Send some sparks of fun through the postal system!

Next time you send a letter, pause and consider the envelope.

If you haven't made the envelope yourself out of recycled pages, consider jazzing it up with a few scribbles or cut-outs... it makes receiving mail that much more fun! No doubt for the people delivering the mail as well...

These two envelopes were made for a penpal swap I hosted on swap-bot. The first was made with scrapbooking paper, and the second one is a drawn patchwork of vintage fabric.

I was inspired to start doing it more often after receiving a lovely map envelope from Communikate and many a hand-decorated envelope from bobberdilly (along with mail art & other drawings). If you have a moment, check out his blog - it is chocabloc full of amazing drawings.

In fact, this envelope was not just based on, it is pretty much a reproduction of one of the lovely pictures he sent me.

And this is an envelope I sent him... You can't tell from this scan, but the front of the envelope had just the face & the sea snail. And when you flip it over, you see that the face is attached to the body of a fish!

It's been fun, and I'm glad he's encouraged me to draw again (and not just copy other drawings & make collages). In turn, I encourage you all to decorate that next letter, or slip in a quick drawing you've done! Go forth and sending some sparks of fun through the postal system!

(Psst...If you're stuck on who to send to, or want to send out a drawing anonymously, don't forget about sendsomething.net)

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Related posts:

• Tutorial: envelopes from recycled paper
• Junk mail collages
• The envelope project
  

Incoming: bachelor dotee

It's always a thrill to get a package in the mail. Today was no exception... in fact the thrill was doubled because this package came all the way from Belarus!


He was created for The Bachelor Dotee swap on swap-bot. I love the look on his face... and he looks like he's all set for St Patrick's day!

Doesn't he have the most dashing of hats?

Lovely quilt used in the background courtesy of Geta :)

Thank you, LoyIvir, he's a cutie.

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Related post: A gold monocle and a seedy moustache (Bachelor dotee I sent)

Pin cushion from Ivory Blush Roses

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During the great lucky streak of '09, I picked up this gorgeous pin cushion from a give-away over at Ivory Blush Roses. I love it & use it all the time... it's a great size & the colours remind me of a grassy knoll. So cute!

She has a great tutorial on how to make your own pincushions, using CDs as bases! I love the fact that old CDs have been used in this piece, and have a secret urge to peek inside and see what CDs are in there.

I first stumbled upon Ivory Blush Roses through her crazy quilting.

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This jellyfish, in particular, tickled my fancy!

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I like the chocolate creams in this piece too. There are many many more examples of crazy-quilted blocks over on her site.

Other lovely photographs from her site include:

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Yarn that looks good enough to eat, and...

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...sweet collections like the crocks and shells pictured above.

If you pop over to say hi, don't forget to check out her other tutorials too!

Cathy Cullis: September

My lucky streak continues, with September arriving in my mailbox...

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Cathy Cullis recently hosted an autumn giveaway, and September was the prize. The fabric was dyed with violas! If you're interested, she has a whole post dedicated to dyeing with blackberries and onion skins. Fascinating stuff.

If you haven't seen Cathy's work before, I recommend you head on over to take a look. I love the small stitches & details.... the floating faces & string hiding everywhere enchant me!

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This piece, 'a memoir', was one of the first pieces of her work I saw. I've since discovered that she also makes dolls:

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And writes poetry which sometimes finds its way into her textile art:

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To see more of Cathy's enchanting work, also check out her flickr, etsy, and big cartel.

Next week begins Cathy's week of painting... I'm looking forward to it!

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Shiny Happy Art

A lovely package came in the mail recently from Anna Bartlett...


I joined Shiny Happy Art's mailing list and won Septembers' giveaway: a lovely linen tea-towel.

I love the package's small details, like the illustrated envelope (cute!) and the extra gifts (a bookmark, set of art tags, and bookplates).

I also follow Anna Bartlett's blog "Shiny Happy Thoughts" which is a great mix of everything from emergency cookies to developing new products and her artwork including murals and step-by-step paintings.

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October's giveaway is a purse-sized pink notebook. Go ahead and join Shiny Happy Art's mailing list to be in the running!

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Curious Little Oyster pout balm

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Annaliese, from the Curious Little Oyster, is giving away five of her Nilla Nilla pout balms. She doesn't appear to have drawn the winners yet, so if you're quick, you might be in for a chance! Become a fan of her facebook page and leave a message to be in the running.

I was lucky enough to win some Arancia pout balm in her last giveaway, and it is great - tasty, and very cute.

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These lip balms would make a great gift. If you miss out on the giveaway, check out the range at her online shop. She has a bunch of things in stock from Melbourne craftsters, and says:

I handpick each item that sells in my lil shoppe. The criteria is that they are all eco in some way: organically made; sustainable; recycled or upcycled. But being green is not enough! Our goodies are GORGEOUS, fun and sometimes a little bit quirky!

She's also founded an Indie collective:

The Indie Collective is a meeting place for artisans, crafters, cooks and more for the purpose of creating greater buying power for what they need to make!

Being an Indie means that we often pay more for materials and ingredients... paradoxically, we are often the ones needing a better deal, so here is your place to make it happen!

Talking about giveaways, Geta's quilt arrived in the mail, and is prettying up my place! It has a gorgeous shine to it that the photos just don't capture...

Happy October, everyone, this year is zooming by!

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Related post: Geta's Shadow Trapunto Quilt

Geta's Shadow Trapunto Quilt

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Isn't Geta's quilt just beautiful?

I am super stoked to have been the lucky winner of this quilt. I can barely believe it! The giveaway was hosted by Rachel over at One Pretty Thing:

One Pretty Thing- a daily website dedicated to bringing you inspiring projects for a handmade life. I'm Rachel and I scour the craft forums, sites and blogs to bring you the best tutorials and DIY.

I've been following Geta's shadow trapunto creations for some time now, and it is on my ever-growing "to try one day" list. I actually bought a second-hand craft book recently because it mentioned the trapunto technique, and Geta had made me curious about what it was all about.

Check out Geta's Blog for other creations, such as these amazing quilted bags:

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She has some free quilting tutorials if anyone is interested, and a great step-by-step e-book available for purchase if you want to learn the shadow trapunto technique. It's full of photos and clear instructions.


Let's take one final look at the quilt....

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I am going to be checking the mailbox every day!

Incoming: itty bitty dotee

Meet Leonard! Isn't he adorable? He's the very first dotee I've received! I love the beading on his front. His body is made of fluoro green felt (front and back) & his face is made of white felt with french knot eyes.

He came travelling with me to a music festival & his face is a little grubby now, but still super cute :)

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• Related post: Itty bitty dotee fever

Incoming: vegan recipes

I received a handful of swaps recently, including this one. I loved the envelope - a splash of colour amongst a bunch of white ones.

When I opened it, and saw the colour of the recipe cards, I knew what was inside. I have been following Communikate's blog: founders objects. She is documenting a month's worth of swapping activities there, and had featured these cards.

They're so cute & the recipes look so yummy that I've scanned them in for your perusal. They are

1. The best chocolate cupcake recipe yet
2. African groundnut stew
   
3. Seitan / wheat meat
   

Click-through to read :)

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• Related post: Recipe swaps: vegan & scavenger