Batty / Writer's Block

This amazing postcard of Batty the cat (aptly named - look at those ears!) came to me from the venerable PostMuse, and it has to be one of my favorite postcards ever received. A black cat (named Batty) plus a typewriter - what could be better?

It is from the series "Funny Cats Postcards" from Stewart Tabori & Chang, and this photograph is called "Writer's Block" by Joyce Ravid in 1992.

Batty looks like she is ready to type, or berate a writer for not typing!

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. :-)

Two bashful (or not) postcards

I recently received two most wonderful postcards from the lovely letter-writer behind Bashfully designed. The one above shows some typewriter love from Rar rar press of Chicago. I've seen their work lauded before, and I wish this postcard were available in their etsy shop, because I'd snatch some up.



And on this one, sage advice: write your letter when angry but mail it tomorrow.

Note the mail-sorting-machine smudge at the bottom of the word "letter"... *sigh* smudge happens.

Typewriter cravings

I have long waffled about typewriters -- I'm so attached to my fountain pens, after all -- but I think I've finally decided I want one. Maybe. My best beloved says it will be much too loud, and the keys will require a lot of effort, so I suppose I'd better test one out...

...but I know I adore their image! It's like the meta aspect of loving stationery that includes writing themes like pens, or envelopes, or stamps. I think typewriter stationery and postcards are just the bee's knees.

So I created an etsy treasury of some adorable typewriter-themed paper goods. I want 'em all. Etsy is a dangerous place...

If you want to learn more about each item, do visit my typewriter cravings treasury; but as far as I understand the workings of the widget above, each image should be its own clickable link to the individual etsy item, too.

EDIT: Reading the Life in a Typewriter shop blog just fans the flames...

Telegraphic message

Another gem from the trusty LWA headmistress in Chicago.



I think the envelope was made of a topographic map. The green sparkly star stickers contrast nicely with the postman in the corner.



Incidentally, I am SO taken with this postman. He made me squee. It is a cutout, but did it come from a rubber stamp? I would love to know.



More vintage squee-able goodness: the first page was typed on an official "telegraphic message" form. CONFIDENTIAL!



I got a chuckle out of the "return letter overdue" classification. Official business, US Government, March 15, 1957. Love it!

Meta-marvelous from the UK

If you are anywhere near as much of a mail geek as I am, you would get very excited about pulling this fabulous envelope out of your mailbox. The writer made the envelope out of an old map, and added tags and collage elements and fun rubber stamps, not to mention exceedingly cool postage stamps. (Really, Lady Jane and James Bond? Swoon!)



At the request of a favorite blog reader, here's a closer look at those stamps. If you have a Flickr account, you can view large.



So this would be awesome already, no? I was careful to photograph the envelope before I opened it, to preserve its glory. (I will say for Royal Mail and US Postal service, this envelope arrived in beautiful, pristine condition.)



But that's not all, folks - we've only just begun! The letter itself was creatively typed on an old map, and included the grooviest polaroid photo.



Start here. HOW did he type on a curve and a diagonal like that? I don't know typewriters very well though I do appreciate their anachronistic charm, so this is quite a mystery. (I will insert an aside and say that I am generally not fond of computer-typed letters - I'd rather decipher even the most difficult handwriting, because there is such personality in handwriting - but somehow a typewriter is just different, and every bit as charming as handwriting.) And the typewriter ribbon/ink/what have you is BLOO. Another swoon! I left the typing intact here because I don't think they'll mind (this letter was signed from two people, though only one really did the typing), and it's just so cool.



So here is where he explained how they took a photo of the letter. The letter was typed and explained the plan before it was executed - I LOVE this planning!



They went on a bike trip in the countryside, found a fantastic old post box, took a polaroid of the letter about to go into said mailbox, put the polaroid in the letter and mailed it. So I get to see exactly where the letter was mailed!

I am kvelling, yes, but I am really delighted by this concept. What a fantastic idea, and it's not just all concept - the typed letter was witty, charming, and delicious, and I have a fantastic new correspondent in the UK now.

Typewriter imagery

Olympia-licious! I'm not sure how he got this image on the envelope - laser printed, maybe? - but I loved pulling it out of my mailbox.



Here it is with my response - including some vintage stamps (Willa Cather, Johnny Appleseed, Elvis - is the Elvis stamp vintage yet?).