A Beautifully Tattered Trading Card

I believe all of us have a soft spot in our hearts for particular items we've found ourselves collecting over the years.  Victorian trading cards have been a favorite of mine for more than a decade.  There's just something about these pieces of card, beautifully printed with decorative advertising.

This die cut trading card, advertising Clark's Mile End thread, has taken up residency in a box of ephemera I've had for years.  The ladies have been through a lot over the past century, and are showing a few wrinkles.  Their colors are still very vibrant, though, as if they were just printed yesterday.

Because the card was quite delicate, and had layers paper on the back, I applied white glue to the reverse side and spread it evenly.  Avoid applying too much glue towards the edges.

I wanted to set the card on a background that would truly compliment the vibrant colors of the artwork.  I did this by using a sheet of scrapbooking paper in bright kiwi.  The paper is slightly metallic, giving the design a slightly modern twist.

The photo above shows the paperweight kit's mounting board covered with kiwi paper.  The trading card was glued to the kiwi paper and allowed to dry completely.  (Tip:  Place the top surface of your paperweight on the item to weigh it down as it dries.)

Here's how the paperweight is assembled:

Figure 2:  Place your artwork image-side down into the recessed area on the bottom of the paperweight.

Figure 3:  Cover the base of the paperweight with the pre-cut, self-adhesive bottom pad.  This piece is also included with each paperweight kit.