The Versatile Garden: Availble In Dirt or On Paper

On a recent rainy day, I found myself–not for the first time–flipping through a bulb catalog and being seduced by the gorgeous photos of brilliantly colored and artfully arranged flowers.  Because I have ordered bulbs from this company in the past, there was a coupon promising $25 of free bulbs if I ordered $25 of bulbs.  Very tempting.  But then I remembered that the catalog was designed to take advantage of my spring flower-madness.  While it shows much gorgeousness, it glosses over the fact that the bulbs will not arrive until the fall, often during a stretch of terrible weather or at a time when I am unusually busy, and that they will look like bulbs, not visions of springtime loveliness.  It makes no mention of how my garden will be an end-of-season mess and I will have neglected to mark or make notes about which bulbs I currently have planted where.  But I have faced this catalog before, you see, so I’m onto the wily ways of this spring-drenched siren.  I know–I know–that spring-time catalog flipping can very easily lead to me stalking laps around my yard in blustery November weather before plunging in willy-nilly and wedging the new bulbs into a space that may seem illogical and ill-chosen in the light of the following spring.

So, this year, instead of ordering bulbs, I got my scissors and cut that catalog into bright and joyful little pieces.  No cold and muddy fingers, no crowded plantings, no delay.  Just flowery goodness ready to share immediately.

 

These fresh specimens have been sent out into the wider world and I’ve laid by a stash of cheerful flowered envelopes that are just waiting for a moment in the sun.  In other news, my garden in the dirt is blooming, too.  Growing things makes me happy.  You?

To Grow More Letter Writers, Just Add Books

If you are a letter writer who is a) enthusiastic about books and b) interested in encouraging young letter writers (and potential letter writers), this post is for you!  Grab your library card–it is safe to assume that most letter writers have library cards in good standing, isn’t it?–and go find these books:

In 1914, classified as a baby chick and under the care of a railway postal clerk who was also her mother’s cousin, five-year-old May was stamped with 53¢ of postage and mailed to her grandmother.  Based on a true story.

Will the Great never gets any mail until he takes matters into his own hands. Along the way, he eats a lot of cereal and learns how the postal system works. (Added bonus: there’s a checklist in the back of this book to help you get started creating mail magic of your own.)

In the village of Supai, which is located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, mail is delivered by mule train. Since 1896 skilled muleteers have led mules on the eight mile trip from the top of the canyon to the small village where they deliver mail and other necessities. Based on a true story.

Once you have the books in hand, find your favorite kids and start reading.  Have your papers and your pens, your stamps and your stickers at the ready.  There’s a good chance that it won’t be long before inspired letters are waiting to be posted.

Champion of Postal Cheer, Act 1

In the first few days of January, several of my friends posted similar status updates on Facebook.  They ran something like this:

The first 5 people to comment on this status will, sometime in this calendar year, receive a handmade/homemade gift from me. I will send it out when the mood strikes me and, with luck, it will reach you at the perfect time.

The catch is, you have to make the same offer to all your friends.

The first time I saw it, I thought, Interesting, but I’m not a fan of chain-letter-esque stuff. 

The second time I saw it, I thought, I really like the idea of making and sending out-of-the-blue gifts.

The third time I saw it, I thought, Wait a minute, there’s no reason I can’t make this offer to send gifts without a you-must-do-this-too stipulation.

So, I rewrote it a bit–changing the stipulation to an invitation–and posted it.

The response was enthusiastic and I quickly found myself committed to make and send things to a variety of people.

Last week I finished my first gift.

Then I filled it up with small goodies.

And I packaged it in an envelope made from a poster I’d plucked out of the recycling bin at work.  (The back of the envelope shows Frankenstein reading Gone with the Wind.)

I was rather gleeful when I posted it off.  Sending mail is as much fun as receiving it, don’t you think?  If you’ve been looking for the perfect way to be a Champion of Postal Cheer, I highly recommend committing to send random gifts to random friends throughout the year.

Scribbling Glue’s Guide to USPS Postal Rates

One of the fun little takeaways that I made for December’s Letter Writing Social was a postal rate sheet.  I figured that people who aren’t currently avid letter writers might like a handy reference to help sort out the mysteries of proper postage.  Since we were making envelopes that weren’t standard sizes, it was especially helpful to have a quick guide to double-check how much postage a particular mailpiece was going to need.

To my delight, the Letter Writers Alliance later featured a photo of my rate sheet as one of their Letter Writing Days of December posts.  I got some lovely feedback, which encouraged me to follow through and create a revised version to reflect the 2013 rate changes.

And now–ta-da!–just in time for the changes that go into effect tomorrow, here it is!

I enjoy writing things out by hand and I do a fair amount of computer-based design layout for posters and brochures at work, but the combination of creating by hand and designing a layout placed me outside of the realm where things come easily.  I’m so accustomed to (and spoiled by) being able to tweak, align, re-size, and move elements on a whim.  This project required making rough drafts and marshaling my spacial reasoning skills.  In short, it was an excellent challenge for my brain.  I am pleased with the end result since this is only the second time that I’ve attempted designing something along these lines, but my eraser definitely got a good workout along the way!

If you are so inclined–and I do hope you are–you are welcome to download a copy.

Christmas Love Letter

As you may remember, it’s fairly common around here for letters and notes to be found in out-of-the-ordinary places.  Christmas day was no exception.

I must say, it was more than enough to open a box containing my very own desk-top sized card catalog manufactured by the Library Bureau circa 1915.

But then I opened the drawer with my name on it, too.

See that set of cards?  On the back, each is numbered and contains a few words.  Together, they make up a 106 card letter.

By way of explanation, my husband said, “You always ask for a love letter for Christmas, so I had to find something to put this year’s letter in.”

Yes, I do believe he wins the award for best envelope of the year.

Hand-Delivered from the Heart

Recently, my sister discovered this note taped amidst all the Christmas cards that have arrived at her house this year.

 

Sometimes the best letters are hand-delivered.

 

Success: A Type-In & Letter Writing Social Retrospective

It finally happened.  The day arrived.  We set up the typewriters and the stationery and supplies for cutting and gluing, then we watched it all unfold.

It is nothing but the truth to say that the Type-In & Letter Writing Social organized and hosted by Thread Lock Press and Scribbling Glue was a huge success.   The typewriters were in constant use and the mailart table was always full.  Over the course of 3 hours, there were 70+ people who stopped by and walked away with typewritten and handmade creations!

If you couldn’t make it (or you did make it and want to relive the great vibe of the evening), here’s a brief photo overview.

Checking out the mailart supplies.

The first wave of typists.

A Royal gets a fresh red ribbon.

Cutting, gluing, writing, and creating.

A new round of typists.

Best friends creating together.

First time with a typewriter.

Quick! Where’s the typewriter expert?

 

Every time a typist finished, a new one slid into the seat.

And, yes, the evening even included a visit from Santa.

There were, I think, eight or nine typewriters that made an appearance during the evening.  They were nostalgic for some, novelty for others, and enjoyed by all.

What I enjoyed most was the scope of the event.  The youngest participant was 2 (and the youngest in attendance, who has not quite developed the fine motor skills to write or type, was 4 months old), the oldest were in their 70s and 80s.  Some people came on purpose, others just happened to wander into Evergrain Bread Company as part of their 1st Friday circuit and stayed to make something.  Out of town friends and family of mine made the trip to Chestertown just so they could be a part of the fun–I’m so very fortunate to have such fantastic people in my life!  People showed up as individuals and couples and families.  A man typed a birthday letter to his mother who was turning 94 the next day.  A girl wrote to a friend from school.  A woman typed letters to two of her oldest friends–the three used to work together as typists.  A little boy created a tremendously be-stamped and colorful card when left to his own devices with a glue stick (I missed a photo op with that one!).  I love thinking about all the letters and cards and poems and thoughts that were created and are now going to be sent and shared; the event is over, but its impact is going to continue as colorful envelopes make their way through the mail and are opened on the other end.  This was definitely a happening that lived up to Scribbling Glue’s mission to celebrate how “handwritten letters, jotted notes, and scrawled miscellany add to the forces of good at work in the world.”

I have an inkling that this was not a one-time event.

Oh! And I also have an inkling from the Letter Writers Alliance:

File under: this made my day 

Hooray for being a part of the creative and fun-loving community of letter writers!

Donovan and Kathy of LWA, thank you for introducing me to the idea of letter writing socials!

Huge thanks are also due to Doug and Kelly at Evergrain who gave an enthusiastic go-ahead when asked about holding this event at the bakery.

And, hey, Lindsay, creative collaboration rocks!  I’m so glad we made this happen.