I'm not a stamp collector. Never have been. I don't know what caused me to open up these books but I did. When I did, I found small works of art like these....
...graphic representations of the stamps in black and white. Two books full of them! I thought they'd be wonderfully reproducible for mixed media jewelry.
There were even some real stamps in excellent condition....
In one of the books, a piece of newspaper fell out revealing a small collection of stamps that hadn't made it into the album yet.
The newspaper was a local paper gone out of business now. Christmas 1958 - before I was born but such colorful stamps!
I spent a few hours going through the stamp books after I got home on Sunday - dreaming of which I would reproduce first and what kind of mixed media jewelry I could make.
If you had been with me, would you have bought these books or set them back down again and gone on to the next thing?
8 comments:
Definitely would have bought it!! Nice find! I would use in mixed media or resin pieces. They look romantic and mysterious!
These are absolutely perfect!
Oh, I so would have bought them! What a great find. That reminds me...that I bought a whole lot of ephemera from an older gentleman out in Oregon. We carried on the most lovely emails for a time about life and art...but I haven't been able to find him, so I worry that his health deteriorated or worse. Bought them on eBay about 2 years ago...I didn't know why but they were so lovingly shown that I knew an artists' soul treasured them! I should bring them back out.
There are a few stamps in them, but also all sorts of funky finds.
At our local Krazy Daze sidewalk sale downtown the library always has a used book sale fundraiser. I bought some old atlases, a thesaurus, poetry books, including one with French verse translated to English and a child's book of poetry from the 40s all arranged by holiday (who knew there were so many Abe Lincoln and Arbor Day poems?). I also bought a curious little book in Arabic...with gorgeous illustrations. I am guessing it is a gift book about artwork, but I cannot be sure what the words say. But the writing sure is beautiful calligraphy too! Thanks for sharing the great inspiration today! How fun would it be to go to a flea market with someone like you who would appreciate those finds! (I have actually never been to one!) Enjoy the day! Erin
What a great find! So many possibilities!
Cindy, you always find amazing things at flea markets. Me, never. If I had been you, I would have done the same, if I had been thinking creatively!
Hi! This is my first time commenting here though I frequently glimpse your blog via link on Laura Bracken's blog. I have many of the same stamps and that blue stamp book in my "keepers" box that has moved with me about 20 times since I was a child (back and forth across the country, not just to another town!). There is something about making an image an official stamp that makes it a mini icon, a view that we then proliferate and share with many. Mind you, that in 1958 even television was in its infancy, so the only community images were in books, newspapers and movies. Now we are bombarded 24/7 with media media media but I have to tell you that I have VIVID memories of being a child.. laying on the braided rug on the floor with all of my stamps set out in a big rainbow... and mounting them with these impossible sticky hinges that would not damage the stamps. I always smile when I see a listing on Etsy for a handfull of stamps for use in collages,etc ... listed as "ephemera". I am a jeweler and I have certain stones that I have hoarded for years.... can't bring myself to "use" them... and I think my stamps are in the same boat... I could "use" them in one of my projects , but to me they are too saturated in memories. I will keep on hoarding!
I want to go to flea markets, but never know of any. I want to go shopping with you!
I had the same red Traveler stamps of the world book. I loved it as a child. That is how I developed my knowledge of geography. Some how my book of lovely stamps sadly got lost after several moves. It was a wonderful world of adventures. I still can remember my favorites.
K
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