Old Stamp Album Pages: Cataloguing Philatelic Tools

I have to tell you, I may not know all that much about stamp collecting in general. However, this does not stop me from enjoying all things philatelic, including these tools, which are so old fashioned and wonderful, I wish I could have at least the "Pocket Magnarule" in my hands at this moment.
The Scott company is still doing business in the stamp world, but I doubt they'll take exception to anything we publish online out of their 1930 Album's pages (a personal favorite of this collector's pride), for it can only further the trade in stamp collecting, buying and selling, etc. It's an art, really, one refined over decades of honest toil.
To me, each stamp has a history, no matter how new or old. I enjoy each story told by every skid, gouge, tear, crease, cancellation, or marring of the stamps I now possess.
All of the images in this post are from the 1930 Edition of the Scott Stamp & Coin Company's ("1 west 47th Street, New York, U.S.A.") International Junior Postage Stamp Album, the cover and collage page lettering of which may be found at our most popular offering to date (find it HERE).
Happy Stamp Collecting--and Happy Creativity!
Rose

Vintage Stamp Collecting Tools

PAGE 1

Downloadable Version HERE

PAGE 2

Downloadable Version HERE

Detail

Downloadable Version HERE

More Tools

Rulers

Downloadable Version HERE

Magnifying Glass

Downloadable Version HERE

Magnifying Glass #2

Downloadable Version HERE

Tongs

Downloadable Version HERE

Border Only

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Victorian Illustration: A Woman With a Little Dog

It is a lovely day for a walk in the park for these ladies and their young children. There's just one thing, though. Who is this woman? There's certainly money in her world, enough to keep her looking up to date and comfortable, no matter the weather. Her parasol seems out of place in the picture, unless she's trying to preserve her white skin, as so many ladies did then. One good question might be, "But for whose eyes?" Is she a "kept woman"? All her accessories spell "French dressmaker," or "French Maid." A curiosity, no?
Happy Creativity!
Rose & Studio Friends

Victorian Mystery Woman

Black & White

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Original Patina

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Advertisement: A Grand Touring Car by Atlas motors

Isn't this old car a beauty? Just think of it--a car costing $2,000 back then might translate today into the $100,000 range, if not a lot more. It's impressive, because for its time, very few motors were being made in the United States of that value or style. Historically speaking, there's more to be found out at this webpage.
Handcrafting all the bells and whistles of such a model may have taken many days, not to mention any hand tufting to its leather upholstered seating. And one simply couldn't do without "James," the chauffeur! It must have been "unseemly" for a lady to drive herself to any location. But times were changing, and spirited women everywhere could feel the power of ownership of one's car as something to strive for.
Happy Creativity everybody!
;) Rose

Atlas Motor-Car Advertisement

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Victorian Travel Abroad

Pack your imaginary bags!--we're heading for 1850's Constantinople! The illustration below (in 2 versions) is from an antique volume, circa (we think) 1840's or so. Just for fun, we thought we'd include a map to help you along the way. Ships, horsedrawn vehicles, and your two feet will have to suffice, of course. No trains to Constantinople (known today as Istanbul) back then! ;)
Happy Creativity!
Rose

1840's Constantinople Street Scene

Black & White

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Original Look

Better Downloadable Version HERE

General Map

including parts of North Africa and the Black ("Schwarzes") Sea

Better DownloadableVersion HERE

"You are here"!!!

Detail of Area

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Victorian Illustration: Dairymaids All In a Row

This late Victorian illustration pleases the partial farm girl in me. They all look so fresh, these dairymaids, all bonneted or hatted and ready for their new morning of work. The guy in the smock with the apron is so mid-Victorian I have to smile. Now, mind the cow pats everyone! ;)
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Victorian Dairymaids

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Patina

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Old Style Country Living

Have you noticed a general lack of buidings depicted here? We finally took stock, and realized this would have to change. Out of our archives, this antique illustration was taken, spruced up, and given its matching Downloadable twin, all so that our collection can branch out a little.
I like the contours of the roof, the fact that there is more than just the one chimney, and so on. It really is a pretty old place. I'd kind of like to step back into its era for a chance to enter through that lovely old door, and find a basket of flowers on a table, or a fire warming the heart of the home. Places like this are rare as hen's teeth nowadays. I know I'd love to get my hands on one!
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Old World Farmhouse/Cottage

(Lightened, cleaned up)

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Original Patina

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Wild Papers!!!

Okay, so I'm caught red-handed! I LOVE to play with the pretty papers!
{Somewhere, the Victorian graphic artist who first designed the basis for today's entry has to be turning in her/his grave!}
Now that we've got that out of the way, here are my wild experiments in colorizing antique patterned papers for your use. We did a test print, and though we found the turnout to be softer than they appeared on screen, they were certainly still wild enough and loud enough to play with. Just think of this as the tie-dyed T-shirt art of this blog. Maybe I let March madness take hold for a minute or two. Suffice it to say, we like these, and hope you can use them for your various creations. Call me crazy, but here they are!
Happy Creativity!
Rose
NOTE:
©Plush Possum Studio

Pretty Papers Gone Wild!

"1969"

Download HERE

"Kaleidoscope"

Download HERE

"Funkadelic 2"

Download HERE

Blacklight Glow

Download HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Antique Advertisement: Gentlemen's Apparel

I found this advertisement in the pages of a compendium of issues of a very old magazine, one which has yielded already two ads before . This time, I thought I'd give our "gentlemen callers" a chance to upgrade their apparel for the new season. Although why anyone would chose to wear anything waterproof against the skin, I couldn't tell you! Have fun, guys! ;)
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Click to Enlarge

Black and White

Better Downloadable Version HERE

And Original Patina

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Easter Postcard #4: Fuzzy Ducklings At Play

I happen to really like this one. I guess I'd have to say it is my favorite out of any we've shown so far in its theme group. The charm of it is obvious, but what matters to me is all that attention to detail. Each little duck seems to have its own personality. What better way to say that spring's arrived than a bundle of these happy little guys?
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Easter Ducklings Postcard Front

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Postcard Reverse

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Plush Page Ornaments #2: Victorian Rose Trellis

Just another reason why I love to blog this way, and why the group keeps asking me for more. Do I love page ornaments? You bet! You can guess why I love roses! ;) This design is a pretty enough one, I thought I'd try it in different colorways, as before. When they didn't turn out quite as jewel-like in color as our first ones {if you missed our first, go HERE}, they still seemed nice enough for sharing. So here we are, and Spring's arrived--and just in time for some of us who have been snowed under more than once over the winter months.
Happy Creativity, everybody!
Rose & Studio Friends

Click to Enlarge

*RUBY*

Better Downloadable Version HERE

*SAPPHIRE*

Better Downloadable Version HERE

*EMERALD*

Better downloadable Version HERE

*AMETHYST*

Better Downloadable Version HERE

*GARNET*

Better Downloadable Version HERE

*TURQUOISE*

Better Downloadable Version HERE

*SEPIA*

Better Downloadable Version HERE

*ORIGINAL*

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

MORE Pretty Papers For Your Pleasure

After conducting a series of test prints at our home office, we have determined that much of what came before our recent conversion to our higher resolution format is simply substandard. It will not meet our standards for the better print-off.
Now, granted, what we did already seems to have helped tolerably well enough to where our newest offerings at least top what we had up before. We are still in the process of remodeling our entire outlook on what is printable and how to give you our best.
To that end, our team is beginning to keep close tabs on any printable work we place online. This means, from time to time, we may find we must pull from our online offerings any or all items found not to meet our standards.
We are trying it again this week, and are welcoming any comers for feedback on past printing along with any taken here of the newer stock recently.
Ultimately, it is how we serve our crafts community which is mattering most here. So do say something if you can see a problem developing. We'll take it all in stride, and try to do our best for you.


Meanwhile, here is the best the office could produce out of our stock from past efforts here at the Studio. This updated version is by no means an identical offering, mainly because those colors we offered at outset would fade out into a blur. What looked right on screen simply had no color or "pop" once printed. While we have tried to remain faithful to those colors offered before, no amount of trial and error has yielded the results we had hoped for you to here today. it is hoped it any future offerings will neither disappoint nor turn away those whose presence makes this fun project of ours truly worthwhile.


In short, here are the New Colors for the same project from one of our earlier offerings.
Thanks so much for your loyal support through any changes and/or growing pains we might encounter!
Rose & Studio Friends


Please be kind by never repackaging for sale any of our offerings here. They are meant to be free to the public permanently.
Also, please do not take credit for any works which were never yours.
Thank You
The Studio

Click to enlarge

Pretty Papers For Your Pleasure Take Two

*AQUA*

Our Best Version HERE

*LEAF GREEN*

Our Best Version HERE

*BLUEBELL*

Our Best Version HERE

*GRAPE*

Our Best Version HERE

*RASPBERRY PATCH*

Our Best Version HERE

*BITTERSWEET*

Our Best Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

It's a Frame-up #2: Colorful Page Frames c. 1897

This fun frame we found in a periodical from the turn of the last century. We liked the size and the freedom it gave for further embellishment.
I've chosen a few classic colors for our readers, along with a few jazzy, modern colors to play with.
Happy Creativity!
Rose & Studio Friends

Click to Enlarge

Red

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Classic Green

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Sepia Gold

Better Downloadable Version HERE 

Purple

better Downloadable Version HERE

Turquoise

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Lime

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Hot(ish) Pink

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Classic Black

Better Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Photograph: Woman Standing for Portrait

Here we have on example of why I love to do this kind of work. This woman is so serious and somber. If you were to examine her closely, you'd find she's wearing perhaps her Sunday best, including earbobs. From about 1875 or so, we found her for sale recently--and instantly of interest to us. Her name is handwritten on the reverse side. She looks like she could have, perhaps, been a teacher, although her real story may have to remain buried in the past. We hope you'll enjoy her as much as we do.
Happy Creating!
Rose & Studio Friends

Click to Enlarge

Better Downloadable Version Here

Reverse 

Better Downloadable Version Here

Just for fun, we've added the logo from the back.

Photography Logo

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use