Today's Outgoing: December 30, 2014

Slowly getting back on top of things. I'm just crazy exhausted all the time.

Today's Outgoing: December 10, 2014

Finally getting a second letter off to Nikki in England. :)

Today's Postcrossing December 9, 2014

I was surprised to find two Postcrossing treasures in my mailbox tonight. I'll definitely need to look up where Belarus is!

(The other one is from Illinois, but my blogger app crashes whenever I attempt to put multiple pics on one post. :( )

Snail Mail Fail

So the other day when I was digging up my Christmas decor, I was horrified to find about a dozen unsent thank you postcards from my wedding. It may not be a big deal to some of you, but our wedding was almost two and a half years ago!

Growing up, my mother instilled in me a serious attitude of gratitude. Somehow I got it in my head that as far as serious sins are concerned, unsent thank you notes fall just after murder and fornication.

I know I'm being unnecessarily hard on myself here. It was an honest mistake. I really legitimately 100% thought I had completed all those darn handwritten thank you notes and posted them in a graceful amount of time following the wedding. Based on the number of left over blanks I'm certain at least 60 or so made it to the mailbox.

But still... there's one dozen that remains, most of which are addressed to my close relatives and one of my oldest childhood friends!

To add to my guilt, two of the dozen recipients have actually died since my wedding. I just pray that God will pass the message along to them and they can all have a good laugh about it together. :')

Postcrossing Album

Over the weekend I snatched up a totally cute 40 page magnetic photo album from a thrift store. It's in great condition, hardly any wear and tear, and the UPC even says it's less than 5 years old from from Target.

The best part is it's just what I've been looking for to store my Postcrossing booty. (The second best part is that I got it for a mere buck fifty plus tax!) Take a gander at half the cards I've received so far.

About 5 of my sent cards were all registered this week, so I'm expecting a postal ambush to add to my collection shortly. :)

Today's Outgoing November 21, 2014

This one's for Ariel!

Today's Outgoing November 20, 2014

Going out to Virva in Finland!

Today's Outgoing November 19, 2014

I'm afraid the change of seasons has hit me hard and the winter blues have made it hard for me to want to do much of anything remotely social. The growing list of pen pals I owe replies to has been a little daunting, so I decided to try getting back in the game slowly with some short, simple postcards for postcrossing.com.

  I hope to take some time to share the postcards I have received in the near future!

Today's Outgoing: October 11, 2014

Today's Outgoing October 7, 2014

Finally got this in the mail for Jamie. Sorry for the delay!

Olaf in Summer

The Many Wonders of Washi Tape

/drool

I recently had the chance to experiment with washi tape for the first time (largely thanks to an awesome sale at Joann's which made them just a buck per roll instead of $3.00). 

If you don't already know, washi tape is the semi-opaque, brightly colored, wildly patterned Japanese tape that behaves like a cross between Scotch tape and masking tape. Considering it's self adhesive and comes in a million colors and patterns, there is an infinite amount of possibilities!

As you can see, my first experiment was to just make a simple, bright border on some envelopes for my happy mail. I particularly enjoyed the striped outline as it reminded me of old timey air mail envelopes. (I wonder why we don't have to use them today. Anyone know why that is the case?)

My second washi tape experiment involved these adorable birthday cards! The washi tape part itself was a snap, but embossing the background was pretty time/energy consuming. I'm quite happy with the results though! Everyone needs some special happy mail on his or her birthday.

Click here for some sweet project ideas from Tinker With This

Since washi tape is so versatile, there is a plethora of creative project inspiration floating around the internet. I think my next experiment will be to decorate our light switch covers with washi tape. I like that it will be easy to remove if we move since we're apartment renters, and  it will definitely give our place some much needed zest since I'm too lazy to paint. (Mostly every time I think about it, I can just imagine getting a giant rent hike and having to undo all the work when we move out.)

If you haven't yet given washi tape a shot, I highly encourage you to try it! If you have, or have any other awesome project ideas, tell me about it!

Site Review: Postcrossing

A couple weeks ago I mentioned I was going to try playing around with postcrossing.com. Postcrossing is unique because it provides a way for users around the world to exchange postcards. However, there are some strings attached before your mailbox can pile up with exotic foreign mail!

One of the things I liked is that you must send before you can receive.  Every postcard has a unique code that needs to be written somewhere on the card.Your address will not be given to a sender until someone records that they have received a postcard from you. Even then, you don't have an instant postcard collection. Your address will be distributed to one person per card you send.

Postcrossing also has a limit in place so you don't get too far ahead of every one else.When you first start, you can send up to five postcards at once. These are referred to as "traveling" postcards until the recipient enters the code onto the website. Only after the postcard's code is recorded does it count as a "sent" postcard. This limit does seem to be a little flexible though: after your first five cards have been received your traveling postcard limit will increase to six. (I'm not sure if this continues escalating like some kind of leveling system or not, but the gamer in me is eager to find out!)

A visual of my Postcrossing escapades. Blue lines are postcards I have sent, the red line is the one have received so far.

I'm hurrying!

As you can see, I've sent a lot more postcards than I have received so far, but let's not forget this is snail mail! I mean look at this map! Germany, Russia, Ukraine, China, Taiwan, and Malta are all pretty distant destinations. (I also have sent one to New York, but as I have never been, it's still a little glamorous in my mind.) Factoring in the distance and especially business days vs weekends etc, 18 days of travel time so far really isn't all that much for most of my initial cards.

In theory if enough time passes (and those assigned my address aren't forgetful!) it will all even out 1:1. The turn around time from when my first card was received and when I got one in my mailbox was much shorter than I expected; however, it was being sent from within my own country. (By the way, Postcrossing does give you the option to choose if you want to get postcards from your own country or not.)

Another nice little tidbit I enjoy about Postcrossing is that it tracks your total mileage! I was pretty impressed by these stats, and so far there are only 8 total cards involved! I honestly can't imagine what these numbers will look like in a year's time.

All in all, it's a pretty cool site! I'd really reccommend it. And for the record, they aren't paying me to say any of this or anything. (Come on, you really think I'm that cool?) There's only one thing I would change about Postcrossing: I'd really love it if they put in some kind of a comprehensive map like the one I made above, but for now you can only view maps for the journey of individual cards.

Ninja Turtle Donatello

This one is done by special request for my pal's daughter who hopes to be Donatello for Halloween this year. Enjoy! :)

Today's Outgoing: September 18, 2014

Didn't leave quite enough room for the stamp!

It's a Small World.

I'm sure you've figured out by now that I really enjoy this snail mail gig. It's been great to keep up with old friends and family members that I don't get to see as often as I'd like.

Not me.

After about a year I decided to branch out and write people I haven't met before. (After a Facebook stalking session, of course.) I've been really fortunate to get to know 5 (going on 6) wonderful women around the world. Yes, most of them are in my own country, but even so it's a big enough country that life can still be a little different from one state to the next.  I only have 2 overseas pen pals currently, and at first I thought I was pretty cool for having "foreign contacts" like I somehow compare to some sophisticated globe trotter and/or semi-psychotic secret agent super spy.

Me. (Minus the whiskers.)

In reality I know I'm just a girl who writes happy mail with cute little pictures and I'm neither sophisticated nor a butt-kicking CIA agent, but one of the biggest changes to my life from pen palling has been how I think about the world in general. It feels both a lot bigger and smaller at the same time. Bigger because there are a lot more people than I've previously given much thought to whose lives are very different from mine.  Smaller because there isn't as great as division as National Geographic sometimes makes me think there is. It's not just me, angry Middle Eastern residents, mysterious Tibetan monks, and  stick-through-the-nose African witch doctors. There are plenty of people out there who enjoy bird watching,  Harry Potter, and a good party; there are lots and lots of people that I probably wouldn't mind hanging out with.

When I made this map today I realized not only why my pal in Finland hasn't gotten my letter yet, but how much of the map is blank. Sure, parts of that blankness are where the monks and witch doctors live, but out of all of it that is probably a much smaller portion than I think.

 

Today's Outgoing September 16, 2014

Review: Good Mail Day

Here's a look at the most recent snail-mail book I've been able to look over: Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art by Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler.

What set this book apart for me was that it's not just about physically making the mail (though it does have useful ideas and templates), but has tons of useful ideas for other aspects of postal art, like organization, etiquette, and tips for getting chummy with local postal workers. They even include directions for creating your own Call For Entries if serious correspondence art is your cup of tea, as well as some links to pen palling websites which I plan to try soon.

The trick to staying on top of all your correspondence is staying organized. If you expect to receive mail, you need to send some out first. Personally, I'm just about to my saturation point with 9 pen pals largely because I can't shut up and what I think will be a simple letter turns in to a 3-5 page saga. Hinchcliff and Wheeler suggest postcards as a more efficient means, but I'm still on the fence about that. Frankly, I like to talk :), but I also feel bad that I'm starting to reject offers for new pen pals. Perhaps I'll add more to only exchange postcards with, but that sounds like you just wouldn't get to know each other quite as well. Since I am feeling just a little bit inundated, I started implementing a log (like this free and printable tracking sheet) per their suggestion. It helps me make sure I haven't overlooked any of my pen pals, and being just a bit more organized is helping me feel much better already.

The word "etiquette" always sounds stuffy and complicated, but Hinchcliff and Wheeler break it down into these five simple rules:

1. Every piece of mail art that comes into your mailbox should receive some sort of acknowledgement in return. This is one of the unspoken "golden rules" of mail art Networking: if someone has sent something to you-- at the very least send a "thank you!" in reply.

2. Mail artists do not charge money for their mail art. Mail art is a gift that you give selflessly because you want to. Money only complicates the whole thing.

3. No returns. Each piece that arrives in your mailbox is yours to keep. it stands to reason that every piece you send to someone else will become part of that person's mail art archive. Mail art is about giving away, not accumulating and hoarding.

4. You Give as good as you Get. If someone sends you an out-of-this-world piece of mail art, you are honor bound to send back something equally fabulous.

5. Be sure to document. If you are running a mail art project of your own, be sure to send documentation to all participants in a timely manner.

Rules 2 and 3 seem pretty obvious to me, but it's nice to have it in a concise list. Mail art is not hard. It's actually pretty simple, and it should just be fun!

Generally I keep my postal creativity 2-dimensional and stick to the typical envelope dimensions and suggested addressing layout so I can easily drop things off in my regular mailbox for pickup. However, some mail artists like to get a little more creative (duh.) and reach outside the usual layout. If this applies to you, Good Mail Day suggests getting to know your postal workers, and sharing your projects with them. As you build this relationship, they will likely be more receptive to some of the stranger pieces you send and receive, provided of course that you're not doing anything super crazy like mailing bombs or just run of the mill restricted materials.

I haven't checked out these suggested pen palling websites in detail just yet, but here's what I gleaned from a quick glance.

The Letter Writers Alliance appears to offer specialty pen palling products like stationery/rubber stamps/etc, a means to find pen pals, as well as access to a bunch of secret free (after a $5.00 lifetime membership fee) stuff, which I assume means printables. You also get a sweet little badge for some extra smarm. My favorite item I saw on this website is a $35.00 carrier pigeon mailing kit. Stuff the plastic bird with a message and drop off in a blue postal pick up box, postage included and no box necessary! Honestly, $35 is way over my pen palling budget, but this would absolutely be a good bucket list item!

The second recommended website that caught my eye, Post Crossing, is a post card exchange project. Basically once you sign up you are given an address to send a post card to, and once you do your address will be given out so someone can send a postcard to you. This way no one is taking advantage of the system. You must give in order to receive. I think I will definitely give this one a shot!

Overall I quite enjoyed Good Mail Day, and found its advice both helpful and inspiring!

Today's Outgoing: September 9, 2014

For Cathleen!

The Elephant With the Tiny Hat

I didn't make this one, but it's obviously too awesome not to share. I absolutely love this chubby flag-waving elephant and his tiny hat! Thanks Em and Kayla!

Today's Outgoing: September 8, 2014

Relatively plain envelope, but there's cute print on the back that matches the stationery. I'm quite quite happy with the lettering though!

Today's Outgoing: August 29, 2014

Headed out to Ariel in Massachusetts again!

Wonder Woman

Believe it or not, 50 markers still isn't quite enough to get just the right blend.   Credit to this edition.

Calvin and Hobbes

Review: Creative Correspondence

Recently I had the opportunity to peruse Creative Correspondence by Michael & Judy Jacobs which I stumbled upon at my local library. I was excited because I knew the book included "15 unique card and envelope projects" and I hoped it would help me learn some new tricks. They also focus on recycling found materials for their projects, and emphasize that correspondence art is highly accessible to everyone (meaning materials and postage are very affordable and  creating a project like this doesn't have to require a lot of time).

 Although the initial premise did look promising, my overall impression was that this is a book to definitely borrow, not buy.  There were some ideas I liked, but altogether it didn't feel like it fit with my style.

The card/envelope projects  were unique as promised, but  a few of them that added personal photographs came off as a little creepy. They'd be super appropriate for children to send school pictures to grandma; or maybe, MAYBE even to send in a long distance love letter, but that's really all I could come up with. Most of the special techniques to embellish the cards and envelopes such as rubber stamps, colored pencils, and stickers frankly were already obvious to me. They also suggest bubble marbling (see "Bubble Painting #1") which did have some novelty as it was an elementary school activity once participated in and long since forgotten, but  I'm not really interested in exerting that much effort just to get a cool background when I have a massive trove of patterned scrapbooking paper already.

The Jacobs also suggest re-purposing what would be otherwise trashed and giving it a new life as a component of your work of art.  On one hand I think that including your ticket stub would add some extra visual interest when you're telling your friend about your review of a recent movie. When my sister was in college I received a letter whose envelope highlighted someone's goofy looking face she had constructed out of a magazine ad. (I still think that's one of the coolest envelopes I've ever been given.) However, I feel the Jacobs take it a little too far when they suggest taking a walk around town and not stopping until you find some interesting material in a local gutter. I get that that is in part the essence of found object art, but I really can't see myself spending my day off searching for actual garbage to pack up and ship to my friends around the world.

My final bone to pick with this book has to deal with their philosophy that great correspondence art shouldn't take long. In fact, they even suggest to spend no longer than 10 minutes on a piece to avoid interruption from your "inner critic". If you struggle with perfectionism or obsessive compulsive disorder, this may very well be some excellent advice for you. Nevertheless, it left me with the impression that the Jacobs spend 10 minutes slapping together some literal garbage supposedly elevating it to "art" status, and sending it off to fellow "artists". (For the record, I do have a very broad definition of what art is, so this does qualify, but it's really not my favorite style. I find works that are difficult to craft or take a lot of time and effort to achieve are more rewarding.)
In my experience the more time invested the better your work of art turns out. Although critiques can be humbling and sometimes painful experiences, they allow you to improve your work. I can understand that your inner critic may come across as crippling self-doubt instead of constructive self-help; but for me, smothering your inner critic almost sounds like smothering your conscience, and good things don't happen when you do that!

Snoopy

I'm so glad I had this idea! Snoopy is very simply constructed which makes for a quick draw that's still got a good wow factor. (Or adorable factor. That's probably it.)

Today's Outgoing (August 18, 2014)

Sending out to Nikki In England and Jessica in GA!

I love the ridiculous contrast of stamps on Nikki's letter. "ALOHA, Draco and Bellatrix!"

Fortunately I am just about out of postage, and new stamps are on the way. I even got some special ones that are worth more than 49 cents, so should have new pictures and more accurate postage soon!

The Most Fun Letter You'll Ever Get (AKA: sending collage letters)

Everyone loves to find their mailbox occupied by something other than bills. Discovering a snail mailed letter is a highlight in itself, but that feeling is greatly magnified when the sender put a little time into creating a unique or colorful envelope that stands out.
But why should it stop there? Why waste all that anticipation generated by your zesty envelope only to  tear it open and realize there's just a boring, white, visually blank sheet of paper inside? Hopefully the words make it colorful and interesting in their own way, but maybe we can do something more to make it come alive.

Not long ago I stumbled upon a great way to summarize or condense a whole bunch of information by jotting down a trail of ideas in little clumps. (I'll also say that if you're like me and have a tendency to get behind in your correspondence, this is a great way to cover the main points without falling behind another week as you try to just get it all down on paper).

Now, what does that have to do with that eye candy we were talking about? Easy! Add some simple illustrations or diagrams to go along with each of your main points, and then you have one of these babies!

I call it a collage letter.

Here's an example. I whipped this up to send to my new (and first overseas! *squee!*) pen pal Nikki in England. This is our very first letter so it's focused on introducing myself instead of sharing news, but you can't deny it knocks the socks off the usual drab, same-20-questions introduction. (And before you decide I'm a complete narcissist, be aware page 2 contains all my questions for her!)

What do you think?

Today's Outgoing (August 13, 2014)

Headed out to Ariel in Massachusetts and Jessica in Georgia!

Elmo

Elmo and Ginny Weasley... Not the ideal combination, but it did get delivered! 

I wish there were more variety in stamps. This one's not too bad, but I dread the day when I have some sweet schmancy antique design to mail and I only have Disney and Pixar stamps left. I don't know why I cant bring myself to buy flag stamps for this very reason. It seems like every time I buy postage the flag stamps just seem to scream their lameness at me and I walk out with the more goofy fun ones.

Princess Anna

I also did this one at work, and it turned out much better than the Snail Love envelope. However, it unfortunately opens upside down.

Olaf

Who wouldn't want a happy Olaf letter?

Snail Love

Did this in my down time at work, thus the shaky speech bubble. I'd recommend a ruler!

Queen of Hearts

For the record, it is incredibly difficult to mimic a playing card.

Also for the record, it is incredibly difficult to censor addresses from my phone.

Doodle pattern

Sorry the lighting is so crummy here!

I was fortunate to have stumbled upon Jenny Doh's Creative Lettering: Techniques & Tips at my local library. There's loads of good inspiration for different handwriting styles as well as simple, bright, colorful shapes and patterns. This is a book that I would seriously consider adding to my collection if I didn't live right next door to the library.

ANIMAL

Today's feature: Muppets in your mail box!

Or more accurately, just one Muppet. Hopefully I can make the rest of the gang soon.