Baby Shower Invitations

I was pleased to be asked by a neighbor to create handcrafted baby shower invitations for her son and his wife. With just a little information--it's a boy, the parents-to-be like birds, the grandma-to-be (my neighbor) works for the postal service, and I need to make 30--these are my three initial samples.

#1 Traditional, calm, formal pastels

#2 Bright, bold , cute, and fun

#3 Postal theme, because I couldn't resist

And she chose, with no changes, #3! I almost couldn't believe it! She liked my use of security envelope paper. I managed to curb my use of lumpy embellishments to avoid surcharge postage. I spent quiet time today prepping all the parts, so I think I'm ready to begin assembly tonight or tomorrow.

Mail Art Answered

Some wonderful mail art I received in December but never posted.
I'm finally getting around to sending proper thank yous!
From Wenchkin, Angie & Snooky, and Mary Has Sound

A few altered postcards I created while cleaning off my desk
and a recycled printing sample collage in a CD envelope.
All will ship out tomorrow!

Year of the Dragon

I mailed out my Lunar New Year mail art projects today with the new dragon stamps. I don't want to give too much away, but I packaged most of my mysterious bundles in my favorite PaperSource envelopes, made from "Slow Boat to China" paper. Luckily, I completed most of these packets before all my postal activities last week commenced.

The project itself was inspired by and a homage to Nick Bantock, perhaps my favorite contemporary mixed media artist. His famous Griffin and Sabine books were my first exposure to mail-as-art. My favorite book of his is "The Museum at Purgatory." His juxtaposition of fact and fiction, the actual and the altered, always intrigues me. He creates worlds with such detail, you fall under their spell, and you can no longer separate real from imagined, nor do you want to. That is true artistry.

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!

The Wild Stamp Chase

Stamp description sheet with postage stamp and first day cancel

My unofficial Lancaster County postage stamp first day of issue activities officially began yesterday morning at 7:45am, when I received a call from my friend at the Rohrerstown Post Office confirming that the stamps were only available at the Harrisburg Pike Main Office. I arranged to meet the photographer from Lancaster Newspapers there at 9am to purchase my first sheet of stamps and request some first day of issue hand cancels on postcards to send and stamp display sheets I created to give and keep. I stopped off at the craft store for a frame before heading over to the Rohrerstown Post Office to present them with a framed sheet as a thank you for all their help and encouragement. I left a few of the goodie bags I made for them to give to anyone asking to purchase the new stamp.

Quilted Postcard from Naomi (nhigh) Mailart365 #10/366 Quarter Wheel

I arrived home to find this beautiful card in my mailbox! I tucked it in my Letter Writers Alliance bag to use as an example during the rest of the day's activities. After a few phone calls and some lunch, the little one and I were off again to pick up my dad and head over to the Lancaster County Visitors Center to investigate the mysterious Facebook post I discovered late Thursday afternoon (http://www.facebook.com/events/321045844602407/) The women at the desk were very helpful, but knew nothing of a ceremony and were unaware of the stamp's release. One of the women was a retired Postmaster from Gordonville, PA, and she made a few inquiries by phone to her contacts but was unable to get any more information. I shared what I knew and gave them a framed copy of the display sheet to share with visitors. Another stop at the craft store for more frames; this time I just bought all the black ones they had!

Home again for naptime and a few moments of quiet, so I could write up my remarks for the LancasterHistory.org lecture. I knew I needed to have something in front of me so I could share my thoughts coherently. The big girls had an early dismissal and my dear husband came home from work early so I could arrive at the lecture before 4pm for the social gathering. The women from LancasterHistory.org were very accomodating and many of the attendees were interested in seeing the stamp. My parents stopped by to congratulate me and snap a few photos.

My "Write Letters, Write History" display table at the LancasterHistory.org lecture.

Me (sporting my LWA Penpal Award) and my display

The lecture itself was very interesting; I feel like I haven't attended anything like that since college! I gave my little speech at the end, and it actually fit surprisingly well with the topic, as the lecture ended with a discussion of the speed of communication. (You can read my remarks in my previous post.) The framed stamp sheet went back to the LancasterHistory.org office for display to promote the stamp and their February First Friday "Love Letters" event, where I will again have the opportunity to share my postal passion.

One final stop at the Harrisburg Pike Post Office to request a few more first day of issue cancels; I gave away more of those display sheets than I originally planned, but I am grateful I had the chance to share it. I arrived home around 7pm tired but happy with the events of the day.

Next week, I will follow up with the Lancaster Public Library about hosting a letter-writing social and make sure Lancaster Creative Reuse has enough mail art zines and labels to last them through February First Friday. I anticipate a story in tomorrow's Lancaster Sunday News. On my to-do list this weekend? Relax, play in the snow, and get some more mail ready to send!

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."

UPDATE: Official Unofficial...

It's been an interesting day here. I began the morning with vague plans for tomorrow, by early afternoon they were set, and after dinner, they were in shreds.

First, I found this interesting tidbit on Facebook during this afternoon's Google search:

Lancaster County First Day of Issue Ceremony
Public Event By USPS Community Connection
When Friday
Time 12:00pm until 3:00pm

Description Join us as we debut Lancaster County, the 2012 international rate stamp and Scenic American Landscape honoree!

501 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, PA 17602

Good grief! When was this decided? And who is this USPS Community Connection? Assuming my little one is up for an adventure, I guess we'll go see what this is all about!

An email after dinner alerted me that due to a delivery delay, the new Lancaster County stamps have not yet arrived at my local post office on Rohrerstown Road. (See, they definitely should not shut down Lancaster's processing facility.) The only location to receive them as of the end of business hours today is the Harrisburg Pike office. I will not be hurting myself to get there at 7:30AM when they commence retail sales. (I am not a morning person.) I hope to make my way there by nine, after I get in touch with the photographer from Lancaster Newspapers who expected to meet me at Rohrerstown at eight. (Are you following me here, because I'm not sure I am!) If and when the stamps arrive at Rohrerstown, I still plan to take my postal party there (see previous post.)

I need to go sort out my day and address a few more postcards.
Good night and good luck.