Vintage Ads Ephemera Printables
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It’s been a little while since I made some free printables using Victorian Trade Cards. Trade cards were small advertising cards that were produced during the Victorian era. Sometimes they were issued in a series with a particular theme, like the ones on this Dogs of the World collage sheet. Other times they featured a variety of products like the ones on these ephemera sheets. The artwork on them was typically appealing, making them very collectible both then and now.
If you like these, I have a number of other Victorian trade card ephemera sheets in my library of free printables. You may also want to take a look at the Victorian category in my library.
Scroll down, and you’ll find two different sheets of mixed-sized trade cards.
If you enjoy these free printables, be sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest, so you’ll see when I post new ones.
Victorian trade cards, with their quaint charm and intricate designs, offer a treasure trove of possibilities for enriching mixed media journals. These ephemeral relics from a bygone era can infuse your journal pages with a sense of nostalgia and whimsy, while also serving as versatile collage elements. Let's explore some creative approaches to incorporating Victorian trade cards into your mixed media projects.
First, consider the idea of Victorian trade cards as background elements. These cards can form the foundation of your journal pages, providing a vintage backdrop for your artistic endeavors. Whether you choose to overlap them, arrange them in a grid, or scatter them randomly across the page, these cards can add depth and visual interest to your compositions.
Layering is another technique that can enhance the visual appeal of your journal spreads. Experiment with stacking Victorian trade cards on top of each other or combining them with other paper ephemera. By building layers, you can create a textured surface that invites exploration and discovery.
For focal points, use trade cards with imagery that excites you. These cards can serve as the centerpiece of your journal pages, anchoring your design and capturing the viewer's attention. Build your composition around these focal points, using complementary elements to add to their impact.
Don't hesitate to extract specific images or motifs from Victorian trade cards to use as standalone collage elements. Whether it's a charming illustration of a bird or a whimsical advertisement for a product of yesteryear, these snippets of imagery can add character and narrative depth to your journal pages.
Experimenting with mixed media techniques can further enhance the versatility of Victorian trade cards. Try distressing them with ink or paint, stamping over them, or adding texture with embossing powder or modeling paste. By incorporating these techniques, you can give the cards a weathered, vintage aesthetic that complements your overall theme.
Incorporating interactive elements into your journal pages can also be an exciting way to engage your audience. Use Victorian trade cards to create fold-out flaps, pop-ups, or mini booklets that invite hands-on exploration. This adds an element of surprise and interactivity to your spreads.
However you choose to incorporate them into your junk journal, vintage scrapbook, art journal, etc., remember to always have fun with the process!
Add this free vintage ephemera to your supplies for art journaling, junk journaling, bullet journaling, collage, artist trading cards (ATCs), scrapbooking and other mixed media artwork and crafts.
You may also enjoy these free collage sheets.
Terms of use:
Free to use for personal or commercial projects. You may print the collage sheets as many times as you wish for your personal crafts or in your projects to sell, including: art journals, scrapbooks, junk journals, collage art, etc. You may not redistribute or sell the collage sheets “as is" in either print or digital form.
If you wish to share the files on your own website, please do not make the files available for download directly from your site. Instead, include an image with a link back to this site.
To the best of my knowledge, these are all royalty free images that are in the Public Domain in the US. However, you should always do your own research if you plan to use them commercially.
