Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas — may it be filled with warmth, love, family and friends.

xo


(photo via tiny white daisies)

Holidays

Like many of you we've been busy getting ready for Christmas, so things will slow down on the BPS blog for the next little while. Here's a sincere wish that all your mail (be it packages or cards) makes it to its destination this holiday season! And — check out this fun idea, using vintage photos for a very personal Christmas tree, from Sweet Paul.


(photo by Hector Sanchez)

Thank You.

I'm continuing to work through the postcard packages as they arrive, but I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for the lovely cards and notes that many of you have included, too — I can't tell you how much I appreciate them. So thoughtful and so wonderful to discover, tucked in with your postcards! And a very special thanks to Fernanda, for sending me a beautiful illustrated book, simply because, she says, it reminded her of me. It's gestures of kindness like these that make all the hard work on the BPS worthwhile. Thank you.

xo

(photo by Kelli Trontell via creature comforts)

What's New

The postcard packages are still arriving — many thanks to you, BPS members, for taking the time to send them to me! Hopefully we've avoided the worst of the holiday mailing, but don't worry if it takes a little longer to get here than anticipated.

xo


(photo from domino via this is glamorous by way of gingerella)

And Yet More Postcards!

Another great week of postcard packages — thanks so much everyone! Incidentally, distracted BPS members who haven't yet sent theirs in, please note — the official deadline for mailing packages is tomorrow, but if you can get your postcards in the mail by mid next week, that will be fine too. Thanks again!


(photo via apartment therapy)

Brazilian Postcard Exchange!

Calling all BPS members! Would you be interested in becoming a pen pal? Fellow BPS member Hane teaches at an English school in Brazil, and she thought it would be fun for her students to practice their writing skills by having a pen friend who writes in English. If you're interested in exchanging postcards (or cards or letters) with Hane's students, let me know!


(pennant letter kit available from briones+co stationery)

NPR Postal Service Series

Here's something that I thought you BPS members (as lovers of traditional mail) might find interesting. Via the NPR Facebook page: "NPR wants to see your most cherished mail: a postcard, a love letter, a care package. Upload images to Flickr.com, tag them NPRpostal, and tell us its story. If you're a new Flickr user, leave us your link in the comments. We'll feature some on NPR.org as part of an upcoming Postal Service series."


(photo by Max Attenborough for Selina Lake, via Gingerella)

And More Mail!

Another great week for postcard packages! The BPS book is going to be just amazing — and all thanks to you, lovely BPS members. Thanks so much again and happy weekend!


(photo by vee on flickr, via gingerella)

Just a Reminder

November 20, the postcard package mailing deadline, is approaching! To make sure your package doesn't get lost in the holiday mailing loopiness, send it off as soon as you can ...


(photo via anthropologie)

Mail!

This week has been a great one for postcard packages — thanks so much for the ones that have arrived so far!! I'll be emailing each of you to confirm I've received your package, too.

Happy weekend!


(lovely photo from design*sponge via brydiebrown)

A Sad Day

My brother Greg's sweet little cat Pi passed away yesterday after a too short life — she'll be greatly missed.


(photo by odnelem on flickr, via we heart it)

Mailing Fees

Some of the European BPS members have mentioned that they're having trouble sending payment for the return of their postcards, as PayPal and international money orders are not options for them. If this is the case for you, please email me and I'll happily help you to arrange an alternative. Thanks again!


(lovely photo by the wonderful imke klee available from her shop here)

Postcard Mailings

The BPS postcards are beginning to arrive! Thanks so much to you all — I'll notify each of you by email as soon as I receive your package. Don't forget to let me know if you want them back — and to ship them off before November 20!

(photo by Virginia MacDonald)

BPS Book Email

I'm in the process of sending out the official email about contributing your postcards to the BPS book — bear with me as I'm having to do this manually, so it'll take me a few days to work through the list and get them all out to you. If you haven't received yours by Monday (October 25) let me know.

P.S. I'll need your postcards in the mail by November 20 so that we can miss the worst of the holiday mail rush, too.

P.P.S. Oops! Greg sent out an earlier version of the book email by mistake — sorry for the confusion. The final (official) one is titled The BPS Book, and is addressed to you personally.

Thanks as always for your patience!

:-)


(photo by Douglas Friedman for Domino magazine)

Hey, Where'd Everybody Go?

Sorry for the apparent silence recently — it's been one round of crazy deadlines after another for me (and for Greg, too) so the last couple of weeks have pretty much been a blur. We'll have an email out to you as soon as we resurface — definitely before the end of the month.

Thanks as always for your patience — you are all just wonderful.

xo


(photo of Iggy via the brick house)

What's Next

Wondering what's going on? We've been waiting for everyone to receive their September postcards — and in the next few days we'll be sending an email out with details on what to do with your BPS postcards. Stay tuned!


(photo from oh hello friend)

The Englishman Who Posted Himself and Other Curious Objects

Deirdre Foley-Mendelssohn of the New Yorker has a fun review of The Englishman Who Posted Himself and Other Curious Objects, the intriguingly titled new book by John Tingey about eccentric Englishman W. Reginald Bray (1879-1939) who, after reading the entire British Post Office Guide, decided to take the rules as challenges. Foley-Mendelssohn writes that " ... Bray tried posting an unimaginable array of things, to see whether the post office would deliver them. Apparently, at the time, the smallest item that could be posted was a bee, and the largest an elephant. Bray seems to have tried most things in between." I definitely have to get this book. Read the rest of the review (and see a little slide show from the book) here.

BPS Café — September 2010

If you've received a September postcard from a sender who prefers to remain tantalizingly mysterious, you can still say thank you! Members can leave a comment here to let other members know how much they appreciate the postcard they've received.

Note: If you've just received your August postcard and would like to thank the sender, you can still leave a comment in the August BPS Café post! For earlier postcards that have finally arrived, please check out the quick links to the appropriate BPS Café in the Related Links section on the right.


(photograph via nom nom nom)

September Mailing

It's hard to believe, but it's now the very last mailing of the Benevolent Postcard Society. Your mailing address will be arriving soon — as always, don't forget to check your spam folder too. But before you send off your last postcard, give yourself a well deserved pat on the back. Your generous participation brightened a lot of people's lives. Thanks.


(photo via paper n stitch)

What's Next

We're gearing up for the very last mailing on September 1 — and once the addresses have been emailed, we'll be sending out another email a week or so after it with info on what to do with your collection of postcards. Basically, if you'd like the postcards you've received to appear in the book, you'll need to send them to me. If you'd like them returned once I've scanned them, I'm happy to ship them back to you — all I ask is that you send me a small amount via PayPal to cover the return postage. I'll have more details in the official email about this, but I just wanted to give you a bit of advance notice so you can decide what you'd like to do. Thanks so much again for making the BPS so much fun — I couldn't have done it without you!!!

:-)


(postcard wall photo from homelife, via from the right bank)

BPS Café — August 2010

If you've received an August postcard from a sender who prefers to remain tantalizingly mysterious, you can still say thank you! Members can leave a comment here to let other members know how much they appreciate the postcard they've received.

Note: If you've just received your July postcard and would like to thank the sender, you can still leave a comment in the July BPS Café post! For earlier postcards that have finally arrived, please check out the quick links to the appropriate BPS Café in the Related Links section on the right.


(photograph via nom nom nom)

August Mailing

The addresses for the August BPS postcard mailing have just been sent out — be sure to check your spam folder if you don't see yours in your inbox. Happy mailing — and happy weekend!

:-)

(photo by Becca Heuer)

Here You Go.

It's been a crazy busy work week for me, so I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to source anything postcard related for you recently. But you know what? I bet I'm not the only one who's been super busy too, so — here's a cupcake. You deserve it.

:-)

(photo via Martha Stewart)

Textile Postcards

Such a great idea — artist Gillian Bates makes these pretty postcards by creating a digital image of her original textile canvases, and then backing them onto heavy white card. Shown here is her postcard of Bournemouth Beach in England. You can see more of her designs on her etsy shop here.

Thanks so much to lovely Mari for forwarding the link!

BPS Café — July 2010

If you've received a July postcard from a sender who prefers to remain tantalizingly mysterious, you can still say thank you! Members can leave a comment here to let other members know how much they appreciate the postcard they've received.

Note: If you've just received your June postcard and would like to thank the sender, you can still leave a comment in the June BPS Café post! For earlier postcards that have finally arrived, please check out the quick links to the appropriate BPS Café in the Related Links section on the right.


(photograph via nom nom nom)

July Mailing

Happy Canada Day to the Canadian BPS members! I just wanted to let everyone know that there may be a slight delay with the July address emails as it's a holiday here today — but rest assured we'll get them out to you ASAP. Thanks so much and happy long weekend!

Update: Greg just sent the addresses out, so check your inbox (and spam folder)!


(vintage Canadian stamps from Poppytalk's personal collection)

Little Zosienka

Lovely BPS member Zosienka has just opened her own Etsy shop! Called Little Zosienka, it features limited edition prints and unique badges of Zosienka's dreamlike artwork. Shown above are her Bear and Goose badges, which, she writes, " ... are from a series called 'Saint Gall'. Saint Gallus is the patron saint of birds, geese & poultry. His character is often represented with the image of a bear offering him a log of wood." Have a look at more of her work here.

Postable Jewelry

Not only does London-based jewelry designer Nutre Arayavanish create beautiful modern pieces that last forever, but she also has a more ephemeral and conceptual line too — Postable Jewelry. Made of wood, the postcards that can be sent through the mail — the happy recipients can then pop out the pieces and make them into playful and imaginative rings. Postable Jewelry is available from Tender Product (London) and SF MOMA (San Francisco). Find out more from Nutre's website here. Via Josh Spear.

Build Your Own New York

Missing New York? Now you can create your own mini version, thanks to the site Build Your Own New York, which offers amazingly detailed 4-5/8-inch by 6-3/4-inch postcards of the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, Chrysler Building and more. Each building costs $1.50, with eight buildings in all. Some assembly is required (of course), but the results are great. More here. Via DesignCrave.

BPS Café — June 2010

If you've received a June postcard from a sender who prefers to remain tantalizingly mysterious, you can still say thank you! Members can leave a comment here to let other members know how much they appreciate the postcard they've received.

Note: If you've just received your April postcard and would like to thank the sender, you can still leave a comment in the April BPS Café post! For earlier postcards that have finally arrived, please check out the quick links to the appropriate BPS Café in the Related Links section on the right.


(photograph via nom nom nom)

June Mailing Done!

Greg has just finished sending out the June mailing — be sure to check your mail (including your junk mail folder) for your address.


(photo by Didier Morlot on flickr)

June Mailing

The addresses for the June mailing will be going out very soon — please note that if you didn't reply to the May renewal email, you won't be in the revised database! If you'd still like to be an active BPS member, email me to confirm your participation ASAP.


(photo from here via weheartit)

What's New

I'm busily sorting out all your BPS renewal emails now, getting things ready for the revised database launching in June. If for some reason you haven't yet let me know that you're planning to continue with the BPS, now's the time to send me a quick email before I finalize everything on Monday!


(photo from vt wonen via delight by design)

Last Call!

Last chance! If you'd like to continue being a BPS member and haven't yet emailed me to confirm, please hurry and let me know by midnight on Monday (May 17).


(lovely photo by LaraJade on flickr)

The Story So Far ...

Thanks so much to everyone who emailed to renew their BPS membership — your support and enthusiasm is wonderful! And if you haven't renewed as yet but intend to do so, be sure to let me know before this Saturday — May 15!

:-)


(photo via ashley said that)

No May Mailing!

The warm weather is finally here, and with the change in season comes a change for many of our BPS members — a new home! Recently we've received a lot of change of address emails, which isn't surprising as many BPS members are students — the end of term means many members are busily moving right now. With this in mind, we've decided to take a little mailing break in May while everyone gets settled in. So, there'll be no BPS postcard mailing in May.

This pause in mailing is also an opportunity for us to update the database and confirm that everyone currently listed on there is still an active member. So, in a day or two you'll be receiving an email about our May break, with a request — if you plan to continue participating in the BPS, we'll ask that you respond to the email by May 15 to confirm you'll still be a BPS member when we resume in June. We want everyone to be a happily participating member — and rest assured that if you do decide to withdraw, you'll still be a valued member for the time you were with us. Thanks!

Have a wonderful spring — and thanks so much as always for your fantastic postcards, your enthusiasm and your support. There would be no BPS without you!

Best,
Lori

(photo by Jackie Rueda)

Hello ...

A quick note to say hello — and let you know that it's been really busy for me over the last couple of weeks or so, which means I haven't been able to look at BPS emails and update the blog. My apologies if you've emailed me recently — I'm not ignoring you, I've just been a bit overwhelmed with work lately! Things are beginning to settle down again, though, so I'll be catching up with everyone soon. Thanks as always for your patience — you guys are the best.

xo


(great photograph by Donna Griffith)

BPS Café — April 2010

If you've received an April postcard from a sender who prefers to remain tantalizingly mysterious, you can still say thank you! Members can leave a comment here to let other members know how much they appreciate the postcard they've received.

Note: If you've just received your March postcard and would like to thank the sender, you can still leave a comment in the March BPS Café post! For earlier postcards that have finally arrived, please check out the quick links to the appropriate BPS Café in the Related Links section on the right.


(photograph via nom nom nom)

April Mailing

The addresses for the April mailing are going out tonight — as always, please be sure to check your spam folder if you don't see it in your inbox. Happy mailing!


(photograph by Olga on flickr)

The Strange Case of the Missing British Postcards

With a few months of the BPS now behind us, certain patterns are beginning to emerge regarding mail delivery — and the most striking has been the ongoing issues we're having with postcards going to (or out of) Britain. It's quite extraordinary — nowhere else (and we mail all over the world) has there been such a problem getting postcards to or from one particular destination. As there's nothing we can do about a postal service that appears to be so lackadaisical, the next best thing I can do is let everyone know the situation and be aware that if postcards don't show it's not the senders — it's the mail. Thanks for your understanding!


(photo of silent film actor William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes via Scott Monty)

And ... Another Giveaway!

BPS member Hedy is celebrating one year of her lovely blog Tuulikki Titine with a fun giveaway! Head over here for your chance to win a set of her charming handmade Colours postcard sets — four different postcards featuring: glass people in a window display in Amsterdam; bobbins in the Textile-museum in Tilburg (The Netherlands); colourful chairs in Berlin and a collage of dancing figures by Hedy. Deadline to enter is March 30, so hurry!

Giveaway Winners!

I've run the numbers (via random.org) and am very happy to announce the three winners for the giveaway! Congratulations to Polly R, Claire and Silke — you'll each be receiving a set of two postal stamp magnets in the mail! Thanks so much to everyone who participated — and keep an eye out for future BPS giveaways, too!

:-)

BPS Giveaway!

I've been wanting to do a little thank you to the wonderful members of the BPS for a while, so I thought we'd have a fun giveaway for the BPS! Three lucky Benevolent Postcard Society members will each win a set of one large and one small stamp magnet, reproductions of antique European stamps. All you have to do is leave a comment below for a chance to win. Contest closes at 12 midnight (PST) on March 15 2010 — I'll announce the winners on March 16. Good luck!

Please note: this contest is open to BPS members only — thanks for your interest!

BPS Café — March 2010

If you've received a March postcard from a sender who prefers to remain tantalizingly mysterious, you can still say thank you! Members can leave a comment here to let other members know how much they appreciate the postcard they've received.

Note: If you've just received your February postcard and would like to thank the sender, you can still leave a comment in the February BPS Café post! For earlier postcards that have finally arrived, please check out the quick links to the appropriate BPS Café in the Related Links section on the right.


(photograph via nom nom nom)

Postcarden

How perfect is this for spring? The Postcarden by Aimée of A Studio for Design is an ingenious pop-up post card that becomes a mini-garden, adding a little note of fresh and living greenery to your environment. Currently available in three designs — botanical, city, and allotment — each Postcarden comes with a packet of cress seeds. You simply add water for two weeks of goodness (the cress is edible — add a little to your sandwich or salad on the spot). Right now it's only available within the EU, but Aimée plans to expand distribution to the U.S. and other areas soon. Via Oh So Beautiful Paper.

Thanks so much to lovely BPS member Daniella for the link!

March 2010 Mailing

Hi all! Greg has just finished sending out the BPS address mailing for March — you should receive your address tonight or tomorrow. As always, please be sure to check your spam folder if you don't see it in your inbox!


(photo of vintage postcard by Ana y Esteban, via Beauty in Everything)

BPS Café — February 2010

If you've received a February postcard from a sender who prefers to remain tantalizingly mysterious, you can still say thank you! Members can leave a comment here to let other members know how much they appreciate the postcard they've received.

Note: If you've just received your January postcard and would like to thank the sender, you can still leave a comment in the January BPS Café post! For earlier postcards that have finally arrived, please check out the quick links to the appropriate BPS Café in the Related Links section on the right.

P.S. Sorry for posting the BPS Café so late this month — completely forgot!

(photograph via nom nom nom)

Envelope Clutch

Love this cute envelope clutch by Kate Spade, part of her Par Avion collection — such a playful idea.

Thanks so much to lovely BPS member Olga for sending along the link!

International Fabric Swap — Plus Postcard

Attention craftier members of the BPS — check out this international fabric swap! Participants cut up two different pieces of fabric (one a traditional print, one contemporary) into four quarters each, then (keeping one quarter of each print) send the six remaining quarters to other participants, plus a postcard of where it's being sent from. In turn, you'll receive fabric and postcards from others taking part as well. If you're interested, you'll need to sign up before February 27 — find out the details on the A Bit of This and A Bit Of That blog here.

Thanks so much to lovely BPS member Amanda for the link (and who's also a participant)!


(lovely photograph by karaku via beauty in everything)