Art Journal: The Goodies from Mail Art Friends

I get a lot of cool stuff pouring out of envelopes from mail art friends. I have piles of it. Boxes of it. Tins of it. Envelopes of it. Folders,too.

Why have I not been using it? Why am I hiding it away? Dare I say, hoarding it?

It should be used!

So, I started a new art journal- my first themed journal- and it is all about using these bits of paper, ephemera, stamps, cancelled stamps, envelopes themselves, stickers, altered and painted and stamped paper, and all kinds of fun stuff!

Here are my pages so far! ( Maybe you'll see some of the things you've sent!)

It is going to be fun to have a journal of these treasures from my lovely friends.

News, and new goodies

 I am excited to tell everyone that my two 12'' x12''  art quilts made it into the show, "27 Feet of Art",  here in Olympia, WA!!  I am jumping for joy!  It's the first time I've entered a juried show.  They will be holding a silent auction to raise money for the Washington Center of Performing Arts on Sept. 21st! Thanks to everyone who congratulated me on facebook already! I appreciate it!

Also, my custom stamp for my shop came in the mail! Didn't she turn out cute! I couldn't carve one myself that was small enough, so she used my girl image and added in the words, and made it with a machine. The Etsy shop, Terbear, helped me out with it. She was great to work with.

While shopping there, I finally found the 'postcard' stamp I have been searching for forever. I had only been able to find the stamps that put the 'postcard' writing at the top, but have searched high and low for one with lines and stamp spot, etc. I'm loving it!

I just started a new art journal this weekend- it's all with mail art goodies. I will post those pictures tomorrow...or maybe later tonight!

Little Stamped Book

I took a class at Art N Soul stamp shop in Lacey, WA last night. I loved the sample book and had to try it for myself.

The pages are wood. First, we colored them with alcohol inks, added a stamp or two, and colored them in with pencils. I love the effect! And it was so easy and meditative....like zoning out with a great coloring book.  I need to keep an eye on their upcoming classes. What a fun group of ladies, too.

Here's how mine turned out. I'm pretty much done unless I add some words and text.

If you live in Washington, or pass through, this is a great shop. Try to make it on the first Saturday of the month for 'Recycled Rubber'....seemingly endless tables of stamps people don't use anymore, and are selling super cheap! This girl on the cover was one I bought last week for a couple bucks. I had a basket full of stamps! There are also all kinds of stamping accessories,too.

See you all soon! XO

The New Girl

I made another one of the girls! Here she is.

Also, all throughout August, my felted dolls have Free Shipping worldwide. You can check them out in my shop.

I still have so many things on my list for this week. I did finish some more felted beads today. I'm almost done with another silk cocoon book, and some time over the next week I need to clean. My friend is coming to visit and there is no way she can sleep on a bed covered in wool, fabric, magazines, paint, papers, and a whole variety of art supplies.

See you soon!

A Peek at my Heart

Lubomyr, my mail art friend in Ukraine, is doing this great project on her blog. She sent me a stamped envelope with a giant heart made out of stamps from the Ukraine. She is asking people to alter them and mail them back.

Here is a peek at mine. Check out her blog to see more! They are really great!

The Friends We Make Through Mail Art

One of my Good Mail Day friends is Lubomyr in Ukraine. I think we've been exchanging mail art since 2010 already. She always does the coolest stuff with hand carved stamps and altering what I send her. Sometimes we get a little rough made book going, nothing fancy, and swap it back and forth, each adding elements, and stamping the heck out of it. This one is just using part of a folder.

Today, I gathered up her latest stamps, and various things of mine, and put together this book with plenty of room for her to add. A great place to use my new collection of washi tape, doodles, and some ACEOs I had done.

I love Lubomyr's hands! Isn't that a great stamp!

I'll keep you posted on how it looks upon return (which can be a while).

Treasures We Keep

Here's my second art quilt for the show. In this one I used all sorts of things I have collected over the years- silk hankies, vintage doilies, an old key, bits of my felting, art yarn, fabric from the stash, and there is even German glass glitter throughout the silk. We all have so many little treasures we keep...I hate to leave them in drawers, they should be displayed and enjoyed.

Art Quilt Progress

I have decided that deadlines stress me out a bit. I have been working on this 12 x 12'' art quilt over the past couple weeks. I do one thing....set it aside...come back and do something...set it aside....and today it finally started to look good so I kept on going.

I have until August 3rd to submit my 12'' x 12'' art to the Washington Center of Permorming Arts. I'm going to start a different one today as well. I need some options.

Lately, I have been trying to do a hundred things at once. I need to set all that other stuff aside and focus on this ( hence the stress, I think).

Even as I type that, I am thinking of a new thing I want to try with my silk cocoon books, and how I'd like to add some sketchbooks to my shop.

I will keep you posted on what I end up entering...and if I make it in the show.

Mail & Mail Cat

I was so excited to open my mailbox today and see that my new little pincushion had arrived....

my adorable mail cat!

Isn't he the best?! I think so! I am somewhat of a pincushion collector and when I found this shop, Fat Cat Crafts , on Etsy, I had to see if she would do a mail carrier cat. She was up for the challenge, and I would say she exceeded it! My mailman, Pete is happily home on my sewing table ready to help me with my crafts. Thanks so much, Kathleen.

Check out her shop- there are the cutest cat characters!

Made by Fat Cat Crafts

And, speaking of mail... I have been making more mail art books to send out soon. I did have to set this project aside to get started on an art quilt for the auction I hope to be in this September. I'm pretty excited to have the bonus day off Wednesday for the 4th of July! I'll be at my seewing table with mailcat!