Make Something Monday - Guest Post the StampTramps

I want to toss the Stamp Tramps a big thank you!  There are some things going on in my life and help was really needed.  Unfortunately I asked last weekend during a craft meet-up so the pictures are a bit scant, but a huge thanks nonetheless!  I am also posting this a bit early, but when life gets crazy, you got to make it work!

Hello!
Here is an easy project for your blog. All your readers need are some black and some white paper.

I started with a piece of white cardstock, 11" x 4 1/4". I folded it in half to make a base
card of 5 1/2" x 4 1/4". (You could also use black as your base, and write inside with gel pens.) I glued a piece of 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" on the front of my card. Cut a piece of white paper slightly smaller and glue it on the front, leaving a tiny black border all around the edge. I cut my keys from black scraps, they measure approx. 3" x 1/2". 

 I printed the "just a note....." on white paper using my computer. If you have great handwriting, you don't need to do that. Cut out your sentiment with scissors, and glue it on a piece of black, slightly larger, so that you have a tiny black border around it.
 I saw this card on Pinterest and totally copied it, so I can't take credit for thinking it up. But it is a perfect card for my main project, Operation Write Home.
We make handmade, blank cards, for deployed troops to write home on.  If any of your crafty readers are interested, they can get a lot of info on the website www.operationwritehome.org or on the Facebook page.

Happy crafting!
Nancy


 P.S. My personal thoughts were to use the black and white base but bright primary colored paper to make a Mondrian effect.  Just a thought!

Hoppy Easter!

Besides a problem with stationery, I cannot resist cute tins!  Why, you ask?  Well to hold my stationery collection of course!

This one hopped into work and has now hopped home and been filled with papery confections instead!

Hope everybody has a sweet Easter (if you celebrate) or just a great Spring day!

-b

 

Having Some Postcard Fun

I wish I had found these in my stack last week as I would have sent them to everybody.  On the inside I wrote, "little did he know Ohio would take him to heart".
And for those not from this side of the USA, on Feb 2 every year it is called Groundhog's Day.  They are large vegetarian rodents who actually do a lot of damage to crops.  Somebody decided, (and alcohol may have been involved), that the burrowing pests could predict Spring by seeing if they have a shadow.  If the groundhog sees it's shadow and goes back in his hole, than it will be winter for 6 more weeks.  But if he stays out, then we will have an early Spring! 
Well Puxatawny Phil (name of the resident soothsaying rodent) said we would have early Spring, but alas last week the Midwest was gripped by a snow storm. 
An Ohio city put out an indictment for Phil, but has since dropped the charges.  I think they left him off too easy!  But I guess we should probably find other ways to predict the future weather than asking a large rodent.  Just look at those beady eyes, I am not sure they are truthful! 

 

A Feast for the Eyes - Incoming

This should get me caught up awhile on the incoming, although it's early and I have yet to go to my post office box for this week.  Postcrossing tends to keep the letter box pretty full these days.

 Postcrossing from the Netherlands - a fishing village I am told.

A new SendSomething friend!  Think Spring is in the center, which my tulips are definitely agreeing with, but I am not so sure. . . .

 A nice letter from Melissa at Craftgasm

Above and below are from Tara at Hello Life (look at blog list to right)  She made some really nice stationery.  I liked the simple but pretty ink stippling she did.  I decided to take a close up!  Inspiration is everywhere!

 TMC sent me a nice note and a few stars!  I like the bling.  If only bedazzled items would mail well!

 A nice note from Patty at Letter Rip.  I showed her address here as a reminder to keep the Get Well cards flowing!  We could all use a daily cheerleader, even on days were life is running fairly smoothly.

 A wonderful package from my good mail buddy Ciara!  She started Scoutaroo Paper Company this year as an effort to make stationery she would love to buy, and I got to say, me likely!  Take a look for yourself.

Anne sent me a note and I like the Pin wheel stamp!  A great compliment to many letters.

 From the ever fabulous Giselle!  An epic letter and always a pleasure!

 Fun from JD!  Simple but pretty embellishments.

 Wolfey oh Wolfey!  How great art thee!?

 Plain but awesome, Matthew.

And another edition to my states collection, only a handful left and I have a feeling I know where I can get Nevada at!

Until we meet again, parting is such sweet sorrow!
-Becky

Put Your Hands Together for the In Box

I am trying to be more diligent about getting the received and responded to mail up on the blog.    As always, if you see it here, then a letter should have arrived or is on the way!

 A postcard from an old friend and one of my first supporters of this blog!

 A nice letter from Troy.  The paper was really very nice to behold.

 JK sent me a few postcards and a nice letter.

 A postcrossing from Japan

 Miss Hannah sent me a nice letter!

Malyss sent me some Carnival festivities from the French Riviera

 An interesting world travels postcard from Germany

 from the Piccadilly Post - getting green for St. Pat's!

 Postcrossing from Germany

 Postcrossing from Finland

 Postcrossing from China

 Postcrossing from the USA

And finally a postcrossing from Poland.

To get mail, you need to send mail!

-b

Easter Egg Reminder

For those of you looking to add something fun to a distant friend or relatives mailbox, consider sending an egg!

It's that time of year and I made sure my nephews are going to get some fun mail.  How better to excite curiosity and enthusiasm about the postal system?
These eggs are the larger sized ones and came out to about 2oz and cost $2.07 to send.  I secured them shut with washi tape for easier access contents.
Just a thought!
-b

Make Something Monday: Jacob's Ladder Letter

This is a very basic project, in that it does not take a lot of time, but it has whimsy and a lot of potential for creative interpretation.  Just change up the materials and you could make it funky, out of recyclables, or masculine.

I cut some cardstock in the same size, which you do not have to do.  Consider making the width the same and varying length.

I do recommend you line up the punch holes.  I have made these before and if your punch holes are all off, the project gets a little too funky.  The best way to line these up is to do the top card or two and use it as a guide for the rest.

Then pick a ribbon, yarn, or jute and lace.  I secured mine at the top with a fiskers tape roller.  You can use glue dots, regular tape, and and other roller tape that has good stick.  I recommend securing about an inch of ribbon to the back of the top.   MAKE sure you LEAVE 1/4 inch (1-2 cm) for FOLDING.

After I laced it through several cards and repeated the inch secured to the back of the lowest card, I started embellishing with a quote from a calendar.

This spans 5 cards which does make the letter a bit bulky.  I you do not want to pay more to send, just use 3 card lengths.  Unfortunately I did not think to get a picture of the project folded down to a single layer, but done properly these will collapse zig zag down! 
Imagine  your recipient opening the envelope to find this unique folding letter! 

Keep creating!

-b

On the In: More Mail

First off I will apologize as the lighting I was working with did not make for beautiful pictures of mail.  I took many of the images over, but alas . . .

Anyway, more mail and lots of it postcrossings.  I have been a diligent member for 2.5 years now and have sent and received in the 300's on both!  Plus made 2 pen pals who are both still active on the site!

A postcrossing from California.  A reproduction old time photo.

 2 ladies in traditional dress - postcrossing from the Ukraine

 Postcrossing from Florida

 SendSomething.net has also been good to me.  This is a newer pen friend named Georgette.

 Postcrossing from Switzerland.

 Postcrossing from Germany

 I need to gush over this one!  This is a postcrossing from Russia!  I love the sushi menu she sent me as well as the stamp, postcard, and Easter trading card!  Thank you so much!

 A letter from Matthew

 Wolfey, my dear wrote me a letter about treks to Antartica and abroad.  I am glad one of us is adventurous.

This card was a knee slapper.  Juli also included a list of organic and vegetarian brands that used genetically modified organisms.  I am more aware now than ever of what I put into my mouth, and I appreciated the info.

So much to learn, so many people to communicate with!
-B

On the Inside

It's been awhile since I put up some incoming mail.  Life has given me a few lemons this week, so I will be brief as I am off to make lemonade!

Postcrossing from the Netherlands

Postcrossing from Switzerland

Postcrossing from the Jersey shore.

Postcrossing for Germany and a reader of this blog!

Fan mail!  Thank you although I do not feel deserving of any flattery.

Some cheesy 80's stationery!  Still makes me smile Melissa!

Lucas wrote!

A beautiful card from KC!  I also like the belt buckle stamp.

A big thanks Cindy for adding to my states collection.  Only a handful left to get.

Postcrossing from Russia

 Postcrossing from Germany.  A card from Kuwait.

Pure Awesomeness!  A Chinese New Year card from MC!

Enjoy and send lots of mail!
-Becky