The kindness of strangers and more.

I was going to continue with my mail post today but I decided to change the subject.
The title in today's blogpost is borrowed from the same title in Star of the East blog.
It is about the story of  Sandra in Azulado and how we can all help her overcome the problems coming of her recent loss of her husband.
You can read her story here and help by taking part in the raffle, donating or buying from her own shop.
I love her decorative pottery.

(I borrowed her photo from her etsy shop as this is my favourite item!)

Something else I would like to tell you today.
McKenna is having a giveaway on her blog ChicCrafting and maybe you would like to take part. You can find it here and on my side bar.I am also taking part in an exchange of a Valentine's cross stitch card with McKenna, hoping to be motivated to start cross stitching again!(I have started it McKenna!)

Finally I would like to show you the beautiful mobile that was in Anastasia's of Made-by-Kokorote parcel that I won in her giveaway. I put it between my Geninne Zlatkis' bird prints and my Jill Wignall Crafting for Courage (for the tsunami disaster) watercolour painting. I think that's the best place to put it!What do you think Anastasia?

Post and postage

I love letter writing, pen pals, letters and parcels, sending and receiving. I used to have 100 pen pals as a teenager and I still have some of them who can still stand my delays in answering. The last couple of years I have lots of new type pen pals, people I exchange e-mails with, or counteract on facebook (not that often), or the sea glass sites or on blogs. And with these people we have started exchanging parcels with sea glass and small gifts and things have evolved from there in great beautiful friendships.
I decided this year to send fewer parcels for Christmas and try to save on postage as postage has gone high again and the whole financial situation is troubling me.
Still I managed to post in December 16 parcels and 17 letters/cards!!!!!!!Some of them were already received and aknowledged and I am happy about that. Unfortunately I still have a dozen more to write and send!!!!!!And I don't think I will manage that before Christmas so maybe I will have to do it at my relaxing time during the holidays.
I am glad I have started receiving my Christmas mail too, yesterday for example I received 6 Christmas cards together, and today four parcels, wow!
I am sorry some people will not receive this year anything from me, or they will receive something very little. I had to cut down on my list!
Here are some photos of outgoing mail.

 And here are a couple of photos of etsy purchases which will be gifts.
I found this etsy shop Lila Ruby King by chance when reading Star of the East blog and realised it is someone in Greece. I love her art and here is what I got. A card made from little pieces of fabric. I gave that for framing.I also bought a pdf file from her with beautiful patterns that I am going to use at school!
I loved her map inside envelope and the extra cards she sent me too.

 This is a pencil case by Jill Wignall of Today I saw. It is handprinted and sewn. And comes in a lovely handmade envelope,too.

The inside fabric of the pencil case is lovely too.