Poppies

It's poppy season! The delicate orange California poppies have filled all the available ditches and meadows in the area. I've also spied a few special varieties in neighbour's yards. I was inspired to paint another page in my watercolour sketchbook.

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Mail Art Monday: A Three Week Surplus

What happens when I wait three weeks, rather than two, to post about mail art? I play catch up with an enormous post!

In their postbox...

Belinda received another colourful package which included art prints, stamped sheets made with cork stamps, paper ephemera, stamps, stickers and a few prints from my first arthouse sketchbook.

Catherine recently had her first child. I rifled through my collections and found a few paper bits that had images of a mother and child. I also included a few of my art prints, stickers and some Canadian stamps.

For my next package to Sarah, I changed things up a little and sent her mail art supplies along with a letter. Several sheets of colourful stickers and a few sheets of my kozo washi paper were tucked inside a handmade envelope.

Barbara has been sending me beautiful drawings of flowers and this time I returned the favour with a poppy painted using gouache on canvas paper and a columbine with watercolour. I pressed a small flower from our yard (a buttercup, perhaps?) and found a couple of flower postage stamps. I was finally able to print some of my photographs so I tucked those in along with washi paper, watercolour circles and a bumble bee sticker.

In my postbox...

Jessica's next postcard arrived along with a new set of material for my reply. Her nifty envelope included mini scrabble letters affixed near the address. I'm nearly finished her reply and should be able to send it off this week.

Jill's delightful package arrived with a bit of the ocean tucked inside. A piece of pottery with smooth corners, a full, tiny shell and pieces of another shell were all tightly wrapped inside a small envelope with a ribbon. Postcards, stamps, stickers, paper ephemera and drawings were also included. I will have to go on a beach combing trip to find a few small bits from my side of the pond for my reply.

Sarah is featured again! Her royal-themed package arrived in a flash. Upon opening the union jack envelope, I was greeted by a personalized, engraved jubilee medal. This girl is crazy generous. The whole family is a big fan of Wallace & Gromit and, frankly I'm a fan of the royals in general, so this package was an all around hit.

Gardening seems to be at a manageable level these days. I'm going to squirrel away a few hours this week to work on mail art, a new painting and a very exciting trade. What are you up to?

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LE Sketchbook: Covers

The last part of each sketchbook project I complete is always the cover. I feel as though I have to see all of the completed pages before I can get a good idea for the cover.

The inside front cover has a brief description about the subject of the sketchbook.

The inside back cover ends with a similar style as that of the first page. Our family rhythm repeats our distance and time love story.

See the rest of my Limited Edition Sketchbook pages.

Mail Art Monday: Decorated Envelopes

This warm, sunny weather has found me spending most of my free time outside either gardening or playing with the kids. I will be making these mail art posts biweekly for the summer so they'll each be substantial and I get a bit less screen time.

in their mailbox...

Jessica received my first postcard reply this week. I'm not thoroughly satisfied with my first contribution but I am enjoying pushing my comfort zone and the surprises that arise. This card came with a story about fishing in northern Saskatchewan with my family. There was a rush of excitement when I'd catch one but I couldn't help feeling guilty when it was on its way to be cleaned for dinner.

I also included a collection of clippings, paper and circles for her reply.

in my postbox...

Sarah may have set a record for the fastest overseas reply (in fact, she mentioned it was only three days!). I was surprised and delighted to see a sewn envelope with a nautical scene painted on one side and a small pocket with a bundle of paper ephemera on the other.

When I originally signed up for the orphaned postcard project I requested three postcards. In my first reply from Post Muse I learned that two of them had already found a home. After sending off my first card I requested two more which arrived this week. A Portage & Main city of Winnipeg card (my birth city) and a Brugge card.

Barbara has also found herself spending most of her spare time in the garden. To my benefit (and great delight) she found time to put together a wonderful package which, once again, spoiled me rotten. The envelope was decorated with a beautiful flower and inside I found a colourful collection of ephemera, stickers, paper, prints and stamps. Along with lettuce seeds, she also included a helpful clipping on how to keep those pesky cats from leaving 'deposits' in your garden. I had ungraciously announced that I hoped our neighbourhood cougars would eat our unwelcome feline visitor. These tips seem to be a much more humane approach.

Since my heart seems to be in the yard rather than the studio lately, perhaps I'll bring some elements of my garden into my next round of mail art replies.

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