A Postcrossing Adventure: Weeks 30, 31 & 32

Week 30

 

// outgoing: 

 

TWO cards went out in week 30 of my Postcrossing challenge: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George (AU-358520) went to the Ukraine, and a viewcard of the Painted Desert (near Coober Pedy here in South Australia) was sent to Finland (AU-358521).

 

 

 

Week 31

 

// outgoing: 

 

Another TWO cards went out in week 31: The last of my Leichhardt First Day of Issue postcards to Germany (AU-360025), and a wonderful shot of Memory Cove on the Eyre Peninsula was sent to the USA (AU-360026).

 

 

 

Weeks 30 & 31

 

// incoming: 

 

Over the course of the fortnight I received a total of EIGHT cards: Two came in from the Netherlands (NL-2503004 and NL-2503003), and another pair from Germany - postcards of the same lighthouse, no less (DE-3191018 and DE-3220361)!

 

I also received one a piece from Taiwan (TW-1270571), Romania (RO-85123), Russia (RU-2306779), and China (CN-1313987).

 

 

 

Week 32

 

// outgoing: 

 

We were away vacationing on Kangaroo Island this week, so I wasn't able to scan in the postcards prior to sending them. Tacky photos don't quite cut it, do they?

 

A postcard of Remarkable Rocks I sent to Belarus (AU-360679), and the Penneshaw sunset postcard sent to the Netherlands (AU-360680) - posted from the island itself.

 

 

// incoming: 

 

Just the one card came in this week, from Belarus (BY-1298534).

Postcrossing postcards sent to date: 67

All time: 123

 

 

Postcrossing postcards received to date: 65

All time: 122

 

 

Expired postcards to date: 2

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.

 

Sunned in...

 

Today we have a one day reprieve from the sweltering temperatures the south-east of the country has had to endure these past few weeks.

 

At 32 degrees Celsius, and with a southerly breeze, it is a nice change from the 45 degrees we reached yesterday. But the wind today is also pushing the smoke from the Bangor bushfire in our direction, so we are blanketed in a grey, smoggy haze.

 

Tomorrow begins yet another heatwave, with temperatures expect to soar back into the 40s for at least another week.

 

I spend a lot of my time in the early mornings and evenings in the garden, watering the plants as the soil is extremely dry at the moment. I am in need of more Lucerne hay for mulch: The sun is fast disintegrating what is left.

 

We have started putting the sprinkler on in the evenings for a few minutes on the back lawn, and all the birds (including up to ten magpies at any one time!) come swooping in to cool off, take a drink and search for bugs under the spray. We watch them from the kitchen window, in the comfort of an air conditioned house, where indoor activities are all the go.

 

We don't get "snowed in" here; we get "sunned in" instead.

 

How's the weather at your place?

A Postcrossing Adventure: Week 13

Week 13

 

// outgoing:

 

 

 

I sent just TWO cards again this week: A Farming Australia (sugar cane) First Day of Issue maxicard went to the USA (AU-334714), whilst the Jane Austen quote was sent to a fellow bibliophile in New Zealand (AU-334715).

 

I like to trade blank non-tourist cards with other people to get some variety, as it is very difficult to find postcards where I live. This allows me some extra choice when sending out cards via Postcrossing. I'd love to exchange some blank cards with people (such as art cards, quotes, photography cards that aren't tourist cards etc.), so if you're interested please get in contact with me via email at sorcha(dot)sidhe(at)gmail(dot)com.

 

I'm especially interested in trading First Day of Issue maxicards and the postage paid cards from Australia Post with fellow Australians, as not all the same cards and packs are made available at every post office (or online). I can trade up to ten cards per swap.

 

 

I didn't receive any Postcrossing cards this week.

 

 

 

Postcrossing postcards sent to date: 29

All time: 89

 

 

Postcrossing postcards received to date: 35

All time: 97

 

 

A Postcrossing Adventure: Week 12

Week 12

 

// outgoing:

 

 

It has been very hot and very boring here this week. I think I would have happily written Postcrossing cards all week, if Postcrossing didn't set limits on the number of postcards a person can have in transit at any one time. So, I just sent another TWO cards this week, since it seems to take a really long time for my cards to arrive at their destination.

 

A lovely vintage forest scene from cardcetera.com went to Hong Kong (AU-333544), and I sent a stunning merino ram First Day of Issue maxicard to Finland (AU-333546).

 

 

 

 

 

 

// incoming: 



 

Two out, and two in: From China (CN-1171331) I received the lovely Big Ben postcard (I just L-O-V-E Big Ben!), and the vintage favourites came in from Russia (RU-2315054).

 

 

 

Postcrossing postcards sent to date: 27

All time: 86

 

 

Postcrossing postcards received to date: 35

All time: 97

LetterMo 2014: Let's do this!

 

Since I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew, this year I have decided to take part in LetterMo. 

LetterMo began in 2010 and takes place in February each year. A participant is required to send a piece of mail on every day the post runs. As Australia Post operates Monday to Friday (we do not have weekend delivery in Australia), this equates to 20 post days, and therefore 20 pieces of mail. 

If you read this blog, you would have noticed that I am somewhat partial to letter writing. I thought LetterMo might be a good opportunity for me to send some snail mail to those people with whom I would normally either text, email or Facebook (and let's be honest: I hate all those things).

 

But, alas! I am also a slave to the wage, and during the week I simply do not have the time and/or energy to write a full-length letter (and for me, a full-length letter can be pretty darn long). So, I have decided to incorporate postcards into the challenge. On the days that I work, I will send a postcard to someone. On the days I am at home, I will send letters. I know this is the ONLY way I am going to send something every day.

Postcrossing cards will not be included. Since I send these out every week anyway, including them would kind of feel like cheating.

At the end of the month of February, I will share with you my success - or failure, whichever it may prove to be!

If you'd like to have a crack at the LetterMo challenge too, you can find out more information here.

 

But HURRY! It starts next week!
 

A Postcrossing Adventure: Week 11

Week 11

 

// outgoing:

Subconsciously, I must be craving the ocean, since I sent TWO postcards this week, both featuring the beach. It's understandable. It has been very hot here, afterall!

 

I sent kangaroos beside the seaside to the Netherlands (AU-331943), and one of my own photographs of Talia Beach on the Eyre Peninsula (which I had printed as postcards) to Taiwan (AU-331944).

 



 

 

 

// incoming:

 

The manner in which the Postcrossing cards appear in my letterbox is a mystery to me. I understand the concept (send a card to stranger, get a card from a stranger in return), but I seem to always have more cards received than what I have sent, or even pending to be registered. I have to trust that Postcrossing has it right, and I'm certainly not complaining as this week I received another EIGHT cards: Two from the USA (US-2571621 and US-2571673), two from the Netherlands (NL-2272922 and NL-2277681), and one each a piece from Finland (FI-1978209), Germany (DE-2810503), China (CN-1179908), and Russia (RU-2306764).

 

My favourite note this week came from Seren in the USA, who wrote:

"I'm an avid letter writer and mail artist living in Columbus, Ohio, USA. I've been a Postcrosser for over 8 years and I love it. I really enjoy mail. Having a full mailbox is like going to a great party full of really interesting people. I get Postcrossing cards of course, but I also get a lot of art from my 'friends'...People I've never met other than via mail."

 

 

 

Postcrossing postcards sent to date: 25

All time: 85

 

 

Postcrossing postcards received to date: 33

All time: 95

A Postcrossing Adventure: Weeks 9 & 10

I am back! I can't believe it has been a fortnight already since my last post. We were without internet at home for around ten days, and I was quite surprised by how reliant I have become on the World Wide Web when I just didn't have it.

 

Having said that, though, we are now back online, and a whole lot faster than before. Our previous internet connection was so slow it made blogging quite a challenge. Now that we have catapulted ourselves into 2014 with 2014 internet speeds, the blog posts should be a little more forthcoming.

 

But right now, I need to show you my Postcrossing outgoing and incoming for the past two weeks...

 

 

 

Week 9

 

// outgoing:

 

 

Finally, the postcards I sent in December have arrived at their destinations and been registered by their recipients, which means I have a bit more flexibility in the number of cards I could send out this week. So as to not overdo it, I limited myself to two cards, and sent a postcard that I picked up on our recent trip to Sydney to China (AU-330087), and some adorable Australorp chickens (I really want some as pets) I have sent to Belarus (AU-330088).

 

 

// incoming:

 

Postcards finally started coming in again by the end of week 9. I received four cards: 2 funky ad cards from Singapore (SG-126947 and SG-126951 - from the same person, no less!), a card featuring art by Paul Gauguin from Germany (DE-2777596), and a temple from Taiwan (TW-1123767).

 

 

 

Week 10

 

// outgoing:

 

This week my recipients asked for tourist cards and cards that are meaningful, so I sent some golden reflections over Balcanoona Creek here in the Flinders Ranges to Germany (AU-331757), whilst the legendary Mr Eddie "Koiki" Mabo has been sent to Russia (AU-331758).

 

 

 

// incoming:

 

I was absolutely floored when EIGHT cards arrived over the course of this week, and from a fantastic selection of countries to boot.

 

From Thailand I received the Penguin Classic A History of the Countryside (TH-156017), and a temple in Sukhothai (TH-156015); a colourful landscape (JP-484855), and an illustration (JP-484863) arrived from Japan; an interesting abstract card came from South Korea (KR-85776); a lovely handmade card was sent to me from Germany (DE-2777079); a totally non-scary anime demon girl was sent to me from the Netherlands (NL-2266664); and a stunning landscape card arrived from China (CN-1171321).

 

This week my favourite message came from Alina in Germany, who wrote:

"I'm 19 years old and I live near Germany's oldest town Trier. Trier has many World Heritage Sites! I'm a student at a highschool for design and media engineering. In my free-time I enjoy reading, baking and creating Mail Art. Like you, I'm a vegetarian. I've lived on that diet for about 14 years because I love and respect animals. Since November I've been living a vegan diet. It works very well for me and I'll continue doing it. I've read your blog with great joy. I loved everything about it! My cat Eddie lived with my family for almost 10 years. 4 days ago he died due to cancer. It broke my heart and I miss him so much already. I hope he's fine wherever he might be now."

 

[Here's to Eddie and all those wonderful animals that come into our lives and complete them!]

 

 

 

Postcrossing postcards sent to date: 23

All time: 83

 

 

Postcrossing postcards received to date: 25

All time: 87