Vintage Scrapbooking

Free Vintage Post Card Backs

2011-02-25T11:57:00.004-05:00

Click the free vintage post card backs scrapbook elements to see and download larger versions

We are all very fortunate indeed, because a donor who wishes to be known only grannyso @ yahoo. com (spaces added to thwart spammers) has scanned her collection of vintage postcards and greeting cards and is allowing me to share them. These are the real deal; there's been no digital enhancing, other than to remove the backgrounds so you can layer them if you'd like. The first of grannyso's images I'm going to share are three vintage post card backs. These would make wonderful backgrounds or, if layered and repeated, borders. The first one could also be used as a scrapbook journaling card, because it's more or less blank.

Here are the post cards:

These post card backs aren't necessarily pretty, but they have that gritty vintage feel that can lend a sense of realism to whatever you're working on. Please restrict their use to personal projects only. Thanks and happy scrapbooking!

If you like these vintage post cards, please click the Facebook "Like" button above, follow me on Twitter or Facebook, and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar.

More of grannyso's vintage post card and greeting card collection will be posted soon!

Free Vintage Christmas Angels Scrapbook Element

2010-12-12T10:05:00.001-05:00

Click the free vintage Christmas angels scrapbook element to see and download a larger version

This vintage Christmas angels scrapbook element started out life as what looked like a sticker. It had a blah colored background and a pointy circular border that I didn't care for. I thought the little angels looked much prettier -- and would be more useful -- with just the gold border. So here they are, all pretty for the holiday! I hope you find a good use for them. Please remember that this image is for personal use only.

Vintage Christmas angels scrapbook element

There are plenty more vintage Christmas images available from the sidebar.

If you like these vintage angels, please vote below, follow me on Twitter or Facebook, and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. Also, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks. Happy scrapbooking and happy holidays!

Free Vintage Back to School Scrapbooking Embellishment

2010-09-03T17:11:00.008-04:00

Click the free vintage back to school scrapbook embellishment to see and download a larger version

Vintage back to school scrapbook embellishment

This free vintage scrapbook embellishment features a pile of leather-bound books, a ruler and what I assume is a pencil box (?), all held together with a leather belt or strap. Since most kids have returned to school within the last two weeks, I thought this image was appropriate.

I can't read the titles of the books, except for Lights to Literature, Book Five. I imagine the others are just as serious! And I don't know the original source of the image, but I got it from Skimersan of FarFarHill.Blogspot.com. Thanks, Skimersan.

This back to school scrapbook image is for personal use only. Please see the terms of use in the sidebar.

If you like this vintage scrapbook embellishment, please vote below and follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. Also, please feel free to leave a comment.

Note and Envelope Scrapbook Journaling Card

2010-08-29T13:48:00.005-04:00

Click the free vintage note and envelope scrapbook embellishment to see and download a larger version

Vintage scrapbook journaling card

This free vintage scrapbook embellishment features a vintage envelope in distressed antique ivory, paired with a note card of the same color to form a scrapbook journaling card. It's subtle floral design makes it feminine, but it can also be used for men. The image is a 300 dpi PNG file, so it's large and has a transparent background. That will make it easy to layer it over other elements.

The components for this scrapbook journaling cluster come from Skimersan of FarFarHill.Blogspot.com Many thanks to her for providing so many lovely images!

If you find this vintage scrapbook journaling card useful, please vote and follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. Please also feel free to leave a comment!

This scrapbook journaling box image is for personal use only. Please see the terms of use in the sidebar.

Free Vintage Japanese Fan Scrapbook Element

2010-08-04T15:23:00.004-04:00

Click the free vintage portrait scrapbook image to see and download a larger version

Vintage Japanese fan scrapbook element

This free digital vintage Japanese fan scrapbook element consists of a photo of a real vintage fan, plus some flower photos that have had a little Photoshop magic done to them to look like they're faded and from a bygone era.

I'm just now learning Photoshop Elements, so I'm having a blast playing with it. I used to use an ancient version of Fireworks to make my images; going from that to Photoshop Elements is like the difference between driving a car and having a seat on the space shuttle.

The photos that went into this image came from Simersan of Far Far Hill (the fan) and Lesley of Scrappiness Downunder. I think them both for providing the freebies that made this image possible.

If you find this vintage fan scrapbooking image useful, please vote below and feel free to follow me on Twitter and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. I also love it when people leave comments!

This image is for personal use only. Please see the terms of use in the sidebar.

Free Vintage Engraved Portrait Scrapbooking Embellishment

2010-06-27T14:07:00.005-04:00

Click the free vintage portrait scrapbook image to see and download a larger version

Louise Bendicte De Bourbon

This free vintage engraved portrait of Louise Benedicte De Bourbon hails from the 16oos and it's a beauty. The details in this black and white engraving are wonderful. Ms. Benedicte De Bourban must have had to sit for a very long time to allow the artist to capture her likeness through the tedious medium of engraving! You can't tell by the look on her face though. She looks quite content and at peace.

This black and white engraving came from the Wikimedia Commons portraits of women section, which has plenty of other public domain images that can be used for vintage scrapbooking.

For those who have the skills and are so inclined, the background could be knocked out and the main image used as part of a vintage vignette for a blog header, scrapbook paper or an embellishment. It's also cool just the way it is. I hope you find a good use for it.

If you find this vintage freebie useful, please feel free to follow me on Twitter and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. I also love when people leave comments!

Free Vintage Map

2010-05-31T13:47:00.006-04:00

Click the free vintage 16th Century map to see and download a larger version

This free vintage map is really vintage, because it dates back to the 16th Century. It was created by Abraham Ortelius and includes the North Atlantic, Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland -- and according to the description on the Wikipedia where I found it -- some fantasy islands in the Atlantic. It also has some lovely depictions of old sailing ships, some sort of a half-man, half-sea monster playing a musical instrument, a monkey, a whale and several other interesting creatures. It would make a great component for a travel journal or scrapbook, or for a handmade card.

This vintage map is considered to be in the public domain in the United States, but may not be in other countries. If you're concerned about its copyright status, you can read this Wikipedia page for more info.

If you find the vintage freebies on this blog useful, please follow me on Twitter and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. I also love to get comments!

Free Ornate Black and White Victorian Border

2010-05-20T20:06:00.001-04:00

Click the free Victorian black and white border to see and download a larger version

This ornate black and white Victorian border comes from the 1860 book The Art of Illuminating As Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times. It was scanned and made available for free by the From Old Books site, which offers free public domain images that have been -- you guessed it -- scanned from old books. You can find instructions for making different colored versions of this border at the link above. There are also brown, red and green versions already posted on that site, along with many other images extracted from a large archive of old books. To see them, click the "FOBO" link at the top of the page.

I hope you love this Victorian border as much as I do. It reminds me of the reproduction Sears catalog from the 1800s that we had sitting around our house for years as I was growing up. Not that they would have probably put something like this in the Sears catalog, but it's certainly in the illustration style they used.

If you enjoy the vintage scrapbook freebies on this blog, please feel follow me on Twitter and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. Thanks!

The terms of use for this image are located on the page linked above. The terms for all the other vintage scrapbooking images on this blog are located in the sidebar.

Free Vintage Sheet Music Scrapbook Paper

2010-05-19T15:54:00.001-04:00

Click the free vintage America the Beautiful scrapbooking paper to see and download a larger version

This free vintage scrapbook paper began its life as the first page of the sheet music for the patriotic song America the Beautiful. It then had some vintage magic done to it to make it perfect for vintage-themed scrapbooks, handmade cards or other crafts, particularly if they're focused on the upcoming American patriotic holidays: Memorial Day, Flag Day, the 4th of July or Veterans Day.

I made this scrapbook paper design in a subtle sepia tone, so it won't fight with the other vintage images you're using. It should provide a nice backdrop for diverse applications.

If you enjoy downloading the vintage scrapbooking freebies on this blog, please feel free to follow me on Twitter and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. Thanks!

The terms of use for all my vintage scrapbooking images is located in the sidebar.

Free Vintage Seed Packets Scrapbook Paper

2010-05-05T19:50:00.001-04:00

Click the free vintage seed packets scrapbook paper to see and download a larger version

This free vintage scrapbook paper design is comprised of authentic vintage seed packet images from approximately 1910. In their day, a packet of these Burt's seeds cost 5 cents. Now you have to pay relatively big bucks to buy an empty Burt's package or even download one of the images online! But you don't have to do that, because you can just download this free scrapbook paper, which features images of 10 antique Burt's seeds packages, which once contained seeds for beets, parsnips, watermelon, two types of carrots, two types of onions and three types of radishes.

I thought this vintage seed packet scrapbook paper would make a great backdrop for summer scrapbooks,because the images remind me so much of the horticulture classes I used to take during the summer when I was high school. (I didn't go to school in 1910 when these seed packets were first printed, mind you, but you get the idea.) We grew huge amounts of vegetables and I'll never forget what it was like to cook with food I had grown myself. It's been a long time, but that fond memory lingers on!

If you enjoy the vintage scrapbooking freebies on this blog, please feel free to follow me on Twitter by clicking below and/or follow this blog using Google Friend Connect in the sidebar. Thanks!

Please note: The terms of use for all my vintage scrapbook images can be found in the sidebar.

Free Vintage Roses Scrapbook Embellishment

2010-05-02T12:11:00.001-04:00

Click the free vintage roses scrapbook embellishment to see and download a larger version

This vintage rose scrapbook embellishment is such a classic image; I just had to post it for Mother's Day. It would be beautiful in a scrapbook dedicated to Mom, and also as the basis for a handmade Mother's Day card. The red and variegated yellow roses on this scrapbook embellishment are perennial favorites, though, so this image would be useful year-round.

I figured it was time to post something other than vintage forget-me-nots! I realized I had already posted two images with them recently, so now I'm giving equal time to roses. Eventually I'll get around to all the vintage flowers out there. :-)

As with so many of the other vintage scrapbook images I post, this art comes from Vintagerio, which has over 15,000 other gorgeous vintage images to choose from.

Please note: The terms of use for all the vintage scrapbooking images on this blog can be found in the sidebar.

Vintage Forget-Me-Nots Scrapbook Embellishment

2010-04-07T17:07:00.001-04:00

Click the free vintage forget-me-nots scrapbook embellishment to see and download a larger version

I just had to post this free floral vintage postcard scrapbook embellishment now that spring has sprung. Bursting with blue forget-me-nots held in place with a beautiful blue ribbon, this vintage envelope looks like it contains a love letter or at least a very interesting message for its recipient. It's fun to wonder what the artist was thinking when he (or was it a she?) painted it.

This scrapbook embellishment is a perfect candidate to be used as a handmade card, and, of course, it would look incredible in a vintage scrapbook. I hope you find many fun uses for it.

This art comes from Vintagerio, which has many more (over 15,000!) gorgeous vintage images to choose from.

Free Vintage Easter Card Scrapbook Embellishment

2010-03-18T15:53:00.006-04:00

Click the free vintage Easter card scrapbook embellishment to see and download a larger version

I couldn't resist the two yellow chicks carrying a bright red umbrella on this vintage Easter card. What a great vintage scrapbook embellishment it will make! It's a fairly large size (click on it to see the enlarged version), so you should be able to use it as the basis for a handmade Easter card too.

The art in this vintage Easter card reminds me of some of the pictures in the old red-leather-bound Childcraft books I read over and over as a child. In fact, I still have them in storage. They're a little worse for wear and the pages I liked the most are worn and torn, but I'm delighted I hung onto them. Anyway, my favorite of the many books in the set was the one that contained poems and rhymes. It contained many colorful images like the one in this post, and the memory of them managed to burrow in pretty deeply into my brain.

Anyway, I'm sure this vintage Easter card will be appealing to anyone, whether they've read the Childcraft books or not! I hope you enjoy using it. Please see the sidebar for other vintage Easter goodies.

Free Vintage St. Patrick's Day Scrapbook Embellishment

2010-02-17T12:11:00.002-05:00

Click the free vintage St. Patrick's Day card scrapbook embellishment to see and download a larger version

This free vintage St Patricks Day scrapbook embellishment features two cute Irish kids as only prolific vintage artist Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle could paint them: cute and sweet. All dressed up for St. Patrick's Day, these cute children are surrounded by the Irish flag and the words "Let Erin Remember." (In this case, "Erin" refers to Ireland.) The vintage card also features the following wording:

What color should be seen,

Where our father's (sic*) homes have been,

But our own immortal Green.

If you love vintage scrapbook goodies, I'm sure you'll love this vintage St. Patrick's Day card. And if you love kids, I'm sure you'll like it all the more. I hope you enjoy using it and that you have a great St.Patrick's Day! FYI, there are more free vintage St. Patrick's Day cute kids cards on my Vintage Holiday Crafts blog. While you're there, be sure to check out my free vintage St. Patrick's Day clip art too!

* I included the "sic" notation to indicate that "father's" should be "fathers'," because the poem refers to more than one father. Hey, I'm an editor by trade. I had to note it!

Free Forget-Me-Nots Vintage Scrapbook Journaling Card

2010-01-23T18:34:00.005-05:00

Click the free forget-me-nots vintage scrapbook paper to see and download a larger version

This free vintage scrapbook journaling card is perfect for expressing yourself in an elegant way, whether it be in a scrapbook or handmade card.

The design in this digital journaling card features blue forget-me-nots and white flowers (if anyone knows what those are called, please leave a comment) that intertwine around a gold frame with a lot of room inside to write. The inside area of this former greeting card used to read, "To My Pet," but that has been removed so you can use this gorgeous piece of visual history however you want.

I hope you find some fun uses for this free vintage scrapbook journaling card!

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Print Your Vintage Scrapbook Pages with Pages to Treasure

2010-01-16T13:24:00.003-05:00

If you take the time to preserve your precious memories in vintage-inspired digital scrapbook pages, then those pages deserve to be preserved in the best way possible. That's where Pages to Treasure digital scrapbook printing comes in.

Run by expert scrapbookers Shawna and Erin, Pages to Treasure specializes in printing digital scrapbook pages in 12" x 12", 9" x 9", 8" x 8" and 6" x 6" formats. Their printed pages are borderless and the paper will never degrade, even in the presence of moisture. Their toner is ultra high quality, so the pages maintain their vivid color, even if exposed to direct sunlight for over 100 years. If you have any doubt about that, ask them to print a free sample for you so you can see for yourself! You can also sign up for their newsletter and read their blog for info about their referral program, which will save you 20 percent every time you refer a new customer to Pages to Treasure. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by checking them out!

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Free Vintage Valentine's Day Scrapbook Paper

2010-01-02T13:09:00.006-05:00

Click the free vintage Valentine's Day scrapbook paper to see and download a larger version

This free vintage Valentine's Day scrapbook paper features cute cherubs, big red hearts and plenty of red, pink, peach, white and yellow vintage roses on a white background. The design is comprised of two pieces of authentic vintage art from my collection.

Because there's nothing that specifically says "Valentine's Day," this paper can also be used for other purposes. It would be great for weddings, bridal showers or engagements, or on any occasion that calls for a romantic vintage look.

If you like contemporary images, you can find many other printable designs on my valentine scrapbook papers hub. You can also find many free vintage valentine clip art images and other scrapbook papers in my Free Clip Art Sourcebook. It's free to download and requires no registration.

I hope you find some fun uses for this free vintage Valentine's Day scrapbook paper!

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Free Vintage Christmas Angels Scrapbook Paper

2009-11-30T12:42:00.005-05:00

Click the free vintage angels Christmas scrapbook paper to see and download a larger version

This free vintage Christmas scrapbook paper features two sweet angels dancing around a Christmas tree, "Merry Christmas" and Joy to the World" messages and some matching blue scroll work on a white background. It's perfect for vintage scrapbooking, handmade Christmas cards or even used as wrapping paper for small gifts! And if you like angels, you might also enjoy this other vintage angel scrapbook paper I previously posted.

If you want to separately use the dancing Christmas angels image I used in the scrapbook paper design, you can find that and other vintage Christmas images by clicking on the link in this sentence. That will take you to Vintage Holiday Crafts, my vintage image site that has vintage clip art, scrapbook paper and greeting card images for virtually every holiday.

Please also see the sidebar for links to many other scrapbook freebies for Christmas, New Year and other holidays and occasions!

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Free Vintage Christmas Scrapbooking Embellishment

2009-11-08T16:30:00.003-05:00

Click the free vintage holly Christmas scrapbook journaling card to see and download a larger version

This free vintage Christmas scrapbooking embellishment can actually be used in several ways: as a frame or a journaling card. It has a traditional holly design and nice straight lines made of gold in the center, so if you want to print it and cut out the center to frame a photo, you can do it with very little fuss. It would also work equally well as a journaling card containing your hand-written thoughts. If you know how to use graphics software, you can also turn it to form a vertical border instead of horizontal.

I can't believe it's time to think about Christmas already. But as happens every year, it will be here before we know it!

If you'd like to pair this scrapbook embellishment with similar art, please see the ads in the sidebar for lots of other vintage Christmas art resources and vintage scrapbook freebies!

Free Vintage Thanksgiving Turkey Scrapbook Paper

2009-10-21T11:43:00.002-04:00

Click the free vintage Thanksgiving turkey scrapbooking paper to see and download a larger version

This free vintage Thanksgiving turkey scrapbook paper actually combines three diverse pieces of vintage art clip art on a cream background: two different turkeys and a harvest scene featuring a pumpkin, various fruits, dry leaves and a fall scene in the background. I originally created those three clip art vignettes by isolating them from vintage cards. (Click the links in this sentence if you'd like to use the vintage Thanksgiving clip art or the original vintage Thanksgiving cards to accompany this paper design for a scrapbook or craft project. You might also enjoy these other fall and Thanksgiving scrapbook papers.

Now that I created this paper, I'm trying to think how I can use it on Thanksgiving. Last year, I used some of my clip art to make paper napkin rings embellished with glitter glue and many coats of Elmer's school glue gel to create a three-dimensional effect. I also made place cards using the same effect. Maybe I'll use this paper for the napkin rings this year. Whatever you do for Thanksgiving, I hope you and your family have a wonderful time.

Please see the sidebar for many other vintage scrapbook freebies!

This scrapbook paper also matches these FREE Thanksgiving place cards:

Free Sepia Tea Party Vintage Scrapbook Paper

2009-10-03T14:16:00.005-04:00

Click the free vintage sepia scrapbooking paper to see a larger version

This free sepia-toned vintage scrapbook paper is the companion to the vintage tea party paper I posted a few weeks ago. The images are the same as on that design; they were just run through a process to make them look like faded newsprint. So they're basically authentic vintage images that have been digitally made to look even more vintage.

As with the other design I posted, this paper features a teapot, a teacup, and several bunches of fruit. It has a lovely, homey feel that I'm sure you'll find useful if you like vintage images -- which I assume you do!

Please see the sidebar for many other vintage and contemporary scrapbooking
freebies.

Free Tea Party Vintage Scrapbooking Paper

2009-09-17T18:14:00.005-04:00

Click the free vintage scrapbooking paper to see a larger version

This tea party-themed vintage scrapbooking paper is my favorite of all the papers I've ever designed. Not only does it have bright colors and the vintage look I love, but it features teapots and teacups -- a few of my favorite things.

My own collection of real teapots are in storage until we move, so I haven't seen them for a while. They used to line the tops of my kitchen cupboards, surrounded by flowering vines and antique knick-knacks, and always made the apartment kitchen of my single years look so homey. So I miss them. That probably accounts for my special affinity for this vintage tea party paper design.

Another thing I like about this scrapbook paper are the special touches on some of the pieces of vintage art used to create it. There's an ornate tea pot with gold accents and hand-painted flowers that was used as a printing sample for and/or a card sent by the Charles Brehm Printing Company. (Not to be confused, of course, with the Charles Brehm who witnessed the John F. Kennedy assassination. He was a carpet salesman for Montgomery Ward.) There's also a teacup filled with flowers that has "To Greet You" printed on it. Most mysteriously of all, one of the fruit clusters has two little tags jutting out of it. One reads "8 EB Co" and the other is a simple but mystifying "479." That piece was also used on my vintage fruit scrapbook paper, so you might like to mix and match that design and this one. There's nothing mysterious about the remaining piece of art, though, other than that the grapes look so shiny that they could be lit from within.

I find all the little quirky details about the vintage art just enhance my appreciation for the compilation that created the final design. I hope you feel the same and will enjoy using it!

Please see the sidebar for many other vintage scrapbooking freebies.

Free Vintage Scroll Work Scrapbook Paper

2009-09-08T17:57:00.006-04:00

Click the free vintage scroll work scrapbook paper to see a larger version

This brown and tan vintage-look scroll work scrapbook paper matches the black scroll work scrapbook paper I just posted over the weekend on my Free Scrapbooking Supplies blog. They both use the same design but this version started with a white background and the other has a black background.

I created the vintage effect by using a number of editing processes in Picnik that made it easy to adjust the colors until they created a vintage vibe that also looks modern. It's always nice to have a classy neutral paper you can use to balance out brighter or stronger colors. I know I'll find this scrapbook paper useful and I hope you will too. Please see the sidebar for many more helpful free images.

Like this vintage-look scrollwork scrapbook paper?
Please link to this post or the blog, using the words "vintage scrapbook paper". That will help others find these images too. Thanks!

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Free Vintage Angels Christmas Scrapbook Paper

2009-09-07T11:06:00.008-04:00

Click the free vintage angels Christmas scrapbook paper to see a larger version

The other day I got the idea that vintage Christmas cards would look beautiful if they were incorporated into Christmas scrapbook paper. So I chose what I think is a particularly pretty vintage greeting card that features two angels, one reading a parchment scroll with golden filigree and the other holding an ornate golden harp. Naturally, they're floating in the clouds and they appear to be having a conference about some Christmas-related issue. The card itself reads "A Merry Christmas" and I added "Angels heard on high proclaim that Christmastime is here" for a little ambiance and extra Christmas cheer.

I find the pale aqua color of the background, which I pulled from the cloud color, quite soothing. And to give it just that little extra bit of flair, I added an ivory-colored scroll work design between each card. I'm actually quite happy with the results. To me it's a bonus that it works for both secular and religious audiences. I've received requests to provide more spiritual and religious images, and this one has a little something for everyone. I hope you find lots of uses for it! You might even want to try using it as wrapping paper for small Christmas gifts. (Added 11-30-2009: Check out this other free vintage angel scrapbook paper I just posted.)

Like this vintage Christmas scrapbook paper? Please link to this post or the blog, using the words "vintage scrapbook paper". That will help others take advantage of these images too. Thanks!

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Free Vintage World War I Photo Scrapbook Embellishment

2009-08-25T23:59:00.008-04:00

Click the free vintage black and white photo to see a larger version

I fell in love with this vintage black and white World War I photo before I even knew what was written on the sign above the barrel. When I blew it up and read it, I liked it even more.

Apparently, ground-up peach stones were turned into charcoal dust that was used to filter poison gas fired at our soldiers during the war. It looks like these two fashionably dressed women posed while doing their civic duty and donated peach pits.

The sign on top of the barrel reads:

Throw Peach Stones in this Barrel

The U. S. Government Needs Them

Reduced to a Charcoal Powder

They Filter the Poison Out of Gas and Save Our Soldiers' Lives

Weren't they clever back then? And who do you think first came up with the idea to grind up peach pits to filter poison gas? I wouldn't be surprised if today we use all synthetic materials that filter out poisons but generate toxins as they're manufactured. Oh, the irony. Maybe that's a little cynical but I think in some ways we've actually gone backwards as we've moved forward.

Anyway, I hope you can find some fun uses for this photo as a scrapbook embellishment or to make handmade cards. It came from Vintagerio, which has plenty more wonderful images you can play with. If you'd like to have fun browsing Vintagerio's giant collection of vintage art, click the ad in the sidebar.

Like this vintage scrapbook embellishment? Please link to this post or the blog, using the words "vintage scrapbooking". That will help others take advantage of these images too. Thanks!

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