Postcard Exchange

Since discovering Jennie Hinchcliff's Good Mail Day, the lure of mail art has been irresistible.  And getting involved in blogging has introduced me to many kind and talented people who share that interest. 

When I found several vintage San Francisco postcards at a recent auction, I shared one with Pamela Gerard, both because she calls San Francisco home and because she clearly appreciates a good postcard!  (If you check out her blog, you will see that she has an entire shopping cart of mail art in her home...an amazing sight to see in the middle of the hallway!)

But before I sent it off, I indulged in a little mail art postcard altering.  I've always wanted to create a bit of a surrealist look by adding incongruous elements to a postcard image, but had never pulled it off.  Here is what I came up with for Pamela's postcard:

Pamela asked me where I found my airmail washi tape, but I let her in on my little secret:  I simple trimmed the edges from an airmail envelope and glued it to the card.  It functions just the same as tape!

Here's the back, awaiting its message:

In return, Pamela sent me this lovely postcard:

How great is that vintage postal image!

And on the back she used all kinds of collaged and stamped elements, along with postage stamps taking center stage.  I am curious about her postal-themed postage stamps.  I am going to have to talk to my local post office to see if they might have something a little more interesting than the run-of-the-mill Forever flag stamps.

If you are looking for some fun and interesting mail art inspiration, I wanted to recommend some web sites to start:

• Jennie Hinchcliff's blog
• Pamela Gerard's blog
• Letter Writers Alliance (LWA)
• The LWA Flickr site
• Good Mail Day Flickr site
• The Good Mail Day blog

Many of these sites have plenty of links to keep you busy for weeks!

Keep sending that mail art love!

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I have not heard from giveaway winner Bonnie with her postal address.  If I haven't heard from her by Sunday, May 20, I will be drawing for a new winner from the original entries.

Giveaway Results! & Something for Everyone

While only one person can win the stationery set and art journaling book, everyone can gain a benefit from this giveaway.  I am thrilled with all of the creative book recommendations that you all provided with your entries.  I've compiled the list so that you can use it as your own creative bibliography and shopping list!

• The Art Journal Workshop, by Traci Bunkers
• The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery, by Karen Michel
• Confident Creative:  Drawing to Free the Hand and Mind, by Cat Bennett
• Artist's Journal Workshop:  Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures, by Cathy Johnson
• Postal Seance, by Henrik Drescher
• Signs on the Wind, by Lenore Tawney
• Journal Revolution, by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino
• How to Be an Explorer of the World, by Keri Smith
• Living Out Loud, by Keri Smith
• Journal Bliss, by Violette
• Heirloom:  Notes from and Accidental Tomato Farmer, by Tim Stark
• Creative Sparks, by Jim Krause
• The Journey is the Destination, by Dan Eldon
• The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron
• Uppercase magazine
• Self Made Stationery, by Kazumi Udagawa
• Creative Paint Workshop, by Ann Baldwin
• Scraptastic, by Ashley Calder
• The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
• Brave Intuitive Painting, by Flora Bowley (yet to be published)

Considering that I only have four of these books, it will be a big help for me in planning my Christmas list!

Many thanks to all of you who entered my first giveaway.  Because some comments posted multiple times, and most people put all of their entries into a single comment, I ended up writing your names on pieces of paper (according to how many entries you had), and then drew one for the winner.

EDIT:  Because the original winner did not contact me for several weeks, I drew a new winner.  You can see the results of the second drawing here.

And the winner is...

Drumroll please...

Congratulations, Bonnie!
Please email me at aleakaskey@yahoo.com with your snail mail address, and I will make every effort to get your prize out to you on Monday!

Many thanks to all of you for playing along with my giveaway; I now have the confidence to hold some more giveaways in the near future!  Stay tuned....

Decluttering with Benefits!

If you haven't gotten around to your spring cleaning/decluttering, then I have an incentive for you to get started now!

Many of us periodically drop off a bag of clothing to Goodwill, or donate food to our church food cupboard, or pass along outgrown children's clothing to our friends. Now we have an opportunity to receive a little "thank you" for our efforts, which may in turn encourage our acquaintances to give to others.

My friend Karen has started an initiative with her husband Jeff to encourage people to clean out their closets, pantries, cupboards, and attics for a good cause.  You can find all the details on their blog, but here are the "essentials":  Clear out your clutter, donate or sell it, and then leave a comment on their blog (or email them) for a chance to win a variety of prizes, including Starbucks, Amazon, and Visa gift cards. 

They have also been offering some of my handmade items as giveaway prizes!  Last month, one of the Clean Out Your Closets winners received a gem magnet set similar to these:

Here's what the gem sets look like from the side and top:

And this month, they will be offering two of my embellished-frame chalkboards with a stand, similar to this one, though with differently-themed tapes:

I have appreciated Karen including me in her giveaway, as it has been an unusual way to "spread the word" about Studio 791!

In their "About Me" description, Karen and Jeff state:  "In these tricky times we are trying to find practical ways that we can turn all we have into all we have to share."

I think we could all benefit from joining them in their efforts!

Take a moment to visit their blog, and see if you might want to participate!

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Saturday is the big day: 

I'll be announcing the winner of my first-ever giveaway. 

If you would like to enter, there is still time! 

Check out the giveaway post for details.