Vintage Easter greetings

Welcome!

Vintage Easter card

Posted to Pinterest by Riptheskull 

Easter

What a wonderful time,

a wonderful reminder of God’s love for us.

Somewhere we got caught up in

the Easter bunny and

baby farm animals with cute bonnets.

We decorate eggs, 

but have forgotten why.

Think.Make.Share

I thought I would share some 

vintage Easter cards with you today.

But no Easter bunnies!

Well, maybe just 1 or 2.

 Litlebirdieblessings.blogspot.com

An 1881 Easter card

Our Victorian ancestors did have their own

sense of humor, which carried over to

their Easter cards as well.

I didn’t want you to think they were

all Pious Puritans!

Here are a few sillies:

Yes, you saw that correctly.

A chick smoking a cigarette,

dressed as a sharp dandy,

standing on some colored Easter eggs.

I have no idea...

And then there’s the gnome riding a chicken...

just screams Happy Easter

don’t you think?

Oh! I mean Merry Easter!

One more vintage silly:

Chicks practicing for...

the Circus?

At Easter?

An Easter Circus!

Right-o...

So why do we celebrate Easter?

Why send cards, and dye eggs?

Why have a special meal?

Why dress fancy and go to church?

I think you may know that the date of Easter is from the Middle Ages when the Catholic Church wanted people to stop celebrating their pagan holidays.

So the Church took some major pagan festival days and turned them into religious days instead.

The people still got to party,

although for different reasons,

and the Church was pleased with 

no more immoral pagan celebrations.

Uploaded to Pinterest by Greta Brinkley

The big Spring Party

celebrated new life and fertility.

Things usually got a bit frisky.

The Church was not amused.

Jesus tells us in the New Testament

that unless you are born again (spiritually)

you cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Hard theology for illiterate peasants to get.

Being born again is New Life, right?

So it was a logical time of year to

change the fertility aspect to 

a New Life in Christ.

Easter!

Rabbits are very prolific in birthing babies.

It was a natural to celebrate the rabbit

as part of the fertility holiday.

This is where we get our Easter Bunny.

(Some things just won’t die, 

no matter what the ruling Church wants.)

American Collectibles posted on Pinterest

Eggs were traditionally seen as 

a symbol of fertility and new life.

It was an established rite of Spring 

to color eggs and give them as gifts.

Ukrainian market

The Church accepted eggs as a symbol of new life,

and often colored them red to symbolize

the cleansing, life-giving blood of Christ.

So they allowed eggs to be part of their new holiday -

Easter.

Hand dyed Psyanky eggs by

PsyankyByTMelnyk, Etsy  

A few more vintage Easter cards:

 Antique Easter card

HubPages 

You can read all about the Easter story

in the Bible, in the last half

(The New Testament),

in the first few books/letters by

Matthew, Mark, Luke or John

That’s it for today!

Just a little synopsis really.

I hope your curiosity has been stirred,

and you pursue further the Miraculous Story.

Or re-read it again.

Thank you to all those artists from long ago

who shared their Easter visions with us.

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Angels in her belfry

Welcome!

Kaleidoscope by inkspired

and so our story continues..

Ruth you are just not going to believe 

what just happened to me!

I was filling our household water jugs down at the well

And one of those 

smelly sheep-kissers from outside town

walked right up to me, bold as can be!

Wanted to borrow my ladle to use

as a drinking cup!

Yes, yes, of course I told her to get lost.

Ick.

But that’s when things got strange...

She just kept standing there with a dazed look on her face.

Obviously sunstroke, I could tell.

Artist Anton Mauve

Well, you know dear what a generous and giving woman 
I am, so I drew some water 
and put it in an old broken cup and gave it to her.
It’s the least I could do, poor thing.
Yes, yes, Ruth I am trying to tell you!
This ‘shepherdess’ started talking about light 
and singing and something about a king.
I didn’t quite get it all, but it sounded like
a king had just been born!
As if that’s news. Everybody knows
about King Herod and all his little look-alikes
spread all over Israel.
But,
I’m sure she said there were angels singing.
Can you imagine seeing an angel?

Artist Irina Y. Lombardo 

Why I would just faint on the floor 
I would be so scared!
This little sheep-herder said the angel told them
To not Be Afraid!
Then she said the whole sky was full of angels
And they were all singing!
Obviously she was delusional, don’t you think Ruth?

Found on Pinterest from a post on The Shinbone Star 

Just imagine,
seeing that many angels!

Unknown artist

She still looked a little overheated...
or something,
so I led her over to the half wall to sit in the shade there.
It was the least I could do.
You wouldn’t believe how bad she smelled...

No Photo credit found.

Well!
I never!
Ruth just up and left; looked like she was headed
to the well. Wonder what she wants there?
I didn’t even get to tell her about that whole 
Peace On Earth thing.
Well, it’s her loss.
I’m feeling a little hungry for some dates...
or maybe some new grapes would be just the thing...

The saga will continue...

Meanwhile...
I want to share with you some beautiful
paper cut work by
 Odeta Brazeniene.
I am a member of the Papercutters Guild with her.
She came up with a very clever idea of
‘Angels on a stick’!
Kinda’ catchy, but oh so pretty!

Paper angels by Odeta Brazeniene


She even was gracious enough to share a pattern with us.

You should be able to take the base pattern and 
add your own embellishments/designs.
Affix to a stick, 
and look around for the decorating opportunities!

Wouldn’t these be beautiful as a 
 vase arrangement of real or silk flowers
and a bevy of white angels?

Take a gold or silver pen and highlight 
a few spots on the angels.
Place in a silver bowl with large white ball ornaments.
Tuck in a couple gold leaf embellishments as accent.
Elegant!

Take them to the country with an enameled water can.
Fill with marbles, and place angel sticks in side.
Color your angels with markers,
Gel pens, whatever you prefer.
Tie torn strips of gingham around each
Angel stick, and the handle of the can.
Throw in some jute for added effect!
Charming!

I hope you have enjoyed my little saga,
and do try out Odeta’s angel pattern.
Then share!

‘Til next time, 
Inkspired

Kaleidoscope by inkspired

Peace on earth

Welcome!

Kaleidoscope by inkspired 

The crowds and stress and 

Hurry Hurry Hurry

of the days before Christmas

are done.

It is Christmas Eve now!

Things are quiet here.
A dog barking in the distance.
Christmas lights twinkling inside and out.

‘Ornaments’ by Sulamith Wulfing

Okay, I still have wrapping to do
and some clean up from last minute 
craft projects.
I also need to make my Pea Salad for tomorrow.

But I’m not feeling rushed.
Just enjoying the quiet
and reflecting on what Christmas means to me.

Found on Pinterest

Kaleidoscope by inkspired 


My wish for you is that you know
You are loved.
That you know true inner peace,
and that you never forget
how to laugh.

Artist: Inge Look (with 2 dots over each ‘o’)

Lil’ Peeps ‘round the world
Created by inkspired, and Cricut.
The ‘earth’ was made by M. Nelson.

With that in mind,
let’s share some giggles!

Cartoon funnies found on...where else?
Pinterest!

Tee Hee

Now, let’s not leave out the canine part of the family:

Time for me to go wrap a few presents
and have a bite of dinner.

Who knows?
I might even write out a few 
belated Christmas cards! 

Kaleidoscope by inkspired 

‘Til next time,
Inkspired

 Truth: Addressing Christmas cards
before coffee and/or 10 am
is a waste of time.
You’ll just have to re-address them after coffee.
🤤

I give you peace

Santi

'peace' in the Assamese language

spoken in India

Mahatma Gandhi statue

Bhubaneshwar, India

As we look forward to the new year of 2014

let's turn our thoughts toward peace.

www.professionsforpeace.org

www.alifetimeofwisdom.com

angels in Cuba

deborahsandidge.blog.com

Msughshima

'peace' in the Tiv language, spoken in Nigeria

www.shebasgraphics.com

thank you, origamibears.com

"When the power of love

overcomes the love of power

the world will know

peace."

- Jimi Hendrix

www.vintageholidaycrafts.com

artist C. Marshall

courtesy origamibears

www.shenvalleylang.com

Apirive'

'peace' in the Guarani language, spoken in Bolivia

www.heresmygarden.blogspot.com

c.1870 vintage song sheet cover

courtesy Indiana Music Libraries

Doll Castle News, 1980

created by Helen McCook

"The most valuable possession you can own

is an open heart.

The most powerful weapon you can be

is an instrument

of peace."

- Carlos Santana

It is good to remember

that the only way to perfect peace

is peace through God.

Soksang

'peace' in the Kmer language spoken in Thailand and Vietnam

'The Golden Rule' by Norman Rockwell

(one of my favorite paintings!!)

www.zazzle.com

"Peace is the first thing
the angels sang."

- John Keble

Woodlawn cemetery, New York City, New York USA

www.flickriver.com

www.admiralcharitycards.org

paper doll angels by Tom Tierney

www.parker365photography.wordpress.com


Today,
I give you peace.

til next time -
inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com
www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com
www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com
and on pinterest:  kkloberdans

thanks to brainyquote for some great quotes:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_peace.html