Project: Inspiration

With really enjoying reading myself I really had to have an envelope between a book page, my idea had been to put it between the pages of a library book but then I thought our local library is just so quiet what if the book I choose takes forever to be picked up and flicked through. So in the end I made my way to the supermarket and placed one between the pages there. It was such hard work as there were a lot of people wondering around along with a worker that in the end I picked one off the shelf and got on with things.

This one I kept simple as you can see but it still does the job. I used some Christmas stamps for this one from a Charles Dickens range that came out years ago for his Christmas Carol book. I was so disappointed with my UK stamp range as majority of those in my pack were Christmas ones but those that weren't have come in really handy. My Fruit and Flowers stamps though have fit in perfectly. I wanted to use stamps so that it felt like receiving a real letter.

Do you prefer these all in one photographs or would you prefer I post them individually?

Project: Inspiration

Today I made my way to the supermarket, I didn't need anything but made an excuse just so that I could leave 2 envelopes in order to create some posts this week. I would have liked to have left more but don't have too many completed. Also with all this rain it makes it really hard to leave those that I want to outside in open spaces but hopefully I'll get to do that some time soon.

I had hoped to actually leave this envelope in a phone box but as I was making my way to the supermarket I noticed quite a few men hanging around so decided to try and leave one at the phone  inside. It doesn't help that those are the 2 phones that are close by in this area. There were not so many people around but I was still so conscious with it being such an open space. I wanted to take a better photo but I also didn't want to draw too much attention too myself by moving further back. I decided the main thing was that you can see the envelope. On my way out I took a peek in that direction and it was still there.

One of the things I've gained from this experiences is trying to draw some things myself which I aren't doing too brilliantly at but I don't think the actually person will care as its quite eye catching. Still like I mentioned in my previous post, its my writing thats a problem as I just don't like it. I write much smaller and in Italics. My calligraphy pens are a right pain as the ink won't flow properly through them so I'm going to have to try and look for some cartridges to see if those work better then the refill. You can also maybe see why I decided to call it inspiration(al) as each quote is something similar to this. I thought the breath quote suited this as you have to breath to talk.

I decided this morning to create an e-mail address as I decided that if it was me I'd like to get in touch with that person and tell them exactly what I think of what they received. Only annoying thing is that I thought my address ended in .com but its .co.uk so for these 2 envelopes I'll never receive the response if I get one... that's actually quite sad.

Do you prefer the old fashioned telephone or the more modern cordless ones?

Project: Inspiration

I'm starting a new project this month which I worked on most of last month but still haven't completed because I made it more complicated then it should have been. I actually wanted to call it Project Wonderful but it doesn't quite fit in with what it has become. So I've decided to call it Project Inspiration because of the quotes to inspire and to believe in.

The idea of this project came to mind when I came across a tweet on twitter about moreloveletters which is to write a letter and leave it in places for people to find, read and quite possibly get in touch. I didn't fancy writing a letter to a stranger (for once) but to use envelopes with postcards and a 'You're Wonderful' quote. The quotes didn't quite work out as I couldn't think of so many inspirational wonderful quotes so in the end I decided to use uplifting quotes instead.

Anyway the idea was to use my envelopes from letter sets but when I actually sat down and looked at them I thought they were just so disappointing with the To and From, poststage stamp mark and an address it just didn't fit in with what I had in mind.

It was such a shame though as I had some really cute envelope but I eventually gave those up on make my day to a happier home and somewhere hopefully where they will get used.

My sister wanted to create some Good Luck cards for the children at work so we went shopping. I saw this pack of brown cards with envelopes and decided I really wanted to work with it as its something I've never used before. I'm glad I did as its been really nice to work with and feels like spaces are filled where as white always feels like there are too many blank spaces.... hope that makes sense.

On a few of the blogs that I follow I've seen a lot of amazingly collaged and crafted envelopes. I really wanted to do something like that as its not something I feel comfortable doing with my friends letters as I'd be worried it would get spoiled in the post but also I feel safer using tape around the edges which would make the whole thing pointless in doing. I looked all over for collage images but couldn't find anything that was just images, they also included music sheets, book pages, playing cards etc... that I almost gave up but then came across those on ebay. I love them a lot and have made great use out of them but the only thing is I wanted it to be neutral incase a man came across an envelope it would be nice for it not to be so girlie. As I couldn't find anymore images I decided to stick with these and my rubber stamps.

I gave all my stamps away on make my day at the beginning of the year as they were just sat on my desk taking up space in a box. So it typical that when the time came to do this project, I didn't have a single one and had to go out and buy some.

I then thought more about it and realised after getting such a fun and decorated envelope it would be so disappointing to open it and find a brown piece of card with a few words on it. I then over complicated things by decorating each postcard too. I really hope that whoever receives these will choose to frame them but of course I know that won't be the case. My first job ever was packing junk mail, when I toss out all those envelopes and leaflets I never stop to think twice about the hours I spent standing there in the cold packing each one and getting paid per 1,000. So who is going to do the same for this?

I created a short list of possible places I could leave my envelopes. Its grown some more since I created this one. I've so far created 23 envelopes but will probably make 25, I'll see how things go as time goes on. Maybe you can think of some places that I maybe able to leave them. Unfortunately public transport isn't an option as I no longer use it and won't have holidays until the end of the month when Ramadan will start.

I decided as I was going to put so much effort in I might as well make some seals. I would have loved to have made wax ones but I didn't like the thought of ruining my envelope if I didn't do it right or even better burning the house down in my clumsiness. I will have to remember if I do this again to make these even thinner as they are quite bulky for the envelopes.

Then finally the adventure of the envelopes begins.....

The first one of course had to go to the postman but its a shame I only got around to posting it today, as it will have a pile more letters on top for when  the letters are collected tomorrow so it may go unseen.

I wish I didn't have to write 'for you' as I can't use fancy enough writing for it as those six letters, no matter how I change my writing still look a mess.

The postboxes are hand drawn, the rest are rubber stamps.

The postcard says....

To

Mr Apprciated

Fabulous w(or)k

Dedicated (you have to be to wake up so early and to work in such a horrible climate)

10(thank) u (you) so m(uch), A Fan

All the other postcards have quotes on and I wish I could given them to someone else to write on as my writing just looks awful. I really would have loved to have printed something off and just stuck it down but I have openoffice which doesn't have all that many great fonts, those I've tried to download don't work.

Anyway I've made this lengthy enough. I'm going to try and post an envelope a day on here but that may not be possible as I haven't yet started to leave envelopes anywhere. I'll see as I know I'll end up doing a couple a day when the time comes.

Please let me know what you think!