Maiden Voyage

Back in March of 2007, I put the following thoughts online:

Once upon a message board, a letterboxer named dragonflies asked, "Does anyone here make and trade ATCs?" She elaborated later, and a new twist on an old idea was born.

Most of you are familiar with some type of trading cards, especially baseball trading cards. (We used to get these in bubblegum packs.) In addition to these, many of you are also familiar with nonsports collectibles, such as Artist Trading Cards -- small works of art traded among artists.

While Letterbox Trading Cards are an obvious extension of Artist Trading Cards, they are not exactly the same. I like to think they bring back something reminiscent of the earliest days of letterboxing in Dartmoor, when calling cards were the proof that one had reached his or her goal. Blend the Victorian calling card with the artistry of rubber stamping and the convenience of the postal system, and you have Letterbox Trading Cards.

I still smile when I think back on that little adventure. As I prepared to mail that first set of cards back to the letterboxers who agreed to participate in the "Maiden Voyage" swap, I decided to include a little something extra to thank them. I prepared a little envelope to encase the cards, and printed the following on the outside of it:

May the only tempest
That tests this little ship,
Be the brainstorm of inquiring minds
That launched it on its trip.

Its maiden voyage completed;
The new idea cast
Upon the friendly waters
Where the old ideas passed.

What say you of its journey?
What say you of its end?
Is it just a passing fancy?
Or a lasting little trend?

Well, poet laureate, I am not. *smile*

Back to the swap (to get that poem out of your heads) . . .

Would you like to meet the Maiden Voyagers? (titles in alphabetical order):

A Chipmunk Went to Sea, Sea, Sea (created by Chippy)
Ballentine Buddies (created by Ballentine Buddies)
Bat Flight (created by Batty Girl)
Booking It (created by Webfoot)
Caught in the Rain (created by mudflinginfools)
Cuppa Joe (created by D5 Mama)
dbltall - Maiden Voyage (created by dbltall)
Ghost Horse of Monument Valley (created by alamocito)
hiking (created by skier4444)
mudflingin 101 (created by mudflinginfools)
Progression (created by SHH)
Scrapper (my hobbies) (created by Scrapper)
Shado hart (created by Tee of Draygonflies)
Stamps Carved by The Woodwhittler (created by thewoodwhittler)
Wanderers I-2007 (created by Team BearCat)

You all were such good sports! Happy New Year of Trading!

;-)

Thumbs Up

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My dear SHH,

Below is a review of the newest addition to my ink collection. Wring it like you would a soaking-wet hiking towel, and perhaps something profitable for your ink review page may drip out. No promises.

Sincerely,
MC

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VersaFine Small

The Stampeaz blurb reads this way: “VersaFine is a natural, oil-based pigment ink that dries very quickly on matte cardstock or paper. It's a great ink for fine detail printing and it won't bleed if it gets wet, so you can use markers or watercolors right over it. The tiny packaging makes these ideal to take along with you to events or out on the trail.”

Tsukineko, the makers of this ink, claim this (on the pad itself):
"Captures fine details like no other . . . Archival Instant Dry Pigment Ink . . . Oil based . . . Long lasting . . . Water-resistant . . . Cleans up easily . . . Acid free (redundant, right?) . . . Non-toxic . . . Fade-resistant"

One other reviewer mentions VersaFine's great coverage.

So, I tested it.

My results in a nutshell? It’s all it’s cracked up to be!

Of course, the results of the “non-toxic” and “long lasting” tests are not yet in, but the VersaFine passed all of the other tests with flying colors.

Speaking of colors, I have been looking and looking for a blue this deep! Oh, joy!

Size? The pad itself is 24 mm by 24 mm, and the case is less than 1 ½ “ x 1 ½” x ¾” (with a lid that stays in place). So, next time you order from Stampeaz, just ask Webfoot to slip five or six of these babies in alongside your carving material. You will not be sorry.