Postcard club

I recently joined in over at the Postcard Club. Here's my first swap with Ed Cheverton.

He sent me a collage play card, and I sent him a paper collage illustration of my favourite houseplant.

If anyone else wants to do a swap with me then do let me know - I really love sending and receiving nice things in the post!

pretty post

Last week I arrived home from work to a nice bit of post from Laura. She sent me this Gocco print in return for one of my watercolour dots postcards.

I love it - the patterns and colours are such a grand combo.

Thank you Laura!

a post about post

This is long overdue, but I just wanted to say a big thank you to Thereza for the lovely package she sent me as part of her giveaway (there are better photos on her blog).

Magnets & booklets & illustrations galore. It's all so lovely, and a physical reminder of why I love to follow her blog.

Thanks once again Thereza!

mixtape for me

I received a mixtape in the post from Joe this week and it's nothing short of amazing. Cut paper, dancing illustrations and 2 discs of music - GREAT! This definitely makes up for not receiving one last month.

Joe has posted a video to the flickr group which shows all the moving parts in their full glory. I think I'm going to have to up my effort with next month's attempt.

how very apt

I got a nice surprise in the post today, courtesy of Derek. THANK YOU!
The above page seemed particularly appropriate.

baking & making

For the first time in ages I've got some free time without the worry that I should be doing MA work. Unfortunately time rich = money poor so I'm trying to be as productive as possible with minimal spending money.


On Sunday I baked a birthday cake (with the guidance of Rosie, as I was fearful of another biscuit style cake disaster). It turned out delightfully though and got eaten within about 5 minutes of being presented, phew! Maybe I'll experiment with my baking abilities this winter. Yesterday I got my hands on a Jane Asher party cakes book which I'm very excited about!


I've also been doing a spot more knitting and am halfway through mitten no.2 - which I'll hopefully finish off tonight. They look a bit like they are custom-made for Barry Manilow's freakishly long fingers but they seem to fit me ok (maybe because I have man-sized hands...)

Nice things have been dropping through my postbox this week too.


Firstly, a lovely gocco print from Jen which I was very excited to be the recipient of. I've hung it up in the kitchen and it's quite a treat. Thanks once again Jen!

And today I received the most pleasing pigeon photograph from Simon. A very sweet treat indeed (especially as I was fearful of my results arriving today).

On Friday I also received an amazingly BIG bunch of flowers (luckily not posted through the door). No one ever gives me flowers so it was a very nice surprise. They are sitting in the kitchen looking impressive.


I feel spoilt.

Especially as I also now have a wii fit to keep me busy. Defined calf muscles here I come! Today it told me I was a muscle legend for doing some lunges (I don't believe it, but it's a good confidence boost). Though it does mean that we'll probably have to keep the curtains in our lounge drawn most of the time from now on for fear of people in the pub seeing us hula-hooping.

A small sacrifice.

I now have an afternoon of invigilating ahead of me. Do pop down if you're around.

almost done!

Still working...but the end is in sight.

This week we're building the exhibition and I'm enjoying doing a spot of painting and sanding. Today was a very nice day away from my desk and I'm looking forward to many more of those over the next few weeks.

Also, I arrived home to a delightful bit of post from Yumi, which included a copy of her studio newsletter (complete with jokes!) and a shopping list for my collection.

A very nice treat!

yes it does

So does a sunset swim in the sea, cycling & tiffin.

Yesterday I worked so hard that I forgot to eat lunch. Then I came home to discover some delightful pieces of post (including the postcard above from my mum). Good times!

The lion is a find from Art Junky on Sunday. It's by illustrator Jung Eun Park.
---> take a look at her website.

through the letterbox

My postcard collection is growing fast (thanks to some very kind people) and I am running out of room on the boiler to pin them up. So now I have a plan...and a map (courtesy of The Guardian):


This world map is soon to be mounted on my kitchen wall so I can track the postcards I receive (with satisfying pins & bits of string). Though it has been pointed out that a lot of my postcards are sent from within the UK so I may need a separate map to plot those points - England is far too small in relation to the rest of the world. Though it seems to have been scaled up quite a bit on this map:


The hunt for a second map begins...

thank you very kindly

as promised here are some pictures of the wonderful pay it forward packaged i received last week from sue over at sooziebee.



the package included a beautiful stitched card and framed illustration - thanks again sue. (and i'm not sure if i'll ever get around to sending the card as i think i'd rather keep it for myself!)

yesterday i went for tea with my friend eleanor and we ended up jumping on the train to Lewes to visit The Old Needlemakers, which has a vintage flea market full to the brim of lovely finds (and there was a half price sale on too!). I picked up this hair clip for 50p - how very cheap.


and here's a picture of the pile of crocheted granny squares i am gradually accumulating - soon i'll have made enough for a blanket! I'll just have to wait for winter to come around again then, as I'm pretty sure the summer is almost here - splendid.


x

more post

LOOK what came in the post today:


yes, that's right, a lovely copy of 'the alphabet series' from lazy soosan. It's a new zine created by lucy and laura and is based around letters of the alphabet (so the 1st issue is all about the letter A). just have a look at some of the lovely illustrations...


super stuff. i can't wait for the 'B' issue.

x

i do like the postman

look what i got in the post this week:



a desk calendar from the very talented rob ryan.
he's been mailing them out to anyone who sends him a stamp addressed envelope so get in quick if you want one (check out his blog for more information)

x

a busy week for the postman

i received yet more goodies in the post this morning - a belated birthday package from eleanor:

how very delightful! the little horse button is so terribly cute - i will have to find something extra special to sew it onto. and such a nice vintage card (i like the yellow bird). and no it wasn't my 7th birthday, heh, it was just a super nice card.

and that wasn't all...



^ just look at those pink knitted slippers! - so nice. i popped them on my feet as soon as i opened the post (hence i am still wearing my pyjama bottoms in the picture) i think they were bought from a shop in brighton - i am going to enjoy having a good poke around the lanes when i go down there next week.

x

post

look what the postman brought me...




a nice little bundle courtesy of derek.

he has the nicest little chinese food store in brighton where he buys his noodles, and i'm a big fan of the sweets & biscuits they sell, so derek posted me a couple of bits (mmm...pocky). as well as the tasty treats he also included the nicest of nice cards (from a selection by sarah louise martin at really likes) and a copy of artyfacts (a monthly selection of art & design jobs, news and competitions from his university) - most handy.




^ he also drew some continuous line pics of the sweets inside the card - which was just to my liking.

it was quite a nice unorganised mail swap, as when i spoke to him today he told me he'd received the picture i made for him:




oh, how i like getting things through the post.

i also received a bundle of zips from ebay yesterday and got to work making some purses - (thanks to anna torborg for the handy zipper tutorial) - they weren't completely successful as they were a wee bit wonky but for a first attempt i was most pleased with the outcomes.




and that would be all for today, more to come tomorrow...

x