I have a Buddhist friend whose birthday is coming up, so I wrote her a little note—not least because I have so many cards, stamps, and envelopes.^[1] To give it a bit more of a personal touch & make opening it more fun, I did a collage on the back:)

envelope decoration; 4-5/8 x 6-3/8 (approx) 18mm x 67mm; watercolour, collaged elements, glue-stick, hanko stamping; 11nov25, photographed sony A7c, 90mm macro, 1/100s, ISO 160, WB: cloudy, ev 0; cropped, scaled & lightened in gimp

My parents-in-law acquired a good many memo pads during their lifetimes, back when people wrote this stuff on paper instead of committing it to a phone app, and I re-purposed the cover of one, along with a so-so watercolour sketch of a crocus which form the focal points of the design. The calm blue paper, medicinal tea tag & Buddhist looking statue on the stamp seemed like appropriate additions. And I just love the vintage lined paper—not sure where that came from, but it wouldn't surprise me to discover the little binder it came out of is as old as I am.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.