Mail Art Monday: Summer Edition

I looked back on my last post and could barely believe that well over a month has past since I last wrote about mail art. What can I say other than the lure of warm weather and time spent in my garden or around beaches took me far away from my computer most days.

In their postbox...

Jill had sent me a few pieces from her side of the ocean and so I sent her pieces of my garden in return. I also tucked in a few pictures from my region along with paper a postcard and a few more lovely chickens.

Sarah received a few photos from my visits (or time living in) BC, Nova Scotia & Ontario along with a few Canadian stamps. A petal from my garden, watercolour pieces and handmade stickers were tucked inside with a local postcard.

I returned Belinda's watercolour card with my fish drawings. The white circles reminded me of bubbles and so a few goldfish popped into mind when I started sketching. I returned the favour with a watercolour sheet of my own along with some handmade stickers, petals, a butterfly sticker and the twenty cents I owed her son for his lovely drawing.

Thankfully, the postcard I made for Jessica turned up while she was unpacking after her recent move.
This time I drew a fan on a scrap of paper and cut triangles out of the paper she supplied to create a colourful breeze cooling the air.

In my postbox...

Barbara spoiled me rotten with two lovely packages this summer. The first was sent during her summer holiday and included a sketch, a gorgeous flower photo, British Columbia paper clippings and the most delightful sprout bookmarks.

Barbara's second amazing package was all about waffles! My family has a tradition of having homemade waffles every Saturday morning. Not only did she create an adorable waffle pop-out illustration with a my very own logo, she went so far as to show me pictures of her own waffles... that she used for printmaking! I'm also assuming she saved some to eat.

Kimi sent me pieces of the Arthouse Sketchbook tour to me with her latest package. She was kind enough to check out my sketchbook while she was visiting (and nicking their paper ephemera for me). A print of a recent colourful and happy painting as well as a clipping of a sweet anchor dress were also included. If I ever came across this dress, I'd have a hard time passing it up!

I'm hoping that I'll post about mail art a little more often than seasonally in the coming months. The idea of spending a few hours tucked in my studio on a cool rainy day sounds like the perfect fall day.

.

Mail Art Monday: Swaps and Space

The lazy days of summer have officially begun around here. With the end of school, we find ourselves moving through our days at a slower pace and not realizing we're still in our pajamas at 2pm. My list of mail art replies is growing, so I will have to carve out a little bit of time away from my garden and back in the studio.

In their postbox...

Emily received a few more of my origami envelopes full of stamps, prints clippings and punches.

Kelly put on a paper swap recently and I put together a package for Jodi full of postcards and bits of paper from my studio all nestled inside a sea otter envelope.

In my postbox...

Belinda's package arrived with a piece of art from her son (with a note that he is charging $0.20), stickers and a collaborative piece. I'm to draw on the watercolour image and send it back. I think I'll nick that idea and send one back in my next reply.

Jessica's adorable change of address postcard arrived from sunny California.

Jodi's package to me for Kelly's swap was stuffed full of of wonderful bits of paper, stickers and stamps.

Sumi's sea and space themed package was a delight! The ship illustration on the magazine is stunning and the old watch faces are intriguing. The best bit was the 3D paper with glasses!

.

Mail Art Monday: A Three Week Surplus

What happens when I wait three weeks, rather than two, to post about mail art? I play catch up with an enormous post!

In their postbox...

Belinda received another colourful package which included art prints, stamped sheets made with cork stamps, paper ephemera, stamps, stickers and a few prints from my first arthouse sketchbook.

Catherine recently had her first child. I rifled through my collections and found a few paper bits that had images of a mother and child. I also included a few of my art prints, stickers and some Canadian stamps.

For my next package to Sarah, I changed things up a little and sent her mail art supplies along with a letter. Several sheets of colourful stickers and a few sheets of my kozo washi paper were tucked inside a handmade envelope.

Barbara has been sending me beautiful drawings of flowers and this time I returned the favour with a poppy painted using gouache on canvas paper and a columbine with watercolour. I pressed a small flower from our yard (a buttercup, perhaps?) and found a couple of flower postage stamps. I was finally able to print some of my photographs so I tucked those in along with washi paper, watercolour circles and a bumble bee sticker.

In my postbox...

Jessica's next postcard arrived along with a new set of material for my reply. Her nifty envelope included mini scrabble letters affixed near the address. I'm nearly finished her reply and should be able to send it off this week.

Jill's delightful package arrived with a bit of the ocean tucked inside. A piece of pottery with smooth corners, a full, tiny shell and pieces of another shell were all tightly wrapped inside a small envelope with a ribbon. Postcards, stamps, stickers, paper ephemera and drawings were also included. I will have to go on a beach combing trip to find a few small bits from my side of the pond for my reply.

Sarah is featured again! Her royal-themed package arrived in a flash. Upon opening the union jack envelope, I was greeted by a personalized, engraved jubilee medal. This girl is crazy generous. The whole family is a big fan of Wallace & Gromit and, frankly I'm a fan of the royals in general, so this package was an all around hit.

Gardening seems to be at a manageable level these days. I'm going to squirrel away a few hours this week to work on mail art, a new painting and a very exciting trade. What are you up to?

.

Mail Art Monday: Chickens and Vintage Paper

I had two outstanding packages that I have a hunch have arrived but don't know for certain. I'm taking a chance and posting about them this week. Apologies if they are a spoiler.

In their postbox...

Jill sent me an original painting of a chicken so I returned the favour with a clipping I found in National Geographic. Along with the clipping, I included a vintage camera picture with  many circles snapshots. A silhouette postcard, a grasshopper print as well as a local postcard were tucked inside a handmade number envelope. A pile of star stickers and a few pieces of washi paper finished off the package. Jill had sent me some lovely handmade watercolour paper and so I sent her some of the washi paper I've been using lately. I've used her paper for a 4x6 exchange, which I'll be sharing soon.

Jessica recently moved from Australia to America and I'm hoping my package arrived before the trek. Inside the shell envelope I included a sailboat watercolour print, many bits of paper ephemera and a few stamps.

In my postbox...

Belinda's package arrived in another beautiful see-through envelope. A letter was written on vintage onion paper. A slight diversion, if you will. She mentioned that the paper was from the 80s and I, being born in the late 70s and a child of the 80s, have a hard time reconciling that 80s items are considered vintage. That means I'M VINTAGE!! Anyhoo... focus, Jeannine! Belinda's love of colour was apparent in each item she selected. It was a cloudy day when this arrived and my spirits were lifted to see so much happy, bright colours grouped together.

I have put aside my mail art making for the last few weeks in order to concentrate on finishing up my Arthouse Limited Edition Sketchbook. I also signed up for the Map Project. Both are due to mail by the end of April and neither are done. In fact, one isn't even started. Eeps! I should be able to squeeze in a week of mail art before I panic over arthouse... maybe.

.

Mail Art Monday: Art Card and Flower Book

In their postbox...

Belinda's blog is full of bright, happy colours so she received a colourful collection of bits from me this week. Stickers, stamps, watercolour circles, a washi heart print, grasshopper mixed media, a roughrider clipping and a t-rex print were all packed inside a bright envelope.

She wrote a sweet blog post about my package but the mail art temptress also included what she is sending me... which I haven't received yet. It took all of my will power to avert my eyes. I like surprises so DON'T TELL ME what she's sending me. Ha!

Carol's last package to me included two amazing postcards and an artists trading card. I returned the favour by sending her two postcards from my stash and a watercolour and coloured pen card of a ship. A few odds and ends including some dog stickers, watercolour circles and bakers twine were in an origami paper envelope and a few art prints were also included.

Carol's hand has been out of commission for a while, which must be quite frustrating. I hope that she'll be feeling well soon so she can get back to creating art.

In my postbox...

Barbra sent me another garden inspired treat this week. The envelope had one of the fantastic Art stamps from Canada Post. Joe Fafard, one of my favourites! Inside, I found an amazing hand made envelope book with pictures of alleged deer-proof flowers. I only say alleged because the more research I do the more it seems that deer will eat anything, depending on their mood. The photos could be seen through the envelope pockets and she had delicately drawn on each one while also including the proper, Latin plant name. A clipping of an amazing  gardener's bench, a little Canadian Tire money and a 3D Van Gogh viewfinder were also tucked inside. A handmade bookmark was also included. It will be a nice change from the receipts I've been using as bookmarks.

.