A Krispy Kreme Halloween

Today's postcards are brought to you by me and Krispy Kreme. Kids at school were selling doughnuts for a fundraiser and the box was just too cute to throw away. So I did what any self-respecting mail artist would do. I cut it up and made postcards from it. The odd-shaped one above is an experiment. I put regular postcard postage on it and plopped it into the mail drop box. We'll see if it makes its destination.


These two are quite postcard-like and will probably have no trouble traveling to the correct mailbox.


For these final two cards, I used the packaging from a decorative flag my daughter was going to throw away (gasp). Maybe one of these is headed to a mailbox near you. BOO!

Week 2 : Art Journal Gypsy

 

For this challenge, we were given a list of 24 things to find and cut out. I wrote out the list by hand, worked in one room for a while, then moved to another (there is only so much of the Outdoor Channel a girl can endure), forgot the list in the other room, and then just winged it.

If there's a theme going on here, I don't know what it is. I'll leave it for the art critics to figure out after I become famous posthumously.

Wednesday Pick-Me-Up

It's Wednesday and the weekend glow has long since worn away and Friday still looks a long way off. So, how about a mid-week mail pick-me-up?



This letter comes to me from Jessica Armstrong, a new correspondent from Canada. She was kind enough to include a postcard and some Halloween stickers. Thanks!



Next is a letter from Lizbeth Meredith, my most regular and faithful correspondent. Check out her cool printed stationery. I'm wondering if she designed it herself or if it is available for us to steal online somewhere. Lizbeth?



Lastly, two postcards. The top one is from postcrossing...NL-433017. The ring on the middle finger reminds me of Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker. He wore rings on the middle fingers of both hands. For some reason, that used to annoy the heck out of me every time I would notice it on the show. I'm over it now and enjoy watching the reruns.

The other is a Picasso offering from my postcard pal, Chris Overstreet in Georgia. You're welcome for the latest card I sent and I'm looking for the extras that haven't been written upon. When they bubble to the top of the Crap Cauldron, I'll fish them out and send them on their merry way.

Art Journal Gyspy Week 1 Spread

Vale McFadzean of Art Journal Gypsies is once again hosting the weekly art journal prompts. Click here to check out the fun and join in if you wish. The more the merrier. My Week 1 work is shown above.

Envelope Adoption Programme

Like I really need more envelopes! But I just couldn't resist. These come all the way from Hong Kong through the generosity of Vicky Ng, aka Ms. Five. Check out her Envelope Adoption Programme for some beautiful goodies similar to those shown above!

A Mysterious Card

At first, I thought the card above must be one from the Postcrossing exchange. But, apparently not. There is no ID# and no return address. Ah, well...

This lovely card of Masquerade Procession on St. Isaac's Square, St. Petersburg comes with this cryptic message:

Hi, misterious person!
Here's a misterious card for you. :-)
Have a good day,
Nataly

Why, thank you, Nataly. Have a good day yourself.

Here's A Mail Art First

 

Elizbeth Meredith sent me my very first frozen dinner mail art. Stouffer's Fettuccini Alfredo. Yum! What's the most unusual piece of mail art you've ever received?

Outgoing: Playing Catch Up

I must have been tired when I addressed this envelope to Melody. It's rather plain. I mean, less is the new more, right?



Ahh...look at the little mice writing letters, aren't they cute! These are three foldables I found mixed in with a packet of postcards I bought.

These big, bad envelopes are the ones the bank statements arrive in. They are huge and just the right size for letter sized paper folded in half. Plus, they have enough space for larger sized clippings. Don't you just love the big mailbox?

Top postcard is of Cecil Rhodes who mucked about making his fortune in the south of Africa, Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. The lower one shows the changing seasons at Peaks of Otter along the Blue Ridge Parkway, not too far from Roanoke, VA.

Multiples, multiples...cane toppers and mailboxes now dress up the envelope from my car payment statement.

At the risk of sounding like Ed Grimley, this envelope is a Stellar One, I must say.

The magazine page seems too flimsy to use for an envelope on its way to England, so a clear plastic sleeve is in order.

On this one I face a dilemma. On the one hand, the envelope is pretty nifty and made from good quality paper. On the other hand, I have five fingers. Sorry. On the other hand, I don't want to promote tobacco use. The Surgeon General and I warn you about its evils. Who is the Surgeon General these days? Hmm, whoever he is, he's no C. Everett Koop. Or she/she's.

Notice the enclosure. One Happy Accident Hat. Have you requested yours?

Incoming Postcards

Sarah sends this fun, colorful card from Victoria, Australia, AU-74663. The card showing the green pastoral scene is DE-598023 but the scenery is from the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Alanna from Great Britain sends this beautiful card of stately Oxford in England, GB-140951. Rene' mails a card showing the Brazilian Congress Building. Isn't it gorgeous lit up at night? Card ID is BR-102463.

I love postcards that show views of the city. The top card is from Shaula from The Netherlands NL-317564. Card CN-200572 shows figures from a very popular cartoon in China.

The upper card PL-81621 comes from Evelina in Poland and the lower one, TH-42435 is from Jirat in Ayuttha, Thailand.

This cool mail art card comes to me from Mad Madge via the Good Mail Day Call for Scribblers, Mail Artists and Pen Friends. Beneath is Postcrossing Card FI-754133 from Marjatta in Finland.

Heidi mailed these last two postcards to me while they were vacationing in Myrtle Beach. She wrote that the campground has its own post office!

The Happy Accident Hat Contest

Last week while seeking bargains at the government surplus store, I found a box of 100 envelopes. They were a weird looking size, but, hey, weird works for me. And the price was right, 10 cents. So I bought a box.

Mistake! Turns out they weren't envelopes at all. Instead, they were paper hats, the kind worn by food service industry workers in some erstwhile era. I set them aside. Notice I did not say I threw them away. I set them aside. They were, after all, paper. A day or two went by and every time my eye would light on them I'd think, "Mistake!"

But, then one day I remembered the Bob Ross quote, "We don't make mistakes, we have happy accidents." That made me smile and I began thinking.

TA DA! The Happy Accident Hat Contest was born.

THE RULES:

1. Your hat must be decorated with a Letter/Mail Art/Postal related theme.

2. A picture of your hat must be submitted to me and I'll upload it into a gallery set up for that purpose. You may model the hat. You may traumatize your children, grandchildren, and/or pets by forcing them to model the hat. Or you can save yourself the hassle and use a stuffed toy as I did.

3. Only one entry per person is allowed.

4. Prizes (TBA) will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place entries, plus a People's Choice Award.

5. To enter, leave a comment below expressing your interest. Then email your mailing address to me at justletterrip@gmail.com.

6. Most important rule: HAVE FUN and Just Letter Rip.

***Note: You don't have to be a follower or spread the word about the contest, but both, or either, would be greatly appreciated. If you do blog about it, or post to facebook, or tweet, or whatever, please send me a link.