Jumping into the digital ephemera arena
I enjoy making vintage junk journals. Every time I make one, I try to think of creative ways to embellish the pages. I don't like to write or "journal" in my books, I prefer to add collages or do artwork to fill the pages. In turn they become tomes of paper treasures that I have fallen in love with.Over the years I've been collecting paper ephemera that I use in my collages. When I go to antique malls or search online, I'm looking for papers that are typically from 1945 to the 1800s. I look for receipts, postcards, letters, legal documents, photos, trade cards and advertisements, calling cards, and currency.
Now that I've got a nice collection, I have a better selection to choose from when collaging pages in my vintage journals. Sometimes I scan pieces before I use them, other times I don't. There have been a few times when I have found that there are a few pieces that I like to use again and again because they are so interesting to look at, and so versatile. It is these pieces that I have decided to make public and sell as collections through Etsy.Thus far I have created two collections: the Theo Jessup Collection and the Lucile Holt Collection. Each one consists of 4 pages and each cost $4 to download.
Here's my Etsy site, if you are interested in seeing them: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mellowmillerAdditionally, I made a video on how I use them to give people ideas on how they might use them in their own projects:https://youtu.be/W51Oqf2_N4cThe pieces in the Theo Jessup Collection were inspired from making journals using the digital download kit Gentlemen and Scholars from Ephemera's Vintage Garden. I've made two journals with this kit and have been really happy with the results of adding my pieces to this amazing journal kit. Debbie-Anne Parent, the artist who creates many wonderful digital kits at Ephemera's Vintage Garden, recently posted a video showing how she integrated my ephemera pieces in a journal she made with her Gentlemen and Scholars kit. It's such a lovely book and am so pleased to have contributed a little bit to its charm.https://youtu.be/VKQNORbhlLo