sent away on a snail

I searched on my blog to see the last time that I shared any of my outgoing mail with you, and without counting the January “sneak peeks” or my Christmas Etsy orders, I haven’t shared any of my outgoing postal treats since June! This is unacceptable!!! Mail art is one of my favorite hobbies, and is also a great artistic outlet for me; when I share my artful envelopes it is just like sharing a new drawing or screenprint with you! Today I’ve got some super special and clearly overdue outgoing envelopes to share. Enjoy!

sent with ♥ to Kathy Dahl: sent with ♥ to Marcus Jackson: sent with ♥ to Paula Fullerton: sent with ♥ to Jane Murray: sent with ♥ to Jaime Madallena: sent with ♥ to Nick Oostyen: sent with ♥ to Amanda McNair:

incoming mail: final catch up

As I mentioned in my mail art post yesterday and also in the taking the plunge post, my focus in life right now is to be healthy, clean and organized (all while, of course, being uber creative). This weekend saw not only some intense clearing out of the house (seriously, 2 bags of clothes and 2 boxes of STUFF are headed to the thrift shop), but it also meant getting organized in ways that weren’t just physical… Digitally, I started sorting through my absolute mess of an e-mail inbox, plus filing and deleting months worth of info and photographs. I have also become well acquainted with my blog again: drafting potential posts, fishing up overdue ones, doodling in my sketchbook and getting outside with my camera again. So for the sake of continuing to cross off items on my to-do list, here is the end of my unchronicled incoming snail mail sent by my beloved pen pals. It’s exciting to let these postal beauties out of the box that they have been living in for the past couple months…with ♥ from Barbara Wanhill with ♥ from Charlotte Vallance with ♥ from Crystal Plett with ♥ from Sarah Churchill with ♥ from Kathy Dahl with ♥ from Marcus Jackson with ♥ from Paula Fullerton with ♥ from my parents during a trip to Spain with ♥ from Jaime Madalenna with ♥ from Jane Murray

now it feels like home

Two weeks worth of mail have now arrived here in Castlegar, including letters forwarded from 100 Mile House. Sadly I haven’t had any time to be a proper pen pal who diligently writes back, but yesterday I finally came across the three boxes marked as Mail Art Supplies; I see some snail mail making in my near future. Thank you my pen pals, for making me feel at home with all of these thoughtful letters and parcels!  First to arrive, very Harry Potter-esque, was an owl postcard with ♥ from Marcus Jackson (@luckyjackpress) A lovely house warming gift (written by my secret boyfriend Chuck Hughes) and a silly card with ♥ from my sister Alison Martin (@mrsalimartin) & Andy Martin.Mojito inspired mail art parcel, complete with incredible PAPER straws, with ♥ from Barbara Wanhill (@2catsandapencil) An adorable handmade address change postcard with ♥ from Jessica Mack (@brownpaperbunny) A request that was happily obliged: a giant pile of half full tags so that I can continue my positivity adventures in my new town, with ♥ from Sarah Hutchinson Burke (@thesecondmagpie) The best postcard, which is tottaly quotable by the way, with ♥ from Adea Cheung (@billywould)The most wonderful pile of bird ephemera, including a letter folded into an origami bird, with ♥ from Sumi Senthi (@sumiart) A zine trade with ♥ from Valentina Keslowe  A pile of animal treats, I especially love the vintage birds, with ♥ from Nicole Palmer Indian recipes complete with ziplocked spices, mad libs, payment for a secret order from my etsy shop and other fun follies with ♥ from Jessica Mayne Pretty pink package with fantastic vintage photos and adorable children’s drawings with ♥ from Tessa Brown (@talulabblogger) For the move and the new house, a special Chinese good luck totem with ♥ from Kathy Dahl