Swapbot

The final envelope from my Swapbot adventure arrived. Not quite sure if I will enter another Swapbot swapthing though. There is this special lingo I don't quite grasp. I have seemed to understand everything wrong, even after three years in the UK and a college degree. Well anyway, after I ticked the box I never received my mail, I got a curious respond. I should have asked for a resend instead of ticking the box. And even more curious is, the date I ticked that boxthing was just a few weeks ago, and turned out the envelope was already turned back to sender at that time........ US postoffice uses cool stamps though to make that quite clear! Postage rate was also curious to me. Did the sender really think local rates applied in sending an envelope to the Netherlands from the US? Well, it's all a mystery to me. But then again, now I received two envelopes, since she has put her returned envelope just in another envelope. Even more mail this way :-)

Inside the envelope: two Hello Kitty playing cards, a used stamp, a tiny picture and two post-it papers.

Real sweet!

This summer we looked after two cute guinea pigs from Marieke. The kids just loved having them around. Two cuddly little creatures! Marieke and her boyfriend decided that guinea pigs were just not the right pets for them, and decided to go for a posh grey pussycat. So she sent a funky envelope with a message.....

in this funky envelope a funky card that said: real sweet! In the card a message: the guinea pigs needed a new home, and the kids were overexcited that that new home was here, with us! Real sweet!

So we decided to sent some mail back to Marieke. A while ago my daughter made her own postcard, how cool is that! On the other postcard it says: you deserve a big hug! Well, since the kids are overjoyed with the cuddly guinea pigs, that deserves a hug I think.

This is what my daughter wrote (it's in dutch by the way).

Snailmail from Marja

This week I have received a snailmail from Marja. She has fab handwriting! Turns out she's a teacher, and she teaches Dutch! She also collects stamps, and I really like the stamps on the envelope she sent me.

The envelope was full of paperbeauty! A handmade postcard which I found really cool. Some craft paper, a little pink envelope with a baroque woman on a little card and a baroque sticker. Really cute! A piece of happy wrapping paper, a handmade card with a dutch poem, an envelope with some sticky notes, some nice pictures, a Russian saying and a crocheted red flower. I feel really spoiled! It felt like a surpise party to find all this in the envelope!

Snailmail to Inge

I've made a snailmail to go to Belgium. I used a brown paper bag to put a lot of snailmail goodies in. I even cut the brown paper bag in half because I didn't have enough brown paper! The end result was quite pretty I thought.

In the paper bag I've put some plastic bags I use at my job. I knew they came in handy one day! I've made magnets, mini envelops, stickers, labels, used old postage stamps and a vintage card.

Mail!

Some mail going out to Belgium, the local council and to the USA!

And mail coming in with lovely postagestamps! It's a pity my local postoffice doesn't have these special collection stamps. Like like like!

Snailmail from Belgium

This summer I received my first snailmail from Inge. She's from Belgium. I already liked the postage stamps before even opening the packet, the former king of Belgium, king Boudewijn.

Inside the envelope an orange wrapped packet!

Inside the packet, (which was almost a shame to open it) a great vintage postcard I really really like! A postcard from Inge wishing me a happy summer, a tiny airmail envelope, a little card and two handmade cards. I thought it was a funky packet!

Inside the handmade cards a testpackage moisturizer and a US dollar napkin. A fun little twist to the packet!

Manga

In our holidays we went to the "worldmuseum" in Rotterdam. There was an exhibition about Manga and its origins from Japanese culture. My son thought it was wicked! As a souvenir he wanted two postcards which he wanted to sent to his best friends. He's only six, so needed some help to write them, but they actually got sent!

Daydreaming

"daydreaming is good for you" it says. It's a little frame in postcard size which I have sent of to Marieke. Something she would definitely like! Alongside a little Miffy in yellow, a modern typography about daydreaming, and a bird on a branch. The frame is some packaging from a toy I think, I've found it in a drawer full of pencils from the kids.

Vintage snailmail

For Bianca I've made a vintage button snailmail. She had sent me such a great snailmail, I wanted to make a bit of a effort for her. I found a bunch of old fashioned buttons and some sepia pictures to make this mail. When it was finished I put it all together in an envelope folder.

The envelope folder contained ofcourse a letter, 2 postcards, a little notebook in an envelope, some tags, a few wrapped buttons, and a keychain i've made from buttons and some beads.

I went crazy on my sewingmachine to make two vintage style postcards. The colours of the buttons matched the picture! My postcard stamp also came in handy.

I stained some paper from a dictionary with tea. Just to try if it would make a vintage look. Well, a bit. I've sewed an envelope from the paper and put some stamps on it. Inside a little notebook in the same theme. Hope Bianca likes it all.

At the seaside

After a day at the seaside I've found this really cool glossy postcard, I think it's such a fun card. At this little seaside village full of German tourists it seemed a challenge to find some affordable cards, but I managed to find these!
I'm not to keen on the touristic multiview cards, which all the shops seemed to sell.

Postcardweek!

A week full of fun postcards! Marieke sent me a page from a Czech calender while she was on holiday there. Just to try if it would arrive. It did! Think it's hilarious! Also a postcard from Washington via postcrossing.

Life mustn't get any more crazy, I've even received a postcard from my manager to wish me a good holiday!

A postcard from my girlfriend who's on holiday, written by her daughter. All about some adventure on a sea trip where everyone got seasick.

Bird snailmail

I've made this bird themed snailmail for Mischa. She sent me such a great party snailmail I decided that I made a snailmail full of surprises. I found a book with old drawings of birds at the secondhand shop and found some feathers which inspired me.

As a fun extra I've made this little 3D frame in postcardsize. It says: everyone can do it.

I've made a sort of surpise fold out folder with bird themed papergoodies. When you fold it open you find two flaps closed by pin and tag. When you fold that open you find yet two more flaps that contain surpises! And in the middle a sort of bird treasure.

The bird themed goodies: a letter ofcourse, two postcards, 4 vintage birdpictures, bird postagestamps, feathers, a garland, a little chick that stands upright and two tags. And the little frame ofcourse.

On the postcards i've embroidered birds in a contrasting colour. Think they've come out beautiful!

The little birdygarland made of red felt and some shiny red beads. Also a vintage card which says: a bird.

Maritime museum

I'm at the maritime museum in Rotterdam. At the pirate section I've found these cool pirate postage stamps!

In the giftshop I found some great postcards from our national naval history, they are from the actual paintings in the museum1

Trains trains trains and the postalservice

At the railway museum, I came across a postal train, still full of sacks where the post used to be in. Also a great thirties mailbox at the station!

Railwaymuseum

We took the kids to the railwaymuseum today. Stacks of postcards in the shop ofcourse! I found this postcard full of old railway tickets. And tucked away in a little corner of the museumshop I've found a bunch of real oldfashioned railwaytickets! I think they're cool!

Vintage seaside

A great postcard from France. Vintage seaside pictures. Like!

Swapbot

This is what I have received from my first swapbot attempt. All the way from New Zealand a red envelope with some pink papers. Unfortunately there was no note in the envelope. So I know nothing about the person who sent me this. But fun receiving anyway. I was  supposed to receive two swapbot envelopes. The other one is yet to come or will never arrive. Who knows.
My entries were fortunately all received in good order (Although I totally misunderstood the challenge). My American receiver was very happy and excited! The dutch one was a bit stroppy that I misunderstood the challenge and wouldn't rate me therefore. Pity.

Autumn postcards

I ordered a whole bunch of autumn postcards from www.natuurlijkefoto.nl.
Why? Just because I thought I treat myself to beautiful glossy postcards.

Mushrooms

I have a thing for mushrooms. They are kinda magical and mysterious. Intriguing fungus stuff. These came through postcrossing from Russia and Finland by the way.

Postagestamps

Aren't these postage stamps just wonderful? Beautiful birds from China and a big stamp from Russia.