Mindy Carpenter
Mindy Carpenter’s paintings & cards have a childlike innocence, imaginative color palette, a sweetness and a fondness for the little things in our journey that make us happy. Carpe Diem Papers is an illustrated life, creating charming cards form her original paintings.
Making someone’s mailbox happy makes Mindy happy. “Send mail. Write x’s and o’s. Buy good stamps. Tell someone hello, thinking of you through the mail. You don’t need a reason.”
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Brave
It’s been almost two weeks since the Almeda Fire happened. It’s been about two days since the severe risk has passed and about two hours since we’ve seen blue skies and can breathe fresh air. The numbers are staggering. Over 2800 structures and homes...
Fire update
Yesterday I wrote a very long heartfelt upsetting blog post. It was about the Almeda Fire that happened here on Tuesday. The day it started, how it started, where it was and what I saw. I have published hundreds, maybe thousands of posts and not once has one not saved...
Send mail! xo
I love the USPS. I think you probably do too if you’re reading this and are a snail mail, art loving, illustrated envelope appreciating, fun packages in the mail kind of person. I wouldn’t have a small business without the US Postal Service, that is for...
Bain de Soleil
I’ve just sent of a new batch of The Classics to Watson Kennedy in Seattle. I posted this funny memory lane image and the response was swift and resounding–apparently anyone who grew up in the 70’s or 80’s all have the same fond memories of this orange gel that was...
Grateful
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust. Thank you thank you thank you to those charming gardeners in my life. Near and far, those I see regularly and those I think...
The Classics at Watson Kennedy
Hello, friends! This has been a season of silver linings amidst these dark storm clouds. I’m doing my best, not always successfully, but sincerely trying, to look at the good bits. The other day I was thinking about the “new life” and one of the most...
Holiday Fruit Cake Greeting Card
En Plein Air
Do you paint en plein air? I have done it once at a festival, wrote about it my book and have thought about it ever since. Which to me is a sign, I probably want to go back to it. En plein air painting means to paint outside. The concept is that you paint what you see...
Tennis Sweater
When I was in high school, I used to borrow-steal this beloved vintage tennis (cricket?) sweater from my dad’s closet. It was and remains the perfect sweater. It’s both nostalgic and classic, a perfect memory set to the soundtrack of Footloose, Breakfast...
The Corona Muse
The muse has a sense of humor. I think. Exhibit A, “Vintage Typewriters”. I was more than half way in on this painting, enjoying myself enjoying the subject matter, taking my time with each still life piece working my way around the canvas. I arrived at...
