A lesson in scraps - NBS

When I get an envelope like this, I get goosebumps.  I was so happy to hear from Nancy Bell Scott that I messaged her at IUOMA. Mail from Nancy is always a lesson, not a didactic lesson, a subtle you shouldn't be trying so hard, natural is better, stop TRYING SO HARD. She makes beauty feel effortless.  She helps me to see the mundane differently.  She is just unique.

This arrived folded , like a palm sized card

I have stuff all over the place in my studio and I couldn't help but arrange nancy's scraps and card in a little still life.
I see the sky.

One of two three-scraps

two of two three-scraps

backs

As ever text and colour, line and form combine to make jewels to marvel at.

Aristide 3108, Tiziana, the lions, friends and me.

So excited to receive an encarted from Aristide 3108. Joel Cohen helped me to make a mind map of mailartists who I exchange with, visualing it that way was great.   Aristide 3108 finds connections and makes them explicit here.  

This encarted comes from a project mastermined by Tiziana.  We all contributed red lions.   You can see them here:

http://ambasciatadivenezialeonerosso.blogspot.co.uk

Aristide's poetic and minimalist touch is glorious.

Meet me at Dan Lynch or La Jolla

 Our daughter joined a choir again.  I think it's a Greek choir in Glasgow. Our son doesn't have time this year; his schedule, as a junior doctor, is unpredictable.  Although I don't play any instruments and don't belong to a choir, the practice of music is something I esteem, and that esteem seems to have translated to our children.  What I'm trying to say is that if I were near Jude Weirmeir, I'm sure someone in our family would be high-tailing it to the corner of La Jolla Village Drive and Genesse to Learn the Blues. Would they be singing or playing them?

I love that concept, learning the blues, can you REALLY teach that? I thought the blues was embodied. 

When I lived in NYC I used to go to a place called Dan Lynch to listen to the blues. I understand it has closed.  That makes me sad.  I used to get right up close, shoes filling with sawdust. I also adore the puns on this mailing: the cow horns and 'meet'; 'fame and fortune guaranteed, the antithesis of singing the blues, And also the fab aesthetic above and below.

I am reminded that if I don't get my skates on and send some mail art to Jude, he will give up on me!
Huge thanks as ever.  My excuse this time is I am obsessed my Donna Tart's The Goldfinch.

Question, Exclamation, Eyes on Art - Dave the Rave

This altered postcard arrived from Dave the Rave a few weeks ago. On the back are some punctuation marks: question marks, exclamation marks, quotes and commas. To my mind, the punctuation symbolises the audience and as dave commented in a FB post in response to another eye-laden piece he had sent to TOFU, "So many eyes look at art , it seems only right for the object to become the subject." I like the joy, the fun, the haptic quality and the the colour!  Many thanks, Mr Rave.

Phatt Kayke - Meeow

 So much of what goes on online is a mystery to me.  I am quite tech savy, but I miss the nuance of some of the activities. So joining Phatt Kayke was one of those 'it's DK, OK, click yes' and then I forgot about it.  I'm not even sure I went to the FB page until today!

I guess being a member of Phatt Kayke is joining a cat appreciation club. We had cats once.  We found them in the basement window area.  There were two kittens.  We called them 'moon' and 'shot' because some men had just gone into space. Otherwise, cats don't feature in my life.  But I am impressed with Diane's marketing material and her crowd funder is wild.

morph material

Amazing stickers! My own TIGER LILY magnet!

This is TOO COOL!

What's good about getting unexpected mail is that it will send me in a direction I couldn't imagine going in: Cat mail here I come!

Stamp selvedge selvage salvaged

P Landon has a feel for confident simplicity and I am a sucker for variations on the theme of white, especially time altered white.  I am reminded in this mailing that mail art doesn't need to shout to be beautiful and affecting. I hate to alter it, but if I must… selvage.

Overhanging TP - Words from Walmarth

Extremely sensible advice imagery arrived from Walmarth Cascadia while I was in Maine and I can't believe I haven't opened it until now.  In fact, I can't believe I lived so long without knowing the absolutely key instructions for the correct way to set up your TP. 

I don't know if it's a common topic, but I have been involved with discussions around this issue before… when I taught at a secondary school in Ipswich, one lunch time there was an out and out tablewide debate (amongst the teachrs, SERIOUSLY) about toilet roll positioning, so it's great to get the expert advice from Walmarth once and for all.

 My only issue is I'm going to need the diagram to remember which is right and which is wrong.  Maybe I should frame it and place it in the bathroom!