Cut paper - Message for April Exchangers

Yesterday there was a bonus post - so scroll down in case you were an early viewer of the blog.

This one is a bit off topic, but we need a label for cut work and this is a fine example.

The artist charges $232 UK dollars, and it says it is cut by hand. That seems too low.  But she also makes prints of the cut work, so maybe it only takes her 2 or 3 hours to cut the original.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CraftyLou2?ref=l2-shopheader-name




LONG MESSAGE FOR EXCHANGERS:

As frequently mentioned, I am trying to clear out excess stamps and envelopes. When I start my envelopes for the exchanges, usually about 25, I look for sets of stamps to use up and grab a stack of envelopes. I may find a dozen matching stamps to use. With envelopes, sometimes there are 6-8 of the same kind, but often times there are just one or two. Then I find colors of pens and markers to go with the stamps. After that I ponder styles of writing or possible layouts for envelopes.

This month, I had more than a dozen green stamps and my first 3 envelopes were uninspired. I have way too many actual jobs hanging over my head so I thought I would just blast off a bunch of envelopes in Akim and would not put them on the blog as I would be using the full addresses as the design elements. They were OK - nothing spectacular. Then, I had an idea for filling up the whole envelope and the idea went beautifully with the Oscar de la Renta stamps. I love the idea. The actual envelopes are a bit rough - and I can't post them as they have full addresses of exchangers. However, I do want to share the ideas with you, so I will try to make some samples that I can post at a later date. [Update: I did make a new post - just gray - no colors - but it was a bonus post yesterday. I'm somewhat obsessed with filling the space - after so many years of being addicted to white space.]

And what is the point of this post? It is a warming to the half of the exchangers who may look at their envelope and say - yuk- this is boring. And a few people will receive neither green stamps nor Oscar stamps. There was another idea that went with the red Jessica Hische valentine stamps that I love and will be sharing.

So, if you get your April exchange envelope and are disappointed - it's nothing personal. We have to put up with some of the less than spectacular envelopes because I can't spend 100% of my waking hours making each envelope a masterpiece. In a perfect world, I would be doing that. Anyone who wants to adopt me and pay for my care and feeding may do so. But, I imagine there will be few, if any, offers...so the mixed bag of envelopes will continue.

I should get some bonus points for mailing them so promptly. Although, it is hardly difficult for me to put mail at the top of my to-do list.

Onward through the fog....