A page from my letterboxing journal. I've been doing this for only 3 months, according to the nomenclature, I'm P15 F32. That means I've placed 15 boxes and I've found 32. I've found and placed boxes in the area where I live and also in Eugene and Rockford. Yesterday, my record shows a box planted in Oklahoma City, true enough, it's Gin who doesn't have an ID who planted a box near Hall of Fame Stadium. We also plan to plant a box near Softball City at Canada Cup.
The mom from Team Garlic mentioned to me that the box and the stamp are folk art. She carved the main image in my log book. A beauty! The multi-color image is a LTC or Letterboxing Trading Card. With her urging I took the LTC as the first finder. I was a first finder of a box today, I've never put one of those in my boxes, guess that's one of the next things I have to figure out. The stamp reflects the FolkLife theme of Urban Indian with the native symbols superimposed on the space needle. The image on the right shows how the stamp looks using my plain blue stamp pad as well as my notes when I found it.
Compare the much simpler stamp beneath it from a box placed by an 11 year old. I think the child carved the stamp also. My stamps, they much more closely resemble the lower stamp. Actually, problably not as skillful. Supposedly people appreciate hand carved stamps no matter what the quality. I'm lucky if I can get a simple leaf going. That's why I have Gin and maybe Susanna. Naomi will carve if I get the design on the substrate.
I've really enjoyed this hobby and have dragged several people in with me.
3 comments:
Wow! You are a real letterboxer! My family and I started over a year ago and mostly just get to it while traveling--once in a while on weekends at home. We haven't planted ANY (a little terrified of the carving), and have probably found about as many as you. (But I haven't added up the last few, so I don't even know.)
I've never seen a LTC (have only made it to one box first), or even heard of it. But that's SUCH A GREAT IDEA! When I finally plant a few, I'll use it. (I've been a "stamper" for many years and love ATC's. Of course I never thought of LTC's!)
Love your log book!
Brenda,
I hope you check back. I am a terrible carver, not a stamper. The first few boxes, I put some of my neighbor's castoff stamps in which is likely not cool. But I have terrible fine motor coordination. Since then, I have carved some VERY simple stamps. I also got a friend interested and she's carved some. Somebody sent me some. I have a lot of ideas, I love thinking up places to put them, making the box, writing the clues, etc etc. I just can't carve. Some of them I've found have been beautiful. When people find my boxes, well they have a different experience
I'll check back. I put you in my google reader. I've been thinking of starting a blog, but time is an issue, and I've been checking out others to sort of get an idea what I want to do. I found your link from a photography blog. I love taking pictures, so I was checking out some other photography blogs. And the letterboxing greeted me! I know when I blog, it will include both photography and letterboxing (and probably too many other things), so I put you in my reader and will check back often!
I have lots of ideas for places to plant boxes around where we live, but don't even OWN carving stuff yet. I've asked for some for my birthday, so maybe I'll get with it. Our family (me, husband, girls 4 and 6) like to do it together, but the planting will be mostly individual, I think.
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