October 13, 2012
Vintage Envelope Needle Cases
I have been working on the Vintage Envelope Needle Case project for a while and wrapped it up a couple of weeks ago. In my Vintage Art collecting I have found a number of very cool Vintage Envelopes. I scan them into my computer, clean them up, add some digital art if they are plain, add a background and then print them on cotton. When they are out flat they fill approximately half of a regular sheet of paper. They are sandwiched with fusible batting and a back and stitched around the edges.
Embroidery, buttons, silk ribbon and all sorts of embellishments can be added. Add flannel or wool pages for the needles and you are ready to go.
This is one of my favorites. It’s a happy New Year card from Argentina, from one family to another wishing them Happy New Year in 1900.
I have created sixteen different Vintage Envelopes. Each Vintage Envelope design is printed on cotton and includes a pattern with instructions on how to assemble the needle case. You add your own embellishments. The price is $9.50 each plus postage. Email me if you are interested in purchasing one or more. They make great gifts.
Click on images to see them in high resolution.
Some of these prints are available on Etsy. Here
October 1, 2012
Time for Tea
I attended a Tea at Georgia’s Quilting Obsession and put together a series of Tea Collages for use with the charms I was planning to demo.
I thought they turned out pretty well and wanted to share them. The Tea pot came from The Graphics Fairy.
The background includes a letter and roses from late 1800’s vintage art that I have collected.
Click on either image to see them on Flickr. You are free to use this collage, just right click on the Flickr image and “Save as”. Enjoy!
July 21, 2012
Hope and Honey
My newest collage, “Hope and Honey” uses a vintage ledger sheet, a flower image, an image of bees and an image of bee hives.
The image that I want to share this week is the background image of the old ledger sheet. I found the ledger book at the Rose Bowl swap meet a few months ago. I love the way old writing adds texture in the background.
The images of the bees and the hives are from http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ .
July 16, 2012
A Note in the Garden
I could just picture a turn of the century lady sitting in her garden with a cup of tea and her postcard from a dear friend, as I put together this collage, “A Note in the Garden”. I combined a number of vintage elements, a turn of the century postcard, an old deed, a vintage flower image, the etching of a wreath and the etching of roses in PSE6.
I enjoy the digital collage work almost as much as collecting the vintage elements. Swap meets, used book stores and antique stores are my obsession these days and I have found some wonderful things. I was up in the local mountains for a friends birthday and visited a used book store. I found a copy of Ben Hur from 1881. Each page of the 845 page book set included at least one black and white etching. It was a fabulous find. The etching of the flower ring and the rose etching are just two of the images.
This turn of the century post card is the image I want to share with you today.
I think the card dates from around 1900 but it’s hard to read so I can’t be sure. The fact that it only allows for an address on the front and no additional writing dates it from the that period as well.
June 20, 2012
Collage using Vintage Graphics
I just finished this collage yesterday and I wanted to share it. It uses several of the Vintage images I have collected and I collaged them together in Photoshop elements. An 1861 envelope, that was flattened and scanned was used for the base. Writing from a french book, postage from an early 1900s envelope, an envelope from 1859 and the vintage flowers and the bird were altered and then merged. I then added a painted layer over the top. I have already printed a version of this collage on fabric and it will become a future Twilt. I plan to add embroidery and embellishment.
The graphic I want to share with everyone is the image of the 1859 envelope. It’s hard to believe that it is 153 years old. Don’t you wonder who Theo was?
The bird I used in the piece was from Karen at The Graphics Fairy. She has lots of free vintage art so check it out.
Let me know what you think and Thanks for visiting!
June 14, 2012
An Update and A Gift for My Blog Friends
I thought an update was in order. The last year I haven’t posted much. It’s been a hard year for me and I don’t think I am alone. So, I need to get back to it and thought I’d give you all an update and a little gift.
Last year I made a decision that I would offer Photos on Fabric as a service in the local community and set about researching how to go about doing that. Now, armed with my high quality printer I have started to do just that. I’ll tell you more about that in later posts.
My new obsession, an offshoot of the pictures on fabric, is Vintage Art. I have been haunting the swap meets and antique stores in search of new pieces for my collection. Vintage Art and Ephemera can be used in Art Journaling as is. It can also be scanned, cleaned up and used for Digital Art which can be printed on paper for the Scrapbooking but it can also be printed on fabric and can be used in quilts and embroidered pieces. The possibilities are endless.I have found some pretty cool stuff, documents and pictures from as far back as the 1800’s. I have done my research on copyright so I am confident I won’t break any rules. I plan on eventually offering images for sale digitally, on fabric and on paper.
I found this vintage American Goldfinch bread card at the Swap Meet. It was distributed in the 1930’s by Armstrong’s Bread; a different one was included in each loaf. You are free to use it in anyway you like, print it on paper or fabric, use it in collage but please do not distribute the image digitally.
I have been thoroughly enjoying the Vintage art and more examples will follow. In the previous post I used a print of a Vintage Cigarette Silk on the Hearts and Flowers Twilt.
So, more to follow and …..Enjoy!
Snips and Bits from Shelley's Studio 