Mailday Goodies

I've been having quite a field day with mail lately, some gifts arriving, and then of course, some things I had to pay for........LOL......  Above is a beautiful postcard I received as a gift because of my involvement with the TOM on the Three Creative Studios Forum.  You can see more information about the TOM programme here:  http://threecreativestudios.com/forum/index.php  I have had the pleasure of receiving a number of Sue's postcards, and I keep saying it.  She always creates work that is second to none, giving everything a professional finish.  I feel privileged to now be the owner of these little art pieces.  You can see more of Sue's explorations here:  http://suebleiweiss.com/blog/    Do try to visit her blog, as you will be rewarded with an abundance of mixed media techniques.

I was also fortunate to have had my name drawn out to receive a  give-away from Judy.  Judy does beautiful embroidery, has a love of the world around her, and recently rewarded her followers with several lovely handmade gifts.  Not only did I receive this gift, and the card, but Judy included some more fabric, ric-rac, and a lovely handwritten note.  Check out Judy's blog here: http://cjstitchingandblooms.blogspot.com/
Judy has a love of all things pretty and genteel.

Now down to the purchasing part of my mail deliveries.  Recently I have had a splurge on books.  The Gloria Loughman book 'Quilted Symphony' I purchased from a store in Sydney - Oatley Cottage - http://www.oatleycottage.com.au/   The other two books, Drawn to Stitch [Gwen Hedley] and Embroidered Books [Isobell Hall] were both purchased from The Book Depository -http://www.bookdepository.com/
I am thrilled with all purchases, and have spent hours digesting the contents of each of these wonderful publications.

Last, but not least are a selection of things I received from an American store.  I've been trying to locate clear postcard sized envelopes for some time, and thankfully the hunt is over [thanks to Sue Bleiweiss for her generous link information].  Of course, one can't just order one thing now, that would be a waste of good packaging and postage!!  I also ordered black glitter [why!!], some tiny, tiny micro marble beads in purple, and something new to me, ie Mylar paper [I saw reference to it in one of the above books - and a little on how to use it].  The store where these goodies were purchased can be seen here:  http://www.blockheadstamps.com/index.php
This store was exceptional to deal with, handling my order quickly, and even placing a credit back into my Paypal account due to the site calculator over charging on postage.  The order was packed extremely well, and arrived in a very short time.  I'll definitely be shopping with them again.

I hope everyone enjoys seeing my goodies, and finds the links of interest.  I only receive two mail deliveries per week here, Tuesday and Friday.  I am sure our mailman must wonder how it is that I seem to live a reclusive life, yet receive all these wonderful packages.  Oh well, let him wonder.  Thank you ladies for continuing to visit, and comment on my work.  I have been encouraged by the generosity of spirit that abounds in the blogging community.