SNAILED IT!
A briefish introduction to my snail mail club
A snail I painted
I recently launched my Snail Mail Club and want to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about it. It’s pretty simple. You can sign up for the monthly subscription through this Substack and I’ll send you something with my artwork each month. It could be a sticker. It might be a print. There’s a chance it could be a card. The possibilities are endless. Well, not really, but it’s kinda fun to say that.
Becoming a member of my Snail Mail Club is a win-win for all involved. By signing up, you help support my creative endeavors, which is great for me, and you also get something cool in the mail from me, which is awesome for you. I don’t know about you, but I really miss the days of getting tangible things from people. On that note, my Snail Mail Club also helps the United States Postal Service, which is a fine institution. (Side note: My mom worked for the Post Office for almost 30 years, so I’ve grown up with a deep appreciation for people who work there because I know how hard of a job it is.)
I’m excited to announce that I’ve received my first Snail Mail Club subscriber. It’s my dear, sweet friend Kamila. So, in her honor, I picked the small print below as the first ever snail mailer.
Some poppies I grew and then painted
It’s called “Mother of Pearl Poppies II.” I grew these poppies in my 2024 garden located in Tommy Thompson Community Garden in Burlington’s Intervale. I acquired that garden at the end of 2023 and sprinkled the Mother of Pearl Poppy seeds on, not in, the ground around Thanksgiving time. (Poppy seeds need light to germinate so they need to be planted on top of the soil.) Several weeks after I put the seeds in my garden, the whole Intervale flooded and everyone’s gardens, mine included, were under 3 feet of murky water. So much for those teeny, tiny poppy seeds, I thought. There was no way they stayed put.
But I was wrong. Those reliable, little black specks of seeds didn’t move an inch. The poppies were beautiful when they came up—delicate, crepe paper-like petals in various shades of pinks, reds, and whites. Sadly, the Intervale flooded again in July 2024. Poppies do not survive floods once they are grown. And Carrie’s gardening at the Intervale did not survive that flood either. I moved my gardening ventures to Starr Farm Community Garden, and that’s where I met my friend Kamila. The flood took my poppies, but it ended up gifting me a great friend who I still garden with. Thanks flood! And thanks Kamila! And thanks to anyone who is reading this. I appreciate you. :)