Mail O' June

I can't get over how much I adore mail.
These past months, while my posting has been HORRENDOUS, I have still managed to find time to write letters to my fab pen pals! Here are only some of the wonderful incoming/outgoings that I have received/sent these past months!
Enjoy!

Incoming
I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful group of buds and pen pals alike who write such beautiful letters and create such beautiful mail art! Always a joy to open the mailbox to letters like these!

A pile of only some of the gorgeous mail art received this month!

Some of the (as always) gorgie mail from pen pal L., in U.S.A.

 

(And some of the lovely stamps adorning aforementioned envelopes.)

 

A recent lovely letter from S., in U.S.A.

A fab letter from J., in Australia.

A lovely letter from M., in U.S.A.

A phenomenal, action-packed letter from S., in Australia.

(and the gorgeous "Canberra" stamp--our nation's capital--stamped with her Quorn beauty!)

Outgoing
I can only hope that my outgoing letters bring the recipients as much joy as the ones I receive!

A handdrawn butterfly for my best bud; U.S.A. (and the stamp of which is the second to last in my Lady Bird Challenge stamp collection)

A little red for my cousin; U.S.A.

Some vintage nautical madness for an awesome pen pal; U.S.A.

Some arrows and hearts for my cousin; U.S.A.

A long overdue birthday package for pen pal J in Australia...

...and the vintage hand-finger-pointing decal for the package!

 

A long overdue letter for S., in Australia...

...and the washi-tape/typewriter decaling...

...and the gorgeous postage stamps (that I am super-duper in love with!! Including Lady Bird Johnson stamp which is the last in my Lady Bird Challenge collection of stamps!)

And a little outgoing orange to dear friend in U.S.A.

And such is the mail! Today, I shall write three more letters and might even post them on here!
I'd love to hear about your mail adventures! Comment below!
Cheers,
Ms. Always Traveling

Newness | 2013

Throughout the months of January and February, I was given some lovely new (antique) stamps from members of my family (thank you very much, loving family!) and my good pal Bill the Postman who works at my local post office.
Each one is gorgeous, and, since I was lucky enough to also receive a beautiful stamp holder (!!), I am able to keep all of the gorgeousness in one place.

 The stamp holder itself, a Standard, is gorgeous. Some of the stamp-holding prongs are bent out of shape, but I love it nonetheless. Nuances provide character, no?

Each of the stamps that situate themselves in the stamp holder--and there is a perfect amount of stamps (great thinking, lovely family!)--are gorgeous. Case in point, "Insured", a stamp from Bill at the post office.

The "Air Mail" stamp is another treat from Bill-y boy, while the "Past Due", a little unorthodox compared to the rest of the collection, was a family gift.

 

As you can see, the stamp is a self-inking press down stamp, and it has a gorgeous font PLUS a cute, little mini hand and lovely spiel: "This account has no doubt escaped your notice. Will you please favor us with a [illegible] by return mail and oblige?" Love it.

A more traditional stamp, this one has already been used on multiple occasions as the return label on my letters. Love it.

And two more beauties! The top one (complete with purple ink--oops!) was a gift from my family, and the bottom on a kind offering from Bill.

It makes me very happy to know that these stamps were once used by postal/office employees somewhere in the world back in the day. And it makes me even more happy to know that they are now safe in my collection.

Antiques, you make me happy.
~ Ms. Always Traveling

Outgoing | February

This month has been one of wonderful letters. Prepare yourself, because this post is a long (gorgeous) one! :) Mail and stamps are two words that bring music to my ears--and with the new postage stamp selection, the outgoings this year about to get a little more LOUD!'

A batty outgoing to A. in United States.

A birthday "Celebration!" on its way to A. in United States.

A funky aerogramme on its way to B. in United States.

A letter on its way to D. in United States...

...complete with NEW Fort Sumter stamp!

A letter on its way to K. in Canada.

A letter on its way to A. in Australia.

And some of the GORGEOUS stamps that I lovingly adorned A. and K.'s envelopes with!

A package for L. (United States) made out of a USPS stamp envelope.

Some more outgoing love!

A letter to E. in United States (missing a stamp, I know)

A letter to G. in United States.

...and the back of G's letter.

A circus-themed letter on its way to J. in United States.

This letter was inspired by one that I saw on the fish-mail-art blog. Stamp from the Modern Choreographers collection.

Letter on its way to S. in Australia.

And the back -- adorned using one of my new (antique) stamps!

What mail have you sent this month?
Has it been LOVEly?

~ Ms. Always Traveling

Lady Bird Challenge | One and Two

As I mentioned earlier this month, I bought a pane of Lady Bird Johnson stamps and intended to use them each on a different letter. I also noted that I would document my journey with the six wonderful stamps.
True to my word, here are the first two.

Both pieces are outgoing pieces to Australia (and so both will, obviously, require more postage than what is documented so far on these envelopes) and both are going to people that I think will appreciate the pretty stamps.

The first is a more purple-toned piece, which goes perfectly with the purple and pink-tinted envelope.
Headed to penpal S. in Australia, here is number one:

The second is a more green-yellow piece whose colours match perfectly with the colours of the envelope and written address. The back of the letter includes some stamping from some gorgeous new (to my collection) antique stamps. Headed to friend E. in Australia, here is number two:

What do you think? Have I done the first two Lady Bird stamps justice?
I hope you'll stay with this series as a conquer the next four!

Send with a purpose--
~ Ms. Always Traveling

The Lady Bird Challenge

It started with a pane of stamps.
And it shall end with six beautiful pieces of mail.

That's right, I've created a bit of a challenge for myself: to create six pieces of mail that directly relate to the "Lady Bird Johnson 1912 - 2012 Centennial" stamp pane!

I will use all six stamps to construct six separate pieces of mail, and send them off into the world!

Watch this space...

Send more mail--
~ Ms. Always Traveling