Thursday, April 10, 2025

FEB from Doris - Yucky Zaner-Bloser


 Doris sent this from Canada and included a nice note. She has very pretty penmanship. Notice the D in Des. It's a lovely D - which is one of the letters I've struggled with in the past. Her version is genius. Plus, I think I can replicate it. JeanR has a beautiful J - and I've tried so hard to adopt it - but have not figured it out. My solution is to sign my name with a lower case j. That's really sad. One would think that I could have figured out a good J by now. The memory of struggling with my Js, starting in third grade haunts me. 
I blame it all on Zaner-Bloser. YUK!

Zaner-Bloser


The worst style known to mankind. B-D-F-G-H-I-L-O-P-R-S-T-X-Z are the most egregious. J does not make the worst list. It's just bad. The only letters that are OK are A-C-E-Q-V-W-Y. But OK is not acceptable. There is not a single letter that I would keep. 

Zaner-Bloser is just s dumbed down version of Palmer - and while I do not like Palmer, at least it's graceful and I could live with it.

Palmer


For anyone wondering which exemplar I like. I will run it tomorrow - if I can find it.


 


Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Black Magic Cake

 Black Magic Cake


https://www.hersheyland.com/recipes/black-magic-cake.html


2 c sugar

1 3/4 c AP flour

3/4 c Hershey cocoa

2 tsp soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt


Process in Cuisinart for 10 sec with metal blade


Mix together until smooth:

2 eggs

1 c buttermilk or sour milk or sour cream

1 c strong black coffee (OK to use instant espresso)

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla


Pour into Cuisinart while it’s running and process for 10 sec

Scrape down and process another 10 sec

Batter will be thin


Pour into greased and floured pans

2- 9-inch rounds or a 9x13

bake 35-40 min for rounds

40-45 for 9x13


FROSTING

Process 3/4 room temp stick butter for 10 sec

add 

3/4 c cocoa

2 2/3 c powdered sugar and process 5 sec


Scrape down and add remaining ingredients

1/3 c + 1 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla


Process 10 sec

Scrape down and process 5 sec or until smooth


FEB from Amy - cardboard creations



Amy's kitty in a box is so much fun. My son's cat was so fond of boxes and I have a folder full of fun ideas on making kitty condos out of boxes. Sadly, the cat took her trip across the rainbow bridge - so - my kitty condo plans are on hold. My favorite idea was to make an acetate covered geodesic dome to mimic our Des Moines botanical center - but - I'm guessing it might not be attractive to a cat since it is not cardboard. Maybe make it out of cardboard and keep the *windows* smaller.

Here's a link to my blog post with the cardboard food truck that I made for the cat. I had so much fun.

https://pushingtheenvelopes.blogspot.com/2022/04/rachaels-feb-env-bws-food-truck.html

Virtual Venue Tour: Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden - YouTube

Googling -  Geodesic Dome Cat House. Maybe just do a few triangles with windows.

How to Build an Amazing Cardboard Play Dome: 10 Steps – Craft projects for  every fan!

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

FEB from JeanR - Nicholasnames


JeanR will be migrating back north for the other half of the year so her postmarks will return to the ones that are not giant posters. If we ever get these giant poster-marks in Des Moines, I'll be compelled to tailor the envelope designs to complement the postmark.  I wonder how they will look if the name of the town is longer. Although, I hardly ever see my envelopes with their postmarks -  so y'all will need to alert me if my envelopes start arriving with the poster-marks.

Here is a link to just the pictorial postmarks. I'll keep looking for more info on the poster-marks.

***
This just in at 11:30. am today - from Mary - more postmark information



***
This is silly - but I rather like the concept - probably because I've done it.


Maybe there should be a term for putting the y or the ie on names. I was often called Jeannie - which is Nicholasname. My favorite Nicholasname is the one the I used on my son, Hunter. I called him GuntheramaDingDong. I still call him that - or just. Guntherama. And I have no idea where it came from. He just seemed like a baby who needed a longer name - but nothing too serious.


 

Monday, April 7, 2025

FEB from Juliana. - one last AI example



 Juliana spent some time on versals. They are an inviting style which keeps drawing me back. When this arrived, I pulled out my little booklet that I used for teaching kids of all ages. I sent the booklet to Juliana. Hopefully, I will find the original and make a copy that I can post on my Jean's Exemplar blog. Yes, a new blog - with all my exemplars - not the ones with copyrights - just the rough ones that I did for my own use and for teaching in my *relaxed* style. I have not actually started the exemplar blog - but hope to.


***
There were two votes for me to just stick with my own *voice.* One local penpal and one online pen pal,
So, the tribe has voted and we will proceed with the unfiltered Jean. Although, I had the following bit scheduled to appear and I am not going to delete it.

*

At the exact same time that my laptop went through an updating of the whole operating system - my phone had to be replaced with something newer, I had a huge double learning curve to navigate. Taking AI for a spin was of no interest to me -- or so I thought. After trying it once, I was intrigued. 
 
The intrigue fizzled out after a day or two - but, I am going to share one more example of how a person who has had minimal lessons in how to write can make herself sound different. 

Here is what I wrote for the AI to edit:


This is the way I write when I am trying to explain things to people. I do not sound like I am very well educated. I would like to try AI and see if it can make myself sound more educated or maybe just professional. I think my writing is too friendly.



Here is what it offered as an alternative:


In my attempts to explain concepts to others, I often find myself employing informal language that may not convey the level of education I possess. To address this, I am considering exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance my writing style and potentially project a more professional and educated demeanor. I believe that my current writing style tends to be overly friendly, and I am eager to refine it to better suit the intended audience.


Here is what it offered when I clicked on *Concise*


I often use informal language when explaining concepts, which may not reflect my education. I plan to use AI tools to improve my writing style and project a more professional and educated image. I believe my current writing is overly friendly and want to refine it for the intended audience.


***

Thus endeth my foray into AI.

AI just looks like steak sauce with a typo to me.


Sunday, April 6, 2025

FEB from Kate - to AI or not to AI?



Kate did a good job on redrawing the Keith Haring image. In a couple weeks I'll run what happened when I did a reckless version. Reckless means I thought the little guys looked easy and that I could do them quickly. She made a coordinating card, too. Black, white and red is one of our favorite color combinations.

 


***

A long add-on -  skip it unless you have too much spare time.


Something popped up a few weeks ago on my Yahoo mail. At the top, AI (Artificial Intelligence) had inserted a brief synopsis of what was in the email. It felt creepy - as though *somebody* had been reading my emails. My big helpful brother offered to look for a way to turn the feature off. Before I could get around to having him do that, I remembered that during my last major update on the whole operating system of my computer, when it rebooted, it offered me some pop up blurbs to tell me how much I was going to enjoy the new AI feature.


The first one I tried was *instant editing* of photos. That is not what they call it. They call it *clean up* - a magical way to delete items from your photos. It’s very clever and I was impressed.


Then, I thought I would try the AI editing. I typed four paragraphs to someone and then put it into the AI *thing* and - again, I was impressed with the majority of the edits it made. It made a couple huge errors - so it is not perfect. But, I am intrigued. 

So - the reason I am typing all this is that I wanted to see what would happen if I put by jabbering into AI. Below is the AI version. You may ignore all of this because it has nothing to do with envelopes. Or you can shoot me an email and tell me whether you prefer the original jabbering or the AI version.


There are 3 options in the AI tool, Friendly, Professional and Concise. I’ll post all three - and I will not fix anything that varies from the original. The Professional one is bizarre sounding. Clearly, I have not had any education on professional writing. I do think the friendly version did some good editing. They changed jabbering to rambling. I prefer jabbering. 


THE FRIENDLY VERSION


A few weeks back, something strange happened on my Yahoo mail. At the top, AI (Artificial Intelligence) had added a short summary of what was in the email. It felt a bit creepy, like someone had been reading my emails. My helpful brother offered to turn off the feature, but before I could ask him to, I remembered that during my last major computer update, when it rebooted, it showed me some pop-up blurbs about how much I’d enjoy the new AI feature.


The first thing I tried was instant photo editing. They call it ‘clean up,’ but it’s actually a magical way to delete stuff from your photos. It’s pretty cool and I was impressed.


Then, I thought I’d try the AI editing. I typed out four paragraphs and then put them into the AI thing. Again, I was impressed with most of the edits it made. It made a couple of huge mistakes, so it’s not perfect. But, I’m intrigued.


So, I’m writing this to see what would happen if I just rambled into AI. Below is the AI version. You can ignore all of this because it has nothing to do with envelopes. Or, you can shoot me an email and let me know if you prefer the original rambling or the AI version.


THE PROFESSIONAL VERSION


Recently, an unexpected feature was introduced to my Yahoo mail. At the top of each email, AI (Artificial Intelligence) provided a concise summary of its contents. This feature initially elicited a sense of unease, as it suggested that someone had been monitoring my email communications. My older brother, who is known for his technical expertise, offered to disable this feature. However, before I could take action, I recalled an incident during my recent system update. Upon system reboot, the update presented pop-up notifications highlighting the new AI feature.


The initial feature I encountered was the “instant editing” of photos. Although this functionality is not officially labeled as such, it is referred to as “cleanup” - a purportedly magical method for deleting items from photos. While this feature demonstrated impressive capabilities, it also made several significant errors, indicating that it is not yet perfect. Nevertheless, it piqued my interest.


Subsequently, I decided to test the AI editing capabilities. I composed four paragraphs and submitted them to the AI interface. Once again, I was impressed by the majority of the edits it made. However, it did make a few notable errors, underscoring its imperfections. Nonetheless, I remain intrigued by its potential.


The purpose of this communication is to explore the impact of human input on AI-generated content. Below is the AI-generated version of my previous message. You are welcome to disregard this content, as it is unrelated to envelopes. Alternatively, you may respond by email, expressing your preference between the original human-written message and the AI-generated version.


THE CONCISE VERSION


A few weeks ago, AI inserted a brief synopsis of my Yahoo mail at the top. It felt creepy, as if someone had read my emails. My brother offered to disable the feature, but I remembered it offered pop-up blurbs during my last OS update about the new AI feature.


I tried instant photo editing, which they call “cleanup” - a magical way to delete items. It’s clever and impressive.


Then, I tried AI editing. I typed four paragraphs and put them into the AI thing. Most of the edits were impressive, but it made a couple of huge errors. It’s not perfect, but I’m intrigued.


I’m writing this to see what happens if I type into AI. Below is the AI version. You can ignore it because it has nothing to do with envelopes, or you can email me and let me know if you prefer the original or the AI version.



Saturday, April 5, 2025

FEB from Mary + Add&Return


Mary used the Keith Haring stamp, too. It lends itself to all kinds of fun images. Mary included a very cool pop-up card.


A couple days after this one arrived, there was another piece of mail from Mary. When. I saw a black and white image of it in the USPS Informed Delivery email, I was very confused. It looked so much like the one I sent her....but I couldn't imagine why she had gone to all the work of redrawing her own name.

When it arrived - it all made sense. I must have included a note complaining about how the colors were off on mine - but when Mary saw it - she realized that there was a stamp that would actually go with the weird colors and - voila - she was right. That stamp even fits the space better than the one I had used.


This was a variation on the Add&Pass - Add and return. I have a couple more of those to post....

Mary included a shout out to coffee in the second mailing - always a appreciated.



 

Friday, April 4, 2025

FEB from Maggie - Dior's collaboration with real people

 


It looks like Maggie is taking my advice to print the address clearly for the scanner. I should probably be noting how long it takes for envelopes to arrive - but we never know if there will be a clear date on the cancellation. This one looks pristine.

***
I took a couple weeks off from blog posting and have lost track of my add-ons. Apologies if this is a repeat. Also, it comes with an emphatic disclaimer that I do not share every perspective in this hour long documentary. The women's liberation movement was launched during my teen years and while I was not loud about any of the issues, I still have feelings and opinions....and this blog is not about issues. It's about art and design. [to be blunt - I have never cared for the work of Judy Chicago]

If you have an hour to kill and are interested in some unlikely collaborations between Dior and some women artists who were quite surprised when they were invited to collaborate in the world of fashion - you might enjoy this documentary. During the first half, it did not seem like something to share on the blog - but the second half has a couple artists who are delightful. They start around the 47 minute mark.

One of them (Isabella) didn't start her career until she was 50 and is now 94.








Thursday, April 3, 2025

FEB from IRENE


Irene's happy place is with her nibs and ink - as well as a pointed brush (or brush marker) and probably one of those wedge brushes. 


I'm writing this on March 11. I have my March envelopes done and will be heading to the post office as soon as I finish my noon coffee. Surfing around IG and Pinterest is a good combo with the coffee. The first thing to pop up on IG were some beautiful shots of Irene's March envelopes followed by a seriously Oh.My.Gosh posting - on Irene's IG - about some attempted climbing followed by falling and breaking a rib. I checked in with Irene - and she's doing well.

***

OK - it's a month later as I write this. I think we can all have a group learning experience. Let's not attempt to climb on things if we are old enough to have grandkids. If you are too young to have grandkids - then continue to enjoy your climbing years. 

Periodically I remind people in the grandparental age group to be vigilant with any kind of a fall where a person hits their head. It's always better to have a quick scan of your head to make sure there is no internal bleeding. I could give you several examples - but, my memory has been affected by my own bonk on the head - and I wasn't attempting to climb on anything. I was just making coffee.



 

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

FEB from Sharen - Smithsonian Conference on Stuff

 


I have corresponded with several people about different styles and I'm pretty sure Sharen said that she had done a lot of copperplate - and was interested in trying Spencerian. I hope I have that right. I think your Spencerian is looking good, Sharen.  All you people who send me real nibs-and-ink work remind me how pretty it is...and maybe one of these days I'll get my nibs and ink out. Better yet, I will retire that broken record comment and find someone who wants my nibs and ink - or bottles of dried up ink.

***

This is a fun tidbit about how the staff at the Smithsonian observes April Fool's Day. This is the caption to the photo that I found at the Smithsonian's Flickr account.

Because a faux conference needs a real poster: The "Salt" edition of the Conference on Stuff

For most of the year, the museum staff are serious and committed public servants, toiling away on behalf of our many publics and the collections. That is, until April Fool's Day, when we loosen our ties for a bit of silliness with the Conference on Stuff. In years past, we have presented modest, tongue-in-cheek, but earnest impressions of academic symposia on such stuffy topics as Jell-O, beans, pie, corn, and marshmallows. This year, our worthy subject is Salt, selected after an extensive literature and pantry search and semi-serious deliberation.


***

I wonder how hard it is to get a job at the Smithsonian. Maybe the part where you'd need to live in the DC area reduces the number of interested parties. 


Shout out to the exchangers who live in the DC area. I might be asking the three of you to tell us if you are local pals - or is it a coincidence that we have new exchangers - one from Chevy Chase and two from Bethesda. 


Tuesday, April 1, 2025

FEB from Susan - April exchange sign-up


Susan sent these very pretty watercolor hearts in February. Notice the nice wide spacing on the lettering. I counted the little hearts - groups of three + one more because that space needed one more and nobody wants to just follow a recipe when they know how to make it better. I'm writing this on March 1st and there was a valentine themed exchange envelope in the mail today. It was postmarked Feb 11. Hearts are pretty enough to be an appropriate theme all year long. 

Time to sign up for the April exchange. Such a pretty month.

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

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

Send to PTEnvelopes-at-aol-dot-com

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

If you were not on a March list - or if you 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]  -- if those items apply

Send to PTEnvelopes-at-aol-dot-com
Thank you.