I'm a big fan of the philosophy "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.". Basically, it means that it's better to do a fair-to-middlin' attempt and have *something* in your state/province/kingdom than to not do anything for fear that it's poorly done or incorrect.

My initial attempts to carve bear me out on this - badly. But at least there's a reason to go visit Canonicut Cannons (Newport County, RI) that would've otherwise have gone unnoticed. Heck - get out there and plant the best you can do! Skill will come with time!

Seeing others' carving will help, especially if some of them aren't very good, as well as the really good ones. One takes heart seeing that those who are now master crafters were once pretty mediocre. It highlights that one learns and improves, and the new carvers may be heartened. The spectacular carvings give us a goal to strive for.

Dave
the von der Insels
----- Original Message -----
From: Anna Lisa Yoder
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 10:10 PM
Subject: [LbNA] page of samples on website


Well, I'd like to second the motion Christa had to include a page of samples. No one is suggesting doing that without someone's permission. There must be a few people out there who would be willing to share one or two images of stamps they used to use & have retired, etc. Or some examples could be made up especially for the website, by a few people who just really love to carve and would be willing to "donate" one or two esp. for the purposes of the website. These individuals would be full aware that their stamp is now "out there". All that's needed is samples of regular & inverse, individual, group, event, etc. Not that many... just enough to help someone understand, if they live in the middle of nowhere and have no letterboxes within 100 miles. Otherwise, it's a catch-22-- you don't want to go letterboxing without your signature stamp finished, and yet you hate to make your signature stamp before seeing a couple. It's a terrific website in my opinion, and the opening page/ pages are great. It does feel like a gap though to not have any sample stamp images. ---lunaryakketyact

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

There are many samples of signature and box stamps on members' web
pages, in the files section of the various Yahoo groups, and most
obviously, in letterboxing log books.

Granted, this would require a person to find a few boxes, hunt and
peck through member web sites and surf their way through the sites
in the webring, but I think you will find that this is not a one-
stop-shopping kind of hobby complete with detailed user manual,
which kind of fits with the underlying philosophy of the game.

SpringChick


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Anna Lisa Yoder"
wrote:
> Well, I'd like to second the motion Christa had to include a page
of samples. No one is suggesting doing that without someone's
permission. There must be a few people out there who would be
willing to share one or two images of stamps they used to use & have
retired, etc. Or some examples could be made up especially for the
website, by a few people who just really love to carve and would be
willing to "donate" one or two esp. for the purposes of the website.
These individuals would be full aware that their stamp is now "out
there". All that's needed is samples of regular & inverse,
individual, group, event, etc. Not that many... just enough to help
someone understand, if they live in the middle of nowhere and have
no letterboxes within 100 miles. Otherwise, it's a catch-22-- you
don't want to go letterboxing without your signature stamp finished,
and yet you hate to make your signature stamp before seeing a
couple. It's a terrific website in my opinion, and the opening
page/ pages are great. It does feel like a gap though to not have
any sample stamp images. ---lunaryakketyact
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I'm working on my first stamp now (design phase) It's an 18th/19th
century plow. It is not, I repeat *not* a piece of pie with a handle.
lol I think I'll print that on the back of the stamp. That way people
won't think it escaped from a diner series.


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "dave & diane"
wrote:
> I'm a big fan of the philosophy "Anything worth doing is worth
doing badly.". Basically, it means that it's better to do a fair-to-
middlin' attempt and have *something* in your state/province/kingdom
than to not do anything for fear that it's poorly done or incorrect.
>
> My initial attempts to carve bear me out on this - badly. But at
least there's a reason to go visit Canonicut Cannons (Newport County,
RI) that would've otherwise have gone unnoticed. Heck - get out
there and plant the best you can do! Skill will come with time!
>
> Seeing others' carving will help, especially if some of them aren't
very good, as well as the really good ones. One takes heart seeing
that those who are now master crafters were once pretty mediocre. It
highlights that one learns and improves, and the new carvers may be
heartened. The spectacular carvings give us a goal to strive for.
>
> Dave
> the von der Insels
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Anna Lisa Yoder
> To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 10:10 PM
> Subject: [LbNA] page of samples on website
>
>
> Well, I'd like to second the motion Christa had to include a page
of samples. No one is suggesting doing that without someone's
permission. There must be a few people out there who would be
willing to share one or two images of stamps they used to use & have
retired, etc. Or some examples could be made up especially for the
website, by a few people who just really love to carve and would be
willing to "donate" one or two esp. for the purposes of the website.
These individuals would be full aware that their stamp is now "out
there". All that's needed is samples of regular & inverse,
individual, group, event, etc. Not that many... just enough to help
someone understand, if they live in the middle of nowhere and have no
letterboxes within 100 miles. Otherwise, it's a catch-22-- you don't
want to go letterboxing without your signature stamp finished, and
yet you hate to make your signature stamp before seeing a couple.
It's a terrific website in my opinion, and the opening page/ pages
are great. It does feel like a gap though to not have any sample
stamp images. ---lunaryakketyact
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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>
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>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> a.. To visit your group on the web, go to:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/letterbox-usa/
>
> b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> letterbox-usa-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
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>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Deb" wrote:
> I think you will find that this is not a one-
> stop-shopping kind of hobby complete with detailed user manual,
> which kind of fits with the underlying philosophy of the game.


Phew! I was starting to think this was wally world or something! The only one stop
shopping I want to be doing is for the most up to date gossip at Mark Pepe's house!
;-)

http://home.gwi.net/~moxie1/Clues/links.html
Phyto

Being fairly new to Letterboxing myself, I do understand the urge to
see image examples.

If you go to our Yahoogroup and check the files area, you will find
a folder with images of the stamps we've carved. (Note: yes, you
will have to join the group to view the files, but you won't get a
mailbox full of unwanted messages. Only the moderator posts ... and
not even once a month.) Here's the link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Letterboxing_Bindlestiff/

As SpringChick pointed out, there are plenty of places on the web
where images of carved stamps can be viewed, but it does take some
time and effort to find 'em. Kinda like letterboxing, isn't it?

It's important to keep in mind that there are plenty of boxers who
prefer not to view the image of a stamp until they actually find it.

As for your comments of: "you don't want to go letterboxing without
your signature stamp finished, and yet you hate to make your
signature stamp before seeing a couple" ... well ...

The very night I stumbled upon letterboxing while link surfing the
net, I carved my very first stamp by taking a kitchen knife and
hacking up an old eraser that we already had. I had never seen
another signature stamp but the very next morning I went to
Michael's (craft store) bought a carving set and speedy stamp and
carved our signature stamp. Silly me, I thought I had to have a
single signature stamp for my husband and myself, so I spent way too
much time trying to come up with one that would have initials we
could both use. LOL!!

Your anxiety is probably more normal that what I did though. (grin)

Enjoy!
---PJ
aka Bindle Babe


"Anna Lisa Yoder" wrote:
> Well, I'd like to second the motion Christa had to include a page
of samples. (snip) There must be a few people out there who would
be willing to share one or two images of stamps (snip) you don't
want to go letterboxing without your signature stamp finished, and
yet you hate to make your signature stamp before seeing a couple.

Ok, here's a blind okay that if anyone wants to use our stamp images
in a not-for-profit sort of display (like someone would actually pay
for one of our images! Hahaha! not!), then feel free to cut and paste
from our web page. It's in the links section and if you spend 30
seconds poking around, you'll find our signature stamp and a few that
we've placed. As time permits, we'll even upload a few more. Only
request is that you just note that we carved them...and we don't post
our images of mysteries that we've placed -- they hold a special
place in our heart, i mean logbook!

Also, check the other links if you want to browse carvings. I know
the DrewClan website in particular has a ton of images. Several other
pages have images too. It may infact even be more subtle to check
links rather than have an image gallery or database....ya never know.

-Steve, Heidi, and Madras