Happy Father's Day

A vintage postcard of a man fishing, at the bottom it says "at Redondo Pier".  This was a great image to work with.  

    

I fussy cut the fisherman and layered his image to give the card dimension!

I stacked the die cut words three times for more dimension. 

April Fool's

A vintage April Fool's postcard from my collection!

April fish

"In Italy, France, Belgium, and French-speaking areas of Switzerland and Canada, April 1 tradition is often known as "April fish" (poisson d'avril in French or pesce d'aprile in Italian). This includes attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed. Such fish feature prominently on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools' Day postcards."

Wikipedia

Lost Coast Designs ATC Challenge Georgia O'keeffe

I love creating ATCs... a small piece of art.  Today I received my Georgia O'Keeffe stamp from Lost Coast Designs for participating and winning in their January challenge. 

Georgia O'Keeffe has always been one of my favorite artists many of us know her for her southwest themed painting and larger than live flowers.  Did you know in 1939 she was commissioned by a Hawaiian pineapple company to paint promotional images.  She did 20 painting for the company. They are wonderful images of Hawaiian exotic flowers, beaches and waterfalls. I was overjoyed to see the exhibit in Hawaii while I lived there. 

One of my favorite subjects of Georgia O'Keeffe is her poppy paintings.  To honor that I found a vintage postcard with poppies. 

I stamped the image of Georgia O'Keeffe with VersaFine black ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. 

In my thousands of stamps I had a quote from Georgia O'Keeffe, " A flower touches everyone's heart." It was stamped at the top of the ATC. 

I am pleased how the poppies and leaves come through from the back of the image. 

I am entering this ATC in the 

Lost Coast Designs ATC Challenge HERE!

White City Denver Colorado ~ Postcard

I was recently looking through vintage postcards at a local store and came across this one. The caption reads "Shooting the Chutes, White City, Denver Colo".  Having lived in Denver for several years it intrigued me as I had never heard of White City.  I brought the card home and did some research.  I found out that the park still stands at the same site 109 years later.  The rides have changed over the years, none of the original rides are around.  MORE amazing I used to go to Lakeside Amusement Park when I lived there! This is how I learn so much about the past through postcards. 

"Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado, adjacent to Denver. Originally named White City, it was opened in 1908 as a popular amusement resort adjacent to Lake Rhoda by the Denver Tramway, making it a trolley park. The amusement park was soon sold to Denver brewer Adolph Zang. Eventually the name was changed to Lakeside Amusement Park, but the local populace kept referring to it by its original name for its glittering original display of over 100,000 lights. Today it is one of only thirteen trolley parks operating and one of the oldest amusement parks in the United States, and the oldest still running in Colorado." ~Wikipedia 

"Trolley parks in the United States, started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities. These were precursors to amusement parks. Trolley parks were often created by the streetcar companies to give people a reason to use their services on weekends." ~ Wikipedia

Read more about Lakeside Amusement Park HERE

Read more about Trolley Parks HERE  

I am sharing this post with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Happy New Year!

WELCOME 2020!

A few vintage postcards to celebrate the NEW YEAR!

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Vintage Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A vintage postcard from my collection!

Council Crest Oregon Postcard

Today I spent hours looking at vintage postcards at a local Stamp & Coin store.  I was shopping for cards to give my father-in-law for Christmas.  Sometimes I come across interesting cards that make me want to find out more about the story behind them.  The Council Crest postcard below is one of them.  Old amusement parks have interested me for years.  From the picture Council Crest looked like it had a roller coaster and a merry-go-round, with little cable cars. More intriguing are the mountains in the background.  Mt Rainier, Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood.  Living in the PNW I had never heard of Council Crest Amusement Park.  So I went in search of the story!

Postcard was mailed in 1909 from Oregon to Wisconsin

Council Crest still exists today, but the amusement park is long gone.  The city in the background is Portland. Where the amusement park once stood is the highest point in Portland. The park as it today was established in 1937. Today visitors can drive up to the park, it is no longer serviced by streetcars. 

"Streetcar service to the site began on September 20, 1906, when the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company (PRL&P) opened a newly constructed streetcar loop that extended the "Portland Heights" line (later renamed the "Council Crest" line) to the summit of the hill. Soon after, in 1907, an amusement park built by PRL&P was opened, and it featured a merry-go-round, miniature railway, Ferris wheel and other entertainments, served exclusively by the streetcar line. Named Council Crest Amusement Park, it closed in 1929, and the city acquired the property in 1937. The amusement park's wooden observation tower was torn down in 1941 and replaced by a steel water-storage tower."  From Wikepedia

The inscription on the back appears to be written in English and another language. 

You can find out more about Council Crest here:

Council Crest Dreamland of the Northwest

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Day 25 - 31 Days of Halloween

"LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop 2019"

🎃 This Blog Hop is easy going with NO sign-up required!

🎃 Play as often as you want on the days you want!

🎃 BE NICE, PLAY FAIR AND LEAVE LOTS OF LOVE!

Day 25  ~ 'Tis Halloween

Four ATCs for trade this month!  Used a vintage postcard from Vintage Image Craft on Facebook.  They are sharing vintage Halloween postcards during the month of October. 

Witch is from Eyelet Outlet, Bat Die - Elizabeth Craft Designs, spider web Karen Burniston.  The cat is from a confetti package. 

Interested in participating CLICK HERE to see more spooky artist work or to hop along with and post your Halloween treats.

😈SINISTER STALKERS😈
You can also participate in the hop as a Sinister Stalker! Stalk and comment on as many projects shared throughout October as you can to qualify for the Stalker Prize(s)!
The more you hop the better your odds at winning a prize(s). PLUS it's wicked good fun to see all the spooktacular projects and you may even be inspired to play after all!
Easy peasy!
💀

Day 11 - 31 Days of Halloween

"LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop 2019"

🎃 This Blog Hop is easy going with NO sign-up required!

🎃 Play as often as you want on the days you want!

🎃 All art welcome, creepy or cute!

🎃 Other company stamps are welcome!

🎃 Spooktacular prizes up for grabs!

🎃 Promote the Blog Hop and display the badge on your blogs!

🎃 BE NICE, PLAY FAIR AND LEAVE LOTS OF LOVE!

For day 11  ~

 I have a card today using a vintage postcard shared online by Vintage Image Craft.  This month they are sharing Halloween postcards everyday!

The bats are from Tim Holtz BATTY Dies

The tulle has been burned with a heat gun to create a wicked flower!

Sentiment on the postcard:

 "Come fly with me

 and we'll Bewitch 

What'ere we see."

Interested in participating CLICK HERE to see more spooky artist work or to hop along with and post your Halloween treats.

😈SINISTER STALKERS😈
You can also participate in the hop as a Sinister Stalker! Stalk and comment on as many projects shared throughout October as you can to qualify for the Stalker Prize(s)!
The more you hop the better your odds at winning a prize(s). PLUS it's wicked good fun to see all the spooktacular projects and you may even be inspired to play after all!
Easy peasy!
💀

Postcards from the Past!

I love vintage postcards and have an ever expanding collection. When I see postcards of swans I have to buy them!  They are gentle reminders of my mom who passed away over five years ago!  She loved swans.  Here is a beauty mailed in 1917, over one hundred years ago. 

Mailed Feb 1917 to Mr. Bernard Elbus(sp) or Mt. Sterling Ill.

Message: Would it be convenient for you come out Wednesday or 

Thursday evening of this week. M.M.

I am sharing these postcards with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcards shared on Postcard Friendship Friday are from my private collection unless noted.

St. Patrick's Day Greetings!!!

Will you be sending greetings on St. Patrick's Day?

The coat of arms of Ireland is a harp on an azure blue background. The image of the harp has changed over time. The harp pictured here is similar to the one used during the 17th century.

Message: Miss Mc Came though fine and thinks she is better already.  The girls are decorating and you never saw the "Old Mailery" so gay in Greensboro and flags of Erin. L.A.M.

Notice the postmark, at the bottom id R.P.O. which means this was posted on a Railway Post Office.  From what I can tell the R.P.O. marking is Chicago, Owen & Minneapolis Track 2 in 1908. 
R.P.O index

"At their height, RPO cars were used on over 9,000 train routes covering more than 200,000 route miles in North America. While the majority of this service consisted of one or more cars at the head end of passenger trains, many railways operated solid mail trains between major cities; these solid mail trains would often carry 300 tons of mail daily." More information on Wikepedia

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcards are from my private collection unless noted.

Erin Go Bragh!

I love St. Patrick's Day postcards.  This one is covered with Irish clover!  What a sweet face on the young girl with a crown of clover!

 

 

Message:  Dear Aunt, Will be to see you some day next week. With love, Nellie 

 

 

Mailed to Mrs. Tom Larkin, 20 Reed St, Local

Postmarked in San Francisco, CA on March 17, 1916

 

Did you see it is "LOCAL".  In the past I have seen "City" "Rural" and "Town".  I guess the postmasters knew everyone back then!

 

 There is more to this postcard!  Look at the cancellation over the stamp.  Panama-California International Exhibition at San Diego.  The Panama–California Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California, between January 1, 1915, and January 1, 1917. 

"Slogan cancels, which may contain a pictorial image, first appeared in the 1890s to advertise the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. The USPS uses slogans extensively." From Hamilton Philatelic

 

Did you know there are societies dedicated to the study of Machine Postal Markings, the Machine Inventors, Patents, and more? 

 

 

 

 

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcards are from my private collection unless noted.

 

Winter Lady Postcard!

 Since we are expecting snow I thought this postcard would be appropriate.

Since the sender could not put a note on the back they wrote their message around the edges of the card.  I am not able to research the publisher of the card as it has no markings. I am assuming it was printed in Germany since many of the early postcards were printed there and it says Postkarte (German for postcard) on the back. 

 

 

 

This was mailed from Berlin W to North America before 1907 when the post office changed postcards to a divided back.  I love the beautiful cursive writing.

 

 

The following is a bit of history on Postcards found on the Metro Postcard site: 

"1902 Rural free delivery becomes a standard service throughout the United States. Up until this point those living in rural areas had to travel to large towns to pick up their mail or pay a private company to deliver it for an additional fee. This policy greatly increased the market for postcards.

The world’s first divided back postcard is issued in Great Britain, who is soon followed by France and Germany. This led to a sharp increase in card sales overseas.

 

1907 To keep in step with Europe, the United States released new postal regulations on March 3, 1907 that divided the back of postcards in half, the left side for a message, the right for postage and address. This date is often referred to as the birth of the modern postcard for it created the same format we use today. The most obvious affect of this new measure is that it allowed an image to take up the entire front of a card.

 

The sale of postcards becomes a craze as they are sold in record amounts. Perhaps up to half their number are being purchased by collectors, and many clubs are formed for the sole purpose of exchanging cards. Many different types of businesses also begin publishing cards to cash in on this phenomena, which result in a wide variety of results from many different printing techniques. This marks the height of what is often referred to as the Golden Age of Postcards."

 

 

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - postcards are from my private collection

 

Witchy Valentine

 

The three young ladies in this postcard appear to be dressed and posing for a Halloween picture not for Valentines!

 

No information on the back about the publisher!

 

Mailed Feb 12, 1909

Bloomington ILL to Benedict, Nebraska

 

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcards shared on Postcard Friendship Friday are from my private collection