taking a break / took a break

update:
below is the post i posted on june 30th. i kept posting and responding to readers and figured out that i could run some re-runs of old envelopes rather than taking a break. so there will be something to see every day - probably. after i hit a half million hits i would like to get to a million before i actually retire. so we'll see how it goes. it took 6 years+ to get to a half million. i think i can keep up for another 6 years - and hopefully, i will have some new content pretty soon.

thanks to my readers who commented and helped me figure out a way to keep going daily.

below is the original post...

i'm taking a break from the blog because i have run out of time to scan envelopes. i'm sad to stop because i know there are several people who start their day with a cup of coffee and an envelope. my stack of cards and letters from fans is one of my favorite stacks....but the other stacks are out of control and it is time to do something about them. who knows, i might do some impulse blogging....or maybe post something once a month...just to let you know if i am making any progress towards getting back to the blog.


i know there were people looking forward to the next exchange. i'm sorry that the exchanges are also on hold...but i imagine i will get back to them eventually. i certainly have a lot of stamps left to use up.





the image today is from this blog.
it was going to be another sunday post. i had a couple of them scheduled - which is why there was a sunday post yesterday.

http://www.anachropsy.com/blog/index.php

you have to scroll down to see this image. so far, i have not found any actual envelopes on the blog, but this would be a fine envelope with a stamp and an address tucked in some where.

uber surf worthy link

sunday?? guest artist

my head almost exploded in a good way when i saw this.

i guess it is by pablo dugaz.
it appears to be one of several pieces of mail sent to cecile pierre.

you may click along and see more nice work at the link

http://callicecile.canalblog.com/albums/mail_art_recus_/photos/102271505-pablodugaz.html

tomorrow i will explain why we are having sunday again.

beyond the crunch - stamp map

so...the piles have officially taken over. there has been a delay in me finding the stacks of new mail, so you are going to have to put up with the items i see whilst i surf. a map made of envelopes and stamps.

http://www.vivasnailmail.com/2016/01/19/mail-map/

viva has some fun stuff on her blog.
http://www.vivasnailmail.com/

she teaches mail art classes for kids.
i should probably network with her....

graceful envelope - elizabeth walsh

elizabeth shared this with me. it is her entry into this years graceful envelope contest. you may view the winners here.

christy robb made the cut this year as well as several of her students. you can spot them by the Morning Sun, Iowa tag after their names.

i'm pretty sure i already posted christy's envelope. i try to live with *no regrets* but i gotta say - i regret that i did not do a better job of labeling my thousands of posted envelopes.


http://www.calligraphersguild.org/envelope.html

sunday guest artist - NAOMI

this isn't even my favorite envelope off this blog. i missed off-topic (or guest artist) sunday last week, so wanted to get back to it and went surfing.

trust me, you will find a ton of ideas here

http://naomiloves.com/2015/09/09/mail-art-tea-and-nature/

her name is naomi. i have not had time to find out more about her. maybe someone will surf around and let us know if there is more we need to know.

rush job - kate amy amy phil

this shows the progression of the idea to make letters out of that serpentine stroke that is so fun to do. kate's was done impulsively. then the amy underneath was done a little more carefully, and the upper right amy was done with some guide dots that are visible since i did not think to bring a pencil to the waiting room. phillip's was tossed in as it was redundant (for the blog) i don't think anyone wants to see ribbon writing day-after-day. but it was a good one for lap writing.

given time and a desk, i think the serpentine lettering could go somewhere.

largest PO box in the world

my son was skiing in svalbard and alerted me to this giant post box. you can see it up close at this link.

https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=longyearbyen%20mailbox

svalbard is an unincorporated island half way between norway and the north pole.

a search of svalbard on flickr will send you to some lovely photos. there have been a few people killed by polar bears on the island, so the ski guides carry loaded rifles. my son said they did not see any bears. he also said that more people are killed by avalanches than by polar bears - but the bears get all the press. no - my son did not send a postcard - but he did send one from antarctica last year. i forgot to ask him if anyone handles mail on the island...since it is unincorporated.

bonus post today - since that photo in the other post is so pitiful.

rush job - florence rachael chuck

some ribbon writing and swirly-doodle-versals -

if i have time, i will come back and add something with some variety to this post.

rush job - lynne

this is the beginning of a new series called *rush job*

they are the envelopes i sent for the may exchange and i had to rush through them. i actually had plenty of time sitting in waiting rooms, so, i spent a decent amount of time on them, but, the rush part came when i had to shoot phone photos of them before i dropped them in the mail.

and they were done on my lap. no desks in waiting rooms. i wish i had come up with some new styles just for waiting-room-lap-writing.

crunch time ?

i got home on june 15th - and will be starting to schedule new posts. this envelope is still in a stack - but, i do not recall who it is from. if i find it before the 22nd, i will edit this post. it is a very stealworthy way to arrange the elements on an envelope. by now you should know that dots have super powers when it comes to pulling an idea together.

BIG THANK YOU
to everyone who sent mail while i was out of town. i will respond - when the dust settles.

this isn't exactly my house, but it is how i feel.

 source of photo
http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2013/01/dust-bowl-redux.html

eric's 50th

this was the outer envelope for the last 9.



but - i did get 50 envelopes done for eric -
and it was a nice way to take a break from the seasonal chaos.

i suppose i should do a video showing how to make letters with the giant copic. you can also make these with an eraser and a stamp pad.

eric's 49th

it was fun to find eric's name hidden inside the word -america-

there would have been a better way to arrange this - but, the clock was ticking and i was very close to turning into a pumpkin....so, this will have to do.

eric's 48th - UN tree stamp

any stamp with a horizontal element would lend itself to a bunch of horizontal lines to organize the information.

the last 10 envelopes to eric should be considered rough drafts. maybe when eric turns 60 and i am pushing 75 - things will have slowed down and i can spend some quality time on his 60 envelopes, eh?

eric's 47th

the weaving inspired the lettering. i like the simplicity of the band of name-stamp-address.

i see i missed mentioning the 50th birthday.

eric's 46th

the idea was ok - the wake isn't in the right place and you probably don't get that much wake off that kind of boat.... but, i wanted to do the last 10 envelopes and get them in the mail. this was done and this blog is being written on that really wonderful day when we had so many fun comments about the value of unfinished projects. so, maybe i should have left the 50 envelopes to eric - unfinished. i guess i felt guilty for putting in those 30 posts with no jibber jabber.

this is a bonus post today because the other envelope is too similar to yesterday's envelope.

eric's 45th

the name and address are very tiny and tucked into the images. this is another page out of the paper source catalog.

the stamp is italian - centered in the upper right corner item. someone brought me a stack of stamps from italy. they are not gummed, which seems odd. but they are very pretty to use on my idea where i do not have to actually mail the envelope.

eric's 44th

i spent some time with the white out to remove distractions. then wrote over the top. the stamp is on the lower left item. this is a page out of the paper source catalog. in my next life, i will have my own paper store.

eric's 43rd

all y'all know i like thought bubbles. and i like white gel pen on kraft paper.

eric's 42nd

this might be the only one that does not mention his 50th birthday, but the stamp says 50.

eric's 41st

recycled left over stationery. the two stamps cover up two names. FC brush markers with white gel dots on top.

guest artist - cintia's giant envelope

this is a fun idea . there are two more fun ideas if you go to the link
a giant hamburger and a giant ice cream cone.

http://mypoppet.com.au/makes/2015/05/recycled-craft-giant-airmail-envelope.html

crunch time - 30 of 30

from jeri
for my birthday
i really love this one
might have to steal the idea

crunch time - 29 of 30

hey, katie - what type of markers are these? i love the colors. i'm guessing they might be Tombo. am i right?

very nice arrangement of elements following the large-medium-small recipe for good design.

crunch time - 28 of 30

jean-r sent this - she knew i would get a kick out of it

crunch time - 27 of 30

from rehj

rehj pulled the pattern off the stamp and build the name
then used her computer to arrange the address artfully

crunch time - 26 of 30

from kate

another person who is familiar with weaver writing - you can tell by the loops on the j and s

crunch time - 25 of 30

from jean-r

there was an earlier envelope with a similar flour made out of the security envelope print. this is a fun variation leaving the print on the envelope and collaging with magazine photos

guest artist - mail for elisabeth jeanne

this site might have been linked previously on this blog. it is all in french - and i can see an email account for an elisabeth-jeanne.

this particular envelope has *audry p* as the caption, so she must be the sender.

the stamps are so cool. the circles, squares, bold colors, gray, kraft paper....so many elements...and so nice.

you may see many more envelopes on her blog - and maybe you can read french

http://l-ivredelettresetdecouleurs.blogspot.fr/

crunch time - 24 of 30

from chuck

and another nice half-border from chuck. we are both big fans of art neuveau


note to thomas:
you had a question about no 18 of 30 which had the address *printed* in white. i posted a response that you may want to read.

https://pushingtheenvelopes.blogspot.com/2016/05/crunch-time-18-of-30.html?showComment=1464949572747#c6655662278805411155

crunch time - 23 of 30

from marti

i have been admiring the way marti has dropped crooks on some of her letters. i keep meaning to steal the idea....one of these days.....

crunch time - reptiles

top from florence - bottom from eric

crunch time - 22 of 30 (no june exchange)

from chuck m

another fun border and font.
the little dots are perfect. and red-white-black is a forever favorite combination.

reminder:
in case you did not see the memo a couple days ago...i will be out of town and not by a regular computer, so i can't run the exchange this month.

however - if you want to send me a decorated envelope while i am out of town - i will send a reply envelope upon my return.
or if you send more, i will send more....gee i wonder who will go overboard and send me 50 envelopes???

my address is right there in the image of the envelope from chuck
be sure to include your address so i know where to send the return mail.
thanks