a day in the life....... answering questions about Letterboxing!
There is a letterbox hidden close to this granite and steel sculpture!
A box in honor of my grandparents is in a nearly hidden stump close to this tree.
What is Letterboxing ~
Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with delightful "treasure-hunts" in beautiful, scenic places. Participants seek out hidden letterboxes by following clues, and then record their discovery in their personal journal with the help of a rubber stamp that's part of the letterbox. In addition, letterboxers have their own personal stamps which they use to stamp into the letterbox's logbook. (from the home page of atlasquest.com)
A fabulous description of letterboxing graciously answered by Ryan over at atlas quest. I believe I first heard about letterboxing through other homeschooling moms. We gave it a go in Indianapolis nearly two years ago. I was blown away by the first stamp I saw. It was hand-carved and I was captivated.
We found another in Indy, and soon after learned we were moving again. Letterboxing came to a halt for several months. Once we were settled here I dug out our stamps and logbooks, searched around on Letterboxing North America and discovered we had move into a hotbed area of lbing!
Several of the boxes here had the atlas quest url on them, and there I discovered a ginormous online community of lbers. But I'm a bit ahead of myself.....
~ where to begin~
What do I need?
You will need a signature stamp, logbook, inkpad, clues and a writing utensil.
You may also need a compass and I quote, "Depending on the location and circumstances, you may also want to bring water, snacks, sunglasses, hat, mosquito repellent, cell phone, flashlight, first-aid kit, and anything else that would ensure your safety, comfort, and general well-being." ~AQ
What is a signature stamp?
The signature stamp is what you'll stamp into the logbook you find in the letterbox.
Your signature stamp should represent you in some way. They can be store bought, but of course, more fun to hand-carve!
When we started, all four of us had store bought stamps (when dh tagged along, he used a finger print for a sig. stamp). We had a fairy, a tea cup, a cross and a panda bear. Once our hobby took off, it was a tad irritating to stamp in all those stamps. LBers try to be very discreet whilst boxing. We aren't trying to be secretive, but a "muggle" might throw-away a box thinking it litter. Therefore, trying to be covert with three children who tend to get antsy quickly, led me to create what is called a family stamp.
Our family stamp is a house, sun and some clouds and 3K, standing for hsing3kinder which is our trailname. Depending on who is letterboxing on any given day, our initials will be found inside the house.
Wait! What is a Trailname?
A trail name ids you or your family. It is completely optional, just for fun! But if you log your letterbox finds in at either website you will need to make one.
There are many folks who don't use a trail name, but just sign in a logbook with their stamp and the date.
What about a logbook? What size? What goes in them? Store Bought or Handmade?
Well, yes.
Logbooks are up to you! You can grab a notebook at the dollarstore and use that - although I personally don't like lined books.
You could make one out of index cards, in fact the stapled books that Amy talks about in Episode 84 on the CMP would be perfect.
Honestly, I usually use whatever sketchbook I currently have. It's part of my artistic timeline. The little kids haven't used a logbook for a while, their favorite part is the hunt, not the stamp. The oldest has a logbook, but it's been forgotten before. I try to keep index cards with me for those time. Then we'll paste the stamp in her book at a later time.
Inkpad?
It's a good idea to have one (or maybe several different colors) with you. Some lbs will have an inkpad, but obviously they could be dry, frozen or otherwise damaged.
Okay, I've got supplies in hand, now how do I know if there are boxes in my area?
Clues to boxes can be found several ways:
`Atlas quest has a state directory http://www.atlasquest.com/lboxes/directory/us/
which includes links to other countries
` as does Letterboxing North America http://www.letterboxing.org/america.htm
which also includes links to other countries
You will probably find the largest selection of clues at LBNA, but AQ can be easier to browse as they have a city directory, and you can narrow your search quicker.
What is Geocaching ~
If you asked the oldest that question, she would tell you it is evil! Only because we have run into so many geocaches in our area that we had a difficult time placing boxes. We found wonderful hiding spots, but several already had geocaches in them.
AQ explains Geocaching as:
A hobby with many similarties to letterboxing. The main differences are that the clues are given as GPS coordinates, and geocachers use the 'take an item, leave an item' system when finding a cache, instead of stamping in. See http://www.geocaching.com/ for the definitive source on geocaching.
I have found that typically geocachers and letterboxers don't coexist well. In the LB world geocaches have a reputation for trashing letterboxes, taking stamps and leaving trinkets (not always cute either). BUT if LBers leave a clear label that the box is not a geocach and please do not take or leave anything, I would expect peace.
What is a LTC? Is it an ATC?
another quote from AQ ~
Short for Letterbox Trading Cards, an offshoot of Artist Trading Cards (ATC) . Letterbox Trading Cards must be 2.5"x3.5", or 64x89mm, with a base that has the thickness and consistency of card stock, and typically incorporate your signature stamp in some way.
LTCs are just as amazing as ATCs. My bridge series were nearly all traded for other LTCs .
They are typically traded through a group at Atlas Quest.
You can search for LTCs here, this list will include those available to trade (active), but you'll need to join AQ to trade with others.
There is a letterbox hidden close to this granite and steel sculpture!
A box in honor of my grandparents is in a nearly hidden stump close to this tree.What is Letterboxing ~
Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with delightful "treasure-hunts" in beautiful, scenic places. Participants seek out hidden letterboxes by following clues, and then record their discovery in their personal journal with the help of a rubber stamp that's part of the letterbox. In addition, letterboxers have their own personal stamps which they use to stamp into the letterbox's logbook. (from the home page of atlasquest.com)
A fabulous description of letterboxing graciously answered by Ryan over at atlas quest. I believe I first heard about letterboxing through other homeschooling moms. We gave it a go in Indianapolis nearly two years ago. I was blown away by the first stamp I saw. It was hand-carved and I was captivated.
We found another in Indy, and soon after learned we were moving again. Letterboxing came to a halt for several months. Once we were settled here I dug out our stamps and logbooks, searched around on Letterboxing North America and discovered we had move into a hotbed area of lbing!
Several of the boxes here had the atlas quest url on them, and there I discovered a ginormous online community of lbers. But I'm a bit ahead of myself.....
~ where to begin~
What do I need?
You will need a signature stamp, logbook, inkpad, clues and a writing utensil.
You may also need a compass and I quote, "Depending on the location and circumstances, you may also want to bring water, snacks, sunglasses, hat, mosquito repellent, cell phone, flashlight, first-aid kit, and anything else that would ensure your safety, comfort, and general well-being." ~AQ
What is a signature stamp?
The signature stamp is what you'll stamp into the logbook you find in the letterbox.
Your signature stamp should represent you in some way. They can be store bought, but of course, more fun to hand-carve!
When we started, all four of us had store bought stamps (when dh tagged along, he used a finger print for a sig. stamp). We had a fairy, a tea cup, a cross and a panda bear. Once our hobby took off, it was a tad irritating to stamp in all those stamps. LBers try to be very discreet whilst boxing. We aren't trying to be secretive, but a "muggle" might throw-away a box thinking it litter. Therefore, trying to be covert with three children who tend to get antsy quickly, led me to create what is called a family stamp.
Our family stamp is a house, sun and some clouds and 3K, standing for hsing3kinder which is our trailname. Depending on who is letterboxing on any given day, our initials will be found inside the house.
Wait! What is a Trailname?
A trail name ids you or your family. It is completely optional, just for fun! But if you log your letterbox finds in at either website you will need to make one.
There are many folks who don't use a trail name, but just sign in a logbook with their stamp and the date.
What about a logbook? What size? What goes in them? Store Bought or Handmade?
Well, yes.
Logbooks are up to you! You can grab a notebook at the dollarstore and use that - although I personally don't like lined books.
You could make one out of index cards, in fact the stapled books that Amy talks about in Episode 84 on the CMP would be perfect.
Honestly, I usually use whatever sketchbook I currently have. It's part of my artistic timeline. The little kids haven't used a logbook for a while, their favorite part is the hunt, not the stamp. The oldest has a logbook, but it's been forgotten before. I try to keep index cards with me for those time. Then we'll paste the stamp in her book at a later time.
Inkpad?
It's a good idea to have one (or maybe several different colors) with you. Some lbs will have an inkpad, but obviously they could be dry, frozen or otherwise damaged.
Okay, I've got supplies in hand, now how do I know if there are boxes in my area?
Clues to boxes can be found several ways:
`Atlas quest has a state directory http://www.atlasquest.com/lboxes/directory/us/
which includes links to other countries
` as does Letterboxing North America http://www.letterboxing.org/america.htm
which also includes links to other countries
You will probably find the largest selection of clues at LBNA, but AQ can be easier to browse as they have a city directory, and you can narrow your search quicker.
What is Geocaching ~
If you asked the oldest that question, she would tell you it is evil! Only because we have run into so many geocaches in our area that we had a difficult time placing boxes. We found wonderful hiding spots, but several already had geocaches in them.
AQ explains Geocaching as:
A hobby with many similarties to letterboxing. The main differences are that the clues are given as GPS coordinates, and geocachers use the 'take an item, leave an item' system when finding a cache, instead of stamping in. See http://www.geocaching.com/ for the definitive source on geocaching.
I have found that typically geocachers and letterboxers don't coexist well. In the LB world geocaches have a reputation for trashing letterboxes, taking stamps and leaving trinkets (not always cute either). BUT if LBers leave a clear label that the box is not a geocach and please do not take or leave anything, I would expect peace.
What is a LTC? Is it an ATC?
another quote from AQ ~
Short for Letterbox Trading Cards, an offshoot of Artist Trading Cards (ATC) . Letterbox Trading Cards must be 2.5"x3.5", or 64x89mm, with a base that has the thickness and consistency of card stock, and typically incorporate your signature stamp in some way.
LTCs are just as amazing as ATCs. My bridge series were nearly all traded for other LTCs .
They are typically traded through a group at Atlas Quest.
You can search for LTCs here, this list will include those available to trade (active), but you'll need to join AQ to trade with others.
So, there is the low-down! IF you have more questions, please leave them in the comments ~ I'll be happy to answer!
Labels: hobbies, homeschooling, letterboxing
posted by hsing3kinder at 10:50 AM
1 Comments:
Wonderful! Thank you for answering my blog-request. Things are clearer now and, after I read it a second time, should be clearer still.
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