Moths in my Mailbox!

Hey guys, hope you're well! I'm back from my short *vacation* and I'm already flooded with things to do.. but luckily I've got mail to make me happy even when all those obligations makes me sad!

I'm still so stocked about the parcel I got yesterday, from a lovely girl - Ari, that you may remember for this parcel.
She's a very talented artist and the parcel she sent me, really blew me away:

Starting off with her letter, everything was perfect~ I love it when I click so well with a penpal. We haven't been knowing each other for long, au contraire, but the connection I feel with this girl (which is apparently mutual ☺) makes it feel like it!

In my first letter to her I digressed a bit on a drawing in her zine, representing moth-faced people, and I was SO psyched when I opened the package to find a bigger version of it! I love(d) it so much I run out into town to buy a frame for it, about instantly.

Everything else in the parcel was very quirky, no wonders I enjoyed everything so much! She sent me a little booklet, an illustrated "for you" sticker, vintage thread, a goat pin, an eyeball (fun fact: when I opened the parcel my boyfriend was with me and when the eyeball fell from the packet it was into, we both couldn't help but think how "Breaking Bad" it was - hopefully someone will catch the reference too!), and another moth related gift, a pretty handmade keychain/pendant:

Ah, I'm so inspired by this parcel.. so thanks a bunch Ari! I'll be working on something special for you in the newt few days!

What's the quirkiest thing you've ever got in your mailbox?
Have a nice day,
ƒ.

Souvenirs Ideas

Hey guys! Today I have a very simple post for you. I was thinking about what makes a nice souvenir from the holidays besides the most common ones (keychains, magnets etc), and I thought I'd share it with you!

• If you're going to spend some time to the seaside, why not collecting shells? When I used to go the sea I remember that more than half of my time there, was dedicated to treasure hunting on the shore and the seabed! Also, I've received shells before, and I personally really like them, especially if they're unexpected!
• Still in theme with the sea, it's nice to fill little vials with sand, put a nice label on it, and send it away to your friend. This way they can have a glimpse of a faraway place in a rather interesting way :)

• If you're like me and you prefer the mountain, you can collect flowers and leaves, press them, and then use them to decorate stationery, envelopes, or just simply add them to a letter to make it more interesting.
• More little treasures from the woods include: rocks (that you can decorate and customize for your friend), twigs (that can also be decorated; fun example here), and what not!
• Lastly, wherever you go, flyers, maps, local business cards etc, always make a nice addition to a letter, so don't forget to grab them whenever you have the chance :D (I personally hoard them, ahah!)

That's it for me today; do you have any other suggestion on the topic? I'd love to hear about your ideas! :)
Have a nice day,
ƒ.

Holiday Essentials for the Uninspired

Good evening everyone! It's not new to me to be very uninspired and negative towards my artistic attempts sometimes, so I often surround myself with inspiration to keep it flowing.
I'll be going for a week to the same village on the mountains where I've been last year, and I like to think of the time I'll spend there, as art therapy of some sort.
To help myself in finding inspiration again, I'm bringing some stuff with me:

1. "The Pocket Scavenger" by Keri Smith, described as: Within the pages of The Pocket Scavenger, you’ll be instructed to go on an unusual scavenger hunt, collecting a spectrum of random items: something that is miniature, a stain that is green, something from the year you were born, a used envelope, and more. Once your quarry is in hand, you’ll apply an alteration dictated solely by chance: create a funny character, make it into a building, conceal it, add polkadots, remove a section, add stripes, scribble on top, fold, turn into an article of clothing, make it “pretty,” and so on. The results: you’ll be forced out of habitual ways of thinking or acting, discover new connections, and try things you might not have done on your own, creating a version of The Pocket Scavenger that is unique, dependent on time, place, experience, and you.
I'm so looking forward to flip through the pages and collect, and create little treasures!
2. My Traveler's Notebook: I like writing, mostly random short sentences that pops in my mind randomly, and then connect them afterwards to create a bigger picture; and that's my notebook of choice!
3. Address book: You'll never know when you'll feel like sending a letter or a postcard, right?!
4. A marker: mostly to symbolize my intention to scribble everywhere, whenever.
5. Sunglass: again, to symbolize relax and you know, just being able to free your mind for whatever clouds it back home.

What are you taking on holiday with you, instead?
Have a great day,
ƒ.

smash sunday

Hello everyone! I've got a quick smashbook update for you today.
A while back, as you may already know, I decided to get two more tattoos and decided to make a couple of pages about them in my mini smash.
It's nothing major, really, but I just wanted to have a reminder of that day (even tho I can look at my arm for the rest of my life to remind me of it, can't I?!).

So, anyway, what I did is just sticking a few keepsakes: the reference image I gave to the tattoo artist, his business cards (the b/w one) and the card of the tattoo shop. I also took an instant picture of my *very* swollen arm right after I got home. It isn't the best picture, I reckon, but still!
The other tattoo I got is pretty simple so it wasn't worth it picture-wise; it's a crescent moon outline on the outer side of my right wrist, plain and simple :)

Do you guys have any tattoos?! I'd love to know!
Have a great Sunday,
ƒ.

the Love Parcel in my Mailbox

A while back, I sent a package (here; here) to Miranda, for her "Love Parcel" project. She's such a creative girl, and I can't really begin to explain her art to you because it's so unique and wonderful that the best description of it comes from pictures. Anyway, today I received her reply in a gorgeous parcel that I can't wait to show you!