Postcards from Japan

I dont often comment about postcards. though I do always like to recieve them. This one i saw today was posted on Missive Maven's Flickr gallery. It had been sent as part of a postcard swap and Maven has even gone on to blog about it here.
This is a very unusual postcard. Its a soft painting, part of me would like to say impressionist, but Im not sure if thats the right artistic term for it. Its Japanese and has a very soft quality to it. Im very taken by it. Certainly an image I would place on the wall in my room or add to my postcard collection thats for sure. Especially because the subject is a cat.

Go for a walk down Ladybird lane

They say that to just a piece of card stock with stickers attached to it, is not enough to constitute a good ATC. I have to agree with that statement. However there is a line and where as some people would say no stickers whatsoever Im open minded. And its for cards like this one I remain so.

Because although clearly the ladybirds that stalk around the window frame are stickers. They are used in an artistic and cool way.
So much so I thought they had earnt a mention for when someone uses stickers well on an Art card. I found it here on Imetty's Flickr gallery. It does have an pretty bow on the top too. (sorry it just had to be mentioned).

Her name is Lola the Rabbit

Lola the bunny. What an adorable little critter to make for a wish. I love the warm orange fabric this stuffie has been made from, it was what first caught my eye. Its not the spots, I just cant help it. Like a bee to honey I love orange its such a warm colour.
This bunny though looks so well made, she even has a pompom for a tail, which is a really nice tactile touch just like the button eyes and ribbon around her neck. I hope all goes well for this swap and the young girl she has been made for. What a surprize! thank you Flickr user Het_Kleine_Woud for sharing this and the other delightful pictures of your stuffies for me to oogle at and admire. They really are quite lovely to look at bobbing about in the grasses.

60 objects one matchbox!

I wonder whats inside this little match box. All wrapped up and ready to be posted by Flickr gallery owner lishmo123.
This apparently has inside it 60 objects. As part of a found object matchbox cram swap hosted on Swap-bot. Im not going to spoil whats inside but I do like some of the little metal shiney things that have gone into this. But I think the most special part is the tag and the lace ribbon that have it wrapped up securely. This really will be a treat to recieve, but Id never want to dismatle it, or take any of the careful packaged objects out from the match box.

Not my Fabergé egg

This is one of the most unusual things Ive seen posted through the surface mail service in along time. Its an actual egg, decorated and with a little clock face inside. I dont think its ticking though. (apparently your not allowed to send ticking things in the post).
There is a zipper around the middle to close the egg too. Its really preculiar but I like it. It sort of has that victorian, steam punk, egg theme. By making the ordinary thing here an egg into the extra-ordinary egg clock with zipper. I very much like it, it must have taken some pacients to pattern all those swirls onto the actual egg itself too. Not to mention adding the zip. Its not the only one either, its one of three that can be seen on indygirl-cp's Flickr gallery.

Inspired Tagging

In all my years of mail art this is something I have never seen before. This is what creator CraftyAnnie who posted it on her flickr gallery today calls an inspiration tag. which I can only assume to mean its an tag thats been wrapped up especially with little nick nacks and wootley bits to provide inspiration to a swap partner.

I like the sort of eccentric mix of ticket stubs and collage bits, ribbons and buttons. I dont know about her partner but I certain get inspired by this, to bundle together a tag of my own for some swapper in the future. This is a really well made object. Though if I had recieved it. Im not sure where I would have put it.

It's Been 'sew' long...

In case anyone was in any doubt this ATC is the right size, how do you think i know, well it has a tape measure on it telling us all so. I do hope this is an ATC though, as there was no description of what it is.
Thats possibly one of the most creative uses of a tape measure on an art card ive seen. Not simply stuck to the card but woven through four simple holes. What a great idea to link it to the text on the card 'Its been sew long...' since its sewn onto the card.
But this isnt the only clever ATC posted by artist Fabricmom in her flickr gallery. There are a handful of other very delicate and lovely looking cards for us to admire.