Project: Inspiration

I think I may have left two envelopes together in one of the last couple of photos because I have no idea where I left this one and I would have had a photograph if I had left it anywhere. So this one is somewhere out in the world but I've no idea where.....

I have created one last envelope which hopefully I shall leave somewhere today to take it up to 31 days but my mind keeps thinking of new places to leave an envelopes so I may keep a list and when I think of another 30 or 31 places then I'll do it all over again.

Have you ever had a memory lapse as to what you have done with something and for the life of you it never comes back to you... what was it?

Project: Inspiration

I was writing all my notes to people on make my day and thought these note papers would be brilliant for another attempt at leaving an envelope at a cafe. So I created it but when looking for quotes I came across this one and I just had to use it as it would still make a person feel good from laughing so much. I went into the city on Tuesday and as I mentioned I was quite reckless, there were people sat at the cafe tables outside and I just walked up to 2 little ones on the side, popped the envelope down and walked away with people staring at me... oh my! I didn't care though which was the main thing.

Have you had the chance to sit out in the sun lately and enjoy a nice meal/drink in a cafe?

Project: Inspiration

You'll be happy to know that towards the end of this project I started to get reckless and not care that people were around me so close whilst I was leaving my envelopes. There was a lady with her family to the side of me trying on shoes, there was someone behind me and all around me really but this envelope went so well with these sandals that I couldn't help but leave it here. So in it went, I took the photograph and moved on.

Its really weird as up until my last 7 envelopes I didn't want people to see me or see what I was doing with my envelopes but with these last ones I really didn't care anymore. Maybe its just the fact that one or two of my envelopes are still where I left them and also the fact after leaving so many envelopes I haven't received a single e-mail its made me reckless in the hope that someone will if they spot it straight away or wonder what I'm doing. It hasn't worked as all 30 envelopes are out in the world. I've actually decided to create one more to take it to 31 so that there is one for each day even though I left most all in one go as it difficult to make an effort to go out daily.

Live Simply
Dream Big
Be Grateful
Give Love
Laugh Lots

Have you bought any fancy sandals this summer?

Project: Inspiration

The envelope I left at the post office I was meant to leave inside this knickers and bra set. It doesn't matter though as in the end I left everything in such a random place regardless of what they said or meant. I just wanted to get as many of my envelopes out there for people to pick up. This one I had intended to leave in the craft section with all the buttons but I kind of forgot that that was my intention until I walked passed the store and realised I had no envelopes left to leave.

I can't believe that I'm 26 days in to this project already, of course it feels like such a life time ago that I started it and all the rain we've had, you wouldn't imagine it now with the heatwave we are having at the moment. Its like I'm in a completely different month with how much things have calmed down and the weather has changed.

Do you ever feel like that, like time has gone slow and then speeded up?

Project: Inspiration

I decided to make the last 7 envelopes and it was actually quite fun as I spent all day Sunday doing that. I think it worked so much better decorating the envelope and postcard together as last time I decorated all envelopes and then postcard which meant it took longer to prepare things. I now need to think of some more places to leave them.

This one as you can see I stuck on a bench but as I got up to walk away the wind really started blowing but by then some people were coming towards me so I walked away. I really hope that someone picked it up before it did.

Do you ever like sitting on benches and watching people?

Project: Inspiration

This envelope I choose for the milkman. I know its an odd choice but lately he's been going on holiday which he's never done before in all the years he's delivered our milk. His notes look like they have been written on a typewriter, they have mistakes and smear marks which in my mind confirms it... so I won't at all expect an e-mail from him telling me he picked it up.

I almost missed him as I was upstairs wrapping a package to post when I heard the door. Luckily the milkman loves to chat to my mum asking about the family, their health etc... he's always been like that and we've got used to his morning knock. Whilst he was chatting to my mum, I slipped out the front door and ran around to the back (it must have looked so comical as I can't run), I quickly shoved it somewhere in the back of his van before he came and ran again. I was back inside and sitting down when he actually did. I then panicked a little that maybe it wasn't in secure enough and when he would be driving around it will fly out but hopefully he will spot it before then. I wish I could have taken a photo of where I left it but there wasn't time.

Hopefully my post card is sloppy enough with appreciation.

Do you buy or have your milk delivered?

Project: Inspiration

Its the weekend again and my holidays are well and truely on their way. I always think I've got so many wonderful weeks left but in reality it will end in a blink of an eye. I'm hoping to complete a couple of projects this holiday at least as there are so many things I want to do. I have complied a list so hopefully this year I'll get to complete it.

I left this envelope in WHSmiths as I often take photos of the stationery there so I really had to give somehting back.

Have you come across any fun projects lately?

Project: Inspiration

Some of you suggested leaving an envelope in a cafe, we have a lot more in the city now compared to once upon a time but when I went into the city over the weekend they were all quite full with people and I felt a little awkward leaving them there. In the end it came to my mind to leave one in the supermarket as they have a restaurant section which would be easy to leave an envelope in. Instead I went to this store first, I originally left the envelope close to the till but then I spotted this really cute decoration of a coffee shop and just had to leave it here. I went a couple of days later and it had gone.

It's quite fitting to post this today since it is the first day of fasting for most people in England (some people kept their first one yesterday with Saudi Arabia).

Do you like going to cafes to enjoy a coffee or other hot beverages?

Project: Inspiration

As you can see this envelope I left in the toliets, I really wanted to leave it in a disabled toliet but there was a lady struggling with her wheel chair trying to access it and I would have had to wait a long time. I decided I would make another envelope at some point to leave in a disabled toliet as I still need to create 7 more to make it to my target of 30.

This envelope I was supposed to leave in the flower area and that one in this toliet but in my haste I left this one first. The toliet was empty which made it so easy to take this photo. These Polish stamps have to be some of my favourites that I have seen so far.

Are you also curious like me to know what people think of these envelopes I've left around?

Project:Inspiration

Over the weekend as I mentioned I went from one end of the city to the other looking for a present that never seemed to surface but in some cases at least I managed to leave some envelopes behind. I was going to leave my envelope at a bus stop on the main road from where I live but with having left so many in the supermarket already I really wanted to choose somewhere different so that my envelopes make their way to different locations. Well would you believe the bus stop that just seemed to be in an appealing location happened to be the bus service that would take me home!

When I used to work at the opposite end of town, I used to get off at the bus stop that I would then catch my bus home from which was on the next street so of course since that time its changed to this location and I didn't know when selecting this empty bus stop (which minutes earlier had been bursting with people). I decided to stick the envelope on anyway and hope that the first person to arrive at the bus stop would take it.

Do you still use public transport?

I do sometimes but I just find it so much cheaper to drive and park for free.

Project:Inspiration

You are Beautiful!

What more can you tell a person who is drinking this stuff? I actually put this on the shelf whilst my sister had her back to it, I quickly took a photo and wondered if it would fall off but it seemed to stay for about 10 minutes. Then I guess someone walked passed and it fell down, I was at the counter and could see it from where I was, I thought someone had taken it so quickly only to realise it had fallen. At that point a man and his partner were walking down the aisle, I thought he was going to wheel his trolley over it and flatten the seal, thankfully he saw it, picked it up and.......put it back on the shelf! Goodness! He didn't even really look at it, wouldn't you be quite curious seeing an envelope decorated like that with stamps? I know I would, I'd flip it over and look at both sides. Ladies make your men more curious about such things :).

The thing is though when this idea came to me, I had really wished that we had £1 notes instead of coins as I would have loved to have put a note in to each envelope and told that person to treat themselves because they deserved it. Sadly we don't and putting a £1 coin in would have made it too bulky but still imagine if I'd put a life changing amount of money in that envelope and this man just put it back on the shelf. I wish someone would give me a life changing amount of money, I'd continue doing projects to make peoples days!


Are you lucky enough to have a flowery garden at your end of the world? Unfortunately any bit of blooming the plants here wanted to do have been drowned by all the rain and blown away by high winds when there is no rain. Can't win either way really!

Project: Inspiration

Yesterday I had such a productive day leaving a lot of my envelopes out and about so got a lot of my list ticked off. I ony have two envelopes left of the 23-24 that I made so I don't know yet if I should make a complete set of 30 or just stop at what I have. I'll have to see.

After I had made this card, I'd wondered why on earth did I think of this one as no one here really rides bikes. Its not a city set up for it which is a shame as I'd be someone who would ride a bike but as it is there is no chance as I'd be mowed down by a car with the nutty drivers on the road these days. I had walked from one end of the city to the other and didn't see a single bike, I was still thinking about it when I spotted this one. (I was thinking, if I saw someone ride past on a bike I would give it to them in their hand). I was surrounded by people so quickly stuck it on, took a quick photo without even really focusing on anything and left like the wind. I was worried the owner might be close by and shout at me for touching their bike, plus there were so many people around in a cafe, on the benches and as you can see in the background standing around. It would have been so embarrasing. I actually came home and realised that the photo wasn't there but from my checking to adding all the other collages it seemed to have appeared which is a good thing as I want to document this project as best as I can.

The card is so simply and quite boringly made but I think its a nice one if the bike belongs to a male, hopefully whoever the bike belongs to was able to get it as I can imagine it blowing away or someone else picking it up.

Is your country big on bicycle rides? Do you have to wear the appropriate gear in your country like we do because its the law? (like helmets and pads)

Project: Inpiration

With hardly having received letters for the last 2 months I have hardly been to the post office which has resulted in me also not going to the library but as my sister needed me to post a card for her I decided to take my niece to the library. This also meant that I could leave another envelope somewhere so decided to choose a book from their new book range as I always head straight for that section when I managed to settle my niece down to enjoy the children books. My niece really wanted to borrow a book on Tuesday so I let her and decided on Thursday to return it. Whilst there I decided to check the new books and they were left exactly how I had left them on Tuesday in a big mess... so no one had even looked or taken the envelope. Hopefully they have by now!

I choose this one to go in the book because it has text on the paper. I also managed to start using my new frame rubber stamps on the front of the envelopes.

I've nearly finished decorating all the envelopes that I have created so far so I really need to make an effort to leave them in some of the following places....

• bus stop
• cafe
• toilets (hopefully disabled ones but usually those are locked here and those who are in a wheel chair have to try and contact someone to open the door).
• a weight loss section
• a flower garden
• bicycle
• milkman
• and any other random places that come to mind.

I am enjoying this project but I haven't even had the chance to sit down and start any of the projects I had hope to do. This time of year is usually exhausting and long at work.

I hope that you are enjoying viewing these envelopes and postcards so far. Have any of you found them inspiring enough to try something out on your snail mail envelopes?

Project: Inspiration

I was meant to post this before my gambling one but in my excitement I got carried away and forgot which order I was doing things in.

When I went in to the city on Saturday I parked my car right outside this newly painted door. I loved the colour but also everything about the style and colour of the door. I was so attracted to it I had to post an envelope through the letter box super quickly as I could hear creaking inside and was worried about someone stepping outside whilst I was doing my deed. I'm really curious to know if this letter box is in use as there was one on the side also but I'll never know as I haven't had an e-mail.

I haven't actually had any e-mails yet and the curiosity is killing me of whether or not many of them have been collected since some are not in very obvious places and it could take months for someone to find it.

I did go to the supermarket today and check the book I had left an envelope in and it was still there! The thing is though I'd bought it home to change the e-mail address and had put it in a plastic wallet before putting it back. Someone had taken it out of the book, took it out of the wallet, ripped the seal off, read it and put it back minus bag and seal! The seal wasn't even on that hard as it had the tiniest amount of double sided tape on for that purpose. What really baffles me is that if you go to such an effort to open it then why would you not just slip it in your bag or pocket and take it home away from preying eyes.

Another envelope I haven't blogged about I checked that out today too and that one is still there a couple of days later too.... goodness...

Do you have a fancy front door?

Project: Inspiration

A lady can never get enough handbags! So I had to put one in as a bit of fun, I actually first put it in this bag and then decided to put it in a completely different one but in reality who knows if it will get picked up at all in the bottomless pits our handbags seem to be.

It's really odd that this year I have got more aquainted with Dr Seuss as the only book I knew of his was Cat in the Hat. Then this year I came across 'Oh the places you'll go' and suddenly I realised he has quite a world of books out there that I didn't know. Also since doing this project I've come across a lot of Dr Seuss's quotes and really like them. I would have ended up using them all if I could as they are just my kind of thing but of course I didn't in order to continue with variety.

Do you have a favourite author?

Project:Inspiration

On Saturday I went in to a store and saw those trousers that are hanging up in the photo above, I really liked them but had no intention of buying them as they are always so long. I took 2 off the shelf because after all you need to try the best size that fits and the lady in the fitting room turned round and said 'oh do you realise you have two'... of course I do I'm not an idiot (some may argue this!) they are 2 different sizes.

I went in, left an envelope in the changing room, even tried a pair on to kill time since I had 2 and as I imagined they were far too long but the feel of them was so nice! I hope someone picked this up pretty much straight away.

I'm sure you can see from my drawings why I'm not a fashion designer. The dress on the postcard looks more like a space suit which wasn't the intention at all but hopefully whoever finds this will like it. 

Do you ever try on clothes with no intention of buying?

Project: Inspiration

Yesterday I managed to leave 5 envelopes which felt so good and I didn't feel the least bit nervous because of it considering I was actually more in public with crowds etc... but I guess when its like that its not as obvious what people are doing.

The first one I left is in a photo booth as I thought this envelope fitted in so well with the square images. Its just a shame that decorating the postcard wouldn't work out the way I wanted and as you can see there is a cloudy effect where I made mistakes.

I finally bought some plastic wallets and I wish I thought of it earlier as it means I can keep more envelopes in my bag without them getting crushed or falling to bits.

When I left the booth there was a lady outside, she probably wondered what I was doing as the curtains weren't long enough for people to think I was sat in there having my photo taken. So I think she may have taken it.

I'm running out of ideas of where to leave more now,

Have you any suggestions?

Project: Inspiration

This envelope as you can see I left in a shopping trolley. I came back and it was gone. I love how this one turned out and I especially love these postage stamps, I do however really need to look into getting some new postmarks in a variety of countries. This one I'm using is only for France.

I've really enjoyed working with these small square images, I've had them for such a long time that I think I may have to think of a project to use them.

Do you have any ideas?

Project: Inspiration

I had planned on only posting one more envelope at the supermarket but ended up taking another 2 as I decided I would post one on someones car whilst I'm there as its easir to go unseen here then if I was on a main road somewhere. It has only just rained, the clouds seemed to have cleared to a lovely white. I stuck the envelope on, spend 30 minutes in the supermarket and when I came back out it was still clear... Yes! So I thought until I went to the next store and whilst in there it suddenly poured it down, that you couldn't even hear yourself think. I actually felt a little sick as I'd actually gone back to my car to put my shopping away and was actually disappointed that the owner of the car hadn't come back yet.

I went back to the car in the pouring rain, I was strapping my niece in when I heard some shouting behind me and I turned around to see a lady (driver) and man (passenger) get into the car. The lady pulled it off and got into the car with it... I was worried she'd throw in there in the car park. She opened it and looked at it despite it being soaking wet. I was actually so pleased that the colour hadn't run as that was my first thought when the rain came down. Now I at least know where one of my envelopes went. Whether they kept it or not is another thing.

I did however forget to put a 'for you' sign on this one but I don't think it mattered. Do you agree?

Do you think the quotes that I've used so far are ok?

Project: Inspiration

As the days go on, I'm getting more and more curious as to whether or not my envelopes have been picked up. I did go to the supermarket yesterday and checked the book I left the envelope in but no one had taken it. I was kind of disappointed but I was also relieved as it meant that I could change the e-mail address in it so that if someone decided to get in touch they could. I'm glad now that I decided to create an e-mail address as at first I was against it.

When I had originally thought of the idea of leaving envelopes stuck to a door, I had thought about someone's home but when I actually started making some of the postcards my mind went first to the Cactus man and then to this door. This one at least would have stayed dry yesterday because that arch way covers the entrance. Last night before I fell asleep I suddenly had the idea that I should have placed these in plastic wrappers, why is it these ideas drop by afterwards? It wouldn't have mattered then if it was left over night. I guess this is something I'll do from now on with all envelopes.

This is such a nerve racking experiment and I actually think my stomach is hurting from the tension of it as I want people to find the envelope by chance rather then because they saw me put it there and wondered what I was doing. Also I have a lot of cards still to make and each one takes at least half an hour but I think its worth it because its turned out to be exactly what I want but also I hope it has that 'wow' factor when people discover it.

Do you think the postage stamps were a good idea?