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Monday, July 15, 2013

Flower Girls - Saalfield Artcraft





This is another set of paper dolls I rediscovered a couple of years ago that transported me right back to my childhood.  I've always loved this book - and I respond to it with the same delight and joy today as I did then - viewing it with the eyes of a child across the passage of time.



This is my favourite dress, taken from the original cut version of the set I played with as a child.  I think its gorgeous - and just as special today as I found it 50 years ago.  What I've always liked about this set is the light and airy touch of the artwork and the dainty feminine fashions.  Its a book that holds within it the joy of eternal youth and perpetual sunshine.

There are two dolls and four pages of clothes.  Besides the frilly dresses I also think the bathing costumes with their matching skirts are marvellous.

The full book follows:    


( I can remember trying to cut these dolls out it a way that would also allow me to keep their pretty petticoats!)






Isn't it funny - I spend my days planting all sorts of things in the garden - and then I end up liking the wild flowers most of all.  These foxgloves are effectively weeds in this part of the world but they are lovely.  I still think I might just find tiny fairies hiding in them!





PS - I'm still on borrowed internet time.  I was expecting to be able to buy a new laptop in the next week or so but we have had some unexpected medical expenses to deal with and I have to put off getting one for a while.  So my blogging activity will still be patchy and erratic.

With the lovely summer weather we have been having (by far the hottest I can remember since moving to Ireland 12 years ago) I must say I have been enjoying the chance to spend more time in the garden though!


13 comments:

CraveCute said...

Thanks for sharing your darling 'Flower Girls', their outfits are all so adorable! I am quite envious of your gorgeous foxglove flowers- weeds, heavens no! Enjoy your warm summer days!

GardenOfDaisies said...

Your foxgloves are so lovely. They always make me think of Beatrix Potter's Jemima Puddleduck and the foxy whiskered gentleman. Those are especially pretty dresses for the paperdolls. I used to like drawing ones that. The more bows and ruffles the better. We are having a cooler than normal summer and I'm loving it! So nice not to be roasting to death.

Kylie said...

Hello Sharon, so nice to see a post from you pop up. I've been thinking about you lately, I hope the medical expenses you referred to aren't too dramatic and that you and your family are well.
Such a gorgeous little book you've shown us - I would've loved it as a little girl. Can't believe you consider foxgloves weeds - they are very special here, and yes the perfect home for fairies (if anyone's going to have fairies in their garden it's you!)
Love, Kylie x

Unknown said...

Darling dresses for those dolls. I love foxglove. They just add a certain touch, different from other flowers.

The Faerie Factory said...

Wow that takes me back I used to love those cut-out girls and clothes when I was little. I'm sure there always used to be one a week in the Twinkle comic ... oh my can you imagine a comic called Twinkle these days ~ Happy Days ~ Sarah x

CraveCute said...

Hi again Sharon, just came across this article on the history of Paper Dolls by Collectors Weekly. Here is the link:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-scrappy-history-of-paper-dolls/

Take care~ Diane

Barbara said...

I think this is my favourite of all your paper doll books. I love the frilly dresses. The long turquoise blue one is just gorgeous.
We have one foxglove in our garden. We didn’t plant it so assume a bird must have dropped the seed. We are hoping one will become two or maybe more next year. They are such lovely flowers and always put me in mind of the flower fairy pictures by Cicely Mary Barker.
Thank you for sharing so many lovely things Sharon, I know it’s difficult for you at the moment, but it is appreciated. I do hope the medical problems are not serious and are soon sorted. Barbara xx

Unknown said...

My grand-daughter just loves your paper dolls and dress's and I of course love the foxgloves with wee faries, good site, thank you. I heard long time ago:
"One writes Because one has the longing to say something, that's how I see you, go for it.
I see you. Agman

Darlene said...

Wonderful cut out dolls! I'm sure I had a similar set when I was a child. They did bring back fond memories. I'm sure I saw some fairies in amongst the foxgloves. Enjoy the nice weather. You can blog more in the fall/winter.

Stephanie@Fairday's Blog said...

I had a suitcase full of paper dolls growing up. Some were all mine and some were my mom's from when she was little. I loved changing the outfits (we even used tiny magnets on some of hers, because the tabs had long fallen off and we put magnets on the backs of the dolls, so the dresses stuck). The Flower Girls book looks beautiful. What pretty outfits!

Glad you are getting more time to garden. I love wildflowers too! I am sorry to hear about the unexpected medical expenses and hope everything is okay.

earthen-magic said...

...(O:

Nora said...

Sharon,
Thank you for sharing the lovely photos of the area surrounding your home. You are so lucky to live in such a rich, lush location. I am pleased that the area has had a reprieve. It would be a shame if such loveliness were destroyed to make way for homes. So much is being destroyed to make way for such things and while I do understand that people need place to live, so much of our natural beauty is being destroyed in order to accomplish it.
Wouldn't mind living in that lovely little gatehouse. :) So very charming and I've a thing for being surrounded by trees. I'd be in 7th heaven if I lived there.

Nora said...

Flower Girls brought back pleasant memories as I had this set as a child. Like you I tried to conserve the petticoats the girls are wearing.
The foxgloves are absolutely lovely! I can't believe their considered weeds. LOL I love dandelions but they are considered weeds as well but I always thought they were a pretty flower and loved to watch them sprout up over our lawn as a child only to be dismayed when Mom would have them pulled.

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