I'm going to show you lots of pictures because this thing is hard to describe. These were used to store and transfer prescriptions back in the olden days. The fact that it was used to hold prescriptions tells you the size. When I saw these, I thought.....MINI-ALBUM!!! These things are so cool and unusual. Very sturdy and you could decorate them however you want. I will have them in my etsy shop just as soon as I get one completely packed up to weigh it for the shipping price. I'm hoping it will weigh in under a pound, but I'm not counting on it.
It will come to you flat (like the last picture) and it will include lots of pre-punched ephemera and a sheet or two of punched high quality, heavy watercolor paper. I will also send a wallpaper/ephemera scrap pack for decorating the outside of the box and the ring binder itself. You can add any number of items to this and you can use lots of dimensional embellishments because the binder is 4 inches thick! The overall size of the box is 8 x 5 3/8 x 4. That's 4" wide at the binder spine, 8" deep and 5 3/8" tall. The only restriction is you need to remember that nothing can hang outside the binder because it needs to be able to slide back in the box. That's why I made the punched pieces all different sizes. That way you can still have the fun of trims, tabs, etc. but stay within the binder. Also, don't put anything dimensional on the outside cover of the binder so it will slide nicely into the box.
As I began working on this, I started realizing all the amazing possibilities. You will do the same thing. It is so much fun. Mine is not finished by any means. I haven't done anything to any of the bound pages, but I plan to add family pictures and ephemera. I will also use one to keep all my small pieces of art, postcards and business cards from friends. In my own book I will use vintage postcards I've received from friends like the rose postcard in one of the pictures below is from Heather K. I will include some of my own postcards in the albums I sell. These photos are a great sampling of what will be included in each kit.
You can stamp on this label and glue stuff to it. All kinds of things! I've not decided what I want to do on mine.
I will continue to work on my album and post ideas about how to add things to my ephemera. Like how you can add to one of the playing cards and make it into a family album page. I should have them in my etsy shop by evening. I hope you like these as much as I do:)
Cool idea!!! Can't wait to see how your album progresses too.
Posted by: Barbara | July 07, 2008 at 01:41 PM
Wow, Donna...these are really unique! I'll be anxiously awaiting to see them in your shop tonight. I may just have to have one of your kits! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Cheryl | July 07, 2008 at 02:27 PM
How clever of you! This looks really Cool :)
Posted by: Lilli | July 07, 2008 at 04:17 PM
This is such a creative idea for those things, and I wish I had seen it a month ago! One of my fav flea market dealers had gobs and gobs of those things one week and I couldn't sort out any use for them.
Posted by: Sarah | July 07, 2008 at 04:39 PM
WOW -- I want one of these prescription things -- I was recently at an auction where they had boatloads of them still filled with prescriptions and when it came time to sell them the auctioneer thought he better not since they had personal info in them and I was heartbroken. Are they already gone and if so will you have more?
DJ (Donna)
Bay City General Store
Posted by: DJ | July 08, 2008 at 09:02 AM
WOW, those are way cool! and I love all of your paper bits. Looking forward to seeing more pages.
Posted by: Juanita | July 08, 2008 at 03:45 PM
Love these and love the kit you came up with! So glad I found your blog thanks to my friend Juanita who posted earlier!
Posted by: Cindy (JunqueArt) | July 08, 2008 at 04:08 PM
My dad was a pharmacist many years ago and I remember shelves lined with these in his store. This was where he filed all of the written prescriptions after they were filled. Just think, with computers we won't ever have stuff like this again. Kinda makes me wonder why he had to keep them, he had them from years and years back. I can only guess that they were probably thrown in the trash when his store closed. Sigh.
Posted by: make me a memory | July 09, 2008 at 03:49 AM
Very, very cool kit Donna!
I have an old metal prescription file that I used to use in my studio. It has 3 (or 4) boxes on top and the same number on the bottom. Each box has a little door that lifts up, and the original labels are on each box as well. (They're all attached, so it's one larger piece) Does that make any sense? Anyway, not even sure why I'm telling you this other than your kit made me think of it. LOL :0)
I hope you have received your package and all was ok. :0)
xo, Cerri
Posted by: Cerri | July 09, 2008 at 11:10 PM
Ohhhh I like that - it is different and totally cool. Can easily see how you can do so much with this one.
Posted by: Pearl Maple | July 12, 2008 at 09:25 PM