I have a serious weakness for antique handmade toys — anything that, once upon a time, was carried from room to room in the crook of a tiny, be-smudged arm and lugged through rain, mud and dark of night. I have a vested interest in taking care of relics that were made with such care, and as such I'm always questing after old dollhouse furniture, wobbly first-time wood shop projects and any other bits and bobbins that were made with love (and the best of intentions).
There are also some red herrings on this week's wish list (hey, who doesn't love library perfume and illustrations of the renal cavity?), so enjoy those as well.
Onward!
I worship at the inspiration altar that is folk art + antique jewelry mecca Erie Basin. I envy the Christmas morning ecstasy that must have followed the unveiling of this intricate homemade toy castle, complete with working drawbridge and a knight on a pedestal.
Antique dolls are my obsession. Whether it's just the head or the entire doll, I line my shelves with their never-closing eyes. (Well, except when they fall over.) These particular specimens brings out all manners of "ENH!" from me.
I love taxidermy, fur and miniatures, so these fur-covered animals will do quite nicely for me. (I adore the antelope!)
I'm pretty into the Krampus at the moment (fascinating stuff). According to Austrian folklore, Krampus are the demonic companions of St. Nicholas that dole out the punishments for those who've been naughty. These anonymous figures wear "goat-hair costumes and carved masks, carry bundles of sticks used as switches, and swing cowbells [or chains] to warn of their approach." Their masks are the stuff of legend. If I could decorate an entire wall of my apartment with pagan Alpine paraphernalia I would be infinitely happy. Until then, these antique novelty masks will surely do the trick.
The jagged terrain of this ring by Schmuck and Klunker compels me to bling out every finger and contemplate the universe while driving across Siberia in a Sweet Pickles Bus.
Soaps shaped like gems and rocks make washing your hands seem much more exciting than the mundane reality. These mineral chunks bring to mind fantasies of spelunking in search of mythical Andean mummies and breaking off a warmly humming gem or hunk of calcite to take home as a memento.
CB I Hate Perfume is one of my favorite places to visit: there's a seemingly endless array of unreal scents in every flavor imaginable — like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory Factor (snozberry, etc.). In The Library combines all of my favorite memories of working at the library: fragile paper, worn leather and wood (minus carpeting and the smell of sweaty books). The scent is summed up as "English Novel taken from a Signed First Edition of one of my very favorite novels, Russian & Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish."
This digestive lithograph from the 1940s — well, this is the kind of stocking stuffer that I'd gladly forgive for being oversize and ruining the surprise. Love the illustration of eating at the table for digestion context.
I think antique wind-up toys and organ grinders' monkeys are the sweetest things. The more they've been loved (ahem, missing eyes), the better.
Ah, tinysaur! Kelly Farrell's diminutive T-rex is intricately laser cut and displayed within a hand-blown glass jar. Lovely.
And last, but not least, I ache for a killer collection of vintage marbles. I'd love fill a gigantic tumbler with glittering glass bits.
That's all for this week! Stay tuned for more gift ideas in the coming weeks. In the meantime, hit me up on Twitter or read me on Etsy's blog, The Storque.
