Sunday 14 August 2011

Going Postal: Just in time for the last collection

So, hello again. For the second time today.

I promise I make a habit of posting twice daily, but I didn't want to cram in all my emotional outpourings into my previous post, it just wouldn't have been dignified. Plus ... all the tears would have made those lovely rainbow stamps a bit soggy ...

And now, sitting here with a big blank post all to myself ... I really don't know where to begin ...

How about ...

A few things I've learned during this series:
  • Pinterest is going to become so useful for joint creative projects such as Going Postal, especially seeing as how not everyone needs an account to be able to join in.
  • My close blogging friends are amazingly supportive of my whims and adventures in blogland!
  • My wider blogging community truly is filled with postal-loving crafters ... just as I'd suspected! 
  • There'll be fewer security envelopes being thrown away from now on ... 
A few things I'm grateful for:
  • The number of you who blogged a Going Postal post of your own. Thanks You! You filled-up that Pinterest board with style!; 
  • The people who offered giveaway prizes. You're such a generous lot!
  • The people who've left comments and re-pinned one another's work.
A few things I'm definitely going to do again:
  • Something almost identical to Going Postal ... but with a different theme. Probably in the New Year. 
  • Be brave and run with my "Mmmm, maybe I might ... "- style schemes and plans whenever I can!
  • Ask you all a question every now and again ...outright ... no messing ... just a "So ... tell  me .....?" question from time to time. 
Because the answers you've all been leaving on the posts where I've asked a question have been one of my favourite things to happen in almost 3 years of blogging!

If you didn't catch them - they were the comments left on 2 giveaway posts where I first asked about the unusual occupations of someone you know and then who you'd like to write a letter to and why.

Between the two categories you've had me enthralled! I've loved the glimpses into your world-beyond-the-blog and you've had me both laughing out loud and fighting back tears.

Something I always try to remember, when going about the business of life, when trying not to rush to judgements and treat people fairly is that everyone has their story. Everyone has a history, a network of events and moments and relationships unique to them which, usually, has to be held  beneath the surface just to allow us to get on with our day-to-day living.

But everyone also likes to tell that story when given a chance. And you sure do have one to tell, don't you?

Thank you for sharing all those touching details about who you'd like to write a letter to and why. Isn't it interesting how so many of you have given similar responses? It's like the author Maya Angelou says: "We are more alike than we are unalike".

And whoever would've thought that that would be the biggest thing to have come out of a series about postal ephemera!

Maybe it all turned into a joint and unexpected nostalgia trip for us.
  • There were all those memories of writing and receiving handwritten letters 'once upon a time'.
  • There were the remembered joys of snipping off an interesting stamp from an 'exotic' country when we were young. 
  • There were the sudden recollections that there were postcards, letters and stamp collections still in our houses ... somewhere ... and so many of you searched for them ... and found them and got reacquainted with stamps ... and memories.
  • And there were those of you who've decided to pass on your love of snail mail to your 21st cenury children or who've joined in a post-swapping scheme to re-awaken your childhood excitement at what might just land on your doormat any given day.
 So .. thanks for joining me when I went postal. You were great company.

Now let me go and break open a new notebook so I can scribble down my plans for next time ...

Julie x

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  • Blogging business-as-usual will no doubt resume this week sometime.
  • I'll leave the full list of Going Postal posts in the righthand sidebar for another month. After that you can use the search box at the top left of the screen or my 'Filed Away' section, if you need to refer back to anything.
  • Here's the Going Postal Pinterest board - for you to check out the latest and last additions [unless anything else comes in before midnight!].
  • The Docrafts giveaway remains open until Thursday 18th Aug 2011.
  • I'm hoping to put together the first in a series of short, focussed, creative classes very soon and I hope some of you will join me.
  • Thanks, see you next week.

12 comments:

  1. I've really enjoyed your going postal series, thanks for taking the time to put it all together. :)

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  2. Thanks for going postal Julie, it's been frabjous fun! x

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  3. Crikey! That went by fast! I've loved following this, I have a LO to post from it too, just need a round tuit now! *lol* Looking forward to the next :)

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  4. Thanks for everything you did putting this together, it has been a great series and I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next.

    I have a post that I think I may have forgotten to give you the link to:
    http://messmuddleandfun.blogspot.com/2011/08/postcard-from-lancaster.html

    While I was on holiday the thought of this project inspired me to send a whole pile of traditional postcards, and to bring some back home. I did take a photograph before I went to the post box, but I haven't got around to uploading it. I have rediscovered the joy of sending a small thing through the post though, just because, and am now adding a pack of stamps onto my shopping list so that I can keep on doing so. Thanks you.

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  5. great series and i look forward to seeing what you do next....thank you!

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  6. Thanks so much for this Julie - loved it!! :-)

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  7. THANK YOU for everything! I am very grateful for this series and for the work you put into it! I too will be looking forward to your next project,
    I am a fan ;)

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  8. Thank you to you Julie. It's been fun and I can't wait to see what your next series will be.

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  9. It's been a great one! Thanks for the inspiration and the push I needed to get my page done. I think it might turn out to be one of my favourites this year. And I've met some new people through the Going Postal board too. Postally perfect in every way.

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  10. It's been awesome, it's been emotional, it's been posteriffic. Or possibly not that last one.

    Thanks for some great inspiration (as ever), Lady J.

    See you for the next one.

    xx

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  11. Julie, I just loved checking in on your "Going Postal" challenge, and seeing all of the art and reading the intriguing commentary from the participants! I wasn't able to participate this time around, but look forward to your next challenge in the new year!

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  12. Oh man, I really wanted to join in but just got too busy this month. I have made a page with stamps though... to go my blog on the 22nd (part of my own little series). This was such a great idea. Love the theme and I've enjoyed reading and seeing what people have made.

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Thanks for leaving me a comment, asking me a question, sharing your own story or just randomly saying hello.