Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Red letter day!.....Fabric & fibre Postcards

Today's mail was a real red letter day with three postcards and two books arriving.
The first two
cards were expected,

as my "booty" from the Postmark'dArt swaps winds down to its conclusion.

The first card,from Darma R came as part of the Cat Swap,and was a message to Think Pink;and find a cure for Breast cancer.
A fun way to send a serious message!

The second,from Ginny C,came as part of My BackyardSwap and featured a Strawberry runner with seed beaded fruit.

href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7171/753/640/Mask%20from%20Darlene%20S.jpg">

The third card was a wakeup call,as in the slight turmoil of the past couple of weeks,I had forgotten that I'd signed to the Masks,Masks,Masks swap with the FAPC
group

The card (above)came from Darlene S and is a layered applique: very striking with its combination of red,black and white with sequin highlights.
Having had a wakeup call I spent the afternoon working on my four cards.One completed,three to go!

Finally,a parcel I've been waiting for arrived from Fancy Fibers also known as Heavenly Embellishments (same Link)
The books are " Three-Dimensional Embroidery Stitches" by Pat Trott,
and "Mixed Media Explorations" by Beryl Taylor.

As I've restrained myself all afternoon and evening,I'm off to indulge in some reading,dreaming,planning of future projects.
I'll report on the books at a later date.
Goodnight! Posted by Picasa

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Stamping & cancelling Postcards

The question below landed in my email Inbox this morning,and I thought it worth sharing:
 
Question:
 
One question, is it important that the postcard gets "cancelled" by the post office with that stamp thingy that says the date mailed and from where?  Meaning I would just mail it to be stamped all over. Or would you prefer it to come in a clear envelope (great idea I might add), so that the ink stamping is on the envelope and not the actual post card?  Also, did you ever get one that just went through as is and did it hold up--not tattered and torn?
 
So many questions re such a small thing (4x6), this is all new to me and I am wanting to learn all about it.
 

Answer:
I hope I can  answer all your questions well enough D! 
Yes,please add a stamp and get it cancelled.........it's a "true postcard "then!
So far in the last three months I've received and sent over 50 postcards.
Most I take to Post Office,get the stamp  'hand cancelled' then(standing at the counter still) I take it back from the clerk and slip the card into the clear envelope I hae with me,then give it back to the clerk serving me.
 
Probably over half cards I've received have come through the mail NAKED;
a few have been cancelled then put in ordinary envelopes,which to me is an unnecessary cost.!
A few(naked) cards have  had the barcode stamped on it,but some have also had a bar code strip on paper on it.
 
Only ONE has come in a USPS "Damaged goods" package and that was last week!
The lady had very wispy(Like eyelash knitting yarn) floating around edges that could or probably did tangle in sorting machinery....
 
If you're using WHITEonW or similar light fabrics,the clear envelope might be a good idea;
I use them because sometimes I have beading or loose yarns and its a bit of protection for the card.
 
Go and check out my Blog   http://kenmaurscorner.blogspot.com/
 For the last 50 days I've been blogging  "fabric and fibre postcards"..pics and hints etc.,and I'll include this email also.
 
 
 

This is the reason.....

...that there is no stitching or postcards blogged today!

We're planning a move---a sea-change!
Before anything can happen,major downsizing is required.There are two three bay sheds to be cleared and this is part of the result! Posted by Picasa