The Shape of Ideas Sketchbook

I am on a mission to improve my drawing skill set, or, as I like to call it, my doodling. I've never been confident of my drawing ability and don't have an eye for the horizon line and other drawing concepts. However, I do realize that the key is practice and that's where The Shape of Ideas Sketchbook comes in.

This 144-page book was sent to me by the publisher for a preview before its release this September. The book was created by Grant Snider who published The Shape of Ideas: An Illustrated Exploration of Creativity in 2017.

 

The smooth white pages of the sketchbook are mostly blank, except for a few pages interspersed with colorful illustrations; it lies flat for ease and comfort while drawing; it includes a pen holder and comes with an elastic binder to keep the book closed flat.

Grant Snider is an orthodontist by day and an artist by night. You can follow him on Twitter (@grantdraws) where he regularly posts thought-provoking illustrations such as this:

Do you doodle in your letters and on your envelopes? It's like sharing a piece of your self when you are willing to share your art. I do occasionally and would like to do it even more.

Highlights from the Scooby Doo Stamp Release Ceremony

Highlights from the Scooby Doo Stamp Release ceremony last Saturday at the Mall of America include getting a free envelope with a canceled Scooby stamp ready to mail (or save), a Scooby Doo pin, and an agenda for the stamp release ceremony.

Ceremony Agenda

Stamped envelope with ScoobyDoo cancellation and commemorative pin

Stamps from the USPS were available for purchase along with pre-cancelled envelopes in color or in black-and-white Scooby cancellations.

Since this was my first time at a First Day of Issue ceremony, I wasn't sure what to expect and didn't realize that I could have brought my own postcards or envelopes to have them hand-cancelled after putting one of my brand new Scooby Doo stamps on them. So I stopped at a store that sold some Minnesota postcards and purchased a dozen of them that I could send out to friends, relatives and pen pals.

The friendly postal worker in line in front of me had a wonderful t-shirt that she allowed me to photograph. Don't you love it?!

These lovely ladies were hand-cancelling the envelopes and postcards that people bought.

Here are four of the postcards I purchased and then put on a Scooby stamp and had them canceled by the two ladies shown above.

Here's the stage where the official ceremony took place. There were quite a few photographers on hand although I'm not sure who they were all with.

 

 And here I am with Scooby himself. Smile!

Cherry Blossom Tree Calendar Giveaway

Kate Murray at the Quick Brown Fox Letter Press  has offered to send this Cherry Blossom Tree Calendar to one lucky winner! I met Kate at the National Stationery Show this May and was delighted when she agreed to help me out with a giveaway!

Quick Brown Fox Letter Press is where you find quirky letter press printing and design.

The Cherry Blossom Tree calendar measures 5x7 and is Kate's bestselling calendar.

You can visit the Quick Brown Fox Letter Press website to learn more about the calendar and to see each of the month's designs as well as other stationery themed product that Kate offers.

How to enter? Choose one of these two options:

1. Share this blog post on any social media and email me a link to your post using one of these hashtags:

#CherryBlossomGiveaway

or

#QuickBrownFoxGiveaway

2. Mail an entry to:
Letters & Journals

PO Box 120052

St Paul, MN 55112

Entry deadline is August 1, 2018. Winner will be selected August 10, 2018.
Limited to United States due to mailing costs.
One entry per person.

Scooby Doo Postage Stamp Release is July 14 in Minneapolis

Exciting times are here in Minneapolis as we look forward to the stamp release event for the new Scooby Doo postage stamp this Saturday, July 14 at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN.

I heard about this event at the Postal Times website. There is a doo-good campaign going on in conjunction with the stamp release. Scooby-Doo has teamed up with generationOn, the youth family division of Points of Light, to inspire, equip and mobilize kids and families to create meaningful change in their communities! It’s all about DOO-in the right thing. Find out more information at the Mall of America on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or visit the website here.

You can pre-order your Scooby Doo stamps (sheet of 12 for $6) at the USPS website. I think it costs $1.25 for postage to have the stamps mailed to you, even if you order more than one set, or additional stamps.

Letter Enclosed Stamp

I enjoy decorating my envelopes when I send a letter and I think most people like to receive envelopes that have been decorated - I know I do! Recently I've been using this lovely "Letter Enclosed" stamp that I purchased at the Well-Appointed Desk shop (online).

You can see how the stamped image appears in the images below.

Every other month or so I send mail to "Donate a Letter" which is part of "From Me to You", an organization that delivers these letters (and others they collect) to cancer patients.

If any of you would like to receive a note card or short letter, you are welcome to either comment with your mailing address to this blog post, or send me a card/letter/postcard with your request to the address at the bottom of this post. I will plan to use this lovely stamp on each one. and will max my sent responses at 100 or until September 1, 2018, whichever comes first.

Jackie Flaherty

Letters & Journals

PO Box 120052

St Paul, MN 55112

Making the world a kinder, gentler place, one letter at a time.