brief update!

How is everyone? I just wanted to say that I will be leaving for college next month (in Iowa!) so I'll no longer have my PO box. Even though I haven't been keeping up with my blog, I'm leaving everything up in case I decide to come back to it later. I want to thank you all for the letters you've sent, and for visiting my blog. I always meant to keep it up, but I got busy with other things, and like so many other things I've picked up, I've put it down after a while. I guess I don't have a long attention span! Anyway, I don't want this to be goodbye for good. See you later!

Mail Art Show

 I had a week off from school recently, so my family decided to take a trip to Asheville, North Carolina for a few days. I fell in love with the city! They have really good food, a lot of interesting shops, and a lot of art stuff. There was this mail art show on display while we were there, and since I've never been to one, I had to go! It was in this building called Phil Mechanic Studios. It looked like an old factory or something. Inside, the rooms had been set up as artists' studios. It was a really cool place!

It was their 7th year of the show, Anything Goes, Everything Shows mail art show. I want to do something for it next year!

 

 

 

A real egg made it through the mail!

 

Broke in the mail, so had to be fixed!

Back side

 

I have more pictures I will post soon, and some new letters!

More Printables

I'm really sorry that I've been gone so long! I am going to try to post more regularly again! I have been really busy, first with school assignments over the summer and summer camps, then with school starting. I am going to try to post more regularly again.

I found this site, www.goscoutcreative.com that has a lot of really cool print outs. Every month they come out with a 3D calender to print and assemble. This month's is a hotdog stand. 

the calendar is on the other side of the cart

Not one of my favorites of theirs, but still cute!

They also have cute Puss in Boots Stationary to print. It can be found (along with other Puss in Boots printables) at www.pussinbootsthemovie.com, and can be downloaded here.

Airmail envelopes

I think that the majority of snail-mailers like the old airmail envelopes. However, at least in the USA, they are a bit hard to come by. I was excited when I came across these airmail envelopes to print! There are three designs:

plain

By Air Mail / Par Avion

1936 Art-deco By Air Mail

back

To download the templates, go here.

Finally a new mail post :)

I finally got mail from new people, and FINALLY got around to photographing it!

A Tweety card from my dad's friend Ruby in Georgia. A note from Kristian in Haugesund, Norway. A cute letter from Avarielle in Singapore. And a letter (on a Where's Wally/Waldo postcard!) from Bubbles in England, at Make My Day. She also sent something else along with her letter, but I am giving it to someone, and don't want to spoil the surprise in case they look on here. (shhh!)

I also won a contest from I am Rushmore for 3 zines!

Something like how it was packaged (I had already opened it, then put it back together!)

Some extra goodies

the other side

The zines!

Priority Boxes art project

Franck de Las Mercedes started the project to promote peace in 2006. He sends out abstract painted boxes with a "FRAGILE: Contains Peace" label to anyone who asks. He wants to get people thinking about how they can influence change, and make art available to all people.

One of his boxes

I thought it was a cool idea! I just emailed him for a box. His website is here.

Envelope tutorial

I know that many of you already know how to make your own envelopes (I love getting them in the mail!), but maybe someone will find this useful! I never used to use a template to make my envelopes, because then I could make them to fit whatever I was sending, but I tried it yesterday, and it is simpler!

Find an envelope that you like the size of, and open it all the way flat.

Position the envelope on your paper, and trace around it.

Cut out.

Fold your template envelope back up, and using it as a guide, fold in the sides of your envelope.

Remove the template envelope, and using your thumbnail, a bone folder, scissor handle, or other hard smooth object, crease folds.

Dot glue along the edges of the side flaps, and spread out (I used my finger). USE THE GLUE SPARINGLY!!! You only need a tiny bit, otherwise the paper will wrinkle.

Ta-daa! You now have your very own, one-of-a-kind, handmade, re-purposed envelope!

Giveaway winner!

I promise I did the giveaways fairly! I did take out the few people who are not following my blog, because that was one of the requirements. But I still had a good response! 14 eligible people!

Okay, I know you probably don't care about that. Let me announce the winner!

Carla of 365 Letters is the winner! Congratulations! I will package it up, and get it in the mail in the next couple of days. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Envelopes from Japan!

Aya at Travel by postcards and letters had posted that she had a bunch of extra envelopes, and would send some to anyone who wanted them. I can always use some envelopes, so she sent me some, along with a postcard and some cute stickers!

All the envelopes she sent

A close-up of a few

The rest of the contents of the package

My first giveaway!!!

I received a postcard recently from Mrs. Duffy of Letter Matters in Kingsburg, California. I love how she has postcards printed with her blog's logo!

The other day I made some pencil cases from a tube from a bike tire, and since I don't need 3, I'm giving away one! And some envelopes I made!

The pencil case doesn't actually fit pencils, because it is only 6" (about 15.5 cm) long. It holds about three pens. Then envelopes are 6" by 3 1/2" (15.2 by 9 cm) and made from a map.

To enter, you must be following Old-Fashioned Correspondence. Leave a comment with a number (make sure no one before you has the same number!!!) by Saturday, June 9. Also make sure I have a way to contact you, either through your blog, or leave an email address! I will write all the numbers down on paper, put them in a hat (or a bag, or other similar object), and draw one at random. Good luck!

More free printable stationary!

I just came across this today: hot air balloon paper and envelopes! You can download them here.

I think it would be so much fun to ride in a hot air balloon! So much different than an airplane...

30 Days of Creativity

"30 Days of Creativity is a global social initiative encouraging people to create stuff (anything) every day for 30 days in June. 2012 is our 3rd year. We hope to make it a big one.

Your brain is like a muscle. When you exercise it, it gets stronger."


I'm going to attempt it! If you decide to give it a try, tell me!

POSTCARDS!

I received a few postcards recently from new states and a new country. Well, the one from the new country (France) I received a while ago, but somehow it missed being posted... It was from Caddi, while on holiday skiing.

My math teacher Corinne sent the one from Gulf Shore, Alabama, while at the beach!

The 3rd was from Kate, while on a road trip. It was sent from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Haha I just realized that all three were sent while traveling! I would love to take a road trip out west. Where would you like to go?

So, more postcards! For Mother's Day, I made my mom a book out of some old postcards.

front and back covers

inside front cover

inside back cover