axel scheffler to klaus flugge

axel scheffler's envelope to klaus flugge on wed (international day) - idea to appropriate, make an envelope into a landscape. i like how the stamp seem to be interacting with the image. queen liz is waving to the squirrel who looks like he is not really interested.

elizabeth stamp-ede

isn't this fun? the cut out letters are some kind of very ridge-y paper. they are cut out and adhered to the envelope. it looks like walnut ink? very pretty. thanks so much, elizabeth. (a true penpal, as we have never met in person ...we just exchange envelopes)

to jeri

jeri and i were at a penmanship convention a couple weeks ago. we were sitting in the back of the class. jeri was paying attention. i wasn't. the teacher was from italy, so she had an accent and at one point said *quit with the dot* but it sounded like *qweet weeth thee dot* i didn't spell all the words the way they sounded. but, i am sure jeri will remember to qweet weeth thee dot.

that is a good tip. too often people just trail off. it is more interesting to have a precise stop. knowing you are going to add a dot helps you stop at a good place. this is a way picky tip. if it sounds ridiculous, just ignore it. but pay attention to work that you think is really nice and see if you can see how precise the starts and stops are.

elizabeth

how cool is this. elizabeth made an envelope out of a page from a magazine. sometimes models look a little overly dramatic, swooning over whatever the product is. but this one knew she was destined to become an envelope, which is swoon-worthy. ok, that's just goofy. but, last week was one of those overly complicated weeks and this envelope arrived at a time when i needed a little ray of sunshine. i might not mention it often enough, but, mail is one of the easiest way to brighten a day.

david mckee (to) klaus flugge

david mckee is probably the artist on this envelope. as i was surfing and looking for examples from other countries, i found about 20 and i thought i kept track of where i found them, but, now i can't find that link. i will do further research and get back to you.

the wed = international envelopes lined up until feb of 2013

blob

this is a place card. it was supposed to be for Bob, but, obviously, there was a blob on the B, so, I just made a word. i forgot to post a second one that has no blob. this is a style i learned in a class at the IAMPETH convention i attended in early aug..

i might be posting more things that are not envelopes. but they will be rectangles with names, so you can imagine they are an envelope. i got waaaaay behind on my blog postings...

marji

i attended the IAMPETH convention a couple weeks ago. this was the envelope that was in the goody bag they handed out at registration. one lady did all 220 envelope ( i believe she did ...someone leave a comment if i am giving marji too much credit)
anyhow, marji is a powerhouse and she does some very nice italics.
this looks like walnut ink.
very nice, marji. thanks for writing out all 220 names. i feel like such a slacker for only doing 135 for your guild (those were the ccc envelopes that i have been running since january and just finished  :-)
but, i had so much fun doing those that i was thinking of sending an envelope to the 220 people who attended the convention this year....except i only do fake addresses...decisions decisions. do i really want 220 more envelopes in my OWN collection.

tags

these are not envelopes. they are tags that will tie onto wedding programs. they asked for *a bunch of different styles* so, i used 4 different pens and did 25 different styles so that technically, there are no two that are alike...

garden of love - 10 of 10

last one in the series.
i like the way her hyphenated last name has been re-oriented to like, DaVisellwein.

ccc trudy

this might be the last ccc envelopes. i started them in jan or feb. the point was to make one envelope for each member of the cream city calligraphers guild. it's been fun.

i like using the spaces between the letters and within the letters. sometimes the names work out perfectly. there are 7 letters in her last name. if there had been 8 or 0, i could have put the other letters right befoe the t or after the y.

garden of love - 9 of 10

my comments today will be about dawn, rather than the envelope. she signed up for my class called art for the intimidated because she had turned 70 and was excited to have retired and looked forward to learning to paint. her own mother had started painting when she was 80 and had quite a few years as a successful painter. so, dawn felt like she was getting an *early* start on her next career. she dove into every project and actually took my advice. i was very impressed with how well she did.

recently, i saw an article that told of some company luring her back to a job. i hope it is just part time. i suspect she was very good at her first career and probably enjoyed the work. hopefully she has been enjoying the painting, too.

foreign

david mckee - i think that is the artist. i forgot to write a blurb to go with this one. i'll try to research and edit thts post.

ccc trudy

the t is not a tall letter. this is one rule that i don't like to break. i do break it once in a while. then i make a mental note that it doesn't work. i like the exaggerated shapes. this was all freehand. it will count only as a rough layout. then it goes in the file the needs more work. it is also a clunker in how the elements are arranged. there are too many things wrong to even begin a list. this one only made it onto the blog because those tall skinny shapes have some possibilities.

garden of love - 8 of 10

i really enjoyed drawing this particular flower, but, i like having it as the focal point. the tiny little hearts are fun, dotted in and around the tiny scrolly-doodles.

garden of love - 7 of 10

if you have a small enough pen, you can fit a long address into  a really small area.

i did not have this stamp in mind when i wrote the name. but, i like how the shape of the O in monica is a little bit like the shape of the bird. and it might have been cute to put two little red hearts on top of the O, or it might have been too-sweet. i guess when i put in yellow stars, i was thinking that i did not want any more red. it is tricky to balance the letters. i do not have rules before i write. then after i write, i remember rules.

ccc sue

this is a cousin to the *line of infinite beauty.* i can't remember if we have talked about that particular line. it is a variation of the infinity sign. as you loop around, instead of hooking up the end, you drop down and make another set of loops, so it just keeps going, back and forth as long as you care to continue.

design lesson, use your whole arm as you make letters that are this large. i guess that is not a design lesson, it is a lettering lesson. learn to move your whole arm and don't just wiggle your fingers.

garden of love - 6 of 10

i think the names in this alphabet are easier to read when the vowels are small and the consonants are large. but, i would have to do some research to figure out if there is any validity to that theory.

garden of love - 5 of 10

i have tried several times to put the flowers on these stamps onto stems. it never works. you'd think i would stop trying after while.

sorry i messed up your envelope, eric.
but, i do like the dots

england

binette schroeder - that might be the name of the person who made the envelope. this one has been sitting in the list of pre-scheduled envelopes.

can you see how the stamp is the lady's face and the rest of her hat and body has been added.
i have had postal workers here tell me that you must never write on the stamp. so, i would be very careful about even writing this close to the stamp. it would be best to draw the image and put the stamp on top. of course this idea could occupy me for hours. something as simple as making a design where the stamp adds to the design when it is layered on top. how could i have not thought of this previously?

ccc ruth

not the best stamp choice. why? the stamp is curvy and the lettering is boxy. however, i like the letters that form the channel between the first and last name. it is stem like. hope i remember to do some variations on that idea. it was not an idea when i did it. i was just dong random stacking and that space looked inviting.

in answer to the frequently asked question...where do you get your ideas?
i just mess around stacking things and see what happens. i look for spaces.
the space between things is just as important as the things. that is pretty much a *law* not a rule.
does anyone want to debate that statement?
probably not, because as mary jones says:
that is just my opinion, but i am right.

garden of love - 4 of 10

one of the new ideas i had when i finally got around to finishing this series was to use the style of writing of the word *love* that is on the stamp, for the address. mine is not quite as loose, but, i like the contrast of the script with the elongated block letters. looks like i forgot the second *i* in alicia and had to tuck it in. i never would have made it that tight if i had written the name correctly to begin with.

here is something to note. with the two ascenders on l and d...they look better fanning out than they would if they were tilting towards each other. i do not think about these things when i am writing, but, after they happen, i can see that i like them better.

tilting open looks happier than tilting together. i probably do not have to think about these things now, but when i first started, i was always careful to make a couple practice names in pencil on a scrap of paper so that i knew what the overall shape of the name would be. now, i automatically *fan* out the name. although, if you are hanging from a clothesline, it will fan the opposite direction. i'll have to make some examples to show you.

the l in alicia is tilting too much for me. it is not awful, but more than i would like. when teaching, i try to remind people that less in more, subtle is better. beginners tend to put way too much tilt into their letters. they only need to be slightly off. when there is too much tilt, it becomes hard to read. and it also looks more chaotic rather than just playful.

garden of love - 3 of 10

another one with the scrolly background. i enjoy drawing scrolls. and i love the colors in the butterfly. again, this one is rather busy. maybe too many ideas piled onto one envelope.

ccc patricia

i can't remember if i have shown anything like this before. it is fun to make really tall skinny letters and put all the details at the top. then, when i wrote her name the second time, i put all the details on the bottom.
this is another in the finish-up-the-ccc-names. no, the po does not want the stamps down in the corner...but, as i keep saying, they better just appreciate any business that they get.

garden of love - 2 of 10

this stamp has no flower. i have not done many envelopes that are really inspired with this stamp. this one might be the best so far. i like the address stuck in the g. and i like the scrolly pattern. and i like the hearts. maybe there is too much going on.

garden of love - 1 of 10

this is the first in a series of ten envelopes i did for 10 students in one of my classes. i did not get past writing their names in sage green and outlining in hunter green, because i was uninspired. *today, i saw that i needed to get some envelopes lined up for the blog and - voila - inspiration shot into my head.

i like this style of writing although the t-h-y in kathy has too many letters in a row that are the same height. i used the numbers for visual interest rather than draw more flowers. this is not the best of the group. might even be my least favorite.

*when i say [today] i am saying it a week ago when i saw that i only had about 7 posts lined up. i now have about 50 posts lined up and i even put in a *final* post at the end of the list of scheduled posts so that if i die in an accident or bonk my head and am in the hospital, you will know that the blog has come to an end. i did not want it to just end mysteriously without giving you some kind of explanation. i am counting on some of my followers who will probably hear about what has happened to me to post comments in the comment section so that you can learn the specific details, if you are interested. however, i would encourage you to be more interested in other things. like ...what's for supper?

vintage

a really nice vintage envelope.

italy - mail art

http://mailmania4.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-09-01T09:40:00-07:00&max-results=15&start=75&by-date=false

both sides of a lid from a paint can. i have mailed plastic lids. they have been the leftover lids from the shorter-than tupperware-lifespan containers like *glad* containers. because they are transparent, i put a sticker on, and write something clever like, *don't flip your lid.* and then put a mailing label on the other side and take it to the p.o. and get a meter strip. i have also mailed paper plates with the message written on one side and the address on the other.  mail does not have to be rectangular or square, it may be an odd shape, or even an odd item. the most unusual piece of mail i ever received was a 3-ft inflated toy crayon. the address was written in sharpie and the mailman looked mighty funny carrying it down the street. i saw an article that some ladies were making a fortune mailing invitations that were written on inflated beach balls. so i googled mailing a beach ball and found this one. it is a do it your selfer.

http://interimmemoirist.com/2011/04/12/mailing-non-traditional-items-beach-ball/

m m m

i think it would be adorable to do something like this on an envelope. turn your practice into a charming design.

the practicing of one style of M but a different style M is used on the name makes me wonder if maybe someone was trying to address it and someone else took it away and did the address. i can imagine a *scene* where there is a debate and some grabbing and then maybe some tears. my mother recalls that i would cry over how hard the J was. so, i can relate to tears and penmanship. i should write a book *penmanship without tears*  - i remember having the book *knitting without tears* quite some time ago.

elizabeth

i send thank you cards for a friend who is in a nursing home and has trouble writing. when i did that top card, i did not realize that there was writing on the back of the card, so i couldn't use it. so, i made up a fake envelope to go with it. i would have used red, but the red marker is drying up. i might have to end the blog when all my markers dry up. that will not be in the near future, but i do not plan on buying any new sets of markers. it will be a real challenge to not have all the colors available. losing red first will be pretty difficult.

stacey

stacey likes silly little stick figure drawings. this one would probably be cute if there was only one kind of stamp.

brazil - envelope

it is international day. this is from Brazil. i like the whimsy. looks like it was done by someone who hasn't had any formal training...which,in this case, is a good thing. i ramble on in my classes about choosing where to place the elements in your composition. i repeat this question several times... you wouldn't line up all your furniture around the perimeter of your room, would you? in this case, the person lined things up around the perimeter and it is a rather fun arrangement.

wilma

more people. i did not have a stamp in mind. so it was fun to find a stamp that had those three colors. the people yesterday had a lot of detail. i like these just as well.

virginia

our lettering group worked on alphabet people at our july gathering. there were some very fun ideas. i liked making the people tall and i do not feel the need to attach the heads. i like space.

i need to do a sample for you that was a very steal worthy idea from one of the other jeans. we are a three-jean group. everyone in the group has good ideas. there is something very nice about spending a couple of hours with a couple ideas and watching to see what kinds of variations people will come up with.

donald

i wondered if i could write a name with the pen going only in the clockwise direction. this is what happened. i do not think it will generate a whole series. but it was a fun exercise. maybe it is a variation on ribbon writing...thread writing. it looks like a thread.

jane

once a month there is a casual gathering of people who like lettering. at the end of each gathering, we ask people what they want to work on the following month. jane wanted to work on something she remembered where you color in the counters. this was all i could think of and it is not what she remembered. so if anyone can think of what she might have seen, please let us know.

skip

this might be my favorite of the galaxy-gel series. i was happy to find something that went with these ugly stamps. i really don't like them and have tried so many different things to make them likeable. i still don't like them, but, i think this style is about as good as i can do at something that goes with the stamp without really using anything from the stamp. the only thing that makes them *go together* is that the name looks a bit like the texture on the edge of the stamp. previously, i was using the colors...and that just drew attention to the stamp. it ended up being better to just pull out the black, which is the only thing i like about the stamp.

Jean-O-Matic 3000

This is a file folder with part of one side cut off.
It is a handy way to keep your lines straight on an envelope. As you can see, the name Joseph has a J and a p that will be added after the line is finished. You add descenders after you write the line.

You might also see little marks near the bottom edge of the envelope, just peeking out. You can put marks to make sure your lines are evenly spaced. I usually just pull the envelope up and eyeball the line spacing. But, sometimes, I use the tiny space markers. If there are a lot of lines on the envelope, then it is a good way to make sure the lines are evenly spaced and do not run too close to the bottom edge of the envelope.

This is so much easier than a light table. Very portable. And it is essential for those envelopes where you can't use a light table. I can't imagine how or why anyone would rule lines on envelopes and  then erase them.

canada - mail art

i just wrote the blurb with the italian mail art that will appear in two weeks and i mentioned mailing beach balls. i am too lazy to go back and rewrite that blog post, so, you may just enjoy the happy face today and in two weeks, you'll hear what i have to say about mailing items other than envelopes.

jeri

sorry jeri, i messed up on the h, i tried to fix it and it just got worse. it's bad enough that i put in a fake address and i think i might throw it away. i am getting a lot better at tossing things in the recycle bin these days.

elizabeth

yup, we cranked out quite a few of the galaxy letters overlaid with white gel pen. we could have done 20 or 30. someone in my last workshop asked why i kept referring to myself as *we.* it sort of freaked us out to be questioned. i have too many things to store in one head, so i had to create someone else to remember things for me. also, i have to put someone else in charge at workshops. i would not want to be responsible for leading a whole group of people in any direction.

e&c

same technique as yesterday.
the shade of green that galaxy used is a very unusual green. i am going with this stamp because they actually live in australia, and it is $1.05 to send an envelope to Oz. although, it may be more because it is square. i think i will put their street and city in brown, and put it between some parallel lines that look like a plowed field.

jerry

the top item is a mini-envelope that is a sample of a name tag that the washington guild used for an event.  i did not attend, but, elizabeth sent me a sample because she knew i would appreciate seeing one. adorable.

below is an envelope that i don't think i have posted yet. it was done by jerry naylor back in the day when my mom was the treasurer for our guild. the guild has morphed into a club, so we do not collect dues any more. jerry also filled out his check in beautiful writing.

my favorite part of the envelope is the small writing on the address. beautiful sweeping strokes on the Rs.

canada - envelope

http://mailmania4.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-09-13T06:57:00-07:00&max-results=15&start=30&by-date=false

isn't this adorable and it is wooden, too. i like the lettering and the border and the vines.  i like the colors. however, when you look at all the different elements and how they are arranged, it is a bit like Topsey....it just grew. it would have been a real challenge to include all of the elements in a cozy arrangement. so, it's fine to just let it be what it is.

oops...it is tuesday. i was supposed to move this post. tomorrow will be another international post. sorry for the confusion. does anyone even mind whether i show my envelopes or envelopes by others? 

phildelphia guild

there is no name on the return address. i might be able to find out who did this one.

i like the way there is no space between jean and wilson. i like the colors, i like the flourishing and the tiny red squares.

the shading on the name is very nice, too. remember...to ditch caps any time you feel like it. they really should be optional.

skip

skip's birthday is in a couple days. and that is a real address....in case anyone wants to surprise him with a birthday greeting. i love the weather vane stamps. you have to order them online, unless you need to buy a roll of 10,000. that is not a typo. yes, they sell rolls of 10,000 stamps. i think they fit into a machine that applies the stamps to bulk mailings.

i have not asked for them at the p.o. because it was easy to order them online at www.usps.com

i used McCaffrey's ink. i love his ink. john neal sells it. this color is indigo. my idea was to make the caps as large as possible. they need to be even larger.