Cut Paper Envelopes

These are just amazing — intricately cut paper security envelopes by New York-based artist J.K. Keller. Via dear ada. Thanks so much to BPS member Jesse Lu for sending along the link!

What's New

We're in the process of preparing for the next mailing on November 1, which I'm finding hard to believe — this month has just flown by! Just a couple of things I'd like to remind you about — please use an envelope if mailing anything fragile, and please mail it on the 1st (or as close to it as possible), too.

Having said that, I'd like to mention again that (as a few of us are discovering) the length of time it takes for something to be delivered is completely unpredictable — a friend of mine here in Canada was delighted to get a postcard from Turkey in 4 days, while another friend's postcard from Texas (again to Canada) took over 4 weeks. This is why I'm taking the long view with this project, hoping to receive as many as I send, but resigned to the fact that the unpredicability of the world's postal systems means that there may be months when a postcard arrives very, very late (or sadly not at all).

Thanks again for being understanding about this — I wish I had a way to make sure everyone got a postcard each month and on time, but unfortunately it's just not possible. In the meantime, let's stay positive and remember that this project is all about the giving!



(The pretty photograph is by the wonderful Bonnie Tsang, via lovely Linda of Simply Seductive. Thanks so much again, Linda!)

Postcard Pillow

Such a fun idea — a postcard pillow! It's hand made by Fallon of Olive on Etsy, and she customizes it for each buyer, hand writing your personal message on it, too (plus an address and two stitched on stamps). There's one left in stock, so if you're interested, hurry over to her shop here!

Thanks so much to BPS member Melanie for sharing the link!

Getting There

I've had a few emails now from BPS members reporting sadly on the state of the postcards they've received — one arrived with just a few colourful bits of glue remaining on the front of what should have been a lovely collage, and another had the entire front torn off entirely. So, I'd just like to remind everyone again — if you're sending a collaged postcard (or adding anything to an existing one, or if it's delicate in any way) please protect your wonderful work from the vicissitudes of the world's postal services by putting it in an envelope before sending it.

I must say that this project is turning into a real learning experience about mail systems!


(photograph via that.was.just.a.dream)

BPS Café — October 2009

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

Note: If you've just received your September postcard and would like to thank the sender, you can still leave a comment in the September BPS Café post!


(photograph via nom nom nom)

Postcard Delivered After 40 Years

"A postcard bringing holiday news to a couple in Almondbury has just been delivered — 40 years after it was posted." Read the rest of the story here. Needless to say I sincerely hope none of us wait this long for our postcards! Thanks so much to BPS member Andree for forwarding me the link — and check out Andree's globetrotting adventures here, too!


(peacock postcard by mulberry muse on Etsy, via Creative Inspiration)

September Follow Up

If you still haven't received your September postcard yet, please let me know now. We'll be keeping track of potential problems with postcard deliveries as we progress through the BPS project, and right now it's September's turn. Thanks so much for your help!

P.S. If you email me a note saying that you didn't receive a September postcard, and then find it in your mailbox later, please let me know ASAP so we can keep the database current! :-)

(lovely photo by Lobster & Swan, via the happy girl I am)

A New BPS Button

My pal Clare — a brilliant designer and a BPS member — designed these cool BPS badges just for fun on his lunch break the other day, and I just had to share them with you. I'll post downloadable versions that you can add to your own blog/website soon, too!

Mail Day!

Happy mailing day! Thanks so much again to Greg for staying up til the wee hours of the morning to make sure we all got our addresses in time, too.


(lovely photograph by Morning by Foley, via we heart it)

Wednesday Update

As I write this, my wonderful brother Greg is valiantly tackling persistent email issues that prevent him from sending out this month's BPS addresses. Rest assured he's doing all he can to get the problem sorted out quickly so he can send the address emails out tonight.

Just wanted to let you know!

Update 1:18 AM: Greg's got it working and you should be receiving your October mailing address in the course of the next couple of hours or so. Yay Greg! Thanks again for your patience while this was getting sorted out.


(The still of the Knight playing chess with Death is from the brilliant 1957 film The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman. Via Criterion)

Another Project ...

Thought you might be interested to know that I've just launched my own online shop! It's called the automatism atelier, and it's where I'll be selling my limited edition fine art prints, one of a kind mixed media collage work and more. To celebrate I'm having a giveaway on my automatism blog, where you'll have a chance to win one of four different letterpress prints in my Veggie collage series! The prints measure 4" x 6" which is, as you know, postcard sized. Shown above is Mr. Onions — but be sure to go and meet Miss Cabbage, Sir Potato, and Lady Asparagus, too! Contest closes at midnight on Wednesday, October 7 2009.

Monday Update

I'm battling an icky flu bug at the moment, so my apologies if I'm slow responding to your emails for the next day or so. Rest assured that we're still on track for sending out the October mailing addresses to everyone by Wednesday night!

I've also received a few emails from BPS members concerned about not yet receiving their postcards. There are several factors responsible for this:

1. Location. Depending on the distance your postcard has to travel for the September mailing (and some have quite a ways to go), your postcard may still be in transit. In this situation, it's quite possible that your October postcard will arrive before your September one!

2. Postal Strike. There are at least two postal strikes that I know of on at the moment, which will definitely slow things down, if not bring things to a complete halt for a time.

3. Members. For various reasons (out of town, urgent family business) some members weren't able to send their postcards out until a week or two after the mail date. Life happens and will continue to do so!

I wish I had control over the mail system, but alas — it's as unpredictable as the weather. I myself am taking the long term view, hoping to receive most of my postcards but not expecting to get one absolutely every month. That said, I've received postcards from family and friends on holiday months after they've returned home, so you never know!

Thanks so much as always for your wonderful support and for your patience — I really appreciate it.


(beautiful photograph by smallfish on flickr, via we heart it)

Getting Ready

The October mailing is coming up soon! Before we gear up again, I'd like to go over a few things with you. Read on for more ...

1. We're putting the finishing touches on our shiny new app that will randomly select and email addresses for the monthly mailings (huge thanks again to my amazing bro Greg for designing and building this)! We'll be testing it this week.

2. Some members are still waiting for their September postcards. If you're one of them, please bear in mind that many are being mailed from quite a distance, and give the postcards until this Friday (September 25) to arrive in your mailbox. If you haven't received yours by then, let me know and I'll follow up as best as I can. Which brings me to:

3. I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is to mail out your postcards on the first of the month. As some of you are discovering, mailing to another country can take weeks, since the postcards are being sent by regular mail, for great distances, through several postal systems. Please don't disappoint another member (and I've been getting some very forlorn emails indeed about this lately) and make them wait any longer than necessary. The whole point of this project, after all, is to make someone happy! If something serious comes up and you can't make it to the mailbox on time that's fine — life happens. Just let me know so I can let the recipient know there'll be a delay. Which brings me to:

4. A membership amnesty. If you've recently realized that you'll be unable to commit to the monthly mailing schedule required for the BPS, please let me know right away. Whether you're on the road a lot traveling or just trying to deal with your own hectic schedule — no matter what the reason, rest assured that no one will get mad or be disappointed if you decide to gracefully bow out. It is a commitment to participate in this, and being able to both recognize that and be honest about your ability to adhere to it is really appreciated. You'll still be welcome to hang out here!

5. The next mailing is just over a week away ...

Please feel free to comment on the above (or to email me privately if you prefer), and thanks so much again to each and every one of you for making this such a great project — it's so fun to watch it grow!

:-)


(lovely Polaroid photo by Marta V. on Flickr, via carrots and peas)

BPS Café — September 2009

If you've received a postcard from a sender who prefers to remain tantalizingly mysterious, you can still say thank you! Each month I'll have a post here called the BPS Café, where members can leave a comment and let another member know how much they appreciate the postcard they've received.


(photograph via nom nom nom)

Get Connected

If you look at the right hand column, just under the Followers section, you'll see a new link list for the blogs and websites of BPS members! If you'd like to be included, just email me your site name and address (with the words BPS Link in the header) and I'll add you ASAP.


(photograph by natamatika on flickr, via you carry my love inside of your heartbeat)