The internet + crafting + mail = awesome

One of the things I love best about Google Reader is its shared items feature.  I certainly have plenty of reading material on my own (currently 202 unread items in my reader... and I've already cleared out all the junk. Yikes.), but the shared items makes me feel like I never have to worry about missing something awesome.  If there's a big announcement like an engagement or a new baby in the blogosphere, someone's sure to share it.  If there's some exciting Twilight/New Moon/Harry Potter news, I know someone will share it.  And lots of times, I come across super cool or interesting things that I never would have seen on my own via shared items. 

Yesterday Zoot shared this post by Secret Agent Josephine.  She took her junk mail and chopped it up to make postcards.    I love, love, love this concept.  It's fun, it's free, it's recycling!  I wanted to try my hand on it first thing when I got home (uh, I'm in a post-wedding, back-to-the-five-day-full-time workweek slump.  This passes for excitement, don't judge), but -- amazingly enough -- we didn't get any junk mail yesterday.

But then I saw Joel's stack of magazines sitting on the counter and secured his permission to hack up his Outside magazine and made this postcard for my brother, who just got a new job.  (My crafting impulses, they will not be denied.)

It took me about 20 minutes, while watching TV.  It's not a money-saver, for sure, since I could have bought a card for a few dollars, but it was fun and I'm posting about it and SHUT UP.  (Have I mentioned that I sort of love the post-wedding freedom?  No more meetings!  No more three-page to-do lists! Bring on the Tivo cache and the craft supplies!)

Materials (front):

• A piece of cardstock (leftover wedding supplies), cut to postcard size.

• Some scraps of this cool paper I bought at a stationary store's going out of business sale (I used the rest crafting this cool window project, which I totally meant to post pictures of but never did because maybe I mentioned this BUT OMG I GOT MARRIED)

• Cuttings of Mike Rowe's Outside Magazine cover and an old wedding magazine (the article was: Which Coffee Pot Should You Register For?  LET'S COMPARE) (I do sort of miss wedding magazines, a little.  Just the pretty pictures.  The insane articles, not so much.)

• Double sided tape (I had this in my box of scrapbooking supplies.  Hi, I scrapbook sometimes and I also enjoy owning three cats and reading vampire romance novels.  I am Very Cool.)

Materials (back):

• Black sharpie marker

• Mad doodling skills (uh, not really.  I TOTALLY need one of these.  In ever color.)

  

So, congratulations to my brother on his new job, congratulations to me for my ability to mention my wedding seven hundred times in a post that is not even remotely wedding-related, and congratulations to everyone in my address book: you've all won a free postcard.

Comments

[RA]

So cool! I hope your brother appreciates it very very much.

A friend made me a birthday card this year with a whole bunch of rock climbers on it, and now, it is on my office bulletin board for my daily admiration.

[NGS]

So cool! A postcard like that would make me very happy!!

[blaez]

that is awesome!!

and i want to be in your address book now :)

[Operation Pink Herring]

If you guys want one of these beauties, email me your address and I will mail you one... although I must warn you that my crafting impulses are sporadic. (And I hope you like Outside Magazine, Modern Bride and Men's Health.)

[nancypearlwannabe]

Look at you, Mrs. Crafty Pants! Super cute.

[Jemima]

Aren't you a nice sister? Pretty soon you can switch to housekeeping and baby magazines and stab yourself in the eyes, like moi.

[HollowSquirrel]

You crack me up, you crackpot. Awesome postcard and even more awesome sisterness.