I have mostly logos, letterheads, leaflets and posters.
I've translated quite a lot of high flyers' CVs, international corporate execs, even the odd senior European bureaucrat, and I have some idea about what works. I'd say list your logos, letterheads, etc. Literally, in reverse chronological order, and in detail: what the brief was, who your clients were (even if they were targets you set for yourself), what the dates/deadlines were, what the specs were, put thumbnails if copyright doesn't let you use actual full-size images... I have to disagree with bigdave, freelancing experience
is valid experience (though it may not be the easiest route into a big studio) and there is absolutely nothing more important than your portfolio. So flaunt it. I used to do this as an 'annex' (Eurospeak, sorry) to my CV proper (which has worked very well for its intended purpose of getting me freelance work), that way they can read it if they want, but you aren't obliging them to plough through it.
Now, do you want to put your 'crappy' fill-in jobs on your CV? I suppose you mean waitressing or bartending or the like - well, why not? It shows a willingness to work, and I've never known an employer who underestimated that, and as you say, gaps in your CV are embarrassing. But I knew one Director of Sales who automatically hired anyone claiming door-to-door experience, precisely because it takes real guts to do it. My own CV still includes my youthful summer of pig castrating, though towards the end, obviously. And it's OK to play that stuff down - most HR people I've known can't usually be bothered with a CV much longer than 2 pages anyway.
But then of course, they aren't generally interested in anyone over twenty-five, either.
