Les Jeudis de Mme Charnonneau From Herkalux (Herman Kamphuis)

Herman has learned that the postal system is a crocodile, chomping at corners.  This is at least the second crumpled envelope I've recieved from him.  Luckily the exquisite interior envelope is unscathed. The paper Herman finds is like nothing I come across here.  It's as though he has found a magic writing desk with papers from the past..  He doesn't treat them as the little treasures that they are (THANKFULLY), he uses them playfully with panache.

 Herman has completed this beautiful altered book page juxtaposing the colour of the portrait with a rich brown ink that comes forward and recedes obscuring and revealing the words.

 Herman's note speaks of a stamp I made from one of his doodles. I am sure this delightful character will make it into a stamp too!

I got doodles from Herman from two people this weekend. These two and a collab book Carina returned, completed. FABULOUS! 

The last time I wrote to Herman I asked him how his trip to Blighty had been. Did he visit the Tower of London, Sissinghurst,  Brighton Pier?

Herman stamps

Another doodle collab coming your way soon but this time it's mostly your drawing!  I tried to use colour that you might find in that magic drawer.  Big thanks!

My first pages of "Before the Sunset Fades' returns from top girl, Carina

I love the way Carina has played with shape and that tea bag? envelope with the beautiful circles is fabulous!  I don't know exactly what the next step with the book will be so I won't show you the pages yet!

Vizma's Kraw-legged Lady and Snow the Red upon the pum

I was the lucky recipient of this wonderful thick velum envelope.  You know me and translucent/transparent/ SEE-THROUGH stuff! I knew it was from Vizma instantly!

The first thing I pulled out was this delicate, exquisite book of poetry. 

I love the way Vizma is able to use  washi tape in a way that works so aesthetically, if she chooses to use it THAT way.  Here she has.

You will see that she has used playing cards as the structure for her boekie.

Vizma has also included a few choice mail art additions.

beautiful bitings, thanks silverfish in the shed.

And Vizma added to some doodles Figgy and I made for something I did in a school.  In the school we were inventing new insects. Vizma has taken primary school ideas and translated them into something much more relevant to the rest of the world! 'the bush is back' may be my fave.

Huge thanks to Vizma for a wonderful mail art envie full of fun and gorgeous stuff!

Mail art Jazz, hennaed photo and compulsory doodles from Svenja

 What a delight!  Thank you Svenja and I love your doodle-back.  Can't remember if this collab was more than just me and Diane to begin.  But maybe the raw doodles trump the coloured in things?

I missed the mail art exhibition in Folkestone

… but I got the postcard.
Many thanks to Stripygoose and Positively Postal for thinking of me on their visit. This is going to be the year I actually make the UK mail art meet up!