A few weeks ago, the local Junior League hosted their annual Trinkets & Treasures sale. I try and go most years because they really do have some treasures – here and here! This year’s treasure for me was a huge box of ephemera.
If you don’t already know, here’s what ephemera is: 1: something of no lasting significance —usually used in plural. 2 ephemera plural : paper items (such as posters, broadsides, and tickets) that were originally meant to be discarded after use but have since become collectibles.
As you can see, there are a lot of botanical prints, which I adore. I scanned a lot of them into the computer and cleaned them up. I “inverted” some of the prints which made them look like old blueprints. Now I will have to think of some uses for them. Maybe teatowels, or stationery?
I “inverted” some of the prints which made them look like old blueprints. This is a fritillaria.
Here are some of my favourite pieces from the collection.
Thistle flowers
More thistles
Mountain Laurel
Jack in the Pulpit
Poison Ivy
Loose-strife
Little mice
I am still going through the box, which has several hundred pieces in it. I can’t wait to see what other treasures are there, and then decide what to do with them!
Those mice are adorable and the thistle prints are divine!
ReplyDeleteWonderful. How do you "invert" prints. It looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteHi, Karen... I am using photoshop elements (the much less expensive version), and there is a setting to invert the colours. So black becomes white, etc. The pale yellow of the original prints inverts to a dark blue. For the individual prints, I lightened them up a little, because I liked the paler blue better.
DeleteGreat find!
ReplyDeleteOh my, what a fabulous find---and I love the blue-prints. Perhaps a black background would fit in for all those with the chalkboard fetish. Great post!
ReplyDeleteOhhhh! Good idea! Will have to try that.
DeleteOh what fun! Show us more!
ReplyDeleteHello Meg, I love ephemera, and it looks like you bought a great lot. I wish I was as creative in using it as you are.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Ha! you are creative in ways I can't even think of!
DeleteI love all of these MEg. I cannot wait to see what you are going to do with them.
ReplyDeleteMeg, I haven't been following you for very long (but so very glad to have found your interesting and inspirational blog) but am curious how you feel about impending marriage of Megan M. and Prince Harry? If you've already covered this please forgive my ignorance.
ReplyDeletethe Junior League thrift shop in my town is closing. this University city, land grant college town can't support a Junior League thrift store? Not enough donations-- too many yard sales-- nobody willing to volunteer because a thrift store is a Commitment not a fun seasonal event, one and done for the year?? I know volunteering seems to be for "retired" people but living on a fixed income and spending your time "working" at a job that does not pay a salary is in this day and age seems to be available to those that have a philanthropic lifestyle in a community with deep roots and an appreciative fawning circle following.
ReplyDeleteI was clearing out a file cabinet and found a receipt from 1992 for high tea at The Peninsula in New York City. We were on a trip to buy my engagement ring. Excellent service. Incredible food. Snow storm raging outside. So romantic. It's now in a file labeled 1992 NYC Ephemera. Thanks for giving me the word.
ReplyDeleteThe mice are Beatrix Potter. I can see Jeremy Fisher, Squirrel Nutkin. Will have to look at my children’s books to know which mouse is which. Lovely. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe actually aren’t Potter! I thought so, too, but discovered a tiny signature in the lower right corner! Katherine Wigglesworth!
DeleteApologies. Wigglesworth, illustrator of the Little Grey Rabbit and Brown Mouse stories by Alison Utley. I probably read them growing up in England and In deep recesses of my memory.
ReplyDelete