Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Day 8: Our Favorite Things-Art Supplies Series: Paper!

Welcome to Day 8 of
"Our  Favorite Things - Art Supplies!" Series.  
In no particular order; Jodi, Penny, and Jean will take turns sharing a few of
their creative must-haves.

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Greetings, gentle readers!  Pardon our fumble, yesterday -- we are back in the groove, and in keeping with the wisdom that "good things come to those who wait," we will carry on with our countdown and if you have been waiting to to weigh in with your own favorite things, now you will have an extra day!  We can hardly wait to hear about the things you love to work with! 

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Hello, gang -- Penny here, again.  At the risk of appearing a "one note wonder" my final installment in our countdown once again features PAPER.  Don't get me wrong, I love paints, markers, inks, brushes, canvases, and all manner of artful goodness!  However, the starting point for virtually any project is usually the same for me:  what paper best serves to tell the story I wish to relay.

Vintage dictionaries (loaded with woodcut illustrations), atlases (colorful representations of faraway lands),
ledgers and stock certificates (with their patinas of handling and age related wear), and onion skin paper.
...these are a few of my favorite things!

Today, I have turned my camera on some of the treasures in my collection -- okay, fair is fair -- VAST collection of vintage papers to share with you the utter joy I find in working from this point of origin.  Having previously discussed my appreciation of quality Art Papers, and utter amazement at the sheer volume of Handmade Papers, I am now focusing on the heart of my horde -- vintage papers.

The vivid colors and fine details of lithographed cigar bands.

The muted colors and sequential numbers of British bus tickets.

The beautiful engravings and foreign mystique of Chinese commodity coupons.

Labels and tickets and coupons, OH MY!  I am not really sure how it started...  I remember playing Post Office with my cousin as a young girl -- using the "lick and stick" magazine stamps from Publishers Clearing House as our postage stamps.  The simple pleasure found in folding on the perforations, the satisfying whisper as the coupon was cleanly separated from rest of the sheet...  For as long as I can recall, I have been enamored with all things paper!

Old calendars yield beautiful illustrations (and all those NUMBERS!?).  Unusual bits and pieces can add an exotic flair or surprising 'pop' to virtually any creative undertaking.  Is it any wonder I can't seem to get enough of these treasures?

Birds from two old calendars find new life amid dictionary pages
in this mixed media triptych.
Altered tickets burst from a tiny blizzard book constructed from an index page of a vintage atlas.
 
An embossed cigar box label becomes a shadow box, framing the island of Sicily.
A tiny bird from a tea card peeks in.

So...  How about you? 
Do you have a favorite "oh, you can't throw THAT away"
ephemeral notion

Is there a 'certain thing' that you always have your eyes peeled for
during an outing to thrift stores and/or yard sales?


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13 comments:

  1. I love my vintage dictionaries circa 1937. They belonged to my late father-in-law. I use them (well, copies of the pages, in my jewelry designs. I am always on the look out for vintage Valentines which my daughter collects.

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  2. Pinned to my board ReMe Art Retreats.

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  3. Shared on fb, not sure how to post link here.... I'm in dire need of this workshop. Really. Myra Tate Hunter

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  4. Oh, and cigar boxes, beads and peacock feathers, I have boxes of memories I use also.... cards, notes, journal entries, pinte res t board of favorite quotes. My favorite... it's all about me feeling loved.

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  5. Oh, and cigar boxes, beads and peacock feathers, I have boxes of memories I use also.... cards, notes, journal entries, pinte res t board of favorite quotes. My favorite... it's all about me feeling loved.

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  6. Penny, your papers are so organized! Love it.
    Right now my collecting is based around stencils and stamps but I also collect paper words.

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  7. To be honest, I struggle with finding just the 'right' paper....I'm going to try some decorative napkins in an upcoming project...

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  8. I save labels and nonwinning lottery tickets. I have also been known to snitch paper placemats. Junk mail envelope liners are the bomb. Duke Energy envelopes are my favorite bill envelope to save.

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  9. I save labels and nonwinning lottery tickets. I have also been known to snitch paper placemats. Junk mail envelope liners are the bomb. Duke Energy envelopes are my favorite bill envelope to save.

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  10. I save labels and nonwinning lottery tickets. I have also been known to snitch paper placemats. Junk mail envelope liners are the bomb. Duke Energy envelopes are my favorite bill envelope to save.

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  11. For some teason, I love yellowed papers with the lettering in a language other then english. There's something romantic about it.

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  12. I'd say my fave ephemera option is 'anything paper' - books, magazines, mail, packaging...whatever I can get my hands on!

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