Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Embroidery and Mail Art

I have been pretty absent from this blog lately, but I notice that many others are leaving a longer time between posts, as well.  It's the season, I suppose, that requires more effort in real life for many of us. Christmas is both exhilarating and anxiety-inducing for many.  It can be a very busy time or a time of needing a little removal from the bustle of life.

Mostly, I fall into that second category and spend a lot of time making stuff.  A physical withdrawal, but a creative and satisfying one.  Except for this year.  I haven't made anything.  Oh, I've looked at Pinterest and various creative blogs and admired and pinned, but have had no enthusiasm for actually making.

I've continued to embroider the doll bodies when I watch shows on Amazon or Netflix.  The first one that I showed you a while back was the largest.  This one is middle-sized, and I experimented with flowers.  
leg



this will be front



But I'm still not in the mood to make heads for the three bodies I've been working on.  And little of the embroidery will show when they are dressed, anyway.  It has really just been an activity to keep my hands busy so I can watch my shows.

I'm completely enjoying my new foray into mail art, though. I've received two letters from Connie Rose and written two to her (one is in today's mail).  I've written to my grands, to my daughters, to a couple of friends, and to a stranger!  

I didn't take pictures of the first ones I sent, but here are some of the more recent ones.




This morning, I found The 12 Days of Love Letter Writing.  Not mushy luuuvvv letters--more "love writing letters" and/or "love receiving" them.  Getting a letter in the mail--a real letter, a personal letter--is like finding a treat in the mail box.  Snail mail is not as immediate as email or the phone, but there is certainly a place for each.  The 12 Days gives a list of people, strangers, that you could write, giving them the small gift of seeing a letter addressed to them and the pleasure of opening and reading a letter from a stranger.  I chose Anistazia, who is in an assisted living home and will surely enjoy receiving letters from strangers.  It, too, went out in today's mail.  

These letters don't go directly to the intended receiver, but are checked by the facilitator to see that there is nothing in the letter that shouldn't be there and then sent on to the individual.

Naomi of Naomi Loves does this all the time, writing to strangers, sending beautiful envelopes to people she has never met.  She explains why here

I'm no artist, but for some reason, decorating the envelopes is so much fun.  OK, time to go upstairs and decorate some envelopes, write a couple of letters.    

17 comments:

  1. More wonderful embroidery! And look at that great mail art you're doing!!

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    1. Thanks, Connie! I'm enjoying getting involved with this again. :)

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  2. Jen, I adore snail mail letters and notes. I write to my parents often and to others as well, even to my grandchildren. Receiving real mail in the mailbox always brightens my day. Always.

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    1. It is a shame that personal letters have fallen from grace, but it is so much easier and quicker to email, text, or phone. And yet, there is something special about receiving a letter!

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  3. Forgot to mention the dolls - they are just wonderful!

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    1. Embroidery is a soothing way to pass the time and keep my hands busy. :)

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  4. Yes, so lovely to receive something "real" in the mail, rather than something corporate!

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  5. :) I get tired of the waste of paper on advertisements. With very few exceptions, all of the advertisements go into the trash without even a second look. But finding a genuine letter...now that lifts my spirits!

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  6. Sweet lil cards, Jen. I have been working in my studio a fair amount lately and I am near the mailbox for our whole street. I watch (the husbands mostly) walk away from the mailbox with armfuls of catalogs every day, and we get them too. Stacks. I did not send out cards this year. I am conflicted about it, but I keep in touch via the electronic methods and somehow Christmas cards seem unnecessary and a waste of paper and $$. We're just a couple old fogies anyway. No dogs or kids to send pictures of. Have a very Merry Christmas!

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    1. Good for you on getting back to the studio! And people watching is always an interesting proposition. I have not sent Christmas cards in years, although I love getting them. Especially the ones from my daughter's friends with pics of their kids.

      The letters I've sent were not meant as Christmas cards, but the season does offer some images that I can (almost) draw: snowmen and trees. :) So I've decorated the envelopes accordingly. I guess I could send a Christmas card with pictures of the Triad of bad cats...who have already made of a mess of the very minimalist tree!

      Merry Christmas to you and Jim!

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  7. Those envelopes are adorable. What a great idea to send to a stranger in an assisted living facility. Some patients, I'm sure, have no one to send things to them. As for your doll and embroidery, this one is beautiful. The flowers could serve as their clothing. Or you could just dress her in a veil/gossamer dress so that the flowers show through...sort of the best of both worlds kind of idea. Here's wishing a very Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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    1. MoreLoveLetters has several ways to participate. It is a fun site to visit. You are right about people in assisted living rarely getting mail. A good idea for a church would be to at least flood a home with Christmas cards for patients. Merry Christmas, Mary!

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  8. Love all the mail art shown, how clever. I, too, enjoy real letters but haven't tried decorating envelopes. You all have wonderful Christmas, Jenny.

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    1. You have letters that your parents wrote, don't you? Those are so precious and are reminiscent of a time when the postman delivered more than just junk mail.

      :) I realized the other day that if there were no junk mail, the post office probably wouldn't be delivering any mail at all. I've complained about the amount of advertisements that I have to throw away, but now I'm grateful that they are busy supporting the postal system!

      MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and Ricky!

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  9. I have written letters to almost strangers...I am intrigued here...off to follow links :)

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    1. I truly enjoyed participating in mail art years ago, but this new experience is actually more interesting. I love the playful aspect of decorating envelopes, but the letters to strangers has a strange appeal that kind of tests your resources. Such a great idea, though!

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  10. Your doll body embroidery looks amazing! Love your snowy mail art and the birds on the dotted envelope are a kick!

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Good to hear from you!