Free Bookplate Set

Books for Children!

We love books here at the Studio. It is sad to think that many books have disappeared from library shelves due to modern technology. The rustle of pages in a quiet library once allowed our minds to hush and study calmly. Nowadays, some libraries can be pretty loud places. Once upon a time, our libraries were a refuge from the noisiness of the world.

A book can expand minds. We may touch it, turn a page or two, and find our minds in far off places. The smell of the binding, the feel of paper, cloth, leather, and book board have all contributed to many people's new or expanded ideas, thoughts and feelings.

Electronic books may remove the viewer from this physical presence of BOOK as object. We here at Plush Possum think some books may have been destroyed unnecessarily in favor of electronic means, and are in favor of real books. After all, we do not have to electrify a book in order to make it either readable or interesting.

Summers found us Possums often in our public or household libraries. I myself have read literally hundreds of books over the years, some of which I can recall fondly, just as one would old friends. To sit quietly, observing someone else's ideas under a shady tree or in some secluded corner can be a wonderful thing to do.

In honor of our love of books, we've refashioned a 1902 illustration into a bookplate, specifically for children, although anyone may use it for their own books, etc.

We've cleaned it up somewhat and changed it, hopefully making its color work well for any modern printer. The borders of this 8.5 inch by 11 inch sheet are .5 inches in size. Each bookplate should fit the average sized book, although we imagine that they may be reduced in size at any copy center or by using one's own home computer.

So let's hear it for the good old fashioned summer read, and books for everyone!

And let's hear it for the giving of real books to children!

Children's Bookplate Set

Download HERE

You are free to:

use this bookplate design as intended or in your artwork, for either fun or profit.

You are not free to:

repackage it in any way for sale.

Please respect our gifts for the public's use.

Thank you.

Meet Victoria the New Paper Doll

Good Morning and welcome to my studio! 
For the New Look Victoria (more mature, 5 different hair colors to choose from and with better outfits) version of this doll, please click on the following link HERE. Please also respect my time and effort along with my copyrights. Thank you.
We have finally begun a process towards providing a series of outfits for this, our newest gift for kids--and the kid in all of you adult crafters out there.  :)
Meet Victoria Lacey. 
Her wardrobe may grow over the coming months to where we may call her a bit of a clothes horse, and it may include clothes from various late Victorian fashion trends. From hats to walking suits, to ball gowns, you can expect to find her attired for almost every occasion. 
Her second outfit should be posted shortly. For that, I had to literally take apart and resize and alter digitally nearly every portion before it would finally fit our doll. But the final result has convinced me it would be well worth the effort to keep trying for all the visitors here at PPS to provide her with every outfit possible, including costumery for times of the year such as holidays.
I do hope you'll share her with your children, bearing in mind, of course, how dolls may tear easily and ought better to be backed with some stiffener such as good quality card before playtime can occur.
All outfits will come tabbed, their hats with special gear which should allow for greater ease of use. (Please tip me off if there are glitches to any of this gadgetry, won't you?)
For more fun with the PPS collection of  Paper Doll Sets, you may go HERE.
Anyway, I do hope you and yours may enjoy our newest paper doll set for years to come using your--
Happy Creativity!
Rose

P.S. For Victoria's story, in its first edition, available now ONLY till May 22nd, 2012, you can click on the appropriate Download link in either her Dressing Gown or Visiting Ensemble post.

NOTE:

This paper doll has been "remodeled" by us for your use. It therefore cannot be re-packaged for sale, even if you re-modify it still further (unless you ask for our permission to do so and we happen to grant it freely).

All of this paper doll's outfits have had to be manipulated heavily using Photoshop, in order to ensure proper fit and pretty enough color. This has not always been easy. The doll's arms and body do not conform to the average fashion plates from her era. Lots of work went into each outfit. Some have turned out better than others, but we were glad to provide her along with her outfits here at Plush Possum.

Therefore, we respectfully ask that our version of this doll, along with her outfits and accoutrements, never be re-packaged by anybody for sale or offered as a set without directly referring your guests back to the site of origin.

We respect the copyrights of others, and ask that you will join us in every effort to do so.

Thank you.

Victoria Lacey Paper Doll

Download Digi PNG Version HERE

Download For Print Version HERE

Credits: Original 1890's image (prior to our fiddling) from
the New york Public Library at nypl.org

Plush Page Frames: Art Nouveau Nature Motif Four Ways

Today we're featuring our first set of page frames in quite a while. This time, we began with a public domain item found online, then converted it four ways for you.
And aren't they lovely? I have to tell you I nearly swooned when we first found it could be converted into new colorways which look fresh enough. As not everything will convert, this was a pleasing trial and error process which yielded the four tones you see below. I'm especially fond of nature themes, having grown up near woods and wilderness, so this one really plays my heart strings.
We hope our friends online will find plenty of uses for these lovely, old style art nouveau frames.
enjoy your weekend with your--
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Plush Page Frames: Art Nouveau Nature Motif

Earth & Stone

Download Digi PNG Version HERE

Download For Print Version HERE

Maroon

Download Digi PNG Version HERE

Download For Print Version HERE

Royal Purple

Download Digi PNG Version HERE

Download For Print Version HERE

Hunter Green

Download Digi PNG Version HERE

Download For Print Version HERE

Credits: Original 1890's image (prior to our fiddling) from

the New York Public Library at nypl.org

You are free to:

use these frames within the context of your own art, whether sold or kept.

You are not free to:

repackage them to be sold.

They are a free gift for the public's use.

Please respect the public.

Thank you.

A Look at June's Marvelous Mask!!!!!

I feel so proud and pleased to be giving you all the latest news.

Our friend June, over at Dezinaworld, has today posted the most lovely gift for PPS.

She has taken something we posted and made it into something truly special.

And then blogged about it---with bells on!!!! 

Check this out:

Wow!!!!!

This just knocks my socks off!

Imagine if you will, me, knocked sockless at my computer--a sockless, blogging possum!!!! :)

I just love everything she did with that Mask Blank. Her version of it far out-classes everything we'd hoped for!!!! Don't you just love the added bling around the eye area? Just the perfect touch, if you ask this possum. And her color sense is divine!!!

When polled, our good friend June's response was for the go-ahead on our featuring her lovely mask in a separate post here at PPS. In her email responses, she wrote:

"I used good strong plain card with no other backing and it's good and sturdy. I used a hot glue gun to attach the lace and just added bling and some ribbon. It was really easy and I did plan to do something more elaborate but sadly I didn't have the time. Happily though, I was very pleased with the result.......I adore the masks and immediately could see their potential, they are cleverly designed and perfectly sized (and you may quote me on that)."

Isn't it a blessing to have such a good friend?

Her featuring this design has given us possums a real boost in our numbers, along with some new Followers.

This woman really is a gem (yes--and you may quote PPS on that!). ;)

BTW, her latest sale on Halloween merchandise is awesome wonderfulness through and through! Be sure and pop over to see all the other goodies that Dezinaworld has to offer as well! It's a great place to find collage elements of all kinds.

Take care, all, and have a massively marvelous good time shopping over at June's. Her DT's made up of spectacular artisans with much real creative flair. Every week, it's something different over there! 

Don't know where she finds the time to keep it all going so smoothly--she must be one dynamic woman.

In future, we'll be keeping parts of this article in our Feature Gallery Page. You can look for it here in about another week.

Happy Creativity!

Rose

Steampunk Mask Blanks

Well, you can never have too much Steampunk--not if you're this possum, anyway! Our thoughts have turned to travel lately, from a standpoint of our favorite theme. To add to our selection of masks for your use this time (or anytime) of year, the obvious conclusion was to think in terms of travels abroad, especially by air. 
For what Steampunker would be without her or his own flash airship? One certainly must be able to gauge where one is headed if aloft, then. And to add to the experience, we began to explore antique maps online for more inspiration.
Not only that, but one of our marble paper colors, sepia to be exact, looked so right in with these two sets, it was almost a given it belonged.
You'll note how, once again, we are relying on a large scale sheet as printing surface, that of 11" by 17", or standard Ledger Size in U.S. terms. Most U.S. printers may handle almost any format no broader than 11", so most of our visitors will find it easily printable, given the correct sheets of paper.
We also recommend that these be backed by either a stronger paper such as a semi flexible card stock, or with fabric of a smooth texture and fine grain prior to threading string/ribbons/yarn/what have you through the holes at either temple.
The possibilities here strike me. One might add, perhaps,  paper cogs or rusty metal machine parts , watch parts, little bits of ephemera or music box parts, then maybe add a few details from our cogged gems set, all to make a unique display of one's own.
Anyway, you get the intent with your--
Happy Creativity!
Rose

NOTE:

These masks are never to be repackaged for sale. 
You may use them, for free, but you must never sell 
any of them for any reason. 
I have exclusive copyrights to their final design. 
The same applies to all of my party accessories.

It's simply the LAW (that is a link).

In other words, my pre-packaged work, my Steampunk party accessories included, is not for sale, and is never meant to be, and this carries over into the choices which you, 
my guests here at PPS, are allowed to make by law.
All of the party accessories took many, many hours of painstaking work, so I would like it if you would only share and attribute 
(with links, please, back to the source, which is right here), 
and never repackage for sale, any of my work.

While parts of my work still come from copyright free sources, some do come with Licenses to copy and use, 
but never to sell for any reason, in any way, shape or form. 
I may be free to use them, but would never abuse that privilege.

Plush Possum Studio will continue 
to uphold the copyrights of others.

Thank you for joining me in doing so.

Steampunk Mask Blanks

Set One

Download JPG Print Version HERE

Set Two


Download JPG Print Version HERE

Credits: Original Antique imagery from
the New York Public Library digiatl collections
at nypl.org
Also, Wiki commons

Collage Printable Freebie: Teatime in Good Company

This Set might be just right for either a Mothers Day project or for a Birthday card.
There is nothing like the pleasure derived from treasured moments among those special friends one might call "kindred spirits" (to coin a phrase used by Ann of Green Gables' Ann Shirley and her "bosom friend" Diana Berry). I have often thought of teatime as one of the best ways of relaxing with my closer associates. Tea, finger sandwiches, delicate goodies made to look pretty, all set in a warm, inviting environment, can bring out the very best in one's guests, don't you agree? :)

Please see the Guidelines below, in red.

This ephemera Set includes some antique images of tea parties, along with various related bits for Digi and/or Hands-On collage. Among them, are included several images for my Digi visitors without backgrounds, for easier use with their digital editing software.

The Digi crowd will of course wish to go for the choice marked as "Digi PNG" while Hands-On friends will wish to choose the one marked as "JPG Print." Please note the distinction when choosing.
Hope you'll find lots of fun ways to express the joys of friendship using this set.
Happy Creativity!
Rose

PPSDigiScrap™Ephemera Set: Tea & Company

Download Digi PNG Version HERE

Download JPG print Version HERE

Credits: Original Antique imagery (prior to my work) from
the New York Public Library at nypl.org
Also, Wikimedia Commons

You are free to:
use any of the items from the above Set 
in personal artwork that you will sell.
You are not free to:
Repackage this set nor use any of the parts of this set in 
sets which you choose put together for sale.
Please protect all artist copyrights.
Thank you
for helping me to
keep free things free!

Plush Page Frames: From "Punchkin" (see last post)

Good evening, everybody! It's time for the promised new Plush Page Frames to join their category.
And what a jewel toned gallery they make! The reigning fave here? That would have to be Turquoise, with Tiger Eye a close second.
Hope you'll enjoy them as much as this blog hostess!
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Plush Page Frames from Punchkin Illustration

Ruby

Downloadable Version HERE

Tiger Eye

Downloadable Version HERE

Peridot

Downloadable Version HERE

Emerald

Downloadable Version HERE

Turquoise

Downloadable Version HERE

Sapphire

Downloadable Version HERE

Amethyst

Downloadable Version HERE

Garnet

Downloadable Version HERE

Black & White

Downloadable Version HERE

Primary Imagery used (prior to much fiddling by us)

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

You are free to:

use the above images in artwork for fun or profit.

You are not free to:

repackage any of them in any way for sale.

Please respect our gift for the public's use.

Thank you.

Steampunk Collage Sheet: An Old London Map

This week, we are really having our kicks on the Steampunk theme. At two of our favorite sites, Gingersnap Creations and The Three Muses, we have found much inspiring work, with lots of fun new ways to enjoy our Steampunk theme. 
The Gingersnap group, as mentioned before, really has gone all out with their version of it, designating the entire month of July for Steampunk style! 
While they're busy arting it up using the hands on approach, the gals over at The Three Muses just offered a digital collage artist's dream challenge for this week around that very same theme. We highly recommend our readers swing by both spots for more inspiration than they can shake a stick at.
(For more goodies in the same style and/or colorway, go HERE.)


Our collage sheet below is designed around a favorite motif here at our Studio, that of old maps--the browner and crustier the better! We've added a few digital flourishes, a lot of grunge artistry, and some of our favorite digital brush artists' brushes around the edges as well as here and there in the middle to give you chances to play on our theme with more abandon. We list all credits at the bottom of this post. 
(Note: Please check with the digital brush artists mentioned before selling any of your creations based on this work. Some digi artists may waive any rights to copyrighting, while more than one may ask that you pay a small fee for specific brushes they may retain legal copyright for. This is only fair, after all--they did all the design work so we could have all the fun! We provide links to make this a little easier for our visitors. Thanx!)
We do hope our readers will join us in arting it up with our salutes to the Steampunk genre, including following those links above for more of what the creative fun's all about.
Happy Creativity!
Rose


NOTE: For print, this sheet does have borders all four sides, and measures approximately 7" by 9".

Steampunked Old London Collage Sheet

Downloadable Version HERE

Credits: nineteeneightysevendesign, Obsidian Dawn, digitalrevolutions, gojo23, tackybrush (also known as kimbahanne), witchy_13.
Please thank them for their beautiful work if you visit their pages at Brusheezy!




Map courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Much fiddling and general creative mayhem courtesy PPS

You are free to:
use this collage background for the fun of it in art, etc.
preferably
with credits given to the designers (PPS) along with the list of credits above.
You are not free to:
Repackage this item for sale in any way.
Please respect our gifts for the public's use.
Thank you.

The Brilliance of Edward Lear: A Nonsense Rhyme Sheet

This will be the first of our installments on Lear's work, all of which is comically illustrated to please children and adults alike. This page in particular shows how not every limerick is best said out of the range of young people's hearing.
All of his mature life, Edward Lear made fine art which was both colorful and quite well received in his day. Queen Victoria herself commissioned him to give her drawing lessons at one point. 
Today, some of us might remember his name in connection with the very famous children's poem, "The Owl and the Pussycat," although his illustrative cartoons may be less well known--or not known at all among children in the U.S.
Our page only incorporates a small cross section of Lear's nonsense rhymes, which went into print as early as 1846. This page is from a compendium of children's literature, but we are also pleased to announce we have his Nonsense book, in its entirety, in an antique reprint from the 1800's. Over time, we hope to make as many pages as may be had from our slim volume available here for free so that our many readers may share the genius of Lear with their kids and grandkids.
So, without further ado, here is our page containing just a little nonsense for a hot summer afternoon.
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Edward Lear Rhyme Page

Black & White

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Original Look

Downloadable Version HERE

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

You are free to:

make artwork for fun or profit with the above images.

You are not free to:

repackage them in any way for sale.

Please respect our gift to the public.

Thank you.

18th Century Scenes from Victorian Literature

Thackeray wrote more than one fine novel in his time. We may have him to thank for Vanity Fair or Barry Lyndon, but he also wrote more than one storyline having more to do with our colonies--in pre-Revolutionary War terms, that is. For us, it's a good thing he did, for we now have not only his books to refer to for a good read, but also those masterful illustrations used in depicting each storyline.
We're particularly fond of this one, for it embraces a distinguished era in graceful looking fashions with manners and refinement. Our world today is a busy, whirling mass of new ideas. If we were to step back in time to one of the scenes below, what might our impression be?
For one thing, I'm guessing the smells of body odors and lack of flush toilets could well make us want to retreat--and quickly! ;)
But after that, our fascination with all things of another era would take over.
Just imagine........


For those of you who admire that aged look for use when you collage, we include our usual choices of Black & White or Original Patina.
Thanks for stopping by, and----
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Scenes from Thackeray's "The Virginians"

Part One

"George Made Much Of"

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Patina

Downloadable Version HERE

"A Step-Father in Prospect"

Downloadable Version HERE

Original Patina

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use

Please respect our gifts for the publics use.

Please do not repackage any of our stock for sale.

Thank you for respecting our public.

In Time for Shakespeare's Birthday

Now, I realize nobody can really tell us the exact day of the Bard's birth, but it is a long held tradition to celebrate it right around this time of year. Some say he wrote the sonnets I've posted as a nudge toward his patron to kill his lazy ways and start doing something with his life besides party and have a good time down in Merrie Olde England. Having reread it (for the first time since college days) during the process of preparing it for print/digital art-making for you all, I came to believe the same.
Also included this time will be a portion of All's Well That Ends Well, one of his comedies. (Okay, so no one's certain if he wrote it or not, but we'll say he did, just for his day)
Best of all, I have that old portrait (not the best likeness, so I hear), in both the "rough cut" versions with no cleanup, and in the Black and White, cleaned up version. We hope you'll make use of them all in fun or for serious study, take your pick, it's up to you.
The book scanned for these images comes to us from the late Victorian era. I lost the frontispiece to this one in the shuffle of moving 2 years back, and haven't found it in among the things it was with--so far. However, I can recall it as having been a late 1800's edition, so we'll call it good.
I love its pages, so lightweight and almost see-through, with gilt edges that still retain their gloss. I suppose this must have cost a fair amount in its time. It was coming apart at both ends by the time I spotted it and gave it a home.
So Happy Birthday to "Willy the Shake" and
Happy Creativity, everybody!
Rose

Shakespeare's Portrait

Downloadable Version HERE

Sonnets, First Page

Downloadable Version HERE

All's Well That Ends Well Outtake

Downloadable Version HERE

Portrait Page--Rough Cut

Downloadable Version HERE

Scanned Imagery courtesy PPS Archives

Free for Public Domain Use