Postcard from 1916 Iowa: Paddling Her Own Canoe

Isn't this a fun bit of ephemera?
Our story on the postage side is a bit comical, in that "Mollie" has a request that her mother should remember to fetch her some new stockings, " size 9 1/2." :)
I love old messages on postcards. They take me on a journey to the times and attitudes of another century, when life was less about machines and more about people.
The pansies on our illustrated side signify thoughtfulness, while our canoe paddler is ready to take on more fun.
As is our habit, we offer both the old and the refreshed looks to both sides of our quaint little postcard. We hope our readers may find more than one use for each of the 4 images we offer this time.
Happy Summer Creative Fun!
Rose

Old Time Vacation Postcard

Illustrated Side--Refreshed

Downloadable Version HERE

Old Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Postage Side--Messy Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Postage Side--Refreshed

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Victorian Photo: Young Woman with an Outrageously Wonderful Hat

She was obviously ready to show herself to best advantage at the time this picture was taken. The lacy ruffles of her shoulder garment (a pelerine, if I'm correct here) is finely decked with all the trimmings, while her hat--a confection if there ever was one!--is really quite precious. Her hair looks more in the mode of, say, 1875 to maybe 1880, maybe later. Perhaps we can date her portrait from the bustle dress era.
I love her pert pose, the way the bonnet sits on the back of her head, along with that straight laced collar ruff up under her chin. 
As usual, we offer both versions of this item, the first being the somewhat renewed look, and the second with warts and all.
This is a favorite of mine. We enjoy the look of both versions, and hope you will too.
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Antique Victorian Portrait Photo of a Young Woman

All Cleaned Up

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Antique Postcard from Wales (with postmark)

This postcard has a lot of charm and makes me smile. Here is a young officer, probably part of the British Royal Navy, romancing his sweetheart by the sea. The lovely view, with the seagulls floating above the water, is truly refreshing, as is the loveliness of our young lady's person.
On our postage side is evidence of where this postcard came from, as well as where it got sent. Note the somewhat unusual postmark! And the stamp is quite fresh looking, despite its 104 years of age.
We're offering two versions of the illustrated side, along with the same of the postage side. We hope you will find plenty of reasons to use our postcard collection to its best advantage.
Happy Creativity!
Rose

A 1907 Postcard from Wales

Illustrated Side--Refreshed 

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Postage Side-Some Cleanup

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Antique Illustrated Children's Rhyme Page

Aren't these quaint?--and very oldfashioned! They are from a simpler time, when the advent of TV had not reached our homes, and when even radio had not become a home word. Though many homes could play recorded music on their Gramaphones, most children either played outside for the most part or would linger over a picture book filled with tales of olden times. And these might come out of an even simpler time for that reason, barring the steamship picture, of course.
I like how every simple line has more meaning than our first reading may give us. For there are stories behind some of these rhymes which are unsaid but make their presence felt through simplicity.
Thank you for coming by. We hope you'll enjoy our latest addition into the collection, and that you or your children may find a fun way to use any of the images included in this page.
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Children's Rhyme Page c. 1910

Black and White

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

The Motor Car in City Life c. 1907

Here we have two photos from a magazine's pages, the details of which we found of interest. A "Taximeter" would be one way to get around town on one's own, and for shopping it would be marvelously handy. It can't have run cheap, either, in spite of their gas prices back then.
Horses were also a concern when motoring was still young. I like how the lower photo is captioned, don't you? Even a horse might have an advantage over traffic, I suppose! Lucky for the modern horse, they never have to handle our traffic issues except when carrying our mounted police or pulling carriages in places like Central Park. What tickles me, though, is how often we see them even in any major city.
Note the closely tucked veil the lady is wearing! Was she shy about a camera?
We hope our visitors may find plenty of uses for both these antique images.
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Antique Magazine Photos of City Motoring

Modern Black & White

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Antique Views On Old Time America: A Currier & Ives Print + Bonus ATC Background

One of the nicest things we've received in a while is a partial print collection from a dear and prized associate. Our fellow Possum has a big heart and a valuable set of ideas, one of them being how a few additional goodies here or there might be fun to use.
In this one, there is a definite summer appeal. The calm water, the fisherman, the people on the grass, plus all the foliage, combined, speaks to a peaceful environment far from the crowded life of the city dweller.
Makes me want to take a quiet boat out onto still water and look at the summer sunset.
For more info on this grand tradition in American printmaking, you can go HERE.
We're taking the liberty of also offering an ATC background version of this view on American rural life in the 1800's. Hope our readers find plenty to do with their summer, including with this old print.
Happy Summertime Fun, all!
Rose

"The Old Ford Bridge" by Currier & Ives

Old Look

Downloadable Version HERE

***

BETTER HOME PRINTER VERSIONS

Original Look HERE

Enhanced Look HERE 

***

Enhanced

Downloadable Version HERE

ATC Sized

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

A Blissfull Swap Partner's "Wedding" Themed ATC

After failing to get with anybody who had camera experience enough to do this good work justice, I'm afraid I had to give up and resort to showing it here as our scanner sees it.
That doesn't diminish the artwork, however.  :)  
We like the touches of humor in the wolf, etc. It's just that, well, all of Patricia's really fun dimensional work gets undercut by the scanner, I'm afraid. :(
Thanks, Patricia, for your wonderful trade! I know I'm late--something's drying for you even as I type this! Sorry! (whew!--it's been quite a strange month year for me!) 

So much humor in this one! Makes me smile every time!

Only sorry I couldn't do it more justice with some actual photography.

Happy weekend, everybody!

Rose

Three Muses Challenge: Whimsical, Quirky, Humorous Theme

.......and on their way home from the Crocodile Cotillion, the two ran into another one of the many partygoers they had just met.


It was decided they would take a moonlit walk to work off the many desserts the party had provided.


It was a night to remember..............

:)


This was fun! Can't wait for the next Three Muses challenge!
For future reference, the background for this piece has a link in our Credits, below. This might be good to follow if anyone's interested in helping out the recent tornado survivors via purchasing a download or two from MoonlightJourney. Their stock is growing. We've found some really fine quality, useful items there. Worth checking into! A dollar out of their profits for every download purchased will go to the American Red Cross's fund for that 60 mile long area of devastation.
Just an added note, for emphasis.

Thanks
Rose




Project Credits: Moonlight Journey for background, Wikimedia Commons for Crocodile with his companionable snake, and Vintage Ephemera for the 18th century lady with a penchant for eccentric housepets. Any touches of weirdness were done by yours truly.

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Also, Wikimedia Commons

July 4th Color Me™ Page: A Key to a Famous Painting

Here is what we hope will be a fun and/or educational addition to today's earlier post of Independence Day ephemera.
This time, we are using different sources other than our own stock to add to the mix. We hope to be introducing other works outside our own stock (one example of this was our recently posted Wedding Bookplate Sets) now and again, as a part of our service to our readers. We hope you'll enjoy what we offer here in both cases.
So here's our two-part addition. 
Part One is the famous painting itself, Trumbull's Declaration of Independence. John Trumbull was a very prominent American artist. We highly recommend the reader follow the above link for more info on his life, work, and times.
Part Two is the Color Me™Sheet that offers a key to the painting--who were all those men, anyway? What were their names? We may recognize right off the few more well known men shown more prominently in the artist's composition. But as may be seen in the painting, there were many others present as well at the time.
This might even be a family project for a little further learning. If, that is, you can pull the kids away from their summertime activities for long enough to squeeze a wee bit more information into their brains. ;)
Happy Summertime Creative Fun!
Rose

John Trumbull's Painting

The Declaration of Independence

Downloadable Version HERE

PPS Color Me™ Sheet

The Who's Who in Trumbull's Painting

Downloadable Version HERE

Original (prior to our fiddling)

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Patriotic Collage Sheet: featuring Independence Day & Our Statue of Liberty

With Independence Day just around the corner, we thought we'd add to the fun by collecting together into one sheet those images we all crave, such as the American flag, our Liberty Bell, a few famous scenes, and a surprise or two.
Hope you'll like them--we sure do!
Rose 

American Symbols of Freedom Collage Sheet

Downloadable Version HERE

At last! I can load pictures again!

whew!

Images used from Wikimedia Commons

and nypl.org

Antique Illustration: Colonial Times in Old America

These are from our continuing series out of Thackeray's "The Virginians." We really have a good time looking at every detail in each one. Thackeray not only gave us his "Vanity Fair," and "Barry Lyndon" novels, but he wrote many other things besides, all of them so mid-Victorian they almost wear corsets or tophats! ;)
This one is a cutie pie, if you ask me. Here's one mother sharing her young babe in arms with another. It's sweet and fun to look into. For instance, you'll note the presence of a slave companion to one lady standing behind her, almost at center. Thackeray's first accounting of his storyline was well before our Civil War had ended. In fact, the author himself met his end a few years before its start.
This novel, which was written for a periodical in parts, takes place long before our Civil War, however. The 1700's are a fascinating time period in our American history, but also in our world's history as well.
The story behind Thackeray's books and drawings and a full accounting of his life may be found HERE, where you'll also find links to his plot line for this story (not intended for those looking to read his work--too many surprises spoiled).
So here we have his "Master Miles Warrington" illustration, in both our Black & White and Original Look versions.
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Thackeray Illustration: "Master Miles"

Black & White

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Steamy Collage Freebies: Two Themed Collage Sheets

That's right! We value our readers here, and so have decided to keep giving--and with no copyrights attached! You may download, for your use, any of our Printables. We've found it may be better to be openly allowing rather than worrying some of you might choose to claim you were the ones to make any of our Studio's original works. 
So, in that same vein, meet our two newest Collage Printables, both for the Steampunk style we all love playing around with. ;)
Both are designed to fit comfortably any 81/2" by 11" sheet of printer paper, so anyone can use them. 
We have used a 1907 book's cover liner as the basis for each design offered. 
I love the textures in both of these, and I hope you will too!
Happy Creativity!
Rose


P.S. Please do not package to sell any of our offerings. They were made to be FREE for all time.
Thank You
The Possum Art Team

Steampunk Themed Collage Backgrounds

Steamy Starlight

Downloadable Version HERE

Steampunk Dream

Downloadable Version HERE

Digital Sources: Obsidian Dawn, and JS Scully and gojo123 of Brusheezy.

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Seeing Double 3 Ways: Antique Views on San Francisco's Ferry Depot

We see many stereoscopic view cards in our travels, but this one caught our eye. It is so simple, such a basic background, the thought was: "An ideal background for Collage!" It's a turn of the century look without any clutter or fuss. And it's a tinted plate, meaning more fun in general!
I myself already have plans for this image. :)
For more information on the fascinating history of this remarkable structure, you can go HERE. It has survived more than one major earthquake!
Imagine the potential for art use here, though. Add people, mix, stir, and find yourself a brand new collage!
We think the possibilities may be endless.
Anyhow, here it is, and we hope you'll enjoy both our Original and Brightened versions, along with our Steampunk colorway version.
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Stereoscopic View of Old Time San Francisico

Brightened Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Tone

Downloadable Version HERE

Steampunk Colorway

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Circus Boy Printable: A Farm Boy's Dream

This is such a fun little bit of ephemera. Look at the boy's eyes, how they are full of mischief, good tricks, and silliness--even pride, a little bit.
We love it so much, we decided it must be done both ways for you, with brighter colors for those with an eye to the modern design value inherent in such a piece, and with the original coloring for those who prefer that "well loved" look. :)
Its size is set to fit a standard 81/2" by 11" sheet of printer paper, with some leeway.
So here it is, and we hope our visitors will find plenty of uses for it.
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Circus Loving Farmboy Printable Miniposter

Brighter Version

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Look

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Three Muses Challenge: "Postmark Paris"

We are having such fun today with the Three Muses' latest challenge! This will be the second foray into trying one of their challenges, and it's so much fun, we'd like it to go on all weekend!
Below, you'll see the result. This is actually a Rose McGuinn Original, and therefore has copyrights, everyone. Please keep that in mind for us, won't you? After all, anything not marked with our copyright here is totally free for our readers to use, no strings attached. But when it comes to any Artwork for display here, as in one of the challenges or an ATC with our Blissfull friends, we ask that you neither copy them for your own personal use nor publish them anyplace at all. That includes for ATC trades as well as ephemera, etc.
That being said, here is the copyrighted work on display.
Happy Creativity!
Rose & Studio Friends

Par Avion en Paris

(no link--this is not downloadable owing to its status)

Credits:

The Graphics Fairy for both plane and butterfly print, Obsidian Dawn's digital brushes, and our own basis, the French text Frame from our Hearts Within Hearts post. (Still trying to find our source for the Eiffel Tower image--can anyone help with this? We'd like to give credit where credit is due)

Victorian Botanical Art c. 1888: a Pitcher Plant

Harper's Readers are among my favorites for a feel of old time learning. In many cases, I think they were very intelligently compiled. Our chosen outtake for today's post is a lovelier one than I can remember, for the artwork is tasteful and refined.
Such engravings are harder to come by nowadays, and if you find one, it's best to snap it up for keeps. We did this about a year and a half ago at a local book sale. So now we're able to share all that wonderful ephemera with our readers! That's even more fun than finding the books we often refer to as "The Stash" or "The Archives."
We are, as per our usual habit here on PPS, including both our Original and Upgraded Looks. We hope you'll find plenty of uses for both.
Happy Creative Weekend, all!
Rose


FYI: We only pull apart things that won't otherwise scan for you, and then only as our team determines there is more value in a picture's use than in the book's overall value in its entirety. The book we are using for this post was a "second" in that it had been misbound, was tattered and had some writing in some of its margins. As a book, it wouldn't fetch more than $5 or so. (I think we paid all of $1.50 for it at that sale--a nice deal for our collectibles stash) But, as an archive addition, it makes for invaluable usage, wouldn't you say? ;)

Harper's Third Reader Pitcher Plant Study c. 1888

First Two Page Section

Downloadable Version HERE

Second Two Page Section

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Patina First Section

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Patina Second Section

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Rough Cut & Wrinkled: Antique Handwriting in French

Isn't this fun? I dearly love all things French, including our funny little jotting for this afternoon's post.
Letter writing itself is vanishing. A fine art once, those who wrote a "fine hand," or cursive, were often sought after to redraft their friends' correspondence. Nowadays, it is no longer in the curriculum of many of our schools here in the U.S. Pretty soon, nobody but those over 40 will be able to decipher the scribblings of the past unless taught for the purposes of, say, research.
For now, let us ponder our quickly scrawled brief epistle to find clues as to its history.
For one thing, we don't have enough French between us to fully comprehend what this was all about. :)
On the other hand, the free translators online are there for anyone to use--if, let us say, there are no mystery words left over. With a dictionary, we had been able to determine only a brief sketchy outline for you, while the online free translating service we chose took parts of what we gave it and made it sound a bit weird. "Eles" became eels. Go figure.
Ultimately, it was decided there were too many variations within speech to complete our free translation. However, there were some decisive victories over this mystery, one being how the person writing our note wanted news of his or her tobacco or a camera (free translations can be tricky!). Had these items arrived as planned? Apparently somebody was soon marrying and all were invited. An apology was given for the poor quality of the writing paper chosen. Nothing historic, for certain. But fun? We think it could be.


With our refining process, though, the image began to lose some of its potential for fun. It began to look middle aged, not 4 years shy of its 100th birthday. A decision had to be made: to post as is or delete it from our archives altogether.
Well, you know the rest. :)
Happy Creativity en Francais!
Rose

French Handwriting (Rough Cut)

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Antique Postcard: for the 4th of July

Postcards say so much more to us than the time of year in which they were sent. They speak of the times in which they were made, the science of the times contributing to inks, printing, paper quality. They also speak of human relations in their scrawled messages.
I love this one for the simple way our Lady Liberty stands, looking very human, indeed, in her Edwardian corset and Phrygian cap (which see HERE)(I may only just be able to spell that word--just please don't ask me to say it LOL). She's really quite a stunner, and not in the least our perfected ideal of a woman. Perhaps no one in today's society would think of her at all as exemplary or noteworthy. And her cap seems really an oddity unless we consider its origins. But most children never get to hear about ancient political freedom fights nor the Greeks nor Romans. This means, of course, our somewhat portly Lady "Libertas" might not be respectable, much less viewed as being Liberty herself by our modern terms. I think that's sad, don't you? I wouldn't have understood these things about her if I hadn't once read a little something about the ancient world, enough to learn there are such things as "Phrygian caps." (They reminded me a little of Snow White's dwarves' hats) This led to a little more research via Wikipedia, where we may also turn for the real story of our own national symbol, our Statue of Liberty.
She's not a national heroine by any stretch of the imagination, but I think we look upon her long robed figure and serious expression quite fondly and humbly. For we are here, aren't we? In some countries,  our many freedoms would not be taken so for granted. I hope we can recall how others may view our country come this 4th of July.
In the end, our Liberty is comprised of us all, as one People. And by the People, may this country rise to become ever stronger, ever wiser, ever better all the way around.
From all of us in our Studio, here's an early Happy Birthday salute to America!
Rose & Studio Friends

Fourth of July Postcard

Original Patina

Downloadable Version HERE

Brightened

Downloadable Version HERE

Reverse in Original Patina

Downloadable Version HERE

Reverse Brightened

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Art From Two Friends

Today is a very special day. I get to blog again, and enjoy what I'm doing. For the past week, I have been kept overly busy and have hardly had a chance to say two words to you all, and I missed every minute.
Mostly, I missed being a part of the fun with creative people like our two Guests for the week.


Amy Jo Dayton at Art From the Heart and Ann at annsimaginationcreations have graced me this week with loveliness. I say this week in that I have had to be away for so long their gifts could neither be brought home nor viewed till now, even though they'd been sent along a week before.


It's an amazing experience being involved locally very little while becoming known somewhat internationally (visitors from all over the globe visit here daily now--another reason to be delighted with our home blog's early days). What surprised me more was how quickly I felt tucked under the wings of their bright nurturing. If you notice, dear reader, these two ladies grace every 'Possum here nearly every day with encouraging words which, truth be known, have urged us to keep with the routine and grow online. They are intelligent, thoughtful, and tenderheartedly caring individuals. This is an easy thing to find out when you hang out with them online as often as it has been our PPS pleasure to do so. For me, this goes double, as I am our blog's semi official "Hostess." Which means, I get to enjoy our crowd here every single time I log in to blog.


Amy's art I had never seen before, on or offline, until my gig here. Now I know her quality and grace quite well. I say grace in that it must not be denied how graceful a wise compatriot of the blogging world Amy Jo Dayton is. Her recent gift, using one of the images posted HERE, wowed me down to the ground with beauty. And what beauty her artwork now brings into my life! (and FRAMED too!!!!!)

Art by Amy Jo Dayton of Amy Jo's Folk Art Studio, Traverse City, Michigan

(In which every color fits with the decor of the front room! And the theme is divine! Love the frame's look too!!!!)

Three ATCs by Ann of ansimaginationcreations.blogspot.com

(sorry about the blur to the first card's look--we're still in the market for the right camera)

I am honored, wowed to tears here, for I am truly grateful to these two ladies for making me feel as comfortable as I now feel in this position. I owe it to both for making the time here in our earliest stages of growth, process, and development, all the warmer and more lighthearted. I can't begin to tell everyone just how much it has meant to find their lovely musings in the Comments box here at nearly every turn. And that doesn't even count the emails we've begun trading here in recent weeks.


I can't even recall the first time we started interacting here. It just seems like from Day One.


Ann I only lately began to know once she became our first Giveaway winner back in April of this year. As we had only been blogging a short time, our first prize package had special significance, made all the more special by the beautiful people we met along the way. There are several others who've paved the way to good relations, all of whom deserve mention, yet I know somehow they'll find it true how consistently there these two people are. That they latched onto this site when it had barely begun still stumps me. The why of it I could not tell you. I just know I'm enjoying every minute. And with these two women around, who wouldn't find our blogosphere a friendlier, warmer, safer environment to incubate new ideas? We're not hatched yet, and we are warmed by our Followers, Friends and Visitors to continue incubating and to hopefully become something more than just a few random ideas coming together at the same starting point.


So here's to Amy Jo and Ann!!! Long may they artfully blog!!!!!!!!!
Love you guys.
You are two special, special people.
Rose