Potential Postcard Problem Predicts Potentially Poor Postal Performance

I tried taking a few more pictures to get the image without the shine of the flash.  This lamp I used is fluorescent, producing the white background of the postcard as yellow-ish.

I experimented with not wrapping the binding around the edge of one card. The left one is folded over the edge.  In the right postcard I cut the bells canvas slightly smaller than the written side, and used the "binding" to cover > 1/8" of the canvas piece and also be flat on > 1/8" the back of the written side (which is cardstock this time).  You can almost see the ridge from the edge of the bells canvas. 

I was going to test this card in the USPS by mailing it with an actual postcard stamp of .29 cents, but even in the picture you can see that to the right of the corner the postcard gets a little thick where there are several layers of fused fabric and a few layers of tulle.  That little area is more than 1/16" thick and following postal regulations it wouldn't fly.  IF I can find a hammer this morning, and IF I can pound it down to 1/16" I'll test putting a postcard stamp on it, drop it in the mailbox and see what happens.  It's going to Maureen Egan in Massachusettes.  If she ends up paying more I'm going to spend .44 cents mailing her an envelope with another .44 cent stamp in it to pay her back!  A potential .88 cents loss to test saving .15 cents.  The hardships of an artists life!

First-Class Mail® Postcards

Maximum size: 6 inches long by 4-1/4 inches high by .016 inch thick
$0.29
First-Class Mail® Large Postcards
Maximum size: 11-1/2 inches long by 6-1/8 inches high by 1/4 inch thick
$0.44

All the other cards are just a smidge less than 1/8" thick so I'll put .44 cents on them, but the reason they're not as thick as all my other cards is because of the cardstock I used for the written side.  Normally it would be Timetex or Peltex inbetween and fabric on both sides, but the cardstock doesn't require more stiffener.

Two of the cards I used a vellum for the paper.  This did not work as well.  I used a thin line of glue around the edge of the postcard to hold the vellum in place while adding the fused binding.  Then ironed the binding on.  This ever so slightly shrank!  The postcard is slightly bowed.  It's going in the mail anyhow.
 
Off to the postoffice for stamps!

Jingle Bell Postcards

I finished my cards for the Postmark'dArt trade.  I'm not really happy with how they turned out because I had something totally different in mind when I started them.  They have a layer of tulle over them, so the camera flash makes that shine in the picture.

They all have paper or cardstock on the written side.  Except for one they all have fused fabric for binding.

If you want to trade fiber postcards you can inquire about it at http://www.postmarkdart.com/

Inside corners

I'm doing another binding for someone.  It has inside corners, how's it look?

Ho Ho Ho?

My projects are coming along, slowly but surely. 

I'm in another trade with Postmark'd Art...the deadline was last Monday!  I don't totally feel terrible about being late since I haven't received all my cards from the others. 

I may be tardy all the time but all my traders get a postcard no matter what. 

One time life wasn't all peaches and cream.  I don't know why I use that to refer to life not being good, because I don't like peaches or cream.  I should say "One time life WAS all peaches and cream".   

I was in a stressed out mood and all my postcards were mailed, but they were ugly. 

Art always reflects what going on inside you.

These are 3 pieces of the puzzle.  I have to make many more for my postcards.