"Me? Sarcastic? Never."

Original collage postcard, 1950s ephemera

Piccadilly Post on Redbubble

Piccadilly Post on Etsy

 "My joints are stiff."

"You're rolling them too tight."

Original collaged postcard, 1940s photograph

Piccadillypost on Redbubble

 "I swear I have it all together. I just forgot where I put it."

Original collaged postcard, 1960s ephemera

Piccadillypost on Redbubble

 

"Chocolate is the answer. Who cares what the question is?"

Original collaged postcard, 1920s ephemera

Piccadillypost on Redbubble

Postcard for the Post Office

5 February 2013
Sent to Jane Davies to support the
Rupert,Vermont Post Office

Art Mail Archive: Angie & Snooky

15 December 2010 Holiday Corgi Feet postcard with hand carved stamps, IUOMA

29 March 2011 Green Corgi Feet postcard with hand carved stamps, IUOMA

8 June 2011 Corgi Feet collage postcard with hand carved stamps, IUOMA

29 October 2011 Halloween stamped and collaged postcard, IUOMA

December 2011 Painted and stamped winter postcard #64 Mailart365

9 February 2012 Collaged and stamped Valentine postcard #128 Mailart365

6 June 2012 Collaged, stamped, and drawn postcard #349 Mailart365

20 June 2012 Painted, stamped, and collaged black maned wolf postcard #380 Mailart365

Art Mail Archive: Diane Keys

 25 May 2012 from Diane Keys, IUOMA

 June 2012 from Diane Keys, IUOMA

June 2012 from Diane Keys, IUOMA

"Jiffypop" June 2012 from Diane Keys, IUOMA

Tuesday Treasure: Mysterious Marguerite

This is one of the first items I pulled out of the stamp box from my grandma: a postcard mailed from Trevorton, dated 16 January 1963, addressed to my grandma, and signed Marguerite.

Dear Dot, Just got the flag stamp in this morning. So I have taken care of your needs. Glad you wrote as Eileen had given me 4.00 so I assumed that was what you wanted. Thanks. Marguerite 

Very curious, since all the other postcards in the box were from her brothers and sisters, and I knew of no maternal relatives or family friends with my name.  (I was named after my paternal grandmother.)

I finally had the chance this past weekend to show the card to my mom, hoping she could shed some light on the mysterious Marguerite who sent this card. My mom knows my grandma purchased many of her stamps through her hometown post office, so this Marguerite was probably a postal employee. I am always intrigued to find something with my name it, as it happens so rarely!

Beauty Received in Error

A few days ago I found two postcards from China in my mailbox. I was in a hurry as I leafed through the mail and assumed they were both Postcrossing. I put them aside with the Good Mail to register later that evening. When I finally had a chance to enjoy my mail, I realized this Chinese New Year card wasn't meant for me. It was from China but was intended for a woman in New York.

I put it back in my mailbox the following day, but I had to scan the beautiful image and postage stamps before letting them go back into the world. I hope by now they have arrived to the addressee. I wonder if any of my cards have ever been misdelivered, and what became of them? I wish I could let the sender of this card know that it brightened my day before continuing its journey.

Old-Fashioned Christmas Cards

A lovely vintage postcard greeting from Mary Has Sound,
"Winter in the Country" by Courier and Ives

My take on an old CPS sketch (#235), with a vintage playing card image
"The Road--Winter" by Courier and Ives

Aspiration

Oh, give me an old-fashioned Christmas card,
With hostlers hostling in an old inn yard,
With church bells chiming their silver notes,
And jolly red squires in their jolly red coats,
And a good fat goose by the fire that dangles,
And a few more angels and a few less angles,
Turn backward, Time, to please this bard,
And give me an old-fashioned Christmas card.

-Ogden Nash

(From Epstein, Spare That Yule Log, copyright 1933, 1961,
found in The Gift of Christmas, copyright 1965)

USPS 2002

I believe it was also Ogden Nash who said,
"Merry Christmas, nearly everyone!"

A Frightfully Good Mail Day

A spooky mail art card from Angie & Snooky via IUOMA

Happy Hauntings from Luna in Japan via Postcrossing reply

Fun and fabulous mail in my box yesterday! Now I am curious about how Halloween is celebrated in Japan.

I am behind in answering letters. I am constantly being distracted these days (though sometimes I have only myself to blame.) I think I need to try a new system. I must not allow myself to open and read a received letters until I make time to sit down and respond immediately. The few times I have done this, I feel my response was more heartfelt and interesting to the recipient. Otherwise, it is all too easy to put an opened letter on my pile until I have time to reply, and then my writing feels stale when I finally write back. I think the suspense will be a great motivator!

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!

Postcrossing Outgoing International

Vintage Lancaster County "Bountiful Harvest"
(A request for a multiview card and this was the only one in my collection!)
Sent to Korea

The month of May from my Papersource postcard calendar
A request for swans by a new member
Sent to Germany

Lancaster Country Amish farm harvest scene
Sent to Germany

Vintage line card of the Lancaster Post Office
(on the Retail Access Optimization Initiative list for possible closure)
Sent to Belgium

Anne Taintor card for a funny card request
(I hope she shares my sense of humor!)
Sent to Russia

I wrote about my love of autumn on most of these cards. The cooler weather gives me the energy to do some serious cleaning and some real cooking, two things I really dislike doing over the summer! I also like to be cozy and drink hot tea, both much more enjoyable in the fall.
Snuggle in and send some mail!

Postcrossing Outgoing to USA

Vintage linen card of the Lancaster Public Library
Sent to Texas

Lancaster County Amish corn harvest
Sent to Washington

Dining room at Wheatland, home of James Buchanan, with added stamps
Sent to Minnesota

I thought I would have a little more time for making and sending mail since two of the three kiddos are in school, but for some reason it hasn't worked out that way yet. I finally got back to sending some Postcrossing cards. I tend to wait until I can send four or five at a time, and the last batch of addresses I received were all new members. It was fun to choose cards to welcome them to Postcrossing. I hope they continue to send Real Mail and enjoy many happy mail days!

Hooray for Mail Art!

My dad sent me mail art!
He painted this watercolor while taking a short vacation
in Ocean City, New Jersey.

I am replying with this fashionably altered vintage card
showing the Pennsylvania Railroad Horse Shoe Curve.
For more railroad fun, check out this amazing video:
Maple Mountain Sunburst Triolian Orchestra - The Age Of Steam

A beautiful drawing of a Xiamen University building from China
via Postcrossing.

My reply to China. The cool of autumn is beginning to creep in,
and I had my first cup of hot tea today!

Card #6 CPS Sketch #234

I just made this Halloween Bingo card yesterday afternoon. I figured since I'm working mostly from other designers' sketches right now, I might as well work on a current sketch and share it. I'm currently obsessed with Halloween cards. I have black and orange bits and pieces all over my work area. I made a set of cards and a bunch of tags, and I'm still going strong.

I couldn't wait to use that glittery swirl on a card. I don't consider myself a glitter girl, but I was drawn to the flourish die and the glitter paper. I am really pleased with the results, and I'm looking forward to adding some glittery swirls to Christmas cards in the near future.

The sketch is vertical, but I created my card horizontal. Now that it is finished, I think it works either way.

This is a postcard, but I just found an almost-perfect sized glassine envelope to protect it for mailing!

The Girls Paperie Toil & Trouble printed papers,
DCWV solid paper,
Tim Holtz Elegant Flourishes die and paper tape,
Recollections glitter paper and spider punch,
Inkadinkado spider web stamp,
Cavallini & Co. Vintage Number stamps,
my vintage bingo card.

Old Outgoing Postcards

Re-purposed book cover postcard sent to Finland via Postcrossing
18 May 2011

Vintage airmail stamp collage sent to China direct swap
31 May 2011

Wine label and map collage card sent to Send Me A Million Postcards
7 June 2011
(I hope this project continues though the website has gone missing.
Does anyone have any information?)

Vintage linen card collage sent to Nadine of IUOMA
20 June 2011

Mail Art Sent

I am so far behind in my posting here, but remember, that means I've been busy creating and sending! I will try to post all the lovely mail I have received recently, as well as some more I've sent, but be patient with me, as I am trying to be patient with my children who are now home on summer break! For tonight, I hope you will enjoy these few images.

Four pages of a 16-page letter-book sent off to Carolee in reply to some of her amazing zines

Shadowbox of mounted paper butterflies cut from a 1950's children's book inspired by this INtangible blog post and sent off to the lovely Donovan

Postage Patchwork on vintage linen Lancaster PA postcard sent off to Angie & Snooky of IUOMA in reply to Corgi Feet

Dimensional postcard? Sure! Actual colored pencils glued to cardboard and mailed off to Emma (I hope this one arrived safely!)