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| A lot of you are coming to San Francisco soon and I bet you are packing up those mail art kits! I love to pack up my kit because that means I am going someplace but it's more like re-pack the kits because I always have various pouches stashed here and there with art supplies...you never know when you might need one. Correspondence co-op meeting? A sudden urge to create at a cafe (having cappuccino, of course)? You never know. |
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| You can never really have too many mail art kits....and since I have kits for planes, road trips , cafes and co-op meetings I do need a variety to just grab and go. Besides I collect little pouches that are postally inclined. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it). This one is from Itchi-ban-kan in Japantown. |
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| These Blue Q pouches have been around quite a while and I love them... and I have actually stuck some address labels and stamps on them and mailed them off to far flung places -- like The Netherlands and Budapest. And they both arrived! Pretty cool, huh? |
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| But it's nice to have some that are a little more unusual too....this one is from the Plumfield shop on ETSY. I don't know if they are still available but you could check if you're interested. Just think, if I could sew I could make some cool pouches. |
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| And then you have to decide what to put inside your mail art kit.......I try hard to keep mine pretty simple but there are some things I can't do with... I love my double stick tape and glue sticks. I can give up the scissors (if I have to) because I like to tear and get a softer edge most of the time. |
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| Of course I must add my little mail art address book and some nice postcards stamps. Always have to send postcards from the road. And I love to look at other folk's kits -- here are a couple of inspiring ones -- Yellow Daisy Art I love the way she put tiny things inside the decorated Atoid tin. I think I'm going to put some of my tiny rubber stamps in one. Thanks for the inspiration, yellow Daisy! & The Always Inspiring Red Letter Day I've seen Jennie's red letter kit up close and personal and it is great. But then just about everything she does is pretty terrific. |
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| How many of you long time C&Art readers remember my mail art call way back in October 2011? What's in YOUR Mail Art Kit????? And I promised documentation to all? Ever wonder what happened? Well, that envelope (above) holding all the entries was lost for quite some time. I just found it behind a bookcase when moving everything out of my studio...... |
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| ......and I got busy right away...... |
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| What's in YOUR Mail Arty Kit? The zine has been made and sent off to you who sent in submissions. I hope you all enjoyed it, especially after having waited so long and so patiently to get it. If you want to buy a copy of the zine, I am selling them for $6. Just email me through my profile and we'll arrange it. |
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| Unfortunately I could not fit everyone in....including my own submission. So maybe I will have to do a new call for entries and make a mail art kit zine number two. Surely there is more to be said on the subject. |
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| Just remember -- leave some room in your kit if you are coming to SF. The Japantown town $1.50 shops have pencil cases, pouches, washi tape, double stick tape, glue, mini staplers, sushi-erasers....on and on.... |
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So what do you think? Another zine? Or just leave word here in the comments about what YOU pack in your mail art kit. Here's a little something about mine from the original post My mail art kit (2011) What's in YOUR Kit? The Mail Art Kit -- Don't Leave Home Without It!!!! |
What fun and what a glorious selection of mail art goodies! Love those postal-themed pouches you collect. Oh how I wish I could get to Japantown without the hassle of driving down to the Bay Area!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Miss Connie! Too bad you can't just click your heels and land in SF kind of like Alice in Wonderland!
DeleteFor XPF, my manta for packing is "half the stuff, twice the money." Other than some hand-carved rubber stamps to share with new friends, a pen and some paper to keep me busy en route (and my journal, of course), I am bringing a half-empty suitcase. I will start building my "kit" the moment I arrive in SF on Thursday!
ReplyDeleteAdrienne - sounds like a most excellent plan! I am sure you will find everything you might need here and there will be lots to tempt you. I hope you will stamp on XPF passport with your hand carved stamps.
DeleteI recently found a postal-themed pencil pouch in the clearance bin at Barnes & Noble. I immediately thought, "Mail Art Kit!" So far I just have mini markers in it. I'm getting there :)
ReplyDeleteLOL. It sounds like there is about to be a run on SF paper stores!
ReplyDeleteFab goodies. Now that i am stitching, if I could just het over installing that zipper thing. love the zines and your pc with the typewriter on it....xox
ReplyDeletePamela, I thought I had a lot of postal themed pouches! You win! :)
ReplyDeleteAnywho, I have the larger Blue Q postal pouch and I've filled that with my rubberstamps that I'm bringing and the pouch is really perfect for it!
I do think I'm going to have to go back through what I've packed and remove a bit of paper. I like Adrienne's plan about assembling her kit while in SF. I gotta convince my self to remove some stuff so I have room to bring new goodies home!
Shams--there will be a run on SF Paper stores for sure -- I hope they are all stocked up. And Corrine -- oh...you could sew some some mail art pouches...you can do a zipper I just know it (you should talk to shams -- she is a fabulous sew-er!). B.Lee -- I think Adrienne is right -- better pack light and leave room. There is paper here -- lots of it. And, Cindy -- I bet you will have that pouch filled up in no time. Thanks very much for your comments -- appreciated very much.
ReplyDeletewhat a treat to receive your zine. Yes, I had forgotten it, which makes it an even tastier treat! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteit's going to be so hard to decide what to take on this trip. I printed out my artistamps tonight, but will really need to limit how much other stuff I bring. I'm not good at limiting (says the girl who brings 3 bags of art supplies, her scanner/printer and a folding table on vacation each summer)
ReplyDeleteSue -- so happy you enjoyed the zine. I bet you forgot about it after so long! Better late than never i hope.
ReplyDeleteAnd Karen -- OK girl -- we have supplies here. I even
have San Francisco rubber stamps you can stamps on the postcards you buy in Chinatown! And leave room to bring stuff home. but then there always is a USPS Flat rate Box!