Etspiration Wednesday: Grains and Mills

First things first:  We had a little flub with our coupon promo code, but it's fixed now.  Use code july2012 on our website for 20% off your purchase, now through July 30th!


Our friend the mill.  Without mills, we wouldn't have grain.  Well we would, we'd just get it much, much slower.  Without grain, we wouldn't have grainsacks.  And where oh where would we be design-wise without grainsacks??   I can't bear to even think about it.

Compiling an estpiration based around anything to do with mills or grains is treacherous because the market is so, so saturated now.  Also, typing in moulin (that's French for mill, dontcha know) automatically gives you a bunch of results for Moulin Rouge and while I love the cabaret as much as the next person, that's not what we're aiming for here.  So I did a bit of creative etsy crawling to get some interesting stuff here.  Getting back to the heart of mills and grainsacks and I found some great stuff.  Check it out!

1A:  Authentic Windmill Vane Image Courtesy DancingBumblebeeCottage
1B:  Moulins De Provence Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
1C:  Rooster Windmill Weight Image Courtesy AtHomeInNapa

So that is a real Windmill Vane.  89 inches long!!  Complete with bullet holes! (hopefully a result of target practice.)  I absolutely love the faded type.  Just perfect.

2A:  Antique Green And Red Hemp Grainsack Image Courtesy AVintageObsession
2B:  French Grain Feedsack 12x24 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
2C:  Elton's Stone Ground Tin Image Courtesy BluefieldVintage
2D:  Windmill Red And White Woven Ribbon Image Courtesy MarieLampette

I think this windmill ribbon is just darling.  MarieLampette has tons of great ribbon in her shop, including this adorable woodland ribbon I have to scoop up for my son's nursery.  You did see the growth chart Laura and I made for the nursery, right?

3A:  Ochre And White Grainsack Fabric Image Courtesy AlorasAdorables
3B:  Moulins De Bouvet Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
3C:  Primitive Wood and Galvanized Grain Scoop Image Courtesy PoppyHillFarm
3D:  Antique French Farm Printers Blocks Image Courtesy PushingButtons1

I have a printers block obsession.  One day I will have a letterpress.  I hope.  If my husband gives in.  But until then, I can dream and comb etsy for these amazing treasures.

4A:  Vintage French Farine Box Image Courtesy CatsInTheCradleSoap
4B:  Ets. C Bailly 2 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
4C:  Bull Windmill Weight Image Courtesy KansasWheatField
4D:  Vintage French Mangle Cloth Image Courtesy AniseSprout

You absolutely need to check out a larger view of the flour box in 4A.  The type is just stellar!

Thanks to all our etsy sellers for use of their images.
We've got a great feature for you this Friday.

Don't forget about Etsy Craft Party 2012!  Astoria's is going to be amazing.  We've got a glassblower, a blacksmith, fiber arts, papercraft, kid crafts.  We're pretty much the least interesting thing there and we're fabulous!  So that's telling you something.

Etspiration Wednesday: Our Friend The Chicken.

The noble chicken.  Always delicious, always a mainstay of home decor.  Chickens were king through the primitive craze.  They dominate in farmhouse kitchens.  They even have a sizable place in French Country decor.  Why do we love them so much?  They aren't smart.  They're kind of dirty.  (Really, they take dirt baths.)  They aren't that cute.  Have you ever really looked at a chicken's face up close?  Yikes! 

I think the reason chickens are so prevalent in decor is because they are ingrained in our culture.  Hear me out as I go all art history on you.  Chickens are far and away the most ubiquitous farm animal.  In a simpler time when subsistence farming was a way of life, having chickens was almost essential.  So packaging and dry goods and all sorts of printed matter reflected this... chickeny existence.  Egg carton, put a chicken on it.  Grainsack, put a chicken on it.  Fruit labels, put roosters on them.  (Sometimes the correlations aren't even clear!) 

Now modern design trends look and borrow heavily from these past traditions.  Where does that leave us?  With chickens.  Chickens on pillows.  Chickens on tote bags.  Roosters on coffee bags.   

For what it's worth, I love them.  We eat a lot of eggs here at the Maison and I'm sure my husband is sick of me asking him to build a chicken coop.  One day!  So in praise of our feathered friends, here's a chicken tour of Etsy.

1A:  Bantam Rooster Pillow Image Courtesy PluckyKid
1B:  Wooden Chicken Wire Cabinet Image Courtesy MozTreasures
1C:  Vintage Rustic Egg Basket Image Courtesy UptownVintage
1D:  Ets. C. Bailly 2 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils

I think the possibilities for that Chicken Wire Cabinet are endless in a kitchen.  Pie safe?  Curio cabinet?  Trinket pantry?  Who knows?  I love it!

2A:  Robins Egg Blue Chicken Pillow Image Courtesy Squirrelonaledgetop
2B:  Poulet Pillow Image Courtesy TheNestUK
2C:  Antique Chicken Wood Molds Image Courtesy NachoKitty

I'm pretty much in love with these chicken molds.  They are the real deal, you can just see the age on them.  And they're all together, which is exceedingly rare for something that's been around the block like those have.  If you visit the listing page, NachoKitty talks about the design process these paper mache molds were used for.  It's really interesting!

3A:  Ets. C. Bailly Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils

3B:  Rooster Divided Caddy Image Courtesy L2Country
3C:  French Rooster Burlap Sack Pillow Image Courtesy PinkPig

Love this burlap rooster pillow.  Great, great graphic image.  I love how bold all those old feedsacks were.

4A:  Fresh Eggs Wood Sign Image Courtesy FYHeartWoodworking
4B:  Vintage Chicken Antique Painted Sign Image Courtesy ZekesAntiques
4C:  Le Coq French Rooster Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils


You've got to check out ZekesAntiques.  He does faux antique painting and it's amazing stuff.  They have the feel of old advertisements and folk art. 


Don't forget, our typography giveaway ends tomorrow.  Comment to win!