Working On It Wednesday #20

Woohoo! Two posts in a row!! Look out!! Since missing last week's postings, I have a little backlog of pics to post (lucky us, eh?) And away we go!

First, a few Scripture doodles:

 

 

 

Then good old lettering practice:

 

I'm trying to learn calligraphy...trying, anyway...

 

Bleedy paper and shaky caffeine hand...

I have this new favorite blog, The Postman's Knock. Lindsey writes about all things postal and lettering and pretty. She posts tons of fun tutorials like this watercolor monogram I had to try:

L's are pretty easy to do--haha! I think I like lettering with a paintbrush
more than a calligraphy nib but I'm not giving up!!

 Just some more practice:

 

 And then a few Pen + Peplum prompts:

Things that soothe

She got me on a coffee kick:

 

Harry, of course, and a quote I want to do for a friend....if I don't forget!!

The actual prompt was how you like your coffee...



Prompt: On a day off...right?

And I started Mr Mercedes this week...aahhh, King never disappoints!!

That's all I have to share this week....Boats are finally free of ice, so rowing finally resumes once more--hallelujah!! I have the years's first 5k coming up in three short weeks, so I really need to get out there and hit the road. Lots to look forward to!! Have a great week--hope to see you here again soon!

Mailbox Monday #8 (on Tardy Tuesday...apparently...)

A little grace, folks--a little grace...I bookended last week with ridiculous headaches both on Monday and Friday, so blogging was simply not a priority for me. But, here we are back again--a day late but nonetheless, still here. And the mail continues to trickle in little by little...

 

Last week's highlights--letters from England, Tasmania, and here in the states: PA, TX, and a super cool postcard from Florida--which has a funny story to it that I'll share in a minute...

But first--a couple more letters that arrived yesterday from CA and OK--I love Tracy's

gelli plate envies, beautiful!

Okay--postcard story. Last month I posted a Month of Letters challenge and had a nice response of people who wanted to play along, left me their addresses and I mailed out postcards to them during the month long challenge. The first postcard I'd sent out came back to me two weeks later. I hesitate to put my return address on postcards for this very reason--the brilliant post office employees are easily confused. But, being as these were new friends, I wanted to let them know where the cards had traveled from, and so wrote clearly "FROM:" with my address, tiny, at the bottom of the card by my signature hoping this would clue the postal peeps into NOT returning the cards to me. All of the other cards I sent last month managed to be delivered (at least, I haven't gotten any of those back...I suppose they could be floating in Post Office Purgatory somewhere...) So, I scribbled out my return address, jotted a quick apology for the delivery delay, slapped another stamp on this card (which was already above the regular postcard rate since it was heavy cardboard, too stiff for what's considered 'machinable' mail--increasing the rate from the thirty-four postage card rate to the standard first class rate of forty-nine cents, and now costing ninety eight cents for this second attempt at delivery:

Return addy scribbled out

A quick apology, double stamped

And....the post office RETURNED it to me AGAIN!!! Even WITHOUT my return address on it...for realz. So...at this point, I had come across Roc in a faith journaling group I belong to, messaged her quickly to let her know I hadn't forgotten she had signed up for the Month of Letters challenge and that I did indeed mail her a postcard, yadda yadda yadda....and that I would try one more time to send it out to her--in an envelope!!! Which, also non-machinable because of the thick postcard inside would cost an extra twenty-one cent surcharge--AND another first class stamp...this postcard that should've cost thirty-four cents to mail, now cost $1.68--but it finally made it!! And that super cool postcard in the pic above is from Ms. Roc--and I love it!

 

Finally the post office managed to get it right!!

The life and times of mail today...

Mailbox Monday #7

I had another quiet but very inspirational mail week. Monday, of course, was a holiday, and Tuesday we were still recuperating from the latest snow storm, so that was three days in a row of no mail--gah!! Alas, Wednesday made up for it when I found this bonus stash filling my mailbox:

Sweet Mail Delight!!

First, a belated Christmas giftie from my friend, Dawn! An adorable journal, cute, cute cards of the family and a super fabulous Sharpie pen (I had to include the box knife in the pic since Dawn super taped the box shut! Haha!)

 

A stash of Valentine goodness from Eileen:

 

And this beautiful geniusness:

 

I love mail art. Seriously and truly. I've been piddling around with pretty handmade envies and fussy lettering, but it's not all out mail art. Brian's work totally inspired me to knuckle down and MAKE ART again. Brian is @sirlapsley on Twitter and Instagram if you want to give him a follow--great stuff!

So, I made a couple art cards over the weekend:

 

 

One is winging its way to Brian...

Hmmmm.....

And in other mail this week, an outgoing envie to my friend Beth:

 

Who in turn sent me this lovely envie and letter:

 And so I replied with this Animalia envie:

Oooo--a Harry stamp!!

 

 And a couple watercolor and resist cards I made during Sunday's bout of insomnia:

Super fun to do!

 

Now I'm all caught up on mail but have a few lettering projects to work on today--yay! But first it's time to get the Bug up and ready for school, scrounge up a little breakfast and visit the treadmill for a quick run--gotta get the day under way!

 

Happy Monday!!

WOIW #19

Just a quick post this morning before I head down to the treadmill for a run. I don't have much to show for my week--been a bit busy shoveling snow every day...But I did get called to do a painting job which was a whole of fun last week. A friend of a friend has a painting business and a particular client had asked if they could have their mantel painted to match their living room furniture. Since this was a little out of their wheelhouse, they offered the job to me and I jumped on it--I love that kind of work!

Before, the furniture to match, and after:

 

 

Nothing super complicated, a fun morning that paid really well, and who knows--it could possibly lead to more such opportunities??

 

First the weekly Pen+Peplum #52handlettered prompt--every day essentials:

 

 

And one quick Scripture doodle--I must've had a quiet prayer journal week....but I did get a second set of Scripture bookmarks done for the Blueberry Loft Etsy shop. I've sold a few sets on there--it's always great to get those sales confirmation emails from Etsy!

 

 

I'm planning on lettering practice for a while--I really need to work on my cursive...it's just not what I want it to be yet. Practice makes perfect!! So, run, shovel, a couple errands, then lettering--not a bad day, eh? Thanks for stopping by--have a great warm and cozy day!

Mailbox Monday #6 and Neptune

If you know anything about me, you know I love snow and a good blizzard is just my thing--everything completely blanketed in snow, the world covered in white as far as the eye can see. But Neptune has been one vicious storm. I don't know how much snow it dumped on us--I do know I've been shoveling over four foot drifts, trying to toss snow on banks above my head. The wind chill is killer cold. Just listening to it whipping around the house and through the trees feels ominous and honestly a bit worrisome at times. A few pics from shoveling yesterday--and I haven't even made it to the street...

 

 

Their previous path had been obliterated, Tuck couldn't find his way off the patio.

Abort mission.

Maybe a tag team effort is a better ploy...

Pea almost couldn't turn herself around....minor pile up on the way back in...

Our fence is just about gone--and that's not from the snow plow--the bank from the plows is beyond the fence--and they haven't even gotten close to our street yet

 

That's a whole lotta snow...

I don't know what this guy was thinking--he was tearing the nesting stuffings out and chewing on the holes--like, you're still not gonna fit yourself in there, dude! Leave my sparrow babies alone!!

 

But, it is Mailbox Monday today! I wouldn't be getting any mail again today even if it weren't a holiday...I've not gotten mail on a Monday for over a month now because of the repeated snow storms!

 

Outgoing:



 

One little incoming from my friend, Beth. I've gotten more than that this week, this just happened to be the only pretty decorated envie:

 

Beth is the washi queen!

And now I need to head back out into the bitter cold to try to make some headway to the actual road if Bill's gonna make it to work today...I hope everyone is keeping warm and toasty!! Have a great week! Thanks for stopping by!

WOIW #18

Only a quick couple of pics this morning (makes me wonder what I've been up to all week--not taking pictures, at least!) First, a bookmark for my Blueberry Loft giveaway:

 

Then Pen+Peplum's #52handlettered prompt this week is to do a love quote, so this is in my prayer journal this morning:

I have a list of prompts sitting idly by...perhaps I need to quit goofing off with the mail so much and refocus my attention on more productive matters...For now, it's time to run. Have a great week!