Make a Holiday Banner from Vintage Postcards

Click to see larger

Although I use vintage postcards in all kinds of projects and even though I have a huge collection, I don't often display postcards or ephemera in my house. I guess I don't want them to get worn or damaged. However, I should start showing them off more, if for no other reason so that I can enjoy looking at them!

Here is a easy, cheap way to show off your vintage postcard collection without damaging the originals.  Just scan and print the postcards you like on cardstock. I used 90 pound, because that's what I had, but something heavier would be better. Then use a hole punch and string with some pretty ribbon or yarn.

In the banner above I used a collection of unique and different Christmas postcards I liked, but you could make the a banner more unified by using all Santa postcards or all carolers or all snow scenes.

And you don't have to stop at Christmas, make a Thanksgiving banner, a New years one or an Easter one. Make one with any vintage postcard or photo collection you have. A banner of all linen postcards of the desert or the seaside would look cool. Also, one of all vintage family pictures would look great.

All you need is a color printer. I have a pretty old inkjet Canon MP600 which still works great. 

If you need to add to your postcard collection, I am adding new holiday postcards all the time in the shop.

Goodbye 13, Hello 14!

Just getting this New Years post in at the last minute. I wanted to share some New Years-ish ephemera with you from my collection, I say New Years-ish, because this particular postcard you see below is not totally New Years related, but it feels like New Years to me. Especially since attached to it is a printed calender for the year 1977. Also, the Inn reminds me of Holiday Inn.  This Lovett's Inn still exisit. Maybe you will go there if you're in New Hampshire.

Just in case you're not familiar with the film Holiday Inn (and from what I've heard, the chain of motels did take there name from the film) here are some images from the film.

The other piece of ephemera is this Happy New years card from 1876! Looks like it was from some business. 1876 was the year the first telephone call was made. It was only 11 years after Lincoln was shot.

The last thing I want to share is this snapshot of some kind of party. I'm gonna pretend it's a new years party.  I mean what is going on here?

The lady in white seems a bit traumatized by this party. 

Well, hey I am already hearing fireworks.  

Get your kicks, pals! Mine involve some lady comedy and hard cider.  Happy New Year!!

Happy Valentines Day to You from the Pacific Northwest

I have the perfect Vintage Valentines for folks in the Pacific Northwest. I am going to make it available for you to download and print. So, if you haven't gotten your Valentine yet, fear not. All you need is a color printer. Or you can simply post on your friend's wall with the image.

This valentine is made to be propped up. You can see the v slit and the tab slit in the bottom. Use an exacto knife there if you want it to be able to stand up. Print on cardstock if you have it. To download click on the image and choose download the large size..

Happy St. Valentine's Day from rainy Portland (although it is currently dry right now). Hope you have a great day!

A Valentines Banquet

I was excited to find this large portrait at a recent Postcard Club meeting. I love pictures of old fashioned Valentines parties. I have one other Valentines party photograph that I posted about a couple of years ago.

For some reason I feel the need to color in the hearts. So, I did, along with some of the ferns.

I would so love to be at this Valentine Party. It looks like a nice spread. Notice the man poking out from the doorway? On the back of the photo it says Hotel Goodland, Kansas. I wonder what kind of group of women this was? Were they all just friends or part of some club or organization?

to ye future

A Happy New Year to you! I hope your Christmas was wonderful. 

I love this week in between Christmas and New Years. There is really not too much you can do. Too early to put decorations away (I like having them up for New Years), you can take your time putting away gifts, finishing off the Christmas cookies and enjoying your new books and movies. 

Here are a couple of New Years postcards I am very fond of. Here's to 2013! May it have lots of wonderful and joyous surprises.

Today is Postcard Friendship Friday. You can visit Beth's blog The Best Hearts are Crunchy and see more posts from postcard blogs, most likely with a New Years theme.

Devotions

I've been listing many things in The Cedar Chest shop for the last month, but I keep getting busy and forgetting to update the blog.

This small antique prayer book I just listed made me want to do a blog post about it.

This small book is a Pocket Gems of Devotion. It's a book of prayers that was approved by the Catholic Church in 1891.

It was given to someone in 1909 for Epiphany Day. It's a beautiful book that is very worn. Some pages are on the verge of coming out.

I think the fact that this little book is so worn is incredibly touching and beautiful. The book was obviously used a lot, perhaps by multiple generations. I got it at a estate sale many years ago. It was hidden away with the Christmas decorations in the basement. I have no doubt the original recipient was a much older relative of the house owner.

Inside I found a beautiful little illustrated card printed in Italy in 1936. I'm including it with the book. You can find the listing and more images for the prayer book here.

I've also listed a number of Christmas items on The Cedar Chest. Hope you stop by the shop to see the new items.

Oh, and there are still a couple Thanksgiving cards, as well. here is my favorite.

If I don't get back here by next week. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Greeting for Easter Day

I'm very fond of this lovely and modern style Easter postcard from 1910.  I love the sweet greeting poem.too.

I'm not sure what these buds are. Maybe magnolia buds? I was at my mother's house yesterday and saw her Magnolia bush and the buds looked a lot like these.

This postcard was sent to Mary in Lowell, Mass from another Mary. She seems a little peeved that Mary hasn't written her back since her recent move, but still wishes her and her husband a Happy Easter. It looks like Mary's new old house is still standing.

Happy Spring and Easter to all of you!  Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

heart shaped paper

I have been spending a lot of time with Valentines lately. There were a lot of great ones at the Postcard Club meeting on Saturday and I got a good hunk of them. Valentines are just so charming and sweet. It's hard to pass them by. I don't think of myself as a collector of Valentines and yet, I seem to do it.

Here are two I am keeping for myself.

I will be posting more Valentines this week, but please visit the shop to see what's all ready there. 

a blithe new year to thee

Happy almost New Year to you!  I love the new year. I'm not sure why. I'm not really one of those people to think of my life in terms of that was a good year or that was a bad year. I just love the idea of a fresh start and a new clean calendar ahead of me. I really like the quiet grey days of January. They're like white space and after the crowded Fall and Christmas time, the simpleness of January seems wonderful.

Anyway, I hope that you have a fantastic New Years. Here is a postcard from my collection from New Years 1912.

And here is one that is so pretty and non-traditional with a lovely little poem on it. There's no marking on the back, so unsure of the year, but I am guessing it is from around the same time.

Today is Friday and that means Postcard Friendship Friday, so you can head over to the blog The Best Hearts are Crunchy and see a list of other blogs participating in postcard  posts today - as well as a great run down on New Years Eve traditions in other cultures.   Happy 2012!!

the post postcard show report

The Webfooter's Postcard weekend is over and it was a great time. The Friday night auction was lots of fun and there were some amazing deals!

The weekend show was a good time. Lots of great stuff to look at and people to see. It was great to see some of my friends there for the first time. It was also a real pleasure to be able to have a nice long talk with Karolyn Grimes, about her life and her roles in the films "It's a Wonderful Life" and "The Bishops Wife". She was such a delight and it was so neat to be laughing with her and saying our favorite lines from "It's a Wonderful Life". I could quote that whole film, as I'm sure she could. She is such a doll and she looks so much like she did as a kid.

Another neat thing to see at the show was a club member's personal collection of vintage beauty products. She brought them and displayed them on three tables just so people could see them. Apparently, she keeps them all in her bathroom! I love vintage packaging.

I got some great photos and postcards and I'll share some of them in future posts.

In the meantime here is a Easter Postcard I got at the show. I like how it is dark and not the usual Easter pastels. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Happy Greetings for a Joyous New Year + PFF

Happy New year to you all! 2010 has only several hours left and then it is on to 2011! Seems unbelievable that the first decade of the 2000's is over. This year went by really fast.

I hope you do indeed have a bright and joyous New Year and happiness and good fortune to you. Thanks so much for keeping up with my blog. I love sharing my collection with you.

Today is Friday, which means Postcard Friendship Friday and I can actually get in on this one. Visit The Best Hearts are Crunchy blog and see other postcard bloggers New years Greeting. And thanks to Beth for hosting!

Christmastide

Still time to get some Christmas postcards in! Hopefully I'll get in another post before the day is over. it sure is moving fast!

This is a really neat Christmas card. I appreciate it when the designers choose uncommon colors for Christmas cards. This postcard has nothing written on the back except 1928.

And I like this one becasue of the tea kettle - another unique Christmas image (at least in the U.S.) and that they used the term Christmastide. I always mean to use that more. I have seen it on a number of old Christmas postcards. No writing on the back of this one.

Thanksgiving Greetings

I like to think that this cute plump lady is rethinking the turkey for Thanksgiving. Being a vegetarian (well, really, a pescatarian) I will be partaking of salmon in place of Turkey this year. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

easter greetings

Happy Valentines day to you

I hope you are having a nice day. Thanks for reading my blog.

Lovely Valentines

I just love this charming vintage valentine postcard. It is in such great shape and there is no writing on it. Seems almost brand new. Someone must of held on to it for years because they just thought it was pretty. Same reason I am holding on to it.

I hope you all have a lovely Valentines weekend!

There is a little blog party that occurs every Friday called Postcard Freindship Friday hosted by The French Factrice. I don't often get the time on a Friday night to take part, but I can tonight. Click on the envelope below to visit the French Factrice blog where you can see other postcard blogs who have posted for Postcard Friday.

Valentines Day Party

Here is another couple of pages from my much loved 1935 booklet Children's Party Book.

I thought I would post this now just in case you are planning a Valentine's Party and need some ideas.

I love all the hats. Seems like wearing hats like this makes something an instant party.





Click on the image to get to the Flickr page and a to be able to see a larger view.

Jan. 1st

This lovely new year greeting was sent on Dec 16, 1913 to Miss Emma Street at 468 S 6th St in San Jose, California

Dear Emma,

We'll be in San Jose on Wed noon Dec 17th. Would love to have you meet me. I want to go and see my future home which will be 540 S 6th St. I don't think it's so far from your place.

Love,

Elsie

(The links show you where Emma and Elsie lived).

Your New Years Book

Happy New Year! Thanks so much for following this little blog of mine. I have really enjoyed sharing my collection on here and on Flickr and I appreciate it so much when you take a moment to comment. I am looking forward to all kinds of neat things to share in the new year.

Here are three sweet New Years wishes for you on this last day of 2009. I wish for you all that is written here. Why, hello there 2010.

This above postcard was sent to Mrs David on South Ivanhoe St in Portland. There is no street number and no stamp or postmark. The sender wrote the date at the bottom, Jan 5th 1925. She wrote:

Dear Mrs David,

May Heaven Richest Blessings be yours for the coming new year.

Lovingly,
Mrs Lucinda Jones

This one above says on the back.

To Opal
From "Buckle's"
1926

a very merry christmas to you

Christmas Eve is here. This year came so much faster it seems. I feel behind in my basic Christmas rituals. Right now I am watching White Christmas for the first time this season. That is weeks behind my usual viewing.

Ha! Well, no matter. It is here and it should be fun. My family does a theme Christmas every year. We have done Medieval Christmas, 1960's, Dutch, Hungarian and others. It makes each year unique. This year it is Depression Era Christmas. Soon, I need to go in my closet and find some outfit vaguely reminiscent of the 1930's. I am going for a Walton's version.

I found some great old music to play tonight, mostly from the 1930's. You can listen too if you want. You can find it here.

Here is the only Christmas item I could find in my collection from the 1930's. It is actually plastic and on the back is a calander for 1933:


I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I will leave you with this last Christmas postcard from December 24th 1917. It was from Emma and Edwin to their brother Oliver in New London, Minnesota.