Swan & Edgar’s Fashionable Furs #A Postcard | Zazzle #Sold!!

Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]

Source: Swan & Edgar’s Fashionable Furs #A Postcard | Zazzle

The Actresses Card | Zazzle #Sold!

I’m delighted to have sold two of these greeting cards. It’s a montage of British actresses from the late 19th and early 20th century from my theatrical postcard collection. Those of you interested in theatre greats will be happy to learn that Dame Ellen Terry features three times, for which I make no apology! If young actors have not heard of her, they have no right to be on the stage. [Ed. Too obstinate?] As the late Alan Rickman said — and I’m oft repeating —  “The profession should be and is a kind of relay race – about information, opinions and passions being passed on.” [Theatregoer Magazine, November 2001]

Source: The Actresses Card | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

Vesta Tilley Business Card | Zazzle #Sold!

Size: Standard Size Business Card, 3.5″ x 2.0″

When it comes to your business, don’t wait for opportunity, create it! Make a lasting impression with quality cards that WOW.

• Dimensions: 3.5″ x 2.0″
• Full color CMYK print process
• Double sided printing for no additional cost
• 100% satisfaction guarantee

Paper Type: Signature UV Matte

An upgrade from our Standard Matte, Signature UV Matte features a thicker and stiffer paper coated with a protective finish that can be written on. It provides the perfect base for creating long-lasting, high-quality designs with robust color and detail.

• 18 pt thickness/ 325 GSM
• Bright white, matte finish
• UV coating adds an additional layer of protection
• Made and printed in the USA

Source: Vesta Tilley Business Card | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

Love Letters #Valentine Binder | Zazzle

I think I’m repeating myself with this post but I’m too tired to check and Valentine’s Day is not far away!
What could be more romantic than receiving a hand-written love letter? Use this beautiful folder to store them.

Size: Avery Signature 1.5″ Binder

You’ve spent time crafting interesting reports, so why not create an eye-catching Avery custom binder to match? Showcase your business with custom client binders, proposals and reports, or design unique wedding albums, recipe books and photo albums.

• Dimensions: 10″l x 11.75″w; Spine: 2.2″
• Full bleed photo-quality printing
• Designed for letter (8.5″ x 11″) sized paper
• Fits 400 pages with 1 Touch™ EZD™ Rings
• Binder inserts not included
• Made in U.S.A.

Ring Type: One Touch EZD Ring

1″ Capacity: 275 pages
1.5″ Capacity: 400 pages
2″ Capacity: 540 pages
Locking rings open with ease and keep pages secure.

Source: Love Letters Valentine Binder | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

Sleeping Beauty Favor Box | Zazzle

Celebrate your guests with custom favor boxes. Wonderful giveaways at weddings, birthdays, corporate events, and other parties. Designs are printed in full color, allowing you to perfectly coordinate with any theme!

• Dimensions: 2″l x 2″w x 2.75″h
• Printed in full color on high quality card stock
• Shipped flat, some simple assembly required

Source: Sleeping Beauty Favor Box | Zazzle

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First Night Design | Day at the Exhibition (What! No Heffalumps?) #Repost

FROM THE ARCHIVE 7 March 2014
What! No elephants? Visitors who read yesterday’s post will know this piece started out with elephants. After adding textures from 2 Lil’ Owls, I played around for some while adding and…

Source: First Night Design | Day at the Exhibition (What! No Heffalumps?)

First Night Design | Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty © Sarah Vernon Greeting Cards

‘Sleeping Beauty’s earliest influence apparently comes from “Perceforest,” a French romance first printed in 1528. While not a Sleeping Beauty tale, Perceforest (1528) contains many elements similar to the later Sleeping Beauty tales. Some scholars debate the connection between the stories, but I believe there are enough similarities to warrant comparisons. You can read more about Perceforest on Wikipedia.

The next known version of the tale came from Giambattista Basile’s “Sun, Moon, and Talia” also known more formally as…’ SurLaLune

I thought it was time to revisit Sleeping Beauty, created with a vintage postcard from  The Graphics Fairy, and blended with one of my vintage postcard backs and a scan of a piece of coffee bean paper. I have used the design on several new products, as below.

Sleeping Beauty Small Christmas Stocking

Sleeping Beauty Pillows

Sleeping Beauty Party Favor Boxes

Sleeping Beauty Wrapping Paper

Sleeping Beauty Note Books

Sleep well tonight. But not too well!

Available at the following galleries:
Redbubble
Crated
Zazzle US
Zazzle UK
Fine Art America
Fine Art England
Saatchi Art

Take care and keep laughing!

Choosing a Husband for Clarita: c. 1915 | Mrs Daffodil Digresses

Originally posted on Mrs Daffodil Digresses.

The Love Letter, Raimundo Madrazo

In Madrid a young lady, noted for her beauty and musical gifts, whom I had met on several occasions at the British Embassy, paid me a visit in company with her duenna in order to ascertain something very near what, I presume, she would have termed her heart. The stately duenna waited discreetly in the anteroom whilst my fascinating visitor, with impassioned volubility, declared the object of her visit. It was just this: Two young bloods of Madrid were very much in love with her. On family grounds one was as acceptable as the other, and, personally, she really had no preference. She could not marry both, but, eventually, would surely marry one of them — but which? Would I advise her? Would I make the choice for her? Alas! what had I to do with other people’s little love affairs? And what man has yet been born who could safely and wisely take upon himself such a momentous decision? Obviously I promptly declined the role cast for me. But she resented my refusal with the prettiest possible display of petulance.

I explained that in my country when in doubt we frequently tossed for it, letting the spin of the coin determine our decision. It, I added, would possibly collide with her conception of things to toss a coin with “Heads — Jose; tails —Juan.” She agreed that it would not be a convincing decision. It, to tell the truth, was much too matter-of-fact for her romantic disposition. There is chance, but precious little sentiment, associated with the tossing of a coin. Finally, I suggested that as she was uncertain in her choice, and as, presumably, it didn’t really matter much either way who was the successful suitor, she should…

via Choosing a Husband for Clarita: c. 1915 | Mrs Daffodil Digresses.

First Night Design | Edwardian Fashion — Swan & Edgar’s is all the rage!

Swan & Edgar’s Fashionable Furs © Sarah Vernon

Swan & Edgar’s Fashionable Furs was one of the first greeting cards I made at Zazzle. I scanned this advertisement from one of my early 20th century editions of the English theatre periodical, Play Pictorial.

Even if you have never heard of Swan & Edgar’s, this grand department store was housed in one of the most recognisable and iconic buildings of Piccadilly Circus, between Piccadilly and Regent Street. It was the establishment in which to be seen for it sold the most sumptuous clothes for the well-heeled. The store had its beginnings in a haberdashery stall in St James Market run by William Edgar early in the 19th century. After meeting George Swan, the two men combined resources:

They first opened a shop together in Ludgate Hill which Mr Swan had been operating, but moved to 20 Piccadilly in 1812. They then moved to 49 Regent Street when their former site was demolished to make way for Piccadilly Circus, which had been the home to the Western Mail coach offices and the Bull & Mouth public house. George Swan died in 1821, however Mr Edgar continued to use the name. By 1848 the premises had expanded to 45-51 and the entire corner of Piccadilly Circus… [Wikipedia]

Available at the following galleries:
Zazzle US
Zazzle UK

Take care and keep laughing!

First Night Design | Those Were the Days | The Café Royal

Sinking beneath the waves as I try to catch up. I hope you enjoy the reposting of Those Were the Days,
Take care and keep laughing!
Sarah

First Night Design

The Café Ž Royal, London by William Orpen (1912) © First Night Vintage—Available as Posters, Cards, and Prints

There were many disadvantages to living in the early years of the 20th century, not least the coming of the ‘War to End All Wars’, which was anything but. Nevertheless, I can’t help dreaming of swanning around in an Edwardian frock or a Twenties flapper dress and the wherewithal to enjoy the delights of London theatre, fine dining and exquisite conversation. My recent post, Café Royal Rose, set me on a journey. But before I could do but a soupçon of research, I was stopped short by finding a copy of William Orpen’s painting on Wikimedia.

I could not pass by without downloading it and working magic with my resizing software (OnOne) to be able to sell it on First Night Vintage. I don’t think any regular followers will be…

View original post 256 more words

A Lady Ponders: New Creation

I enjoy poor health and have been enjoying it particularly in the last twenty-four hours! My internet connection has also been enjoying poor health. The combination means I have only been able to visit a fraction of the blogs I follow. I could say I’ll catch up when both conditions are bang to rights but I know from experience that it just ain’t gonna happen!

In the meantime, here’s an old post for your delectation. Have a beautiful Wednesday, my dear friends!

First Night Design

A Lady Ponders © First Night Design

A quick post to show my latest image, a re-imagining of a vintage photograph of an Edwardian lady from The Graphics Fairy and my own backgrounds and textures.  I could not sleep last night and this is what transpired.  I do hope it appeals to you.  As always, I welcome your comments.

Take care and keep laughing!

View original post

First Night Design | Those Were the Days | The Café Royal

The Café Ž Royal, London by William Orpen (1912) © First Night Vintage—Available as Posters, Cards, and Prints

There were many disadvantages to living in the early years of the 20th century, not least the coming of the ‘War to End All Wars’, which was anything but. Nevertheless, I can’t help dreaming of swanning around in an Edwardian frock or a Twenties flapper dress and the wherewithal to enjoy the delights of London theatre, fine dining and exquisite conversation. My recent post, Café Royal Rose, set me on a journey. But before I could do but a soupçon of research, I was stopped short by finding a copy of William Orpen’s painting on Wikimedia.

I could not pass by without downloading it and working magic with my resizing software (OnOne) to be able to sell it on First Night Vintage. I don’t think any regular followers will be in the least surprised!

The Café’s official site states that in ‘1863, a French wine merchant called Daniel Nicholas Thévenon and his wife Celestine arrived in England in a bid to escape the clutches of creditors in Paris’.

Cafe Royal in 2008 before its refurbishment [Wikimedia]

Those creditors’ losses were London’s gain for the couple created a fine establishment that acquired an enviable reputation with a wine cellar admired the world over and which introduced London to French cuisine. Café Royal’s survival to this day is proof of its legendary status.

Augustus John on board ship [Wikimedia]

Oh, the joy I would have had mixing with the likes of Augustus John (‘The King of Bohemia’) or D H Lawrence, Virginia Woolf or Noël Coward, or even Walter Sickert — very heaven.  Earlier still and I might have been able to dine on the wit of Oscar Wilde. That is, of course, if any of them had been gracious enough to include me in their gatherings. Reputation suggests that Augustus John would have taken me to his bosom and possibly literally! My mother nearly had one such encounter.  In her memoir, she writes about her disappointment at my grandmother’s refusal to let her sit for the artist as he had requested.

Walter Sickert by George Beresford in 1911 [Wikimedia]

Related articles

• Café Royal Regent Street (official site)
• Café Royal (Wikipedia)
• Augustus John
• Walter Richard Sickert
• The Virginia Woolf Society of Great Britain
• D H Lawrence
• The Noël Coward Society
• The Official Website of Oscar Wilde

Take care and keep laughing!

First Night Design | Day at the Exhibition (What! No Heffalumps?)

Day at the Exhibition © First Night Design — Buy prints, posters & cards at Fine Art America.

What! No elephants?

Visitors who read yesterday’s post will know this piece started out with elephants. After adding textures from 2 Lil’ Owls, I played around for some while adding and deleting various elements until despair set in. Okay, I’m exaggerating but my patience ran out when I couldn’t create what I  envisaged. I was still looking through my archives for other elements that might help realise my vision when I came across this vintage postcard of the entrance to the British Textile Pavilion at the Franco-British Exhibition in area of London that is now known as White City in 1908. It was held to celebrate the Entente Cordiale signed in 1904 by the United Kingdom and France. I put it in the frame with the idea that I would make it a smaller, collage-like element.

But…as soon as I saw what the Pavilion looked like with this 2 Lil’ Owls texture, I deleted the elephants.

Day at the Exhibition was on its way. After some adjustments, it was ready.

Day at the Exhibition Cards by FirstNightDesign

I leave you with a couple of limericks that were penned to advertise the event that I discovered on the Exhibition’s entry at Wikipedia.

A maiden of coy disposition,

Met her fate at the Bush Exhibition,

When his great love he told her,

Placed her head on his shoulder,

And enjoyed the happier position.

In an Anglo-French section one night,

A Youth met a Maiden, gay and bright,

But her idea of pleasure,

Was of such boundless measure,

He left with heart heavy – purse light.

Take care and keep laughing!

A Lady’s Curious Reflection – New!

A Lady’s Curious Reflection © First Night Design

This piece was inspired by vintage fashion plates and decorative postcards from long ago.

I began with a shop background from Wikimedia.

Wikimedia

I added part of a texture from Kerstin Frank on Flickr.

Kerstin Frank

The Edwardian fashion plate and her double, and the lemons are from The Graphics Fairy.

The Graphics Fairy

The Graphics Fairy

A Lady’s Curious Reflection © First Night Design

Take care and keep laughing!

Related articles

• A Lady Ponders: New Creation (firstnightdesign.wordpress.com)
• Edwardian Ladies Collage Stamp – Project Ideas (rachelgreig.typepad.com)

A Lady Ponders: New Creation

A Lady Ponders © First Night Design

A quick post to show my latest image, a re-imagining of a vintage photograph of an Edwardian lady from The Graphics Fairy and my own backgrounds and textures.  I could not sleep last night and this is what transpired.  I do hope it appeals to you.  As always, I welcome your comments.

Take care and keep laughing!