drawing your life!

Earlier this evening I searched my old email address to see if the pictures I drew in Sydney about 5 years ago and uploaded to my blog were accessible. They were not! I used to draw a lot. Inspired by Michael Nobbs and Dan Price to draw my life. In my long visits to Sydney I sat in a lot of cafes and drew my cappuccino in a wobbly hand. The brilliant thing about doing that is of course you really are part of the moment. Drawing seems to me to akin to meditation. In the process of drawing and looking you really see and live in the moment. And some time I'll find those old journals and will remember the texture of those days so perfectly with my drawings. Anyway I quickly drew these two drawings on blank cards instead. It took me possibly 5 mins with and extra minute to find the felt tips for colouring in. If you buy Michael's book before the 28th of March you get a free months membership to his website Sustainably Creative. I got an acknowledgement in the book! for postal services... If you would like some mail from me sign up for my newsletter on the sidebar to the right - all newsletter subscribers get a real mail postcard.

Analogue Friday:100 postcards

I’ve actually been inside mostly for two days. I escaped last night to see a film The Rocket Post. A Scottish film about a true attempt to set up a postal service on the Islands by firing rockets full of mail!

The Rocket Post

Today I have returned to bed and have been lying about crocheting. Last year I decided to write 100 postards to strangers – I’ve only managed about 35 so far. Please help me out by signing up here. I’ll send you a postcard and if you don’t want any more emails just opt out at mail chimp (No hard feelings.) Anyway I’d like to write and do more things off line in the next year. One is sending more mail the other is more travel (gives me the opportunity of trying out different postal systems).

If you would like more than one postcard in the next few weeks check out Postal Joy 2013!

Granny Greens Goes to the German Market

This was a fab pre Christmas outing to the German market and fair on Princes St Gardens. Passed there today and saw it had already been dismantled.

Want more real mail in 2013? Checkout Postal Joy 2013

Daft Days & Tablet & Postal Joy!

The days between Christmas and New Year (Hogmanay) are called the ‘daft days’. Perhaps because the usual routines are out of action. We swim about in unstructured time. I have to say I’ve been enjoying it very much. I’ve been crocheting and making traditional Scottish Tablet.

If you are at a loose end or are looking for a present for someone here’s my mother’s recipe. It is incredibly sweet a little goes along way. Great with a large cup of coffee and a book.

2 lb Granulated Sugar 1 Tin Evaporated Milk
4 oz butter 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (optional)
1 tablespoon golden syrup (you can substitute honey if you like)
Using a heavy bottomed pan, combine all ingredients except the vanilla essence. Cook slowly until a boil or 245 degree Farenheit or makes a soft ball if tested in cold water. Stir continually. Once boiling reduce down the heat once it starts to darken. Remove from heat and add vanilla essence and beat until thick. Pour onto a tray which is lined with parchment paper and score into squares when the mixture is almost cold. If once its cold you don’t feel it is achieving a satisifying level of hardness return to the pot and reboil.

Postal Joy!

One of the things that brings me great pleasure at this time of year is the post – real post. Actual cards instead of everlasting junk mail and bills. If you want to extend that feeling of real mail I’m offering Postal Joy again this year. Postal Joy is a service I offer for real mail. There are three options 8, 12, or 18 items of mail. Mail starts in the first week of January and extends until Febuary (mid February for those who opt for 18 items of mail). Each will get a small packet of tablet, a mail surprise ! and a mix of postcards. All cards are handwritten.

Newsletter subscribers get 20% off subscribe HERE and I send you the code. Find out more at my Etsy shop. The cost by the way is the same where ever you live in the world! No extra postage charges.

The picture is by Anne Redpath Scottish Colourist painter. Over at my facebook page I’m posting one Scottish Colourist a day to chase away the winter gloom.

Analogue Weekend

French posties’s bicycle

I’m just back from the farmers market, about to start a bit of crochet before I go to my sat afternoon shift at work. I’m crafting up a storm here and will try to take some photos soon of finished items. If you are craving some real mail sign up here for my mailing list. everyone gets a bit of real mail from me!

one new message

Spot of graffiti from Eindhoven. Note if you sign up for my newsletter see bar on the right – every sign up gets a piece of real mail.

100 postcard project

A postcard from Eindhoven Dutch Design Week – this was in one of the exhibition spaces.

A wee reminder that everyone who signs up for my newsletter – see right – gets a real piece of analogue snail mail. This is part of my project to send out 100 pieces of real mail this year. AND I’M WOEFULLY BEHIND.. please spread the word. Sign up HERE. I’ve only got two months to send out about 70 pieces!

Trans Europe Express

All being well I should be in Eindhoven at the Hello Etsy 12 conference. I’m hoping to come back refreshed. Do sign up for my newsletter see right. All new subscribers get real mail from me (part of my project to send 100 pieces of mail this year).

Picture of cafe in Glasgow.

Analogue Friday: Discovering new post offices

I took these photographs of Portobello a few weeks ago. I was searching for Earthy. This is how I found the Portobello post office down a side street – a fine building. I was sorry I didn’t have anything to post in their box!

 

Last night I went to an exhibtion opening by Cassandra Harrison and afterwards dashed to a bookshop to buy a book (I’m currently shut out of Edinburgh City Libraries due to fines resembling a small indebted country) but I’m spending too much time online late at night which is NOT good for sleeping so pickec up The Pirate King by Laurie R King.

Currently creating a new series of postcards from my Irish pictures.  Do sign up for my newsletter to get first news on this. Plus all new signups get a handwritten postcard from me.

Analogue Friday

This is a windowscape from Ard Bia a wonderful cafe near the Spanish Arch in Galway. They have delicious food. I went in one morning and had a coffee and gluten free brownie which was simply scrummy.

Wishing you analogue adventures this weekend. Have you Urbexed? My friend S and I have been breaking into ehrem ’forbidden’ parts of our city and finding all sorts of delights in the urban landscape.

I’m about to make Apricot & chocolate Tart for a Cook Book Club I’ve just joined. First session is recipes out of Moro.

Do remember if you would like some analogue communication ie postcards ! sign up for the newsletter. Newsletter subscribers get first dibs on postcards and discounts. And your details will never never be passed on.