creating artwork collages - part 1- collecting

Another thing I collect is vintage ephemera.  Again, like the chandeliers, I collected and collected but had no means of displaying the wonderful things I had found in my treasure hunting.  So I started creating artwork collages as a way to display all the things I love.


I started with an obsession of old handwriting.  This is a beautiful art form that has been lost in this day and age of technology.  People used to practice over and over their handwriting skills.  I would find old spencerian handwriting tablets and study the handwriting.  I then got into old french handwriting.  I have boxes and boxes of that (soon to be selling on my etsy store!)

I also love old letters.   I once found a box of old love letters.  The woman had kept them all in order by date from her love that was serving in the armed forces.  I bundled them up into 5 or 6 per pack tied with a pretty ribbon and put them out at one of my sales thinking no one would buy them.  I had ladies coming back all weekend looking for more and certain dates wanting to know what happened next in this woman's love story! 
They were so beautiful and such a wonderful piece of history.  I saved a few bundles for myself, so no one will ever know how the story ended!

Another piece that I absolutely love is this piece.  I know you can't tell what this is, so I will tell you.  What this says, in the tiniest of pencil writing is :
 "I, Dora Jean Platel, am the most discourteous girl in the whole Aurora School district"  Written over and over again, hundreds of times.   This was a teachers punishment of a little school girl.  But Dora Jean was quite the ornery one - she wrote it all on one piece of paper- as tiny as possible and even up the side of the paper and gave it back to the teacher!  I wonder what that teacher thought when she got this back! 
I researched to try to find Dora Jean or a family member because I thought they would love to have this back, but I came up with nothing.
I laugh and think this is something my young daughter would do! lol! 

Other things I collect is children's artwork, beautiful stamps, flash cards, vintage packaging and advertising.  I love handwritten music, old photographs, state fair ribbons, old movie tickets, pressed flowers, button cards, bits of lace...the list goes on and on.  These are things I find in the bottom of a box lot at an auction, that others would throw away.  I keep.  
(husbands translation :pack rat!)


What is the most fun is pulling a collection of things that mean something to you.  I know everyone is always organizing their homes in January so as you find these bits a pieces, set them aside in a box.
Pictures, a letter, a child's drawing, a grandfathers state fair ribbon, a grandmothers dance card.  
This collage can be your family's collage - or it can just be some cool things you collected.  I have a few of each. It can be vintage or new, or a combination of both.

On my next post I will show you how to put together your collections!