gluebook pages

I made a few more of these, two of which will go off to Sue in Australia, altho I haven't yet decided which two. We got one of each other's in Mary Green's swap and have begun an email friendship. So nice to meet compatible people now and then, but too bad she's sooo far away. Ah, well...

These gluebook pages are quite enjoyable to make. For the background papers, I use pages from old books, some sheet music, maps, ledger pages, pretty much any vintage paper. Then I choose a focal image and sift thru my boxes of paper ephemera looking for things that seem to go with it. After auditioning many things, it always sort of shakes itself out and then I begin playing with the layout of the items. This on top of that? That on top of this? Left? Right? Eventually one way looks better than the others and that's the one I go with. It all makes for a pleasant hour at my vintage paper table. (as opposed to my current day materials desk or my computer desk) Try them, they're fun.

Every single item on all of these is the actual old paper, image, label, whatever, except for the girl in the lacy dress on the Rieger's page. She's a copy. It used to kill me to use the original of something but once I got past the first couple times, I'm really liking it. The finished product seems richer to me.

These labels are all from vintage threads and buttons I've had for ages.
Just couldn't stand to use them, but once I did, I love this page.
Sorry, Sue - I'm keeping this one lol.