"Christmas Joy" -- another pretty vintage card

Here is yet another vintage Christmas card featuring a church motif.  This one is from the 1950s or maybe the very early 1960s.  I love its unusual turquoise color!

Clusters of people are making their way to the village church which is the center of the scene.  The unusual colors used and the very slightly futuristic look of the church (especially the windows) make me think this is an early 1960s card with just a bit of a modern "space age" feel to it.  Tall, spare, leafless trees surround the buildings.

Inside the card is this greeting in two colors and two pretty vintage fonts:

Also inside the card is another version of the same scene, drawn from a different angle with the houses and church on snow-covered ground and the turquoise sky behind them.  In this approach to the scene one also sees a few evergreen trees ...

They really don't make Christmas cards like they used to!  This is a small, simple Christmas card, probably from a boxed assortment, but it sure has character.  Christmas joy to you!

A festive ice cream flavor to try!

Photo from Craftstorming

What could be more perfect for Christmas in July than homemade ice cream?  Here's one of the most festive flavors of homemade ice cream that I've ever seen: Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cookie Dough!  It's from Laura at Craftstorming and is certainly an inspired thought as far as ice cream flavors are concerned.

I mean, chocolate chip cookie dough is a mainstream (and very good) flavor, but using gingerbread cookie dough in ice cream is just plain inspired.  The chocolate chip component comes in when you add dark chocolate chips to the cookie dough, and if that doesn't appeal to you, the chocolate chips can be omitted.  (But do keep an open mind; dark chocolate and gingerbread flavors are really good together.)

The really cool thing is that the gingerbread cookie dough recipe makes enough so that you can use half of it for the ice cream, and half to bake cookies with.  You will notice that this is a British recipe so you will need to "translate" some of the terms and measurements.  Here is a helpful tool for calculating the recipe amounts: Recipe Conversion Calculators.

I recently acquired a somewhat vintage electric ice cream maker (1990s; it uses salt and ice) and I am going to use it to give this recipe a try.   Try it yourself, and let us all know what you think!

Crocheted scarf for kids

I thought for sure I had posted about this scarf before, but I have not, apparently.  So right now, in July, would be a good time to whip up a bunch of these easy scarves for the kids in your life.  Here's the link, from Design Adventures: Child’s Textured Scarf.

A few years ago (it was 2013, actually -- I had to look it up!)  I made a number of these simple scarves.  My grandchildren, who had asked for scarves, loved them.  Apparently I was too busy to take photos of these at the time, however.  The photos in this post are from this past Christmas, when my daughter in Nevada asked if I would make scarves for her three youngest children who did not have them. 

It worked out perfectly, because I was at the point of wanting to make a few very simple handmade gifts again.  These scarves are so fast that I could easily get them done in time to send out west.

I do apologize for the quality of these photos.  I snapped them quickly -- just before wrapping and packing them, I would guess.  But you get the idea.  This is a nice textured pattern and so easy to do.  The kids in my life really like them.  So if you need a quick handmade gift for a child (especially one who likes to play outdoors in winter) this might be just the thing!

Two pretty vintage Christmas cards

As I've been sorting through items for my Etsy shop, A New Hampshire Attic,  I recently came upon two pretty, classic vintage Christmas cards.   Interestingly, both have titles.

The one you see here at the top of the post is titled "Christmas Memories".  Although it is muted in color, it boasts a wealth of details!

The only real color is in the very center of the picture: a sweet little red house with yellow light spilling from every window and smoke rising from the chimney.  There's also a little red bridge spanning the stream.

Other than these touches of color, the tints in this scene are very muted.  There are evergreen trees, leafless bushes, and a clump of birch trees.  There's a stream and a little waterfall.  The full moon, with a ring around it, shines overhead.

The edge of the card is scalloped and features evergreen sprigs in gold.  This scene also has touches of glitter.

The back of the card has a tiny, very similar scene complete with red house and bridge.  So sweet!

The second card is titled "Christmas Wishes".  It is slightly shiny, with a moire-like texture.

The background is a lovely green, much nicer than it shows up here.  A pretty garland of holly and poinsettias twines around the scene of a a horse and sleigh about to enter ... what do you think?  Is it a small barn or is it a covered bridge?  I'm leaning toward it being a bridge, but probably only the artist knew for sure.

This card is edged by a sweetly textured ruffle with touches of gold.  Just a very pretty card!

Hope my readers enjoyed this vintage sweetness as much as I did!

Sweet little wooden sled ornaments to craft

Photo from Clean & Scentsible

Time for another craft, since the popsicle sticks and paint are likely still out from the last project!

Over the years, I've seen lots of these little sled ornaments made from popsicle sticks.  But these Popsicle Stick Sleds, from Jenn at Clean & Scentsible, are definitely a cut above the ordinary.

This project uses both the regular and mini sizes of craft sticks.  The regular size sticks, stained brown, become the sled's runners.  Most of these sleds that I have seen use paper clips for the runners, which is of course more realistic.  But I really like the look of these stained brown runners.

I also love the embellishments Jenn chose to use.  The natural looking greenery, along with the jingle bells, is such a classic woodsy look.  I have some tiny hemlock cones in my crafting stash, and I think some of those would work beautifully with the faux greenery to trim these sleds.

Yes, I'm planning to craft some of these.  How about you?

Simple mini cookbook

This simple little cookbook, with just a single category of recipes, might be the perfect thing to make for a stocking stuffer or include in a gift basket.  I just put one together to use as part of a bridal shower gift and was pleased with how well it came out.

For the shower gift, I had purchased a pizza pan and pizza cutter from the couple's wedding registry on Amazon, but wanted something small and a little more personal to give at the shower.  I made this little pizza cookbook and then also tucked in some handmade hot mats and an Italian seasoning spice grinder. I'm hoping that when the couple want pizza for supper, this little cookbook will be easy and quick to leaf through and just find a recipe.

Back of cookbook

Obviously the sky is the limit with recipe categories.  You could do cookie recipes, strawberry recipes, chocolate recipes, doughnut recipes -- on and on.

You can really get creative in planning the covers as well.  I'm thinking right now you could design your own -- maybe even include a photo if you like -- and print it out on plain card stock.

All you need to make one of these little charmers is:

4x6-inch recipe cards
Hole punch
Carabiner clip or looseleaf binder ring
Card stock of your choice
Laminating film if desired
Stickers or other embellishments

You can use any recipe cards you like.  I did a whole post about printable recipe cards a few years back and you will find some great designs there:  Recipe Cards.  I was planning to just print out some cards from one of these sources,  but then I spotted some Gooseberry Patch recipe cards that I had on hand, so chose to use those.

The next step is to choose what recipes you will use and write out one recipe per card.

Next, design your covers.  I cut mine from double-sided card stock and made the covers just about a quarter inch larger that the recipe cards.  I chose to go pretty simple and just spell out "Pizza Recipes" with stickers that resemble typewriter keys.

I laminated both front and back covers with laminating film.  This wasn't strictly necessary,  but I did it to help keep the covers clean and also to ensure that the stickers (which I've had for quite awhile) would stay in place.

Then you just punch a hole in the top left corner of each card.  Line the covers up with the cards so the hole will match up and punch a hole in front and back covers.  Slip the recipe cards  and covers onto the looseleaf binder ring or  carabiner clip, whichever you are using.

You can see that I chose to include some favorite dessert pizzas in the collection, as well!

Your cookbook is finished!  Now you will probably want to make another.

Mini Pallet Sign Ornaments from The Crafted Sparrow

Photo from The Crafted Sparrow

Popsicle stick crafts are absolutely perfect for Christmas in July!  Kids enjoy working with this simple crafting medium, and so will you.  These Mini Pallet Sign Christmas Ornaments by Rebecca at The Crafted Sparrow look quite simple to put together.

 You build the little pallets first using popsicle sticks and a glue gun.  Then you whitewash them, let them dry, and stencil your holiday designs on them using acrylic craft paint.  Jute is added later as a hanger.

Rebecca used a Cricut machine to design and cut her stencils, but I wouldn't let the lack of a Cricut keep me from crafting these sweet ornaments.  I have many, many stencils on hand in my craft closet, and I plan to use some of them to make some of these mini pallets.

An unusual and lovely vintage card

This card is so unusual!  I've never seen one just like it before.  There's a scene inside the house -- a snowy windowpane, framed by striking red curtains, and a colorful little Christmas tree on the window sill.

Then outdoors, a full moon rises over a sleepy, snow-covered village.  There's a ring around the moon, so snow is on the way.  In fact, it appears to have begun already!

There are touches of glitter in the folds of the curtains, on the little Christmas tree, and on the snow that drifts on the windowpane.  At the top, a greeting in a pretty vintage font declares, "It's Christmas".

Inside the card is a vignette depicting the same village, only seen more clearly.  The church is prominent, and I love that.  On the back of the card is the little Christmas tree again.

The message in the card reads: "Within your home good health, Around your hearth good cheer -- The jolliest kind of Christmas And the happiest New Year."

I love this card; it's most likely from the 1950s.  Hope you've enjoyed seeing it too!

An idea for a kitchen gift: Easy Salted Caramel Fudge

Photo from Something Swanky

Here's an easy fudge recipe to try out on your family now.  If they like it, you can file this one away for making kitchen gifts come December.  It's Easy Salted Caramel Fudge from Ashton at Something Swanky.  Summer vacation, when many have kids or grandkids around to help enjoy sweet treats, might be the perfect time to try this out.  Older kids could even try making the recipe!

This is indeed easy -- it's similar to many recipes you may have seen that call for  chocolate chips plus sweetened condensed milk.  This one uses dulce de leche in place of the sweetened condensed milk, and uses white chocolate chips.  Dark or milk chocolate chips are melted and spread on top, then a sprinkle of sea salt is added.

I'm definitely trying this one out.  What about you?

Time for a fun Christmas poem!

I found this one in the 1957 Christmas issue of Ideals magazine.  The poem's author shares how she knew what season it was just by what was happening in her mother's kitchen.  It's a fun and nostalgic remembrance in verse!

No Calendar Needed 

For many years a calendar
hung on our kitchen wall
And Mother checked the busy days 
and seasons as they'd fall, 
But no calendar was needed 
To know the time of year:
By the fragrance of her kitchen
I knew the season near!

The aroma of hot chile
When the wintry air was cold:
The rhubarb custards cooling
when spring's magic would unfold;
Bubbling jellies in the kettle
when the summer heat was high;
And in frosty, tangy autumn, 
whiffs of spicy pumpkin pie!

True, no calendar was needed
for an eager child to know
That Christmas time was coming!
Mother hurried to and fro
Making special sugar cookies
and our maple sugar candy.
While she whistled Christmas carols,
We knew everything was dandy!

Gingerbread in the pantry
and the fruitcake in the jar
Teased your nostrils every minute --
Oh, the day could not be far!
We cracked nutmeats on the flatiron,
and strung popcorn for the tree,
And every hour was heaven
In the kitchen, seems to me!

Mother in her big white apron
with some flour on her cheek
Is the dearest recollection
of my cherished Christmas week;
A calendar was useless, 
but the essence was bewitchin'
And you always knew 'twas Christmas
by the fragrance in the kitchen!

-- Lolita Pinney

This light verse really resonated with me because I grew up in a home with a kitchen just like this one, and enjoyed many of the same activities described here.  At the time, I didn't really understand how blessed I was.  Now I do!

Crochet-embellished gift tags

Photo from A Spoonful of Sugar

Here's another fun idea for gift tags that are unique and special and could easily be worked on this summer.  These simple crochet gift tags are another nifty idea from Lisa at A Spoonful of Sugar.

These are so simple and quick!  The crochet motifs are just tiny granny squares made with perle cotton.  The little squares are then affixed to blank tags.

This could be a nice little project to work on at the beach.  A lazy day at the lake could yield big dividends in the form of a nice little stash of cute tags all ready for Christmas!

Snowman Ornament from felt and a clothespin

Is it hot and humid where you are today?  It sure is here, although I must say there is a nice little breeze which is helping a good deal.

Making a snowman ornament might be nearly as helpful (although it does involve hot glue), so I'm sharing this Clothespin Snowman Ornament from Kimberly at Serendipity Refined.  Kids would surely enjoy making this ornament,  but the snowman has a nice classic look that pretty much anyone would enjoy on their Christmas tree!

This sweet snowman ornament is made with materials nearly every crafter would have on hand.  I could go to my craft closet right now and pull out everything I would need to make one of these.  In fact, I just might do that!

A sweet little handmade gift

Photo from Flamingo Toes

 How about a little project you might be able to work on at the beach, or at the very least on the porch or patio with a lemonade or iced tea within reach?  These Sweet Lavender Sachets from Bev at Flamingo Toes would make a  nice little gift or stocking stuffer.

The fabrics Bev has used are lovely and perfect for summer.  But one could also use Christmasy fabrics as well.  Bev also suggests using other fragrances besides lavender, and I think Balsam fir would be particularly nice for Christmas.  In case you didn't save last year's Christmas tree needles for this purpose (and really, very few people would) you can actually buy Maine Fir Balsam Tips
 from the Kittery Trading Post in Maine.   You can get a whole pound of them for $13.99.

Have fun with this sweet craft idea!

Italian Ricotta Cookies with a Christmasy twist from Cooking Classy

Photo is from Cooking Classy

It is really time for a recipe here in the Christmas kitchen!  A Christmas cookie recipe, to be specific!  These Italian Ricotta Cookies are from Jaclyn at Cooking Classy and look absolutely delicious and so festive.

Although we don't always think about turning on our ovens to bake cookies in July, I think that this year we might find a day or two when we actually want to do so.  There have been a number of dark, chilly, rainy days in June and I won't be a bit surprised if we also see some of those in July.  It would be the perfect time to try a cookie recipe!

I've made Italian Ricotta Cookies in the past and they really are delicious.  I've always decorated them with just regular multicolored sprinkles.  But I love the festive touches that Jaclyn has added with a variety of Christmas sprinkles and trims.

I'm looking forward to trying Jaclyn's recipe sometime this month.  I have a container of ricotta waiting in the fridge.  I hope you enjoy these classic cookies if you try them.  I think they would be perfect with a glass of lemonade!

A lovely Christmas card and quote

Isn't the above card simply beautiful?  It is for sale in my Etsy shop, but I wanted to share it with all of my readers -- not just because of its artwork, which is truly lovely, but because of a wonderful quote inside it.  I know that the scan is quite small, but if you just click on the picture, it should come up full size and you can see the details.

The rather impressionistic scene depicts a village and brick church at evening.  The sky is a glorious color and snow appears to be falling.  A few people are gathered outside the lighted church.  Perhaps choir practice has just ended. 

Inside the card, in addition to the message "With many good wishes for Christmas and the New Year", there is a lovely quote from Dr. Peter Marshall.  Dr. Marshall -- in case you haven't ever heard of him -- was a well-known preacher.  He was born in Scotland and emigrated to the United States at the age of 24.  In time he became the pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC.  In 1946 he was appointed as US Senate Chaplain, serving from January 4, 1947 until his sudden death of a heart attack just over two years later. He was only 46 years old.  A Man Called Peter,  by Catherine Marshall,  is Peter Marshall's biography.  I believe it was made into a film as well.

Here is the quote from Dr. Marshall:  "I thank God for Christmas.  Would that it lasted all year.  For on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, all the world is a better place, and men and women are more lovable.  Love itself seeps into every heart, and miracles happen ...".

I don't know if that is actually true any more.  I'm sure there are people who would rather it was not true.  But it is a lovely quote all the same, and the card illustration speaks of a happier time.

From the Christmas wrappings box

For your nostalgic pleasure, here are some items from the vintage Christmas wrappings box.  Some are listed in my Etsy shop, A New Hampshire Attic.   Others were listed there, but have sold.  And a few of these things are not for sale, such as old tattered wrapping paper that I scanned just for the memories.  Enjoy!

A set of vintage tags from the 1980s

A tiny Santa card that could work as a gift enclosure

Cute vintage candy box

Top of candy box, with string handle

This Treasure Masters Christmas sachet might have been tucked into a card or a gift

A snippet from vintage wrapping paper

Dennison Christmas Seals!!

A skating scene from vintage wrapping paper

This gorgeous scene is one of my favorite vintage wrapping papers.

Which of these finds triggers precious memories for you?

A fun Advent calendar to sew

Oh, I absolutely love this idea from Cindy at Skip to My Lou!  It's a sweet fabric advent calendar and you can find it here: How to make an Advent calendar.

For each day on the Advent calendar, there's a cute fabric tag with a pocket to put treats in.  This would be a really fun way to use up small scraps of Christmas fabric!

If you enjoy giving a gift to an entire family, this Advent calendar would be perfect.  You could complete several of these this summer.  Just make sure to deliver them to the recipients before December rolls around!

Sweet little gift cards from A Spoonful of Sugar

Photo from A Spoonful of Sugar

Here is a fun little project for the Fourth of July or any day!

I am always on the lookout for projects that won't take a lot of time or energy on a hot summer day, but yet will help me get ready for Christmas well ahead of time. 

These delightful little Simple stitched gift cards from A Spoonful of Sugar absolutely fit the criteria.  They are made with fusible web and simple machine stitching.  The iron may heat things up a little, but not much. 


These cards have such a nice classic look.  Have fun with this idea!

Advice for choosing the perfect photo Christmas card

Doesn't it seem as if more and more people are sending photo cards at Christmas?  Back in 1963 (see above) it was also quite a popular route to go for Christmas cards.  There were a few styles of photo cards available, but many people opted to create their own.  The card below is also from 1963.

I'm not sure of the year on this next one -- it has to be in the 1960s -- but it is slightly more sophisticated in that the photo went inside the card.

But the styles and options available for photo cards today are truly amazing! Below are a couple that we received in 2018.

If you've ever sent, or thought about sending, photo cards from your family at Christmas, you know it can be quite the challenge to find just the one that works with your photos and conveys the message you want to get across.   I recently read such a helpful post on Choosing the Perfect Photo Christmas Card.  It's by Laura at The Turquoise Home.

I hope that Laura's tips are helpful to you.  I don't send photo cards, but these tips looked so good for those of you who do that I just had to share.  One very important point is to start early with your photo.  Laura mentions how she scheduled a summer photo shoot with her family at a local park.  This worked beautifully and resulted in a lovely card and photo.

You can also see in the "Merry Christmas" snowflake card above how another family used photos from their fall vacation.

I thought Christmas in July was the perfect time to share these photo card tips.  You can get a jump on the photo cards this year by starting to think about it now!

Candy Cane ornaments made with perler beads!

Photo from Thirty Handmade Days

By now the kids have been out of school for several weeks.  They just might be looking for a project to do on a rainy day, or on a day when it's just too hot to play outside.  Why not give this idea a try: Perler Bead Candy Cane Ornaments? 

These fun and easy ornaments are from Mique at Thirty Handmade Days.  They are made with a heart template that you only use part of, to create the candy cane.  No ornament hook is needed either, since the crook of the candy cane fits right over a branch.

My grandkids love perler beads, and I'm sure they're going to want to give these a try.  Hope the kids in your life enjoy this idea as well!

A charming Christmas card

 To kick off Christmas in July here in my Christmas kitchen, I thought I'd share one of the vintage cards in my Etsy shop.  This is just a delightful Brownie card with six different miniature scenes.  It's a little card, measuring about 2 1/2 inches by 5 3/8.  If you notice, the scenes tell a story.

First comes the shopping.  You can see that maybe a nice roast and some groceries are going to be purchased.

Then the cooking begins.  Note the observer looking in the window to check the progress of the meal.

The cook does a bit of judicious tasting.

Christmas dinner is served with a flourish!

That's a lot of dirty dishes!  The older children pitch in to help.

Grandma and one of the little girls tackle the mound of dishes, while the hostess collapses in a chair and mops her brow.  I know just how she feels, don't you?  That could be me in that yellow chair!

Below is the message inside the card, in a nifty vintage font.

Hope you've enjoyed this little card and its story!