Merry Christmas

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

From all of us at WSOAPP....

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

Civil War in the family

Stop on over at Barefoot Primitives for a little personal Civil War history.

Click Here for BAREFOOT PRIMITIVES

New Offerin's at WSOAPP!

I've just been over poking around at WSOAPP and noticed some wonderful new creations and a few just-can't-pass-up goodies in our SALE category! Stop on by for a visit.

Click here for WSOAPP.org!

Civil War Era Dolls and Toys

Join us on ebay April 3rd and all through the month in our WSOAPP shoppes for:

Civil War era children enjoyed simple toys and games powered only by their imagination.

 Circle games, singing games, and group activities were enjoyed by all ages. And children of different ages played together.  The older children were expected to watch out for the young ones, and to include them in their play.  Girls joined in all the rough play and fierce competitions as boys did.  Only when they reached maturity were they expected to develop into demure damsels, as boys were expected to become gentlemen.

Most children had dolls and toys that were home made from whatever materials were on hand. Corn husk dolls and dolls made of home made cloth and scraps were the norm. Little girls often had their first sewing experiences creating dresses, hats, and quilts for their dolls. They often had embroidered or button eyes and might have been stuffed with feathers, cotton or even straw.

Only a few privileged children might have lovely dolls with porcelain or wax heads and limbs, however, they didn't stand up to active play.

Stuffed Animals were common, but were made of fabric, not fake fur. For little boys, soldiers were crafted of wood and fabrics.

Wooden toys were usually building blocks, toy soldiers, wagons, animals, cup and ball toys, jacobs ladder, pull toys wooden guns, cannons, swords, hobby horses and even carved whistles.

Many games that remain popular today were played back then: Blind Man's Bluff, Hide and Go Seek, and Duck, Duck, Goose, Squeak Piggy Squeak, Drop the Hanky, playing cards, Blind Man's Bluff, Hide 'n Horsy, Jacks and Marbles, Yo-Yo's, and Hide and Go Seek. Little girls loved to play house while boys threw old blankets over tree limbs to make tents to play under. Older children and adults enjoyed 20 Questions, Anagrams and Charades. The board game LIFE was created in 1860 and it's popularity spread quickly.

Singing games were very popular among the younger children. They included games such as Pop Goes the Weasel, Farmer in the Dell and Ring a Ring of Roses.

Children also had instruments and noisemakers such as drums, whistles, bugles, rattles and clackers, horns and cymbals.

Children would get together to play a popular new sport called Baseball. Races, Croquet, and Graces, which is is a fun game played with ribbons tied to hoops and rolled with sticks.

Basically the Make Do spirit was alive and well in this simple but turbulent time. Even though chores were many, children found time to play and stretch their imaginations, swim in a nearby pond, lay on their backs in the grass and see what shapes the clouds would make for them today.

Civil War Quilts

Through the predawn of April 12, 1861, the first Confederate shell arched through the sky and exploded behind the walls of Fort Sumter.  It touched off one of the deadliest wars in America’s history. 

By April 20, 1861 President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 men to join the militia. And within five days of the call going out, the women on the home front got involved. 

All over the country, Union and Confederate women, composed of the mothers, sisters, wives and sweethearts of our brave soldiers, rallied to the war effort. Patriotic passion abounded on both sides, certain the war would be short and decisive.

The U.S. Sanitary Commission was funded and supplied by the efforts of Northern women volunteers with the object of "doing what the government could not". They rolled bandages, sewed quilts, clothing, purchased medicines, and held fund raisers called "Sanitary Fairs".

It is rare to find a quilt that survived such hard use but diaries, letters and family lore tell about the quilts. Usually they were made using simple block patterns such as the 9-patch or snowball. The fabric was most likely a cheap basic calico or checked dark print. The dirt showed less if dark colors were used.

To prevent theft, all quilts distributed by the Sanitary Commission were stamped with the U.S.S.C. oval logo.

Northern women gave quilts to Northern soldiers from the beginning of the Civil War until the end. They made special quilts as well as utility quilts. Some quilts were inscribed in ink with the names and dates of those who's hands had sewn them. There was a story about a soldier that had been injured, was unresponsive and near death. They changed his bed and covered him with a quilt . He began reading the signatures on the quilt and found his wife's name. He immediately began improving and survived.

In 1863 the U.S. Sanitary Commission requested cot size quilts (approximately 48 x 84 inches) that the soldiers could also use as bedrolls and this amazing group of volunteer women made an estimated 150,000 - 250,000 sanitary commission quilts in addition to providing an abundance of other relief services.

Many Southern women tended to stitch with their family rather than forming sewing circles or societies. Some may have had little experience in sewing for themselves due to having people in the household who might have done that particular work for them. However, Southern Relief Societies were formed as the war dragged on but none were coordinated like those in the North.

The biggest challenge facing the women of the south was fabric shortage. Southern women cut up heirloom quilts and used carpet, drapes and linings from their dresses to make blankets and quilts for their soldiers. Later during the war, southern women spun cotton and made homespun fabric to be utilized for quilts and clothing. In some of their diaries they write about the roughness of the homespun fibers and of making clothing from bed ticking and basically anything else they could salvage. Due to the high cost of fabric and severe fabric shortages, they often resorted to using newspaper as quilt batting.

As you can imagine, not many of these Civil War quilts made for soldiers survive today.  Many were completely worn out after the war and did not seem worth saving as well as many soldiers were buried in their quilts.

 

Quilts in the Civil War era seem even more precious under the dire circumstances and reasons for their creation.

We invite you to check out WSOAPP's ebay auctions beginning  April 3rd  to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the onset of the Civil War... and all month long we'll be adding Civil War related creations in April in our WSOAPP shoppes.....

We would like to give a warm welcome back to our Lisa, of My Raggedy Doll House. Lisa has been with WSOAPP almost from the beginning, and through the years we have watched her sweet style become what it is today! We have just opened her shop today, keep watching for when she gets it filled with her one of a kind pieces. Drop her a note to welcome her back!

Looking Back

Happy New Year to all of our dear friends and families! We thank you all for helping to make our first few months in our new home such a great success and we especially thank those who have sent us many kind words and letters of support. They mean more than you will ever know and your support has empowered us to keep looking forward to future things at WSOAPP.

When we sat down with WSOAPP's leaders to plan the new Market Street a little over a year ago, we took into account the numerous requests and suggestions that had been made to us over time, from members and our customers alike. We set out to offer our artisans and our customers both the very best primitive and whimsical marketplace that we possibly could, utilizing the full power that only a website can offer. With the new Market Street format, now we are are able bring you far more than just the traditional artisan shop that we have all grown accustomed to, we can offer full pattern and crafting supply shops, antiques shops, a gallery of artisan work that show cases our crafts people's finest pieces from the past to present, trade and craft related articles offered by professionals working in the field, linked categorized listings that help you browse and find exactly what you are looking for with fewer searches, a newly listed item column that allows you to see what is fresh on the site, social networking on facebook and twitter, and our newest feature; the sale barn. There are many new features yet to be implemented, but they are in the beta testing stage right now and will be offered as the wrinkles get ironed out.

Our sale barn is the newest addition to our feature list and it is one we are very pleased with. It is now open to the public, after a few months of testing and preparation, and we know that you will love it as much as we do! In the Sale Barn, you will find top artisan offerings at sale prices, from hand made one of a kinds to patterns, crafting supplies and antiques. We invite all of you to stop in and check it out, and stop in often!

Again, thank you for all of your support and feedback, we are praying for a happy and very blessed 2011 for all of you!

The WSOAPP mods

Nightmare on Marketstreet * WSOAPP *

September Theme:

A Nightmare on Marketstreet

Keep checking back all month long as our talented artisans add their spooktacular creations!

Click here for WSOAPP.org!

~ WSOAPP Grand Opening ~ !!!!

A New and exciting shopping experience awaits you and it's all at the touch of your fingertips!
WSOAPP.org Market Street has been moved and completely redesigned to offer you a more enjoyable and easier way to shop from some of the most original and creative Artisans we could find! From antiques,primitives, handmade bath and body products, handmade prim dolls, patterns and crafting supplies, to Holiday offerings and much, much more! We feel that you will love our new look and all of the new features that we have to offer our customers and our artisans.

In Celebration of the Grand Opening of our new venue and home, all Artisan's Shops will be listing many new items, not only on Ebay and Etsy, but in all their WSOAPP shops as well.

In addition, a $50 prize drawing will be made at the end of the week! Simply purchase from a WSOAPP member's shop on WSOAPP.org and on Sunday, August 7th, we'll draw the name of the winner! This also qualifies you to an EXTRA $50 to go absolutely nuts purchasing what you would like from any of the shoppes on our Marketstreet! Our artisans are launching both Christmas and Autumn themed items early as it's never too early to get ready for the Holiday Season!

Visit WSOAPP.org to find out how to sign up for all of our simply divine door prizes to be given away EVERY single day from August 1 until we run out! The prize donations just keep rolling in! Like wise, be sure to bookmark your favorite artists shoppes and follow their shop announcements and specials for the month.

To those of you who have generously supported us in the past, thank you so very much! To those of you just now finding us, we hope that you will find your hearts desire on Market Street and most of all... have fun doing so!

We love being able to offer you the best of our handmade, vintage and quality products! We hope to see you stop in often... Happy Shopping!


Here are a few of the door prizes so far! Some items shown will be similar to what you will receive.
Thank you to all our talented artisans for their generosity!

Your choice of wool from Crowing About Primitives:

Punkin' Ornie from The Stars in Barb's Eyes:

1 Bottle Room Spray & a bag of hips~n~sticks, Vanilla lavender or Christmas Memories scented the same, from Piney Woods Primitives:

Bar of luxury soap from Sweet Harvest Farms:

Bird Pin Keep from Ro's Cluttered Attic:

Santa Letters from Aunt Mannys:

One free epattern of your choice from Barefoot Primitives:

Hand painted star from My Tiny Studio:

Witchy Hat,16" tall x 17" wide at the base of the hat, from Cedar Hill Rustics:

A small doll from Veena's Mercantile:

Picture coming soon

WSOAPP.com is now WSOAPP.org!!!

It has been a long haul but we have finally gotten our group moved into our new home. Market Street has had a facelift and Wsoapp.com in now WSOAPP.org. Coming on August 1st we will be rolling out the red carpet with our first launch in our new home. Our theme will be "Haunted Mists with Peppermint Twists" What better way to kick off our party than to celebrate two holidays in one! Stay tuned to the blog for giveaways and prizes.

Happy 4th of JULY!!!

We at WSOAPP would like to wish each and every one of you a very happy and safe 4th of July!





Keep checking back or sign up for our mailing list... the Grand Opening of our new shoppes is getting closer!

New Home For WSOAPP!!

 Some of you may be wondering why our selling blog hasn't had a lot of new goodies lately. Well there's a reason for this, as we're in the midst of a transition.......

We are so excited and can finally let ya'll in on this. Coming very soon in July, WSOAPP will be celebrating the Grand Opening of our brand spankin' new website! It's been a long work in progress and labor of love and we know you will simply enjoy browsing around at all the cool features and shopping the awesome creations from our talented artisans!

We at WSOAPP want to personally thank Mare and Joel for more hours than they can count and many sleepless nights as they've created this incredible site!

So stay tuned!  Sign up on our mailing list if you're not already to you'll know what's happening and when!

Izannah Walker Dolls

Izannah F. Walker, one of America's earliest known female doll makers, was born in 1817 in Bristol, Rhode Island. On June 28, 1873, at the age of 56, Walker applied for a patent for "improvement in the manufacture of dolls." In her application Walker claimed "my doll is inexpensive, easily kept clean, and not apt to injure a young child which may fall upon it. It will preserve its appearance for a long time."

As witnessed by the surviving examples of her work, we know that this is true. Izannah was granted a patent on November 4, 1873. However, it is known that she had been making dolls for quite some time before she applied for her patent. Research has uncovered a documented case of her making dolls as early as 1828.

Izannah Walker's dolls are three dimensional works of art, strikingly similar to the folk portraits painted in the 18th and early 19th century by artists such as William Matthew Prior (1806-1873) and Erastus Salisbury Field (1805-1900). Although all of Izannah's dolls possess a recognizable style, each is distinct. This raises the question of whether some were done as portrait dolls. Although there is no documentation of this, the differences in height, facial shapes, and hairstyles on the dolls could certainly cause one to speculate that this is possible.

Her dolls have been found in 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, and 24 inch sizes. The hair is usually painted on with some variation of either wisps surrounding the face or corkscrew curls. Most of the dolls are girls but several boys have been found and photographed. Izannah also made black dolls. The dolls hands have stitched fingers and applied thumbs and the feet are either bare, with stitched toes, or they have painted on boots.

Today the rarity and beauty of Izannah Walker dolls make them highly collectible. Currently the price range for these dolls, in good condition, can go from $16,000-18,000.

Thanks to Donna of cameomoon for this article!

WSOAPP March Offerings

Spring is just around the corner and we at WSOAPP are celebrating with Our March theme...

"Treasured Memories of a Vintage Past"

Here are just a few Spring creations to drool over! These... and so much more... will be available on our website: WSOAPP MARKET STREET SHOPPES on March 7th!

Pie Birds

First of all, some of you may be asking... just what is a Pie Bird? Well Pie Birds, also known as Pie Funnels, Vents, or Chimneys, are little ceramic, glass or earthenware creations that have been used since Victorian times. They are "steam vents" that are placed in the center of fruit and meat pies while cooking to prevent the pie from boiling over in the oven. When the pie filling is cooking, they allow the steam to escape from inside the pie. Pie Birds also support the pastry crust in the center of the pie, so that it did not sag in the middle.

These amazing pieces of art are very useful to have around, but the real joy of these little guys is their beauty. The most common is the black bird, and over the years, more animals and characters have joined their ranks.

Of course, if you are going to collect Pie Birds, do your home work and watch out for replicas. For example, the Black Chef from the 1950's wears a white chef’s hat has a long thin white spoon and a blue, green, or yellow smock, and is valued at around $150. The replica's spoon is round with glaze crazes. Look carefully at the vent holes and make sure they are about the diameter of a pencil, as repros usually have a small vent or absurdly, no vent hole.

I started collecting pie birds a few years ago when I stumbled on them by accident on ebay. I dutifully got a couple of collectable books to get me started and a few smarts...

...and I have enjoyed the thrill of the hunt for unique and affordable funnels and birds. Of course, there are those I must pass up if they go beyond my budget, but mostly I collect the ones that appeal to me. Here's a some pictures of a few of my collection. Some I got for a little... some for a little more! :o)

Paper Dolls

When I was a youngun', well we didn't have a lot of money, but I do remember my Chatty Cathy doll... that my little brother broke, thank you very much.... and my 1960's bubble head Barbie doll that I still have. She came with about three outfits, the rest I made... yeah, way back then, by hand, before my first sewing machine! So needless to say, the rest of my dolls resorted to paper dolls. I begged my ma for my first paper doll book and spent endless hours meticulously cutting out the dolls and outfits, making sure not to mess up those fold over tabs! Even back then I just knew I could make more outfits, so being resourceful, I started drawing my own paper dolls, outfits and accessories. For nostalgic purposes, I wish I still had those simple little dolls that gave me hours of joy.

So just how far back do paper dolls go? Well, in Europe, the production of paper dolls began as far back as the 1790's! The dolls were illustrated with their underclothes and pasted on cardboard to strengthen them and came with hats and dresses. The joints were connected by threads to the body so the limbs could move in different positions by manipulating a thread attached in the back.

Between 1810 and 1816, the London toy novelty firm, S & J Fuller, produced a series of books that came with a paper doll and hand-colored outfits. The early paper doll clothes didn't come with folding tabs like they have today, but were attached with tiny drops of non-greasy beeswax. The Fuller design was different than the dolls of the 1790's, having only a head and neck instead of a full body. The neck served as a tab that slid into slots in the back of the outfits. The small books told stories in verse, centered on a character represented by the paper doll. The character wore a specific outfit in each episode of the verse and as the book was read, the doll would be dressed in the appropriate outfit. The books would often tell morality tales aimed at children. Little Fanny was the first of these dolls.

In the mid-19th century, America entered the paper doll manufacturing arena. Crosby, Nichols & Company of Boston printed the first paper doll in the United States in 1854 titled “Fanny Gray: A History of Her Life. She was packaged in an elegant lithographed box with six figures, a wooden base to stand the figures and a booklet of moral verses. Included was The Cottage where Fanny Lived, Fanny Selling Matches, Fanny a Flower Girl,Fanny Her Uncle’s Pet, Fanny with Her Kitten, and Fanny Feeding Chickens.

The first American book on paper doll making, Paper Dolls and How to Make Them, A Book for Little Girls, was published by Anson D. F. Randolph in 1856. It included hand-colored plates of dolls and clothing for children to cut out and play.

During the Victorian era, the November 1859 issue of Godey's Lady's Book, was the first magazine publishing a series of paper dolls, six boys and six girls, each with a set of fashions. Below are copies of pages from that book.

Prior to the 1880's, the paper dolls and outfits were colored by hand and because paper was so expensive, not in everyone's budget. But after paper became more affordable, and hand coloring was replaced by the less expensive color printed paper, just about every child would have access to these coveted toys.

Frank Leslie’s Lady’s Magazine also published pages of dolls with hand-colored costumes in 1866, and this collection included the front and back of the dolls with their outfits. By the end of the 19th century, advertisers used paper doll popularity to help sell their crackers, thread, coffee, etc. They also did front and back printing of the dolls and outfits which were slipped over their heads.

By the beginning of the 20th century, department stores realized paper dolls were the ideal fashion advertisement. They featured specially designed dolls promoting the latest fashions. They appeared in such magazines as Ladies Home Journal, McCalls, and Good Housekeeping, to name a few.

Paper dolls have featured fictional characters from books and newspaper comics, animals, well known and famous people. They have advertised anything and everything from coffee to fashions; there are paper doll clubs and organizations; but most of all, the enjoyment of children across time with these simple creations is priceless.

* 12 Days of Christmas Ornie Winners *

Santa's been digging in his big 'ol sack and picking winners for the wonderful ornies donated by WSOAPP artisans. Here they are!

Rabbit Hollow Prims -
Gollywobbles - Nancy from NY
Sweet Magnolias Farm - Cathy from ILL
Aunt Manny's Creations - Joyce
My Raggedy Dollhouse - Doris from TX
Ro's Cluttered Attic - Lea from TN
Barefoot Primitives -
Cedar Hill Rustics -
My Tiny Studio -
Vintage Keepsake Trunk -
Love You Cherishables - De from WA
Cre8ors Touch -
Oak Hollow Primitives - Karla from Florida


Now, there are a few winners that have not contacted the artists yet, so check your email!

12 Days of Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at WSOAPP and are we ever in the spirit of giving for the holidays!

December 1-12 we will draw names from our Mailing List and give away a handmade ornament every day!

All you need to do is sign up on our Mailing List to be entered! If you already are, you're already entered! In the upper left hand corner of this blog you'll see where you can sign up (a.k.a. e-newsletter).

All of our generous artists who have donated an ornament will also pay shipping charges within the continental USA. We simply ask that those of you outside the USA pay for the shipping. Winners will be contacted directly by the artist so start watching your email beginning December 1!

Make sure you check out all our shoppes and the new offerings on the 7th, as we'll be taking "A Candlelight Walk Down Market Street!"

Here are the wonderful creations, in no particular order, that will be given away. You can click on the link below each picture to visit their WSOAPP shoppe!

Rabbit Hollow Prims

Gollywobbles

Sweet Magnolias Farm

Aunt Manny will customize your envelope with the name of your choice!

Aunt Mannys Creations

My Raggedy Doll House

Ro's Cluttered Attic

Barefoot Primitives

Cedar Hill Rustics

My Tiny Studio

Vintage Keepsake Trunk

Love You Cherishables

Cre8ors Touch

Oak Hollow Primitives