Hello! It’s Robyn Wood with you today sharing a mail art project with you featuring Helmar adhesive. Mail art is something I’ve been doing sporadically over the years, it’s always fun to give the recipient an extra bit of excitement when they see a decorated envelope sitting in the letterbox. An added advantage is the little surprise for the postal staff!
Mail art has a long history but it really took off and became part of a global art movement in the 1960’s. It appears to have no set rules and the level of decoration is left up to the artist, some send their mail art inside another envelope but the purists like to send them straight through the post – the little crinkles, tears and marks from the postal service become part of the charm. One thing to bear in mind though is that you will need clear room for the stamp & postal service marks and a prominent address to ensure your creation doesn’t end up in the dead letter office.
I started my project with a plain white, A5 envelope and added an initial layer of splotchy colour using Distress Oxide inks. Although the Distress Oxides remain somewhat watersoluble, they are a little more sturdy than Distress Inks and less likely to move if they get a little moist while travelling.
I added stamped imagery using the Darkroom Door Vintage Office set of stamps using both black and light grey inks for a lovely background effect.
I stamped some extra images to help build a bit of a theme or story for my project. Colour was added by sponging with Distress Oxide inks and they were all trimmed closely ready for adhesive. The little ornate style frame was perfect for adding the destination address.
Any imagery attached to a mail art envelope needs to be adhered fully without any little pieces able to lift and catch in postal machinery. Helmar Tacky Craft Glue does the job perfectly and the plastic tip makes it so easy to smoosh glue into all the little edges. You don’t want anything holding up your important mail!
If you feel a little worried about the surface of your decorated envelope, Helmar also sells awesome spray sealants, a quick spray of Helmar Crystal Kote Matte Varnish will do the trick.
Supplies:
Helmar Tacky Craft Glue
Helmar Crystal Kote Matte spray (optional)
Darkroom Door Vintage Office & Steampunk & Ornate Elements rubber stamp sets
Distress Oxide inks in various colours
I enjoyed putting this mail art envelope together. I hope it inspires you to create something similar & give your card recipient and the postie a nice surprise! Of course, you don’t need to just use them for handmade cards, imagine the surprise your accountant or utilities company employee might get if you decorate the next ‘ordinary’ letter you send.
Until next time…
