birthday postcards

These two were sent out as birthday greetings... but it was so long ago that I can't remember any of the details about the images.

To my step-mom (because my Dad probably took her somewhere as cheesy as this):

To my sister (I couldn't resist adding the speech bubble):

double up uh uh

The problem of how to send out the cards that have already been written on has been solved!

What I'm gonna do is cut card stock to the size of the postcard, draw some address lines on the back, and tape it to the postcard on one side with clear tape. I found these cool, clear, circular tab things that are perforated down the center - I'll put one of these on the other side. Basically it makes a little card that you can rip open. This method will allow me to send the card "postcard style" (writing and stamp on the outside) but still retain the original message (on the inside). The recipient gets a full-on-double-postcard with my message and a random historical message - which I think is pretty cool!

Below is the prototype. I'm sending it to a cousin who loves the 50s/60s era. I think he'll really like the art.

I scanned the back so you can read the touching original message from a Father to his daughter.

The bottom image is what I've taped to the back of the card.

So, this particular card has had the stamp ripped off but, and I don't think I've ever mentioned this, judging from dates on other cards around this one in the album I think this card is from 1960!! I can't believe it's 50 years old!! I mean, I can believe it but yet, I can't...

theory of relativity

These both went out to relatives living in far-away cities.

"A" is for appropriate....

The name of the cousin that got this card starts with "A"... Also, since she's at school right now, she's probably cheering "Gimme an A" all the time.

(I didn't write "our house" on the card. That was already on there.)

And this went out to a sibling celebrating a birthday. Hope he got to eat somewhere as fancy as this restaurant in San Francisco.

monkey love to NYC

This card I pulled out of the album years ago and I've always kept it around the house somewhere. My husband was born in the year of the monkey.

Anyway, it was time to share the love with someone else so I sent it to one of the cutest couples I know. They live in New York City.

mexico

As mentioned earlier, I'm basically (but not strictly) sending these postcards in the order they come out of the album. I guess that means we're travelling through Mexico with the originals owners of the album right now because here are the two cards I sent out in the last couple days.

I sent the former Presidente of Mexico to mi hermano, "El Bubba"... I had to add a derogatory speech bubble before I sent it though because that's the kind of love I have for my brother.

He was a handsome man, the president. Great hairs.

And this little fella is whisking his way to some lovely ladies in Toronto.

6 down, only 250+ to go!! I'm not sure what to do with the ones that are already written on... hmmmm... they are too good not to send but how (without putting them inside an envelope thereby negating the postcardiness of them)? I'm sure I'll think of something...

old hotels

This got sent to a posh friend (really, his brother calls him "Posh") in Toronto.

A couple of years back we all stayed at The Roosevelt in NYC while I attended the ICON Illustration conference... so this was a special one.

I have a friend whose maiden name is "Vandenberg" so of course she got this postcard. Coincidentally, the day I sent this was yucky and rainy - unlike the weather in the card - and we had sent facebook messages about wishing we could go for coffee together.

introducing...

Over a decade ago I bought an album full of old postcards at a garage sale - it's probably one of the first "antique-ish" things I ever bought. Now I practically live in a museum.

I've looked through it maybe 10 times since I got it. While this annual perusal is enjoyable, it seems a shame for the album to sit around on a shelf so I've decided to send the cards out into the world. They will get to fulfill their purpose, people will get real mail, I will gain shelf space.

I'm also putting the cards on this blog since I think it's kind of interesting to "travel along" with the original owners of the album. For that reason, I'm going to attempt to send most of the cards out in the order they appear in the album. This also eliminates the task of carefully selecting cards, getting bogged down, and not actually sending anything.

That said, there are a few cards that scream to be sent to specific people - so I'll break my own rule for those cards whenever the mood strikes. I'm careless that way.

I've already sent a few out, below is the first. I sent it to my dear, old Dad for his 69th birthday. He is neither Latino nor a young child but it seemed celebratory anyway.

This is the actual album.

The inside cover page and a sample of the postcards within.

The second card I sent out. I had to send this one to an east coast friend because the first time we really hung out alone together we took a ferry across Halifax Harbour to visit a new coffee shop called "Two If By Sea". On the way over we discussed where the name came from... the answer: a poem about Paul Revere's midnight ride warning of some rascally British.

* If you're a friend or family and I ask for your address, now you know why... but I'll probably start with addresses I already have.

* If you're a friend or a stranger and you want to get to the top of the list for a cool old postcard, send me your address... I favour people who actually care enough to look at and want old crap like this!