sending and opening special snail mail

As always, I have some lovely snail mail treats to share with you this week: 5 outgoing packages and 6 incoming envelopes. I must say, now that it’s finally spring, I’ve really been enjoying the short bike rides in the sunshine to the postbox and back to drop off and pick up letters… my neighbours should be jealous when they see me riding back with the loveliest postal loot!

sent with love to: Nick Oostyen and Olivia Delorme (@o_delorme)

sent with love to: Justice Bicycle (@justicebicycle)

sent with love to: Jane Murray

sent with love to: Jenny Cutnam

sent with love to: Jeannine Saylor (@saylor_made)

with love from: Jillian Griffin (@jillgriffinart)

with love from: Charlotte Vallance (@charlsvallance)

with love from: Beverly Ealdama (@beverly_e)

with love from: Julia Webb

with love from: Pagrum Boom aka Miss Lemon

with love from: Sarah Churchill (@scjammycustard)

enviable envelopes

Yesterday my incredibly dedicated and hard-working architect father retired!!! I am so proud of him & even more excited to see what comes of this new chapter in his life! He threw a big bash on Thursday night in Alberta. I obviously couldn’t attend, however I made sure to send my congrats inside a nature’s my friend envelope with carefully selected stamps for my dad: Golf and wine stamps (the two most important parts of retirement) Superman Canada stamp (cause he is the most super man in Canada) and two stamps about trees & BC that remind me of my cabin and my dad’s woodworking. Inside I gifted him a plethora of new product (coasters, sticker, minicard & postcard) that features my dad’s favorite etching of mine. I also sent him a requested stack of business cards, as he likes to be my Alberta Art Agent, and a card signed by John & I that says “explore the world” since he is now free to do so. Anna Jane Searle (@annajanesearle) ordered an etsy package from me. She bought a pack of my illustrated stickers for upcoming x-mas gifts! I usually don’t post my etsy orders but this one was for a pen pal and it got sent across the pond in such a colourful envelope. The other friend that found mail from me was John’s best friend Dave Kierluk. Last time we spoke on the phone he hadn’t even heard of my brand name yet, let alone about the blog, the shop, mail art and OOAK. So, I had to educate him with his very own package: an envelope with vintage stamps, a pile of mini business cards, a trial print of one of the animal kingdom panels with a letter written on the back, a pamphlet about OOAK and an a/p molecular bear moleskine! I hope he was impressed!!!My great friend Marcus Jackson (@luckyjackpress) spoiled me rotten this week with a package stuffed to the brim with Canadiana & wildlife treasures. Apart from always getting a heartfelt letter, I know that every item has been thoughtfully selected. There are so many things in there, so I hope I don’t miss any: Marcus’s first homemade screenprint (with a letter written on the back), almost a dozen sheets of animal stickers, a Canadian charm garland, a nature collage paper pack and various other paper ephemera featuring owls, deer, foxes, and canadiana, oak aged beer coaster, Environment Canada’s nature bio kit, list making notepapers, and a lovely magazine clipping of cute old ladies making art. And just when you thought I was done, I saved the best for last: A “MOUNTIES FOR KIDS, RCMP Activity Book.” I LOVE IT. Nothing says Canadian kitsch more so than a mountie – they will always be a favorite of mine. Miss Pagrum Boon (@Lemoncupcakes27) sent me a lovely flower patterned envelope stuffed with heartfelt gifts, a long meaningful letter and a recipe! Many bird themed treats were inside including stickers, patterned napkin, collage bits and even a handmade and hand embroidered satchel by Pagrum. Such lovely gifts from this penpal!  Also, final parcels containing remaining supplies for OOAK have been arriving in the postbox, so thanks to the mail things feel like they are coming together.