Love Summer....

Even though we are still in summer I'm convinced it has ended and we've headed straight in to winter as its so cold. We even sit at work in our work coats as we can't warm up but the heating probably won't go on until the end of October (brrr....).

I thought since its still officially summer I should get a move on and post my latest mini letter which took me so long to get around to creating.... It revolves around my summer...  

With the heatwave we had in July we had such a number of mini beasts floating around, butterflies were one of them. I also discovered a new shop where I bought the washi tape that I've used and it was placed in a spotty bag that I recycled by using it on the background.

As I mentioned we had a heatwave which soon turned into typical british weather of heavy rain storms, a bit like a tropical rainfall. It doesn't sadly seem to have stopped but with time its getting colder and colder... sigh!

I had such a great summer holiday that of course as usual I didn't want it to end. My niece and I twice went to City Park where she enjoyed it herself until her hearts content. She asked to go again but I unfortunately had to say no as we went on the last day of my holiday and it was so much cooler then when we first went.

 

I had so many lovely experiences to remember and some not so nice ones too.

 

Did you have a great summer?

It's a book thing...

I received this mini letter a while back and as you can see its turning out to be a not so mini letter anymore. This time we decided to go for the theme of favourite books and I loved this whole envelope (with contents of course).

 

The envelope is based on a book but I can't remember which now. The postage stamps related to a comic which I'm quite curious about but I haven't read comics in years so I don't even know all the British ones anymore even though I have postage stamps of a comic book range.  The postcards start with Alice in Wonderland, Lolita and Rosano Tijenas. I didn't know about the last 2 until I received this letter.

 

I now need to create my own but I need to decide on what I have to do so hopefully I'll be back soon with on a post on that.

 

Have you taken up creating your own mini letters?

 

Mushrooms or Toadstools

Here is my latest mini letter, it's so much fun creating these but only if the postal service is on your side as I posted this out in the first week I February I think and it hasn't reached its destination yet but I'm keeping positive that it will.

Got that Swing mentioned that she liked books and mushrooms. I've always wanted to use old book pages to doodle or get creative with so when a friend sent me some book pages I jumped at the chance to do something with them, for her I created this.

 

I didn't have anything mushroom related so at first began to doodle a pattern but then I suddenly thought about the great tools that I had purchased at the end of last year and decided to make my own rubber stamp... it was so easy and a lot of fun but I really need to think about getting a slab of rubber in order to create things properly.

It turned out great don't you think? It wasn't so hard to stamp with the pieces but it would of course have been better to have one piece so that it all stays together.

I stamped using a mixed colour wheel that I bought but I've had quite a battle with it as the ink doesn't dry quickly on any paper that I use it on so is prone to smear but also this paper didn't have an obvious layer on it that caused other inks to blur a little and smudge also. Since I used a dictionary page I decided to look up and use the definition of a mushroom to fit in nicely with it all. I think this postcard looked so much nicer then the photo though.

 

I then used the doodled mushroom on the envelope

along with washi tape to bring both the postcard and envelope together. Of course I didn't just stop there I had to get a sheet of paper to write on with a book theme also!

Got that swing always sends me delcious chocolates and fudge making sure I can eat it before she does which is so nice of her. So I decided to include some kitkats, which is no surprise to her as I was quite over excited at the thought of some new flavours and was quite vocal about it. Maybe the postal service opened the box I sent them in and decided to eat them, themselves... I wouldn't put it past anyone as its chocolate after all. I only tried the cookies and creams but not any of the others.

I'll wait until my Easter holidays to see if this turns up and then I'll recreate something else, its such a shame when these things happen!

Polish Food

I may have waited a bit to do Fridays post if I'd known this was on the way as it fitted in with the Polish sweets I received... still its great to have got something so delicious!

Strawberries! I just love fruity things and this is something so amazing. Poland is the 2nd largest country in Europe to grow and export strawberries. I never knew that its so fascinating. I'll have to check the labels of strawberry batches in the future to see where they come from. By the way have you realised that this envelope has no stamps on, its quite something to receive an envelope like this.

To continue with the theme of food I received this yummy looking postcard. You have Pirozhki in the picture with the cockerel which actually reminds me of Samosas, I'll have to look them up to see if they are a similar thing. The 2nd picture is smoked sheep cheese which I never knew there was such a thing but doesn't is look so interesting and the detail on it would have me starring at it rather then eating it... lastly salty water pickle. I know I would enjoy that as I just don't like the English style gerkins etc.... its just not my thing.

 

Of course it didn't stop at the postcards but 3 little note papers full of information and favourites which I enjoyed reading but you can't see as they are for my eyes only!

Last of all I received some wiggly eyes or in my nieces case... googly eyes. As soon as she saw them she asked me to get up and go and get something from upstairs so that she can make some puppets. Seeing no response from me she went to attack her socks in the hope of making sock puppets only to realise that she has tights on, she hasn't worn tights for years but my sister bought a pack for Pakistan so is making her wear them. My sister has made sock puppets with her using some eyes I gave. Weirdly at that point my sister phoned to say she was in a store that sold good childrens things so I asked her to look up a craft kit of something I can make with my niece but unfortuately she didn't find anything. Whilst telling my sister this my niece told me I have lots of things upstairs! Goodness even she's noticed I've got way too many craft supplies. I will have to now think of something my niece can make as she's not a child that easily forgets.

 

I'm really quite enjoying these mini letters and can't wait to come up with my next theme.

I want to carry on being Festive!

You may remember that I'm challenging myself with a mini letter exchange with Got that swing. Its turned out to be really fun thinking up ideas of how to decorate each postcard and envelope to a list of loves that she sent me but the hardest thing for both of us is keeping to a small space as we are both super long letter writers. We came to the conclusion in the end that we should stick to a theme of what to write on the back of each postcard so that it is just a quick burst of us... all good things come in small packages so they say!

 

For my second postcard I decided to stick to a festive theme and use the stickers she sent me in her first mini letter. I often think its nice to see what people come up with using what you send them even though my friends just need to check out my blogs to see that....

 

I like how they turned out but the problem with taking photos at this time of year is that they end up so grainy.

Not part of our mini letter but a real spoiler I got this...

Its funny as I'd bought the pack of KitKats to post to her the day before I received this, only I got home and showed them to my younger brother who told me that there is an Oreo flavour too but its not suitable for Vegetarians so I decided when I go to the supermarket next I will see if they sell it. The only problem is that I went to the supermarket on Wednesday and it turned out I'd left my purse at home... my husband was on his way home so I phoned him to make a detour to the supermarket instead and completely forgot to check. I went again yesterday as I forgot a few other items, instead I bought things I hadn't intended to due to special offers and forgot what I actually needed. So as you've probably worked out my mind never gave me that nudge to check out the chocolate aisle. I will definately go today just for them but I'll probably end up buying some for myself too...

 

Anyway isn't that postcard great, its definately festive and so retro... it reminds me of a 70s rave night even though I was born in the 80s and have never been to a rave but one can get those imagination wheels working.

 

I've eaten some of the sweets but you'll be glad to know I still have some left. The fudge so reminds me of the Asian mithai Barfi.

 

Have you had great mail days too? as usually January is quiet for some people but for me its usually when I get my mail as friends write to me over the holiday season.