Thrift Thursday: Flash Cards

These Milton Bradley Division Flash Cards were my favorite find on my most recent visit to our local Goodwill Store, which happens to be conveniently located in the same shopping center as my favorite Post Office.  This complete set of 55 cards set me back 97 cents.  They are are copyrighted 1975 and 1963, so they are older than me and therefore vintage!  I love flash cards, though not for their intended purpose, of course.  These measure approximately 5-3/4 inches by 3-1/2 inches: the perfect size for some mail art postcards.

Two Takes on CPS 254

Caged Bird Sings
"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song."
Vintage book page, sheet music, and seed beads, recycled corrugated packing, denim, button, and snaps, K & Company Julianne patterned papers, Prima paper flowers, DMC embroidery floss, Sizzix Tim Holtz dies, Canvas Corp kraft card base and envelope. CPS 254

Enjoy the Ride/Joy Ride
"Life is a journey, not a destination. Happy Birthday."
Vintage bus ticket, twill tape, and buttonhole gimp, Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride patterned papers and button, Papertrey Ink cardstock and tag die, Dymo label. CPS 254

I'm still here! I realize I have been rather quiet both on the blogging front and the letter-writing front.

I'm currently obsessed with creating cards for spring and masculine birthdays, combining my collection of new and vintage supplies into pleasing designs, and updating my collection of card sketches (done).

My love-hate relationship with my old computer printer came to an end this week when it finally kicked the bucket. My sweet husband now had his answer for what to give me for my birthday! Thank you!

Found & Shared: Vintage Valentine

I couldn't resist this lovely vintage Valentine, slightly used, from Creative Reuse. I sent it down under to someone special who posted about her vintage Valentine project the very day I found this card. I think the girl on the card bears a resemblance to that sweet someone!

(Looking at the card again got me thinking: I don't think I have ever dropped anything heart-shaped directly in the mail! I should give it a try!)

My Lumpy Valentines

Ah, my lumpy Valentines. Look at those huge buttons and wooden hearts. I have to add some of my vintage 20-cent Love stamps to the new ones to cover the extra weight and bulk. I was thrilled to see the new Love stamps featured on one of my favorite design blogs, Felt & Wire.

These were the first few cards I made this year. They will finally go into the mail tomorrow, carrying my love and warm wishes through the post to family and friends, far and near.

I ended up making 22 designed Valentine cards, usually in a series of four (some lumpier than these!) as well as 18 packets of papery goodness to share. Many will travel to family and friends who don't often write back. I'm hoping the packets will encourage some of them to share the mail love, not necessarily with me, but with anyone they know who might benefit from a little something special in their mailbox.

My papery packets included a puzzle purse I learned to fold at LancasterHistory.org while I was visiting with them and their patrons on First Friday to promote the Lancaster County stamp. You can view their Love Letters exhibit online. The puzzle purse was also mentioned over on Red Letter Day. Be warned, once you start folding, you may not be able to stop!

While you are preparing your love letters for the mail, you could give a listen to this lovely interview with the talented Donovan Beeson of Letter Writers Alliance and the INtangible blog fame. Enjoy!

Last Cards of 2011

I began cleaning up from Christmas crafting this past week and created a few more cards with bits and pieces I collected from my desk. Finding just the right mix of new and vintage supplies to create a pleasing design really makes me happy.

These are the last few cards I have to send in 2011. I wouldn't say I'm caught up answering mail (especially mail art,) but for the holiday season, I'm feeling pretty good about things. One more letter to finish before this last card can travel through the post.

I hope everyone enjoyed a safe, happy New Year's Eve.
We toasted to many good mail days in 2012!

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!"

40th Anniversary

Today is my mom and dad's 40th anniversary, their ruby anniversary. We celebrated as a family with a dinner out last night. They have had their share of trials and tribulations, but their love and dedication to each other continues to help them overcome obstacles. I was so proud to help them celebrate 40 years of marriage!

CPS 239 Holiday Season Joy

Today I broke my own rule that I made a few years back about no Christmas music before Halloween. I figured maybe it didn't count if no one else was around to hear it!

I wanted to try this week's sketch from CPS, and I wanted to try using some of the holiday card-making goodies I collected recently. Not a rubber stamp inked for this one, but I went a little crazy with the die cuts and textures! That music paper rosette adds quite a bit of dimension; it will require a larger envelope (and extra postage) if it travels by mail.

The ribbons with the little banner-cut ends are vintage, recently cleared out of my mom's basement. The ribbon is fairly stiff, so I used one corner of my 3/4-inch-square paper punch to make those V-cuts--so quick and easy! I cut the rosette from old sheet music with a Tim Holtz Sizzix die and spritzed it with walnut stain. The glittered flourish and "Joy" are also Sizzix die cuts. The main image is a small re-purposed card front with Cuttlebug embossing folder swirl texture added and layered on a paper doily and circle of DCWV Christmas paper. The finished card is 5x7 inches, larger than my usual A2 sized cards.

No matter what you might be making or mailing today, I wish you joy!

Mail Art Project: October

"Surely two could play at this game,
if only someone would explain the rules."
Sent to Danny via Jaime B's Mail Art Project

Jaime B contacted me through IUOMA to participate in this project. A senior in college, Jaime is creating a mail-art network of participants as part of a final project. If I had known about mail art in college, I would have done the same! (I was sending it then, I just didn't know it had a name, and others were doing it too!) A little Anne Taintor flavor to this one, using some fun vintage supplies, mailed off in a popcorn bag envelope.

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!

Quilt Museum Card #13

Another quilt-themed card headed for the Museum Shoppe.
This is a slight variation on Just Off Centre from Sheetload of Cards.
I incorporated two different vintage trims and some machine stitching.
The focal point is another postage stamp; this time a 34c Amish Quilt.
Time to make more cards!

Bewitching #9

"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

Fresh off my desk this afternoon, a fashionable card for Halloween. I had not done any vintage pattern book page cutouts or typewriter captions for awhile. I found a different kind of glitter paper, the DCWV Glitter Cardstock Stack, and of course, had to try it out with the flourish die. I finally, FINALLY found a witch hat paper punch, at a local warehouse clearance center of all places! It is a huge punch and includes a bat, ghost, and pumpkin as well. The houndstooth background paper is from the DCWV Mod-Retro Stack. The clock face is die cut from a Tim Holtz paper pad. The jewels, felt flowers, and buttons are from my stash of tiny things.

#8 Travel Cards

I created six similar cards in this series using a lovely set of papers and embellishments from The Girls Paperie. I was hoping to finish them before this year's vacation, but I'm writing notes and sending them off into the world now. They will travel near and far, even if I am stuck at home with the kiddos due to Hurricane Lee. I have heard of snow days, but this is my first flood day!

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.

#5 More Art, Less Craft?

I often have trouble calling my card-making Art, especially when I base the design on someone else's sketch. I recently read an article about this very dilemma, and the author wrote something to the effect that if you make a technique your own, own the work, put your own spin on the design, it is Art. If you are simply following directions or recreating from an example, it is Craft. Even the cards I make completely from my own brain still feel like Craft. I suppose I aspire to be an Artist. Maybe someday I will arrive.

I created this in the past month as a wedding card. It is 5x7 inches, larger than most cards I make. The background is a page from a 1930 play script called "Oh, Promise Me!" Scraps of cardboard, sheet music, mulberry paper, with large button, twig, and linen thread comprise the focal point. Machine stitching and letter beads frame the collage of textures.

September Card-A-Day #1 and #2

I am making a lot of cards these days. A lot. I still have plenty in my stash, but I'm on a roll. I collected so much great paper, I really want to turn more of it into beautiful mail. I am going to challenge myself to post a card I have made, recently or one from my stash, each day this month. Considering my posting record so far, this is truly a challenge! If I have time and a good memory, I will include materials and links. (I have no affiliation with any companies, except I buy some of their stuff.) I guess I better post two today to make up for yesterday. Wish me luck!

I made this one last year and listed it for the opening of my Etsy shop. It didn't sell after relisting, so this month it will be a birthday card for a friend.
Based on a CPS sketch from sometime last year, it's a one-of-a-kind.
K & Company papers with added rubber stamping and inked edges,
my vintage lace, button, and machine sewing.

I made this one (and a bunch more in a similar style) a few weeks ago, with envelopes to match.
Based on one of my favorite Sheetload of Cards sketches "Just Off Centre."
Cosmo Cricket Love Earth papers,
Papertrey Ink felt, die, buttons, and twine,
my burlap, vintage ric rac, and machine sewing.

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

Vintage Linen Card Collages

So instead of creating anything new last week, I finally cleaned up my workspace. I would almost call it Spring Cleaning, but I didn't go crazy and scrub the floor or anything. Although I am pleased to say I can now see my floor! So for the moment, supplies are put away, projects are organized, and I am trying to finish some of the things I started who-knows-when.

Here are a few postcards I sent last month but that never made it to the blog. I love Anne Taintor, and these are my mail art tribute. I created them with vintage linen postcards, lovely ladies trimmed from a 1952 pattern book and captions typed on my Smith-Corona Corsair Deluxe, a Christmas gift from my husband. He's so kind to put up with my paper habit, sometimes he even encourages it! I'm afraid I lost a few images of others in this vintage card series as we switched to a new computer. (I didn't realize it was a temporary folder--oops.)

Sent to Douglas Galloway of IUOMA 16 April 2011

Sent to Brent of IUOMA 16 April 2011

Sent to Emma of Postcrossing 28 April 2011