Things I love: personal correspondence and art. The incredible synthesis: traveling mail art journal!
Many many months ago, Bianca from Goodnight Little Spoon put out word that she was starting a traveling journal. Each recipient was to create 2-4 pages, with the only creative boundary being that the content had to be postally related.
I signed up immediately and was, I think, eighth on the list of journal recipients. Months passed and I eventually forgot that I was scheduled to receive the journal. But then, one day I got a package in the mail - not recalling any recent online purchases, I opened the package with suspicion. Well, wasn't I surprised to find the journal within!
I spent the next several hours having a great time combing through all the fantastic mail art contained therein. People in the online mail enthusiast community are sooo creative. Many participants included personal messages, or mail to be read by all future recipients. The above picture of a mystery message left in the journal by Tejal at All-My-Hues.
The creative bar was set incredibly high, and I took some time to gather materials to create my pages. After two days of twiddling my thumbs, I decided that I had to just start putting things on the paper. Above are my first two journal pages.
I included on the left page: the front cover of one of my favorite card sets, the priority mail stickers from the package that the journal came to me in, and some imagery from National Postal Museum flyers. On the right page: more National Postal Museum imagery, a hotel stationery envelope from a Washington, DC hotel, DC-ish vintage stamps, a snail mail stamp, and a collection of wax seals that include seals from envelopes sent to me by some of my wonderful pen pals.
I did do a third page, but I wanted to keep it specially for future mail journal recipients.
8 comments:
I love it! Great work. Perfect that you were able to incorporate some of your souvenirs from the National Postal Museum. Thanks very much for posting.
Thanks for sharing! I love the photos. I do remember hearing about this journal and am glad to catch a glimpse of it in passing. Thanks!
Jackie
www.lettersandjournals.com
@chandlerguera, you were a journal participant, too, right? Loved the ephemera you included!
Aww, it makes me so happy to see it! Your pages look totally great. Thanks so much for participating. I am missing it, but I know it has to make its full round before I can see it again!
This is so much fun! We live in the DC area, and I've been to the museum several times; you'll enjoy it!
James, yes I was in the journal...waited forever to receive the it and had all the bits/envelopes/stamps ready. Great fun!
Very cool project
Great project! :) Great blog! Let me know if you want to write an article about your blog for our website/ PenPal Magazine. Here's the link to check us out: www.sandbook.net By the way, we are doing a Traveling Notebook (and sheets) so that you can participate and share your lifestyle, traditions/customs from your country and anything else. Just check out our website or our blog.
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