard. They look really great all together the four of them.
I had planned to display them in Little Wind's nursery when he arrived - but it was not to be. They still live temporarily on a window sill - but hopefully with all the house re-decorating going on, they will find a good spot to be admired from.
Ah, I do like vintage picture dominoes ... especially like the fox on this Abbatt Toys one.
I've been collecting vintage children's games like this for illustration inspiration for a couple of years now. Galt has a wonderful collection of these things including this lovely "Remember Remember" memory game with many tiles by the wonderful Kenneth Townsend, as also seen in these small dishes I have here.
A quite recent find and in really good condition ... This is fairly simple (illustration that is) - and absolutely adorable in its simplicity. Although if you Google image search Jan Balet, you'll find a plethora of other work, including this lovely multicoloured version of this same book. The drawings (although I seem to have not included the best of them) are quite entertating too - you can see what I mean from the mother and crying child. The text is great as well - and its really nice to find an illustrator/writer combo in one person like that.
I first came across Celestino Piatti back in April whilst looking for Italian illustrators that I could look up on our trip to Milan for the design festival. Piatti is infact Swiss, but it didn't stop me squeeling with delight when I came across his work - wish I could draw like that... and squeeling even more when I finally got my hands on a copy of "The Happy Owls" ...
Its the story of two little owls who are asked by the local barnyard fowl why they never quarrel. And so they proceed to tell the barnyard birds all about the things that make them happy with the changing seasons ... oh my God SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Can I just say - that is pretty much Sunshine and I ... we ARE the happy owls. And you can often find me reading this to myself and hugging the book whenever I need a little cheering up.
Squeeeee :)
Happy birthday to our favourite niece, Sophie ... photos from her joyfully pink birthday party a couple of weekends ago (its her birthday today - but her parents decided to have an early celebration so we could fit all the family in). All the lovely decor by her smashingly talented mum, my sister-in-law Lucy.
I can't remember where I first came across these, but my heart was immediately smitten. A year of hunting has resulted in two of these gorgeous vintage Carlton Ware ceramic money boxes - a Cold Stream Guard and a Beefeater. I would love to find the other two - a policeman (Bobby) and a Scots Guardsman - am still on the lookout for them. Wouldn't they look fab in a kids' room? They currently sit on the window sill behind my desk, protecting my unruly pile of stationary. One day they will have pride of place on their own shelves.
I've been collecting illustrated children's books for a while and thought it would be nice to catalog them here. This lovely charity shop find is by one of my favourite illustrators, Tomi Ungerer. He has such a soft loose style and a gorgeous sense of colour ... mmm... makes me smile lots :)
I've been wanting to start cataloging my vintage/charity-shop/ebay* finds for a while now but didn't know where to start. Then this lovely thing came in the post today and turned out to be the perfect piece to start with: found going for a song on Ebay; a vintage Air France Happy Families card game set with an aviation theme and the most gorgeous retro illustrations.
* My interests are usually either mid-century modernist, or illustration based (especially retro/vintage children's illustrated books).
Another vintage card game. This time SNAP designed by the Austrian company of Piatnik but I guess manufactured by "Benno Products London". Ebay find ... haven't seen anything like it since!
I found this just last week - for 20p ... TWENTY PENCE! - at a local charity shop. Haven't had much luck with childrens' books at charity shops lately but this was quite the find. Had never heard of it or the illustrator- but oh my it is so delicious!
I haven't done one of my "lucky finds" posts in a while so here you have a new one... Remember my Carlton Ware guards money boxes from last year? Well, I did manage to find the other two ... See Mr Policeman and Mr Scotsguard. They look really great all together the four of them.
I had planned to display them in Little Wind's nursery when he arrived - but it was not to be. They still live temporarily on a window sill - but hopefully with all the house re-decorating going on, they will find a good spot to be admired from.
I've been collecting vintage children's games like this for illustration inspiration for a couple of years now. Galt has a wonderful collection of these things including this lovely "Remember Remember" memory game with many tiles by the wonderful Kenneth Townsend, as also seen in these small dishes I have here.
Happy birthday to our favourite niece, Sophie ... photos from her joyfully pink birthday party a couple of weekends ago (its her birthday today - but her parents decided to have an early celebration so we could fit all the family in). All the lovely decor by her smashingly talented mum, my sister-in-law Lucy.
I can't remember where I first came across these, but my heart was immediately smitten. A year of hunting has resulted in two of these gorgeous vintage Carlton Ware ceramic money boxes - a Cold Stream Guard and a Beefeater. I would love to find the other two - a policeman (Bobby) and a Scots Guardsman - am still on the lookout for them. Wouldn't they look fab in a kids' room? They currently sit on the window sill behind my desk, protecting my unruly pile of stationary. One day they will have pride of place on their own shelves.
