How to journal with vintage paper and ephemera

To celebrate the launch of the official Babbling Books shop I want to share all my top tips on how to journal with vintage papers and ephemera. Whether you have picked up a paper pack in my shop, or want to use things you have already collected, let’s explore the joy of vintage papers.

ephemera
/ɪˈfɛm(ə)rə,ɪˈfiːm(ə)rə/
noun

any transitory written or printed matter not meant to be retained or preserved.

The incredible textures, faded colours and layers of history make vintage ephemera so much fun to work with. Many of the things I come across and love to use can no longer serve their original purpose. Ephemera is, by definition, fleeting, temporary, impermanent. Old maps which are many years out of date. Encyclopedias which have been replaced by the internet. Non-collectible postage stamps. Even old newspapers and catalogues. And there is something so wonderful about being able to give them new life.

In this post I have a video that shows in details some pages from my journal that I created using items from The Curator, The Marquis and The Voyager vintage paper packs. This is followed by photos of each spread so you can look at all the details or pin them to Pinterest for future inspiration.

Vintage paper collage workshop

If you’re a Melbourne or Geelong local and interested in an in-depth workshop, check out my workshops page for upcoming dates. For my interstate or international readers, sign up to my newsletter to be the first to know about online workshops.

Video tutorial: How to journal with vintage paper ephemera

Jump to journaling start- 3:00
First spread – 3:38
Second spread ‘Autumn’ – 7:04
Third spread ‘Spring’ – 9:01
Fourth spread – 11:31
Fifth spread – 13:48

Vintage paper & ephemera: Photo gallery for inspiration

All the vintage papers in these photos- both in the background and in the journal spreads are from paper packs available in the shop. The relevant packs are listed below each spread.

• The Curator, vintage paper ephemera – Babbling Books
• MU Print-on stickers – SumThingsOfMine
• MT washi tape, encyclopedia plants – CuteThingsFromJapan

• The Marquis, vintage French papers – Babbling Books
• MU Print-on stickers – SumThingsOfMine

• The Marquis, vintage French papers – Babbling Books
• MU Print-on stickers – SumThingsOfMine
• MT washi tape, mini botanical art – Milligram
• Reading lady, rubber stamp set – La Dolce Vita

• The Marquis, vintage French papers and The Curator, vintage paper ephemera – Babbling Books
• MU Print-on stickers – SumThingsOfMine
• MT washi tape, mini botanical art – Milligram
• Reading lady, rubber stamp set – La Dolce Vita

• The Naturalist, vintage paper ephemera and The Marquis, vintage French papers – Babbling Books
• MU Print-on stickers – SumThingsOfMine
• MT washi tape, encyclopedia plants – CuteThingsFromJapan

• The Voyager, vintage paper ephemera and The Marquis, vintage French papers – Babbling Books

Keen to learn more about journaling?
Check out my other journaling posts and videos.

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