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?

From Russia With Love

I received the most amazing envelope during the week. I forgot to take an individual photo of the envelope as that was pretty too so I'll add that later but this is what I got...

A postcard of Moscow Red Square.

A variety of postage stamps from Russia. I haven't seen or received such a big stamp before but the detail on it is amazing. It was such an amazing stamp to receive as were all the others, I was completely in awe but gobsmacked too.

 

Have you ever received any amazing stamps?

Hidden Gems

For some years now I've really wanted to own a gadget where I could create those embossed plastic labels. I've always thought about it but never done anything to get one. It wasn't until I created a couple of things lately that I thought I really need one.

 

The problem was I didn't know what it was called to go in search of it and that's where Yahoo Answers came in handy as I was told about Dymo. I looked it up, choose one and then asked my younger brother about whether they had anything like it at work. He checked and said 2 of their suppliers sold them so will have a look when he went to work. Only he got to work and someone recommended this.. 

Looking at the cartridge prices etc... this worked out cheaper. It only came with a paper tape at the moment but after searching online on Wednesday I came across a seller that lives a couple of street away on eBay. When I asked about collection they were so rude and said no, yesterday we had no internet due to the company doing some work which meant I didn't see that e-mail until today. I started looking around to see if it would be worth it for me to buy from there. It was my lucky day as my younger brothers work place came up as supplying it.  I texted him with all the details, he's ordered it and now I need to wait patiently to get them. If you decide to get this I recommend buying a charger for it as other wise you need 6 AAA batteries. I've got some rechargeable batteries but I'm waiting for an adaptor. It's much bigger then I thought so I know the batteries won't last long. 

 

This label maker is a present from my older sister.

When I went to collect my label maker that my brother had reserved, I visited a couple of shops and came across these shoes that look like slippers and feel like it too. They are completely bliss on my now slightly swollen feet. They are from Wallis even though we only have a tiny Outlet with a couple of the high street names selling there.

 

Whilst I was there I suddenly felt like going to Saltaire, its not really somewhere I visit or feel a need to go to but for some weird reason I did that day so I went as I thought I could pick up some postcards too.

I visited the gallery, then only picked up that one postcard as last time I went (about 3 years ago) they had postcard booklets but this time they only had individual ones which weren't my thing. As well as buying these 2....

I bought a wrapping paper book from Yozocrafts which I loved and mostly use it to wrap my graze boxes when sending packages. I really wanted some more but the price put me off a little as the sheets are small. I came across a table full of booklets that I couldn't decide which ones to get and in the end I choose these 2. The first is a Turkish theme one the 2nd paisleys as I usually like them but this booklet I didn't like at all once I took the plastic off. I'll still use it though and I'm sure it will look nicer when covering my packages.

 

I left the gallery and visited two shops opposite, the first I bought this...

I just knew as soon as I saw it that it was for me. The lady tried to get me to buy the bigger one as it was only slightly more but I preferred the smaller one. I just love it.

In the next shop...

I could have gone insane but I'd already spent a fortune that day. They had fluorescent  plain tapes and giant ones. They also had a label maker with neon tapes but it was a small plastic thing so I was relieved I didn't see it earlier as I may have bought it.

 

After that I decided not to visit anymore shops as it was getting quite lethal.

 

Have you had some fun shopping sprees lately?

Send Some Sunshine

I took part in a Send Some Sunshine swap on swap-bot in a UK group where the idea was to handmake something for your partner. I instantly thought of a sunshine postcard I had created for my doodle a day only I made so many mistakes when writing that I decided not to send it as it wasn't meant to be. In the end I made this...

I sent this postcard to my partner which I had fun creating but my hand is never steady enough, I guess practising over time will make that better.

 

In return I received these pretty tags and supplies

As you know I love quotes and the colours are so uplifting that it was such a joy to receive. Also I've not been feeling so great again lately that it really helps receiving great swaps. 

I love simple little swaps like this from time to time. I've got one more to receive and then I'm all swapped out for now...

Are you sending any fun mail lately?

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!

On an adventure...

As some of you know I'm in the middle of reading Wizard of oz. I had hoped to finish it this month but I don't think it will be likely as I can't seem to bring myself to read anymore of it at the moment but who knows, I've set myself the challenge so I may still do it. I'm about 58% in to it so we will have to see.

A friend e-mailed me last week to tell me about a challenge she had come across and thought I would enjoy. Its the lettermo challenge which I've read about on a few blogs but decided it wasn't for me right now with the way my health is still quite shakey. I do hope to make 30-31 postcards and send them to children on Postpals when I feel up to it, I had planned to do make them over my Christmas holidays for January but it never happened. Hopefully in my next holidays (in 1.5 weeks) I will as I've already bought the stamps.

 

My friend however has taken part in the lettermo and I received that super cute postcard.

 

Do you enjoy taking part in challenges?

Fun in Small Doses

When browsing on Etsy one of the things I absolutely love to browse is postcards, I think it comes with it being one of the few paper craft items I like to make... This is one of the sellers I really love the postcards of, there's just something about that little person...PhotographyDream

 

 

 

I've only ever bought postcards once and its so tempting to buy more but apart for my Christmas Postcards that I sent I can't bring myself to spend 87p on something so light and simple. I don't mind with the Christmas Postcards because if I sent those in an envelope I'd make them thicker which would result in it costing more so this actually felt like a cheaper option. Still it is so tempting when I see something as lovely as this by PhotographyDream

 

What type of things do you find you can't help but browse when online?

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.

12.12.12

I got an e-mail from a swap-bot group about a postcard swap for the date 12.12.12. The idea was that you posted your postcard on that date in order to get a piece of history with such a unique postmark. I thought what a fun and easy swap idea so I had to take part but I have to admit I almost forgot as swap partners were posted so long ago. Also though I had planned on a hand made card but with not feeling all that great lately I couldn't bring myself to do it so I also sent one of Bradford.

Map of my little world....

Meet my Atlas, I bought it in 2002 when I first got my car even though I'd been passed for 2 years already. I have thought many times over the years to pull it apart and use it to craft with but I couldn't bring myself to do it... I haven't used it for years as its been sat in my bedroom but last weekend I decided to finally take out the staples and chop it up. It was a little weird to look at places at realise they no longer exist, something new has ended up there or that the names of things have completely changed. It made me realise it was high time to do something with it even though it may have made some money one day... I don't have a sat nav though but the internet is always there.

I mentioned a while back about a mini letter, decorative envelope and postcard exchange. The person I'm doing it with listed maps as something they love. It made me think of something I think I saw on Pinterest where a person did the place they met, got engaged and got married in a heart shape...I loved that idea so created this (not quite along the lines of a 2 people relationship love)...

I decided to do the journey of my envelope instead. I wanted to do each square as a circle so it looked like a telescope looking in but when it came to finding the locations I wanted all 3 of them were the square next to the spine so I couldn't cut my circle completely of the map which meant they ended up staying as a squares.

The first square is my home, the second is the post office which is marked with a star. Its so weird to see how many of them have now been forced to close. The last one is roughly where the sorting office is. I couldn't find the exact location for some weird reason but I think it may just be it.

The background is meant to be like a letter with the writing, the postmarks and then the punched stamp shape along with the stars to match the Post Office. I don't know if its the white card or something else but this card just lacked something for me but I do still like it.

I then of course decorated an envelope. I would have loved to have made one but my sheets weren't big enough.

This I decorated with places that I love. On the front the city center. Despite my moaning about the lack of shops I just love wondering around the city when I do go and most of all I love the old stone buildings.

On the back is Lister Park which I just love going to and have blogged about a few times. My niece loves it there too and the last time we went we saw such a variety of animals it was lovely for an autumn day.

Even though the postcard was meant to be the letter part I had to create the little notepaper to explain the postcard as I just ran out of space... it definately is going to be a challenge doing these mini letters.

The place on the note paper is the area around the woodlands and the woodlands which I love and would love a house there.

 

I'm really going to enjoy this mini letter exchange....

4 corners...

In recent weeks my friends have really spoiled me with postcards so I have been doing small doses of posts in order not to bombard you completely. Its great to see where my friends have been travelling to in between writing letters. Its also as I say a great way for me to travel with them as they write such amazing travel reports too :). I've linked to wiki pages if you are curious to read more about these places.

Suriname and Guyane

The first one is of Heidelberg, Germany and this is the first fabric postcard that I have received, its nice to get something unique sometimes too. Spain and Japan.

The building in Japan I first thought was a building in England as it looks so similar to our Odeon so its quite impressive to think they have some beautiful buildings like this in Japan. Here's a link for our ex-Odeon which is finally getting a make over when I last went even though I'm not 100% sure exactly what they are making yet. Can you believe they wanted to knock it down? I choose that link as I found the inside interesting and eerie, why would you let a perfectly good building turn into something like that. It could have been an old fashion diner/casino/mini cinema

Have you got any plans to go abroad lately or even just get away for a bit?

Surprise Mail...

Yesterday after many weeks I went into the city which was so nice as I didn't have my sister with me. I mostly just wondered around so didn't buy much even though I saw a couple of bags that I liked so decided to think about it and go back later to buy  one of them if I decided I really liked them.

When I came home there was an envelope waiting for me and I had no idea at first who it was from especially since I wasn't expecting anything. It was from one of my friends surprising me with not one but two really cute letter sets and its not even my birthday or anything so that was really nice as well as a really nice postcard of France... lushes greenery makes me so jealous but best of all was the super duper long letter which I really enjoyed reading all curled up and snug... Isn't that Mickey Mouse and Co stationery just the cutest? I very rarely show my letters but I just had to with this one.

Have you received any nice mail lately or Any nice surprises?