A Quandary Becomes an Experiment in Giving Things Away

Brief History of This Freebie

Do you like free stuff? Me, too.

Here’s how these sets of cards came to be free for you (except for shipping costs).

Recently a friend suggested I turn last year’s The Corvid Nineteen (19 photos of crows, i.e. corvids, I’d drawn or painted) into a set of greeting cards. Great pandemic-era gift idea, this play on words for birders and/or art lovers and/or people who still send snail mail.

Something light for dark times.

To reduce the investment on both our ends, I whittled it down to The Corvid Nine Team choosing my favorites and extending the wordplay a notch.

Where Things Literally Went Sideways

Without going into how or why, when I got the cards back from the printer they were sort of… off.
Image quality: Good.
Borders: Uneven
(Did you notice it when you first saw the photo above? Maybe, maybe not.)

Now, I hate to waste things. I’m a reuse artist for a reason. I also love things that are imperfect. But these cards fall just outside my standards for what I can feel proud selling to you. On the other hand, I decided that the “off-ness” of these cards only adds to the 2020-ness of them. Seriously, what has gone perfectly as planned in the past year?? That’s right: Absolutely nothing.

Nevertheless, here was my quandary: What to do with the 25 sets of these nine cards I now own?

This Giveaway is also an Experiment

When I decided to offer the sets for free, I felt physically relieved— yes, that’s the answer! I tested the feeling by giving a set to my sister, and yep, it held up. She was excited, too.

I’m thrilled anytime someone wants a thing I’ve made, and these freebies are no exception. They’re a bit wonky but still fun and functional. Ready to fly through the postal service from me to you, then again to your recipient with your message and a stamp.

Now the question: Does anyone want them? (Keep in mind that you’ll be doing me a favor by taking a set or two or three off of my hands!) Yes, you do? Great. Click here.

If you have trouble accepting things for free, don’t worry. I’ve created an option for you to make a $9 donation — ‘cause it’s the Corvid NINE Team — which I will pass on to Feeding America. The donation option is available through the end of February. No judgment here whether you opt for $0 or $9 or a combination of both. Only you know your $ situation. 🥰

If you like the cards but the borders are a deal-breaker, hearing that would help me decide whether to invest in a non-wonky 🤞🏽 do-over of these cards. It’s all an experiment. I’ve learned to be more curious than anxious about what will happen when I put things into the world and price them. Or un-price them.

So… I’ve got 24 sets left. Who wants them?

(Click here to go straight to the card sets or click here to browse my shop.)

Sorry There Weren’t More Photos

I kinda short-changed you on this 13th-of-the-month PICTURES post. I was gonna include the nine corvid paintings/drawings, but that seemed redundant. So instead, here are a few snapshots of our currently snowy neighborhood. ❄️☃️🌨❄️⛄️🌨 We get a little excited here in Portland when this happens.

view from our front window

our neighborhood thoroughfare

Where’d the front steps go?

Happy February!

Love,
Pam

P.S. This month’s session of the Possibilities Lab is underway! A few spots are still open for the next session, which begins in April. Click here for more info.