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| You could say I like to make my own envelopes..... With all the paper ephemera I pick up I have to do something with it. Karen Isaacson asked me to do a guest post on making envelopes for Mail Art Mondays Check it out if you're interested in making some envelopes. And she is hosting an envelope swap too. I thought I'd go ahead and post a few more of my handmade envelopes here. |
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| I pick up very cheap or free books whenever I get the chance. Great for making envelopes. This has a bunch of kids stories like Little Bo Peep and Hansel and Gretel that just called out for me to fold them into envelopes. |
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| A bike envelope for a biking friend. |
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| More from another kid's book....that raccoon (or whatever it is) is a little scary. |
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| Comic books make fun envelopes.... |
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| The bird lovers get bird envelopes and a certain chicken lover I know got that chicken envelope. You know who you are. |
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| Old Atlas books are really great for envelope making. Love the greens and blues. |
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| Mona Lisa likes mail. Just sayin'.... |
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| Outgoing in French |
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| I love to use menus too... |
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| OK, this isn't a handmade envelope but I like to mail off all kinds of things. This is a nice case that is the perfect size for storing sheets of stamps or typing paper mailed off to a pal. |
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| Another not-an-envelope -- a mail art pencil case mailed off to the Netherlands. Yes, it arrived. The postal clerk loved it. |
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| Vintage magazines are great for envelopes. Just make sure the paper folds ok and isn't so brittle it cracks. National Geo's and Life magazine are both usually filled with great images to work with. |
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| I picked up a bunch of (free) Chock Full of Nuts coffee bags when in NYC. With a big of cutting off the tops and tape to close them up and a mailing label they made really fun envelopes to mail out... |
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| Washi tape is always fun to add some interest. Washi tape is not a permanent tape so I always use some invisible tape to hold down the seam or ends of it. I usually make up bunches of envelopes at at time so I always have a stockpile ready. If there is a special one I want to send to someone I just label it with a sticky note. The decorating goes on after the envelope is filled -- that's the fun part. |
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| Personally I am partial to the typewriter envelopes. Probably because I am partial to typewriters as you all know. Hope you enjoyed the envelope tutorial on Mail Art Monday and it inspires you to get busy and fold. What are some of your envelope making tips? Or questions? Love hearing from you. SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL |
WOW!!! Every one of these is just awesome. You're the envelope Queen, no doubt about it!
ReplyDeleteComing from you, that's quite a compliment -- thanks, Connie!
Deletethese are all very fabulous!
ReplyDeletethat scary guy is a Possum! grrrr!
Dori -- yikes!! I had one of those in my basement once here in SF....we had to play loud music and leave the garage door open at night to get him out...
DeleteThese are wonderful! The bike and La Joconde are my favorites!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Ana. Glad you liked them.
DeleteBeautiful envelopes, Pamela!
ReplyDeleteshams--thanks very much! You could try sewing one!
DeleteMarvelous envelopes Pamela! AS always you have he best ephemera. xox
ReplyDeleteThanks Corrine...yeah but you have the best painted paper....
DeleteI did enjoy the tutorial! Thanks for sharing all of your photos! I have a lot of envelopes made but am terrible about sending them.
ReplyDeleteCindy -- you've got to send them!!!!
DeleteI enjoyed your tutorial at Mail Art Mondays, but I LOVED your pictures on YOUR blog...you have the artistic touch indeed! I'm beginning to wonder if you have a warehouse out back to store all your supplies :> I would love to know how you organize all your stuff
ReplyDeleteHappy Mail Day -- hahaha -- my storage system is a mess. In fact I have spent the last week trying to organize my stuff so I can invite people over to my studio...but when i actually do get it organized I'll do a blog post about it.
Deletegood gravy, woman. you never cease to amaze me. not only are you showing us dozens of gorgeous envelopes, but you actually send them - with letters! sometimes I forget that part. for all the outgoing mail you show, you actually write stuff in them :)
ReplyDeleteKaren...oh yeah....I'm sending them out....
DeleteI love making envelopes from all kinds of papers, too...I think maps and children's books are the BEST sources! I love diagram kinds of pages too. I did discover that washi tape holds quite poorly. I guess you could stick double sided tape at the ends of it too...kind of a shame, though! I will go check out your guest post now!
ReplyDeleteAndria -- I just use the washi tape for decoration -- I've got invisible tape holding the envelopes together. plus I use the return address labels and stamps, etc to anchor the washi tape...
DeleteThat pencil case was such fun to get! I have it on display on my desk :D
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked it and still have it. Letter went out to you yesterday so watch your mailbox!
DeleteThey look fantastic! My favourite one is the bike. I like making them this way too. Every time I go and see an exhibition I take some flyers at the museum, they sometimes make nice envelopes too.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Marie. Yes--museum flyers are good too. Tow people liked the bike envelope -- that was made from an old biking booklet I picked up someplace. You are in Japan, right? i know there is some wonderful paper there....
DeleteAmazing and beautiful! I envy the future owners so much! <3
ReplyDeleteThanks very much! They are such fun to make -- and hopefully to receive too...
DeleteI have zoomed in and am totally eyeing off every last detail! Including the stamps, which correspond to the envies-cutlery for the steak and.. mmm, the typewriters!! Ooh, don't get me started, I have TWO now. And wrapped with 3 rows of washi tape? Now that's a dream come true!! Pamela, you always inspire me to run back to my studio and keep working, even when I've been there for 10 hours! Phew!
ReplyDeletevizmab -- right back at you Viz! I love your work and I owe you one!
DeleteViz -- so happy you enjoyed the post! And right back at you as far as inspiration goes. I love your booklets and your mail art. See you in the mail soon.
DeleteSuch creativity! I always enjoy visiting with you. So many great ideas coming and going! Now I want to mail a pencil pouch. I still cannot bring myself to tear a page from the children's books I buy for the same purpose tough. LOL.
ReplyDeleteAm off to view the tutorial! Thanks.
Limner -- try to find some really beat up books you can bring yourself to tear up....and thanks for the comment.
DeleteI'm loving it!! Just finished making an envelope for you...with a letter in it!
ReplyDeletemillicent -- was just thinking about you so I will look forward to the envelope!
DeleteWhat a wonderful post to bring back. Since I'm so new to your blog, most anything you show will actually be a first look for me.
ReplyDeleteYou gave me TONS of ideas for decorating envelopes, something I am really no good at. At Christmas, I make my own envies by sewing pages from art or sewing magazines, but I've never tried to decorate a premade envelope like that before. These are all fantastic and you have truly piqued my interest in this artform.
Thanks for sharing this second look on the 2nd with us. It was a genuine inspiration to me.
These are NOT re-made Elizabeth -- I made each and every one from papers from various sources.....they are from old books, magazines, menus, flyers........I make all my own envelopes...thanks for stopping by!
DeleteJust saw your comment and question on my post. YES, it is now dry here and sun is predicted for the next five days. Now it's time to get to work in my yard and remove any mold that might form in my basement.
ReplyDeleteSo glad the sun is out!
DeleteThese are amazing!!!!! What a great way to recycle!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol! It's a lot of fun too....
DeleteThis is so much fun!!! I've mailed a plastic water bottle before...it arrived safely.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.halleshobbies.com/40-tea-tuesday/
And get this...when I worked for Nordic Track in the mail department, a coconut...yes a real coconut, that had been sanded smooth in a postcard size area then decoratively painted, addressed and stamped, came through our department. Since it was the early 90's no one had a camera on them so sadly no photo.
Halle -- Oh yes, water bottles, flip flops and I have heard about coconuts but I've never gotten one. Too bad you don't have a photo because the one you saw sounds amazing! I got a real, bone china bowl with gold trip mailed AS IS and it arrived on my front steps without a single nick. It was amazing -- and yes, I do have photos of that -- in fact I have the bowl with the stamps affixed and my name & address written in Sharpie too. Thanks for stopping by the blog and leaving a comment.
DeleteI love your envelopes. Do you actually mail them out? It must be so much fun for the recipient to get them. And probably even more fun for you to make and then mail them. :) Erika
ReplyDeleteHi Erika! Oh yes -- absolute;y -- they all went out in the mail and they all got delivered. You're right -- fun to make and fun to receive! Thanks for stopping by the blog and commenting..
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