Mail Art for Beginners

Can non-beginners play too??? :)

Of course! :)

This should be fun, I made my first mail art last week and thought it was fun. Like to try may hand at it again. I'll do my best :)

I'm interested in this swap but as I always like to work with my partners profile I see that at least one swapper in this swap has nothing written on theirs. The swap does suggest looking at your partners profile so I think everyone should have a well filled profile and that goes for anyone to swap at any time.

I have my profile done now. Thank you for letting me know I needed to do that.

Can I join?

I have joined I am so excited! I would love to start swapping!

How do we start swapping! >_< I am pumped!

@MusicalTheatreDork , partners will be assigned randomly by the swap host after the last day to signup/drop, which for this swap is August 31. Welcome to swap-bot! ;)

I love enthusiastic newbies. Welcome to the greatest thing to happen to the Web. I want to play too.

Is the envelope to be mailed "naked"? Or can we get dimensional with our art and put it in an outer envelope?

I carry envelopes with me and use them instead of a sketchbook and the postal workers love it Johnina :D

Hey Spencersmom, this is just my opinion, but:
I think whilst, yes, that would be a cool thing to do, I think you would then need to decorate the outer envelope too, as half the fun of mail-art is the reaction of the post office workers, and then the recipient seeing how fab it looks in your mail-box... I think enclosing it inside a plain brown envelope sort of defeats the point, so it wouldn't be mail-art any more.
But, for instance, I have sent a hand-made postcard that had coins and metal embellishments glued to it and it arrived safely... other people have mailed actual objects, like a flip-flop plastic sandal, or a frisbee, just written on and a stamp glued to it, and mailed! So you can try being dimensional on the outer envelope and just send it anyway!

Righto Kessie! Decorating the outer envelope is sort of key here. I have had dimentional things torn off of envelopes tho:-( So, I try to stay flat with rubber stamp art or very firmly glued images. You can also secure the entire thing with wide celophane tape- but- some post offices see this as a problem. Also, items inside the envelope that bulge or make it bottom-heavy can jam postal machines- and destroy your envelope and its contents!:-( My local PO folks are fairly humorless... so I personally would not attempt to send the funky objects, but I'd like to:-/ Happy Mail Art Everyone!!

I'm a newbie.My sister said this swap was really fun ,so I'm looking forward to this.fun fun!

I'd like to join this swap. I just found swap-bot and love to make things. One way you can keep your art from being torn is to have it hand stamped. It cost a little extra but does give you more freedom.

Hi everyone! I'm brand-new here, and love the idea behind this site, and sharing creativity. I've never done anything like this before, so looking forward to some fun and perhaps making a few new friends!

I'm so excited to have such a great turn-out for my 1st swap. Thanks everyone!! :) And if you have any questions, please feel free to send me a direct message.

There are 6 more days left to sign up... So look for your partner info to be ready on Sept. 1.

Hope y'all have a great day!! :)

Is digital art Ok for the envelopes?

Woohoo just signed up, never really done any mail art before but look forward to transferring journaling/ scrapbooking skills!

Mine is ready to send, this was fun, my second mail art ever.

Just a thought on profiles- PLEASE create one if you haven't. Also, please READ your recipiants profile to see what sort of art they might like to receive. You may love unicorns but your art partner might not enjoy finding one (or 100) in her mail box:-( This may also cause you to step a little outside your typical art habit and create something really different and inspired!!! Happy Mail Art Everyone:-D

Hi @angellarae

Just wanted to suggest that you change the swap type to 3, because although this is certainly flat mail, the fact that it's mailart gives it a "significant craft component." Type two would be more like storebought postcards, simple letters, etc. Little to no crafting involved. Whereas mailart should take a decent amount of time, effort, and creativity to make.

Thanks for hosting a beginners mailart swap!

I agree with @PJ It should be type 3. It takes me a lot more time and effort than an ATC.

This sounds like fun. I have been the recipient of some really cool envies in the past. I cant wait to send my envie and would love to be a fly on the wall when the posties see it lol.

Just a little shameless self promotion, New Mail art swap , starting after this one has finished.

http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/99306

Would love to see you all there!

Good point @PJ .. I've changed the swap to a type 3.

I heard about mail art a few weeks ago and wanted to do something and you gave me the perfect opportunity. :) I can't wait to see who I get!

Is digital art Ok for the envelopes? I know some people don't like it.

Looks like a fun swap! I am deciding if I want to join or not.

Ok.. I just saw some people talking about this :O) I am also a newbie, and old hat at snail mail and pen palling, But have really taken a liking to the Mail Art idea. So, with all that bantering aside, Thank you so much for allowing newbies to start on this one. Excellent!! Peace all :O)

I'm new to mail art too, but I'd like to maybe try it, just don't know whether I'm good enough at it for a swap? I think it's so awesome! Thanks for letting newbies join:)

@adventurer If you get me I Don't mind it. I figure if you put good time and effert into it most people would say its fine

@Adventurer I think digital art will be fine... unless the partner you get specifically mentions not wanting any in his/her profile. But since this is a "beginner" swap, I hope that people won't be too picky with what they receive. :) The idea is to have fun with it!

I did sign up right?

Hi All (Especially Newbies!) Want to see great examples of envelope art from "Mail Me Art" project? http://youtu.be/jOMhJl8DZUY Wonderful things posted there.

Paulac440, go to the box at the top of this page, :Swap Member Options: and click on "View Participants". If you are signed up, a list of all the swappers in this swap will be listed. Hope this helps.

@Paulac440 Yes, you're showing as signed up. :) Another way to tell is if you click on the "Dashboard" link up top... it'll show you all the swaps you're signed up for.

I couldn't get into that link says it isn't there.

Does mail art consist of only drawing or can other things be done to the envelope?

@sweetred Hi, to see an answer to your question, have a peek at this mail art vid: http://youtu.be/jOMhJl8DZUY Happy Swap-Botting!

I've finished mine! But is it okay that I didn't decorate the back? :/

@MrsSawbones Thanks.

Also wondering if you just decorate the front, or also the back of the envelope?

@Calinnero Hi There! Mail/Envelope Art is a free-thinking sort of medium, you do what you like! Personally, I like to leave a nice clear spot for the address, or incorporate the address spot into the surrounding art somehow- with a theme like vintage people, Egyptian style images, or creepy Halloween scenes- Then the back is a total wreck of funny sayings, images reacting to each other, and my address being mocked by a peeing doggy or pointing lady. That's my style. I hope you have fun finding yours!

I'm all done, but can't post until Monday.......

Created my Art envelope, posted on Friday. clicked on sent but still not showing as sent. where do i go from here. this is fun.

Created my Art envelope, posted on Friday. clicked on sent but still not showing as sent. where do i go from here. this is fun.

I sent my swap!

Mine's out via 03110820000226183050 first class.

This was fun! I enjoyed stretching myself with a medium I don't usually craft in. Thanks for the Swap

I had alot of fun making my envelope and the envelope I got from my partner is excellent. This was a great swap! I hope you'll do more like this.

Glad everyone's enjoying my swap! :)

Don't forget... 3 more days to send before the deadline!!

Min sent today, was so exciting to do!

That should say sent mine today lol! Long day today :)

Thanks @PJ for suggesting that this swap be changed to level 3. This was such fun to do. Couldn't wait until next round. Hope to see all of you join in. I'm ready!

I was under the impression that we would get a decorated envie with something small in it. I did get a decorated card and a few mini stickers on the back of the envie. What exactly is the definition of mail art? My partner will be getting a very decorated envie which I thought was the swap requirements...just wondering???

@darcilena Hi There! Well this swap was supposed to be about decorating the envelope primarily, with a little something inside- but "Mail Art" can be anything art sent thru the mail- cards, envelopes, odd shaped items. For me tho- it's all about the envelope! That's why I joined this particular swap!

@darcilena , unfortunately, some people do the absolute minimum when it comes to decorating the envelope - a few stickers, some colored pencil scribbled on, etc. It's disappointing. All you can do is rate a 5 but make sure to leave a detailed comment about what you received, so future hosts can decide if they want this person in their swaps.