Monday, March 31, 2014

Can I send YOU one?


I've been busy this weekend clearing out my scrapbooking supplies as well as other downsizing projects.

Creating scrapbooks was a hobby I was addicted to/enjoyed for several years. It was becoming a significant craft when I started in the late '90's……………young moms loved it, older gals like me who were becoming grandmothers adored it. I would spend hours, first in tiny local, independent scrap shops, buying lovely papers and stickers. Sadly, they all closed down when the big national scrap players arrived. Then it was off to workshops at home parties run by large companies, such as Creative Memories where one could spend the cost of a month's groceries in an hour on quality, but extremely costly, supplies. Then I hung out far too often at our local Archivers - a lovely shop with the most fabulous array of top quality scrapping papers, so many beautiful ideas, and the items to make a blank page come alive around that special photo of a cute kid at Disney or the Grand Canyon. I even signed up for rubber stamping, embossing, and other creative classes there………and I have the boxes of stuff to prove it! Now these two business have closed nationwide - apparently the current financial market has made online digital scrapbooking less costly, and some say easier. I don't know about that as I've never dipped my toes in the murky waters of digital scrapping, but I suppose not having to collect and store the real stuff makes one look less like a hoarder - which was a feeling gradually creeping into my life and home.



What am I doing with all my supplies? Sharing with another neighborhood grandmother who's just getting into scrapbooking. Keeping some of my stamps, ribbons and lovely papers in case I want to create a special card, I still enjoy doing that, or make a package wrapping personal and pretty. The remainder some happy lady will find at the thrift shop - the one I support where proceeds go to the neuter/spay program for local cats.

So, what can I send to you as I downsize? No boxes of scrap, but how about a postcard? A few bloggers have been sending personalized post cards lately to keep the written word going. I love this idea, and if you've followed me for a while you'll recall I LOVE anything with the written word.



Among my boxes of scrap materials I have a large collection of postcards - doubles of many - from places on the seven continents I've visited. I've also many pretty 'art' postcards. So, my little Springtime gift to eight of you will be sharing a pretty, handwritten card depicting Devon, my home in England before moving to the States. It will arrive in the mail, crossing land or sea no matter which continent you live on.

If you'd enjoy seeing a postcard in your mailbox, leave me a comment on this post only and I'll pick eight names on Friday. Let's continue sharing the written word, it's important in these days when correspondence is becoming so impersonal. Hopefully, if you're interested, I'll continue to send cards several times throughout the year.




29 comments:

  1. Hello Mary:

    Reading this made us rather sad. Sad that you should be discontinuing your scrapbook when, so obviously, you have in the past approached it with real interest, talent, imagination and expertise. Strangely, to create a scrapbook is something which has always appealed to us and which we have never got around to. Perhaps now........!!

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  2. Good morning Mary. I really like this idea of sending/receiving postcards. I should do that with my grandsons so they would get something in the mail now and then. They would love that. I never got into scrapbooking but I was making cards for a season and have some stamps from that. I might give them to our daughter as she enjoys card making when she has time. We are in snow/ice storm mode here again - day 2. I hope you have a lovely spring day there. :)

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  3. I never became a "Scrapbooker", too busy doing other crafty things. It was, as you say, very popular several years ago, and quite expensive if quality papesr and findings were used. Sad you have decided to discontinue to do it.
    I still use the written word, as letters have travelled back and forth over the Atlantic Ocean, to girlfriends that I left in England in 1954, when we immigrated to Canada. One has since started to e-mail her news, which is received almost as soon as it is written, however, I do still look in my mail box for that familiar writing on the envelope and rip it open to read the news in their little part of the world.
    Patricia

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  4. Good Morning Mary. I would love to receive a post card from you! So throw my name into the hat. Hope you are enjoying the lovely weather we are going to have this week!
    xo
    Penny

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  5. Such a lovely idea Mary. It makes a delightful change to the usual spam mail and bills that clatter through the letter box in the morning. Please count me in! Chel x

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  6. Oh my yes! I'd love to be included.

    And, yes, I've been there and done that and have all the stamps clogging up the works to prove it. My sister gave me many of them and recently expressed an interest in getting back to to it. I assured her that I'd pack up everything and deliver. She said, "No." But I'm thinking it could be a "Yes." Ha!

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  7. Hi Mary!

    I'd love a post card as well! Staying in touch would be lovely...

    Chris

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  8. Good morning, Mary. I've been looking at the boxes of special scissors, rulers, stamps and more and thinking that I'd like to downsize a little. Too much stuff, not enough time. Waning interest.
    I'd love to receive a postcard from you. I was appalled to discover that the teaching of cursive handwriting is on the down swing as some school districts feel it archaic. Handwriting is such a personal thing. When we lived overseas I always knew who wrote the letters by the handwriting on the envelope. The ones with my mother's writing were opened immediately. I took pleasure in knowing that her hand touched the paper I was reading.
    Hope you're enjoying spring weather out your way!

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  9. Dear Mary, what a lovely surprise you have planned for some of your readers! I would adore receiving a Devon postcard, and if I do, I will tuck it into my copy of Eden Phillpott's "My Year in Devon" for safekeeping. Enjoy your downsizing process! It must be difficult to chose what to part with and what to keep; I'm quite sure you have many, many beautiful things.

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  10. Yes Yes Yes i want a postcard please. I have the one from 1963 from you- remember. Won't put here what it said, but i treasure it as part of our long history. SO YES YES YES PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE>

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  11. Suzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home

    It would be such a special treat, Mary!
    And what a wonderful idea.
    Have a beautiful week,
    Suzanne

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  12. I love postcards and still send and receive them ~ people think there is no place for postcards anymore, but believe me there is. I put each one in my scrapbook album and often look back and read the sentiments on each one. They are very special to me. It is "my thing" ~ my little obsession. I would love to add one of your postcards to my collection Mary.

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  13. Mary.
    I also miss the written word and would absolutely love a postcard from my fellow breath of fresh air.
    Annie x

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  14. I would love to get a postcard and especially from North Carolina since that is where I am from. Now a Colorado native but I do love getting the written word also. This would be so special.

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  15. I would love a postcard Mary as I am from North Carolina. I miss getting handwritten mail and I think this is so special.

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  16. I never engaged in scrapbooking though I am sure some folks had worthwhile results. I hope the downsizing projects go well. I think you will feel some sense of freedom and accomplishment with your new-found space when you finish. I need to follow suit with some drawers and closets.
    A postcard from you would be lovely.....too few of those appear in our mailboxes these days. A handwritten note is always special.
    Farm Gal in VA

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  17. I am so jealous of your copious supply of scrapbooking materials, cute packaging, and postcards! I can see how it may begin to feel overwhelming and cluttered, though. It's hard to get rid of things like that. I have TONS of my old art supplies from high school and college, and I just can't bring myself to get rid of them. Alas, they are taking up almost an entire closet at our house. Which reminds me... it's the closet in the guest room that Richard's Mum will be staying in -- looks like it's time to finally go through the pile and part with some things!

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  18. From another "hoarder" of scrapbooking things -- and from another Mary - I can feel the future you're describing is fast approaching for me, too. My daughter has been crafty in the past, but lately, her work as a french teacher and violinist has taken up most of her time. My collection needs to be thinned down, and I had better take your advice and start now!

    HOWEVER, not before wishing to receive one of your Devon postals. We had planned to reach Devon and Cornwall - in 2007, but ran out of time and we drove straight to Wiltshire after Wales. I have it on my list for the next trip to England.

    Mary in Oregon

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  19. Mary, please magically pull my name! I am infatuated with Torquay, Devon, and all things Agatha. I have never been to that part of England. Thank you for the wonderful blog!
    Former Tar Heel not in luv w/Sillyconvalley

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  20. I would love a postcard.
    It was always so tempting to get involved with scrapbooking, but I put my foot down and said "NO".
    I do have a few rubber stamps, but that is it. I love when I receive a handmade card, but my cards
    usually are just my photographs. That is a much easier project for me.

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  21. HI Mary,
    I would love to receive one of your postcards of Devon. My Mom was born in England (Yorkshire) and I have visited twice...planning another trip now that I am retired. Love everything British, even on Netflix! I am in the same position you are with all of the rubber stamps. I've thinned them out a bit but am keeping my favorites "just in case". Found your blog from Pamela Gordon's blog and am looking forward to following you. Happy (almost) Spring from Maine, Cheryl

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  22. Only barely dabbled in scrapbooking....want to do more later when I can no longer do some of my other things I love!

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  23. Oh, Mary, how I would delight in receiving a postcard from you! Please include my name in your drawing. I barely got into the scrapbook thing...bought some of those spendy supplies, but never quite completely immersed as many. Thankful that I only have one bulging full tote to donate.

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  24. Hello dear Mary
    This is déjà vu for me!
    I had the bug for a couple of years too.
    One day I walked into a shop in a village near me that was like "wonderland", it opened up a whole new world of rubber stamps, stickers, beautiful papers, rubons, ribbons – my idea of heaven.
    We didn't have kindergartens in NZ when I was young so I think I missed out on this stage of development - I could sit for hours with my little scissors cutting around stickers – I’m sure my dear husband thought I’d lost the plot totally.
    I signed up for a one on one class once a week and learnt all the techniques imaginable. Game on!
    I created albums of my french family's New Zealand visits, embellished to within an inch of my life!!
    I looked at them again when I was in France last year and could hardly believe that I had made them! Totally OTT.
    The craze lasted for a couple of years and then poof it was gone!
    I'm left with boxes of scrapbook papers in every hue and pattern and paints called H2O's, Perfect Pearls to name just two!
    Like you I now create the odd pretty card for friends I know appreciate them and I will always make little books and journals for the girls, but my scrapbook days are over.
    Think of the fun we could have had together! None of my friends “got” what I was doing!
    Thanks for the reminder dear Mary - I need to de-stash and off-load too!
    Hugs
    Shane x

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  25. Mary, I always enjoy your postings -- you live such an exciting life! And I love England --- EVERYTHING about it! The places, the history, the people, the traditions. It's always hard to say what area I like best, but the West Country is certainly a beautiful area. Thinking of the yellow primroses in bloom along the roadways, the drifts of daffodils, followed by carpets of bluebells... OH! it makes me long to return especially this time of year when England is at her best!
    Barbara

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  26. Well, I think that's an absolutely fantastic idea! I've got so many postcards I've collected from our travels. Way more than I need, that's for sure. I'd love to swap. :) Have a great day. Tammy

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  27. Hi, Mary,

    My path into and out of scrapbooking seems to match yours quite closely. I had the best fun scrapping the old black and white photos. When I got to the colored photos - e. g. of Kristen - my passion went away. I remember spending $500 in such a dreadfully short time on scrapbooking supplies, which I must now weed out at some point. Thanks to you I realize it was online scrapbooking that killed the industry. That never interested me in the slightest. Our local five and dime, aka Ben Franklin, laid in so many scrapbooking supplies. No wonder they went belly up. I miss them so badly, not just for cool and up-to-date scrapping supplies things but so many other neat things. I find myself needing things that only a variety store would carry in one place. Now the BF location is a uniform shop!

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  28. I sent all my paper, rubber stamps, embossing materials and LOTS OF ETC. to a dear friend who makes cards as a hobby. I have no idea if she will use any of it, but she enjoyed opening her package and rooting through all the stuff, she said! And now I have extra drawers in my craft dresser for ... other hobbies! ;o)

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  29. I still send postcards when on holiday. It makes people smile.

    I even have a new pen pal this year! A blogger did a match up of her readers. I somehow got paired up with a young woman who is basically leading my life twenty years ago. Her husband is even in the same profession as mine!

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