When I got back to Des Moines, I figured Denny would be finished with the sign - and set up a time for him to bring it over. We met up - and has done nothing and told me that he waited to tell me in person that he actually wanted to go back to the original idea of painting on wood - and he really wanted to do the painting. He was concerned that I was not going to be happy about this turn of events.
I assured him that I was actually VERY happy that he was taking the reins. Nothing makes me happier than people who have a vision and want to see it through. So, I sent him out to buy the wood and paint the background color and then I transferred the design onto the wood.
It was fun to collaborate. Most of the time when someone asks me to help them with a project - they start to back off and just want me to do the whole thing. That can work out fine. But, in this case - it was going to be a ton of work to paint it in - so I was very happy that Denny really wanted to do all the painting himself.
This style came from an envelope from Janet. I know I've seen it somewhere - maybe Pinterest - my version is pretty rough.
***
What does (could use more) in the title - mean?
That note to self yesterday and today - was supposed to alert me to add on something interesting - and I've been forgetting to do a final edit on the blog posts.
Sadly - I have turned into Leiningen vs the Weeds. That is my version of Leiningen vs the Ants - a story from when I was a kid. I need to revisit it to see why it has stuck with me all these years. I do not recall anything specific - except a guy and a hoard of ants. Apparently my brain was imprinted with information about doing battle with things.... and some battles are futile. Although I have no idea if he lost his battle.
At what point do you figure out that you can't win.
But, do we stop. No - we keep going.
Current battle - a patch of those nasty day lilies that are technically an invasive weed. Then Virginia Creeper AND Creeping Charlie invaded from the neighbors - and I am not sure what direction this battle is going to go. Part of me is thinking about black plastic and bricks. I'm pretty sure that plastic wins.
To be continued.
And here are a couple more very so-so envelopes for Ben. Not even worth posting - maybe things will come up that I can swap out for these - as it gets closer to the date that they will pop up.
These two are so fun together - Kristine's envelopes often have lots of patiently done dots/dashes/lines/shapes. Mary's has a corresponding amount of careful detailed filling in of the lines - and the details from the stamp. This is another idea that I'd be stealing -- if only I had some of those stamps....
Scroll down for today's regular post.
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I don't think I have ever promoted anything on the blog - but this is so pretty - if you are into calligraphy. Beth Lee has been around for as long as I have been a part of the scribal world. This is something she made a few years ago and it sold out - and she had plenty of requests for another run.
This is just spectacular --- Irene put it in a clear envelope which I knew would not photograph very well - so I positioned the stamp, stuck on it's corner - in the upper right - which is why it is up-side-down. The lettering is filled in with some kind of glittery paint or ink - so pretty. It's always fun to see that the inspiration that I get from people gets passed on to others. From JeanR to JeanW to Irene -- I've already forgotten the name of the designer of this style - Wes Wilson? I think that's right. You'd think if the name is Wilson, I'd be able to remember that....
and Irene's mail often comes with an extra...
Feeling a little down because of the smoky skies from Canadian forest fires, I stopped into a post office I passed along the way.
It was empty. Not a soul in sight.
“Hello,” I called.
Silence.
“Anyone here?”
“Hold on, I’m coming . . .” Out from the back walked a clerk. “What can I do for you?” she asked.
“I need some stamps.”
“Well, you came to the right place.”
She opened a drawer and pulled out some sheets.
“Got any Elvis?” I asked.
“Not in years.”
“I miss Elvis . . .”
“You and everyone else.”
“How about the Marvin Gaye?”
“Nope.”
“Jimi Hendrix?”
“Sorry.”
“Paul Newman?”
“No. But this is what I do have,” she said as she rifled through the sheets, calling stamps out as she went.
“Roy Lichtenstein . . .”
“One of my wife’s favorites. I’ll take it.”
“Pony cars . . .”
“Love those cars. One day, I’m gonna drive across the country in a ’65 Mustang—you watch.”
Like she’d be around to see it.
“Toni Morrison . . .”
“Just reread Song of Solomon. Even better the second time. I’ll take it.”
“Pete Seeger . . .”
“Little pink houses.”
She looked up, confused.
“Wait,” I said. “Wrong song. That’s Mellencamp. The Pete Seeger one is little boxes made of ticky tacky.”
She asked, “You want the stamp or not?”
“Absolutely…”
Back she went to the other stamps. “Ernest J. Gaines . . .”
Suddenly, I felt overwhelmed by a need to connect the dots.
“Yes! The Autobiography of Miss Jean Pittman. Not to be confused with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Which was not written by Ernest Gaines. I can’t remember who wrote Brodie. But Maggie Smith was in the movie. Cicely Tyson was in Pittman. Got any of her stamps?”
“Who?”
“Cicely Tyson.”
“Nope, but how about Nancy Reagan?”
“Are you kidding me? Do I look like a Reagan voter?”
“Can’t give these stamps away . . .”
“Everyone just says no?”
I got a little chuckle out of her on that one. And wound up buying two more sheets of stamps: women rowing and Eugenie Clark. That’s the great scuba diver, people. She was known as “the shark lady”.
Walked out with over $76 worth of stamps. And feeling a little better. Not sure why.
Maybe it’s the healing power of stamps—or maybe it’s because I got that clerk to laugh.