Life on a Mountain

Collage sent to Henni (Finland) as my contribution to the Mail a Smile monthly challenge. February's theme was Life on a Mountain.

100 Years of Parcels

Egg shipping box (source)

The site of the Smithsonian Postal Museum (Washington, USA) offers a lot of interesting contents for mail lovers. Even for those who are not able to visit the Museum, we can still enjoy its virtual exhibitions.

If you have some spare time and like postal history, I recommend you Welcome to the Railway Mail Service (by Miriam Pysno & Katherine Fetter) and 100 Years of Parcels, Packages, and Packets, Oh My! (by Nancy A. Pope).

Parallels

Envelope sent to Alexander Limarev (Russia) for the mail art project Parallels. Made of a page of a magazine.

I was surprised that he did not published the envelope in which I had put some effort. He just posted  the boring index card I had used to write a quick note! (?! - Also the title is his).

Certainly, you never know how artists can (mis)understand your works...

Once upon a Time

Postcard sent by Heleen (the Netherlands). It shows some cows in the meadows of Valkenburg, in that old time when most of cows could enjoy real fresh grass and daylight...

This postcard has been sent twice. First time when postage within the Netherlands costed 2 guilder cents and then two months ago, when it costed 64 euro cents. It took four weeks to reach my mail box. I bet it was quicker the first time!

The first date is not appreciated any more. I love the combination of the two postmarks, penmanships and stamps. It makes a long story for a single postcard...

Skägget i brevlådan

Skägget i brevlådan – Caught with your beard in the mail box (Swedish)

Meaning: “To be caught with your pants down.”

(Found here, along with some others funny and surprising Scandinavian idioms)

Dodo

Postcard sent to Heleen (the Netherlands), for her mail art project Weird Existing Animals. Yes, I know that dodos aren't exactly existing...

Are We Asking for Too Much?

«The lost letters make me as angry as they make you. I don't think I'm asking for too much to life: I write a letter, I put it inside an envelope and it reaches its destination.»

In a received letter

I'm Lucky (4 & 5)

I have been lucky again and I won one and two giveaways, from two blogs that I am happy to recommend to all snail mail and mail art lovers: Rose Tinted Crafting and Writing my way around the globe.

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I'm lucky (3)
I'm lucky (2)
I'm lucky (1)

Happy Chinese New Year - II

As Valentine's Day, I don't celebrate the Chinese New Year. But there is almost nothing you can't celebrate a little through mail... So I made a postcard for Heleen's project Weird Existing Animals. Don't worry, my sheep is vegetarian friendly!

I also drew a mail sheep on the envelope. This is the final version, what the recipient have received and posted:

And I included a postcard with some real Estonian sheep:

Happy Chinese New Year - I

Mail sent by Eric (France).

Ophelia's Bouquet

Sent to Alexander Limarev (Russia) for the mail art call about Shakespeare (deadline extended until 23rd April).

Collage made of a recycled plastic notebook, press cuttings and decorated tape. The Ophelia is taken from John Everett Millais. I sent the collage inside a Shakespearean envelope:

To send or not to send mail art,
that is a really silly question

Also published here.

Winter Girl

Letter sent to Laura (the UK).

Travel Diary on Postcards

Sent by MountainMan/CityBoy, aka Robert (Chile).

This postcard from Puerto Varas with a little scratch (the odd cloud in the middle) is part of the project Snail Mail Diary. It was written on December 29, 2014; sent on January 14, 2015; pictured and posted one week later; and finally arrived in Morocco on February 9.

I am happy to have contributed to this project. But also I feel a bit like FinnBadger...

I felt like answering with another blue postcard:

This is the village of Chaouen or Chefchaouen (الشاون/شفشاون), one hour far from home, more or less.

Hearts on Stamps

I don't celebrate Valentine's Day, but this is today's Sunday Stamps-II theme. Therefore a good chance to show these stamps from Turkey (they arrived from the Netherlands, though).

And when I was writing this post I received more hearts, from the USA:

More information about the purple heart stamp.

See more hearts on stamps here and here. 

Love Actually Is All Around Us

Sent to Kati (Denmark), as my contribution to the Challenge #24 of Mail a Smile. The theme was... Love.

The theme for this month is Life on a Mountain. Don't you feel like participate?

Dr Turing's Love Letter Generator

Do you lack of inspiration to write love letters? Would you like some help? Like someone writing instead of you? Maybe you can try the Dr Turing's Love Letter Generator:

That is an excerpt from the letter I got. Don't you think it is... romantically original? I especially like to be called more decadent than clouds and more magnetic than emeralds...

My Dear Eva,
You are a circuit, my only brilliance, I desire only to hold and kiss you for all eternity. I am yours, as you are yours, and we are both miraculous; touch, foot, scent together. [...] you are the most perfect bird of paradise. The sweetest summer's day. My frothy Donut. Your favourite things are the supreme. [...] You are more decadent than clouds, more magnetic than emeralds. More unswerving than even the softest flower. [...] To me, you are more lithe than one million rainbows, even more engaging than the most pleasant autumn leaf. Amore Mio, confidence, star. These are just some of the names I give you.

With all my love,

Sealed with a Kiss

I have never sent a love letter on Valentine's Day, but I am sure I would do it tomorrow if I was in the Netherlands. Why? Because you can send them free of charge! All you need is use a lipstick kiss instead of stamp ans post it on Friday 13th before pm.

Update: And it worked!

Clocks on Stamps and Postcards

Since I have read Heleen's post, I wanted to show the clocks on stamps I have got.

And I have recently discovered that there is more people who like to receive clocks by mail. John has started a clock-related postal project: He wants to receive postcards and mail art (and stamps, I guess) about clocks... And I assure you he always answers the mail! See on his blog: Scriptor's Clock Postcards.

From Hungary

From the Netherlands

From the Netherlands

From Spain

From the USA

Repurposing Paper for Envelopes

Some envelopes I made of pages of magazines and posters.

Sent to Alexander (Russia), César (Brazil), John (the UK) and Pedro (Spain).

Some Inspiring Mail Art Calls

Mail Art Egg Project  / 15 March 2015

Egg, as a form, shape, pattern. No technical limitations: you can use pen or pencil, dye or chalk, B/W or colour, graphics, montage, collage, photo, etc. You can even create it in 3D.

All art-pieces will be scanned and uploaded to this blog.

the Similarly to the previous years, the entire collection will be donated to the Budapest Stamp Museum and exhibited there from 30th March to 12th April 2015

More information

The Year of the Sheep / 25 March 2015

I wouldn’t mind expanding the theme to sheep and other farm animals.

You can make or decorate an envelope or postcard that reflects it. I will post everything on that day so those who read this blog can vote for their favorite piece of mail art. The winner will be announced in the post that follows (on March 30th) and they shall receive a prize. All are welcome to participate! 

More information

Letter To Me / 1 July 2015

Create a letter to yourself. A present self or a past self or a future self.

Technique is free (painting, drawing, collage, mixed media, rubber stamps, 3D objects, etc.).

Size is free (whatever you can get through the postal system. Although a simple handwritten letter is encouraged.

All work and project documentation will be shown on the blog and there will be a postal response. After its completion, the whole project will be donated to the Special Collections at Vanderbilt University Library in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

More information

John Lennon / 20 September 2015

Subject: John Lennon: poet, artist, musician.

All works will be published in this blog.

Technique free (photography, painting, drawing, computer graphics, collage, artistamps, rubber stamps, mixed techniques, 3D objects, box of art, prose, poetry, etc.).

Documentation in pdf.

Exhibition: 9 October 2015

More information

This Morning in My Mail Box

Received from the UK (Laura, John and Lee), the USA (Bryon and Dorothy) and Chile (Robert).

Sometimes it seems that I am on a diet of mail. Then, suddenly, the mail system goes crazy... (or must I say "goes postal"?).

Every Letter Is Unique

Sometimes, like here, or here or when I got this letter from Angela (Italy)... I am worried about where do you put the stamps.

And sometimes, I just think about how...

Canadian Ships on Stamps

The theme for today's Sunday Stamps-II is Ships, Boats. Here some Canadian stamps I have got recently (some of them without any postmark!).

Floating Adrift is the title of this stamp created by seven-year-old Ezra Peters from Whitelaw, Alberta. She won an art competition for young people 15-years-old and under in search of the annual stamp for the Canada Post Community Foundation. The 10-cent surcharge of each stamp is a direct donation to this Foundation. The stamp was issued on 30 September, 2013.

This was issued on 4 May, 2010 to commemorate the Canadian Navy's Centennial. I would like to receive the other one from the set...

Issued on 13 June, 2014. This stamp arrived on a Halloween package, along with other terrifying designs dedicated to ghost stories. This burning ship often spotted between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. As would-be rescuers approach, the ship disappears into the mist... 

The Empress of Ireland sank in on 29 May, 1914, just two years after the Titanic, killing more than 1,000 people. The stamps was issued the same day 100 years later. I visited the memorial and the museum in Pointe-au-Père, where I learnt the whole story.

And last but not least, I must confess I was impressed when I got this stamp on the back of a postcard. It was issued on 2 April, 2012 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic. The stamp is very long (84 x 31 mm), so you really can feel the size of the ship. Also the map on the background is wonderful.

Windmills and More

Postcard sent by Laura (the UK).

Folded card sent by Heleen (the Netherlands) for my birthday. Not just windmills, but a lot of beloved themes: orange, tulips, flags, stamps, cows... A well chosen card indeed!

And here the latest windmill I have got by mail: