"Sicky"

Here I was, all haughty and smart thinking that I wouldn't get my hubby's cold that he had last week!  Ah----NOT!  I've got it good!  Coughing so badly that I wake myself up every 1 1/2 hours all night long, nose running, head achy, and throughly feeling really crummy!  Thank heavens for AC though.  With the rains we've been having this past month and the humidity in the air, I'm sure I could feel a lot worse.  Needless to say, I haven't had an exceptionally productive week!!!

Today, I cleaned out some bags of "already fused" fabric.  These are pieces that I had left after doing something else with them originally.  Well, when I got going, I wondered if there might be enough of a variety to make a mini "Under the Sea" quilt that I need to fulfill the QT Swap obligation for this round.      I was going to take a trip to my LQS the last two days and look for stuff for the swap, but the way I've been feeling, I hated to infect the world!!  Now, I'm thinking I just might be able to whip up something using what I have.  What a delight that would be!!  I will let you know.  It doesn't have to be that big....only 12 inches square max.  But I'm not going to make it today!  I worked hard enough cleaning out that bag!  This was just a smidgin of all that I found.  I just pulled the "water looking stuff" out for now.  I have until the end of July so the quilt will need to wait until my brain is functioning better!!  Right now, it's all clogged up! 

I can show you a few envelopes though.  Here are two more that I sent to my great niece for the early readers.  I was only going to send her 1 a week (if you recall), but while searching for something else in Amazon, I found a few more fun ones so just HAD to order them too.  More books, more envelopes.......so some weeks I will double up.  Today she got one where I enclosed a dessert chocolate recipe for her mother as long as I was sending stuff.  My niece told me that she thought Audrey was more excited about the dessert than the book.  Go figure!!

Then, naturally, we have the envelopes I sent to Annie in California:

Then, one to a fan.........

So that's it!  Please don't think that all these images come out of my head.  They are from all over.....stamps, clip art, illustrations and some of them are my own.  I am a good copier.....and just by looking at an image, usually I can increase it to fit what I need just be re-drawing it.  Besides, then I get to use my Copic markers.......and I LOVE coloring!!  

Have a good week, and stay well!  This being sick is NO fun!

"Ladies" and more fun envelopes......

It occurred to me the other day that I was missing a "Lady" from awhile back.  I'm really hoping that she finally got herself, but as yet, I really don't know.  Alia and I corresponded in early April.  She lives in Oman, but I sent her quilt to her mother in the states to forward to her.  She is "Lady #45".  

a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35289170@N06/9103030392/" title="Lady #45 - Alia by mamacjt, on Flickr">

And here is one of the pictures she sent me originally:

Next, we have Lady #52.  Her name is Chris and she was commissioned by her dear friend, Susan.  She told me that Chris had some surgery and I should make her hair a bit longer:

And here is the original picture of Chris that Susan sent me: 

Lastly for the ladies, we have #53, Bea.  Bea is not a quilter like most of my ladies, but rather a rubber stamper and card maker.  She wondered if I could create something for her to put in her craft room and told me that her motto was "more is more" so no problem if I wanted to load up the embellishments:

And here is the original picture that Bea sent me of herself.  She told me that she had gotten different glasses and asked me to use the new ones instead of the ones she had on the picture.

Whew, lots of ladies this time!  AND......I'll be working on #54 this weekend.

Now for the envelopes.  First, let me show you the weekly fun one for my great niece, Audrey.  She is the little girl I wrote about on my last post with the "early readers". I thought a looney bird would be fun:



Remember to add postage, if you plan on doing this yourself.  Most early reader books in a 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 envelope take 3 forever stamps without anything additional in the envelope.  (Incidentally, I did get my box of 500 and I love them!  You might be seeing lots of fun big envelopes int he future, I'm afraid!)  lol

Next, I'm going to post the envelopes that I sent to Annie that she has already received this past week.  We are having such fun!













E-gads, that was one long blog post today.  I suppose I should blog more often, huh?  Sorry about that! I'll try to be better............really!  It was a crazy week! Now to work on Lady #54!  Hope you have a great week planned too.  It's raining like crazy here today so it's a perfect day to work on fun things!  Until next time..............

Fun and Educational.......

Lately, as you probably know, I have had a passion for fun mail.  I have sent many envelopes, but a few weeks ago, I got my best idea yet!!!  You see, my family has always had a love of books.  From little on, we read to our kids, and as they grow they continue to love their own books.  As an adult, I even have my own collection of children's books!  (I'm thinking sometimes it might be the darling drawings in them which attracted me to them in the first place though.  lol)

I have a great niece who turned 5 in February.  Her mom is a former K-3 teacher who has taught Audrey to read.  I was amazed when I heard her read a few weeks ago and she hasn't even stepped into kindergarten yet.  

This whole idea started when I decorated and sent my niece a decorated envelope for her birthday.  When I saw Audrey (her daughter), she asked if I would make a cool envelope for her.  Naturally, I said yes and sent her one within a day or two which she loved.  Then, I thought.......wouldn't it be cool to send Audrey an early reader book every week in a decorated envelope?  She would discover the joy of fun mail as well as getting quite a collection of books throughout the summer and really improve her reading skills in the process.  I threw the idea out to my niece and she loved it!

So, I went to town........took out my bunch of 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 white envelopes and started decorating.  Then, went to Target and Barnes and Noble for some cool and fun early readers.  (Amazon is also a source.)  Soon, I had quite a collection.  Here are just a few:

Some are easier than others, so I read them all to determine which was which so I could send the easiest ones first.  I'm sending the pre 1 ones first!  This week we are on #3.  Let me show you the envelopes so far.  My niece is not a girly-girl so you won't see any ballerinas in this group, let me warn you!







You'll note that I only have two "forever" stamps on most of the envelopes.  I did these prior to having one weighed.......so HAD TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL STAMP to each of my pre-made envelopes.  Most of the books (without anything more in the envelope) require $1.32 postage.......which is 3 - forever stamps.  (Just in case you want to do it too!)

Yesterday, I noticed that I only had four white 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 envelopes left so sent my hubby to the office supply store for more.  He came home later all proud telling me that the office supply store was no longer selling that size, but they located one box in the home office storeroom and it would be shipped to me this week.  When I asked him how much, he told me $55.  What??  Then, I asked him how many......and he said, "500".  YES, you read that right, folks............500!!!  E-gads!!!  So, my friends, IF you need any envelopes to do this with some youngster you love, you know where to get them.  Ah-huh!!!  You betcha!  You pay for shipping and I'll send you enough to supply YOU for all summer too!  If you need any ideas on easy ways to decorate them, e-mail me and we can talk.  You will be loved by your youngster............just like me!  From what I hear, Audrey is counting the days until the next book arrives.

More of the same.......

Things haven't changed much around here.  I continue to make fun envelopes and fabric portraits.....and I'm loving both!!!  Today I will start off with pictures of the envelopes first.  I continue to exchange with my friend, Annie, from California......







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Then, I found a little friend who likes turtles:



And a long time friend who had a birthday:



Then, I got my package from the FLIRTS swap.  I asked for coasters and was blessed with this nice set from "beadqueen", alias, Liz:



Lastly, let me introduce you to Lady # 51, Anita from the USA (not to be confused with Lady #35, Anita from Australia).  Anita also sent me a nice photo of her with herself.  lol





So there you have it.......another week.  How quickly they fly by when you are having fun.  Did you ever notice that?  Be well, my friends, and try your best to have some fun this week too!  I will be working on Lady #52.

Ladies #37 and #50 plus more mail art

School is out for most places and now I can show you Lady #37, Mrs. Joy.  Mrs. Joy was commissioned by the faculty of an elementary school in Florida as a gift for their art instructor volunteer, Mrs. Joy.  They were going to gift "herself" to her on the final day of classes.

May I present, Mrs. Joy - Lady #37

And the real Mrs. Joy:

Then, #50 Lady finally arrived home after a long voyage over the "pond".  I'm pleased to present, Marilyn:



And here is Marilyn with herself:



Wasn't that nice that she wore a shirt to match her quilt?  I'm thinking she could have at least tied a tape measure in her hair too, don't you think?  lol (I'm just teasing, Marilyn!!)

Then, more mail art arrived for their recipients:













So there you have it......my week in a nutshell.  I have been busy creating more envelopes and next time there will be more to show you.  I also have a new lady to create, so I'm not just hanging around here twiddling my thumbs.  I hope you are also enjoying your spring.  Until next week, my friends......