designsgirl

mail art delivered

My mother and I have been creating mail art for years and pushing the limits of what the U.S. Postal Service will deliver through the mail.  We have had furry bunny ears popping out of boxes; sent beautiful packages with gift wrap and ribbons and ephemera; and painted and gilded envelopes that somehow made their way to the recipient.

Each post office has different restrictions but designsgirl's fabulous mail carrier Mike and postal clerk Mary have been troopers when asked to send the most challenging of packages. And they always come through.

 

mail art: pretty stamps and colorful envelope

There is just something lovely about an assemblage of postage stamps on an envelope. Add bright colors and metallic lettering and you have a pretty presentation.

mail art: flowers and birds

 
I have an artistic affliction called "BTBPD"- I "buy things because of package design" and because of it, I bought a Fringe stationery set solely for this gorgeous envelope that I embellished with a felt bird, french labels, bird stamps and other avian and floral ephemera.

 

painterly mail art

My calligraphy teacher- Laurie Doctor- is a renowned painter, poet and artist.

When we studied together, I cherished the mail she would sent to me, like this enchanting piece.

calligraphy at play no. 3

Add some pizzaz to a blank white envelope by painting a few watercolor stripes across the envelope for a colorful backdrop to your hand writing. 

interlude: homework mail art

 

Here is a hand lettered and painted envelope addressed by my calligraphy teacher- Laurie Doctor-calligrapher, painter, poet, and bookmaker.

When I was studying long-distance with Laurie, I could not wait to receive my next assignment sent through the mail, decorated with her beautiful lettering.

interlude: "envelopes by harriet russell"

When my mom and I began creating mail art, we pushed the limits of our reliable mail carriers but we did not go to the lengths of author Harriet Russell of Glasglow, England who tested the United Kingdom's Royal Mail system with her enigmatic, often illegible and curious collection of envelopes to see if these unique envelopes would arrive to their destination.

They did.

interlude: globe-trotting correspondence

I worked recently with a lovely couple from Hamburg, Germany. I marvel that technology allows artists to work with clients around the world but, in the end, a good old-fashioned note through the mail is still the nicest way to correspond.

mail art: "birds"

Take notions collecting in your drawers and put them to creative use. Decorative tape, twine, stickers and pretty stamps make smile-worthy mail art.

mail art no. 2: "butterflies"

My mother and I have been creating mail art for years, pushing the limits of what postal carriers will allow us to send through the mail such as furry bunny ears popping out of boxes and embellished packages with ribbons, buttons and ephemera.

Decorating envelopes is a fun endeavor and very easy with decorative paper, stickers, tape, pretty stamps and pretty writing.

mail art no. 1

I refer to my talented mother, Judy Mobley, as a funky mixed media artist and when she sends her "mail art" through the USPS, she brings a smile to the lucky recipient and to the mail carrier who delivers it to its destination.