Looking for Paper Ephemera

I am searching for vintage paper ephemera. I am having little to no luck finding any. Sure, there are a lot of sellers who sell ‘vintage’ receipts, letters, postcards, tickets, etc. that they have found and scanned to sell but printing off digitals does not feel 'authentic'.

Where do these junk journal makers find all this great stuff? Old hand written letters, postcards, tickets and vintage books are the kinds of things I'm looking for. I don't know of any antique shops in my area that might sell this. More importantly, I'm not sure how much is a reasonable price to pay for this kind of ephemera.

I wonder if estate sales might carry some of these things. I never thought of that before. The thrift stores will likely have vintage books but not the other items I'm looking for.

If anyone out there has this type of old paper ephemera that you are willing to part with, keep me in mind.

A Poem for My Son

I’m finding all sorts of goodies while sorting through old boxes of stuff. I came across a copy of a poem that I wrote for my oldest son many years ago now. He was in grade school, maybe 10 or 11 years old. He came home one day bemoaning the fact that he had to write a poem as his homework that evening.

He complained that there was no way he could write a poem. I assured him that he could if he tried. He looked me square in the eye and asked me if I could do it. I had to admit that I could and proceeded to start writing something down. I hate being backed into a corner like that by a child. Here is that poem…it started out slow but I picked up momentum by the end.

We both got a good chuckle out of it, and then he went to his room and started writing. I wish I still had a copy of the poem he wrote. It was about our cat, Jack. This cat had personality and was quite the character. His mother was a black and white long haired cat. His father was clearly a Siamese cat. And as you can see, he was quite mischievous.

The poem about Jack, as I remember, was equally as amusing as mine, and he received high praise from his teacher the next day. He also took a copy of the poem I wrote to school without me knowing. The teacher called me later that day so we could share a laugh together about it. Nice memory.

Random Craft Stuff

I found a video from ten years ago that explained how to do the string art scalloped circles so all the string does not meet in the middle. It is quite simple actually. The video was posted by a YouTube content creator who was quite popular with my craft friends at the time. It is likely where the person who sent me those ATCs nine years ago learned how to do it. This one was done last night with crochet cotton.

While sorting through old boxes, I found knitting pattern for a Barbie doll dress that I was clearly trying to adapt from an existing pattern. I am going to test is out this week. It should not take long to make. Once I confirm the accuracy of the pattern, I will type it up and save it. Page two is completely hand written right now.

Another video I watched the other day showed how to use nail polish to make marbled buttons from plain uninteresting ones. You add a couple of drops of three different colours to water, swirl them around with a toothpick, then dip in the button. I want to try this. You never know what you will get, they will all be unique. The will look similar to this stone that was created using the same basic technique.

So, as you can see, I have a lot of big plans for crafting in the near future. I will share as things are completed.

String Art

I was looking through some old ATC trades recently and came across these ones I received in 2016. Wow, was it that long ago? It must be as that is the date on the back of them. I was fascinated with the string art on them. I did try my hand at it when I first received them using a small scalloped circle punch I had but never pursued it after that.

A friend recently reminded me about the string art and suggested I try it again as I was looking for something new and different to do. So, I went searching on Amazon for some scalloped circle dies and found a set from a company I never heard of before. I ordered them. They were not overly expensive and I figured if they did not work, I was not losing much.

Turns out, they work fabulously! I cut a few out of card stock to experiment on. I actually glued two scalloped circles together to make them sturdier. I tried a couple of test pieces. For the yellow one, I used red sewing thread. On the black one, I used a fine yellow yarn. The middle is a bit dimensional on that one but workable. I'm going to try using crochet cotton and embroidery thread also. Metallic thread or yarn might be fun too.

I have to figure out how to wrap the thread or string so all the intersections are not in the middle. That will be my next step. I will share the results when I am done.

Getting Back on the Bandwagon

I really need to get back on the decluttering, organizing bandwagon. My brother, who was off work for six weeks due to medical reasons, kept himself busy going through and getting rid of a lot of accumulated stuff downstairs. I can’t even remember how many times I took him to the dump to get rid of things!

My progress has been slowed right down since my recent fall at work. Most of my injuries have healed but the knee is still very unhappy and bruised. I’m so afraid of falling again, that I have been extra careful. I was lucky that I did not get really injured this time. I don’t want a next time. I may not be so fortunate.

There is one box ready to drop off at the thrift store, mostly clothes that my granddaughter and I do not wear anymore. Hopefully, that gets me back on the bandwagon. My brother wants to have a yard sale this summer so some things will be set aside for that. A yard sale seems like a lot of work though. I hope it is worth it in the end. Anything of mine left will definitely be going to the second hand store. I will not bring it back in the house.

Autumn / Halloween Journal Cards

I found some free autumn images on a Facebook group I belong to. I copy and pasted four to a page in Word, to get four journal cards per page. I took the file to Staples to have printed on their colour toner printer. My printer at home is an inkjet and does not print colour pictures very well.

After tea/coffee tying the pages, the colours were toned down and muted a bit. This fit perfectly with a Halloween theme. The images were glued to black card stock next. I added teeny, tiny diecut bats on each of the cards.

Coffee dyed paper was added to the back of each one and I stamped a different image on each with archival ink. I love how they turned out!

Creating With Used Postage Stamps

Over the years, I’ve accumulated a lot of used postage stamps. The first thing I ever created with them was postage stamp mandala. What is a mandala, you ask? We often associate the word mandala with the circular designs that have repeating colors, shapes, and patterns radiating from the center. Mandalas can be precise, carefully measured, geometric, and perfectly symmetrical, or in contrast, free flowing, organic, and asymmetrical.

Here are some of the first ones I made with used postage stamps.

I was inspired to try this from a couple of ATCs that I received in a swap.

By using the same stamp design you can get a totally different look depending on the way you orient them.

I made a whole bunch of these ATCs for a group swap, one for each member.

Here are some other ways that used postage stamps can be utilized in projects much to the horror of some ardent stamp collectors. Let’s start with Christmas gift tags.

Artist trading cards.

Mini journal cards.

Dangles to hang on junk journals. (These were made by a friend.)

I have SO many used postage stamps, mostly hoarded over the years that I’ve decided to see how many other ways I can use them in my crafts this year. Just while writing this post, I've thought of a couple more ideas.

Digital Papers

Not only am I addicted to acquiring scrapbook paper pads, but also to collecting digital papers. Digital paper refers to electronic artwork files used as background patterns, often in image formats like JPG or PNG, and mimicking the look of traditional scrapbook paper

The real benefit of these is that they don’t take up much physical space to store. They are all on an external hard drive the size of a small notebook that holds two terabytes of data. I’ve only used 34 gigabytes so plenty of room left for more.

The range of themes is quite broad…Halloween, Gothic, Christmas, fairies, gnomes, vintage ephemera, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Rabbit, spring, winter, autumn, nature, flowers, etc. You get the idea. There are more themes than I can name. I’ve purchased them on Etsy or Kofi, and many of them are freebies from various digital artists.

I really need to start using more of them. If only there were more hours in a day and more energy in my body!

Listen to Your Own Good Advice

I recall saying quite recently that falling is not a good idea. I know this from personal experience on many occasions over the years but fall I did this week.

It was Monday, around 4:55 p.m. Work was wrapping up for the day. I got up to prepare to head home when my left knee gave out on me. I could not catch myself and ended up going for a flying leap. My forehead hit the desk across from me cracking the drawer face. I also landed on my bad knee pretty hard and well as on the desk size garbage can under my right arm.

People came running by which time I was sitting up, legs outstretched, in a LOT of pain and wondering how the heck I was ever going to get up off the floor. An ice pack was provided for my head while I sat there trying to get my bearings. No dizziness, no nausea, no bleeding thank goodness.

Luckily, someone strong enough to get me up on my feet again was there to assist. They helped me get to my car and I immediately drove myself to the local hospital ER department. Three hours later, after four x-rays on my left knee, four x-rays on my right shoulder and a CT scan on my head I was released and able to finally go home. I had no broken bones and my brain was still where it should be.

I saw the video footage the following day at work, and it was quite spectacular. I am really lucky that I was not seriously injured. They are recommending a new ‘uniform’ to wear at work now but I don’t think it will be very comfortable.

Long Weekend Excursion

On the Victoria Day long weekend, my cousin and her husband hosted a ‘cousin retreat’ at their Bed & Breakfast in Napanee. What a lovely place they have just outside of town on the bay! Here is the view from the floor to ceiling windows in the living room.

Four of us headed out from Ajax early Friday morning for the long 3 hour trip to get there. No highway driving for us, we took the scenic route. We stopped at Tim Horton’s once for steeped tea and a bathroom break. We also ended up stopping at a closed farmers market with a Port-a-Potty in the back because we were getting desperate again and could not find anything else.

When we finally arrived, we were awestruck by the beauty of the place. My cousin and her husband treated us like royalty. It was amazing! The food was fabulous. The accommodations were first class. No wonder they have a five star rating.

We talked and talked, catching up on what we’ve been up to, later that most of us typically stay up at night. It had been such a long time since we spent any time together that was not a family funeral. There have been too many of those in the last few years. It was good to be able to relax and laugh together and enjoy each other’s company.

I would never have been able to get there on my own and am grateful to the cousin who volunteered to drive us all there. And I am especially grateful to my other cousin and her husband for inviting us to spend some time with them. Thank you!

What I Have Learned About Junk Journals

I consider myself a beginner at making junk journals. Mine seem to lack ‘something’ that I see in others. I acknowledge that we are our own worst critic but I still feel that I have a lot to learn. And continuing to move forward and not give up is the path I’m choosing.

But what have I learned by watching videos, and looking at the work of others? Let’s look at it together.

1. All the pages do not have to be the same size or shape. Variety adds interest to a journal. 2. A plain page can be boosted up a level by small things; a cluster of small bits in one corner, some rubber stamping or stenciling in random areas of a page. 3. There is no right or wrong way to create a junk journal. There are no ‘junk journal police’ around to enforce a plethora of unwritten ‘rules’. Any journal you make is a reflection of you and an expression of your style & creativity. 4. Everything does NOT have to be ‘perfect’ or whatever version of perfect you are stuck in. There is beauty in imperfection. There is charm in asymmetry.

A junk journal can be as big or small as you choose. They can be bound many different ways. They can have hard covers or soft covers. They can have a specific theme or purpose, or not. You can add fabric, lace, buttons or beads and such, or not. Basically, if you can conceive it, you can make it. And it is good.

I have purchased several journals from other artists over the past couple of years. I have swapped or been gifted journals too. I constantly flip through them to get ideas and inspiration. What I have to do is not compare my work to others and not to criticize my own work as 'not up to par'. I need to keep reminding myself that 'What I create is uniquely me, and is special.'

Making Journal Cards

What do you do with all those election cards left in your mailbox or tucked in your front door? As you might have guessed by the title of this blog entry, you make journal cards with them! They are typically printed on a thin, glossy card stock and most, if not all of them, usually end up in the recycling bin.

I decided to cut a few of them up and make journal cards. A light sanding takes off some of the gloss and helps the glue hold better. The backs are plain coffee dyed paper and can be written on. The fronts are collaged with coffee dyed music and security envelope papers, book pages, and brown paper bag.

They all spent some time in the book press my son made for me to keep them flat as the glue dried. On top of the collage are Beatrix Potter images cut from books and inked around the edges frame them. The front and back edges of the cards are inked to finish them off too.

I don’t have a journal to put them in right now. They will go into a shoebox where I’m collecting items for future projects or swaps. I have many more of those little Beatrix Potter books to make ephemera from and as the urge hits me, I’ll make some more. I just love those watercolour images.