Month: September 2012

An Envelope Full of Goodness

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My cool photog friend Patty aka Cakers sent me an envelope full of photographs and postcards.  She designed and printed some herself and had others printed by moo.  I was expecting a photo or two from her, but I was delighted to find a package of photos waiting for me at the post office.  I appreciate Cakers for thinking about who I am and what would bring a smile to my face when she put this package together–the cheerful colors, the thoughtful murals, the general warmth of the collection.   I must admit that I am a little jealous that she has skillfully executed a long exposure shot–something I have been dying to try, but haven’t had the time to really work it.  One day, though.  I did capture some photo goodness myself this week.  A post for another time.  This one’s all about Cakers, so let’s take a “look-see” at her work:

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If you want more, more, more of Cakers, check out her blog at Cakers & Co.  Also, I’ve been HOARDING Cakers’ photos for well over a year now, so I have a LOT.  I’ve decided it’s time to share her work with the world, so I’m willing to share three of her photo postcards.  If you’re a follower and you’re interested in receiving a Cakers postcard from moi, leave a comment and your email address (or, if you’re comfortable, your snail mail address), and I’ll get a PC out to you as soon as possible–that is, if you’re among the first three commenters.

Have a mail happy day!

Eclectic Taste

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I’ve completed preparing postcards for tomorrow’s outgoing mail. What I like most about Postcrossing is “meeting” people all over the world, reading their profiles and learning about their interests. I love the postcard “hunt”–looking through my collection to see if I have something that the receiver would love. The sampling of the seven outgoing PCs demonstrates that this can be an interesting excursion. Happy viewing!

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  • Alabama Scene, Photo by Kelly Shipp.
  • New Orleans Jazz Festival Poster 1984, 10th in the series by Philip Bascle.  New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, 1984.
  • New Orleans Jazz.  Did You Know?
  • Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii (1838-1917).  Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
  • Paul Cezanne (French, 1839-1906), The Gulf of Marseille Seen from L’Estaque, c. 1876-1979, Oil on canvas.
  • Detective Comics (400th Smash Issue) Cover,”Challenge of the Man-Bat. Artist, Neal Adams, June 1970.  From the Art of DC Comics, DC Comics, 2010.
  • Singing Cat, Illustration by Toni Ungerer (b. Alascae, 1931).  From the book Cats as Cats, Roberts Rineheart, 1997.

Good Mail In…

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This was a rocky week for me, but finding good mail in the mailbox always cheers me up–immediately!  Here are the goodies that came this week:

Ernie the Envie, the swap-bot logo. I sent one out and I took one in!

This beautiful purple flower postcard was made by fellow swap-bot Sharp Shooter, FundyGirl. She photographs flowers in memory of her late grandfather who was also a photographer. What an admirable way to honor his memory!

This GORGEOUS breast cancer awareness “greeting” card was made by Namabear, a member of the swap-bot group, Crafting Queens. This was made for the “Think Pink” swap in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October). Neither the scan nor the photograph does justice to this awesome card.

Postcards Out…

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I love receiving receiving good mail. Not bills.  Not flyers.  Not junk.  I participate in swap-bot, an online swapping community and Postcrossing, so if I join swaps and send postcards regularly, I’m sure to find good mail in my mailbox.

I sent a number of postcards out this week for Postcrossing (5) and swap-bot (4).  You might recognize a couple of them from the collection I sent out for “Liberate Your Art.”  They were sent to postcrossers who enjoy and/or prefer “self-made” postcards.  The Simpsons were sent to postcrossers who listed The Simpsons among their favorite postcards.  And the seal from the Happy Animals collection by Junoz Terada was sent to an “international” postcrosser who is more interested in the stamps than a particular type of postcard (stamps shown too).  The cute little envelope’s name is “Ernie the Envie,” the swap-bot logo.  I always enjoy seeing his smiling face in my mailbox, so it was a treat to send one to another swapper (This lucky swapper also received the Puerto Rico PC).  The “purple” colored postcards were sent out for a purple-themed photo swap–my own photos, of course.  These were done for Sharp Shooters, one of the many groups for photographers of varying skill levels on swap-bot.  Enjoy!

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My Art Liberated!

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When I wrote about the Liberate Your Art swap hosted by Kat Sloma of Kat Eye Studio, I neglected to post the “art” I sent out into the world.  The last few months are a blur, but I think I sent four different photographs out into the world.   There was no real process in selecting the photos.  I have FAR too many to make choosing less than a daunting task, so I randomly selected four photos that caught my eye.  I hope you enjoy! And don’t forget to check out Kat’s site. May you be inspired to liberate the artist in you!

Goree Institute

This gorgeous courtyard can be found at Goree Institute on Goree Island in Senegal. I captured a number of images of this courtyard (of Goree Island in general). I was attracted to the colors, architecture and “layout” of the courtyard.

A Solitary Place

I shot this photo in 2005 at the Nature Center in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina. The Nature Center closed, and as far as I know has not reopened. It saddens me that this “scene” no longer exists, but the photo itself often brings me a bit of serenity. I imagine myself sitting at the picnic table alone with my thoughts and my journal.

How High

This is our neighbor’s fence in New Orleans–altered in Photoshop. The vines climbing up the fence reminded me of Emily Dickinson’s poem.

“Beloved Wife”

My hubby and I were out and about looking for the perfect “Ides of March” photo for a swap I participated in–on March 15th of course. We ended up at one of the Cities of the Dead in New Orleans where we found many gems. That is where we found this beautiful tribute to a beloved wife. How this man must have cherished his wife!  I altered the photo in PhotoShop.  Perhaps, I’ll post the original one day!

If you missed the “Liberate Your Art” Blog Hop, check it out by clicking the link.

“Liberate Your Art!”

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I participated in Kat Eye Studio’s “Liberate Your Art” swap this year.  I was in the middle of a major transition–interviewing, packing, moving to another state–when the time for sending out the art was nearing a close.  I couldn’t miss this!  I missed the swap last year, so I was determined to participate this year.  I carved out a few minutes from my sleepless existence and quickly prepared my photo postcards for mailing.  I applaud myself for adding a note to each postcard (BIG GRIN).  I thoroughly enjoyed selecting and sharing favorite photos with others, and there are no words for the pure joy I experienced every time I found a beautiful piece of art liberated in my mailbox.  What I appreciate most is that each artist has a unique style and creative energy.

Here are the pieces I received.  I’ve taken the liberty of giving most of them titles:  (1)  “Zentangle Giraffe” designed by Pointy Pix ; (2) “Whimsical Lady” by K. Hall of Illinois; (3) “Peacock” by Natasha Papousek; (4) “Hear My Song” by Kia Ora of Auckland, New Zealand, (5) “Nesting” by Kathy B,  and last but not least (6) “Floral Passage” by our absolutely wonderful swap host, Kat Sloma of Kat Eye Studio.  View the slideshow below to take a look at the liberated art I received.

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For more information on Kat Sloma and her “Liberate Your Art” Project, check out her website:  KAT EYE STUDIO.

To check out some of the artists/bloggers who participated in this year’s swap, click the “Liberate Your Art” Button:

Welcome to Pics and Posts!

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Thanks for visiting my blog!

I am a NOLA Girl living in ‘Bama. I live the “life of the mind” in my “real” life, so I’ll be using this blog as an escape, to “not think too much.”  I’ll be sharing with you wonderful things I receive via snail mail (postcards mainly) AND beautiful, interesting, strange, wild things I capture with my camera.  I love, love, love studying photographs, stamps, mail art, art journals, doodles, typography, children’s art, art-in-general.  Why am I telling you this?  Because every now and then, I’ll also point to relevant pages I find around the world wide web.   I am using this blog to keep my head in the clouds or in the sand–whichever you prefer, so please, no political talk.  I have opinions, yes.  Strong ones, in fact.  But I prefer to limit sharing those with people I communicate with “in the flesh.” Also, I love people in general, so please reserve discriminatory or inflammatory speech for forums that welcome such.