Family Fun Project: Antique Toy Animals

These I found in the Studio's archives yesterday.

While these antique stuffed animal toys really do look charming, you may want to update their materials somewhat in order to conform to today's standards for child safety. One example of this would be to replace the beads used in this pattern as eyes for the animals.

Please respect all copyrights, credits and red letter Guidelines given at this blog, including the ones at the foot of this post. Thank you.

I have never tried using either of these patterns myself. Speaking as a former costumer and hat designer, however, I think that it might be wise to do what many seamstresses and tailors do, and that would be to experiment first using some lightweight cotton fabric such as calico or muslin.

These toys would look cute in any antique store display of some other children's items, I suppose. This would be nice for specialty shops trading in Edwardian children's goods, especially as the patterns themselves were designed and published between 1905 and 1910.

This would not be an easy project for anyone that would be new to sewing, though. The instructions offer too little guidance for the novice, and there are no seam lines to each pattern. Judging from the looks of the finished products as well as the patterns, my best guess at this moment is that seam allowances are included in the overall plan, but are not sketched onto every pattern piece. Again, experimentation is of importance as would be the sewer's creative choices. You may not like to crochet, for example, and therefore might choose to use a piece of trim or braid for the pig's tail, etc. I suppose that these 2 patterns could even be enlarged or resized to suit tastes.

Personally, I think that they are both sweet and charming.

Happy Stitching Creativity!

PPSFamily Fun Project™: 

Two Antique Stuffed Toy Animals

Download Patterns HERE

Display version

(Lower quality than the download)

Download Instruction page HERE

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(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use this set of patterns 

along with their instructions for free

and to sell any resulting efforts

you may make using them.

You are not free to:

ever sell the patterns themselves,

unless you choose to remake them completely.

Please credit this blog with the patterns' origins.

Thank you

 for helping me to

keep free things free!

Coloring Page: Playing Dress Up Games

Feathers ~! 
...and even more feathers await the coloring artist who would choose this item to color.

1/4 (or .25) inch margins for this one on your chosen printer.

I just thought that this one looked like a lot of challenging fun. There is a lot of detail within this picture, so either colored pencils or a big box set of crayons with a sharpener might work out better. I would imagine that a colored pencil set might include some wonderful peacock feather colors. 

The tapestry birds look really comical to me, and the child's delight at wearing her mother's hat is, I think, charming.

I'm keeping this one in the public domain where I found it, as it needed very little help from me in order to be a proper coloring page.

Happy coloring creativity!

PPSColorMe™Page: Dressing Up with Feathers

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

color this page or use it

in art or crafting that may then

be either sold or given.

Let's keep it free, though.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Rainy Day Coloring Page

A rainy day with a bustle?

I've used the word, "bustle" in two ways there. The mother and daughter are really in a serious hurry to get to where they are headed and out of the wet weather, aren't they? But both are wearing bustle era fashions that I find charming, if inconvenient. Their shoes do appear very impractical, but the mother's petticoats look even less practical under the circumstances, don't they? Both wear impractical bonnets as well. Without their umbrellas, things would have grown completely soggy for both.

Note: this particular coloring page has 1/4 inch margins instead of my normal 1/2 inch ones.

I do feel sad for the little rain drenched dog. The poor dear thing looks just miserable. Other people may be seen faintly in the background, shielded from our view by the rain, a tree, or an umbrella. It's like a moment in time, captured for us to look at and to wonder about. I always wonder about an artist's source for inspiration, don't you? Had the artist caught sight of the pair shown here? We will never know for certain, but we can guess that this pair actually had been seen and then captured in a few quick sketches prior to the finishing of this work of art.

But let's hurry out of the rain before we become completely soaked!
Happy rainy days Creativity!

PPSColorMe™ Rainy Day Mother and Daughter

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use this download however you like.

I have made some necessary changes for you

but am choosing to leave this one 

in the Public Domain.

Thank you

for helping me to 

keep free things free!

Ice Skating the Victorian Way

The scene is from an 1859 magazine.

The illustration below is of a wintry day in Victorian Boston. The ice rink is crowded, simply full of life and activity. I thought it would make either a nice framed print for someone's wall or else something fun to be colored in, although it occurs to me that this could work well for card making and other craft projects.

It was found in a Public Domain venue, and then re-sized and cleaned up a little. In other words, it's for everyone and anyone for any reason.

Happy Wintertime Fun!

PPSColorMe™: Boston Ice Skating

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Free for Public Domain Use.

Her First Ice Skates

Skating in the fresh air for the very first time!

Isn't this a fun and pretty old picture?  Everybody seems to be having such a very good time. The cold weather seems to be a joy, and not a problem, for them.

When I was a little girl, I used to enjoy skating, too. In our town, there was a lake where it was safe to skate during cold enough weather, as well as a man made rink. My first skates were white. I had to save up for them, and was so very excited when I finally could wear them on the ice!

This picture is shown in two ways, original tone or sepia. Both have separate downloads below. Please read all red letter Guidelines here at this blog. Thank you. That having been said, this particular image happens to be in the Public Domain, meaning that anyone may use it for any reason. It's been reformatted and resized for a better print, and also cleaned up a little bit, by me.

This illustration from an antique magazine could likely also be colored in. My suggestion would be for clear color of some sort, or for soft treatment. Perhaps colored pencils or pan pastels might look really nice. However, ink will run if exposed to moisture, so unless your home printer or copy center offers ink which is not water soluble, I think that dry media would work better.

Happy Wintertime Creativity!

PPS™ Her First Ice Skates

Download Original Look HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Sepia Toned Look HERE

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(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use these ice skating images

however you may choose.

These particular images

are in

the Public Domain.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Delivering New Year Wishes

Happy New Year!

There is snow on the rooftop, and a pleasant scene in this cute new coloring page. I like its old fashioned appeal.

The lucky child is carrying a gigantic fresh pretzel! The woman has a basket under her arm loaded with what appear to be fresh baked goods or a treat of some sort hidden underneath a cloth. As she hands the elder gentleman her letter of greeting, the snow is thickening upon her umbrella. Behind her sits a little sledge for carrying young people or things through snow covered streets. The two must be delivering good cheer to their friends and family. The man stands in the doorway, still smoking his long stemmed, old fashioned pipe.

(Note: this one may be challenging to color, due to all of the fresh snowflakes!)

To all my friends here at PPS and G+ ~~

May joy and peace be yours in the coming New Year!
~Rose

PPSColorMe™: Delivering New Year Wishes

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use the above illustration

however you may like!

It's free

and in the Public Domain.

Thank you 

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Free Regency Children Coloring Page

Jane Austen Month continues!

Isn't this little illustration charming? While it was not made during the Austen or Regency era, it was so cute that I felt inclined to include it. The artist was the very gifted Victorian illustrator, Kate Greenaway. For more about her life and work, you can follow this link, HERE.

Many of Greenaway's works were devoted in style to the Jane Austen era of British history. From storybooks to children's nursery rhyme books to calendars, Greenaway painted them all.

Happy Regency Creativity!

PPSColorMe™: Regency Children at Play

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

Have fun with this one!

With no known copyrights, it was

considered to be in the Public Domain

when I found it.

More Jane Austen: Regency Family at Table

Early 1800's family at the table together.

Isn't this picture charming? It is so sweet that I simply had to include it in this month's Jane Austen Celebration. It is apparently from fairly early on in that era, as shown by the hair styles and various clothing details, although that is far from certain. It is also of European origin rather than British, but I chose to include it due to its charm.

I have cropped and resized it to better fit a home copy machine sized page, and then cleaned it up in order to refresh its looks. The color, too, has been adjusted just a bit.

This is a casual scene, but gently rendered. I really like the colors and the intent expressions of everybody there. I wonder what kind of soup is being served to this large family? Perhaps potato, perhaps not. We will never know.

Happy Regency Era Creativity!

PPS™ Regency Era Family at Table

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

This time

You are free to:

use this picture in art for fun

or in items made for sale.

But

please do not

sell it as is.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Coloring Page: "I Am Perfectly Content."

The King's daughter finds a contented young man to be her prince.

There is a fragment of the story for this coloring page. It was so quaintly romantic and old fashioned, I simply had to include it.


The story reads as follows:

[Text Appearing Before Image:]

"...green trees and the greener fields, in that dainty little cloud fleck-ing heavens blue up yonder like a bit of foam on a sunlit sea? Oh, no! I am rich enough, for all nature is mine—"

"And I am yours," said a sweet young voice.

The man looked up in surprise, and there before him, holding out her pretty hands toward him, stood the Princess Madge, who had slipped into the cell unnoticed. 

The man sprang to his feet, clasped the little hands in his, and said: I know not what you mean, sweet lady, when you say that you are mine; but oh, you are passing beautiful!" 

"Papa," called the princess, "this is quite dreadful. Quick, take off that ugly soldiers coat and tell him who we are and all about it!"

The king, starting as if from a dream, threw off the rough coat and hat and stepped forth into the beam of sunlight, resplendent in gold and ermine. "Thou dost not know me, my man? I am the king. Hast thou not read our last proclamation?"

"No, your Majesty; I never do read proclamations."

[Text Appearing After Image:]

"Then thou didst not know that the hand of the princess is offered to the first contented man who enters the palace?"

"No, your Majesty; I knew it not."

"Then know it now, and know, too, that thou art the man. To thee I give my daughter, together with half my kingdom. No, no—not a word. Thou deservest her. May you be happy!"

The prisoner, almost dumb with astonishment, almost dazed with joy, knelt and kissed the princess's white hands, then looked into her eyes and said: "Ah, well it is for me that I saw you not until now, for I should have been miserably discontented until you were mine! "

Happy Coloring Creativity!

PPSColorMe™Page: "I am perfectly content"

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Now in the Public Domain

in the USA, Canada, and most of the EU.

(I am uncertain about the laws in the Baltic states.)

Free Scary Dragon Coloring Page

Dragon versus a Boy and his animal friends!

This is a thriller of a picture, isn't it? It sends shivers right through me. I wouldn't recommend this for the younger crowd who are prone to nightmares or who frighten easily.

All the same, I think dragon tales are fascinating, don't you? So when I stumbled upon this image in the archives, I chose to create a new Coloring Page for us all to enjoy.

I've enlarged it to fit the normal parameters here at the Studio's blog, that is to say, borders of around a half inch wide, and on all 4 sides. Following that procedure, I always check for flaws and blots or mistakes in the initial copy's printing or scanning process. This one required very little cleaning, if I recall my facts correctly.

The boy is trapped in such a precarious spot! The monkeys are scrambling to join him on his branch. The dragon is too fierce for him to fight. The poor cow or young bull suffers a mortal loss. I cannot help feeling sorry for the poor beast!

I imagine that the boy's one chance for survival would be to wait for one of two things. One of those would be  that help would come, as in a gathering of grownups with muskets or rifles with which to chase away or kill the ugly, scaly brute. Another would be that the dragon might eventually be full enough of all of that poor cow's meat to become sluggish or sleepy, thereby allowing the boy (and the two monkeys) to flee carefully and then to seek help.

Stories abound around the world of troublesome creatures with scaly hides, clawed feet, big teeth, long tails, and ridged backs. These are mentioned in some of our most ancient historical documents, from Ancient China to India to Wales and other UK locations, Scandinavian countries, and so forth.

So here it is, in all of its scary, fiery excitement!

Happy (or in this case, scary LOL) Coloring Creativity!

PPSColorMe™: A Boy Against a Dangerous Dragon

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Public Domain

Have fun sharing!

Thank you for helping me to keep 

free things free!

A Coloring Page for Moms and Daughters

A Victorian Coloring Page

Mother is in the Nursery, helping her little girl with her clothing for a new morning. This old illustration from the 1890's was simply crying out to be made into a coloring page. Right away, I knew that this would be a quick and easy process, as the quality was already suitable for coloring. It's free and likewise in the Public domain!
:)

ALL Moms are "working moms."
And all little children deserve good mothering. So let's hear it for those hardworking moms who are the unsung heroes of family life.
Have a good and safe weekend, everyone!

Happy Creativity!

PPSColorMe™ Page: Victorian Mother with Child

Download HERE

Display Version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

use this coloring page

however you may choose.

Let's keep free things free!

Thank you.

Coloring Page: A Child Who Loves Her Pet

PPSColorMe™ Page: the girl who loves her dog

This one was cleaned up by me personally. It really needed very little work using Photoshop. It has been enlarged to fit the average home printer. At the Studio's usual size of 8.5 inches by 11 inches, and with half inch borders on all four sides, I would imagine that it might well fit most foreign printers as well.

I love a good dog, don't you? The power of a dog's love can truly change a person's whole outlook. Recently, I saw a photograph posted on G+ which reminds me very much of this charming picture. The picture itself is from an old Celtic tale of some antiquity. I don't know the story at all. I simply liked the image.

So here it is, and to remain in the Public Domain category, as well as the PPSColorMe™ category here at the Studio's blog.

Happy coloring creativity!

PPSColorMe™ Page: the little girl loves her dog

Download Printable Version HERE

Display Copy below is lower in quality than the download

You are free to:

share this with others for free.

It is in the Public Domain in the USA and Canada.

Thank you for helping me to keep free things free!

A ColorMe™ Page: A Tale from India for Boys

This PPSColorMe™ Page is all about a tiger with a serious paw problem. The boy is being brave and kind to the tiger. This is an ancient theme, found in another old story from Europe, one which involves a lion instead of a tiger.

I love the tiger's facial expression, don't you? And some boys can be very brave, indeed! Any act of kindness offers courage.

This image was initially found free online, but had to be cleaned up and updated a bit so that it would print. Please read our red guidelines and/or credits with your
Happy Creativity!

PPSColorMe™ Page for Boys: A Tale From Old India

The Removal of a Thorn from a Large Paw

Downloadable Version HERE

You are free to:

use the above image for artistic purposes, including in the classroom.

You are not free to:

Sell it at all, as when it was found, there was a specific license attached to its use.

It is to be shared, and never sold.

Let's keep free things free!

Thank you.

Back to School Graphics for Digi or Print

3 Back to School Image Sets 2 Ways

We love to be flexible around here, and so tend to offer our guests a certain number of options or choices. All 3 items are offered in 2 ways, Digi PNG for our Digital crowd, and Print JPG for our copy and glue crowd. I love to utilize both ways, myself, and hope our guests can relax, knowing they are among friends.

All of the children are charming, aren't they? Personally, my very favorite image from all of what we offer here is the one of the girl posing from a side view with a smile on her face. Her caption reads: " 'Draw me portrait, please, sir.' The load consists of school books and hobnail shoes." I love her dignified and very glad smile. I think she must have been a very interesting young person to have known. But then, I really do love children everywhere.

Our later version of the sheet music cover has been recreated considerably until it became a frame for you. I also enjoy the initial image it came with. It is offered both ways, for your enjoyment.

All image credits may be found below.
Please respect all copyrights with your Happy Creativity!

PPSDigiScrap™ Back to School Set 1

Download Digi PNG Version HERE

Download Print JPG Version HERE

Display Version (lower quality)

PPSDigiScrap™ Back to School Set 2

Download Digi PNG Version HERE

Download Print JPG Version HERE

Display Version (lower quality)

Our Sheet Music Front Cover "Frame" with "Chums"

Download Digi PNG Version HERE

Download Print JPG Version HERE

Display Version (lower quality)

CREDITS:

NYPL Image Archive

All Rights Reserved by NYPL.org

All design work using these images by PPS

You are therefore free to:

use the above images for educational or private use.

And you are therefore not free to:

sell any of the above images

without the explicit permission of NYPL,

even if they have been altered significantly by you.

Please respect all free gifts online,

including ours.

Please respect the rights of artists and archivists everywhere.

Thank you.

Free Fairytale Coloring Page

The Frog Prince for coloring

I love old fairytales, don't you? Here is one example of a fun old story about a frog, his princess, and their first kiss. We had to doctor it a bit by adding a few features, and have hopefully done this for your enjoyment.

First, a better frame had to be added, then the banner for the text. We then cleared up a few messes, in order to make a more clear print.

Have fun sharing for free with your

Happy Creativity!

PPSColorMeSheet™The Frog Prince

Download JPG Print Version HERE

All sources Free and in the Public Domain

on this particular item

as far as we know.

Please respect our gifts for the public's use.

Let's keep free things free!

Thanks!

:)

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.

Fan Card--Summer of Color 5: 2 Pinks 1 Orange

Pink and Orange Fan Invitation Card

Printables can really make playtime and party times more fun. We've created fans here before in different color ways, one of them in the Steampunk theme. 

This time around, we've used the SOC5 prompt of 2 Pinks 1 Orange. We do hope you'll really have fun and play around with adding details of your own by using rubber stamp letters, Glimmer Mist, glitter, gel pens, etc.

So cool off with our cute summer fans during this Summer of Color number 5!

Happy Creativity!

Display Copy

Summer of Color Party Fan

Download the Printable Set HERE

Digital Brushes by:

www.obsidiandawn.com

tiffcali06 and gvalkyrie over at www.brusheezy.com

also at Brusheezy, Diana (Decorative Frames).

Everything else, Plush Possum Studio's creativity.

You are free to:
make art or fun with this fan, for fun or profit.
If you incorporate this fan into works
that are for sale, please remember to
credit this blog along with the artists
listed in the Credits above.
You are not free to:
repackage this fan in any way on its own for sale,
even if you build on my design.
Thank you for helping me to keep free things free!

Antique Happy Birthday Bicycle Postcard

Today's offering is a front side-only image of a young boy riding a colorfully decorated bicycle. It's a Happy Birthday greeting card with a lot of charm, one we've held back on posting for a while. The truth is, we would normally have posted both sides of this card, except the reverse is pretty blah, with no redeeming value as far as looks go. It's even a bit too damaged to clean up for you.
But its front is certainly a different story!
We truly love every bright feature of this little boy's cheering message, right down to his polka dotted uniform.
He looks like he could be riding in a his home town May Day parade, doesn't he? Too charming to be missed out on!
One more feature of note: We are offering this card at a slightly higher resolution than our usual 300dpi. This one was actually scanned in at a resolution of 400dpi, a factor we hope to enlarge on in our future scannings for you. 
We ask that you will please credit us wherever applicable with having supplied our time and effort, along with any of the Studio's private ephemera collection, by mentioning us in your posts and/or in the written materials lists for any art made using our stock. And Thank You!
Happy Creativity!
Rose

Happy Birthday Postcard Front 

Download 400dpi Version HERE

You are free to:
use this image however you choose!
Attribution would be nice, although not necessary.
:)
Please do not repackage it for sale anywhere, as our work is what made it look nice again.
Thank you.

A New Fairy Tale ColorMe™ Page

Today's post is for the child in us all. And I just love this image, don't you? Its simplicity belies a complex network of ideas which led to its lovely compositional structure and beautiful balance. 
In other words, it begs to be colored.
:)
So we've cleaned it up for you and reset its size for your average print setup in most homes, with about a half inch margin where it counts.
Hope you'll enjoy today's offering.
And thanks for stopping by here with your--
Happy Creativity!
Rose

PPSColorMe™Page: The Princess & the Pea

"I scarcely closed my eyes the whole night through."

Download For Print only HERE

You are free to:
use this however you choose!
Have fun!
:)

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