Eight Things I like to Recycle into Mail

I am accumulating quite a menagerie of ephemera since I started this whole creative process!   I am finding I have difficulty over and over again with keeping various materials.  I hope I will be able to put some or all to a good use some day, and if not, I hope somebody else obsessive compulsive gets wrangled into the mess and considers it treasures!
My top 8 thingd I keep to recycle are

1) Some food boxes and food labels
2) Stickers off fruit, drug labels, sent mail sometimes, and so on
3) Fortunes from cookies
4) Ads from inside the DVD cases
5) Brochures
6) Security Envelopes
7) Chinese Menus
8) Old books and magazines

What's on your list? Inquiring minds want to know!

Stationery - Beautiful Stationery

I am sure several of you out there know this "secret" already, but here it is again.  A good place to find some cheap stationery is Micheals Craft/ Art Stores.   Some of the stationery is really cheaply made, but sometimes its not bad.  Here are some I was recently attracted to.

I like the patterned one and the owl is embossed!

I like sparkly and it says hello.  Unfortunately the photo does it little justice.

For some reason I am found of raw paper.  Hopefully this takes ink well!
Next to the Micheals was a Pier One Imports store.  On occassion I find something stationery there and I found these 2 funnies last time I was in.

LOL!

What good help I have!

But they definitely are not made from quality paper, so it you are a paper snob do not buy these!
And an "aww" moment

So tired from playing he couldn't make it to the bed.  He really loves the toy box!  You should see him dig through it to find the "cat" toys.
Until my next post,
-b

The IN's

Hello all!  I am trying to stay on top of things and make sure that I get mail responded to in a timely manner and get it posted here as well!
Top of the list is from my Mom!  This year I didn't advertise my birthday so this was my only card, and trust me, I am okay with this!

It was a postcard kind of week!

An Annabelle original and a nice Icelandic horse from Juanita

The spectacular city view was from SJ when she was last in Philly and the other is from SS - Congrats on the job and the move!

A nice bundle from LR who was added to my blog role.  She just started the Envelope Chronicles blog.   LR has been a long time fixture on SendSomething.net

A nice visual package from Juanita at There's Only Juan blog

What a cute clucker!  From CKB.  I always enjoy things that are a little different.

A pretty note from my mail friend Nora.  All the Netherland stamps came uncancelled!

Another uncancelled stamp and a nice note from the Post Muse!

A great note from GL - Happy travels my friend!

A note from JK.  I was hoping to go to MI this summer, but its not looking promising.

Happy Belated Matthew! 

With that, I hope this finds your mailboxes full and happy!
-b

Feed the New PO Box - Mail Challenge

Now that I have a new P.O. Box, I think it's time for a mail challenge and give away.  Remember Nancy Drew?  I think that set of 30 different postcards is totally cool so I am willing to send them to anybody who can creatively recycle a piece of card board food container (such as a cereal box, mac and cheese, boca box)  I often use these items to package my own mail. 
If you need some inspiration, check out my friend at the Picadilly Post.
And here is a recent piece from me. 

It says, "What would Grandma say?"

These may not win any awards, but at least I try!  And you should too!

Mail your creative entry to

P.O. Box 613
Nazareth, PA 18064
USA

Deadline: July 13th
All countries are welcomed as long as they come in by deadline.
Please include a return address.  All who enter will get a postcard in reply!
Items submitted will not be returned.
And if you totally hate Nancy Drew, let me know.  I am happy to randomly select 30 postcards from the oodles and oodles I accumulate!

Happy Making!
-B

New Address

Hello all!

I just wanted to give folks the update that I have a new Post Office box in beautiful old Nazareth, PA, the home of Martin guitar. Even the Post Office there has some age to it!
The new address is

P.O. Box 613
Nazareth, PA 18064
USA

I hope that gets many of you updated that I have not "talked" to in awhile.

Put This on Your Calendar

Hello all,
Recently a coworker handed me the below invites.

I have known about the postcard club for awhile, but they meet at a time that does not work for me and thus I have never been to one of the club's gatherings.  I do know they promote history through postcards.  Well I have this date pencilled in for now and hope some of the local PA writers will consider it too!
I'll repost this again closer to the event!
-b

Some More Mail to Share

I have a few more words today, but not many.  So here are the pictures of more incoming mail.

Plain but the sentiment was good - from STJ

A package for Cassandra- S2

A collage from Miriam - Good Job!  At first I thought she bought this card, but no those are 4 pieces cut and pasted very prettily!

A new sendsomething friend!

Postcards from the Postmuse

Above and below are a nice package from Potato - a Postcrossing friend

A nice House Warming card from LR

A vintage house warming card from the Picadilly Post

A package from Tara at Hello Life

A great card and some flower seeds from WD

 A postcard from Lucas, but I have a feeling its original origin may have been from across the pond.

A nice note from Kendall

And finally a view from the patio and of the patio.  Most of the above photos were taken outside on the glass topped table.

Hope this finds you all writing lots and getting lots of mail!
-b

The In Box

I am low on words today, but heavy on pictures.  Enjoy!

From the Mssive Maven

A first year invite!

The postcard is from a SendSomething friend and the letter from Rob! 

Above and below are some housewarming cards!

A few postcards from assorted friends!  Traveling the world through my mailbox

Mail Art from Andy at MailArt 365

A beautiful handwritten letter from Troy!

A nice letter and card from Misty - the Pen Thief.  A funny thing about these cards - I send them to my mother.  She is a crossword fiend and I find it a good way to get her involved with my mailing habit.

Some more wonderful postcards.  The top is from the Letter Writing social in DC and designed by Melissa at Craftgasm.  The lower is from Sendsomething - MP!

From Bonnie Jean- the Postmuse.  It came with another orphan postcard.  If you don't know about the project - check her out in my blog roll.

Another welcome home from KC!

A great note from Juli. 
That's all for now.  More to come!
-b

Shopping Therapy

This week has been a bummer.  After I have a week like this and if it coincides with payday, I take myself shopping.  Now most of you know I can be cheap and with a house to work on and furnish, one of the first stores I went to was Goodwill.  They can have some pretty random goodies on their shelves since their merchandise is all donated by folks like me wanting to declutter.  Well there is a saying "One person's trash is anthers treasure"  and today I found a few simple treasures!

What?!?! And brand new 30 different postcards?  Too awesome!  I almost jumped up and down with glee when I snagged these.

Some bookmarks to give out.

$0.49 for some Mary Englebright's.  I do enjoy some of her uplifting phrases.

These are cool.   I feel like they costs a lot more than want I got them for.

After I had such good luck at the Goodwill Store, I decided to go next door to the TJ Maxx.  Another great place to find random merchandise at decent prices. I usually have terrific luck at this location finding scrapbooking paper, stickers, stationery and crafting supplies.

A plethora of air mail themed stationery bits.  Next give away I do will include the journal - for sure!

Some interesting postcards for cheap.

Some interesting art postcards.  I was intrigued by the designs and wish there was more info on the artist.

Some pretty images of NYC.  Usually I collect Paris, but these are pretty too!

These were some neat antiquarian postcards.  They are from the inside of old books.

I have this thing for Cynthia Rowley stationery and was very happy to add these cards to my collection as my favorite paper by her dwindles.  Hopefully some more of that will come my way soon.  Perhaps I should write her a note of appreciation. . .
Well being paper always makes me feel a little bit better.
My Best,
-Becky