lots of mail + 1 more from monica!

I thought Monica Smith's mail art set was complete at 3 pieces (the requirement) but another piece came in today! A cool magazine envelope. Thanks, Monica.

And this is what I pulled out of my mailbox today!

All four mail art pieces from Rena in CT, one envelope from Sue that took only 5 days to get here from Australia, another envelope from Leslie totaling 3, the last one I was expecting from Kate in the UK, three from Sabine in Germany, two more from Thelma, two more from Marnie, two from Laura in Maryland and the one from Monica = 17 pieces in all!!! I will be back later to showoff completed sets from Rena and Kate!

a couple of my samples

Hi, I'm just sharing the mail art envelopes I'm working on in case you are too! The first one shown here is a plain manila envelope, done DTP (direct to paper) with ColorBox ink pads. Then, before it dried, I sprayed a little watered-down Lumiere Paint (very watery). That made some interesting water spots-cool! I dried the envelope with my heat tool/embossing gun. Click on it below for more details.

Next I added rubber stamping with large Stamp Zia stamps, VersaCraft and Brilliance ink pads -- and then heat set them in case it rains! I like the almost translucent look of the stamping on the dark background.  I must say all of these ink pads as well as the Lumiere paint have been staples in my studio for perhaps 15 years. I reach for them again and again ~ I have re-inkers for my ink pads. It's the best way to go for me.

Yesterday, I finished another one of those of those collage style manila envelopes that I shared with you a week ago. In that earlier post, I embedded a great video by Roben Marie Smith that shows you how. These envelopes take a wee bit more time, but I enjoy making them. The best part? I get to rummage through my "collage boxes" -flat cardboard trays full of leftover papers from other projects and use up some of those papers!! See below, for the front and back of another collage envelope for our swap.

The little inchie size squares with funny sayings are from Lisa's Altered Art. This is a new find for me! Swap participant Linda Freeman used images from this company on her envelopes, and that was really the first time I'd seen them. You can get them digitally, which works well for me, or printed sheets, sent through the mail. The faux postage and crown are from ARTchix Studio and the patterned papers on the top and right side are from my classes with Mary Green of Green Paper Packages.

Have fUN with your Mail ART!! 

Saturday's mail . . .

No complete sets to share, but Saturday's mail brought me 7 wonderful pieces! I received one envelope (far left) from Marnie in North Carolina. Two envelopes from Kate in the UK took less than a week; they are different from each other and different from Kate's postcard I received yesterday. Very cool stuff! There is one more to come. Siri Opdal sent two fabric postcards (blue)  that traveled to me all the way from Norway, and took 9 days to reach me (2 more are still coming). One envelope out of four of Thelma's came in from Arkansas -it's the one on top! Lastly, one wonderful huge envelope came in from Ginny in Massachusetts! What a delight. I just counted all the mail I have and so far I have received 88 pieces of mail art for this swap! Incredible . . . . 

I had no idea so many people would enjoy participating in this swap. I am so pleased. What fun! See you in the mail! 

Joanna Urbani: mail art swap!!

Joanna Urbani from Kent, UK, sent in 4 envelopes that are so appealing to me. I know Jo from being in Mary Green's vintage collage classes and have always admired her collage art. Her blog, Fiddlesnips is funny and delightful too! I am so tickled that Joanna joined my swap and I adore her envelopes!

The pussycat did get lost visiting the queen on the way to see me!!

love this "sorry nothing inside" on the back! 

You Rock, joanna!!

Crystal Gafa: mail ART swap!

Crystal in Utah has send in four delicious envelopes, which means I can keep one and 3 are for the swap. Yippee! I love batik fabric and I have never seen envelopes like Crystal's before . . . thanks so much!! Awesome.

I love these Crystal. For your first ever swap, you did so great!!

Kelly Hendrickson; mail art swap : )

From Kelly in Minnesota we have 4 great stamped and painted mail ART envelopes for our swap. Just the kind of envelope I like to find in my mailbox! To see more of Kelly's art, visit her blog: Kelly's Art or her website: Northern Lights Art Studio. Thanks, Kelly!

18 pieces of mail art today!

Today's catch!

When I got home from exercising and sharing a few altered books with my new friend Susan (who is in this swap too) there was the cutest stack of mail in my mailbox left by my mail carrier -18 pieces! All various sizes and colors, fabric and paper too. Yes, hosting is work, but somebody has to do it . . . . this is one of the great rewards! Who did I receive from? From Joanna Urbani in the UK, the elusive cat envelope finally landed and joined Joanna's 3 other awesome envelopes. I will share them all with you soon! From Kelly Hendrickson - 4 envelopes are here, beautifully stamped and painted. I also received 4 incredible fabric envelopes from Crystal Gafa in Utah, you can see them smack in the middle of the photo above. Click to see more. I received one postcard from Kate in the UK, which is an interesting combination of watercolor painting on one side and fabric on the other! Two envelopes came in from Leslie Snowden in Washington, each completely different than the other and so cool! I heard from Leslie that 2 more are coming . . . There were 3 envelopes from Cathy Johnson in my mailbox, with lots of ink, paint and stamps -really enjoyable to look at. Two wild magazine collage type envelopes from Ashlee Gilliam in Texas -Ashlee has great handwriting which she employed, and lastly, another large mailing envelope from Julie Coon! It is similar to the one I have in the blog header, but different. This is the third day in a row that I have received 1 envelope from Julie. First a dog themed one, then a cat themed one and today a dog themed one. I wonder what might come tomorrow??

Thanks to all for your efforts to create great mail art and get it to me on time. I'm leaving soon to leave to visit my parents, but will do my best to keep on top of scanning & presenting all the wonderful mail art that is coming in for the swap!

JoY Meadows: mail ART swap!

wow. May I say that again, Wow! When I got my mail yesterday, my postal carrier Ken handed it to me in person, since I went out to talk to him. I thanked him for his extra work lately and he shrugged it off saying, happy to do it-or something like that ; ) All in a day's work! He asked me if this (all the mail art) was some kind of Club? ; ^ ))) I explained my art exchanges to him. As he was handing me my mail that had Joy's envelopes on top, he said well, it's really very cool! My husband Steven wanted me to tell Joy that these are his favorite envelopes yet. I have to agree, Joy's envelopes are spectacular on so many levels. The colors, the shape (!) the size, the design - right on! Joy is one way cool (and sweet!) grandmother!! I love her envelopes and they were a complete surprise to me. Enjoy her envelope art below -some photos & scans, and see more of Joy's art on her blog, Fifi's daughter.

With those Butterfly stamps and such a cool shape, they just flew here!

These are the most awesome envelopes, Joy. Thank you.

Linda Freeman: mail art swap!

I have been admiring Linda's art for quite some time through the online classes I have been taking this year with Mary Green. As part of her classes, Mary uses a flickr photo sharing group for her students to share their class work. I have really loved that part of the class. I get to be exposed to many different new artists and read their process going through Mary's exercises for vintage collage. Linda's work has always been inspirational to me and you will see why I think, when I share her envelopes! Linda did include something inside her envelopes (I know because I opened the extra one for me) but I will keep it a secret -- it is a few cool supplies for art-making. To learn more about these envelopes and Linda's art, please visit her blog, lambswool.

Your envelopes are awesome, Linda!

I am so glad you followed my link to this blog and signed up. 

Thanks for your beautiful contribution.

Elaine Akers: Mail Art swap!

These envelopes are from Elaine Akers in Massachusetts. Elaine and I used to spend time together at Rubber Stamp Conventions back when I lived in Connecticut!! In fact, if you are in this swap you may have seen photos in the pdf lesson for this swap of the rubber duck and the plastic banana sent through the mail? Elaine is the one who sent them to me! ;  ^ )) What fun! Elaine rubber stamped her envelopes and enclosed a fabric postcard, very cool. Your envelopes can be sent empty and there is no need for including anything inside, but if you want to, that's great!!  I opened one envelope, the extra one I kept for myself. I will share that one here and the rest you can see on Elaine's blog!

fronts -love the mermaid!

backs

fronts

backs

fabric postcard

Thank you, Elaine! So great to have you in this swap!!

more to come . . .

It's midnight and I must go to sleep! So I will stop now (2 new entries below) and say, more art to come tomorrow! I will have yummy mail art from Elaine Akers, Joy Meadows and Linda Freeman in the morning as they are all re-sized and ready to go. Then probably more later in the day after the mail comes. I spoke to my mailman Ken today, and he was happy to talk to me about the odd delays we have been experiencing at times. He says if mail is an odd size (not postal regulation) or too thick and it does not fit into the mail sorting machines, it gets kicked out! It goes into what he called a "spur" bin. This mail has to be looked at by hand, and this of course can cause delays. All of the mail is getting here eventually, I only have one envelope  that seems to be taking a lot longer than it should. Time will tell. I am wishing and hoping for speedy mail angels to guide all the swap pieces here safely. goodnight! 

Monica Smith: mail art swap!

From Monica in Texas, we have 2 envelopes made from fabric paper (with instructions inside!) and one made after her hip replacement surgery. I will quote Monica, "My envelope was made during the post operative days of my hip surgery.  With drugs comes so much paper that recycling appeared to me necessary.  SO I glued torn sheets of paper that come when you fill a RX and contain all kinds of information that you either can't understand or don't want to know."  : ) Below are Monica's envelopes, you can see more of her art on her blog, Material Pleasures.

So very creative!!

Thank you, Monica  : ^) 

Marjorie Jumisco: mail art swap!

Marjorie's 3 required envelopes have all made it to me from North Carolina, so I am going to share what I have here from her with you now. There may be another envelope coming, but after talking with Marjorie I have decided to call her swap complete and post what I have. A zip code mix-up may keep it from reaching me. I assured Marjorie that 3 envelopes or postcards were all that were needed! Any extra I receive are lovely, but not necessary. Here are Marjorie's cool envelopes!

Great envelopes & postcards.

Thanks so much for participating Marjorie! 

Cindy McMath: Mail ART swap!

What my friend Cindy sent in for our swap all the way from BC, Canada, is just amazing. I told her when I first saw them on her blog I wished I had a camera on my computer to capture my expression. WOW! These postcards are just so darn cool. I took a couple of photos for display here, but it's really best if you go look at the close-up scans on Cindy's blog, Pink Bird Studio. She even includes a wonderful step-by-step tutorial on how she made these fabulous puzzle postcards. check it out!

For the curious, the Large postcards measure 8" x 8"  : ) 

Aren't they gorgeous??

Thank you Cindy! 

Wil Opio Oguta: mail art swap!

From Will, who lives in the Netherlands, 4 beautiful stamped and textured envelopes have made it to my mailbox this week. Her mail art set is complete! I want to say I am really sorry if it worries you that ALL your envelopes do not arrive on the same day or near each other, but unfortunately I have no control over that. It is the quirks of the post office, I guess. I have no idea why when 3 envelopes or 4 envelopes are sent on the same day, one arrives 3 days later and it takes another one 10 days. My best advice is to try to mail early and keep the addresses as easy to read as possible. Here are some photos I took of Wil's Mail ART. Please visit her blog for more details on how she made and stamped her envelopes.

Thanks, Wil!!