Share your interesting Correspondences

[Type40]

I thought it would be both fun to see what others are doing and help inspire others to try new things. I posted in the Who's Participating thread about one way I am handling the notes that I am not mailing. http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/1685-InCoWriMo-2013-Who-s-Participating?p=15278&viewfull=1#post15278

I have another idea I will post, when I have completed it. (Hint: it involves several feet of paper)

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is doing.

[fountainpenkid]

Great idea! I can't wait to send /receive some crazy letters.

[KrazyIvan]

I posted this somewhere around here already. A while back I asked Dr. Brown for his autograph and I received this in the mail with gold powdered wax seal and all:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7323021906_ffa259489c_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/7323021906/)
Stephen Brown (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/7323021906/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

Then one day last year FPN crashed and we got a lot of FPN refugees signing up. The topic came up and somehow I got Lloyd's autograph.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7445764728_5d5fd9fb5b_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/7445764728/)
Lloyd Autograph (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/7445764728/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

[joelchan]

1644

[caribbean_skye]

1644

Love the handwriting.

[Bohemond76]

4 letters ready to send out :)1646

[caribbean_skye]

Love the photo Bohemond76, esp the books in the backdrop. Please tell me that was where you wrote those letters. :)

[Bohemond76]

*coughs* well the desk used to be the desk on which my dad made his homework on and came back from Belgian Congo somewhere in the sixties. The books are my private collection of 18th century books I found on Ebay and flea markets. I just love the look...they are damn cool no? My letters I write on the dining table actually as there is more room. The desk you see there is in the living room and serves more as ornamental decorum.

[Bogon07]

Great idea! I can't wait to send /receive some crazy letters.

FPK, Careful what you wish for.

[caribbean_skye]

*coughs* well the desk used to be the desk on which my dad made his homework on and came back from Belgian Congo somewhere in the sixties. The books are my private collection of 18th century books I found on Ebay and flea markets. I just love the look...they are damn cool no? My letters I write on the dining table actually as there is more room. The desk you see there is in the living room and serves more as ornamental decorum.

Hehe, well it is rather cool to look at, especially the books. I don't blame you for writing on the dining table though, sometimes we need a lot of space. I wrote on the floor earlier as I needed space for 7 pens.

[Type40]

Didn't think I would have time to write these during the week but can't mail them till Wednesday, when I hope to find a friendly post office without lots of people. 7 Letters, 14 sheets of paper. Time to start sealing them in.

1648

Tomorrows mailing will be more modest. 1 through the post to a local address and one dropped off in my companies interoffice mail. I like surprising people.

1650

[Toffer]

Didn't think I would have time to write these during the week but can't mail them till Wednesday, when I hope to find a friendly post office without lots of people. 7 Letters, 14 sheets of paper. Time to start sealing them in.

1648

Tomorrows mailing will be more modest. 1 through the post to a local address and one dropped off in my companies interoffice mail. I like surprising people.

1650

Wow they look great, would love to receive a letter with a seal! Mine are frankly poor compared to those works of art.

[Type40]

I wouldn't call them works of art but keep an eye on your post (2day + overseas travel time), cause one of them is headed your way.

[Bohemond76]

be carefull with such seals as those machines at the post tend to shave them rigth off. I had a letter like that arriving at my place all smeared off

[Type40]

There is nothing worse than a shaved seal. They just don't look right without their whiskers.

Thanks for the warning. I use the envelope's adhesive to keep them closed, before I apply the seal, when sending through the mail.

[chaimann]

At Barnes & Noble, I found a set of Victorian-ish Valentines. The box calls them "gift cards", but they are small notecard size, and seem to tolerate fountain pen ink. With the small size, you are not obligated to write much. 24 cards, $6.95.

1654

As luck would have it, I received a short note and a photo from my aunt today, and I have already written her thank-you Valentine.

[caribbean_skye]

Thanks for the warning. I use the envelope's adhesive to keep them closed, before I apply the seal, when sending through the mail.
That's a good idea! I don't have a seal, just a chop and I haven't quite mastered the art of getting the entire thing to be seen.


At Barnes & Noble, I found a set of Victorian-ish Valentines. The box calls them "gift cards", but they are small notecard size, and seem to tolerate fountain pen ink. With the small size, you are not obligated to write much. 24 cards, $6.95.


That's a neat find.

[PaulSvendsen]

This evening's correspondence.1655

[Type40]

Fountain pens and postcards are possible.
(4x6 photo) + (HP Peel and Stick Photo Postcard) + Ink + (Packing Tape) = Weather proof postcard.

I did a water test where the Stamp would hide it.
1657
Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher, let dry (doesn't soak in), drop of water, let stand, rub in, wipe off.

Looks like it would work but to be on the safe side I covered my writing with packing tape.
1658
1659

[Bogon07]

Fountain pens and postcards are possible.
(4x6 photo) + (HP Peel and Stick Photo Postcard) + Ink + (Packing Tape) = Weather proof postcard.

I did a water test where the Stamp would hide it.

Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher, let dry (doesn't soak in), drop of water, let stand, rub in, wipe off.

Looks like it would work but to be on the safe side I covered my writing with packing tape.

1659

Interesting colours black, white and tan/orange.

I'm using Noodler's 54th Massachusetts for all my envelop addressing.

One of the letters I posted on Monday ended up in my letter box. The PO didn't postmark the stamps or letter at all so I suppose I will just stick it in the postbox again.

[Type40]

Interesting colours black, white and tan/orange.

That's one of the fun things about Nubian goats. They can be, and usually are, any color or color combination. Trying to predict what you are going to get doesn't really work.

[Bogon07]

That one looks like the Nubian goat equivalent of tortoiseshell cats or white/black/tan terriers or beagles.

[caribbean_skye]

Fountain pens and postcards are possible.
(4x6 photo) + (HP Peel and Stick Photo Postcard) + Ink + (Packing Tape) = Weather proof postcard.


If I'm sending mail to my mom I tend to do this. In the rainy times of the year I tend to send out letters like this, especially if it's going a significant distance. Nothing like having the ink fade away due to rain to where the post office can't deliver nor return it.

[chaimann]

I know at least one of my Valentine cards has been received, because the recepient posted a picture of it on Facebook.
ETA: Someone saw that picture and said, "I got one, too."

Weird world we live in, where people go online to announce, "I got mail."

[jfsisler]

I know at least one of my Valentine cards has been received, because the recepient posted a picture of it on Facebook.
ETA: Someone saw that picture and said, "I got one, too."

Weird world we live in, where people go online to announce, "I got mail."

No kidding! I have a cousin in NC I routinely send letters to, and he always sends me a private note on FB saying that he was glad to hear from me. I also have the same thing happen to me with a friend in Boston. Wierd, but I guess it's better than not knowing the letter arrived.

[PostMuse]

Weird world we live in, where people go online to announce, "I got mail."

There is a Twitter hashtag started by the National Postal Museum staff ... #ShowAndMail It is a fun tag to follow because you get to see lots of mailart.

[Lisa Anderson]

I was blessed with a note from Lord Windermere, and from Stephen Brown's mom. Lots of others, which have all made me smile, but I must say, Windy has great penmanship, for a lobster lol

Lisa

[fountainpenkid]

I was blessed with a note from Lord Windermere, and from Stephen Brown's mom. Lots of others, which have all made me smile, but I must say, Windy has great penmanship, for a lobster lol

Lisa

Great to hear! I sent a letter to Marry Ann Brown as well....can't wait for a reply!

[fountainpenkid]

Well I didn't think I would get a letter in ballpoint! ;)

Thank you Ashleigh:
1694
1695

[chaimann]

I've received three more letters from participants, and one from a civilian. I am absolutely charmed to be "meeting" such delightful people.

When I wrote to Nathan, I mentioned that I wanted to make more of an effort to write my young niece, who is almost learning-to-read age. Nathan replied, "...yes, you should write to your niece. A handwritten note gets saved and cherished. An email gets either deleted or put in some folder never to be seen again. When does anyone print an email out to cherish it?"

That's why we are doing this, my friends.

[fountainpenkid]

I've received three more letters from participants, and one from a civilian. I am absolutely charmed to be "meeting" such delightful people.

When I wrote to Nathan, I mentioned that I wanted to make more of an effort to write my young niece, who is almost learning-to-read age. Nathan replied, "...yes, you should write to your niece. A handwritten note gets saved and cherished. An email gets either deleted or put in some folder never to be seen again. When does anyone print an email out to cherish it?"

That's why we are doing this, my friends.
Do you speak of Nathan Tardiff?

[chaimann]

Do you speak of Nathan Tardiff?

No, no - Nathan here on the forum, aka Project88.

Now that you mention it, though, a fan letter to Mr. Tardiff might be in order this month.

[Type40]

Before I knew anything about fountain pens, I had a request to write some letter to someone moving away. I wanted to both make them special and creatively unique. Fancy paper and seals are good and fun but at some point they too would be normal and expected. Realizing that I would be hand writing these letters caused me to think about the possibilities gained by that. I could use a roll of parchment paper and make a absurdly long scroll.
After finding FPGeeks, getting my first pen, and joining this challenge I created this thread so that I would have somewhere to share this creation and inspire others to rethink the possibilities. Sadly after only one night, of several I was planning on spending, and an entire cartridge converter full of ink, resulting in almost 7 feet by 8 inches of writing, totaling over 2600 words, life had other ideas.
I am unable to send it, finished or unfinished to the intended recipient.

It is my hope that if nothing else, it will inspire others to think about the possibilities available once you are creating things with your own hands.
1722

Never stop writing.

[Toffer]

Before I knew anything about fountain pens, I had a request to write some letter to someone moving away. I wanted to both make them special and creatively unique. Fancy paper and seals are good and fun but at some point they too would be normal and expected. Realizing that I would be hand writing these letters caused me to think about the possibilities gained by that. I could use a roll of parchment paper and make a absurdly long scroll.
After finding FPGeeks, getting my first pen, and joining this challenge I created this thread so that I would have somewhere to share this creation and inspire others to rethink the possibilities. Sadly after only one night, of several I was planning on spending, and an entire cartridge converter full of ink, resulting in almost 7 feet by 8 inches of writing, totaling over 2600 words, life had other ideas.
I am unable to send it, finished or unfinished to the intended recipient.

It is my hope that if nothing else, it will inspire others to think about the possibilities available once you are creating things with your own hands.
1722

Never stop writing.

Wow that is great, just such a shame that it could never be sent to the intended receiver.

Writing can bring a lot of joy, today my post just arrived with two more letters, due to InCoWriMo! Its so exciting opening the envelope, examining the letter, the paper, the writing, the pen and ink used, its great! Here are my now six letters/postcard
1725

[raffaela]

Went to the PO Box this weekend and what a surprise! Handwritten letters!!. Will be sending replies out but I want to say thank you here:
-Alek who wrote with Noodler's Black Swan in Aussie Rose with piano music playing;
-adameve who has yet to buy first fp and writes very legibly in bp...who will be great w ink;
-Tracy Lee with NASA postcard n nice green ink;
-magnesium68 with flex flaring script from an Ahab; and
-misty with the pretty art work and parchment paper.
Replies forthcoming. Thank you again. :)
Also sent postcards which were received and acknowledged with pm...I was surprised that the postcards made it overseas...they were written with regular ink!!!

[manoeuver]

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m262/timhofmann/IMG_20130219_123403_zps28e3ca78.jpg

Just spent a lovely lunch hour reading a fresh stack of beautiful handwritten correspondence from three continents.

I wish I'd have had a crappy morning cause that would have turned it right around!

Funny thing is no fewer than four of these letters (one from each continent even) passed a counterpart en route; i.e. I've written and posted correspondence to the sender already. Three of them were posted just today.

This is seriously fun!

ok, carry on!

[chaimann]

I also had a "passed in the mail" event, which resulted in me receiving two letters from FPK on the same day!

[Bogon07]

Rec'd a celebrity letter yesterday! From Mr INCOWRIMO himself, Eric in a champagne coloured G.Lalo evelope with a round stamp !!!!!
I've never ever seen a round stamp before.
Coincidentally also in the letterbox was a small parcel with my new Pearl Al-Star from the WritingDesk and the pen is a very close match to Eric's envelope maybe a touch less pink.

[AndreasDavour]

Yesterday I got a card from the Czech Republic from someone who signed Marie. Excellent penmanship! If you know who that is, tell said individual to PM me a return address so I can reply!

[Bohemond76]

I also got a card from MArie from Czech and can't find her return adress nor her username here!

[Aleks]

Rec'd a celebrity letter yesterday! From Mr INCOWRIMO himself, Eric in a champagne coloured G.Lalo evelope with a round stamp !!!!!
I've never ever seen a round stamp before.
Coincidentally also in the letterbox was a small parcel with my new Pearl Al-Star from the WritingDesk and the pen is a very close match to Eric's envelope maybe a touch less pink.

actually most International stamps are round :) i believe :P

[Bogon07]

actually most International stamps are round :) i believe :P
Except a certain country by the looks of it.:lazy:

[chaimann]

I received a letter from Liv in Paris yesterday. It had a beautiful heart-shaped stamp, and included a tiny sketch of la Tour Eiffel.

[Type40]

Got a reply from the UK today and am sending out a response, same day, probably won't happen again. :)
I am also papering all of Australia. If you are listed on the site, expect to get something.
1739

[chaimann]

Three letters and one hand-made postcard today. I like this club!

[PostMuse]

I got a postcard today from Breck that is genius. He took a plain postcard ... nothing on either side ... and on one side he wrote a line with each ink/pen combination he currently has in use. The other side has my address and a note from him. I love this ink record, and I am going to adopt it for the many US Postal Service pre-stamped postcards I seem to accumulate.

And, after seeing Breck's ink, I think I need some Diamine Red Dragon and Herbin Rouge Hematite.

[jfsisler]

And, after seeing Breck's ink, I think I need some Diamine Red Dragon and Herbin Rouge Hematite.

I can't speak for the Herbin but Red Dragon is a gorgeous rich burgundy red, much less pink than some reds. My next letter to you I'll use it:)

[manoeuver]

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m262/timhofmann/IMG_20130304_132303_zpsda04e803.jpg

took a walk to the post office to check for pre-immolation mail.
9 lovely items! Woohoo! Thanks everybody!

[Toffer]

Weirdly I received an empty envelope today from the RoXfiles! I received a letter from her last week but this envelope is dated four days after that one!! I don't think there should have been a letter in it as the sticky bit still has a plastic cover on it. Well I hope there wasn't!

[fountainpenkid]

Weirdly I received an empty envelope today from the RoXfiles! I received a letter from her last week but this envelope is dated four days after that one!! I don't think there should have been a letter in it as the sticky bit still has a plastic cover on it. Well I hope there wasn't!

I received a letter from Bill Milling today that was under the stamp. I replied to him in the same fashion!

[TheRoXFiles]

Weirdly I received an empty envelope today from the RoXfiles! I received a letter from her last week but this envelope is dated four days after that one!! I don't think there should have been a letter in it as the sticky bit still has a plastic cover on it. Well I hope there wasn't!

Weird...so there was no letter in there? :O

That's very odd. Well...I've just checked my notebook where I've written all my letters. All of them have been sent out. And you're on my "sent" list just once--so I must've sent the letter to you correctly the first time. Maybe I just plain forgot that I'd already prepped an envelope for your letter, made out another one, then just dropped everything into the mailbox with another stack of mail I was sending off?

Now that I think of it, though...at some point late in the game, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd written to someone twice, but I couldn't put my finger on who it was. I'd held onto a couple of envelopes for roughly a week before mailing them off, in case I received anything in response. And when I got nothing, I just picked up the envelopes and dropped them in the mailbox. I wouldn't be surprised if that empty envelope was one of them.

Well...I guess that I sent something very Zen in that envelope, huh? That certainly is unique. Who else can say they sent vast emptiness within a single envelope? :P

[TonyJones]

Received 2 lovely letter today from the States! Carribean_Skye and Type40, I will write back on my next day off, which will unfortunately be next Weds :( Thanks for making my day though! :D

[chaimann]

Last weekend, I visited the National World War I Museum in Kansas City. There was a display of decorated envelopes sent from an artist to his son in the Signal Corps. Here are just a few of them.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8555109315_c0212e5eb0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaimann/8555109315/)
Letters from home (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaimann/8555109315/) by chaimann (http://www.flickr.com/people/chaimann/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8556219782_4765acbcf4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaimann/8556219782/)
Letters from home (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaimann/8556219782/) by chaimann (http://www.flickr.com/people/chaimann/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8555110679_2b5c0189e7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaimann/8555110679/)
Letters from home (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaimann/8555110679/) by chaimann (http://www.flickr.com/people/chaimann/), on Flickr

[caribbean_skye]

Oh wow, that's awesome. Makes me wish I brought my art supplies as I'd at least doodle on my envelopes. Will have to see what I can do with pen and ink.

[Bogon07]

Reminds me of John the Monkey's old thread on decorated envelopes:
(http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/1299-Inspiration-Amazing-Envelopes)http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/1299-Inspiration-Amazing-Envelopes

Here is the link to the envelopes-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/gallery/2011/apr/21/illustrated-envelopes-posy-simmonds-axel-scheffler-tony-ross-david-mckee#/?picture=373125672&index=0

[Type40]

Its Stickers day, apparently. Got two letters today, both covered in stickers, Tinkerbelle on the one circles on the other, both very nice.

1978

[Type40]

Updating my InCoWriMo results.

I wrote to 86 individual people (FPGeeks, and unsuspecting normal people).

1 returned undeliverable
35 no replies
19 generated a reply
31 have replied multiple times

All totaled, writing to 86 people sparked 50 conversations. That’s a 58% return. Not bad considering a good number of them weren't FPGeeks.

I currently have 23 waiting, not so patiently, to be replied to. Never fear, they will be.

2283
Here are all the letters I have received

2284
and my current, To Reply pile.

[caribbean_skye]

Updating my InCoWriMo results.

I wrote to 86 individual people (FPGeeks, and unsuspecting normal people).

1 returned undeliverable
35 no replies
19 generated a reply
31 have replied multiple times

All totaled, writing to 86 people sparked 50 conversations. That’s a 58% return. Not bad considering a good number of them weren't FPGeeks.

I currently have 23 waiting, not so patiently, to be replied to. Never fear, they will be.



Are those stats and numbers just for February or to date? I shudder to think about mine, that would require at least an hour of information gathering/compiling.

[Type40]

I didn't start writing to people till February but have counted replies to date. I figured with peoples lives and transit times that waiting a couple months would get a more accurate result.

[caribbean_skye]

Well since we start a new month tomorrow, I'll run some numbers tomorrow. This should be interesting.

[Type40]

I waiting till I have received and sent everything today before I did my count (effectively end of the month). One thing I didn't look at, is the total number out outgoing and incoming. That number is one I don't know if I want to see. :) it is too easy to figure out posted and the such.

[PostMuse]

Updating my InCoWriMo results.

35 no replies


Don't give up on the "no replies" ....

[Type40]

Don't give up on the "no replies" ....

I'm not, I understand life has its own plans for people, just running the numbers. Looking at the pile I am working through, if all of them had come in, I would be even further behind.

I had a feeling that there were letters out there, waiting to be delivered but hadn't really checked. I also wanted to share my percentage for others that weren't as crazy as I was and wrote to a smaller (more reasonable) number.

Anyone else see about the same or something different?

Any other statistics people would like to know?

[caribbean_skye]

Borrowing your breakdown Type40:

I wrote to 63 individual people, vast majority of them were FP related

0 returned undeliverable
12 no replies
16 generated a reply
35 have replied multiple times

All totaled, writing to 63 people sparked 51 conversations. That’s a 80% return, however the numbers can be deceiving.

I currently have 6 waiting to be replied to, hopefully those will be done by this weekend.

February
Incoming: 29
Outgoing: 43 domestic/14 international
with 24 mail delivery days that is an average of 1.21 incoming letters and 2.37 outgoing letters daily

March
Incoming: 43
Outgoing: 36 domestic/12 international
with 26 mail delivery days that is an average of 1.65 incoming letters and 1.85 outgoing letters daily

April
Incoming: 25
Outgoing: 22 domestic/10 international
with 26 mail delivery days that is an average of 0.96 incoming letters and 1.23 outgoing letters daily.

Yes, I like numbers!

[Toffer]

I still have letters from February/ beginning of March to reply to, so if you sent me a letter I will reply eventually! I am going on holiday next week and taking some with me so will hopefully get through a bit more of my pile!