Stamps and Seals and Art

First, I'm discovering a few new-to-me names on the Twitter, using the #typosphere hashtag. Now I'm following a new blog as a result of it, and wandering through another member's flickr stream, and seeing the mail art (some put together by fellow 'sphere dwellers) and then feeling really, really bad at the inadequate level of cool that my own letters pull off. I mean, seriously, have you seen what these people are doing with their envelopes? And here I get excited when I attempt a little typewriter doodle. Shameful.

You might remember my own foray into stamping, and I've been slowly committing other retro-witticisms to rubber, when one pops into my head and I have the time to dig through all the letters. I believe I'm up to three whole slogans now. Be amazed! Well, until you look at this guy's blog.

I've been sitting here thinking about where one could come by classy stamps (and by extension, wax seals, which I'm also obsessed with from way back), and how I could lay hands upon them, and ratchet up the cool. A little more reading through the blog at "eraser stamps" and then thinking back to Strikethru's own lino-art experiments... Well hey, it wouldn't be Clickthing if I didn't get all excited about another project, would it?

UPDATE #1: Can I just announce here and now that I love my wife?



She just came home with this, snagged from the remains of an estate sale in a "Free!" pile by the curb. Oh, this is awesomeness.

UPDATE #2: Can anyone deny that these are awesome when the kids sat down and churned out some art?

Kept 'em quiet for at least half an hour.

Typecaster reminder: "Anablogger Archives"

The typosphere has gotten pretty big this year, so it might be time to throw out this reminder/offer again. If you (like me) use flickr to host the images for your blog, and if you (like me) are not currently paying for their "pro" service, you will notice that only the most recent 200 photos of your stream are available for casual browsing, among other service limitations. If you dump your images into a group, however, it's possible to go to that group's page and search for items submitted by you, no matter how far back in your stream they are.

I set up a dedicated members-only group specifically for typecasters, pencasters, typewriter nuts, etc. to use as a repository for their blogging goodness. It is:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/anablogger_archives/

The rules are simple: while logged in to flickr, send my account a flickr-mail with the URL of your blog. I'll check it out, and if it looks like "our kind of thing" I'll add you as a group member. Ask to join without a URL, and I'll ignore you. I'm trying to keep the group closed to folks who just sign up for as many as they can as a means of self-promotion. Flickr appears to not have any limitations on the total size of your account, but again, free accounts are limited to the total size of uploads per month -- the counter resets at the start of each month. You're also able to set rights for your images (I use Creative Commons) if you're so inclined. However, if you're hosting on Blogger of Photobucket, there is a total space allotment. It's something to consider.

The Ups and Downs of ITAM

Typed on unnamed Lettera 32, though I'm contemplating the name "Threepio" ... for I am a nerd

Flat Stanley Redux: We Are Go For Launch

Thanks to all the folks who indicated they'd be willing to take in my daughter's "Flat Stanley." I checked with her teacher, and it's perfectly fine that Typosphere Stanley spends a little more time on the road than is typical (I guess they're normally sent to one place and then returned.)

Based on the many responses, it looks like Stanley will be able to circumnavigate the globe. The tentative route is: California -> Hawaii -> Australia -> Switzerland -> Maine, and then a westward trek across the U.S. to be determined. (Any readers in Japan or central Asia out there?) I'm planning on turning this into a mini-geography lesson for my daughter: we'll dig out an atlas and trace out his route, and cross our fingers that he doesn't get lost on the way!

I'm guessing that Stanley is just a small paper cutout meant to be fit into a regular envelope. I'm planning to include a typed note "from" him to my daughter which you're all encouraged to add to. Crafty people: if you have a typewriter rubber stamp, I'd love a scanned copy that we can print out and color in and send with Stanley. No jet-setting world traveler should be without his writing machine.

Again, thanks to everyone who offered to take him in and pass him along; I'll let you know when Stanley gets ready to go.

Typosphere: Stanley Needs You!

Attention Typosphere...

My daughter's class is doing a "Flat Stanley" project and could use your help. If you're not familiar, Flat Stanley is a children's book wherein the main character (Stanley) is flattened, and has a series of adventures since he's flat enough to slip under doors or be put into an envelope and mailed. (Somehow this seemed less gruesome to me when I read the books as a child.)

Wikipedia has the skinny (sorry) on Stanley and this project...

This morning over breakfast, my daughter asked if I knew anyone "far away" who would be willing to receive her Stanley in the mail, and get a picture with him visiting exotic locales. Keep in mind that for eight-year-olds, going to the movies is an "exotic locale." I'm not sure how much time Stanley should be on the road, but all the letter exchanges we've been doing got me thinking...

I've been planning to send off letters to some of the more far-flung typospherians, and now wonder if you would mind if Stanley happened to come along for the ride? (Adwoa, Rino: I'm especially looking at you.) I'll try to talk to the teacher today and find out if Stanley is up to making a domestic and international jaunt, with typewritten letters along for the ride to boot. And if any of you have children in your lives doing a similar project, I'll be happy to return the favor.

Post a reply if you're willing: Stanley might just be coming to your town.

Unscripted

Typed on a Lettera 32


Other script machines: "Babs" (sample output) and "Alice" (sample output)

Single-Minded

Typed on "Kermit", a 1958 Royalite

Appreciated

Typed on "Etta," the 1953 Royal Quiet DeLuxe

• ITAM: Deek's modest proposal