^ (via)

Lately I've run out of good writing paper, but I do have a full cartridge of printer ink, so I've been printing out some sweet stationery, like these;

^ From Print A Day.

I bought some A4 sticker paper, so I've been trying out printing labels onto it;

^ From A Print A Day & Wolfie & Sneak.

I played around in Photoshop for a bit last night while C snoozed on the couch and used some brushes to make some sticker designs. Once I'd cut them out I realised that I have ridiculously stubby bitten fingernails and couldn't peel off the backing. Yet another reason why I should stop biting them. I'm gonna stick them all over everything! Perhaps another item for the Etsy shop?;


I made up an envelope out of a collage of air mail stickers I found on Flickr (I'm angry I can't find the link right now). Ideally I'd like to make my own air mail collage to use instead. I'll have to go through all my old letters and peel them off!;


Next post I'll have to link you to some of my favourite free downloadable printable stationery, there's a treasure trove of it!

I spent a great deal of today swapping my huge desk for C's little desk (he has a much bigger computer), and rearranging furniture to my liking. This is how the room turned out (I should've taken a before shot!);


C and I had our friend Kim over for dinner tonight and it was great fun. I am beginning to feel frustrated at meeting so many lovely new people and really enjoying uni at the moment, when I know I'm going to be packing up to leave in 4 months. The university in Launceston doesn't offer my course specifically, so I have three options - choose something else to study there (not ideal) - studying something in the same vein at TAFE (very informal) - or studying through another university by distance (meaning I won't get to actually go to university and meet people). Hmpf!

I have a project due for a class on Monday that involves creating two 'tangible items' that symbolise two particular contrasting words, they will then be placed into pillow cases and somebody else in the class will reach into the cases, touch the items inside (without looking) and it should evoke those words, though without using any obvious symbolism (eg. if your word was 'fast' you can't use a matchbox car, you have to create something that actually gives the feeling of it being 'fast') My words are 'intelligent' and 'dumb'. I have NO IDEA what I am going to do. I only work in visuals! This project feels umpossible! After I've made them I have to do a write up about the process. Argh! Wish me luck!

Happy weekend folks!

^ I just placed an pricey order for a bunch of postcards of this collage from my HSC (like SATs?). Hoping that they're of an okay quality, cos I'll have a lot of them! They won't arrive for some time though. Considering actually doing something with the Etsy store I set up. Stay tuned!

Incoming;


^ This envelope from Min was so fabulous that even the postman commented that he liked it when he handed it to me. It contained a note written on quite hilarious Brad Pitt stationery and a scratch 'n' sniff birthday card that smells like bubblegum! So good! Delightful mail.


^ A very sweet birthday postcard from Faiza.


^ This inconspicuous envelope delivered me quite the birthday gift...


^ I'd been coveting those Small Object stickers for many months! Oh man, so so good Elissa! I feel ridiculously spoiled. The card and paper she included, and her wrapping, were superb!


^ Another package arrived on the same day (again, inspected by quarantine!) from my lovely penpal Lila in Poland. It contained a very pretty red necklace (red owns my life), a beautiful handmade card and another great letter.

Outgoing;
If only I could get my outgoing letter count to match my incoming!


^ A long overdue letter to Sirpa.


^ I made this envelope some time ago by using a scan of an old photobooth picture of a friend and I and printing out a collage of them. Then, the fun bit, I soaked it in coffee to give it a fun colour. It still smells of it, I hope Tejal doesn't mind!

Remember, long ago, when I showed you the 'envaccordion' I made for Missive Maven?... well, I only sent it this week! It took me a long time to fill that thing up! So here it is, all taped up and ready to go. I had to put twice as much postage on as it's not exactly a conventional letter;


I've been so tired this week, these early uni starts have lost their novelty. I'm dreaming of more sleep! Tonight I'm meant to be heading back to uni to attend something called the 'Design Smackdown' which should be interesting! Considering joining the 'Design Club' to mingle with the creatives. I would also like to go to Look Hear, The Lass O'Gowrie Hotel and the Hamilton Station Hotel tonight, but I had to pick just one. Boo.

Did you know that today is Ada Lovelace day? From the site;

Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging (videologging, podcasting, comic drawing etc.!) to draw attention to the achievements of women in technology and science.

Women’s contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines, whatever they do. It doesn’t matter how new or old your blog is, what gender you are, what language you blog in, or what you normally blog about – everyone is invited.

Who was Ada Lovelace? Ada Lovelace was one of the world’s first computer programmers, and one of the first people to see computers as more than just a machine for doing sums. She wrote programmes for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, a general-purpose computing machine, despite the fact that it was never built. She also wrote the very first description of a computer and of software.

Join in!

Listening to: I Know It's Over by Jeff Buckley
Eating: Wicked choc-chip cookies I found from Meet Me At Mikes.

PS. I got too far behind on the list, so in my usual style I'm giving up! Haha. Sylvia is still going strong however!

^ link.

I celebrated my 20th birthday yesterday, and discovered that I also share a birthday with Pip from Meet Me At Mikes, Diana from Our City Lights and Ruby Rose. Yay for shared birthdays. I had a very quiet celebration which involved a huge breakfast/brunch with C at my favourite cafe Rolador, some lovely phone calls, watching movies at home, homemade chocolates, my favourite pizza and an excruciating migraine. Last year I had a HUGE birthday (picture 200 people singing you a happy birthday while you're dragged on stage and fanned by burlesque dancers) so this year I was very content to do very little.



My birthday brunch;

^ Bruschetta with scrambled eggs, baby spinach, slow roasted tomato, feta, pesto & pine nuts and a hot chocolate float.

And C's breakfast (notice the size difference in our breakfasts? Haha);

^ Pumpkin & polenta loaf w/ avocado & tomato and soycap.


^ I'll miss this little cafe. It has a good atmosphere. I hope we can find a suitable equivalent in Launceston.


^ Birthday feet.



^ I made some homemade chocolates yesterday with some cool molds I bought from Spotlight. Coconut chocolates (like Golden Rough), orange, almond and peppermint flavoured.


^ Spotlight sent me a $10 voucher for my birthday, so I bought these cute rubber stamps and some scrapbook paper.

The day before yesterday C and I walked around the city, visited Spotlight, the Old Lolly Factory op-shop, Eckersleys, Natural Tucker and the city library. I've been plagued by intense headaches lately, so we bought some painkillers while we were out and they had a muscle relaxant in them so I was feeling pretty odd all day. I sat in Civic Park for a moment and watched a huge family really excitedly play cricket and I saw a rainbow in the fountain;



C and I both love misspelled signs, this one was out the front of a Variety Store;


I am considering buying this baby with my little bit of birthday money;

^ White Slim Angel from Four Corner Store. In Our Bedrooms did a great little post about it.

Some mail from Friday;


^ Some cupcakes in the mail from Garci. Gorgeous.


^ Another sweet letter from Amy.

^ Paul Octavious.

Last week I put a lay by on a rather fetching coat and bag at a shop that always lures me in near my house. They were both a little pricey and although I had the money to spare I figured that lay by would be the most responsible way to buy them, little by little. Well, it turns out I'm really bad at lay by... My sister came by today to give me a birthday present, which my mum had talked about being the most 'me' thing she'd ever seen and that it cost my sister quite a bit (she's sixteen and works in a takeway shop) but she had to get it for me. My sister handed over the gift and inside the wrapping I found the most beautiful red ruffly pointed-tipped umbrella. It's just gorgeous and I really can't wait until it rains. There's an umbrella shop in Launceston and I'd eyed this one off in the window when we were there! So, I really just had to go get my red coat and bag to match and I ran back to the shop and paid them off entirely and brought them home. Yes, I may be a little obsessed with red...


^ I almost forgot to mention, because it blends in with the rest of the red, that I'm wearing the scarf my mum gave me for my birthday.

When I was in the shop I made friends with the girl at the desk and we talked for about half an hour. I thought I'd try on a dress and took it into the change rooms. Then the worst thing that any woman can encounter while in public change rooms happened to me... I got stuck in the dress. I had a tug-o-war with it in there for about twenty minutes, trying every possible position to get it off me, I heard it tear a tiny bit but it still didn't give all the while trying to be as quite as possible so as not to alert the sales girl. After a lot of work and pulled muscles I pried myself out of it, put my dress back on, stumbled out, put it back on its hanger and awkwardly left.

Some of today's lovely incoming;


^ Bree decorates envelopes in the most beautiful way, and she's an impeccable letter writer. I love the stationery she used.



^ A big, lovely gift from my friend Paige. I'd never seen that magazine before and it's quite wonderful. The chocolate is long since devoured. How does Hersheys seem to taste so much better than any Australian chocolate? And, without intending it, she gave me the gift of seventeen stamps, as the package arrived uncancelled, so I peeled off all the stamps and reused them. Stingey or resourceful? It's a shame they're of unfortunate looking Australian authors. I wish I could draw moustaches and glasses on them (without making them invalid).


^ The aftermath of opening the package.


^ Zoe's letter was beautiful, she also has a great blog. Again, with the Australian quarantine opening my mail! Again, nothing taken out. As far as I have read tea is not a prohibited item to be sent to Australia (unless it contains seeds).

And a meagre outgoing;


^ My first letter to Argentina, made from a page from a numerology book, with reused stamps.


^ Another numerology book creation. Love that peacock.

I went to uni today for a lecture but felt too sick to stay the three hours until my tutorial. Ick, so much work to catch up on I bet. Well, shower, bed and sleep in are on the agenda for me at the moment. Hope you have a lovely weekend!