Dec from JeanR - Longevity question

 

JeanR had a 3-3 thing going in December - 3 swoops on the envelope - 3 ornaments on the card - very pretty. The USPS is helping out with the 3 lines on the postmark. Interestingly, the first and third likes are the same. I wonder why they have 3 lines. 

A while back, a blog post with one of JeanR's envelopes included a question about how much mail Jean sends each month - and she responded:

 I prepare at least 30 birthday, anniversary greetings per month, plus 7 or 8 for the envelope exchange.  Christmas and Valentines make those months very heavy because I include all my family and some friends too. 

Thank you for the response, Jean :-) I wonder if there is anyone else who exchanges who sends more mail than that.

***

Something random from my folder of random tidbits that will be deleted and apologies for not recording from whence it came.

oh - I did record from whence it came  tv_calligraphee  on IG

Dec from Mary - Connie Chen

Mary still has some of The Snowy Day stamps - and her little mouse-on-a-star card was tucked inside. I like those foot prints in the snow - a clever way to fill up the envelope but leave enough white space for the address to be easy to read.

 ***

Connie Chen's name was not one I recognized when I saw that she was offering a class for one of the CA guilds. I followed the path to her website and see that she's been around long enough to earn Master Penman credentials and has some rave reviews from people who have studied Spencerian with her.

I won't have time to take any classes but this one example is enough to get me interested in giving it a try ....grrrr.... now I can't find it - hopefully I will - in the meantime -  here is a link to her website:

https://www.connie-chen.com

I found her website a little hard to navigate - here's a link to her portfolio

https://www.connie-chen.com/commissions

BONUS POST - from Clover

Scroll down for today's regular post

***

 Clover sent me a notice from The Portland Stamp Company.

They have a free download for a poster with all the love stamps.

LINK to the download.  I hope that link works. (It doesn't look like it goes a PDF - although it does go to an image, I'll keep working on it and see if I can find the PDF link - because the resolution on a PDF might be better.)

The image was larger than my screen and I do not know how to splice photos

LINK to Portland. Stamp's IG

LINK to Portland Stamp's website

Dec from Nanski - neck relief video

Apologies if any of this info is inaccurate, I am going on a memory of photographing the Dec envelopes 5 days ago and I'm out of town. I think this is from Nanski. (OK, I'm home - yes it is from Nanski - the card will show up later.)

***

Many years ago (2000-ish) at one of the IAMPETH conferences (penmanship organization) Mike Sull invited his wife's trainer to speak about things to think about if you spend a lot of time working at a desk. The suggestion he had for the aches and pains we get in our necks and shoulders was a maneuver where you move your chin back and forth. It's been a life saver for me.

I made a point of sharing the maneuver with students and I always warned them ahead of time that it looks very strange - but it is magically beneficial if you hunch over your desk. I was wildly excited this morning when a video popped up on IG of a guy doing the maneuver I love as well as a few more to ease the neck and shoulders. 

Please watch - your neck will thank you.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DE0T_VhxlHC/?img_index=1

 

Dec from Meg - poem about stamps

 

Here's my December envelope from new pen pal, Meg, from Australia - and the adorable koala card below. I might have to steal that heart idea for February. I'd put first names of people inside the heart. It would be a challenge to fit the longer names in.... and, I need to maintain that new leaf I have turned over where I am vigilant as choosing a stamp before I even get started.

***

One of my penpals sent this - and apologies - I did not lose the poem but I lost the email...

On Searching for a Book of Stamps

check in wallet

check once more

hunt through bag

look in drawer

feel coat pockets

peer in pot

rifle desk

find them not

shake out shoes

lift up hat

inspect fridge

ask the cat

scour the shelves

peek in purse

turn out cupboards

swear & curse

go to shop

buy new stamps

put in wallet

next to stamps

Brian Bilson

I think I already posted this - but will put it here in case it's not already posted

I guess I should type it out - it's hard to read - but when I up the point size - the last line or two will not fit on one line unless I reduce the point size which would then make it hard to read..... 

Word Crunching

I

wrote

a poem

on a page

but then each line grew

to the word sum of the previous two

until I began to worry about all these words coming with such frequency

because as you can see, it can be easy to run out of space when the poem gets all Fibonacci sequency

Brian Bilston

FINALLY....a solution to a problem - and it's an easy solution

 SCROLL DOWN for the daily post - and exchange sign-up. 

This is mostly for the exchangers - but there might be non-exchanging-readers who send mail and who have had envelopes that accidentally get *delivered* to their own address on the return address label. I had the perfect solution going for quite a while - but because there are aliens lodged in my head, they made me forget about the solution. I had to return to the USPS to get my common sense restored.

Here you go - the *sideways* option - and it is 100% fool proof.

Actually, I have provided this tip previously. It is included in the tab at the top of the blog with a long list of details (rules) about the exchange - but I'm not sure anyone reads it. I direct newcomers to it -- but I don't do any pop quizzes. Quite a bit of the mail seems to go through without problems.

Is it an overstatement to claim that this is a 100% fool proof way to insure the scanners do not read the return address - whether it is a label or hand written? I don't think so. I finally found someone to talk to at the USPS who was super helpful and he guaranteed me that the scanners will not read things that are written sideways on a rectangular envelope. He talked me through all the possibilities and everything he said made sense. 

So - here's the new rule -- put your return address sideways. That means perpendicular to the bottom edge.

If you have a circular return rubber stamp - I assume the scanners do not read circular information...although the USPS guy and I did not talk about that. We talked about other things --- which I will cover at a later date. I just wanted to get this important info out there so we can all enjoy the peace of mind it will bring to our frazzled lives.

My new friend at the post office assured me that he would put Liz's envelope back into the system. He was going to cover up the bar code that was on the back. I hope Liz lets me know that it has arrived. If it shows up at my house again --- I'm going to be very disappointed.  

***

There is another fool proof option -- write the recipients address clearly on the back - so if the scanner sees an address on the back - and uses it - it's the same as the one on the front. This only works for people who are ok with not having their actual return address on the envelope.

I have done this when I feel like the address on the front is hard to read. The reason I do not do it all the time is because I do not enjoy writing long addresses twice.

I hope this helps. Here is an example from Leslie where my address is written on both sides.

February Exchange Sign-up + Dec from Sue/Smash

 

Seeing this envelope from Susan, I wanted some of the Winterberry stamps - and thought they were something new that I missed. Sadly, they came out in 2019, so I might have trouble finding them. And here is the card from Susan/Smash. I think we can be joyful that we made it through January and by the end of February we'll be ready for March - the mixed bag month - and then spring - another joyful time of year.

Here were all 4 winter berry stamps. Juniper berry, beautyberry and soapberry

Time for the February exchange sign-up.

Today through February 4th is the window to sign-up. Lists are sent on the 5th.

If you participated in the January exchange - just shoot me an email that says: SIGN ME UP - you do not need to retype your address and info - unless it has changed.

Let me know if it is your [Birthday] month or if you are willing to be on [2 Lists].

If you were not on the January list - or only sign up occasionally - or are a new exchanger - please send your information in the following format:

Jane Doe

123 Oak Street

Ames, IA 50010

janedoe@aol.com

[Birthday]  [2 Lists]

Send to PTEnvelopes-at-aol-dot-com

LINK to some more details about how the exchange works

Dec from Lynne - Treewhispers

 

I'm 99% sure this is from Lynne. If I'm wrong - let me know. 

I'm living dangerously - and writing posts from memory - after I woke up in Chicago and realized that I had a ton of drafts without images.....

....so I am speed-posting.

*** (written on a different and earlier day)

I have filled up January. I can take a breather while I head in to Chicago for a week. There is a hand made book place (Artists Book House) that has opened up very close to where I stay in Chicago. And even better - while I am there, they are having the opening of an exhibit of TreeWhisperers. 

A loooong time ago when I used to zip in to Chicago to take calligraphy workshops, I crossed paths with a Chicago artist, Pamela Paulsrud, who was collecting circles of paper that she would string into columns which would be hung indoors - to approximate tree trunks. I submitted a few and saw one of her  installations. 

Read all about it here:

https://treewhispers.com

Here is a better description from the website:

Treewhispers is an ongoing international collaboration that celebrates the connection between trees and humanity through handmade paper and artistic exploration. Participants contribute handmade paper rounds with personal memories, poems, images of tree rings, leaves or their beloved trees. These rounds, bound with bookbinding thread, form paper columns and create an ever-evolving forest of paper. As the project travels, it grows with new stories, new voices, and a collective reverence for nature.

There is an address at the website where you can send a paper circle - and I forgot all about the stories that people submit about trees. I should fill another blog post with more about Treewhispers. Maybe I will when I return from my expedition.

Maybe we should send a bunch of circles through the mail to Pamela... let me ponder that - or if you are impulsive - just go ahead and do it..... but, if you do - I think you should share your circle with the blog readers by sending me a photo, please and thank you.

Here is the place in Chicago that I hope to visit to see the Treewhispers exhibit:

https://www.artistsbookhouse.org

Dec from Paula - Interesting *graph*

 

I am always happy to hear from, Paula, our postal pen pal at the post office in NH.

And she chooses Christmas cards that are designs that I would choose if I bought cards. It's a Hallmark - and full of highly steal-worthy motifs.

***

I'm experiencing a bit of a freak out - I just observed the start of the new year and now I am wrapping up January (as I write this on the 6th of January) and I have not even started my Jan envelopes....

Here is something that I found interesting - partly for the subject matter - and partly for the coolness of the graphics. 

https://biocubes.net/?utm_campaign=mb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew

Dec from Kate -Marji with a J - celebrating ZIP Code Day

 

This is from Kate - very pretty gold ink. The address reminds me of French Roundhand. I like this style with the Holiday Joy stamp and the placement of the stamp is very nice with the cancel.

And then there was this wonderful card.

It's so pretty.

I wonder how many she made. They would have taken some time - with the drawing and dotting and collageing and stitching. She was really smart on the star to not stay in the lines. Or maybe she made the gold strokes first and then did the star over the top.

Either way - it's a beautiful card. Stealworthy.

***

I did a search and only found 7 posts that mention Marji - which seems odd. I feel like I would have mentioned lots more about Marji. We might have to have *Marji Week* some day. In the meantime - I will share something that I learned recently from Marji. She told me about ZIP code day. That's when your ZIP code matches the date on the calendar. I need to find out if she invented it - or if she heard about it somewhere. It sounds like something she would dream up. She's very creative.

Marji's ZIP code is 53024 - so on 5-30-24 - May 30th, 2024 - she and her posse had a celebration. I'll have to get back to Marji for details. But - I wanted to jump on this to alert any of the readers that if your ZIP code ends in 25 you might be able to celebrate this year. 

As a 50312 person, I missed my chance to celebrate on May 3, 2012. 

If someone has a ZIP code that ends in 2025, they could have a month long celebration. 52025 - could celebrate in May of this year.

*** a coffee fueled add on - ignore it if you have things you should be doing. Nobody on my exchange lists lives in these places - but maybe some of you know people who do -- and you can alert them. But, celebrating for a whole month is not nearly as much fun as having your ZIP code be a. specific day.

I found some places that could celebrate for the entire month: 

Broadalbin, NY. is 12025 so they could have celebrated in January

Dumfries, Virginia is 22025 (also portions of Cherry Hill) can celebrate in February

Lake City, Florida is 32025 - March

Benton, Kentucky can celebrate in April with their 42025 

52025 is not in use in the US - but there is a town in Italy with that postal code - Montevarchi (Toscana, Italy)

Edwardsville, Illinois can celebrate in June with 62025. 

Casa, Arkansas has 72025. 

Boone, Colorado has 82025 

Escondido, California can wrap things up in September with 92025. 

Cohasset, Massachusetts can celebrate all year - 02025.

Dec from Juliana - Correction on IUOMA

The full story about the brown envelope to Liz is in another post that is. below this one.

We're starting the envelopes that arrived in December. Warning - the envelopes are lovely but my blurb writing is wacko.

This lovely envelope and really pretty card arrived from Juliana - 

There will be a lot of red coming up - so we can just squint and make things into valentines.

***

After writing yesterday's post - I clicked the link on Jayne's blog and it took me to the International Union of Mail Artists (IUOMA) that I had not been able to find. So - it does seem that Rudd is continuing. That's nice.

It was born in 1988 - same year as my son, Hunter - which is ironic - because my blog was *born* on his 22nd birthday. I was a member of IUOMA back at the turn of the century - but - can't remember my password. I'm tempted to rejoin - but my newly energized self-discipline is going to pass.

If any of you are young and want to join - here's the link

http://iuoma-network.ning.com/main/authorization/signUp?target=http%3A%2F%2Fiuoma-network.ning.com%2Fprofiles

Oh. Wow. I just stumbled across Rudd's current blog -- and he doesn't have the images blocked.

Plus - it lead me to the current call for entries - so I'm happy to report that mail art exhibits are alive - although not as prolific as in the olden days.

https://tekeningenruud.blogspot.com

Liz's brown envelope

 Yesterday, at 5 pm, I heard the mail carrier delivering the mail and gathering some that I had put out for him to pick up. I was surprised to see that envelope to Liz in my mailbox. I had mailed in on Saturday. I could see a faint bar code in red ink on the envelope and figured that the scanner had read my return address label on the back instead of the address on the front.

I waited outside for the mail carrier to come back on the other side of our street to ask for the 4 brown envelopes that he had just picked up. I didn't want them to make the same trip that Liz's envelope just made. I showed him how the one he had just delivered was not addressed to me and he couldn't figure out what had happened - until I suggested that the scanner had read the return address label. He thought my theory was correct.

He gave me back the other 4 and I said I was not going to use brown envelopes any more......and just then a medium sized dog came racing down the street, directly toward us, barking and scaring the living daylights out of me. I know dogs don't like mail carriers. The dog started jumping all over me - and the owner came running - and yelling - and maybe the dog was trying to be playful but it was too wild for me. The mail carrier was actually doing a good job of pulling the dog off me by the time the owner reached us.

The owner got his dog back on a leash and muttered, "Sorry."

That was it. One word. 

Grrrrrr

As the owner walked away with his dog I asked the mail carrier if he'd ever been bitten by a dog. Once, on his wrist. I asked if he reported it. He said yes. I didn't ask him to report the incident but my son is getting a full report.

Then I remembered how to handle the brown envelopes. I will cover up the return label and put the recipient's address on the back - so that the scanner only has one choice. The mail carrier thought that was a good idea.

So, Liz, I have to decide what to do about that very faint barcode on the envelope. I think I should just add an outer envelope and start over. Maybe I'll make a trip to the post office. Maybe they would put it in one of the "We're sorry" envelopes they use when a piece of mail gets chewed up.

January to Riley, Sharen, Susan, Meg and Liz - Mail art - Rudd Janssen

Good news - this is the end of my January. envelopes. Apologies that it was the same stuff for 5 days. I won't be doing this again.

I went back to this stamp and this one would have been fine - except I messed up the background color on Riley's R. I realized that it was more fun to do two different borders on the rectangles.

I only messed up the border on Sharen's S.

Susan's might be one that turned out just fine.

There was one that was not fine and not photographed. 

And I don't remember why I did this one.

I did not have Meg in the alphabetical order because I knew I needed to use 3 stamps.

I like the way the 3 stamps look - and I wish the M had a bolder outline - and finer lines on the border - 

I thought I forgot to photograph Liz's - she was new to the exchange in January.

Then I realized that maybe I forgot to even do her envelope - so I made this one on Saturday and dropped it in the mail. It's foreshadowing of my Feb envelopes. I found these brown envelopes in my stash and will use them up, no matter what. 

I'm scared.

Liz probably hasn't even received this yet....

NOPE - it is not on its way - it came back to me....full story tomorrow

***

The surfing from Add&Pass that led to Jayne (yesterday) made me think of Ruud Janssen who was very big in the mail art world - with the IUOMA - International Union of Mail Artists. So I had to see what Ruud was up to these days. His group was so active - back at the turn of the century - but seems to have run its course. Actually - I can't even find the place where people posted requests for participation in mail art exhibits that invited anyone to participate. That's sad.

But Ruud is still making art - so that's nice. And I am quite fond of his style. Actually - he hasn't posted anything since 2021 - so maybe he is doing something else.

I would post an image - but he has a *thing* that pops up that says you MUST request permission to repost any of his images....and that's not something that I can budget time for today. You will know in one click if you have any interest in his work. Or would be inspired by it.

https://artwanted.com/iuoma/gallery/

January to Nanski, Patty, Phillip and Rachael + Mail art (Jayne)

 

I came close to giving up on this whole idea - and I'm weary of even talking/writing about them.

I had not even tried any of the stamps that have the hand holding the dandelion. I realized that the colors in that stamp might work better than the others.

I think I only tried this 2-initials idea twice - and it's OK - but not fun to do. Patty's is a little heavy.

I think I like Phillips.

I like Rachael's R - and I like the border on the stamp.

So these are not complete duds.

*** an add on - since I'm running out of steam on the January envelopes.

Here's a fun idea for a valentine - the lower part of the photo. It's from the blog I found that mentioned the Add&Pass. I returned to the blog and did a bit of surfing. 

https://mailartbyjayne.weebly.com/blog/from-kristen-hermanny-palatine-il. 

The person who started the blog (Jayne) is from Minnesota and it seems like she's not adding anything to the blog any more....but, there are some things to see if you like the more collage-type mail art. Most of the examples are very much in the style of Ray Johnson, considered by many to be the originator of modern mail art. It's not my aesthetic - and doesn't really remind me of anyone who exchanges. It's pretty random, haphazard and guerrila-esque. Even though I am not drawn to appropriating any ideas - there are bits and pieces that do appeal to me. Maybe some of the humor.

BONUS POST - 1st Graders' class project

 Scroll down for today's regular post.

This is a special announcement for anyone who loves to participate in projects with first graders.

Mary, who has been exchanging for a couple years now, sent me this - and added that they need a valentine from Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. So if you can pass this along to anyone in those states - please do. They are welcoming mail from other countries as well.

January to Kate, Lynne, Mary and Maggie - Avuncular

 

Three of these 4 are all in the deep regret category. I enclosed a note indicating that I will do some kind of compensatory envelope for them to be mailed inside the February exchange envelope - assuming they are not so disappointed in their January envelope that they drop out of the exchange.

 I tried that script and it's awful. There is a nice dark green feather on the stamp but dark green seems too strong. The teal on the first 8 envelopes was so nice. But I ran out of teal snowflakes - so I thought these would work with the idea.

I deeply regret that L. I'm OK with the colors - but just barely.

Mary's stamp is fine - but the M is clunky.

And oh-my-gosh - I don't even know what to say about Maggie's, below.

I regret posting it - but, I figure it might be helpful to see everything that I tried - and describe what's wrong with it -- too curly - and no contrast.

I tried doing the 3 things on three of these - but, that might have been a bad idea. They seem too busy. Of these 4 - Mary's is probably the best.

***

We already had one new word this month, griffonage. I'm going to add another one. Avuncular. I learned it from some friends of my grandkids. I don't remember how they discovered it and decided to work it into conversations. I'd heard the word - but had no idea what it meant. 

Avuncular refers to something that is related to an uncle or has the qualities of an uncle, such as being kind, generous, or supportive. It often describes a friendly and benevolent demeanor, especially towards younger people.

I wonder if an aunt can be avuncular or if aunts need their own word.