Spring things...

May is here.  I can barely believe it.  The first half of this year has blown by so fast, it's almost as if the winds of this blustery spring blew time away along with winter's icy skin.  Spring is one of my favourite seasons.  I love the muddy rains, the thaw and the first touches of sun's warmth on my face.  Shedding sweaters and coats and generally an all around feeling of lightness. The only issue with this year's spring, is so far I still feel frozen.  There are many brilliant things on the horizon (hopefully one of them is sunshine...my Ontario friends will know what I'm talking about), but I just can't seem to get to them quick enough....it's very frustrating.  So to help warm up my fingers and toes, and get moving again I have been focusing on the pages in my journals, filling envelopes with spring secrets and getting on my bicycle even in the strong winds and heavy rain, just to feel alive again.

Tree tops...

Over the long weekend I was lucky to catch a ride up to my aunts place outside of Peterbourgh.  She lives on a beautiful farm, surrounded by fields and trees and possibly a lonely bear (who i thankfully did not meet on this visit...no offense to lonely bear...i'm just not that great a navigating wild animal social situations).

I took a bunch of photos while we walked through the trails that ran off behind the barn and into the woods, following muddy streams lined with early spring grass and winter baked trees. My favourite images that came out of these nature walks were a series of tree tops i found when looking way up into the sky.  I love how the branches just peek up through the frame, startled and still, like wild life on guard and listening...

Owl Life.

Owls in envelopes.

Newest envelope diorama is packed up and ready to go to the mailbox so a someone special out there.  I really loved how this one turned out.  Next one's themes...wolves, squirrels or possibly ponies! I hope everyone is having a lovely long weekend.  I spent mine on a farm far away from this city, surrounded by chirping frogs and crickets, and a night so loud with nature I forgot to miss the purr of my Toronto streets and slept like a log!

Flight path.

Resting in sun drenched fields.

All lined up with no where to go.

The Elders.

City Spy.

Balancing Owl.

Hidden amongst friends.

She hide in gold days and memories.

Secrets hidden in the grass.

Birds...

Last week I sent my good friend Jaime from Send More Mail, my second 'envelope diorama', this one's theme being birds.  I was so excited to send it out to her, I forgot to photograph it!  Thankfully Jaime is a seriously talented photographer and she took some pics for me and is letting me showcase her beautiful skills here!  She also made her own lovely post re: the dioramas up on her blog of postal awesomeness.

So please enjoy 'Birds' as shot by Jaime (check out more of her photographs here), and all birds made by me!

Envelope Dioramas.

I have clearly become a little obsessed with all things mail these days, but seriously it has been so much fun getting back into writing letters and receiving beautiful things in my mail box each week!  Tonight I came home to my brand new postal kit freshly stamped and sent from Snap and Tumble and Send More Mail.  It is so beautiful, it's going to be hard to use it...as i just want to look at everything all together and never mark up the pages! I can't wait to post pics.

Now of course sending all of these letters had led me to stumble onto a new fun project, which i am naming 'envelope dioramas'.  The first of these 'dioramas' came into being when I was putting together a little mail art package for Jessica.

When I was looking through my things, it didn't seem like i had too much to send to her and thought it would be great to make a little themed package all about bears (as she loves bears).  The following photos are what came out of this experience.

It's sort of like a package of illustrations, which can be arranged to tell a story, or a little scene....essentially An Envelope Diorama.

I have since made a 'birds' diorama and an 'owls', both sent out to some friends who love these things.  I think my next 'envelope diorama' may need to have a wolf theme...

Cool skies...

endless rain-boot weather and daffodils running wild.  it's been a wild spring so far.

Secrets in envelopes.

Just a couple sneak peeks at some of the things that i have been sending out in the mail...i am waiting to talk about 'the bears' until the actual recepient of this package receives it, as to not ruin the surprise.  Essentially it's just a fun little project and i am excited to make more.

This is the next 'everyday adventure'.  Inspired by Tanya's lovely cards. Sending a batch out today!

If you want to go on your own adventure, just send me a message.

Zines...
So i have started doing some art mail trades, which is super exciting.  last week i got my first envelope in the mail from Jessica over at Natures My Friend. 

Mountains Made of Fur

She sent me one of her first ever zines!  Totally exciting! Ages ago, before my life was invaded by monsters I used to spend many hours making zines and books.  It was sort of how I found my way into writing, illustrating and developing a creative voice.  Along the way I also met tons of inspiring people, most of which I still am awed by on a daily basis (this is a shout out to my Tuesday ladies Lindsay and Jaime).

So tonight i dug out some of my old zines and gave them a scan...and i think i just may challenge myself to dust off my zine making skills and try another this week:

Blister:

Cover

pg. 1

pg. 2

pg. 3

Chemistry:

Cover

pg. 1

pg. 2

pg. 3

Wet:

Cover

pg. 1

pg. 2

pg. 3

Everyday Adventure #1

 

A while back i sent out some felt hearts to my snail mail buddies and sent them on an everyday adventure.  i asked them to take their heart and stick it to something that required a little extra love and then document it however they wanted, with a photo, a sketch or just a memory.  i took my everyday adventure a while back and stuck my heart in my garden...which is a full on sad mess.  yesterday though, I looked in the back and lo and behold there was something alive and growing in a small herb pot! Chives! Looks like my little love helped some.  Now i just need to conquer the rest of it.