Of postcards, music, and blog neglect

Nothing new here: grad school is still taking up most of my time and energy. I love it. I spent 5 hours straight yesterday transcribing Miles Davis and Eric Dolphy solos (and was happy as a clam, despite - or perhaps because of - the extremely challenging nature of the work) for a class assignment. That would have been letter time, but... work first.

I have been sending a lot of postcards, though, both to friends and pen pals, and via Postcrossing. My 10 year anniversary with Postcrossing came and went last month (how is it April already??). I feel like a real old hand now.

I've got some other big things I'm juggling in my personal life right now, both joyful and very difficult, that are taking up a lot of time and emotional energy. I feel awful that I've neglected my beloved blog, but I thank the longtime readers for hanging in there and understanding. April is gonna be all kinds of crazy. Come mid-May, things will open up in my life again... and I hope for a summer of much letter-writing and blogging.

Postal Service is Public Service

So sorry to have been absent, dear blog readers... as before, I've been writing letters and living life (and exploring my great new city of Washington, DC!). I've been meaning to blog, and today's Postcrossing haul convinced me I simply had to blog right away!

Above, I received IN-65026, showing a "postman bike" from India. The caption reads "Prototype of a postman bike bearing the new logo of India Post and its slogan in Hindi: 'Dak Seva, Jan Seva' meaning Postal Service is Public Service." Hooray!



I also received the fabulous GB-456219, showing a wonderful Postman book cover. The sender was so enthusiastic that she sent me TWO postcards, and she's been a customer in the past in my etsy shop. Small world, eh? Certainly a small world of mail aficionados!



Finally, on a postcard from the Czech Republic, I received this wonderful postage stamp showing the work of Alphonse Mucha.

Happy mailing, everyone!

Japanese postcards tend to be awesome

I've gotten some truly delightful Postcrossing postcards from Japan lately! The postcard above is JP-383733, and the sender had noticed that I'd marked this design as a favorite but hadn't yet received it. I love the clean lines showing the evolution of Japanese mailboxes through the years, and the deep red color is rich and elegant.



Perhaps just as charming, though, is the fabulous collection of postage stamps! Some look vintage and some look more modern, but they're all different and all gorgeous. I wish I could read Japanese - that green one in the middle with the little icon that looks sort of like Mr. Zip must be mail-related, yes?



Here's another fine mail-related postcard, JP-382166, which is an illustration of various scenes of letter-writing. It has a vintage look and feel, but I think it's new.



However, the stamps the sender used look mighty vintage to me! I honestly don't know much about Japanese philately, and I can't tell by "look" whether or not a stamp is vintage, but I've seen more current Japanese stamps and they don't look like this. I love the variety and old scenes! Are there any Japanese stamp enthusiasts out there that can share some knowledge?

I know I spend a lot of characters praising Postcrossing on this blog, but it is joyous surprises like this that sustain my mail delight. It's so exciting to know that such lovely things may await me in my mailbox, who knows when!

New letter-writing themed notecards

I am extremely excited to announce that I have finally created notecards out of my popular letter-writing themed postcard designs. There are notecard sets available for almost all of my designs, and you can find them all in the New original cards section of my etsy shop.



Quite a number of my blog readers and etsy shoppers have asked if I would offer notecards, and I weighed the decision carefully for a while. Notecards are much more expensive to print and sell - more paper, envelopes included - and of course, more expensive to ship.



But they offer a lot more room for a proper letter, and feel that much more sophisticated. (Sort of. Some of my designs are a bit silly, I suppose...) I experimented with small print runs from a number of different professional printers, and found quite a few disappointments: cheaper price and lesser quality.



I did not wish to sell a notecard that I wouldn't want to write on myself, and the ability to take fountain pen ink and still look good was very important to me. I have finally found a product of which I can be proud, but they are definitely more expensive than the postcards. They are on par with other similar cards found on etsy, and I am selling them in sets of 3 - 3 cards, 3 envelopes for $6.



Like the postcard sets, they will come packaged in a clear plastic envelope sealed with a sticker, perfect for giving as a gift or as a gift to yourself.



So what do you think? I am very pleased with the tactile, in-person quality, but I'd love to hear any opinions upon viewing the photo or the concept, including from anyone who thinks they're just too expensive.



I did a small print run of these and don't have all that many to sell, so if they are unpopular or unloved, they won't stick around.... if they don't sell, I'm out a little cash but I'm happy to write my own letters on 'em!



Because as we letter-writers all know, letter-writing is NOT a lost art. Snail Mail isn't dead yet.



Here are links to all the notecard designs and options:

1. Classic American Postman
2. Unanswered Correspondence: DO IT NOW!
3. To get a letter... Write a letter.
4. I jump for joy over SNAIL MAIL!
5. Swallow's Air Mail Garden
6. Letterbird
7. Snail mail: Not Dead Yet
8. Solitude and good company: Lord Byron letter-writing quote
9. WRITE: A Letter is Better
10. Zesty French Postman with quote
11. Combination pack, you choose 3

All made and printed in the USA!



Again, you can peruse them all in the New original cards section of my etsy shop.

Whatever notecards or stationery you choose, support snail mail and write lots of letters!

5 (fabulous) new postcard designs

Zesty French postman postcard

I am ever so excited to announce that I've finally finished FIVE new postcard designs in my etsy shop. I am really happy with these new designs, and and eager to share them with you all now.

First, we have the Zesty French postman postcard. This charming vintage-style French postman will bring zest to any mailbox he visits! Meta mail, anyone? He's got a bag full of letters - and he's offering a wax-sealed letter to you! Vintage-style French postage and a French mailbox grace the top of the design above the quote. The quote reads: "As long as there are postmen, life will have zest. - William James"

Unanswered correspondence: Do it Now! postcard

A lovely vintage graphic of a woman writing letters with a dip pen graces this stylish postcard. Her mail sorter is labeled "UNANSWERED CORRESPONDENCE" and the text at the top encourages "DO IT NOW!" I get inspired to write just by looking at this. Doesn't it just make you want to pick up a pen and send some mail? Hopefully it will inspire anyone to whom you send it to do the same.

Swallow's Garden Air Mail postcard

The colors on this one are even brighter in real life, if you can believe it... I think of this as almost Victorian day-glo. This design features a vintage graphics collage with a graceful flying swallow. The lovely bird bears an air mail banner, flying high above its day-glo lakeside garden, with an envelope gracing the corner - what's a mail enthusiast not to love about this postcard set?

WRITE: a letter is better postcard

This postcard can serve as encouragement, or a gentle reminder - put pen to paper (or postcard) and WRITE! An altered vintage postcard graphic featuring artwork with a letter writer dipping a feather quill pen into a bottle of ink, plus a dripping dip pen, the quote reads:
"WRITE
No news is good news,
but a letter is better."

Letterbird postcard set

Last but not least, a matching Letterbird postcard to coordinate with my existing Letterbird sticker seals.

Via airmail, via letterbird - par avian, anyone? This vintage-style swallow brings a new twist to airmail as it carries an envelope in its beak - and the envelope in its beak is sealed with red sealing wax and a sprig of flowers. The swallow is swishing through a blue sky with clouds, as I sometimes fancifully imagine my letters flying on their journeys... the bird presenting the envelope in its beak captures the excitement of the letter it seals.

I hope you all love these images as much as I do... and if you really love them, consider visiting my etsy shop and picking up some for yourself.

Zesty French postman postcard

Unanswered correspondence: Do it Now! postcard

WRITE: No news is good news, but a letter is better postcard

Letterbird postcard set

Swallow's Garden Air Mail postcard

If you want a variety, I also sell Combo packs of 5 postcards, and you can choose any combination of designs you like.

Have a great mail weekend, everyone!

Happy Independence Day!

Vintage WWII Patriotic stationery

As my American readers all know, today is a big holiday in the USA: Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July. We celebrate our independence (from big bad England, way back in 1776) and it tends to be a day of patriotism... and picnics and fireworks!



No picnics or fireworks for me today, but I'm certainly enjoying the holiday - and I thought I'd share this vintage WWII patriotic stationery with you. It's one of those things I thought I'd blogged about long ago, but was shocked to discover today that I haven't blogged about it at all! These sets are copyright 1942 and are the real deal WWII originals, and of course I fell head over heals for the slogan on the package:



"It is your patriotic duty to write to the boys in our armed forces!" I have a few of these left in my etsy shop: Vintage WWII Patriotic stationery.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day today!

Best mail pin-up ever!

I was just looking at some postcards on Postcrossing, and I came across this one - RU-863545 - which I think must be the BEST PINUP EVER. Sexy lady, mailbox, a skirt full of mail? Whew! My temperature's rising...

You can see by the signature on the envelope in the bottom right corner that this is the work of the famous and classic pin-up artist Gil Elvgren. Here's what I want to know: why is there no reprint postcard book of great pin-ups like this? I've searched and searched, and I can't find one. Anyone? Suggestions?

It puts me in the mood for some fine pin-up postcards, and I'm thinking about hosting a Pin-up postcard swap on Swap-bot... stay tuned for developing news!

And for full disclosure: I did not send or receive this postcard, alas, I just saw the postcard image on Postcrossing. I WISH I'd received it, or knew where to find one!

(In case you are a Pinterest fan, I also pinned it on Pinterest.)

EDIT/UPDATE: Thanks to a tip from Julie (O-kami), I've just discovered this very postcard is available on Zazzle.com. While I'm not a huge fan of the coated paper stock that Zazzle uses for their postcards, I think I am going to have to pick up a few of these! Thanks so much for the tip, Julie!

Show and Mail: Fiep Westendorp writing desk from Postcrossing

I got a Postcrossing treat today: NL-1274604 showing artwork by the wonderful Dutch artist Fiep Westendorp. This postcard had been in my favorites, and the sender kindly sent it to me! Of course I love the fantastic writing desk imagery. Look at that great pile of mail on top of her desk!

What exactly happens when you send a letter to the L.W.A. P.O. Box

Longtime Missive Maven readers may recall that I am a very enthusiastic member of the Letter Writers Alliance. If you're a letter enthusiast, you really should check them out. They are the most enthusiastic / classiest epistolary cheerleaders I know.

One member of the dynamic duo, Donovan Beeson, has an incredible hand-drawn/hand-lettered blog called The Intangible Blog: "nothing not created by me, by hand, or by inky device." It is always worth checking out, and chock-full of interesting letter-writing information, mail ephemera, etc, but one of her recent entries is among the most charming ever: "What EXACTLY happens when you send a letter to the L.W.A. P.O. Box". It explains the process of fetching the L.W.A. correspondence, how it gets read and sorted, and each step has a lovely illustration. (If you need to see it larger than in the blog entry, click the illustration and then click it again in a new window to enlarge it. I admit I often have to do this.) I guarantee you'll love it.

P.S. Write Soon: Vintage letter-writing stamps

These letter-writing stamps, released in 1980, are among my all-time favorite stamps. I use them on letters sometimes, and they are always a hit with letter lovers. Since a few readers and pen pals have asked if I'd sell them in my etsy store, I figured I would give it a shot.

P.S. Write Soon: Set of unused vintage postage stamps with letter-writing theme



The stamps all bear various artwork including an envelope, and the text reads:
"P.S. Write Soon"
"Letters Preserve Memories"
"Letters Lift Spirits"
"Letters Shape Opinions"

They are the ultimate in meta-mail postage!

I hope to list more vintage postage in my etsy shop in the coming months.

Happy letter writing!

Happy time handmade postcard

I got assigned a rare Postcrosser who likes handmade postcards, conveniently at a time when I could actually make a postcard - so I broke out some rubber stamps and stickers for US-1248400 to Australia. I got a kick out of making this one. The mangled English stamp reads "Happy Time: flowing of waited interval is itself time." Deep.

World's Smallest Post Service surprise

I got the most wonderful surprise gift a couple of months ago: my very own gratis World's Smallest Post Service, brainchild of Lea Redmond of Leafcutter Designs and manufactured by Chronicle Books. I have been aware of the WSPS for quite a while, as the Letter Writers Alliance has often touted Lea Redmond's magic, long before it was released as a collectible set by Chronicle Books.



Along with my own free set of the WSPS to play with, I got this neato letter from Lea Redmond, WSPS Postmaster, herself.



It came adorably sealed in one of those little cases - I know they have a name... what are they, film cases? - with its own mini envelope seal.



Oh my golly, how flattered am I that the WSPS postmaster and creator herself thought I needed one of these?!? So cute!



The letter came packaged with its own magnifying loupe. Fortunately for me, my eye deficiencies run the other way; I'm dreadfully nearsighted, but I can read tiny things unaided. (Or write them, as recipients of some of my microscopic-handwriting postcards can attest.)



Of course I responded right away, with a mini-thank-you written on using the WSPS sent to me. Here's the array of writing utensils I used for the job. On the far right you see the pen that came with the set; it is unmarked, but I believe it is a Sakura Micron of some sort. I was surprised that it isn't all that fine... I have finer-tipped pens in my own arsenal already, so I used those instead.



Here you see my tiny response with its tiny airmail envelope and very cute miniature postage stamp sticker.



Here's a closeup of my letter. You saw in hers that she had quasi-notebook paper with lines and little holes, but the paper included in the WSPS set from Chronicle Books includes blank paper only. I was pleased with how well it took fountain pen ink, though, since my own needlepoint nib/XXXF Pelikan nib (special grind from Richard Binder) wrote finer than the black pen included.



The tiny letters need their own larger encasing, so I used my beloved nib head skull design and stuck it inside of a larger card, to ride inside of another larger card.

Is the set adorable? Yes. Would people who love tiny cute things love it? Absolutely. Would I ever have bought this on my own? Nope. I'm not a tiny-cute-things lover in most cases, and to me its not terribly practical - I'd rather just write a real letter (again, not being a swooner over the miniature thing). Will I have fun with it now that I have one? Most definitely.

Thanks, Lea Redmond and Chronicle Books!

Orange printed "Save the Postal Service" postcard

So this is one of those awesome free printable "Save America's Postal Service" postcards that I blogged about a couple of days ago. The savvy designer recommends cream card stock, but I don't have cream card stock. I do have glaring bright orange card stock! So, I printed on that, jazzed it up with some washi tape, and taped it to some paperboard, as my card stock felt a bit flimsy for the mail processing machines. It makes me smile to think of any postal worker than handles this, and notices it.



I made this little doodle of appreciation on the back.

Free printable postcards: Save America's Postal Service

Somewhere jumping around in the Twitter vortex, I discovered these incredibly adorable free printable postcards: Save America's Postal Service. Really fun design. I don't have a color printer, but I think I'm going to have to try out a couple of these in grayscale. I love the adorable artwork of drowning mailboxes! Check out the link, where you can download this design + two more.

Catwrangler's fabulous stamps

Fellow cat-loving mail enthusiast Catwrangler has the most amazing collection of rubber stamps, and she's not afraid to use them! She is also generous with her mail, sending me lots and lots when I still haven't responded to her, and sending other random goodies. I think I love every single one of the stamps she used on this all-stamp handmade postcard.



And so many of them are meta! I heart meta mail. Yay letter stamps. And look, that's her own kitty on the Zazzle postage stamp, too.

Latvian writing postcard + bat stamp

I've complained about some of the crappy cards I've gotten from Postcrossing before, but this one is another winner! This writing-themed postcard is LV-42684 from Latvia. I really like that the design shows ink, writing, and a writing hand, against a warm, well-organized background. Plenty going on, but not too visually distracting. Awesome!



Is if that weren't groovy enough, it has excellent stamps! Of course the Pope gets a "meh" from me, but the bat, people, the BAT!



The bat deserves a closer look. Yay! I like the moose below it, too, which uses metallic silver ink.

Whenever I get bummed about Postcrossing, I remind myself of cards like this. There really are wonderful postcards moving all over the world because of Postcrossing, so if you are a postcard lover and you can afford international postage, I highly recommend it!

Airmail awesome from Catwrangler

Here is another stamp-tastic envelope from Catwrangler. Man, does she have some amazing rubber stamps. How 'bout that PUG? YAY!! Also, I'm totally coveting the stamp in the bottom left corner that shows the envelopes/letters. Yay meta mail.



Par avion! Cats in boxes! Airmail deco tape! Mail happy. Oh, she writes some mighty fine letters, too. :-)