We put a lot of effort into developing this idea—selecting paper, getting lucky with printers, adjusting margins, and designing graphics. I’ve spent hours writing paragraphs to fill this little booklet; more hours still stuffing them into envelopes and addressing them with care. This parcel is crafted with purpose, to a standard I set.
This is B5 Japanese Washi Paper, handmade with texture and rayon fibers woven through it—beautiful, isn’t it? B5 is frequently marked as 7x10 paper, which I sought out as ideal paper to bifold in with our postcards. Except, it’s not 7x10! The A and B series papers are defined in millimeters. As a result, I have to trim around 3/16ths of an inch off a long edge with a paper cutter to fit the envelopes comfortably.
But now that we’re here—I like the paper. I like the glint of the rayon and the contrast of its textures. That extra step is just an extra step, minuscule and momentary against the monthly memoir I set out to create. Late last year, we began collecting a parcel each month as an archive for Simon and Marceline. It’s like a time capsule of memories and musings about their childhood and the headspace we were in as their parents.
These letters are better on paper. To join our mailing list—subscribe as a paid member and then look for the signup form in your email. Members get a monthly parcel containing high quality postcards and a sneak peek at next month’s publications.
You may have noticed a change in the postcard production last year. We discovered that our earlier postcards had a aqueous finish that resisted ink—it was upsetting. We had printed so many postcards before realizing the mistake, but knowing creates room for correction. I poured over sample papers until I found one that that would accept ink. The matte finish and heavier card-stock are added bonuses.
For me—it’s a postcard and it must function as a postcard. What good is a postcard that won’t accept ink? This matters. I want it to be an object of use—more than a fair quality print masquerading as a postcard. I believe that the written communiqué matters, that it means more than the digital ephemerae.
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In time the envelopes will change. They will rise to meet the quality of the paper and print within them. The whole project is likely to change as we grow and adapt and adopt new ideas. Life, time, the whole of the universe are all expressions of change—no matter how tightly we hold them, they will not be still.
This is my life right now. It’s an idle morning on the eve of the storm. It’s a field of pumpkins in the shadow of bee boxes. It’s waking up with the daylight and going to sleep well after midnight. I wanted to show you things—simple, ordinary things. I wanted to show you the marvels of minuscule details: the barbs of a bird feather, the mechanical movements of a jumping spider, the simple symmetries and asymmetries of a flower in bloom.
Alas, ahead is a necessary change because the world is changed. If what follows offends, you need only ask and I’ll spare you the inclusion. Whatever your decision, please understand that I love you and I hope for the best for all people—even when we disagree, that includes you.
You made it to the end—Thanks for reading! If you found this post enjoyable, insightful, or infuriating, please let us know in the comments below. We will do our best to answer.
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