Some firsts.

Category : Postcrossing, Received

I’ve finally got my incoming cards sorted into folders, with the countries alphabetically. It took forever, and I’m way behind in getting the newest ones filed, but it’s a much better system than having 90 albums all over the place. So today I’m sharing with you three cards that have caused me to create new country sections.

From India, this card shows the powders that are thrown during festivals. You buy the colours you want then toss them around, which sounds like 19  kinds of fun.

Tuvalu is an incredibly rare country to get a Postcrossing card from (brag brag).  Considering Postcrossing has just over 199,000 members as of today and only 8 of those members are in Tuvalu, you can see why. This is TV-96, and sent from the account of The Earth Day Tuvalu team – you can read more about it here on the Postcrossing blog.

Finally, from my long time friend Scott comes this card from Rwanda. Scott has been working in Africa for a few months and was kind enough to hunt up a postcard – Thanks Scott!

I’m alive!

Category : Postcrossing, Sent

Ooh it’s been a while. I have this excuse: I am incredibly slack. Anyways, onto the pretties, my pretties!

This one is off to Switzerland for someone who wants trains. Being as I am a nut for the Ghan (and being as I bought around 97, 000 postcards of the thing) I was happy to oblige. Check out how long the train is in the top photo – this was the first run through to Darwin and the train was over 2 kilometres long.

Off to Lithuania is this card for someone who wanted “Weird or unusual”. I think this covers both. These are mannequins from Istanbul (not Constantinople) .

Now you have the song in your head, I’ll leave you for now. Will be back within 2 months this time!

In to the mailbox!

Category : Postcrossing, Sent

A few of my sent from the past couple of days, all for Postcrossing.

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Heading off to Finland for someone who wants sunset postcards is this view of the Melbourne skyline. It’s my own photo, and I’m quietly proud of it.

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Someone in Germany likes city views, so this night shot of Melbourne will hopefully please them. To be 100% honest I have literally NO idea where these lights are, I assume Southbank, but I might be wrong.

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A Beatles fan in New Zealand lamented that Beatles cards were hard to find. I decided to cheer her up with this reproduction of the first Beatles publicity postcard. Because I’m lovely.

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An art student in Malta asked for art cards or “anything spiffy looking”. I hope she enjoys Rex Ray!

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A postcrosser from Singapore enjoys cityviews to study the buildings, so I picked the card with the most amount of city in it!

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This is heading to Canada, for a user without any preferences for cards, but who enjoys travel. I thought she might like some train waiting rooms from Budapest, because who wouldn’t?

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And finally, this Red Tailed Black Cockatoo is off to the USA for a wild life lover.

Now that I have 15 travelling cards on Postcrossing, I sure am giving the stash a kicking! What have YOU sent recently?

A little of this, a little of that

Category : Postcrossing, Received

It’s been a while since I posted any incoming cards, smacked legs for me. Here’s my most recent postcrossing cards!

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This one is from Sophie in the UK and I love love love love love it. This style of fashion illustration is one of my absolute favourites, and i love how dramatic she is on her black background.

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From Eveline in Poland – how gorgeous is this? What a view those buildings must have (unless of course it’s an industrial park over the canal…)

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From Vicky in Taiwan this colourful illustration of children playing. They’re catching bugs, I love the little girl on the left showing off her loot!

Now we move on to frog cards, my most best favourites (to channel Charlie and Lola for a moment there).

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Piyo from Finland sent me these lovely pudgy froggies with a Finnish and a Polish stamp. Too cool (Finnish stamps, for the record, are amazing – I’ll scan some).

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This one is from Tanja in Austria. It’s a duplicate, I’ve had it before, but I think this one must be the original kind, as on the back is a scratch off panel to reveal the Prince.

Since I’ve had a mouse plague, I had to take all my first batch of Postcrossing cards out of their album as the nasty little mice had eaten the edges of the album, then crapped all over it. I’m just saying, coz I know you’re interested. Anyways, I might shuffle through and get some Finnish Stamps scanned for you. Because I care.

*cough cough sneeze*

Category : Postcrossing, Sent

I’ve been laid up with a nasty cold (I’ll pause here for your unprompted sympathy) and therefore haven’t visited a mailbox in a few days. Today I managed to not only dress myself like a proper adult, but to leave the house and so I mailed the following cards.

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This one went off to the USA for a homeschooling family who wanted to see some culture. I love sharing our native art with the world, I think it’s spectacular and I was more than happy to send this platypus over to show off a little of our culture.

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The phrase “I would like to see native animals” in a postcrossing profile always enhappies me, mostly because I buy so damn many native animal cards (I’m a sucker for the cutes). This one is off to the Ukraine.

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This one is off to Thailand, with the usual information that these gorgeous beaches can’t be used for swimming. For 6 months out of the year, there’s too many jellyfish and for 12 months a year there’s too many crocodiles. There’s actually a lake set up in Darwin which uses filtered seawater for people to swim in. The filters prevent jellyfish, and it’s too far inland for the crocs to want to play in it. I’m nothing if not long windedly educational.

Also going out today were 4 RAK cards, which I’ll post when they arrive to their various peoples.

I’ll catch you up on the incoming tomorrow, I am fading. FADING. Send soup!

Oh hullo

Category : Postcrossing, Received, Sent

I’ve been lazy, I do so apologise. Where am I at? Well, I’m about 7 cards off having my Postcrossing sending limit increased (WHOOT) and I’ve had some gems incoming over the past couple of days.

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From Thailand this card shows the Royal Barge Ceremony, an event that’s been happening for more than 700 years!

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From Brazil. Now, this one got wet in transit, but I like when things happen to cards as they travel (I don’t know why). Check out the buildings! Are they not gorgeous? I shall tell you, they are.

I’ve sent a fair few over the past little while, so I won’t post them all, but I wanted to show you this one:

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It’s from the Elliot Erwitt set I reviewed earlier and is off to Belarus for a couple who want romantic cards. Did I do good or did I do good? (I did good).

If you’d like to see the others I sent and received you can poke your face at my Flickr set.

Of Cookie and Nevers

Category : Postcrossing, Random Cards, Received, Sent

Okay, so. Last year when I visited the Brookfield Zoo with my boy I got into a debate about Cookie the “Cockatoo”, declaring it to be NOT a Cockatoo, but a Major Mitchell. I was right, but so was he (It’s also known as Leadbeater’s Cockatoo), so all that punching me and trying to push me into the tiger exhibit was a bit harsh. I got a card from that same boy today:

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Matt has already told me he doesn’t “get” this postcard thing, but considering he spends like a BAJILLION dollars on comics every WEEK I think I’m allowed to have an obsession of my own. Also, he’s happy enough to enable my addiction, so you know. Keeper.

As for a card from a person I don’t know quite so well, we have this’un:

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The scan really doesn’t do this justice, it’s the most wonderful glowing rich stone. Delicious. The card is from France.

Two outgoings today, one of my Postcrossing cards expired (boo) so I got to send another, and one arrived (huzzah!) so there’s one more. I’m creeping towards 5 million kilometers sent distance!

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This one is off to Tanya in Russia who likes trains. I didn’t go on the train, but I DID go on the skyrail, which was both terrifying and wonderful.

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This one is off to Alexandra in France who just said she liked to see other places. From left to right it’s the Shrine of Remembrance (with the Eternal Flame), a shot of the skyline with the Tennis Center in the foreground, and the Arts Center Spire.

So that’s all from me today. Do you guys remember when Angela used to post here? Man those were some fun times. If you feel like leaving a comment to guilt her into posting more, feel free. Extra points for sad puppy eyes.

Suh Suh Suh Sent!

Category : Postcrossing, Sent, Swap-Bot

Wow, I DID remember how to send a card.. or five. Frankly, I’m impressed with myself, you should be too.

For postcrossing, we have this kitty card off to New Zealand, for the account of – wait for it – a cat. Yes indeed, I’ve written my first card to a non human.

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I had two swaps on Swap Bot with partners assigned, so I sent out a total of 4 cards just for SB today. That’s me, with the maths. Totally not padding the text bit, giving you insights. Into numbers and maybe spacetime.

Sent: I want to get rid of this postcard.

These two are for the “I want to get rid of the card!” swap – a chance to send out cards that have been hanging around in your stash too long. The top one is a Pomegranate one that never seemed to fit anyone’s profile. The bottom one is from a pack of cards I got at the local op-shop (thrift store). It was a pack of Hong Kong postcards from the 1970s. I’ve sent a couple out, but I always worry people will be crosspants if I send them, so I hang on to them for Swap Bot.

Sent: If you "Building" it

These two are for the “If you ‘building’ it, they will come” swap. You’ll have to rotate your head to the left to look at the bottom one properly, I forgot to rotate it and can’t be bothered now. Anyways, the cards had to feature a building. The top one is one I did get off Zazzle from the MWPP Store and the second one is the reflection of the Taj Mahal Casino in Vegas.

So there’s your sents for today. Are you tingling in your postal places? I know I am!

One in all in.

Category : Postcrossing, Received, Swap-Bot

I haven’t SENT a postcard in ages, I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll remember how. However, I hit the mother lode today with incomings!

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From China, a hand drawn card in response to the drought over there.

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From Lithuania, I think it’s an ad card actually but am not sure.

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From Finland. I’m still amazed at how popular Postcrossing is in Finland. I know some people complain about getting “too many” Finnish cards, but I love them, it’s a beautiful country.

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And from Spain, this festival photocard, which is lovely to bits.

Swap Bot Haul today was just the one, but it’s a fantastic shot.

Rec'd: Blind Postcard Swap

From Doskie, thank you m’dear. One day I hope to be as much a great photographer as the person who took that shot, who is not named.

Everyone cross your fingers that some of my Postcrossing sent cards arrive soon so I can send some more!

Catchup!

Category : Postcrossing, Received, Sent, Swap-Bot

Since neither Angela or I wanted to bump the contest post off the top of the page, we refrained from blogging for a bit. This means there’s a TON of backlog for me to post.  The most best fun part of this week was Friday when Papa checked the mail for the first time in about 4 days. I was showered – showered – with mail and it was awesome.

Since there’s so many cards from the past couple of days, I’m just going to lump them all in 2 blocks, so you can see them. As always, close up scans are viewable at my flickr stream. I was going to say “More information available…” but.. there isn’t. I hardly post any info with my cards. Lazy or minimalistic? You decide!

Sent Cards for Postcrossing and Swap-Bot

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There was also a repeat of the Barron Falls card from earlier, which you remember because you come here every single day right? Right??

Received Cards from Postcrossing and Swap-Bot

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And that’s that! I suspect Angie shall have a thing or two to share with you, and unless I have another postcrossing card to send tomorrow, there will be a new vintage card up for your greedy little eyeballs to feast on.

In other news, where the hell did all my stamps go? I just bought some! Sheesh.