In Writing: Bunny Mail

I have enjoyed stories by Rosemary Wells since before I could read them myself. Growing up, it became a tradition to listen to Timothy Goes to School the night before the first day for school. 

We already have Morris's Disappearing Bag and Bunny Cakes in our home library, so I was thrilled to discover Bunny Mail (2004) to share with my little one.

 

"Max really wants a bright red motorcycle just like the one Wilma Warthog has. So he decides to write a letter asking for one. Unfortunately, the postman can't make heads or tails of it. Can Grandma decipher Max's letters and help make his wish come true? 

With flaps to open and letters to read, this heartwarming story will strike a chord with every young child who's ever struggled to get his message across."

This one happens to be a Christmas in July sort of story, but more importantly in my house, Max and Ruby are exchanging letters with their Grandma. My girls are playing mail tag with my mom this summer. My mom loves bunnies and Real Mail. In fact, she's the one who started sending me Real Mail when I was away at college and the name stuck. Thanks, Mom.

Big Postal Love

Six--yes, six--beautiful pieces of personal and artistic mail in my postbox today, from as near as my home state of PA and as far as Argentina. Thank you, my friends, for your postal love! All is quiet here now, so I will carefully open them and savor each Real Mail moment! Truly, the mailbox is the museum. Thank you for sending the world to my door.

Lancaster Sunday News Article

The Lancaster County, Pennsylvania stamp and I made the front page of the Lancaster Sunday News today, with a photo on page four. You can read the full article here:

She puts her stamp on this first day issue

Last week was crazy busy and a lot of work, but it was worth it to be able to commemorate the new stamp and share my love of Real Mail with others in my community. Thank you all for your encouragement and support!

Lancaster County Postage Stamp Presentation

This is the text of my presentation of the newly-released Lancaster County postage to the group gathered for a lecture titled From Frick's Lock To DuPont - How The Industrial Revolution Saved America. The response was positive, and I was grateful for the opportunity. I will recap the day's events in a separate post, but maybe tomorrow. It's been a busy day!

"Thank you to Melynda and Felice of LancasterHistory.org for offering me a few moments today to share my postal passion with you. I have no affiliation with the United States Postal Service, except as a patron, so I am here unofficially as a representative of the Letter Writers Alliance, the International Union of Mail Artists, and Postcrossing to introduce to you the new international rate postage stamp featuring a photograph of my home for almost 35 years, Lancaster County. I would like to read the Postal Service’s brief description of the stamp.

http://beyondtheperf.com/stamp-releases/lancaster-county-pennsylvania

I initially contacted LancasterHistoy.org last Friday after I learned there would be no official First Day of Issue Ceremony for this stamp. I had a love of letters, motivation, and a vague idea that I could somehow organize an event to properly recognize this small but beautiful piece of postal and Lancaster County history. I have always loved mail—everything about it intrigues me—pen and paper, postage and postmarks. Airmail is particularly fascinating with the added allure of foreign lands, the real or imagined mystery and romance. My grandma still has all the letters she exchanged with my grandpa during their engagement while he was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. I am sure each of you here today has at least a few letters tucked away for safekeeping.

When you write a letter, you are writing a piece of personal history, whether you are reporting a once-in-a-lifetime event or your everyday activities. You are creating a record of your relationship with another person, you are giving them the gift of your time and yourself, a story no one but you can write. Personal and business correspondence of our relatives and those who go on to become figures of larger historical importance is one of the greatest resources we have for studying our personal and collective history. LancasterHistory.org boasts an extensive collection available for use in our research.

So many people lament that no one writes letters anymore, and I worry and wonder what future histories will look like when emails and tweets are the only remaining records of our communications. I certainly do not expect everyone to share my level of enthusiasm for Real Mail, as my parents and I came to call our cards and letters exchanged while I was away at college. But as lovers of history, I encourage you to make time this weekend to put pen to paper and share a piece of yourself with a family member or friend, and perhaps you will want to mail it off with the new Lancaster County postage stamp as well. Thank you."

Mail Art at Lancaster Creative Reuse!

I am excited to announce Lancaster Creative Reuse will promote making mail art this week in honor of the Lancaster County stamp release! This is the perfect place for mail art creation. I encourage everyone to join in the fun! A big thank you to Andrea for her exuberant support. I hope this will be a great week for Real Mail in Lancaster!

For Sale: Fun Mail!

I walked into my local educational supply and toy store last week, and I was greeted by this fabulous display just inside the door!

I could hardly believe my eyes, and it took all my willpower not to buy a Animail on the spot (I think they were priced at $10.) I already have plenty of cool stuff I want to send, but for anyone looking for something new and fun to mail, this is great!

Is mail art going mainstream? After seeing these Animails, "Write on, collectible mailers, making mail fun," and my recent encounter with a cut-out "Cheer" postcard on my cereal box, I am beginning to feel hopeful. Send more Real Mail!

My Cereal Box Came with MAIL!

My Tuesday or Wednesday morning is usually spent at the grocery store. Cheerios wasn't on the list today, but when I saw this box, I had to buy it!
(OK, it was also on sale, and we all like Cheerios.)

But look at this! A postcard to cut out and send through the postal system to support our nation's military families! The USO will distribute the postcards, and Cheerios will make a donation (based on the number of postcards received) to the USO to support several important programs. You can read more at Cheerios.com. Hooray for Real Mail; now in your cereal aisle!

If you prefer to make your own cards, try Operation Write Home, recommended to me by Becky thesnailmailer. I have yet to ship some of my handmade cards, but I hope to get some Christmas cards sent off this week to beat the October 31 deadline.
Happy mailing!

Gone Missing?

Ah well, I'm back now, but without #21, 22, and 23. I had a feeling if I missed one post I might miss more. I've been feeling bit scattered recently.

I began this card-a-day challenge to help me learn what I want my blog to be and how much I can handle. So I am learning, and this is what I'm thinking (in a Bianca-style list!)

+ I am not a post-a-day sort of person; perhaps I'll aim for three a week.
+ I do not want to post the same sort of thing every time.
+ I want to focus on mail I make, mail I send, and mail I receive, but it's OK if other bits and pieces seep in sometimes.
+ I might need to make myself a posting schedule to actually accomplish any of this.

So, perhaps I'll call off this card-a-day business and get on to some other interesting items. Thank you for joining me in this experiment. Now I need to send more Real Mail.

Life, Art, and Letters

Life has gotten in the way of keeping up with blog posts and new creative endeavors lately (again.) I am spending my quiet moments these last few days sending Real Mail. I thank those of you whose letters arrived in my mailbox last week. My middle daughter spent three days in the hospital receiving antibiotics for pneumonia, and those letters brought more cheer to me than you could have imagined when you sent them. She is home now and almost back to her old self.

I wanted to share a story of art, love, and letters I enjoyed on NPR this morning.
"Stieglitz and O'Keeffe: Their Love and Life in Letters"
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/21/138467808/stieglitz-and-okeeffe-their-love-and-life-in-letters

May you be startled by unexpected beauty today.

Ghee Happy Mail

A sweet "Ghee Happy" letter received 11 May 2011
from Becky "The Snail Mailer"
in reply to my Happy Spring card.
Another lover of Real Mail in Pennsylvania,
she is Leaving a Paper Trail.

Postage Patchwork Card Set

Postage Patchwork 1/2
Contrary Wife quilt square created from vintage stamps with machine stitching mounted on vintage linen postcard of Lancaster County Courthouse with Dymo name label and mailed naked

Postage Patchwork 2/2
Churn Dash quilt square created from vintage stamps with machine stitching mounted on vintage linen postcard of Lancaster Public Library with Dymo name label and mailed naked

My final submissions for the Textile Mail Art Project. The first is my favorite of the two. I am a big fan of puns, wordplay, and irony. I was unable to find a quilt square with a name that played as well on the library postcard. I love creating something new from something old.

I shipped these cards out today with a stack of postcards to college friends and Mother's Day cards to family. Unfortunately, only catalogs incoming today.

Proper Postal Form

"To Insure Timely Mail Delivery

Always include complete ad-dress label,
complete return ad-dress label, and
the proper measure of postage"
- Postal Guidelines

Textile Mail Art Project Submission sent 7 April 2011
Silkscreened dress form background paper, die cut paper labels, stamps and dresses, fabric care tags, machine stitching, rubber stamping, mounted on cardstock, postcard size, mailed naked

I really like this project, it combines two of my favorite things, so I'm sending off another card. I hope there's no limit; I made some postage patchworks as well. What can I say? I had a brainstorm, and now I have to create! (Those barcode labels that get added to my mail always remind me of ruler markings!)

Postcrossing Mail Art Received

Recycled vintage book cover illustrated by Dick Bruna from the Netherlands 22 March 2011

Elegant hand-drawn swirl over collaged text from Finland 28 February 2011

Lovely little watercolor scooter from California USA 1 March 2011

Fun stamp collage and drawing from Maine, USA 6 March 2011

Sweet hand-drawn card from Poland 14 March 2011

It's been a long week here. We all have the sniffles, and spring turned back to winter. Luckily, Monday was a truly exceptional mail day (I have to take some photos, so that will be another post.) I spent much of my spare time this week creating cards to fill an order from a local quilt shop.

Not too much mail outgoing, so I'm finally sharing the wonderful handmade cards that came to me through Postcrossing from the end of February into March. I love all Real Mail, but it is incredible when someone randomly selected takes the time to make a card just for you.

My letters-to-write pile is about to fall over, so this week I hope to answer some of the lovely mail I have received, in between baking cupcakes for two birthday girls and working out friends sleepovers and family celebrations!

P.S. Good news! My "Security Blanket" traveled safely to the Textile Mail Art Gallery!

Making Progress

Well, I was hoping to keep a better log of my progress here, but life happens. This week, I finally got in gear and took steps to get cards listed for sale in my Etsy shop.

First, I needed some good photos of my cards, but to get good photos, I needed a box. After tripping over my box for several weeks, I cut off a flap, lined the rest with white paper, and tested it out. I set it on the table in front of a big bay window, popped in a card, and took some pictures. I'm so impressed with how well they turned out. I just needed a box!

I managed to download and upload my photos without tech support. I typed a description of my card one-handed while bouncing a baby on my knee. (Drum roll please.) My first card is for sale on Etsy! I listed a second later that evening, when I had two hands for typing.

Today I took a few more photos and hope to list those cards as well. Right now, it feels tedious, but I'm sure as I do more, it will become second nature. I want to spend more time actually making cards than listing them!

I got some REAL MAIL this week in the form of supplies I purchased on ebay (old photos and postage stamps) and Etsy (Nick Bantock rubber stamps). I can't wait to play!