Tales from Studio Mailbox

Fab Fabric Giveaway

I normally wouldn't post about something when I haven't yet transacted with the other artist(s) but in this case, there is a really nice etsy shop called Miss Matatabi that is full of fun Japanese fabric.  The Australian owner is having a big autumn sale before the birth of her child. 

What I liked was that not only the designer fabric was affordable, so was the shipping.

So I went online and placed a sizable order, including an antique Nani Iro print from Kokka as well as a Lecien print that strangely enough had animals with their German names beneath them!!  I will pounce on my postman the moment my package arrives!

Go here to sign up for a giveaway, hosted by the Sweet Tidings blog which I'm also happy to have found.  Everybody's a winner!!

Bottle Mail Art Arrival

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world having just received the craziest mail-art RAK! 

I'm surely the only person in all of Germany who got a plastic drinking bottle delivered to her post office box stuffed with crazy black-and-white themed surprises this week. 

Something like a ship-in-a-bottle except way cooler and probably the envy of every mail carrier in the land.  Doesn't it look like a modern plastic flower from the bottom view?

Nestled inside were tons of fun goodies including a pack of foam brushes made in the  USA, delivering me from foam brush hell!  Yippee!!

Thank you so much for the huge smile you sent my way ladies!!  

200th Comment

Jacqueline from the Netherlands teased me about patenting the Frinchie, and her support and kindness became the 200th Comment here at Studio Mailbox!

The 201st comment was yet another generous idea of hers to store my inch/ninch/and frinch creations in a coin collector's book.  (The plastic sleeves with small square compartments would be perfect wouldn't they?  I smell a new altered book coming on...)

And the 199th comment was from my Hanai Sister, taking the time to compliment me on The Hairbrush That Changes Your Life.

Please let me take this opportunity to offer my gratitude for your comments.  I realize in the  big, bad blog-o-sphere, 200 comments over the course of 2 years aren't really that many.  But they are to me.  I've read and appreciated every one of them.  I don't know one other blogger over here in my little German village.  So I'm really grateful to those of you out there who keep me going.  These quirky ATCs are in the mail to the commenter's ...Thank you!! xoxooxoxox

Not in the Mood

Different than being uninspired, simply not in the mood.  Maybe it's because my Uncle died unexpectedly last week.  Maybe it's because I'm sad.  Maybe I just need a break.  Maybe it's because everybody who's driving me nuts should take a ride on this bus.

Rose Petal Overload

It must've been the universe conspiring with nature when I got the twisty sticks out of the tub.  Since it won't stop raining and storming around here, the rose bushes took such a beating I was forced to brutally dead head them.  During this procedure I filled an entire bucket full of petals from the battered flowers.  I wish I knew someone who was getting married so I could toss them in their path as they leave their ceremony.

The tiny buds of the broken branches really broke my heart.  I have no idea how or if these things will dry... but can't help but feel I need to try since the tub was empty anyway.  I went online to find any tips and I actually read things like, "lay them out to air dry them."  Well, then.

Rose petals turn such ugly colors as they dry, they're not nearly as fragrant and useful as lavendar so I really have no idea why I put in this effort.  Let me know if you have any brilliant suggestions for my latest harvest.
 

Twisty Sticks in the Tub

 Having admitted to filling my tub full of lavendar last fall, I've avoided telling you that until yesterday the studio's tub has been the resting place for two wild branches full of smaller twisty arms. 

Not only did the hubby help get these suspended from the ceiling, he hung two mirrors giving me way more light in the non-window half of the room.  He didn't stop there...he also installed another magnetic strip for tools and a slanty holder thingy for pens and pencils.  What a huge difference it makes getting old jars and cans off the table that formerly held my writing and drawing utensils. 

If I'd just get down here with some cleaning supplies, I might be tempted to post some updated pics of my surroundings...

African Festival

Over this past long weekend, Wuerzburg hosted another African festival.  It's always fun and interesting for me to see how one culture interacts with another.  What I loved most was that the vendors were relatively unconcerned about the children who couldn't resist pounding on their very expensive instruments!  In a world where everything is untouchable and forbidden to small people, it's so nice as a parent to have the opportunity to allow  your child to interact. 

"Musss-ee!"" my son's cry for music as he bounces at the knees to the pulsing rhythms around him.
A happy beautiful man with instruments arranged before his tent was attempting to engage people in a drumming session.  I convince my small one to sit with me while we investigate his drums.  Recognizing that I was speaking English, the man immediately switches away from German to a chant with a British lilt,

"Come home mummy...
Come home dahh-dee
1-2-3
1-2-3..."

German children joined us, straddling the drums and earnestly following the right-left-both hand pattern of the rhyme.  It ended with a hearty, "Ja mon!"  Clearly all the permission my child needed to bravely begin his own songs...

The visually creative aspect were the amazing displays of handmade wares for sale.  So many unusual things made from recycled materials such as birds out of plastic bags and angels from recycled cans of insecticide.  This is up-cycling at it's finest!

Of course I bought an angel for here at Studio Mailbox, as a reminder to myself to keep going with materials that I already have and to use things in new ways.

Day Off

Not just out of the office, but practically out of my mind.  Even my horoscope suggested taking the day off if I could swing it.

So let's play hookie.  Why fight the stars?

Blog Banner Blues

Ok gang.  I worked all morning creating a new banner for this blog..it's bold, it's brave, it's Bavarian!  

The irony of me finally getting this done is that Typepad is having problems uploading files.  Just to top it off I went and got all impatient with the delete button behind the scenes.  Oops.  It sort of looks like I deleted my old banner hey?  Note to self: get a new banner waving before deleting stuff, especially when the upload function is non-functional.  Uhhhhh...duhh.. (caveman grunt).

So in case you're wondering where you are, this is the official blog of Studio Mailbox, the tales of a foreign artist in Germany.  Your source for German culture and all things creative.  Hopefully there will be a new "twisty" look for you soon... I guess the upside of this little problem is that now I've been able to create some pretzel suspense!  I hope you won't be disappointed...

Late Easter Greetings

Here are some images of Easter from around my neighborhood. There are colorful plastic eggs suspended from garden bushes everywhere, the evidence of the Ostern Hase!

In Germany, today is still a holiday.  We're enjoying good weather and lots of candy and chocolate!

I'm hoping the bunny was generous to you too...