Paper Links

One of the biggest benefits I get from managing this blog is reading related articles that talk about all kinds of things I enjoy: letters, notebooks, postcards, stamps, journals, pens, planners, etc.

Although I enjoy seeing this type of thing on other blogs, I've been reluctant to include one. My thinking was that a lot of people who read my blog already follow many of the same blogs I do. But maybe they don't. I know I'm always finding new bloggers in this pen and papery sphere of interest.  
 
Craft Recycled: Junk Mail Stationery by Green Upgrader
Inspiration Books by Cappuccino and Art Journal
Renegade Craft Fair (Part 1) by Curbside Treasure
The Post that Was by Dante's Wardrobe
Save the B. Free Franklin Post Office by Letter Writer
A Stamp a Day Beyond the Perf (USA Philatelic)
Index-Card-A-Day (ICAD) Prompts by Daisy Yellow
What is this thing called a "zine"? by Everyday Should Be a Red Letter Day
"S'Mother: The Story of a Man, His Mom, and the Thousands of Altogether Insane Letters She's Mailed Him." Book by Adam Chester
"Stieglitz and O'Keeffe: Their Love and Life in Letters" by NPR

Typewriter Heaven

I sat down to write this blog and decided to type a little bit of it on my wonderful green Voss typewriter that I first blogged about last year.

I haven't had the typewriter out for quite awhile and it's just been sitting quietly on a shelf in my office. I did use it to type a note to Missive Maven as well as the daughter of a friend last year when I first purchased it.

So I dusted it off and loaded it with paper and typed a quick note.

Part of the reason I'm doing this now is to show off these couple pictures I had taken last May at the National Stationery Show. This company buys and sells typewriters as well as supplies them for photo shoots and movie sets. 

You can visit the kasbahMod website to see pictures of their current inventory. They also sold typewriter ribbon for $15, so I picked up one for my old Voss, but haven't had the heart to change it yet. Looking at these couple pictures makes me wish I had taken more. Why oh why did I not?

I also love the business card they handed out at the stationery show. Very cool! They do actually have a name and email on the card, but I have it neatly hidden behind my handmade "Your name here" sign.

Edward Gorey #15

Postcard #15 in the Edward Gorey Postcard Collection is from his collection "The Tuning Fork". In this illustration we see a woman riding some kind of sea monster. Her expression seems resigned and I'm not sure if she is wearing a long string of beads, or perhaps it's a string of popcorn. Anybody?

"The natives, afterwards, took fright

When she was seen, off the shore, at night."

I had some lovely emails and responses to my previous postings on the Edward Gorey postcards so I'll choose one of those and surprise one of those fans with this card.

Postmarks

I've recently begun saving postmarks from letters and giving them their own page in my stamp album. There's a certain thrill for us postal geeks when we find a perfectly preserved postal marking. This is especially useful when you come across old letters and you're trying to determine if the date reads '1918' or '1928'.

 These photos are from an assortment I've collected in the last few years. I decided to keep them together in the in the SuperSafe stamp album I purchased last year at the National Postal Museum store. I had not really considered myself a stamp collector, but now that I have an album with a few stamps in it, I guess I have to rethink that.

In addition to collecting nicely defined postmarks, I also collect a few different themes of stamps that appeal to me- holiday, authors/writing, cartoons, US states and a handful of cute or colorful stamps that just appeal to me.

I prefer the round postmarks as pictured above and below. They are more evocative of the postal imagery than the machine stamped postmarks that are more common these days. I save all of the letters I receive and every few years I'll go through the envelopes and cut out the stamps and postmarks that I want to save.

The 'Forman' postmark above is from my hometown of Forman, ND. I'm not sure where this stamp came from or what year the postmark is from.

Stamps and postmarks. Just part of the fun and ephemera of mail from today and yesterday.

Texas Pen Giveaway

Winner of the Cross pen as featured in the June newsletter was Charles M. from Virginia! This Sterling Silver Cross Townsend fountain pen (retail $425) was generously donated by The Texas Pen Company. Congratulations, Charles!

Contest entrants were asked to submit a story idea for the printed version of Letters & Journals. I'm compiling these and will create a blog post with them soon. I've been developing my own list for the last five years and was pleasantly surprised and very pleased to see so many new ideas. Thanks to all who entered!

Show Me Your Stationery

Like many of my fellow stationery addicts, I collect stationery wherever I go. Stores, garage sales, letterhead from old jobs, and, of course, hotels.

My favorite is the Forman Implement Company. I only have one sheet of this so I protect it and copy it on nice resume paper when I want to use it (not often).

Next is my assortment of hotel stationery. I collect this and use it frequently. Mostly I stay in the Hilton family of hotels so I tend to have a lot of their stationery. I won't bother showing all that I have as they are pretty much the same, just a different city.

 

The following stationery is from Ireland. We spent just one night in Bantry at the Bantry House & Garden. I was hoping for a castle, but this country manor was as close as got. The view was breathtaking.

Maybe you'd prefer to see a picture of the hotel rather than the nondescript stationery.

Naturally I do have stationery that is not hotel related. Next time I will do a post on that.

Show Me Your Stationery is a weekly feature of the Molly & the Princess blog. If you have stationery you want to share with the world, check out Molly's blog.

If you are inspired to share your stationery (I hope you are), please consider participating in Molly's 'Show Me Your Stationery' by including her badge in your blog post. Click on Molly's badge to be taken to her site where you'll see other participants and their stationery.

July Stationery Giveaway

Welcome to the July Stationery Giveaway at Letters & Journals! To be entered to win this wonderful selection of prizes from our generous sponsors, just leave a comment with your email address so that you can be contacted. (If you're registered at the website, then you don't need to include it with your comment.)

This lovely writing journal was donated by Journaling Arts who has been a long time sponsor of the monthly giveaways. The deep red color, the heart on the cover and the word 'Amore' in the bottom right hand corner all combine to make this a journal where you'll want to write your most private thoughts.

The Texas Pen Company donated this calligraphy set that comes with 2 Scheaffer Fountain Pens, 3 calligraphy nibs, 14 ink cartridges, a practice pad and calligraphy booklet with step-by-step instructions.Who doesn't like trying new pens and experimenting with our handwriting?

The note card set featured below is from the Rifle Paper Company. This note card has four different designs all featuring insects such as the Caterpillar you see here.

This pink orchid designer pen came from Peter Pauper Press. The fine point rollerball writes in black ink. The Chinese proverb on the back of the box says "Words are but air; the pen leaves a mark."

If you're looking for some writing stationery for you new pink orchid pen, look no further than this unique writing tablet by Botanical Paperworks. The paper is made from 100% post consumer waste paper and the seed cover is embedded with wildflower seeds and can be planted.

Journals and Papers donated this dream journal. This blue hardcover book has blank pages with an inspirational quote in the corner of each page to act as your muse. Instructions on the cover state, "Hope, wish and dream daily as needed."

The Parker Planner is small enough to fit in your purse or pocket and contains undated pages and extra free space so you can create the day planner to fit your needs.  Thanks Parker Planner for contributing to our monthly giveaway!

Ex Libris Anonymous (Book Journals) recycles old used books and turns them into personal journals by filling with quality blank paper while leaving a selection of the original text interspersed in the book to make a unique writing journal.

Haley's Handmades contributed a set of note cards, a set of 6 bookplates and some individual note cards all featuring her animated poodles. Below is just one of the designs.

Sean McMahon has created musical note cards with a variety of themes. If you visit his website you can see a large selection of his cards as well as hear some of the songs.

Chewy Tulip sent in a themed selection this month- it is all about bears! Included in this packet are 3 postcards, 6 mini note cards and a magnet.

On August 1 a winner will be selected from the comments that are posted to this blog. Make sure to leave your email address so you can be contacted if you win. Good Luck!