July from Susan - The Tiger (book)

Beautifully coordinated colors and Susan's italic done two ways - looser and expressive for me and careful and legible for the USPS. The tiger stamps are so pretty - they should be on my shopping list.

 ...and speaking of tigers, boy do I have a book for anyone looking for a book to read. 

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant

From Goodreads: Beautifully written and deeply informative, The Tiger circles around three main characters: Vladimir Markov, a poacher killed by the tiger; Yuri Trush, the lead tracker; and the tiger himself. It is an absolutely gripping tale of man and nature that leads inexorably to a final showdown in a clearing deep in the taiga.

To say it is "deeply informative" is an understatement. There is so much about a part of the world, the history and the people that is so interesting. I would recommend keeping a list of the people's names as they appear in the book. I really struggled with the foreign names - and rather than keep a list - I just bumbled through - being somewhat confused. The story is so compelling that I didn't lose that much by not always knowing who was saying or doing what. 

July from Mia - Monopoly

This envelope from Mia seems to be handmade using some interesting paper and maybe ink or paint or both. The colors are very nice with the stamps. 

Our unrelated add-on today is good news for anyone who dislikes the game of Monopoly as much as I do. I understand there is strategy but it's not the kind of strategy that I enjoy. My grandkids like to play and I agreed to play. I noticed that the Monopoly company has added a third die that is supposed to speed up the game. Older grandkid did not want to try it. I pulled rank - and while it took us a while to figure out all the options, I am a huge fan. I still don't like the game - but at least it moves faster. 

I also made two Nanna-rules that enhanced the game on a couple levels. I got rid of the jail. I can't stand the agony (whining) of players who have to deal with jail - so why bother. The other thing that annoys me is how little money players get at the beginning. So we start with twice the recommended amount of money. So much more fun. 

I suppose there are people who are shocked and horrified that I would take all the challenges out of the game. Sorry - Nanna's like to spread joy. And I know the parents would never alter the rules. 

 

July from Leslie -

Leslie sent two envelope in July. The top one has very cool embossing. Leslie has a set of stencils - I'm not sure if you call them stencils - to me - embossing happens with a *plate* - but stencil probably works. 

And the second one is a handmade envelope. She found the perfect image to go with that stamp. 

Below is an insert - with another lovely example of Leslie's ruling writer work.

More artwork from our walk to the park.

 

July from Kate and Sharen - whispering bench

Similar color schemes from Kate (top) and Sharen (below). 

Italics and copperplate -  from real calligraphers.

On our way to the park, I noticed this bench and asked if it was new. Ben assured me that it has always been there - so, I'm confused as to why I never noticed it. If you look over at the other end of the bench, you can see another funnel where I sat and whispered to him. It's very cool. I should have taken a photo of the little nameplate thing. And it probably had a QR code thing too.

When the kids were little we made daily trips to parks. Since Ben is now 8, pushing 9 - he tends to go to the school yard to play baseball and basketball - so we had not been to the *kiddie park* in a couple years.  Ben did some climbing and then decided to run laps around the perimeter - and I timed him. Everyone else at the park was very much a toddler....with either a nanny or grandparents. I am a little verklempt that this was probably my last trip to that particular park. I'm glad I took note of the whispering bench.

 

July from Troy - teapots

I'm still in Chicago, so I can't pull this out and refresh my memory on what Troy wrote. I think it was about weather grams which I've mentioned previously. They are so much fun to make. If you have never heard of them you could do a search on the blog. I also did a quick search online and there are many hits. I really like the abstraction of the letters in my name and how he repeated some basic shapes. The infinity sign on top of the J is fun -- and good old Andy - happy to see those stamps again.

Yesterday I posted the post with the ceramics attachments. Today we have a long video - 40 minutes - with all the very detailed steps to making a ceramic teapot. I've spent enough time in a ceramic studio to have a good idea of how many steps there are to making a pot or a bowl - or maybe even a mug with a handle -- but this video adds sooooo.mannnnnnny.steppppppps. 

The spout, the handle and a lid that fits perfectly. It seemed like $1,000 worth of work to me. So I checked into his website and learned that his work sells out within minutes of posting. As I recall, the teapots are around $350 - but my memory is foggy. Anyhow - he looks like he really enjoys his work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nNexrGxpG8

 

July from Irene - Chicago telephone poles

I'm pretty sure Irene said she took a class in the ruling writer. As I recall, there is info on a note that she inclosed - but, I am in Chicago - and scrambling like mad to catch up. Normally, posts are scheduled at least 4 weeks ahead. So, the next few posts will be a glimpse into real time. I think Irene said she had made several attempts to figure out the ruling pen - and was finally having some success. It's an interesting tool which I have enjoyed, but, I found it difficult to teach people how to use it. 

Chicago has offered the most perfect weather which is appreciated. I've taken a few photos of interesting things in the neighborhood. On a walk to a park, we passed a couple telephone poles that were no longer being used. The tops were cut off and they had these attachments. I can't figure out if they are just decorative or perhaps they are climbing walls for squirrels. 

The attached items seem like they are handmade ceramic items. 

This is a mile north of Wrigley Field and that is the Metra train track above the vine covered wall. There are many industrial buildings in the neighborhood that have been converted into studios and spaces for creative people to offer classes for kids in pretty much anything you can imagine. For the adults, there are craft beer breweries.... it's Chicago <eye-rolling>.

 

July from Grace - Graceful Envelope winners

This one from Grace made me long for a glass of real lemonade. I'll resist the temptation. If I am going to indulge in some sugar, I think a lemon meringue pie or a lemon pound cake sounds like a better choice. 

I forgot to post a link to the winners of the Graceful Envelope. So here you go:

LINK to Graceful Envelope winners
 

I love maps - and this one is a winner for sure - it's 1st place in the adult category. 3rd place is another map and there is a darling map in the kids' category.

July from Janet

This is in my stack of ideas to try. It looks pretty complicated. I wonder what kind of tape she used to mask off the squares (I know...they are trapezoids - and one triangle - - pause while we reminisce about the time that I wondered if there was name for the 2D shape of a football and Finn sent me the word *lens* - I appreciate the help I get from readers)

What strikes me about this is that it is probably not going to be *read* by a scanner - but it is still very clear. Note to self -- figure out a way to make an appointment with the USPS to find out what the scanners can and cannot read.

We do not get an add-on today because we are so far behind on our posting. We have plenty of photos of envelopes to post - but sway behind on the writing of the blurbs.

 

July from Lynne, Mary & Christy - unused commercial space

Three more July themed envelopes.

Top one from Lynne - I do not recall seeing that stamp.

Mary included a flag and stretchy bracelet.

Christy's flag stamp has a QR code thing. I wonder where that came from.

***

Here is an inspirational article about an artist who lives in a building in NYC. On the ground floor, there was an empty commercial space sitting vacant.  NYC has a ton of empty commercial space. The artist asked if he could use the space while it sat empty and was given permission to use the space, but could not have anyone else in the space. People walking past would stop to see what was going on and eventually, the artist was allowed to rent the space for $1 per month (and presumably get the insurance one needs for allowing the public to enter a space) and the space has evolved into a community space where people bring their unused art supplies and other people show up to make art. Inspirational and heartwarming.

LINK to article

The storefront

Artwork by kids who have stopped in

 

July from Amy, JeanR & Jessica - more about dirt

There were several 4th of July themed envelopes in July - I'll post all of them today and tomorrow.

 

***

I wonder how many times I can expand on the topic of dirt. 

When I did the search for *dirt*, most of the references were when I used the expression to *take a dirt nap.* I was surprised that I had not talked about how often I have asked my artsy friends if they remember playing in dirt as a kid. As I recall, many of us who were drawn to art at an early age recalled making mud pies and playing in dirt as happy childhood activities - which was a perfectly acceptable thing back in the last century. 

I am happy to report that the generations that followed the Boomers have elevated the concept to quite elaborate outdoor kitchens for kids. I like the more rustic ones that look very DIY - but, I suppose it's fine to support the people who are making the fancy ones - because those people probably enjoy making them. 

LINK to mud kitchens on Pinterest

The DIY ones range from very easy to quite elaborate

\

July to the exchangers - Dirt, the book

OK - this is the end of the July envelopes - super redundant. But, I had fun and am reducing my stash of square envelopes.

By the time this post runs I will be in Chicago. Maybe my grandkids will provide something interesting to talk about that I can add in real time. It's the last week before school starts. 

Not much to say about these ---  tomorrow we will start looking at the envelopes that arrived in July. 

Grrrrr - how did those capital letters sneak in?

And I can do a better bird house than that.

***

A few days ago, I wrote something about mulch and dirt not being worthy topics for the blog. Technically, I do have something to say about dirt. I did a search and while the word *dirt* shows up a few times, it appears that I did not recommend the book, Dirt by Bill Bufford. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves reading about the world of sophisticated food. It seems like many years ago we used the word *gourmet* - but, I don't hear that term anymore. This review does a better job that I could ever do.

LINK to a review of the book, Dirt

 

July to eight exchangers

I hope these Painted Peace garden sign inspired envelopes don't get too boring. Maybe I'll just post all of them today and tomorrow and be done with them. I don't really have anything to say about them other than that I had a lot of fun and it was good to get them all sent promptly so that I could manage all the chaos that I didn't even know was on its way. 

Sometimes I do a series of 2 or 3 - using the same general idea. 

It didn't seem to matter how many I did - they were all about the same.

I guess these three are the same as Cathy's - but with all lower case.

Christy's (at the bottom) is better because there is enough space between the flowers so they don't mush together into abstraction.

And then 3 with a sunflower and a butterfly.

Painted Peace artwork has the tulips pointed down which makes me think they are not tulips. At first it seemed odd - but then it grew on me. They remind me of flowers that hang down from vines, but I can't think of the name. After analyzing the Painted Peace style, it made sense that she needed the tulip shape for variety - but she just had to make them go in non-traditional directions.

 

July to Amy and Cathy

Remember the garden sign I posted a few weeks ago - that was a July project and those shapes were fresh in my mind - so I thought they had potential. I did all the flowers first -and then when I addressed them, I did Cathy's first - and Oh.My.Gosh. why do I even try to make capital letters any more? I am so out of practice. The flowers on Amy's seem disjointed and the smaller flowers on Cathy's just look like bubbles. I think these looked better in person than they do in photos.

 ***

I hope to return to this page with something more interesting than this - which, technically, is nothing. 

***

Warning: reduce any expectation of interesting blog posts for at least a month. The whole tree debacle was much more complicated than I had anticipated. It was a *git-er-done* episode and I'm pretty sure nobody wants to hear about mulch and dirt.

July to Jessica and Chuck - Bread slicing machine

 

When July rolled around, I pulled out some square envelopes and reshaped them into rectangles. I forgot what I did on Chuck's. I might have tried the white Sharpie marker from the new set. They aren't paint pens - but they are bold.

Then I tried Jessica's. Neither of these pleased me. The ones I will post tomorrow are a little better.

***

I have such mixed feelings about Iowa. I am not a native - but, it's been home for over 50 years - so a few little tidbits soften my view of the parts that annoy me. This dovetails nicely with the fact that the first computer was born in Ames, Iowa.

Iowa Time Machine : On July 7, 1880, Otto Frederick Rohwedder, inventor of sliced bread, was born in Davenport, Iowa.

Born to a German immigrant family, Rohwedder grew up in eastern Iowa while attending Davenport’s public schools. Upon high school graduation, he started an apprenticeship as a jeweler. Success soon found him, and he opened three jewelry stores. However, tinkering with watches led Rohwedder to experiment with creating new inventions.

When the idea for an automatic bread-slicing machine struck Rohwedder, he sold his jewelry stores to invest in developing his idea. Although a fire destroyed his early prototypes and blueprints, he continued developing his automatic bread-slicing machine.

In 1927, Rohwedder applied for patents for a machine that sliced bread and wrapped it. Going into business with his friend Frank Bench to install the machines at the Chillicothe Baking Company, the first loaf of sliced bread hit the market on Rohwedder’s 38th birthday, July 7, 1928.

Although the Continental Baking Company introduced Wonder Bread in 1930, Rohwedder continued to improve on his invention. He eventually sold his patent rights to the Micro-Westco Company of Bettendorf, Iowa, where he spent the rest of his career as a vice president and sales manager.

July to Troy, Susan, Mia & Rachael - Another Rachael Binge

Here is the envelope from Janet - inspired by an envelope from Rachael - that I posted a couple days ago. It's been in my stack for a while and when I got the new Sharpie markers that are like paint pens, I decided to give the design a whirl.

I do not have any of those stamps - and I also knew that I would want to make the address easier to read. Little did I know that leaving more space around the address would botch the whole idea - but, not enough to discourage me from making several attempts. The easy solution would have been to draw an outline of a label so that it looked like I stuck a label over a flower. Such a simple solution - but it didn't come to me until August when I sat down to fill in the blurbs and the envelopes were long gone.

This was the first try. The marker colors did not correspond very well to the colors on the stamp. It doesn't bother me that the petals are not colored in carefully. I don't mind the sketchiness. The address is a little clumsy - but sadly, the second attempt (below) is no improvement.

That missing petal is so unpleasant. I'm happy with the monochromatic colors - but the overall style of the flower clashes with the raven. I did a better job on the lettering.

Then I realized it was a perfect design to go with a round international stamp. But - that missing petal is still unfortunate.

If you go back and look at Janet's - you'll see that her center circle is much larger and the petals have a much different shape - so I need to go in that direction - and maybe only do addresses that are short.

GRRRRRRR - hardly anyone has a short address.......

And then I thought - gee - I should send a thank you to Rachael for the design idea - so I made the center bigger - but the petal situation is still unresolved.

And one more -- something done quickly - where the address problem is less problematic.

The lettering is cringe-worthy - but - I might revisit this idea and see if I can take it in a better direction. Or maybe I need to stick with the version that Janet sent.

One of the best parts of Janet's is the border on the very edge of the envelope which seemed to escape my observation which really makes me question my cognitive skills.