Just take a look: The artist must be aware that he is part of a larger social network, part of the Eternal Network which surrounds him everywhere and elsewhere in the world.
Robert Filliou
In just one day I got four (4!) great packages in the mail! Including postcards, zines, paper goodies and hand written letters! I just have to share it on my blog, because it is soooo good. This is what I call a Really Really Good Mail Day!
In the cool stamped envelope from Jennie Hinchcliff (writer of the book Good Mail Day) I found stickers, ephemera and a small zine that is called Mail Art Zine. It’s awesome and even though it is small it includes lots of mail art inspiration.
The quote above is by Robert Filliou, the artist who first proposed “Art’s Birthday” in 1963. He suggested that 1,000,000 years ago, there was no art. But one day, on January 17th to be precise, Art was born. Filliou says it happened when someone dropped a dry sponge into a bucket of water…
I ♥ photocopied zines!
From Åshild in Norway I got a whole surprise package of “little stuff” that are cool, cute and/or fun! I love everything in it, but a favorite is this postcard that she sewed, inspired by my machine sewing into papers lately!
Mailbox from Åshild to iHanna – just the packaging is awesome, and on the outside was taped down a handwritten letter. And then when I opened it… OMG!
Spread out it is so much papers and beautiful things to play with that we need to have a closer look at some of the goodies she sent me, right?
Extremely cool stickers!
My kind of patterned papers!
Tiny bags with little stuff – sweet!
And yes, cat love buttons! Smilla says Thanks too!
Wow, thank you girls! You inspire me so much with your generosity and kindness.
In the third envelope I found a new craft book that I will review later, and in the afternoon the door bell rang and I got a special delivery from the US that included ten more zines from a zine swap I’ve participated in. OMG! More mail? How is it possible? I’m still reading through these beautiful zines and I will post pictures, because the more I see of zines the more I fall in love. Zines rock, and they need a couple of posts of their own – at least! And a new blog category for zines, because I want to write more about that in the near future.
Stay tuned my friends. I have a feeling that February will be filled with Good Mail Days, though beating this day will be difficult for the Postal Gods!
I wish you many Good Mail Days too, but remember what Jennie Hinchcliff says:
Sending a letter doesn’t have to be an orchestrated process; often something spontaneous is just as effective. The most important thing is to send. To get a letter, send a letter: it’s as simple as that.
Off to bring my postcards to the Post Office right now !
Congrats on having your mailbox so full with well-deserved treasures ! Cheers !
Thanks Kim! I just went to the post office to buy 10 brand new Swedish stamps! Yay!
Such lovely mail! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Oh zines … yes, zines … I’ve been composing a new one in my head, maybe it’s time to get to work on it?
I love the quote at the end of the post. I often procrastinate or hesitate to send mail because I don’t feel I can put together anything “grand” enough. I’ll have to work on this! :)
Jeannine, making a zine is so much fun even though it takes a lot of time I think it’s worth it. Please do it! And I already know that you DO send out grand stuff, and I also know that if you chose to send to “the right person” (like me, hehe) it’s easy to be “grand” – I adore everything I get in the mail! :-)
oooh:D I’m so glad you liked the small stuffs I sent you!
You really really really deserved it!!
What fun, Hannah! I will have to wait till Monday to mail out postcards, we had so much snow here I couldn’t get out today. I did get one lovely postcard already though. and have posted the process of making my postcards onto my blog and Youtube. IT was a great experience, thanks for dreaming it up.
The must have been the best mail day ever! I am in complete envy of your new zine collection =) I just found my postcard addresses in my darn spam box- are you not swapping this time?
Wow you weren’t kidding! I had a good mail day as well, and it’s a good thing because I live for good mail days :-) I didn’t get any snail mail letters today, but I did get a package and a magazine so I can’t complain. I can’t wait to see what you do with some of the new goodies you received!
What a fabulous mail day! I?m a bit envious! I?m expecting lots of great mail – both little envelopes and bigger packages, both art and supplies, but I?m not seeing much of any of it. I look forward to moving – I will have a proper mail box, not just a mail slot, meaning I won?t have to go and collect bigger packages, they will fit in the box!
I have thought about zines – I haven?t seen any irl yet, but they do intrigue me. I have thought about making my own, but I wouldn?t even know where to start, what to do. Joining a zine swap sounds like so much fun, but I?d be too intimidated to do it. Can?t you do a zine tutorial, or something? Just share the basics?
What an awesome mail day! Please send my your address…even though I messed up in the signing up for your postcard swap, I’d love to send you one of mine! No obligation!