Only a couple days until sign up for the July exchange. I wonder if we will get any new people. I'm talking to you, Karl. I don't even know if Karl reads the blog. I met him on the Flourish Forum - and he is cut off the same bolt as ChuckS (not to be confused with ChuckM. I've been forgetting to add the M to all the Chuck posts. ChuckS's penmanship progress has been posted in a couple recent posts.
pushing the envelopes
decorated envelopes, mail art, lettering ideas
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Two from ChuckM (4) - nudging Karl
Only a couple days until sign up for the July exchange. I wonder if we will get any new people. I'm talking to you, Karl. I don't even know if Karl reads the blog. I met him on the Flourish Forum - and he is cut off the same bolt as ChuckS (not to be confused with ChuckM. I've been forgetting to add the M to all the Chuck posts. ChuckS's penmanship progress has been posted in a couple recent posts.
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Chuck's (3) to John Neal
I love-love-love this lettering style. I know I have an exemplar in my stash. Now I am wondering if it has a name - or was there one person who came up with it. Now I am wondering about the history of designing fonts and when people started copyrighting them. And how did things work back in the day of lots of hand lettering. <sigh> So many questions. Probably too late to get into educating myself.
By the way, I don't know if I mentioned this - but John Neal has retired. He found people to take over the publishing and other people (Paper & Ink Arts) to take over the business. I sure hope he has an enjoyable retirement. He was instrumental in getting me on board the calligraphy train - the one that goes all over the country and beyond. I wonder if I should write down my *history.* It's not like anyone in my household would ever be interested. They grudgingly put up with my *pass time.* Not that I want to make them look non-supportive. I think they all realized that being left alone was one of my fondest desires. They all found their own *pass times* and seem to be well adjusted people. Well - compared to me they are well adjusted - which might not be all that impressive.
Monday, June 27, 2022
Chuck (2) Real time update
There is one similar to this in my collection - and I'm sure it is somewhere on the blog - and you really need to see these fine-lines-from border-to-border designs in real life to appreciate the work that goes into them. Soooo pretty. The red border is way better than just running the basketweave off the edge. I'm not sure why - but I just know it is.
***Sunday, June 26, 2022
Chuck (1) & Susan V Battle
I was going to do 7 Chuck-alopes this week after our week of Sharon - but this is exchange sign up week. Why would that matter? It doesn't. OK. First of 7 envelopes done by Chuck. Some of them do not have stamps - but it's fun to imagine various planetary stamps or earth stamps that would have worked nicely with this one.
On a sad note: I parked myself really close to the lemon meringue pie in the oven to avoid spacing off.
and here is her website
It probably helps to look at the photos on a larger screen to appreciate the detail.
Saturday, June 25, 2022
Sharon (7) birthday rainbow
This concludes *Sharon's Week* - a big thank you to Sharon - and bonus points for adding comments to help me out with the *words.* I can't think of what we call the blurbs that go with the envelopes. Is there a word besides *blurb*? Is that what I am - a blurb writer?
Sharon had this to say about this one:
I thought the “Happy Birthday” stamp was a little tricky to use. Maybe it’s the green? This envelope, like many in the Sophia birthday series, is made from AstroBright paper. I think it goes well with the stamp. The address, city/state, and zip lines were centered under the arc.
Yes, Sharon, I agree - and I think I have mentioned that the muted tones in that stamp are tricky. We seem to have a congruency in our color-meters.
I don't usually write at 6pm - but here I am. Still working on juggling my activities to re-program my brain. Thank you all for your patience.
***
neuroplasticity - that's the word that is the focal point of rehab - literally - big and on the wall. Here is a definition:
The ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.
I'm curious to know if when a person has formed and reorganized her synaptic connections if the new connections can *discombobulate.* After a week with the grandkids - I've noticed some old weirdness has come back. Nothing concerning -- I imagine I can re-reconnect things. Back to rehab on Monday - after a 2 week break.
Friday, June 24, 2022
Sharon (6) blue LOVE stamp
Sharon wrote:
I love this calligraphy style from your blog. I used a large calligraphy pen for the thick part of the letters and then used a matching skinny pen for the rest of the letters and the curlicues. I could improve it by planning out the letters so the “t” wasn’t so squished.
I love that style of lettering, too - and had completely forgotten about it -- it's pretty easy - and forgiving. The squished-ness of the t doesn't even bother me. Although, it would have if I had done it. It annoys me when I look back at the left margin and see gobs of space - and then I *if only* myself - because it would have fit beautifully. I guess the only solution is to always do a practice run.
The other thing I like - is a medium tone paper where you can use a dark tone as well as white. The perfect-ness of the paper with the blue in the stamp is a bonus.
Thursday, June 23, 2022
Sharon (5) pink Beatles quote
Who can resist the Beatles? The lyrics to their "Birthday" song going round and round like a record. The enclosure was a piece of mulberry paper adhered to pink card stock. Lettering was a bit rough going with so many particles in the paper, but I thought it looked really nice in person. Fun monster stamp, too!
Jean's comments: I like the spiral words that wind around and end up with the name - very clever. My daughter has the Disney channel - so I watched the recent film with previously unseen footage of the Beatles working on their last album. The original film played up some of the friction between band members and made Yoko look like a problem. I agree that the new version didn't show any friction or frustration. The way George *quit the band* did not look like he was serious - just nudging the others to get the album done. Ringo had perfected staring-into-space-while waiting for John and Paul to get 'er done.
They looked like a bunch of artists collaborating. That can be a very tricky process. It also gives an accurate glimpse into just how tedious it is to *make art.* There is the initial idea - and then it just takes time to futz around and get it right.
I do not recommend spending one's time watching it - unless you are a die hard fan - and even then - it's a lot of repetition.
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Sharon (4) birthday cake
Sharon wrote: This was a fun one, with shiny gold Finetec ink. The Art Deco lettering style inspired by works of Gemma Black was really fun to do. The street address and city/state lines were right aligned.I love that stamp -- purple and bright green is such a nice combination.
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Sharon (3) blue butterfly
It's so pretty -- I bet the PO was happy to take a little extra time to read it.
It seems like the butterfly is an homage to the Ukrainian flag - or the flag is an homage to the butterfly and I'm not sure if which color is on top on the flag. I'm 95% sure the blue is on top. Yellow on top would feel bottom heavy. And now I wonder if there is any one-place to learn the stories behind all the flags. Can you imagine the discussions amongst people who needed a flag? Seems like it would be utter chaos. No time to research - if anyone knows of such a book or website - feel free to email me directly - or try to leave a comment - in the less than friendly comment section. It is still working for some people - but not for others (including me) and I have no idea why.
***
Jean's response to Leslie's comment/question below -- I'll have to do some research and find out what exactly works best for the USPS. It seems like some mail can be read by scanners - but I have no idea what kinds of things makes the mail *hard to read - by a scanner.*
Monday, June 20, 2022
Sharon (2) - burgundy birthday
Sharon wrote:
Inspired by your blog, I sent my niece Sophia 20 envelopes with enclosures to celebrate her twentieth birthday. I found it to be quite an undertaking, but lots of fun. If you’re thinking of this type of undertaking, my suggestion is to start early and allow yourself lots of time. Or pick a younger recipient!
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Sharon (1) Dapper USPS mail carrier
It took massive self control to not bump my June 2nd post and insert this item off the Chicago Axios newsletter. I've been thinking that the USPS should become the next *cool* place to work. Maybe I've already mentioned that too many times -- but it was gratifying to see that someone else is on my wave length. I'll refrain from additional gushing. Here is the article:
Hey, it's Monica! I was driving through Albany Park last week when I spotted a particularly stylish mail carrier walking with a spring in his step.
- Naturally, I pulled over to talk to him while my mortified daughter hid in the back seat.
The city dweller: Kalani Han, a rookie mail carrier who started with the USPS last November and assembles his outfits with an intentional old-school flair.
Inspiration: "I prefer to have a polished look because I'm proud to represent the mail service," says Han, who didn't seem at all surprised by my sudden request for an interview.
- "I admire those 1950s milkman, mailman kind of looks. In fact, the other day I was on eBay looking for some vintage mailman hats with the little brim. You'd be surprised, they are very popular."
Where you can spot him: Walking the 60625 postal code in Albany and North Park.
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Mary's mermaid
Friday, June 17, 2022
Airmail dress - IG ideas
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Maggie's flowers - Torturing trees
Thank you, Maggie, for sending an extra. This is so lovely. I especially like the little lady bug crawling up the leaf. Other details worth noting - a very fine spritz-splatter in the background and some very fine lines in a darker colors to punch up the subtleness of the paint or ink. And the border adds a lot to the composition.
***
The BigHelpfulBrother sent this link to me. My first response was a reaction. Rather than a carefully considered response to the whole concept - my lizard brain freaked out and reacted (OVER-reacted) to the brutality of carving into an innocent tree. It might seem odd that I would be so irrational about carving into a tree - and I do not have any excuse. It might be my silly-billy-brain-cells that anthropomorphize things. Or perhaps I am a highly evolved being who has a connection with trees (plants, rocks, whatever pops up - except not hemlock because I read exactly how you die and it's brutal - but I digress.)
So - decide for yourself what you think of this concept. Or just skip it and go get things done.
https://bjoernkarmann.dk/occlusion-grotesque
At least the guy included *grotesque* in the name of his font.
Perhaps my revulsion at this has more to do with the way the letters change - as the tree grows. They become very painful looking scars - to my eyes. Maybe some of you think they are lovely.
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Patty's heart+earth - 2 birds/1 stone
I'm surprised that there are not more images online. I am surprised that this is not a more popular activity. Maybe the grandkids would have more fun making Grandpa be the *form.* This is not at all what I have in mind - even though it is cute.
Further research came up with something closer to what I have in mind - and it is more packing tape based - rather than bubble wrap.
https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-a-Human-Tape-Sculpture/
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Ming's wreath - pen caps
One of the least helpful things that people say, if they have asked me how I am doing - and if I mention any kind of memory issues - is, "Oh, that's normal. I forget things all the time." I know. I was always forgetting things, too. But, not all forgetfulness or distraction or absent mindedness is the same. I can't put it into words - but I think this illustrates my point.
If you are a person who regularly puts the wrong caps on your markers and pens - and you think that's *normal* - you are entitled to your opinion. It's normal for you. But it's not something that would happen on my desk. It would be like putting on one sneaker and one loafer. It just wouldn't happen. It would feel crazy.
I had addressed some envelopes on Thursday - and then on Saturday, I was back at my desk and saw that tan marker cap - all by itself. I am vigilant about keeping the caps on my markers. I was incredulous that I would have just put a marker down without capping it. That's how vigilant I am. I simply DO NOT put a marker down until I have put the cap on. I frequently hold the cap in my left hand rather than put it down.
So, I said *grrrr* and started shuffling through the papers - looking for the cap-less marker - and figure the marker would have dried up - after sitting, uncapped, for a couple days. And there it was with a G-Tec cap. If anyone wants to get on my wrong side, they can try to dismiss this as an insignificant blip. I'm not freaked out that it happened - just validated that I am not exaggerating about my lingering things-that-aren't-clicking.
Obviously, I will not be sharing this with my rehab tour guides. I'm pretty sure they would think I'm OCD or something. I have a sneaking suspicion that some of you might agree with me that cap-mixing is way, way, way *out there.*
And remember the part where I warned you not to argue with me? (That's the lizard speaking - and we don't want to get her riled up, do we?)
Monday, June 13, 2022
Rachael's chickens - Note to self
***
This is a note to myself - that on May 22, I realized that I have been having creepy dreams. Creepy in the sense that they are believable and I wake up thinking that the stuff in the dream actually happened. Is it the lizard? Should I keep track of how often this happens? Did I remember to ask about this at rehab? What if the rehab tour guides are reading my blog? Oh my gosh. Maybe this is going to become a story or a play or a movie. Maybe the coffee was too strong. If you are a tour guide - you can tell me. I'll be so proud of you for finding me. I'm not that well hidden. I bet they approve of being called tour guides. Maybe not.
And for anyone who is disappointed in the shortness of the posts - these are normal in length. The longer ones were too long. Most of us probably know that we have other things that we should be doing.
Sunday, June 12, 2022
MissCathy's cut paper thing - 18 days to go
***
The Daily Drivel. (my new blog idea that is going absolutely nowhere)
There was some drivel - prior to that line above this one. I deleted it.
Saturday, June 11, 2022
NEED ENV - Fodder
I'm only two weeks ahead on pre-writing my posts so there might be a flurry of them. I just wrote the one about the LEGOs and wanted to mention a quote that I read earlier this morning from Albert Einstein - but, I can't figure out where I put it.
Here is the gist: When you are trying to discover something, you don't know what it will be. So, when you are trying to create something, you should also accept that you don't know what it will be.
Let that sink in.
It's everything I keep trying to say about how to have an enjoyable experience when you are taking time to putter at your desk. Or if you are in a bad mood and looking to an art or craft to soothe your frazzled whatevers.
If you have a hankering to make stuff - don't get all wrapped up in the end product. If it does not please you - try again. Contemplate what it might need to be more to your liking. Try again. Maybe the next one will be better. Or maybe you will churn out a bunch of crap. If that happens, do not despair. Sometimes that happens.
I taught my grandkids the word fodder. They had some work that they did not like at all. I told them it was perfectly good fodder and we would be using it to make something else. I plan to create some specific projects that will delight them.
Mary's Yoda - I meant to add....
Here is another envelope that Mary sent. I think that's Yoda -- I'm not up on Star Wars -- but I do keep one of Yoda's admonishments near the top of the list of quotes I dish out: Do. Or do not. There is no try. I'm not sure I have the punctuation correct. I hardly ever get to say it out loud. I only say it in my head when someone is telling me they are going to *try.* I really have to bite my tongue - if the person is already a repeat offender at some basic rule - and they say they are going to try to remember the rule. Grrr. And these are not complicated rules. Maybe there are too many rules. Maybe people should only be expected to remember one rule. Two, tops.
****
Back when I was deciding to just put my involvement in the exchange on indefinite hold for a while, I intended to explain two things - but I forgot. This might be more than two things.
(1) I normally thrive on lists and being organized and I do love making up the lists for the exchange each month. So, that part of the exchange has continued to be fun. The part that turned into pure unadulterated stress was actually making the envelopes. Realizing that *something* had changed inspired me to drop the participation part.
(2) I wasn't bothered by the decision to drop out of participating. It was a relief. All I needed to do was announce it - or explain it. How to do the announcing and explaining was in and of itself soooo challenging. It was validation that *the team* that runs my thoughts and activities is/was all messed up. And it was probably a good idea to try/do something wildly different.
Maybe. Maybe not.
Friday, June 10, 2022
Mia's flowers
Thursday, June 9, 2022
Sharon's flowers - how long til we get there?
Happy flowers from Sharon. I'm trying to figure out if she painted the petals and then outlined them or drew the outlines and then painted them in. I think she probably painted first. That's a pretty, new stamp that I do not recall seeing. I wonder when it snuck in. Is it half of a pair that offer coordinating 1-oz and 2-oz? I guess I could surf on over to the USPS website. Nope. I'm on a strict no-surf plan.
***
How long til we get there - is the universal catch phrase for enduring car trips. In our case, we are wondering how long do we have to put up with these ding-dong blog posts. 21 days. Yup. Three full weeks. I'm so sorry.
It could be worse. Although, I am not going to start brainstorming *worse* things. We are just going to forge ahead, aren't we. Who is she talking to? Is there a mouse in her pocket? Who used to say that?
Wednesday, June 8, 2022
To Ming in May
Since you have endured the jabbering about my May envelopes and my decision to take a sabbatical from envelopes - I might as well post the last batch that went out with the news that I would be taking a break. A couple people received some nicer designs because they were leftovers from December. That magic stamp looked nice with the gold. But then I did a bad job on the cropping of the photograph. Grrrr.
Technically, I could continue to participate - if I didn't decorate the envelopes. Or, I could do rubber stamps. I love how I can make these monumental decisions and then go to sleep and when I wake up I have a completely different idea. Real time comment: this illustrates how scattered my decision making process is.
I hope I remember to tell my tour guides at the rehab center that I feel like my brain used to have a *team* of skilled components that worked together. Then, bonk, and now the team isn't working together any more. Some of the team members are working at about 90%. Others are on a secret mission and I don't even know what it is - but, I'm suspicious. Or is that some trick to confuse me.
***
Real time comment. I think I am currently in better shape than when I wrote that previous blurb. I'm tempted to delete it - but then I'd have to come up with something else. And as the saying goes, "I got nuthin'."
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Lynne's purple flowers - Envelope artist obituary
Writing this on June 6th: I just discovered a whole bunch of comments waiting for me to approve them - half were hiding in the spam folder and the other half were really hiding in the inner sanctum of Blogger - and Blogger won't let me leave comments until I *sign in* - but clearly I am signed in --because I am writing this.
Thank you for the comments -- and my apologies for not responding right now -- I expect to figure this out - at some point.
Here is a welcome break from my fill-up-June series:
I hope my readers will tolerate the occasional obituary. I'll insert the envelope related part of the obituary below her photo so you don't have to go to the link. Some of my envelopes are in the Smithsonian Postal Museum. I wonder if they will want any more. Just kidding. Muriel's envelopes are surely more museum-worthy than mine.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/obituaries/dmr121628
West Des Moines - Muriel passed away peacefully Thursday, March 24, 2022 at the age of 99, being able to live in her own home till her final couple of days.
She was born July 12, 1922 in St. Paul, MN to Oliver and Elsie Mix. She grew up at a state fish hatchery and animal reserve in St. Paul. She attended Mills Art College after high school and then began working as a commercial artist at the local newspaper. In June of 1948 she married O.D. Hawkins of Columbia, MO. During their courtship and engagement, she wrote 300 letters to him, painting pictures of pin-up girls or sometimes herself, on every envelope. WWII submariner O.D. saved all of them and the Smithsonian has said they would like them to add to their collection. After they married, Muriel worked as an artist at the University of Missouri. More than 25 years after they moved from Missouri some alumni mail came with a pen and ink drawing of the campus that she thought to be her work. She quickly found the original and was touched to know they still used it.
***
A tip for altering envelopes to fit the USPS size requirements.