Colorado Moon Giveaway Winner!

Good morning, I am please to announce the winner of Colorado Moon's beautiful handmade card featuring original art from Emily Yamazawa.   Our winner is...
Caitlin Audrey Tieu !

Thank you so much for participating Caitlin and I hope you enjoy your card from Colorado Moon.  She will be in touch with you shortly via email.

Here is what Caitlin has won!

And remember if you didn't get a chance to win this lovely piece of art you can go to Colorado Moon to pick out your own treasure

Introducing Colorado Moon; Postcard Giveaway

 

Colorado Moon

I am happy to introduce Emily Yamazawa, an artist that has set up shop on Etsy.  Her lovely shop, Colorado Mono, was established in April this year and is off to a wonderful start.  Her unique art is refreshing and fun.  Best of all they are postcards!  Just imagine receiving one her beautiful pieces in the mail.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/97670529/persimmon-etegami?ref=shop_home_active

Emily has provide us with a great interview and a chance to win one of her wonderful cards! (Located after the interview)
 

1.  Tell me a bit about yourself...

Live in Denver Colorado with my husband. I do a lot of running and hiking and love learning new languages (currently learning Arabic!)

Started painting etegami about 5 years ago with my grandmother.
 

2.Apart from creating, what do you do?

English as a Second Language Teacher in Denver Colorado.I work with refugees from all over the world who have escaped persecution in their home countries (Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Burma, Bhutan to name a few)

I teach literacy skills (how to identify letters, spatial recognition, study skills)
 

3.What first made you want to create?

I have always loved writing people letters and postcards since I was a kid. Even now, I write about 2-5 letters a week to friends and family, and also to random people who want to receive letters! So the art of etegami really spoke to me. It is a nice way to let someone know you are thinking of them, without the time commitment & sometimes heaviness of a letter .
 

A spin off of    “go big or go home” this postcard shows a bit of

tongue and cheek poking to encourage a friend to really challenge

an obstacle in their life and keep persevering.

4.Describe you creative process?

I want it to be natural so I spend a lot of time in nature and outside to get motivated and inspired. Also, I like to paint about what is going on in the world so I read a lot of books and newspapers to gain insight.
 

5.What handmade possession do you cherish most?

A leather brooch that my great grandmother made.
 

6.What one piece of information would you like to know from experienced etsy sellers?

How do you set yourself apart? It seems like there are a gazillion sites on etsy!
 

7.What is your favorite feature or tool on Etsy so far?

The forums are pretty awesome!
 

8.How are you promoting your work?

I am trying to gain courage to enter myself in a small local craft fair, but it hasn't happened yet. This interview is probably my first step in a while! I should work on my facebook page but I keep getting tied up with my work!
 

9.Where do you want to be in ten years?

I'd love to get postcard painting be a bigger part of my life. I really love it!

As far as teaching, I want to help volunteers with tools to teach ESL learners.

 Giveaway Open to US residents only

Win this wonderful postcard

Genki kana in Japanese literally means “How you doin’?” It’s a nice way to surprise someone’s mailbox and their day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

National Postcard Week 2013 - Postcard Swap (Exchange)

Since the deadline to sign up for my National Postcard Week postcard swap is coming up in just a few days I am reposting this information.  This has been so much fun for me as a postcard collector so I really hope that you join the fun.  It is a great way to get unique postcards from all over the US and some other countries also.  If you have any questions email me at ButterflyInTheAttic at yahoo dot com.  The most important thing right now is to get your physical address to me by April 26th.


It's that time of year again!  The nationally recognized week that every postcard collector and enthusiast anxiously waits for; National Postcard Week aka NCPW.  May 5th - 11th is a nationally (and some internationally) celebrated week filled with blog posts, team activities, clubs and best of all many great postcard swaps (exchanges!)

 

Starting today I will be gathering a list of names and addresses from those who would like to participate in the Pacific Postcards Team Card Swap.  While I would love to have you become a member, it is not necessary to participate in the NCPW postcard swap.  Instructions on how to join in this fun even will follow shortly.  But first, Why is this so exciting for postcard lovers?  Well let me tell you ;)



from 2012

When you participate in a swap you potential will receive cards from all over the US and even other countries as well.  All it costs for you to participate is the actual cost of the cards and postage (one for each participant.)  Mine did add up a little last year but I received over 50 postcards in return!  Check out the posts that show some of the great cards I received:
http://butterflyintheattic.blogspot.com/2012/05/beautiful-end-to-national-postcard-week.html
http://butterflyintheattic.blogspot.com/2012/05/happy-national-postcard-week-2012.html

Instructions/Guidelines

1)  Very important!  Email me at ButterflyInTheAttic at yahoo dot com.  In the subject put either Postcard Swap or Postcard Exchange.  Include your name, Mailing address and let me know if you would like to be added to my email list to receive any future emails about the PPT team, promotions, and the Monthly News Letter that I am developing.


2)  Design or purchase already made cards, you can even use vintage cards that you would like to exchange if you want.  Personally I like the handmade cards but any will be great.  I also suggest that if you are purchasing already made cards get some that show something about where you live or have meaning to you


3)  Write on the back or have printed on the cards NPCW 2013 (you can see how others have done it in the past if you check out the ones I received last year)  Write on it your name and if  you designed it give a little description so we know what it is about.  Sign and numbering them is always nice.  Who knows maybe yours will end up in some collector magazine 50 years from now:)

4)  By Friday, April 26th the list will close and I will email the completed list by April 29th to all of the participants (NOTE:  I will only use this list for the specific exchange and will not be distributing it anywhere else)


5)  Now it is up to everyone that signed up:
During May 5th - May 11th send a postcard (or cards if you desire) to each participant on the list using their posted mailing address.

That's it!  Now just have fun!

 If you would like to take photographs of all the cards you receive and send them to me via email, I would love to post them on this blog.   Write a little blurb about your experience (I reserve editor's rights and may do grammar, spelling checks or trim down if needed.)

Any questions please email me at ButterflyInTheAttic at yahoo dot com. 

The more people participating the more fun it is so spread the word.
Blessings

From 2012

Links you may find useful:

Happy National Postcard Week 2012

This is the first year that I have been able to participate in National Postcard Week.  I have wanted to participate in a postcard swap ever since I was sent an invite to one about 10 years ago.  At that time I didn't know how to even begin designing my own postcards and about two years ago I was very determined to figure it out.  Unfortunately so far the most inexpensive place to get your postcards done is Vista but they are the 4 x 6 continental sized card.  I would love to find a place that was inexpensive, that you didn't have to order more than a couple hundred of each kind, and printed a size that is closer to the traditional 3.5 x 5.5 inch cards of years gone by.  So if anyone knows of a site that fits this criteria please leave a comment for me with the information; thank you in advance.

I am excitedly sending out my first (non-envelope) batch of postcards today.  Because many of the people on the list requested a card sent in an envelope I am going to go on a search for Dollar Store envelopes tonight after work and will be sending the rest out tomorrow.  I am mailing one of the following cards this year:
    This one is called Forgotten Memory since it reminds me of the old abandoned buildings and how 
    they are filled with people's memories even if they don't look like it today.   

http://www.etsy.com/listing/98795105/1-fine-art-postcard-the-forgotten-memory

     This one is called Homestead Lost In Time; both images were taken from Central Cal.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/98795187/1-fine-art-postcard-homestead-lost-in?ref=v1_other_1

I love old buildings and I wanted to send something from my own photography collection of California, especially since most of the people on the list are from other states.  What I have learned this year is that I should have put National Postcard Week May 6 2012 on the card.  I never even thought about it until I received a few sent to me.  My hand is aching from having to hand write on the back my celebratory greetings.  But considering this is my first year I figure I am going to give myself a break and just enjoy the fact I was able to participate; everything is a learning process. 

Here are some of the postcards I received so far, these came already last week; talk about prompt!

From Sandusky Ohio

From Alamogordo New Mexico

From Belleville Illinois

From Mission Texas

From Mission Texas

From Cartersville Georgia

From Pawtucket Rhode Island

 I will post my other cards that I receive so stay tuned. 

Its Universal Letter Writing Week - Confessions of the World's Worst PenPal

Happy Universal Letter Writing Week!   I think that January just feels like such a long month because its cold, a lot of nature is dormant and there are no major holidays (other than the first of course.)  So in an effort to break the monotony I always look for special events or holidays and just like every other year there is not much going on. But I did find it thought provoking that this week was Letter Writing Week and it suddenly triggered memory of many unanswered penpal letters.

Beautiful Ephemera found at ETSY shop Leannes Loot at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Leannesloot?ref=seller_info

It is funny how someone can love postcards so much and yet still be the World's Worst penpal.  My entire childhood I loved the idea of penpals and had a few but never could get myself to sit still long enough to write an actual good letter.  I had a couple loyal penpals that were steadfast despite my failures, for every 4 letters they wrote I would write 1.  I think that it was because nothing seemed to ever be going on and then when it did I was too busy enjoying the moment to actually sit down and write about it.  Also I hated grammar and spelling, as you may have noticed by now, and would instantly get writers block thinking about "is it I after E or E after I..."  But in my defense this was well before spellcheck. 

This wonderful digital postcard can be purchased from ETSY shop French Kissed at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FrenchKissed?ref=seller_info

I hated using the dictionary; it never made sense to me that if you couldn't spell the word that you would have look it up among thousands of words in the largest book ever made.  So in other words you had to know how to spell the word in order to find it to learn how to spell it; there's the problem.  I would spend hours trying to formulate a proper letter, looking up every word I couldn't spell (all of them) just to be told after all my pain staking effort that my handwriting was like hen scratching. Thank God for email is all I can say.

Email is perfect for people like me:  1) you can spell check and catch most of your errors 2) now that it is a main streamed form of correspondence people seem to have started accepting our for are and sole instead of soul as mere typos.  They seemed to forget there was an idiot on the other end typing that doesn't know how to spell the simplest of words.  3) there are no grammar rules.  The evil comma finally vanquished, the horrid semi-colon struck down and I don't even have to use a period if I put enough spaces after things.

All kidding aside I was the worse penpal and I apologize to each and every one from the bottom of my heart.  I love a good letter and the beautiful writings on the backs of each my old postcards.  I want to be part of the great correspondence loop.  So one of my personal goals for this year is to at least send out more than 5 Christmas cards and to include a note instead of just signing them...

...I better get started today this may take awhile.