Mail me some art

Don't forget your address labels

Hello, my dear beautiful swappers.

I'm here with a gentle friendly reminder.

When you are sending your swap items, please remember to include unattached address labels (with your name and address) so that I may affix them to the cards I send you.

I understand.

It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of creation and forget the other stuff.

Or be in such a rush to get them out the door by the post-mark date that you forget not just labels, but stamps AND a message on the back of the card (as my dear Corrine once did as she was rushing out of state to teach at an art retreat)(I think she realized her error as soon as it left her hand and fell into the depths of the mail box. She promptly emailed and we had a good chuckle.)

(and now that I'm speaking parenthetically about my friends, Mandy once forgot messages on her cards, and mailed them separately and asked me to glue them down. loved that.)

Anyway - shit happens.

I totally get it, and never mind spotting you once in a while.

but lately there's been an epidemic of missing address labels.

(okay, I exaggerate. not an epidemic, but enough to make me scratch my head and wonder what's going on.)

I love you all dearly, and I love hosting these swaps,

but I'd rather not take the extra time to write your address on your cards.

'Cuz there might be 100 postcards in any given swap.

That's a lot of addresses.

Swapping and mailing is so much faster, easier, and less prone to error if all I have to do is stick your label on your card.

(and even then, mistakes happen. Ria just got her own Day of the Dead card returned to her, because the mailing label I affixed apparently fell off in transit, so it never made it to Vermont. As I said, shit happens)

Don't have any labels? It's okay.

Some people send me those little return address labels that you get free in the mail from charities that want your money. (I used to feel so guilty if I used those labels without donating.)(I've gotten over it.)

Some people hand write their name and address on blank stickers.

some people just write their name and address on a small square of paper, and I tape it on.

all of the above options are great.

I'm not picky.

and I'm not even cranky or upset.

If you've forgotten in the past, it's fine.

but if you remember next time, I'll be eternally grateful.

Thanks for trying.

xoxo

-Karen

Birds - part 4

Birds, birds and more birds!

I cannot bear to put too many in one post, because each should be savored.

Here are three from Care:

Dani has returned to swapping after a move, and sent these three cards.

Here are four from Ellen:

Gina positively cracked me up with these two:

Happy to have Joanne swapping with us again.

Here are her two cards:

Julie sent three cards:

And here are two from Kathy:

Last one for today is this beauty from Laura:

I've got another 20+ to share another day.

Which of this batch strikes your fancy?

Origin Stories

As promised, it's the triumphant return of Mail Art Mondays,
and in honor of our recent superhero theme we are featuring origin stories.
How did you get your start in mail art?

When I started dabbling in art a few years ago, I was compelled by the idea of art journals, and was trying my hardest to fill a sketchbook with paint smeared pages and meaningful words.

I enjoyed playing with the techniques, but couldn't find a journaling groove.

And I didn't really like working in a book. I was working on loose bits of card-stock and paper and gluing them into journals.

I'm not exactly sure when it first dawned on me that I could take those loose pieces and turn them into postcards, but it was exactly what I needed.

I dug through the archives of my blog, and found my first post about mail art - I wrote about opening my Post Office box (May 2011) and sending my first mail.

Interestingly, one of the very first things I sent is still among my favorites:

For me, there is tremendous joy in creating, but there is even greater joy in connecting.

I could satisfy my need to practice and grow as an artist by creating on small bits of cardboard, and make new friends at the same time? WIN!

Even though I was a fledgling artist, and a bit shy about showing my work to others in my real life, I had no qualms about dropping it in the mail to a total stranger.

Because seriously, who doesn't like to get mail?

I know I've said this here before, but no one has ever opening their mailbox to find a sincere note on a handmade postcard and turned up their nose.

Handmade mail is a joy to receive, no matter what it looks like.

Here are some early (and ongoing!) influences and sources of inspiration:

Like many other new mail artists, finding the book "Good Mail Day" was a life changer.

It took me to the respective websites of the authors, Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler,

and the Good Mail Day website provided my first list of addresses of kindred spirits.

Links on those above websites led me to Pamela and her blog Cappuccino and art Journal.

I sent her mail, and not only did she write back, she put a picture of it on her blog. Imagine! I had no idea!
I was hooked, and there was no looking back.

It's been two and a half years since I mailed my first piece of art, and I've grown and changed a lot. I create almost every single day, even if it's only for a few minutes, and I'd say 90% of what I make gets mailed. I've met some amazing people. Some I've only interacted with a few times, some have become close friends. Each encounter has enriched my life.

So now it's your turn. Tell us how you got your start in mail art.

What was your inspiration?

Who influenced you?

Any good stories about the first things you sent or received?

How has it changed you?

If you've got a blog post, add a link.

If you don't, just share your stories in the comments.

And if you haven't started sending mail art yet,

what are you waiting for?

Hop right over to our own address list, and just start mailing.

Because as Pamela always says,

You've got to send good mail to get good mail.