Book Report Inspiration: Safeguarding the Written Word

Christmas clean-up has finally begun here. It pains me to defrock the Christmas tree, but even though it still smells quite like the noble fir it is, the branches are turning brittle. It's time to let the tree go. Sigh. There are also ornaments and decorations, wrapping paper, and boxes to be dealt with. We've accumulated SO MANY boxes. Some are destined for cardboard cat cottages (or villages in progress) and others will be deposited in the recycling bin, but a few lucky boxes are going to be repurposed for storage. This quick project is a good accompaniment for my annoying desire to organize everything in January. New year, new organized life? We'll see...

Peanut and Purls (and letterpress)!

As you might remember, I recently moved into my very own home. It's exciting, decorating-wise everything is like a blank canvas! Seriously, some of the walls are still blank, and it's kind of driving me crazy. I'm trying to be thoughtful and calculated with my decorating. I absolutely love letterpress cards. The feeling of a good letterpress card in your hand is hard to beat (you can feel the texture of the press and it's just wonderful). I collected some of my favorite letterpress cards from some of my favorite people. I look at the pile and remember important milestones in my life and the people that helped make them special. This pile represents first trips to Europe, my MPA graduation, birthdays, and homebuying, just to name a few!

Make: Someone Loves You, Valentine.

I have long been contemplating completing a stately project, a gift, small token or treasure for someone...or many ones. After making some cloth bookmarks last week, I had it all worked out. Who wouldn't love to receive (or give) a lovely stately measure of their esteem.

Luckily for all of us it's pretty dang easy, and pretty dang sweet...

I heart cards!

     and other tokens of love

Spring Garland and Beyond Measure tiding illustrated decal by Shanna Murray

It's officially February, and you know what that means: St. Valentine's Day.
Now here's the dilemma: there are bunches and bunches of sweet, crafty, and clever Valentine's Day cards out there. But which to choose? The pressure, the unceasing, seemingly insurmountable pressure! No need to fret, my dears. Here are a few suggestions approved by me for you, with love. Follow the links, you'll be delighted you did so. 

Bee Mine by Blackbird Letterpress

Valentine's Day Garland by Rifle Paper Co.

You're a Fox by Rifle Paper Co. 

Wood Grain - I Like You by Dirty Bandits

Customized Golden Ticket by Crankbunny

Like a blank loves blank 
by The Hungry Workshop

Lovestruck by Beci Orpin
via The Hungry Workshop

Heart Horse by Pistachio Press

From Monika

My birthday card from Monika arrived!

She included a swell business card from terri planty. 

In case you're curious about the birthday card, it's by:

The silhouette reminded Monika to tell me that there's a shop on Main Street in Disneyland where you can get a silhouette made of yourself. Little does she know, I already have a Disneyland silhouette.
It's from a thrift store and is super cute. Go, vintage Disneyland!

birthday cards, birthday cake

My main birthday request was for Mom's carrot cake and birthday cards from Mom and the sisters. While, I'm still waiting on a card from Monika (that's right, Monika, still waiting), I did get my cards and cake from Mom and Catherine. 

From Mom

From Catherine

If you're curious about the jelly card, it's by:

And the CAKE!

I even have one piece of carrot cake left in the fridge.
That's right, I brought some home with me. And the birthday marches on!

Moms are the bomb!

I realize this post is coming a bit late as it's pretty much the tail end of Mother's Day, but it's never too late where Moms are concerned. So, here's a little vintage Mother's Day card for Mother dear.

And a gift to go along with it!

This book is super-cool. Check it out here.

Mom, me and Grandma (and Monika in utero).

Flotsam and Jetsam*

Today, in addition to using my daydream time at work to think about Batman (I have no idea why. Oh, wait. Yes, I do: Batman is awesome and should definitely be thought about at work.), I also thought about what kind of valentines I might like to send out this year. Last year I sent some reproduction vintage valentines by Laughing Elephant--they can do no wrong in my eyes--but this year I think I'd like to try my hand at making cards. I don't know whether it's the little quirks of the maker, the personal touches added to delight the one who receives the gift, or the mistakes that are often apparent in the item's construction, but the evidence of one person's craftsmanship always makes handmade items all the more dear.


Hmm. It sounds like I'm trying to undersell the project while also ramping up the very special indeed factor--as in: It might be crap, but consider yourself very special indeed to get something I made. Not my intention, I assure you. I mean, I do consider you all very special and more, more, more than worthy of any small item I might concoct. I just meant...nevermind.


Anyway, after going from Batman to waxing nostalgic for the home made & hand made, I was left thinking about a few things from the past that seem weird and wonderful in their own imperfect ways. So, I decided a project retrospective will occupy my blog time for the next few days. If you're easily bored by me being a little braggy and then immediately becoming appalled once I realize I've been braggy, you might want to spend the next four or five days somewhere else.  Although, honestly, you should be used to that by now.


The following are pictures I drew on note cards and then sent to Catherine. Inspiration came from my copy of the Treasury of Animal Illustrations from Eighteenth-Century Sources. It's a great book.

Kind of creepy, right? First, what else do you expect? And second, have you ever looked at a book of 18th century animal illustrations? They're almost all creepy. Still, I'm going to hazard a guess that Catherine loved them anyway because she knew that I sat at the coffee table in my apartment to draw and shade and compose some ridiculous message. Besides, she sent me this little gem:


OK, now you know we make awfully inappropriate jokes
about the French Revolution. Again, what did you expect?

And from Monika: a fluffy little kookaburra, deep in contemplation.

*Did you think I was going to write something about The Little Mermaid? Sorry to disappoint. Believe me, it'll come up sooner or later...probably sooner.

In the night. In the dark.

I attended the Beacon Hill Reading Series tonight and had the pleasure of listening to two awesome people--Laura Read (a poet) and Shawn Vestal (a fiction writer)--do what they do best. Because these two are so very talented, they draw a crowd of other totally legit writers, which means I ended up running into a bunch of people who were in the Eastern MFA program with me. Seeing all of those of those terrific people still in Spokane made me really miss all those terrific people who have moved to other exciting locales (three examples: Indianapolis, Toledo and Bellingham, WA). I had to come home and dance around the living room while listening to Cake (Yes, again. What?) to burn off a bit of the nostalgia trip. When that didn't work, I threw a sparkle ball around for Matilds a bit, ate a couple dates, and finally gave into the nostalgia and broke out the postcards.


So, as you've probably surmised, from the stacks and stacks of old postcards I buy at estate sales, I love postcards. Really, it's a love of actual paper correspondence of any kind, but postcards especially. I'm just winding up a week of postcards from my dear friend, Abbie. Every once in a while, I'll send a week's worth of pc's to a friend or sister dear (one a day, for seven days) and then they reciprocate. It's lovely. I highly recommend you give it a go.


And now for some classic postcards.

From Abbie.
I think you'll agree that the sight of this motel bedroom sets  the heart quickening. Anything could  happen here.
Things with Russell Crowe and David Bowie could happen here. 
(Also, I must say that I LOVE old postcards of crazy motel rooms and streets, and airport waiting areas. Any painfully
 ordinary, slightly shabby place that someone has decided must be memorialized through the postal service. Fantastic.)

From Dan.
Just look at that picture. Who else was going to receive this card?
(Postcard is "Witness" by Nikki McClure)

From Maya.
I haven't actually witnessed a bunny this large YET, but my hopes are high for tomorrow.
Plus, I'm pretty sure that's Matt Damon saddling  this guy up, so I'm assuming where I'll find one I'll find the other.

You be the judge.

From Mike.
This dancing bear is rock n rollin'. Or he's dying.
Either way, he's a Nicolai character in waiting.

From Monika.
I am super-pissed off about my stereo & my Portishead cd!

From Abbie.
They're having a great time--except the two who have fallen & look
utterly dismayed. But they'll get back on the horse. We have to believe they will.

From Catherine.
Edie! Oh Edie darling! What? I don't have warts. Yeah, in a minute.
No one wants to have sex with you, you're old. Marble faun.

From Dan.
In the night. In the dark. No one will come any nearer than town.

About a year ago, I started keeping a postcard album. All my postcards are tucked securely behind their little plastic sleeves (when they're not busy hanging out on the bookshelf), just waiting for a night like tonight.

Holla for Halloween.

I ran across this blog about Vintage Halloween Collectibles. Of course, this makes me want to get some Halloween party action going. I'll have to settle for sending everyone vintage Halloween cards. Expect yours soon.

Three little pumpkins, riding on a gourd.