A Postcrossing Adventure: Weeks 23 & 24

Week 23

 

// outgoing: 

 

A bit of bad luck this week: The vintage postcard from the London Transport Museum that I sent during Week 15 to the Ukraine (AU-337684) expired after having not been registered within 60 days. Perhaps it got lost, or perhaps the recipient has been distracted by the recent political turmoil in his country. Unless, by some miracle, it turns up, I guess I'll never know!

 

So, I sent another TWO cards: A Joan of Arc art card to China (AU-349141), and an Australian Game First Day of Issue card to the UK (AU-349142).

 

 

 

 

// incoming:

 

Finally, a card! A beautiful, snow-filled card from Germany (DE-3055229)!

 

 

 

 

 

Week 24

 

// outgoing:

 

Another TWO cards went out this week: Life's a beach for Germany (AU-350204), and the dazzling glamour of Sydney Harbour is on its way to the USA (AU-350517).

 

 

 

// incoming:

And would you believe it? SEVEN cards arrived in my letterbox this week, all on the same day! There were two from Hong Kong (HK-230790 and HK-232324), and one each from Hungary (HU-67729), the UK (GB-532581), Poland (PL-875188), Spain (ES-286896), and Austria (AT-177038).

 

 

My favourite message came from Chris in Hong Kong, who wrote:

"How are you doing today? Enjoying the lovely sunshine in Australia? Actually, I come from a similar city called Hong Kong, where you can get the same amount of sunlight. But trust me, you don't want to come here in the raining season as umbrella's no use while you're in such heavy rain. I haven't been to Australia, but I went to New Zealand last summer and the weather there is so changeable! The rain usually caught me off guard while I was there!"



 

 

Postcrossing postcards sent to date: 51

All time: 108

 

 

Postcrossing postcards received to date: 45

All time: 107

Anzac Morning

 

 

Today is Anzac Day, so we were up early to watch the sunrise. Then we decided to drive out to the Mount Brown Conservation Park to enjoy the early morning quiet before the tourists found their way out there.

 

We walked over two kilometres before returning home to complete the household chores in time to watch the Anzac Day service broadcast from Villers-Bretonneux in France (something that has become a tradition in our house).

 

The early morning walk, and then later watching the sun rise over French fields on the television, made me think that Mother Nature is truly at her most beautiful first thing in the morning.

 

Storing Postcards: How to make a ring-bound booklet

 

I've been wondering for awhile now about what to do with all the Postcrossing postcards I've had stashed away in the cupboard.

 

I really didn't want to lose any, but I am beyond wanting a "postcard wall" or anything along those lines. What I wanted was a means by which I could store the cards without having to worry about them getting lost or damaged, ensuring their longevity, but still allowed them to be viewed.

 

Initially, I thought a solution may be to put them into a photo album or journal, but upon investigating this option, I realised that photo albums can be quite expensive, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on this project, nor was I overly keen on the album designs. It soon dawned on me that if I were to use albums, the backside of the postcards, where the senders have written their messages, wouldn't be visible.

 

Then last weekend I was cleaning out some drawers when I came across an abundance of old curtain rings. These were left here by the previous owners (perhaps even the owners before them) for the large, heavy drapes they had at the windows. But since we have removed and replaced those with simple lace curtains, we've not had a need for the rings.

 

That is, until now!

 

I realised pretty much immediately that I could put those rings to use and make booklets out of my Postcrossing postcards, binding them together in a way that will prevent any from getting lost, whilst still displaying both sides of the cards.

 

It's so quick, easy and inexpensive (even if I'd had to purchase the rings, it would still have been cheaper than photo albums) that I thought I'd share the process, in the event that anyone wants to do the same thing.

 

 

First, collate your cards and put them in order. I found that 30 cards per booklet was a good number, as it makes it comfortable to flip through the cards once they've been bound.

 

Then using a two-ring hole-punch, punch your cards. I like to stagger the positioning of the holes, so the cards are in a slightly different place within the booklet. This makes the booklet feel sturdy.

 

 

Once you've punched holes in all your cards, feed the rings through the holes, one card at a time (as pictured above), starting with the last/bottom card first and working your way to the first/top card (one placed on top of the other).

 

 

Once all cards are on the rings, you should have a neat little booklet that hasn't cost a fortune to make, and allows yourself (and others) to browse at leisure, without having to worry about losing or damaging the cards.

 

A Postcrossing Adventure: Weeks 21 & 22

Week 21

 

// outgoing:

 

 

So, it appears the mail is slow. Or, at least, that's the only logical explanation for it, because I've not received a card in a few weeks now, and my cards seem to be taking forever (20 days or more!) to get to their destinations.

 

Because of that, I could only send ONE card during week 21 of the "challenge" as I'd maxed out my limit of travelling cards. 

 

This card is of an Australian Native Orchid and is (still!) on its way to the USA (AU-346363).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 22

 

// outgoing:

 

 

I sent TWO Postcrossing cards this week: Irish wisdom is on its way to Germany (AU-347840), whilst the medieval art is travelling to South Africa (AU-347841).

 

 

 

Postcrossing postcards sent to date: 47

All time: 105

 

 

Postcrossing postcards received to date: 37

All time: 99

Autumnly.

 

Right up until Wednesday it still felt like summer. This time last weekend we were complaining about the seemingly never-ending heat.

 

Not so this weekend!

 

The weather is wonderful and so very autumnly: Plenty of sunshine and clear blue skies, but with a hint of coldness in the air, a promise that winter is just around the corner.

 

Autumn is my favourite time of year in the Ranges. The colours contrast and work well together: The evergreen foliage, the red tinge to the dirt and stone, the pale blue sky and the purple hue of the mountains.

 

Yesterday it was far too nice to be indoors, so we took a mini-adventure to a local gorge, and then out past the Willochra and into what I (sarcastically) refer to as "Death Valley"- an endless expanse of saltbush plains and stark mountain outcrops, completely void of trees.

 

Then we returned home for a cuppa and an afternoon snack, sat outside under the veranda, listening to the birds and the buzz of the town.

 

How are you enjoying the season?