The new year has begun!

This blog post was supposed to be for January 1. The batteries died in my mouse so they had to be recharged, four hours later the batteries were recharged. It was late in the evening, I am now working on the blog today.

It is late this evening as well but here is the first post, New Year's Eve cards and bridge tallies.

This is the only celluloid New Year's Eve card that I own, truthfully it is a Christmas/New Years card. The green silk cord with tassels holds the paper interior snugly inside the celluloid exterior. The green and gold image on the celluloid is deeply embossed. Celluloid was the first plastic.

During the Victorian era the language of flowers was used to express deeper meaning to the image on the cards. Ivy had several meanings; fidelity, friendship, wedded love, affection and would differ if included with other flowers or foliage.

The verse at the top of this 1907 card is somewhat bittersweet, friends or family are now far away in Canada; I am certain that the ivy on the cover of the card had the meaning of  friendship and affection.

Music, streamers, and noisemakers, what more says Happy New Year.

The inside is has some wonderful noisemakers with confetti, streamers, and music signifying the New Year.

This card looks more like a Christmas card than one wishing a Happy New Year.

I wonder if this image was also used for Christmas greetings as well?

Classic, fun, elegant; I love the image on this card.

Zoot suiters wish you a Happy New Year in this 1940s card.

I love noisemakers, party hats, and confetti; with the addition of holly and evergreens in the background what more could you want for this time of year.

This card is a little more sober than the rest, it may be a wartime card.

This is one of my favourite images of Father Time that I have seen and I am happy to say that I own it!

The design of each card is beautiful. Both are printed in black, red, green, and silver on cream card stock. Each card has a silk cord and tassel; Father Time has a green cord with a red tassel and the party revellers have a red cord with a green tassel.

There are two more posts to come of antique postcards, I had no idea I owned so many.

I went to the Church of the Advent Garage Sale last Saturday.

The Church of the Advent is just down the road from us and every year they have a garage sale. I try not to miss it. You never know what you will find. Silly me, I went with about $30.00, but it is better to ready than forfeit some wonderful item because you didn't bring enough money. I spent an amazing $5.00! That $5.00 gave me five individual purchases...

A vintage rayon scarf to be used for costuming a figure - $1.00...

An elephant eggcup with a few chips around the top, but I love it - 50 cents...

A 1920's silk screened? paper lampshade - 50 cents...

two very old cake racks that may be used in my studio or maybe in the kitchen - $2.00...

A tiny Wade vase ( with a chip on the inside lip, but no one will see it when I use it for a figure or ornament) - 50 cents...

A bag of 1920's/1930's bridge tallies - In it were these three designs...

This Autumn landscape...

This Hallowe'en design...

This unused Hallowe'en bridge score pad...

And inside the score pad were four pumpkin bridge tallies. All of these bridge tallies cost 50 cents.

You never know what you will find. I have never ever found any Hallowe'en items before. The lampshade may be made into something I'm not certain. I had to show you my great inexpensive purchases.

A Little Tour of My Brain, Part 15 - St. Patrick's Day - vintage cards, bridge tallies, and napkins

Several years ago I found an almost full display box of vintage Saint Patrick's Day cards. It would have been displayed on the counter along with other Saint Patrick's Day merchandise. The top of the box opens up and the folds back to create a stand at the back for promotional material. Here are the different cards that are in the box. Click on the images to get a better look at the designs on the cards.

It is interesting that eight of the cards are based on four designs. They are all printed in black, green, and gold on white paper.

This is the same dancing couple but with different background treatments. The card on the left opens on the right side while the other card opens at the bottom.

This dancing couple is done in a stylized silhouette. The card is cut away on the front along the gold edge at the top right corner and at the bottom left corner to show the white and green cross hatch design on the inside of the card.

This is the same donkey cart image just turned slightly to give the appearance of going down a hill. The card on the left is die-cut along the edge of the shamrocks to reveal the green, gold, and white stripes printed on the inside of the card. The card on the right has no die-cut detailing.

It is interesting to see the changes done to the backgrounds of the images as well as the introduction of die-cuts on some of the cards and how different in feel they are to each other. The card on the left has no die-cut detailing. The card on the right is die-cut along the edge of the gold scallops to reveal the green printed on the inside of the card.

This cute card is intended for a child. It is printed on the front with no die-cut involved.

Both of these cards are printed on the front and neither card is die-cut. All of these cards are printed on the back with a simple "Made in Canada"at the bottom centre of the card.

This bridge tally and the one following are marked on the back "Gibson Cinti USA". They have a fairly similar appearance to the Canadian cards but I believe that they may be earlier.

This bridge tally is printed in green, black, and grey with just a touch of gold on the hem of her skirt, the wheel hub, and the wooden part of the cart that attaches to the donkey. I have no idea what that is called!

These napkins are by C. A. Reed Company of Williamsport, Pa., USA. The image on the left shows the pack of napkins with the label that reads - 24 Reed's napkins 12 1/2" x 12 1/2". That paper label is beautifully designed as well. The image on the right is a scan of a single napkin.

A Little Tour of My Brain, Part 11 - Hallowe'en - Bridge Tallies

I love the graphics from vintage bridge tallies and the Hallowe'en bridge tallies don't disappoint at all.

This is the first tally that I picked up. It was in a bag of tallies that cost a few dollars. The mushrooms and tree are quite delightful.

A friend gave me this tally one Christmas. I like the use of the non-traditional colours of a soft yellow and green.

This tally is probably from the same era as it uses the same yellow and green as the previous tally. I like the use of Japanese lanterns and serpentine, it immediately says costume ball.

The diecut shapes of the tallies are always interesting. A lot of the tallies have a cord and tassel attached to them.

This tally has a perforated bottom to ease in bending it. The guest’s name is written in the white area and bent forward to a right angle. When it is placed on the table each guest can read where they sit and the tally becomes an upright decoration on the plate.

This tally and the previous one may be part of a set. They were probably less expensive as they are smaller and it uses plain coloured string with no tassel.

This tally was in the bag of tallies with the flying witch tally.

This tally has a small pad inside and is printed both front and back. Great graphics are on the front and back.

Forget scary Hallowe'en this tally is just plain cute. The colours are soft, the witch is pretty and black cats are kittens!