Swaps & Cool Stuff Happening Now

Like all of you I'm sure, summer is flying by.  But I thought I'd take a moment to drop in and update you with what I've been up to...

Just yesterday I mailed my postcards to  my friend Kat over at The Kat Eye View of the World who is hosting her Liberate your Art swap again this year.  The cool thing I did this time was carve a block for the backsides of my postcards.  Those of you trading mail art with me in the future will be getting an impression of this for sure!

In other crafty news Cath Sheard is hosting an envelope trade off!  I have never swapped envies before and I think Cath is cool so I'm sending mine off to her shortly.  While making those I realized I could use the very same block I carved for the postcards!  Versatility -- three cheers!!  (and the crowd goes wild)...

Karen from I am Rushmore has a site for mail art swaps that I just discovered.  Check out Mail Me Some Art if you need some postal inspiration.

And the coolest thing I've seen in a long time is an altered book by Pat over at Lost and Found.  She worked over an old German text to create her Optomist's Creed.  When I came across it the other week, it was exactly what I needed to see and read.  She is really one of the most talented journalers I've ever seen.  It was so awesome I felt compelled to share.  Pat, you rock my socks.  For real.

I hope you're all squeezing some creativity into your busy seasons too.  I'm looking forward to the day that I'm back on a more regular basis!!   xx tj

My postcards for Kat's swap, "Freiheit and Befreien" is German for "freedom and liberation."  I used an altered and sewn photograph, written text and played with India Ink.  Weird and not my usual style, yet fun. Exactly the whole point of mail art (to explore, experiment and send away).

Comments

[Skytimes]

Cool... love your carved postcard backside. Let those creative juices flow... xoxo

[iamrushmore]

yay - thanks for the shout out. The more swappers the merrier. I love that carve you did. I think I might have to make one too - don't know why it never dawned on me. Very cool postcard you made for Kat's swap.

[Candace]

I love your carving! I'm in Kat's swap, too. And Pat has been a longtime mail art and blogging friend of mine. Her journaling is definitely beyond awesome!

[TJ]

Thanks for the lovely comments ladies!

Rushmore, you send out so much mail art I think you most certainly need your own custom carved card...

Candace, what a small world... thanks so much for stopping by, now I'm hoping I get one of your postcards through Kat's swap!!

Hope you all have a fantastically creative week. xx tj

[Tangerine Meg]

I'm in Kat's swap, aswell :) *and* I clicked over here because I *love* your idea of making a block for the back of the postcard! Fantastic! I think you just invented a whole new genre: "postcard back blocks" :)

[Kat Sloma]

Awesome TJ! You are the mail art queen!!

[TJ]

Thanks for dropping by gals, welcome Meg! Hah I love the idea of "back blocks." In reality a person could get away stamping the back of postcards with one straight line, used over and over. Yet when you send out as much mail art as I do, it's fun to be able to crank them out with one quick impression!

[Chris]

I hope you got your bookmarks okay and they weren't folded or anything! I love Rushmore's swaps and just did two more. And I'm zipping over to Cath's place. Thanks for the head's up!

[Chris]

Well, I've tried three times to leave a comment on Cath's blog but I guess my computer doesn't like wordpress or wordpress doesn't like me, or whatever. Just make sure to announce all of Cath's swaps here, and then I'll sign up here and you can tell Cath, and then Cath can answer you and you can tell me.

This isn't too complicated, is it?

Happy swapping!

[Chris]

I came back but I had to comment on your entry on Seth's blog. That is so awesome, and what you've said about children and expectations is so true.

Nice to visit you here and to follow you on instagram!

[Chris]

Miss you!
We are over at Seth's at the same time today!
bye!

[Matthew Hoffman]

Hello, TJ, I just received your beautiful postcard from the 2013 iHanna swap - thank you so much! Though your blog seems inactive at the moment, I enjoyed looking around and reading how you make your cards. Looking forward to seeing more of your work online.

Regards,
Matthew